Hotel Angeline

Hotel Angeline by Kathleen Alcalá, Matthew Amster-Burton, Kit Bakke, Erica Bauermeister, Sean Beaudoin, Dave Boling, Deb Caletti, Carol Cassella, William Dietrich, Robert Dugoni, Kevin Emerson, Karen Finneyfrock, Clyde Ford, Jamie Ford, Elizabeth George, Mary Guterson, Maria Dahvana Headley, Teri Hein, Stephanie Kallos, Erik Larson, David Lasky, Stacey Levine, Frances McCue, Jarret Middleton, Peter Mountford, Kevin O'Brien, Julia Quinn, Nancy Rawles, Suzanne Selfors, Jennie Shortridge, Ed Skoog, Garth Stein, Greg Stump, Indu Sundaresan, Craig Welch and Susan Wiggs. Foreword by Nancy Pearl. Introduction by Garth Stein 258 pp.

In 2011 the Seattle7Writers Project for Literacy concocted a scheme where 36 authors in the Pacific Northwest came together to write a novel on stage in one week. The result could have been a total mishmash, unreadable, and incomprehensible. Instead they created an intriguing story of a 14 year old girl who takes on adult responsibilities to keep the eclectic "family" of artists, anarchists, and eccentrics living in the run down Hotel Angeline safe and keep the hotel from being sold after her mother is no longer able to run it.  Every author added a new twist to the story while keeping it flowing, enjoyable, and interesting. I was totally absorbed by the story and would have listened to the whole audiobook at one sitting if I could.

Incidents Around the House

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman, 367 pages

When Bela goes to bed at night, Other Mommy talks to her from the closet. This has been going on for years, but recently, Other Mommy has started venturing out from the closet and into Bela's room, and not always at night time. And now she's asked Bela if she'll let Other Mommy into her heart. Bela's not quite sure what to do, especially because her Mommy and Daddo have never really believed her when she's mentioned Other Mommy in the past.

I started reading this while in bed, before turning off the light to try to sleep. The active word there is "try," as this is a supremely creepy book, especially in the first 100 pages or so. Told from a child's point of view, and with very little description of Other Mommy, this ode to the monsters in our closets will make your own dark bedroom terrifying. It's fantastic for horror fans, but don't make my mistake — read it only during daylight hours!

When Harry Met Pablo

 

When Harry Met Pablo: Truman, Picasso, and the Cold War Politics of Modern Art by Matthew Algeo  256 pp.

From the time of the creation of "Modern Art" it has created controversy. Many spoke out against it calling it "garbage, untalented, ugly, subversive, and Communist." There were movements among the art world against it. There were also movements by government officials who came just short of wanting it banned. Harry Truman was admittedly one of those who didn't like it. But at least he agreed artists had the right to create what they pleased. After Truman was no longer in office, Alfred H. Barr, one of the founders of New York's MOMA managed to engineer a meeting between Truman and Picasso that included a photo op. It all took place during a tour of the Mediterranean by Harry & Bess Truman and his former advisor, Sam Rosenman, and his wife Dorothy. The President who was responsible for the use of the atomic bomb and the Communist artist who created the anti-war masterpiece Guernica had a amicable  meeting. Picasso showed the Trumans his studio and the pottery where he also created art. While there is no recordings of their conversations, it was a civil meeting. However, it didn't change Truman's opinion of Picasso's art. I listened to the audiobook which drove me slightly crazy because of mispronunciations of artist's names, locations, and other words that should have been corrected in editing. 

Dilla Time

 

Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip Hop Producer who reinvented Rhythm, by Dan Charnas, 460 pgs. 

I loved this book, it is so well-researched. I'd heard rumors of J Dilla's greatness and listened to his now iconic Donuts album, but really hadn't understood why he was held in such high esteem until now. This book goes into great detail about Dilla's life and influence on hip hop and rap that has made him a worldwide name for producing beats. I loved the second chapter, which delved into the history of Detroit, his hometown, and the off-kilter design of the street system, giving the reader a good touchstone for the way he made beats. There are also fun beat grid exerices for the reader to stomp and clap to, in order to help readers get a sense of the kind of timing Dilla was working from. So many albums I love from back in the day had his signature style on them, including artists like Common, Erykah Badu, D'angelo, Tribe Called Quest and so many more. His unique approach to timing and micro-rhythms helped usher in a new era of soul and R n' B. His life was tragically cut short by a gruesome blood disease that left him scrambling to produce and create as much music as he could before he passed away. The book goes into his legacy post-death, highlighting the many struggles of non-profits and agencies trying to celebrate J Dilla, while others try to make money off his name. His signature instrument, the AKAI MPC 3000 drum machine, now sits in on display in the National Museum of African American History and Culture in DC. The New York Times even released a short documentary called "The Legacy of J. Dilla" that is a great compendium to the book. Required reading for anyone interested in music, hip-hop or beat production.  

Standard Deviation

Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny (2017) 319 pages

Graham Cavanaugh is approaching 60 years of age. He lives with his second wife, Audra (41), and their special-needs son, Matthew (10), who has Asperger's. Audra is a vibrant, extroverted woman, the kind who talks to everyone and overshares, but is well-meaning and sympathetic. 

The novel, told from Graham's point of view, shows their life as a never-ending chaos—Graham never knows how many people he is cooking dinner for (and what food aversions they have) or who is living in their den at the time. For a while they had a woman living with them while her husband was on sabbatical. They also hosted the doorman of their apartment building for a time. When Audra decides that they need to be friends with Graham's ex-wife, that adds an extra element of weirdness, since it was Graham's relationship with Audra that broke up his first marriage.

In addition to Audra, there is a whole quirky cast of characters, including the adults from the origami club that Matthew is allowed to join. The events that ensue are presented along with Graham's internal musings. Often humorous and sometimes sad but philosophical.

The Morningside

 The Morningside by Téa Obreht, 304 pages.

Fleeing from their disintegrating (at times literally) homeland, Silvia and her mother are placed by the Repopulation Program into The Morningside, a crumbling building that was once a luxury tower on an island being swallowed by the sea in a world profoundly impacted by climate change. Sil's Aunt Ena also lives in the tower as its super, and she teaches Sil all of the folklore of their homeland that her own mother won't. Silvia becomes convinced that the mysterious woman with her three huge dogs living on the top floor is really a malevolent entity, and her search to prove it will have dire consequences for her family.

This was such a weird, interesting book. It builds very slowly, and never really tells the reader what's real and what isn't. I found it very compelling, although hard to describe.

Here We Go Again

 Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun, 368 pages.

When they were kids Logan and Rosemary were best friends, and the natural way they fit together made them both better. Until a betrayal the summer before high school turned them into bitter rivals, a rivalry that has only gotten more heated now that they're both teachers at the high school they grew up in. But when the former teacher they both love tells them the cancer that has been killing him slowly has decided to kill him quickly instead, and he insists they both take him on a cross-country road trip to Maine, they have no choice but to be trapped together for an extended time. The road trip gets longer and more significant than they planned for (although perhaps not more than Joe planned for) they realize that the feelings between them haven't really faded over the years, and are perhaps even stronger than two adolescent girls who didn't yet realize they were lesbians could have known. 

Alison Cochrun always writes wonderful, sincere romances with neurodivergent characters, and this one is no different. A rom com about death is a unique premise, and this novel does an excellent job balancing grief and joy. I really enjoyed this book.

What You are Looking for is in the Library

 

What You are Looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama  300 pp.

I came close to giving up on this book after the first chapter because I didn't find it interesting. When I started the second chapter I decided to continue and I am glad I did. The story begins with a woman whose lucrative career is derailed by the birth of her baby. A visit to the library in the local community center leads to a meeting with the reference librarian, who is an unusual woman with a hobby of making small felted items. The librarian gives the woman a list of the books she requested but includes an entirely different book which turns out to be just what the woman needs. The same pattern occurs in subsequent chapters with different characters who visit the library. In addition to the library visits, there are other random connections between each character. It's a slow starter but worth continuing to the end.   

We Solve Murders

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman, 400 pages

Amy Wheeler is a high-priced bodyguard for some pretty notable clients, as well as anyone who has the funds to secure her services. (For example, right now she's guarding bestselling author Rosie D'Antonio, who has a hit on her after writing a real Russian drug kingpin into her latest novel, and making him look bad in it.) However, when a few social media influencers that she recently guarded wind up dead not long after, Amy's convinced that one of her shadier past clients has designs on Amy's death. With the help of her retired police officer father-in-law, Steve, and Rosie's private jet and connections, Amy's on a world-wide search to track down the mysterious man who wants her dead.

The first non-Thursday Murder Club book by Osman, this one has many of the same hallmarks — goofy older characters, smart younger ones, and a quirky sense of humor — but with a more adrenaline-filled plot. I enjoyed the story immensely, and I was glad to read in the afterword that Osman has more stories of Amy, Steve, and Rosie planned for the future. This will definitely be a hit with Thursday Murder Club fans and those who enjoyed Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn.

*This book will be published Sept. 17, 2024.

Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone

Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone by Sarah Graves (2024) 282 pages

Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree is a grandmother who lives in an old house filled with extended family on Eastport Island, off the coast of Maine. She and her friend, Ellie White, run a popular bakery called the Chocolate Moose, but they're also known for their investigative skills.

Ellie's friend Sally has contacted them to help find a gold doubloon her husband had inherited, which is missing, along with her husband. She figures her husband is dead, but he'd told her that the value of the gold piece could help keep their three kids cared for, if needed. And with his absence, it's definitely needed.

Jake and Ellie alternate between baking delicious treats and motoring between islands looking for clues.  A group of shark researchers is coming to town soon, and they've asked for 48 Chocolate Raspberry Scones, and even though the bakers have never made this particular treat, they've agreed to fill the order. 

The story's told from Jake's point of view: She's funny and lovable. Prepare yourself for mouth-watering treats, searching for possibly dead bodies, criss-crossing the water while large sharks follow, and much more.