Cassie Hanwell is one of the best firefighters Austen, Texas, and one of the few female ones. The book begins with her being the youngest and first woman to receive an award for Valor. However, at the ceremony, the man handing her the award is an alderman she hasn’t set eyes on since high school, who happens to be the reason she doesn’t do relationships. When he gropes her onstage, she loses it and beats the crap out of him. And thus, her perfectly curated life begins to unravel.
The next day, her estranged mother calls, asking her to move to Boston because of her health issues, and Cassie's boss gives her an ultimatum: give a public apology to the alderman, or else be terminated. She chooses Boston. Her first day at the Boston firehouse, she’s struck with an unwanted attraction to another rookie, which is against all of the rules. Firefighters don’t have feelings, and they most certainly don’t date other firefighters. A few months later, she starts being stalked by one of the men from her firehouse, escalating the raw emotions she’s not equipped to deal with, until everything she’s worked so hard for blows up in her face.
Will she have the strength to overcome the obstacles? Will she let the cruelty of others dictate how she lives her life? Will she learn that having emotions can make you even stronger? You'll have to read it to find out, but I can tell you it's worth a look.
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In an alternate universe, Superman lands in Communist-controlled Ukraine and become a symbol for the U.S.S.R. rather than the United States. In the coming decades, as Cold War tension mounts, American genius Lex Luthor leads the attempt to stop him and his ever-spreading ideology by any means necessary.
Given the increasing number of retakes on superhero origin stories, especially in recent years, its odd to find one as refreshing as Red Son. Perhaps this has to do with Millar’s refusal to rely on tropes, cliches, and pre-established lore, or perhaps it's because Superman seems to truly believe in his Communist ideology, much as he usually epitomizes the American Way.
One of the more interesting aspects of Red Son is how similarities can be drawn between it and real world tensions. Superman, normally a hero, is in many ways the villain of this story, both as an enemy to Americanism, and in his ethics. Influenced by his near omnipotent power, he goes so far as to lobotomize criminals to create peace. Luthor, the “hero” in that case, isn’t much better, manipulating the American people to raise funding for super weapons, turning DC heroes into his own soldiers, and creating twisted clones and monsters to try and stop Superman. Given this, who then, if either of them, is really fighting for good?
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During their senior year of college, Lucy and Gabe randomly come together on September 11, 2001, before going in separate directions. They reconnect years later and fall into a passionate love affair only to be separated again, but this time because Gabe accepts a job as a photographer with the Associated Press overseas and Lucy refuses to leave her job in New York City. Both wanting to make their mark on the world, neither wants to give up their dream for their relationship. Keeping a light friendship post break-up through the years, they are once again reconnected, though in tragedy, thus leaving Lucy with an important decision to make.
This novel had me fully invested after the first page. It's an original idea, a recount of Lucy's life with Gabe, as told by Lucy herself. A story of first love, The Light we Lost is a melancholy story with realistic undertones that make it completely relatable to the reader. To be read with a box of tissues, you will be instantly immersed in Lucy's life from the very beginning through the end.
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The island of Nollop is named for its most famous citizen: Nevin Nollop, creator of the pangram, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." Nollopians love language and take great pride in the creative use of their large vocabularies. Indeed, Nollop is a wordy paradise until an ordinary event triggers a fanatical response by the governing council. The council's actions snowball until the Nollopians are robbed of their beloved language, resulting in mayhem, mass exodus, and even a few deaths. These tragic events are documented in the letters of the titular Ella, her family and friends, who are at first horrified witnesses, then determined resistance fighters seeking to restore order through an act of linguistic heroics.
This book is a humorous bit of stunt writing as the calamity removes letters from usage with nearly every chapter, challenging the author to perform grammatical acrobatics to present a readable story. Dunn achieves this feat and some others that will delight language enthusiasts. He also emphasizes the importance of free communication to the well-being of society. Crossword puzzle lovers should enjoy this quick read while picking up several new words along the way.
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The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie is equal parts a biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder and a memoir of author Wendy McClure as she goes on a journey into Wilder's history to uncover how her life and her books overlapped.
Growing up in the 1970s, I wanted to live with Laura Ingalls Wilder. I could envision myself listening to Pa play his fiddle while I did the daily chores, with hopes that Almanzo would come past the Homestead. I loved the television series as well as the books, but as with all adaptions onto television or the big screen, things are often lost or added. For instance, Laura Ingalls Wilder did not really have a step brother named Adam, and they did not have bread at every meal, but there indeed was a Nellie Olson.
Wendy McClure writes as if I, too, am taking the adventure with her and bringing my favorite childhood book characters to life-- right down to her trip to Mansfield, Missouri and stopping off at an American Girl Place. It reminded me so much of those stories that now that I have finished The Wilder Life, I want to read about Kirsten and Felicity's adventures in the American Girl books. And someday, when the time comes for travel, I, too, want to be one of the Laura Ingalls Wilder tourists in Pepin, Wisconsin collecting lake pebbles.
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In the last several years, Alexander Hamilton has reentered our popular culture thanks in large part to Ron Chernow’s biography of the man as well as Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical. A great deal is known about Alexander, but what about his wife? Susan Holloway Scott has written a fictional account of the life and times of the Hamiltons, but in this case, it is all from the perspective of Eliza, his wife. Readers are taken through the Revolutionary War to post-war times and beyond. Eliza is the central figure in the story, and it is through her that the reader is shown the ups and downs of her life but also her strength of character.
Right from the very beginning, the story truly draws the reader in with this fresh perspective, and the momentum to want to read more never wavers as the reader becomes more and more invested in the characters. I, Eliza Hamilton is a highly recommended historical fiction novel. Check out one of our e-book or e-audiobook copies through Overdrive or Hoopla!
If you're a feminist true crime fan with a sense of humor, then do yourself a favor and give a listen to your new pals, Karen and Georgia. These hosts of the popular My Favorite Murder podcast have written a book and narrate the audiobook version themselves. While they dish about the sordid details of various murders on their podcast, their book is more autobiographical in nature.
Kilgariff and Hardstark open up about their battles with personal demons many women face, such as alcoholism and eating disorders, as well as the influences that may have caused them. They also offer commentary on why so many crime victims are women and how cultural attitudes need to change so that we can all live safely. They encourage women to reject societal pressure to put politeness and conformity above personal safety, while demanding authorities deal more seriously with violence against women.
Though the subject matter is rather heavy, the ladies inject their trademark humor into the narrative, making this both a thought-provoking and enjoyable listen. Check out our e-book or e-audiobook copies through Axis360!
