Humans of New York: Stories by Brandon Stanton

In 2010, while working as a bond trader in Chicago, Brandon Stanton bought a camera and began photographing city sites and residents in his spare time. After losing his job, he moved to New York City to pursue photography full-time. Out of that career change came Humans of New York, a blog and book featuring photographs and profiles of people he speaks to on the streets of the city.  Now Stanton brings us Humans of New York: Stories, which delves even deeper into the lives of the strangers he meets.

At first glance, a book of interviews with New Yorkers may seem to have little relevance to those of us who don’t live in the city. But the strength of this book is the ways in which it highlights our similarities, rather than our differences. We are hopeful for the little boy who wants to grow up to build bridges, inspired by the woman who works two jobs so that her children can go to college, and heartbroken for those who seem to have no hope. Some of the stories are funny, some are sad, and some are just…strange! Stanton’s strengths as an interviewer are clearly evident, and the beautiful color photographs which accompany his subjects bring each one to life. 

Humans of New York: Stories helps us realize that most of us are very much the same - we want the best for our children, we want to belong, we want to be loved. As Stanton himself says, "... there's a comfort, an affirmation, a validation in being exposed to people with similar problems."

A Duchess in Name by Amanda Weaver

Victoria Carson is nothing if not practical when it comes to matters of marriage. She knows she must marry a man with an impressive British title to appease her mother's societal ambitions. She also knows that although her American wealth will be appreciated by a fiscally challenged fiancé, her lack of pedigree will not. Andrew Hargrave, the Earl of Dunnley and heir to the Duke of Waring, is enraged at being forced to marry to save his family from ruin. Making matters worse, he quickly learns how the duke lost the last of the family fortune, thanks to Victoria's father. Andrew's contempt for Victoria is obvious, but she is taken aback by his overt animosity. Yet each feels an undeniable pull toward the other that provides a glimmer of hope that their marriage could be more than in deed only, but deceptions exacerbate their fragile union and drive the couple apart time and again.

Verdict Weaver (This Book Will Change Your Life) doesn't allow Victoria to fall into the role of victim but instead creates a strong and resourceful heroine, though one who can be vulnerable, making Victoria immensely accessible to readers. The sexual encounters between Victoria and Andrew are skillfully rendered with spine-tingling tension. This exceptional series opener is a must-read for Regency romance fans; highly recommended for public library collections.

This review was originally published in Library Journal Xpress Reviews: E-Originals, November 5, 2015.

Lady Killer by Joëlle Jones

Taking place in the early 1960's, Josie is a picture perfect, doting mother and wife, who also happens to be a fierce assassin, trying to juggle her mundane domestic tasks with her ruthless and bloody assignations. When Josie's employer opts to terminate her employment and, consequently, her life, Josie fights back the only way she knows how...taking no prisoners.

The drawings quickly transport the reader back to the 1960's; the detailed costumes, cars, and other period pieces are meticulously executed. Meant to be just a one-time limited series, Lady Killer will be returning for a second story arc in future. Deadly fun indeed.

Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash

Each summer Maggie is sent to an all-girls' camp in Kentucky that proudly follows years-old traditions of Civil War re-enactments, target practice and more. At fifteen, Maggie falls for 19-year-old counselor, Erin. First love can be hard enough, but Maggie's is compounded by the fact she is gay and has fallen for an authority figure who is strictly out of bounds. Maggie strikes up a friendship with Erin while trying hard to hide her true feelings to avoid discovery and the inevitable censure that would follow from her peers if they find out she is a lesbian.

A well-written memoir of what it is like to grow up in a conservative family, live in a conservative community, and realize you are gay. Limiting her memoir's focus to this particular summer at camp allows readers to really put themselves in Maggie's shoes. Thrash doesn't focus on her parents and how they might react to her coming out, but instead, limits her tale to peer responses. Teens should relate to Maggie's belief that if her fellow campers find out she is a lesbian, cruel attitudes are inevitable at an all girl camp already overflowing with back-stabbing rumors and snide remarks.

Breaking Wild by Diane Les Becquets

In the Northwestern wilds of Colorado, Amy Raye decides to leave her fellow elk hunters, preferring the peace and quiet of bow hunting alone. She gets her shot and then tracks the wounded elk into even more remote areas, coming up against unanticipated dangers. When Amy Raye fails to return to camp, Pru Hathaway and her search and rescue dog, Kona, are called in to try and find her, but snowstorms halt their exploration. Despite freezing temperatures and clues pointing to Amy Raye's demise, Pru believes she is alive and is determined to find her and to find out more about her mysterious and perplexing life.

Told from the alternating perspectives of Amy Raye and Pru, frustration and tension builds quickly as readers are aware of how close and yet how far away Pru is from discovering what happened to Amy Raye. Flashbacks provide in-depth details into each woman's tragic past and how they both have arrived at their current situations, creating immensely complex and yet sympathetic characters who have already endured a great deal. Breaking Wild is a nail biting adventure, showing how far a person can go to survive and just how brutal nature can be.

The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende

Alma Belasco managed to escape Poland in 1939 just in time, traveling to San Francisco to live with relatives until it would be safe to return to her family. Alma is never reunited with her parents and, instead, is adopted by the Belasco family. While living in the grand Belasco house called Sea Cliff, Alma becomes close friends with the Japanese gardener's son of the same age, Ichimei. Eventually, the two become secret lovers throughout most of their lives due to the pressures and constraints of class as well as cultural and familial traditions. Decades later, in the twilight years of Alma's life, she moves from Sea Cliff to a nearby assisted living facility called Lark House. It is at Lark House that Alma meets a young, enigmatic Romanian caretaker, Irina Bazili, who is trying to escape demons from her own harrowing childhood. As Alma and Irina grow closer and more trusting, each begins to divulge secrets from their traumatic pasts.

Allende focuses her story on the trials that can be overcome by true  and everlasting love, especially physical separation. Alma and Irina, and a whole host of other characters, have many secrets and, therefore, keep their emotions and thoughts in check. Relating to such disconnected, unrevealing characters may be a struggle for readers until the secrets are divulged in a torrent nearer the end of the book. Many mysteries and frustrations then become clear, leading us to a better understanding of the limitations of humankind and how far we will go to protect those we love while remaining true to ourselves. The Japanese Lover is listed as one of the Best Books of 2015 by Publishers Weekly for fiction.

The Reluctant Duchess by Sharon Cullen

After the horrific murder of her cousin, Meredith, Lady Sara Emerson begins receiving chilling, anonymous letters. Since the murderer was never discovered, Sara decides to seek aid from Meredith's former betrothed, the Duke of Rossmoyne, hoping he will help solve the riddle of the mystery writer. In the two years since Meredith's death, Rossmoyne has been stationed in India, keeping his mind off of Meredith and her family. But now he has been summoned home to London by the queen and must adjust to Sara's determination when she refuses to allow him to investigate alone. Working together, Sara and Ross come to see each other in a new light. Ross understands that Sara, the quiet country wallflower, is actually a woman with steely resolve and a debilitating shyness in social situations. Sara realizes Ross is no longer a gregarious, party-loving duke bur rather a passionate, serious man. They find themselves falling in love, but the unnerving letters continue, and the threat to Sara's life escalates.

Verdict Cullen (Sebastian's Lady Spy) allows the suspense to ebb and flow naturally between finding clues and hitting dead ends. She wisely uses the downtime to develop two strong main characters. Ross' ability to see past Sara's shy reserve and his admiration for her courage and strength will have readers rooting for the couple's success. Highly recommended for historical romance buffs who prefer a little mayhem in the mix.

This review was originally published in Library Journal Xpress Reviews: E-Originals, October 1, 2015.

The Lake House by Kate Morton

It's 1933 in Cornwall, and the reclusive but elegant Edevanes are celebrating their annual Midsummer's Eve bash at their country home, Loeanneth. Everyone is having a grand time, until the family finds out the youngest child, Theo, is missing. Seventy years later, Sadie Sparrow, a London detective, is on a forced vacation with her grandfather in Cornwall, after becoming too involved in a recent missing person's case. While in Cornwall, Sadie stumbles upon the abandoned Edevane estate and sets out to solve the decades old cold case, enlisting the help of Alice Edevane, the sister of the missing boy.

Morton excels at evoking lush, descriptive settings and period details, immersing the reader into the secluded world of the Edevanes in the early twentieth century. The plot alternates between the hunt for clues in the present and flashbacks from various perspectives of Edevane family members and friends. The overly tidy ending might stretch credulity too far for some, but for those who love happy endings, The Lake House will be thoroughly satisfying. If you enjoy British mysteries focusing around abandoned estates and don't mind an eerier atmosphere, try Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale.

A Girl in the Woods by Aspen Matis

Aspen Matis was incredibly excited to go to college out of state and begin her life as an independent adult. But only a day into her life as a student, she was raped. Over the following school year, her once promising time at college turned into a nightmare as her rapist was allowed to continue on at her school and even moved into her dorm. Not surprisingly, Aspen dropped out, and to try and heal her wounds, she decided to hike the entirety of the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,650 mile journey from the Mexican border in the south all the way to the Canadian border in the north. The rest of her memoir details her choices, trials, triumphs and mistakes as she makes her way northward, going from desert to snow-capped mountains.

Readers may be tempted to compare Matis' memoir with that of the well-known memoir, Wild by Cheryl Strayed, and it is similar in the fact that both women suffered horrible tragedies and hiked the PCT in the aftermath. This is where the similarity ends as their writing styles differ dramatically as do their experiences on the trail. Matis' writing highlights the immediacy of her emotions when hiking, while also focusing at length on the dependent and sheltered way in which she was raised and how, by hiking the trail, she attempts to listen to her instincts instead of relying on others to protect and care for her. Both Wild and Girl in the Woods are intense memoirs full of mistakes and burgeoning enlightenment, and both are worthy of a reader's time.

Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella

Emma has just finished with a wretched business meeting in Scotland, and now she must fly back to London and explain all to her bosses. The thing is, she absolutely hates flying. During the flight, the plane faces some severe turbulence, and Emma believes that they are going to crash. So she starts confessing all her secrets to the stranger sitting next to her. Fortunately, the plane lands safely, and she arrives back at work in time to be introduced to the head of the company Jack, who has been taking a sabbatical from the corporation for the past year to work through the loss of his business partner and friend. There’s just one problem, Jack is the man who was sitting next to her on the plane. What follows is a humorous story about the consequences and repercussions of keeping and telling secrets. If you are looking for something light and quick, this is the perfect beach read book.

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn

After her maiden aunt dies, Veronica Speedwell is finally free from familial duty and excited to set off on a new butterfly hunting expedition somewhere exotic. Unfortunately, she returns home from the funeral to find her cottage in shambles and is almost abducted, when a mysterious baron intervenes. Throwing caution to the wind, Veronica accepts this stranger's offer of a ride to London. After all, she was heading there anyway, and she figures she can take the elderly gentleman if it comes down to a fight. Shortly after their arrival in London, the baron is murdered, and Veronica is stranded with his friend, Stoker. Both are left wondering who killed the baron and why she's still in danger.

Veronica is a modern woman caught living in a Victorian age. Not one to let the men have all the fun, she refuses to be cast aside for the sake of propriety or safety, preferring to live life on the edge. Her quick wit and know-it-all attitude will engender a love her or hate her response from readers. But for most, Veronica's droll humor, unabashed honesty, and sprightly demeanor are a breath of fresh air, and her defiant refusal to be ashamed when flouting the conventions of Victorian society is exhilarating and downright funny. A Curious Beginning is a riotous and lively 19th century caper for those who don't take themselves, or Veronica, too seriously. If you enjoy Veronica, give Raybourn's Lady Julia Grey series a try.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

This year Banned Book Week was scheduled for September 27th through October 3rd.  I needed but a day to read a book for young adults, one that has been frequently pulled from school library shelves over the past several years.  The book is titled The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.  It was the first work of young adult fiction by poet and essayist Sherman Alexie.  And it's readily apparent why it has had such a broad appeal to young readers.

Sherman Alexie grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation where this story is set. It's semi-autobiographical. He knows where from he writes. Physically challenged from hydrocephalus, debilitating fluid in the brain, Alexie excelled academically. He lived on the reservation but attended a white school twenty miles away where he was the only Indian. He was, in his own words, "a part-time Indian." And there-in is the story of the book. We spend an academic year with our fictional fourteen-year-old hero, Arnold Spirit, known as Junior.

They call the reservation "the rez." The inhabitants come and go freely, but it is rare that any of them live elsewhere. And in that isolation there is senseless violence, alcohol addiction, and frequent death. There is also a strong appreciation of community, heritage, and belonging. That any author could sympathetically convey such a sense of environment to young readers is a remarkable achievement.  But there is more. Alexie creates a rich vein of humor combined with a generous sense of inclusion for all his characters. Much of this humor can be found in the cartoons spread throughout the book. The hero, Junior, is an aspiring cartoonist. Sixty-five comic illustrations by Ellen Forney highlight Junior's experiences and feelings. For all the challenges he faces, he responds, in words and pictures, with spunk and hope. "I think the world is a series of broken dams and floods," Junior tells us, "and my cartoons are tiny little lifeboats."

The New York Times may have best summed up this acclaimed book as "listening to your smart, funny best friend recount his day while waiting after school for a ride home." Sherman Alexie received the 2007 National Book Award for Young People's Literature for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

Over the Edge of the World by Laurence Bergreen &In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides

The Age of Discovery did not begin and end with Columbus; there were numerous naval expeditions under that moniker continuing well into the 19th century. One of the earliest and most remarkable was Magellan's search for a westward route to the Spice Islands. His journey (1519-1522) resulted in the first, unexpected circumnavigation of the globe and proved the earth was not flat. Magellan's voyage began with a crew of 270 and 5 ships. Relatively few survived.  Laurence Bergreen tells this story in Over the Edge of the World. He fills in the background of the mission and the details of the journey. It's a story of mutinies, starvation, orgies, and an epic adventure in navigational skills. Magellan's expedition changed how Europe thought of the world and how it conceived of new lands and people to conquer.

More than 350 years later, explorations were funded not by kings but by the press to give them a story. Such was the case with the voyage of the USS Jeannette, financed in large part by the New York Herald. In 1879, Captain George Washington DeLong set sail with a crew of 32 and headed toward the uncharted Arctic. At the time, there was a common belief that once a ship was past the ice, it could sail through the Bering Strait and reach navigable waters in the Arctic. Merchants would be able to sail across the North Pole. The theory proved faulty, and the Jeannette was crushed and sank. The crew took to the ice, hence the book's title, In the Kingdom of Ice.  From a time of incredible, death-defying adventures, Hampton Sides vividly recreates this largely forgotten tale.

Both books promise spellbinding adventure!

The Gods of Tango by Carolina De Robertis

Leda, a virgin bride, leaves her small, rural community in Italy to join her husband, Dante, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he migrated almost two years prior to find a more prosperous life. Unfortunately, by the time Leda arrives Dante is dead from an anarchist uprising. Refusing to return to Italy which holds tragic memories of her dead cousin, Leda decides to stay in the bustling and brutal city thousands of miles away. It's 1913 and proper women can only get low paying menial, domestic jobs, while all other jobs have been taken by the large influx of male immigrants from all over Europe. Leda knows she cannot survive on her paltry pay and refuses to become an unprotected, fallen women in one of the many brothels of Buenos Aires. Instead, she dons her husband's clothes, takes up her father's violin, and joins one of the many bands playing tango. At all times, Leda must hide her true gender for fear of retaliation and violence. Over the years, Leda yearns to have a real relationship with a woman rather than having to keep her distance. If she is ever found out, Leda will not just be a vulnerable women in a violent city but will have committed the heinous crime of stealing a man's place, work, and earnings as well as betraying the men around her.

De Robertis is impossibly good at placing readers within the city of Buenos Aires, making you feel like you can smell, see, and feel the grittiness and the chaotic overcrowding of a city overwhelmed by its dramatic population increase. She does equally well describing the importance and origins of the tango and how it evolved due to popular taste and demand. There is a slight lag in the book midway through, where the repetition of Leda's life becomes somewhat tedious, but readers will be well rewarded by following through to the end as the tension quickly escalates when a new venue and new band mates enter the picture.

We That Are Left by Clare Clark

As a smart but socially inept ten-year-old boy, Oskar Grunewald prefers to hide in the library when visiting his mother's friends, the aristocratic Melvilles, at the grand Ellinghurst estate. The younger Melville daughter, Jessica, finds enjoyment in teasing and torturing him, while the elder daughter, Phyllis, who is a quiet, introspective sort, mainly keeps to herself. The years pass and World War I has a devastating effect on the Melville family. Phyllis moves to London and becomes a nurse, while Jessica feels isolated and ignored by her parents at Ellinghurst. After the war, Phyllis heads off on an archaeological dig, and Jessica schemes her way into a London flat and women's magazine job. Meanwhile, Sir Aubrey Melville is trying to complete an exhaustive history of Ellinghurst as the estate falls further into debt and disrepair. Oskar is off studying physics at Cambridge when tragedy strikes at home, bringing Oskar and the Melville daughters back together once again. Both the Melville daughters have had a profound effect on Oskar in his youth and later as a young man. Secrets in both Oskar's family and the Melvilles change the fates of all involved.

Told from the alternating perspectives of Jessica and Oskar, readers will enjoy watching both of them grow up, their triumphs and mistakes. Jessica is self-absorbed and spoiled, which may turn off some readers, but her vivacity and tenaciousness should still earn her the reader's respect considering her absentee parents. Oskar, a sweet, kind and shy boy, remains so as a much more self-assured, mature man. For fans of historical fiction set during the Great War and for fans of fiction set on sprawling British estates like Downton Abbey.

We Never Asked for Wings by Venessa Diffenbaugh

Letty Spinosa doesn't know how to be a mother. Instead, her mother has parented her two children, and Letty has partied and worked two jobs to support the family. But her father decides to return to his home in Mexico and her mother joins him. Letty struggles to understand her children and become a parent.

Her son Alex is a young teenager with dreams of his own. Six year old Luna just wants to be loved and cared for by her mother. As Letty begins to mature, life gets complicated when Alex's father comes into the the picture. Letty never told him she was pregnant. Slowly they become a family, and Letty finds she likes being a mother.

Diffenbaugh is the bestselling author of The Language of Flowers.

Dietland by Sarai Walker

Plum Kettle is an overweight young woman who thinks that if she loses enough weight her life will be perfect.  She is tired of being judged by other people because of her weight.  Having tried many unsuccessful weight loss programs she pins her hopes on weight loss surgery.  She hates her job as a columnist for a popular teen magazine but must keep the job so that insurance will pay for her surgery.  But destiny places Plum at Calliope House where she learns to live life on her own terms.

This book is both humorous and suspenseful as Plum comes to terms with her weight and begins a new life.

Judas Child by Carol O'Connell

Fifteen years ago, Rogue Kendall's twin sister was abducted and murdered on Christmas Day, and her killer was caught and prosecuted. Now Rogue is a police officer in his hometown, and the abductions have happened again. The first abducted girl is used to lure a friend, the real target, out into the open. The "Judas child" is killed, while the second girl is kept alive until Christmas Day. Rogue has only three days until Christmas. Can he find the killer and at least one of the little girls before then? Will he be able to overcome his memories of his own sister's abduction to do so?

After a slow start, Judas Child quickly picks up the pace turning into a eerie, creepy thriller. There is a large cast of characters to keep in order: police, town politicians, psychologists, family members and others. But the story told from the perspective of Gwen Hubble, one of the abducted girls, and her interactions with her best friend, Sadie Green, is what will keep readers captivated and rooting for them not only to survive but also triumph over their captor. Carol O'Connell adds a slight paranormal edge to Judas Child similar to her Kathleen Mallory mystery series.

Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin

Tessa Cartwright tries to live a normal, typical existence, creating art and picking up her 14-year-old daughter from volleyball practice. Unfortunately, Tessa has not had a typical past; she was one of four murder victims, called the Black-Eyed Susans, as they were found dumped in a ditch of flowers nearly twenty years ago. Tessa was the only survivor of the Susans and now the convicted serial killer is up for execution, causing the media to take interest once again. To make matters worse, Tessa has found black-eyed susans planted underneath her bedroom window and at past residences over the years. She was never able to identify the killer as she lost part of her memory and was blind for months after her rescue. Feeling guilty for possibly putting an innocent man in prison, Tessa teams up with a lawyer and a forensic scientist to try and unravel the mystery of who the other three Susans are and to unravel Tessa's memories before the execution date.

Told from the alternating perspectives of the now adult Tessa and the then traumatized 16-year-old Tessie, the reader slowly uncovers what happened to her all those years ago and the time leading up to the trial. There is a constant creepiness as the clues and riddles build throughout the book. The shocking final twist makes this tale a fantastic read for suspense and thriller lovers who enjoy unpredictable endings.

Lighter Than My Shadow by Katie Green

Green tackles some very tough personal struggles, and she does so beautifully, rendering empathy from the reader rather than pity. The majority of her memoir concerns eating disorders: first anorexia and then bulimia. But she also covers her changing relationship with family, friends, even therapists, for better and worse as she is coming of age. Less noticeable but equally important, Green shows how timid she was, allowing others to dictate her future education and career path. Eventually, she took a chance to follow her dreams. These are all heavy topics, especially the eating disorders and abuse, but Green keeps fighting no matter how frustrated she becomes that there is no final solution or easy fix for her problems. This determination and hope is a powerful message and will resonate with readers who have gone through similar struggles.

The artwork is alternately intricate and sparse, but this allows for periods of greater reflection, pondering what Green has learned and what may be to come without an overabundance of detail to bog the reader down. The coloring, various tones of gray and black, are a wonderful, less obvious play on the title and the personal shadows that plague Green's life. As for the book, it's hefty, and the paper weight is thick and textured, making this an even richer book for the tactile reader. Lighter Than My Shadow is highly suggested for readers who love graphic memoirs or for those who have faced comparable issues. Appropriate for adult and young adult audiences.

Daughters of the Dragon by William Andrews

Daughters of the Dragon is a novel about a Korean woman during World War II. I was pulled into the story from the first page due in large part to the book’s subtitle: “a comfort woman’s story”. When I was in school, I, like everyone else, heard many horrifying accounts of World War II. However, I had never heard of “comfort women” until this book. They were young women who were forced into prostitution for the Japanese soldiers. They were raped and beaten, and many died as a result of this treatment. To this day, there is controversy regarding this topic.

               
This story attempts to tell one of these women’s tales. Her name is Ja-hee, and she was 14 years old when she and her sister received a summons to go to a shoe factory to help in the Japanese war effort. When they arrived, there was no shoe factory. They had been duped. Instead, day after day, they were raped by dozens of men. If they resisted, they were beaten. If they became pregnant, they were forced to have an abortion, which killed many of them.

               
Without a doubt, this is a tough story to read, but while I found it be heartbreaking, I also found it fascinating. Not only did I learn more about World War II, but I also learned more about Korea after the war. While this is a historical novel, it spurred me on to want to learn more about the facts behind the fiction. I’d recommend giving this book a try, especially if you too have never heard about this aspect of World War II.

The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani

Teenage sweethearts, Enza and Ciro meet in the Italian Alps but are quickly separated. Ciro is banished from his village after discovering a scandal with a local priest and travels to New York to apprentice with a shoemaker. Enza also leaves Italy for New York with her father to create a future for their financially challenged family. Unknowingly living within blocks of one another, both Ciro and Enza begin new lives apart until a chance meeting allows them to be together once again. Unfortunately, Ciro has already enlisted for WWI and unwillingly leaves Enza after their short lived reunion. While Ciro is off fighting battles, Enza dedicates herself to her work and becomes a renowned seamstress for the Metropolitan Opera House, poised to become an even bigger success. Then Ciro returns from the war, and both are resolved never to leave each other again.

With lush depictions of life in the Italian Alps to the cramped quarters of New York, Trigiani is adept at immersing the reader into the lives of her star-crossed protagonists. The romantic tension is a constant ebb as Ciro and Enza seem fated to be together but obstacles to their happiness arise keeping them apart. Fortunately, both characters are entirely likable and reading about their lives apart is still a joy. Historical fiction fans will savor this epic tale of love and loss as well as other books by Trigiani.

J. M. W. Turner by Peter Ackroyd

Mike Leigh's movie, Mr.Turner, premiered just last year. It's a film about the career of the great British Romanticist landscape painter, J. M. W. Turner (1775-1851). The critics praised it but many viewers were challenged by the central performance (Turner was gruff and lacking in social skills), the chronology of his life (did the story cover five years or twenty?), and the length of the movie (2 1/2 hours). It's a beautiful piece of filmmaking and it made me more curious about the artist. 

I knew of Turner's paintings but not much about his life, so I went to the library shelves and discovered Peter Ackroyd's J. M. W. Turner, the second biography in the author's Brief Lives series. It's all of 160 pages, but it tells the full story.  (Leigh tells us that his movie only focuses on the final twenty-five years of Turner's life.)

So, who was Turner? He was the son of a barber/wigmaker and, due to the mother's mental instability, the father who raised him. His talent for art was recognized early and at the age of fifteen his work was exhibited at the Royal Academy of Art. By the time he was in his early twenties he had begun to focus on landscape and particularly maritime studies. He was as accomplished with watercolor as he was with oil. Fortunately, he had the support of some well-heeled patrons and he was a good businessman. Financial success gave him independence and that independence gave him the freedom to be more experimental. Turner's expressionist studies in light, color, and atmosphere were unmatched in his time and these works predate the Impressionists by decades.

If you are curious, the Ackroyd Brief Lives biography is a good place to start. The library has many additional books that reproduce his art including J. M. W. Turner: Painting Set Free (2014), the exhibition catalog for a show that has traveled from the Tate (London) to the Getty (Los Angeles) and is now on view at the Fine Arts Museum in San Francisco.

And then there is Mr.Turner, Mike Leigh's movie, also available for loan from the library.

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley

This graphic memoir follows Lucy Knisley as she grows up under the watchful epicurean eyes of her parents, one a chef and the other a food bon vivant. Understandably, Lucy becomes a foodie herself, connecting significant life moments to the food her family cooks. Instead of relegating food to the negative connotations of being unhealthy or gluttonous, Lucy shows us how food can be used in a positive manner, as a way to memorialize various occasions and as a way to savor the food that nourishes us. With many easy recipes illustrated at the end of each chapter, cooking novices will want to give them a try. Colorful soft-hued images throughout help energize Lucy's story and lend a mood of lightness and optimism even when portraying serious family topics.

Relish is a memoir for both teens and adults. Adults will reminisce about their own childhoods and the food they grew up eating, while teens will relate to Lucy's coming-of-age and the difficulties of staying connected with both parents after a divorce. If you enjoy this memoir, check out Knisley's other graphic memoirs.

Book of Ages by Jill Lepore & Benjamin Franklin by Walter Isaacson

The reading of two books began with one discovery. I had seen a title of a book lying on its side. Pulling it from a stack of books out of curiosity, the book was Book of Ages. It's the story of Benjamin Franklin's youngest sister, and the subtitle is The Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin. In a family of seventeen children, he was the youngest son and she was the youngest daughter. As children, they were known as Benny and Jenny, and they would remain close throughout their long lives. From humble beginnings, the brother would go on to international fame and be among the founding fathers of the United States. Jane would marry at fifteen, be the mother of twelve, and spend a lifetime as a caretaker of her family. With no formal education, Jane learned to read and write and correspond with her famous brother. Their histories, their letters, and their deep affection for one another are the basis of this memorable study by Jill Lepore (The Secret History of Wonder Woman). So many women's lives in the past are footnotes in the biographies of others. Lepore share's Virginia Woolf's sense of gender inequality in asking:  what if William Shakespeare had a sister? What if she had a genius equal to his? What would have been her future? Fortunately, Lepore is able to reconstruct Jane Franklin Mecom's life story.  But we can only wonder what Jane's life might have been if given opportunities.

Also on a shelf, my own, was a copy of Walter Isaacson's Benjamin Franklin:  An American Life. So, my reading went from Jenny to Benny. The Isaacson biography is much acclaimed and with good reason. How often Franklin is portrayed as the jester, the kite-flyer, "Cher Papa" with the ladies, the man with a ready quip from Poor Richard's Almanack. He is an easy subject for caricature. But his was a long, incredibly productive life. The sweep of that journey - as printer, scientist, inventor, political theorist, author, statesman, diplomat - reminds us that Franklin had no equal in his own time or since. Among the founding fathers, his humble start in life and his unwavering belief in democracy and tolerance helped define the country. His was a vision of  a country that would avail opportunities for all, a country where all were to be equal. Benjamin Franklin stands alone as the only person to have signed all four of the documents which helped create the United States, from the Declaration of Independence to the Constitution. Walter Isaacson's book is a reminder of a unique and highly accomplished life, a life that was absolutely vital in the early years of our country. It also happens to be an enjoyable and satisfying read.

The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey

Have you ever wanted to read Jane Eyre but could not wade through the nineteenth century prose? The Flight of Gemma Hardy is a retelling of the classic tale of Jane Eyre but is set in 1950's and 60's Scotland and is written with contemporary dialogue. Like Jane, Gemma is orphaned and sent to live with relatives at Yew House, but once her uncle dies, Gemma becomes an unwelcome addition to her surrogate family. She then obtains a scholarship to go to a miserly sort of school. After the school is closed due to financial difficulties, she travels to the Orkney Islands to become the nanny and governess of a niece for a wealthy Londoner, Mr. Sinclair. Sound familiar? There is no mad wife hidden in the attic with this version, but Mr. Sinclair still has skeletons to spare in his closet.

Still want to experience the classic Jane Eyre without cracking a book? Check out the feature film version with Mia Wasikowska, or try the spectacular mini-series featuring Toby Stephens and Ruth Wilson.

A Killing in the Hills and Bitter River by Julia Keller

In A Killing in the Hills, the rural West Virginian town of Acker's Gap is stunned when three seniors gathered together for coffee are summarily gunned down. The town's prosecuting attorney, Bell Elkins, is determined to get to the bottom of the shooting and restore the quiet to her small town. Unfortunately, her teenage daughter, Carla, witnessed the killing and decides to solve the mystery too, without realizing the danger involved. Murder continues in Bitter River, when a pregnant teen is found dead in a river but not from drowning. Bell has her hands full solving the girl's death while puzzling out why her close friend, the town sheriff, is so distracted and remote, and why an old acquaintance from her city life in D.C. has suddenly resurfaced in her small town.

Keller keeps the suspense building throughout her Bell Elkins mystery series but doesn't sacrifice the detailed descriptions and atmospheric setting of rural Appalachia. This is a wonderful new series that will appeal to most mystery fans, especially those who enjoy realistic characters dealing with a lot of family drama. For newcomers to the series, be sure to delve into the rest of the Bell Elkins series, and for established fans, the fourth installment, Last Ragged Breath, will be out in August.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Growing up, Cath and her twin sister, Wren, have immersed themselves in the world of Simon Snow (think Harry Potter), and both have written wildly popular fan fiction with tons of followers. Their fandom was a distraction and comfort when their mom left home, but now it is Cath and Wren who are leaving home for college. Wren has decided to make a clean break by choosing not to live with Cath, even though they will be attending the same school. Cath is left adrift and alone, trying to navigate an adult world in a new place, trying to finish her fan fiction series and keep up with her overwhelming class load, and trying to make sure her fragile father won't fall apart without her.

Rowell relays the excitement and scariness of leaving home for the first time and creates wonderful characters who strive to stay true to themselves despite pressure from friends, family, and teachers. If you like this book, love fan fiction, just want to get your geek on or know someone who does, also check out The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy by Sam Maggs.

Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton

At the very bottom tip of South America lie the Falkland Islands, a tiny community under British government that thrives during the summer tourist months. Unless, of course, three children go missing in only a few years. Everyone knows everyone, so no one wants to believe that a local could be responsible for the abducted children, and there is pressure from the British government to make these abductions go away. Catrin Quinn, a marine biologist who cannot move on from the deaths of her two young sons, and Callum Murray, a Scottsman who still has PTSD from the Argentine invasion of 1982, come together to try and find the most recent missing boy.

At first, the story is told from Catrin's point of view. Her rage at her former best friend, Rachel, who was responsible for her sons' deaths, is deeply disturbing and downright frightening. Catrin is a hollow shell of who she used to be and unwillingly gets pulled into the missing boys' cases by Callum when she would rather be focusing on a hidden agenda of her own. Nearing the end of the book, Callum takes over the narration of the story, showing how he is trying to forcibly will Catrin back to the caring, kind person she once was while also trying to solve the three boys' abductions. This is a haunting tale with alarming twists at the end that will keep readers turning the pages.

Little Black Lies was voted #10 on the national May 2015 LibraryReads List. And be sure to check out Bolton's mystery series featuring Lacey Flint.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

"Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they are closed forever." That's a line from Anthony Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See. The protagonists in this novel are a blind French girl and a German boy who is an engineering prodigy. But both of them, in their youth, will be challenged to see, to face, the moral dilemmas of their time. The novel is set in the period leading to World War Two, the war years, and many years later.

The novel opens in August 1944, but the story shifts back and forth in time, preparing us for the moment when these two young lives converge, when two people, on opposite sides of the war, find goodness in one another.  I should add that the book doesn't end with that encounter and the shifting time narrative only adds to the suspense.

Anthony Doerr's novel had become a publishing sensation, striking a chord with a wide readership.  It is, after all, emotionally involving with an engrossing story, memorable characters and situations, and, at over 500 pages, a quick and satisfying read.  It is also told without sentiment and a wonderful sense for detail. There is a locksmith who builds intricate boxes, a search for a rare jewel, an indoctrination at a Hitler Youth camp, and a vividly described tall house located by the sea at Saint-Malo - a house with a special history of its own. When it didn't receive the National Book Award, All the Light We Cannot See became even more topical. It was part of the news. Then, it went on to win the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

Virgin River by Robyn Carr

The main character, Mel, has gone through a very difficult period in her life. Since the tragic death of her husband, she has struggled to return to her “normal” life in LA. She feels that her only solution is to get away from the big city and move to small town life. Thus, nearly on a whim, she moves to Virgin River where she can continue her midwifery, assist the elderly doctor, and try to work through her personal pain with anonymity.

When Mel first arrives in town, she is shocked to see that the promised accommodations are not at all habitable. Faced with this, she decides that she cannot stay and will be leaving the next morning. However, as she is about to drive out of town, a newborn baby is found abandoned on the doctor’s doorstep. With this shocking turn of events, she makes the decision to stay until the mother can be found. Through the course of events to follow, Mel not only works through her pain but also allows love to enter back into her life. 

Romance fans will find a winner with this read.

Deep Down Dark by Hector Tobar

In 2010, in a northern desert area of Chile, the San Jose mine collapsed. There were 33 miners trapped deep underground and the massive explosion blocked their escape. For a long time no one knew if there were survivors. Then a drill bore a narrow hole into a chamber and when the bit was hoisted back a note was attached. It read "We are well" and signed "The 33." There was a global audience as attempts were made to rescue the men over a 69 day period.

While there is no secret to the story's conclusion, Hector Tobar's account is suspenseful and riveting.  He weaves together a tale of endurance, family anguish, massive publicity, and self-serving politics.  Novelist Ann Patchett described this true story as "a masterpiece of compassion." Tobar puts the reader in the mine - deep down dark - to share the experience of entrapment with the miners. We share their danger, their fears, their hunger, and their disagreements. The cavern where they gathered was both their coffin and their church. This experience and its telling rates with the best of adventure tales, one with many moral lessons.

The Lady in Gold by Anne-Marie O'Connor

The movie is titled Woman in Gold.  But first came the book, The Lady in Gold, by journalist Anne-Marie O'Connor. Both titles refer to Gustav Klimt's iconic 1907 portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer.  This work was the first of two paintings of the artist's lady friend and patron. Some Austrians consider it the equivalent of their Mona Lisa. When Austria was annexed by Germany in 1938 the Bloch-Bauer properties - including five Klimt paintings - were confiscated by the Nazi state. Family members were sent to concentration camps. It was not until six decades later that surviving relatives were able to seek restitution. After years of legal wrangling, the five paintings were returned in 2006. The chief crusader in this victory was Maria Altmann, the niece of Adele Bloch-Bauer.

O'Connor's book offers an excellent background on Jewish life in turn of the century Vienna. She profiles the Bloch-Bauer family members, their fortunes and individual fates. And she takes time to detail the many complications of a restitution argument and how the case was won.

The Lady in Gold, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, sold in 2006 for $135 million.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

The Goldfinch is Donna Tartt's third novel in twenty years. The title refers to Carel Fabritius' 17th-century painting, portraying a bird perched on top of its feeder with a leg chained to prevent flight. The story of the novel unfolds as a first person account by a young man, Theo Decker, who begins the tale when a terrorist bomb explodes in a New York museum.  He is thirteen at the time of the incident. He and his mother are visitors at the museum, and the mother is killed. With the explosion, the painting comes into Theo's possession. Remembering his mother's admiration of the painting, he hides the painting, reluctant to part with it. Over the next decade Theo and the painting journey from New York to Las Vegas to New York to Amsterdam. Will he be the hero of his story? Contemplating themes of fate and character, he seems to come to terms with his life so far.

The first impressions of this book may be of the writing, described by critics as "intoxicating," "elegant," and "breathtaking." Tartt's stories are always driven by her characters and each character is fully, richly developed. Her descriptions plant a vivid image of personality and manner of speaking. There are detours and distractions in the story but every detail matters, each fitting into what is a masterpiece of storytelling that deservedly won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2014.

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters

After losing both brothers in WWI and her father shortly thereafter, Frances Wray can no longer support herself or her mother, and both are at risk of losing their majestic home in a wealthy suburb of London. Forced to take in borders to help pay the bills, Lillian and Leonard Barber, a boisterous young couple from the lower clerical caste, move into the upstairs rooms and quickly alter the staid, reserved atmosphere in the house. Initially, Leonard appears charming and vibrant, even if there is something about him that Frances does not trust. She does, however, find Lillian's bohemianism to be a welcome change. Everything moves along smoothly for a time, but then incidents begin to happen that make Frances question whether the Barbers' marriage is truly a happy one. Embroiled in the Barbers' affairs, Frances can sense tragedy is coming but has no idea how unprepared she is for the consequences nor the things she will agree to for love...

1922 was a tumultuous time. Unemployment was high after WWI, and gender and class inequalities were dramatically shifting causing uneasiness throughout London. Waters uses this edgy backdrop to mirror and escalate the instability inside the Wrays' home. Fans of historical fiction, postwar fiction, romance, and crime novels will find much to like. If you enjoyed The Paying Guests, check out more of Sarah Water's works and my personal favorite, The Night Watch.

Smile by Raina Telgemeier and Sisters by Raina Telgemeier

Beginning with Smile, Raina recounts her early teenage years in San Francisco, how she severely injured her two front teeth and the horrific surgeries, braces, headgear, and fake teeth that resulted. Not only does she go through all of these dental woes while trying to be just an average teenager, but she also deals with boy trouble, frenemies, her annoying younger sister, and one very frightening earthquake. The vibrant and colorful graphics make this an absolute fun read, and kids, or even adults, won't have any trouble identifying with her struggles.

Sisters, naturally, focuses on the relationship Raina has with her younger sister, Amara. The two cannot get along for any reason, but then their younger brother is born and their parents start acting strangely. Over the course of a road trip from San Francisco to Colorado for a family reunion, both sisters know they need to band together but are having a hard time changing how they act. This is a much more sparse graphic novel with simple black and white line drawings compared to the brightly colored and detailed drawings in Smile, but Sisters is still well worth the short time it takes to read.

Discussing family, relationships, and the angst of growing up, these two stories are highly recommended for children on up to adults. If you like Smile or Sisters, be sure to check out Drama, also by Telgemeier.