The English Masterpiece by Katherine Reay

THE ENGLISH MASTERPIECE by Katherine Reay is described by the publisher as “perfect for fans of Kate Quinn and Ariel Lawhon.” Given that I enjoy their work (and Fiona Davis praised it, too) I truly expected to be able to recommend Reay’s latest historical fiction/mystery. The cover is beautiful and eye-catching, but the story moves slowly and the alternating narrators, young Lily and her boss, Diana, who work at London’s Tate Gallery, are not very engaging. Lily, especially, has issues of confidence and is constantly apologizing. Diana, though bravely battling misogyny in the 1970’s curation and art world in Britain, also struggles for recognition, especially from her older husband. They put on a terrific exhibition, but Lily naively (and publicly) calls Picasso’s Woman Laughing a forgery. Is it? Can she prove it? Will their careers survive? Why did she say that? Booklist calls THE ENGLISH MASTERPIECE “[a] fascinating look behind the scenes of art dealings and the workings of the museum;” hopefully readers interested in that aspect (like the Historical Novel Society which recommended this title) will have more patience than I did. The audiobook is narrated quite well by Fiona Hardingham and Saskia Maarleveld, but even listening at a higher speed does not really move the story along. 

I also just finished SOMEONE ALWAYS NEARBY by Susan Wittig Albert for a book group discussion. I was struck by the parallels since this, too, is historical fiction, about art, told by multiple narrators, and the younger main character apologizes profusely. Albert is writing about Georgia O’Keefe, and her “slave” (a term apparently used by O’Keefe), Maria Chabot. Chabot managed O’Keefe’s New Mexican properties for many years, apparently for little monetary reward. Once again, it is hard to understand the characters’ motivation. O’Keefe is described in third person and her thoughts about creativity and art are rarely shared. Instead, Maria relates a story (in first person) of exploitation for several decades beginning in the 1940’s. Albert clearly did a great deal of research; even though these women are not presented in a particularly flattering way, much of the book is based on the many letters between O’Keefe and Chabot. Albert also provides a list of recommended reading and her descriptions of the area rekindled my hope to visit New Mexico. 

Four Days a Week by Juliet Schor

FOUR DAYS A WEEKby Juliet Schor describes “The Life-Changing Solution for Reducing Employee Stress, Improving Well-Being, and Working Smarter” Schor, a bestselling author, an economist, and a professor of sociology at Boston College, says the “secret sauce” is to cut out unproductive activities, especially meetings. She also notes that employees prefer a full day off “rather than snippets.” In terms of a four-day week, numerous benefits, including increased productivity, better employee attitudes, and greater talent retention are often cited.The American Psychological Association has published research pointing to the benefits of this policy. For interested readers, Schor succinctly explains her research findings in this May 2025 Wall Street Journal article and in her April 2022 TedTalk which has had over three million views:

This is a fascinating topic, meriting additional study and consideration. Some questions to consider, for example, would be whether the shorter work week could be applied across industries or will it contribute to greater inequality and resentment between classes of workers. Another thought: what is the long-term impact – specifically, are productivity gains sustainable? Schor has made a significant contribution to the debate with her many case studies and exploration of different implementation strategies companies could pursue. Schor includes an entire chapter on AI, for example, citing an “estimate that the productivity gains of this technology could enable 28% of the workforce, or 35 million workers, to transition to thirty-two hours by 2033” and quotes a source who asks, “why can't these technologies, if they're able to do 20% of what a human does - or did - why can't that 20% be given back to the employee?” Looking for even more discussion on the Future of Work? Be sure to explore the McKinsey featured insights on that topic.

Speak to Me of Home by Jeanine Cummins

SPEAK TO ME OF HOME by Jeanine Cummins (American Dirt) is worth a read, but beware that the story is told out of sequence and from multiple viewpoints. The focus is on the lives of a Puerto Rican-Irish family across four generations from the 1950s to present day. The patriarch, Papamio loses his job in disgrace and the family is forced to modify its lavish lifestyle, with daughter Rafaela (Rafa) leaving private school and becoming a secretary on a Naval base. There, she meets her future husband, a white Irish Catholic, choosing security over her romantic interest in the son of the family’s former housekeeper. After several years of marriage (and accompanying tension) Rafa and Peter Brennan move to the States with their two children, Benny and Ruth. Benny is older and struggles to acclimate, but Ruth establishes friendships and begins speaking only English, thinking of herself as white. As an adult, Ruth also has a choice between a Puerto Rican man and an Irish one. Eventually she raises three children, Vic, Daisy, and Carlos, largely on her own. Ruth “wanted them to feel the kind of belonging she had always learned for and could never achieve. But she hadn't told them that. She had never explained.” The family members struggle with questions of class, ethnicity, and where to call home with Daisy moving to Puerto Rico where she is seriously injured in a storm, prompting a family reunion and revelation of a long-suspected secret. Book groups may enjoy this title, especially the emphasis on mother-daughter relationships.

King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby

KING OF ASHES is the latest mystery/thriller by award-winning author S. A. Cosby. His first, Blacktop Wasteland, continues to be my favorite although I have also read or listened to Razorblade Tears and would highly recommended All the Sinners Bleed. The publisher describes KING OF ASHES as “a Godfather-inspired Southern crime epic and dazzling family drama.” The story is set in Jefferson Run, Virginia where older brother Roman Carruthers has returned briefly from his investment business in Atlanta and where sister Neveah now runs the family crematorium business. Both are drawn into a dangerous situation initially created by their younger brother, drug-using Dante. Cosby explores the family dynamics, including the disappearance of their mother, saying, “[Roman] hadn't shared the weight the way he should have, but they were sister and brother, the three of them: Dante, Neveah, and Roman had shared the same womb, been brought into the world with the same alchemy of love, passion, and need that had lived between their parents. That magic united them for all time …” Initially Roman “had no desire to be the King of Ashes. That title belonged to his father and Roman was content to let him live on through him or burn with him.” Danger and violence, however, increasingly thwart Roman’s efforts to right Dante’s wrongs; there are some truly evil characters and the crematorium itself becomes an instrument of death, both rumored and real. Readers need to be prepared as suspense and tension build: this text turns quite brutal, dark, and gruesome.

The audiobook of KING OF ASHES is narrated by Adam Lazarre-White and we have thoroughly enjoyed listening to him spin these Cosby tales on long road trips over the past few years. Once again, Lazarre-White adeptly uses his voice to convey the attitudes, concerns, and motivation for key characters. Having received a starred review from Library Journal, KING OF ASHES is a LibraryReads selection for June 2025 and an Indie Next pick (“A Faustian deal with his hometown devil descends into depravity.”). Plus, it appears on recommended summer reading lists from NPR, New York Times, Washington Post, The Atlantic and more.

Inflation by Mark Blyth and Nicolò Fraccaroli

INFLATION by Mark Blyth (Austerity) and Nicolò Fraccaroli focuses on a complex economic concept and certainly makes the surrounding debate more accessible for the educated reader. Fraccaroli, now an economist with the World Bank, studied with Blyth, an economics professor at Brown University. Their academic background is evident in the care they take to present and outline their arguments, saying that “identifying the causes of inflation was key to deciding on the next step: how to fight inflation.” They point to “four main stories …. Each of them identifies a different villain that caused prices to go up: the government, the workers, the disruptions from the Ukraine war and COVID-19, and greedy corporations.” They ultimately argue that “most of the time inflations are caused by supply shocks” with varying impact by class, race, and geography which means that some people ultimately benefit from inflation (hence, the subtitle: “A Guide for Users and Losers”). The first chapter looks at “five things they don’t tell you about inflation” and contrasts the use of rhetorical stories with (sometimes sparse) empirical evidence. Subsequent chapters question an overreliance on 1970s theory that interest rates should be main controller of inflation; others assert the low likelihood of hyperinflation. Reluctant to make predictions for the future, Blyth and Fraccaroli do point to possible contributors to why an inflationary future is the more likely outcome: climate change; de-globalization; and an aging population. Described by Publishers Weekly as “essential reading for anyone looking to understand current debates around rising prices,” INFLATION includes extensive Notes (approximately twenty-five percent of the text) and an Index. For a brief overview of Blyth’s thinking see the interview below from earlier this year:

Hello, Cruel World! by Melinda Wenner Moyer

HELLO, CRUEL WORLD! by Melinda Wenner Moyer offers “Science-Based Strategies for Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times.” In ten chapters Wenner Moyer, a contributing editor at Scientific American and a regular contributor to The New York Times, looks at Coping, Connecting, and Cultivating, all presented in a conversational, non-judgmental and helpful way. Adam Grant writes, “[Moyer’s] book is packed with evidence-based, nonobvious practical advice for nurturing resilience, kindness, critical thinking, and well-being.” I certainly saw the critical thinking aspect in the entire chapter devoted to Information Literacy which is full of ideas (including discussion prompts), plus some organizations (Thinking is Power, Reboot Foundation, etc.) that I did not know as well as skills (e.g., lateral reading) school librarians have been talking about for years. Other chapters cover self-compassion, resilience, self-control, relaxing, empathy, friendships, curiosity/inclusion, plus financial and information literacy and managing social media. HELLO, CRUEL WORLD! is a text which parents – and educators – should consult and discuss. At the end of each chapter there is a summary of key points, and the author also includes 300+ citations in a separate section. As Wenner Moyer says, much of her writing is about “being intentional about our choices and the kinds of conversations we have with our kids. … I implore you to take the advice that feels like it will be a good fit and leave the rest.”  

Four Mothers by Abigail Leonard

FOUR MOTHERS by Abigail Leonard is subtitled “An Intimate Journey through the First Year of Parenthood in Four Countries.” And Leonard, an award-winning journalist, contrasts giving birth and raising a young child in Japan, Kenya, Finland, and the United States. Leonard cleverly shares events and policies, often providing important political background for each country. The personal stories, particularly conflicts with parents and partners, are compelling, although I did question how representative they were (especially the polyamory relationship in the US). Taken together, they point to the advantages for children in a nuclear family with two involved parents (and maybe other relatives as well), showing the impact of societal expectations and gender roles. This research should give other scholars and policy makers much to consider in terms of paid maternity and paternity leave, daycare availability and cost, other incentives (tax, etc.) for families, and both physical and mental healthcare. In its starred review for FOUR MOTHERS Publishers Weekly says, “This is an enthralling and kaleidoscopic view of modern motherhood.” Here is a recent interview with Abigail Leonard from PBS NewsHour: