Everyone this Christmas has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

EVERYONE THIS CHRISTMAS HAS A SECRET by Benjamin Stevenson (Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone and Everyone on this Train is a Suspect) is pure delight. Readers will once again enjoy the wry wit and clever asides as amateur sleuth Ernest Cunningham has more murders to solve.  In this latest “Christmas special” (complete with its own set of governing rules), Stevenson uses an Advent calendar to help provide clues. At least half a dozen suspects are related to the death of a philanthropist, Lyle Pearse, who establishes theatre programs for young people who were previously addicts. Due to her romantic involvement with Lyle, Cunningham’s ex-wife, Erin, is the primary suspect and he sets out to clear her name. One big source of information is a magic show where yet another death occurs; are they related? Why? Set in the Blue Mountain region of Australia, EVERYONE THIS CHRISTMAS HAS A SECRET conjures both the holiday season and natural beauty. Stevenson’s latest title received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Enjoy! I am already eagerly anticipating book four – Stevenson’s Acknowledgments section says, “Don’t worry: Ernest is back in a big way soon.”  

The Treasure Hunters Club by Tom Ryan

THE TREASURE HUNTERS CLUB by Tom Ryan is set in Maple Bay, Nova Scotia which is a seaside town and the “treasure” they are hunting is called Obelisk Treasure, from a pirate chest left long ago belonging to Captain Barnabas Dagger. Told in part in the present day, the story also shifts a generation or two back in time to when the club “members” (Henry Bellwood; Archie Jinx, “Junior” French, “Red” Oakley and Elmer Feltzen) stumble upon the treasure and decides to hide it again until they come of age. That would have turned their lives around, but instead the discovery acts as a curse of sorts which results in multiple deaths and a club member facing a long prison sentence. The treasure is stolen and hidden yet again, and future descendants try for forty years to find the treasure without luck.  It takes yet another generation to solve the complicated riddle. There is a beautiful old house called Bellwood which was fun to imagine and I liked the treasure hunting aspect, but so many characters were involved and the connections became confusing: “As she tries to wrap her head around the countless relationships that have played out here over the years, and the interactions and conversations and arguments and love affairs that spiraled out from them, it almost makes her dizzy.” The story starts out slowly since there is a great deal of backstory to explain, but the characters gradually come into focus and at about eighty percent of the way there is a crazy twist in the story, too. THE TREASURE HUNTERS CLUB received a starred review from Library Journal who described it as having, “the cozy charm of Jessica Fletcher’s Cabot Cove, with almost as many murders.”

The Calculation of You and Me by Serena Kaylor

THE CALCULATION OF YOU AND ME by Serena Kaylor (Long Story Short) is a feel-good book whose pace is a little slow, but that all made sense when I read the author’s acknowledgment page and realized how difficult the time working in an ICU during COVID had been for Serena Kaylor. Her second novel featuring neurodiverse characters centers on Marlowe Meadows who has been “dumped” for not being romantic enough by manipulative boyfriend Josh at the start of their senior year in high school. Marlowe turns to a new classmate (and her AP English partner) Ashton Hayes to learn about writing romantic letters, reading romance books, and completing “fieldwork” activities in an effort to win back Josh. She is also supported by loyal, but quirky, friends Odette and Poppy. Kaylor includes a great deal of musing by Marlowe as she attempts to understand others whose brains work differently than hers. Along the way, readers become aware of her increasing attraction to Ash (who seems too kind and mature at times) and Marlowe’s own growth and maturation: “I could decide that I didn't want to learn to dance, and that would be fine, but I'm capable of doing hard things. Unexpected things. I might even be good at them. Or not, and that would be okay too.” And later, “That's what it's all about, right? Figuring out who we are and what we like and trying everything until we find the answers?” THE CALCULATION OF YOU AND ME received a starred review from Kirkus (“A delightful, richly characterized slow-burn romance about figuring out what you want”). 

Beyond the Horse Race by John Zogby

Booklist called BEYOND THE HORSE RACE by John Zogby “A timely read for the politically inclined.” To be honest, I was a bit turned off by the patronizing attitude in his Acknowledgments section which the author displayed towards his daughters-in-law who “made substantial contributions to the production of our babies.” His text is designed to explore “How to Read Polls and Why We Should” but the graphs did not display properly in the preview copy I had. This made it difficult to fully appreciate his points. Zogby, a political consultant and the founder of the Zogby International Poll, does provide a short section at the end of each chapter which summarizes its “lessons” such as “don’t be a victim of myopia and insularity.” Another observation he offers: “Numbers produce stories. Imagination and hard work help us find the stories behind the numbers.” There are many stories and tales here spanning decades which a specialized audience will likely enjoy if they can discount the author’s tone. Slightly less than twenty percent of the text is devoted to notes, an extensive list of Works Cited, and an index. 

Beyond the Big Lie by Bill Adair

BEYOND THE BIG LIE is a new book by Bill Adair, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, creator of PolitiFact, and professor at Duke University. He subtitles the text: “The Epidemic of Political Lying, Why Republicans Do It More, and How It Could Burn Down Our Democracy.” Although Publishers Weekly referred to some content as “overly partisan,” Adair clearly believes in the importance of being truthful with the electorate and outlines numerous examples of being less than truthful in a dozen chapters. The text is very accessible, and he frequently refers to input from his college students. One example is in the chapter called “Lying Hall of Fame” where students nominated candidates like Big Tobacco, Exxon, Rupert Murdoch, Roger Ailes, and numerous politicians from both parties as part of a research project. Adair points out that political lying “crippled our discourse and made it impossible for us to have a serious discussion on the vital issues of our day -- the climate crisis, public health, or the future of Social Security and Medicare.” Adair also chronicles the evolution of Mike Pence, a personal friend and neighbor of his when Pence first served in Congress. In that chapter, Adair notes that “attitudes have changed” and also quotes from an interview with Anthony Fauci: “there is no shame in lying now. There is no shame in developing your own alternative facts -- untruth, conspiracy, lies have become normalized.” A final chapter explores “How Can We Stop the Lying?” and Adair argues “research suggests there is fertile ground for a citizen movement to hold politicians accountable for lying, …. I believe politicians will respond if enough people speak up.” Sigh, people need models – AARP has published candidate responses to their questions with no fact-checking at all (“We allowed the candidates to present their views and positions without commenting on the accuracy of their claims.”) BEYOND THE BIG LIE is an intriguing, if disturbing, read. Roughly twenty percent is devoted to Notes, a list of Sources (from over four years of interviews), a Selected Bibliography, and an Index.  

Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

MEDITATIONS FOR MORTALS by Oliver Burkeman (Four Thousand Weeks) is subtitled “Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts.” The publisher describes this title as “a guiding philosophy of life Oliver Burkeman calls imperfectionism.” What stood out for me was the question: “How do we shed the illusion that life will really begin as soon as we can get on top of everything?” Ironically, I truly need to carve out some time to spend reflecting on this text, but I did attend – and thoroughly enjoyed – the discussion between Burkeman and Daniel Pink recently which was hosted by Family Action Network. Their far-ranging conversation covered many of Burkeman’s suggestions like crafting a done list or try not to picture a “bucket” that needs to be emptied, but instead a river of choices. There was a great emphasis on not overanalyzing and “just doing it” or finishing a task to fully benefit from the resulting endorphins. Burkeman, a British author and journalist, wrote “This Column Will Change Your Life” for The Guardian until 2020. More recently, The Wall Street Journal published a short excerpt about freedom from MEDITATIONS FOR MORTALS which notes “Once you begin to approach life as a matter of trade-offs and consequences, it’s easier to say no to things you might not previously have dared to turn down.” And Burkeman writes further for Fast Company, extolling the virtues of “why ‘daily-ish’ habits can be better than everyday routines.” Much to ponder.

Sticky Notes by Matthew Eicheldinger

STICKY NOTES is from Matthew Eicheldinger, a middle school teacher and gifted storyteller. He subtitles his collection: “Memorable Lessons from Ordinary Moments.” And he offers insights for all of us, not just educators, although I did feel that he validated and evoked many of the varied feelings I had as a teacher. Eicheldinger’s short vignettes reminded me that we often have an impact on others that we may never realize.  A favorite was called “A Dance” about a young boy who is quite excited when his invitation is accepted, but young love runs its course and, saddened, he simply seeks quiet time and acceptance in Mr. Eicheldinger’s classroom during a free period. There are so many more that will inspire readers and touch their hearts. Eicheldinger has collated other stories online at Instagram and TikTok. He says, “empathy and compassion are what keep us grounded and connected” – so true.