Staff Choices

Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke is a book set very much in the present; in particular, with the methods that office employees now communicate with their coworkers via electronic apps and devices. It is reminiscent of epistolary fiction with a modern-day twist. Those who use these services will recognize and relate how a conversation thread can be derailed and its meaning quickly lost by multiple people responding in quick succession and in different channels. Add in some drama with one of the staff members being "drawn" into the app itself, one of their public relations firm's accounts files being diverted/deleted, working from home, text abbreviations, emojis and the humor begins. Enjoy the escapades and disjointed conversations of Gerald, Pradeep, Doug, Kerolyn, Tripp, Beverly, Lydia and Slackbot.

This is a quick read for those who enjoy topical humor and a sense of the absurd.

"Dear Friend" starts the first of 50 or so letters in this intimate and intriguing book. These letters are written by the author, Edmund De Waal, to the now deceased Comte Moïse de Camondo, a neighbor of the authors family. The Count, an avid collector of art and objects in France in the early part of the 20th Century, lived in a wealthy, fashionable area of Paris where he and others felt removed from rising anti-semitism in Europe at this time.

After his son dies in WWI he turns his spectacular home and collection into the Musée Nissim de Camondo. The opulent mansion is brimming with gilded 18th-century French furniture, Sèvres porcelain, rare wines and books. The author uses this epistolary book to lovingly describe the details of each room, and the meticulous care taken to preserve each piece.

Even with this magnificent gift to France, and his sons sacrifice, he felt the cultural disdain for his family from those who saw them as not "truly French". The Count died before the horrors of WWII ravaged his adopted country and his beloved family. The book tells his history in a way that honors the remarkable contributions the Count made to France, but also the memories and grief that cast long painful shadows. The Musée Nissim de Camondo is still in Paris, and stands as a testimonial of love from a father to his son. I loved reading about these remarkable families, and look forward to researching more history about them.

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Crosby is a moving, but brutally violent novel about revenge and redemption, as two ex-cons set out to get justice for their murdered sons. Ike is Black, a former gang member who now lives a respectable life; married and owning his own landscape business and home. Buddy Lee is a Cracker, self-proclaimed white trailer trash and barely functioning alcoholic, who nevertheless manages to have a charismatic sense of humor. The men officially meet after the joint funeral for their sons, Isaiah and Derek, who had married and had a young daughter, but were gunned down execution style on their anniversary.

The riveting plot takes second place to the evolving relationship between Ike and Buddy Lee, who must both come to grips with their mutual grief, magnified a thousand times over by the crippling guilt and regret of not accepting their sons while they were alive. The men must confront their shared homophobia, and Buddy Lee his inherent racism, just as the city of Richmond, VA slowly shifts from an old South town to a more modern city where two gay men can have an interracial marriage and raise a child together.

Each scene in the novel is so vividly drawn and described that it feels cinematic, and the dramatic tension carries through to the very end. I'd be very surprised if the movie rights haven't already been snapped up. Again, a warning that this novel is graphically violent (which is never my thing ). But the writing, emotional weight, and witty banter between the two men made it possible for me to push through the gore. 

Longtime friends, Cole, Bart, and Teddy are partners in a struggling business called True Triangle Construction. When a mysterious and intriguing woman comes into their lives seeking to hire them to build a house for her in a remote Wyoming location, they can't believe their good fortune. The catch is the unrealistic deadline. The trio is reluctant at first until her generous monetary bonus changes their minds. Once the project begins, unexpected challenges and delays cause pressures to escalate until a breaking point is reached causing a tragic turn.

Author Nickolas Butler has a way of writing about realistic, ordinary people facing obstacles in their lives. The book is about friendship and is also a study of how greed can take you down a dark road. A solid story.

If you have read any of the author's other books, you may also enjoy Godspeed; the word's definition is an expression of good wishes to a person starting a journey.

Finding inspiration from a stack of letters written by her grandfather, Louise Erdrich gives us another stellar novel based in her Native American culture. The title character Thomas Wazhashk is a night watchman at a factory where the women of the Turtle Mountain clan make parts used by the Defense Department as well as Bulova watches.

Like her grandfather, Thomas takes it upon himself to write letters to the US Government to fight a "Termination" bill in Congress that would eliminate all tribes, forcing them to assimilate. He is a hard worker who prides himself on his penmanship and work ethic. A dedicated husband and father he finds himself taking the cause of his people all the way to the Capitol. The Washington Post points out that " Erdrich's career has been an act of resistance against racism" and this book is no exception.

The story also revolves around Pixie, a factory worker with dreams of her own, struggling to put food on her families table. Hunger and shame are a part of her life as she and her Mother keep her violent father from drinking her meager earnings. The nightmare making headlines of missing Native American women plays a role in the book as Pixie goes in search of her older sister.

There are many more rich characters and stories told in this remarkable novel. The author reads the audiobook, giving it another sublime layer of depth of character, and strong sense of place and history. The Night Watchman being awarded The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for 2021 is no surprise. It is moving and inspiring. In her final words she writes "If you should be of the conviction that we are powerless to change...let this book give you heart"

Women’s fiction is a genre that continues to evolve and provide us a window into the lives of strong female protagonist.

Jamie Brenner’s newest novel, Blush, is a complex, domestic, multi-generational, family drama centered on the Hollander family.  It's a story of 3 generations of women who are trying to save their family vineyard. Leah Hollander, a NYC cheese shop owner, is visiting her family home, Hollander Estates Vineyard, when she abruptly finds out that her father needs to sell. Her own daughter, Sadie, shows up unexpectedly for the weekend at a crossroads in her life.

Sadie finds a secret journal detailing her grandmother's long-ago romance book club and begins to read these 80’s "trashy" novels along with the other women in the family. They soon come to realize that the book’s characters show them a whole different way of being a strong woman.

This was a terrific story, backed by excellent writing. Brenner develops characters with such a sense of immediacy and familiarity that you feel like you know these women and are part of their journey. Blush is perfect for a lighthearted book discussion and end of summer beach read. Don’t forget to pair it with a good glass of wine and cheese!

In Crying in H Mart,  Indie rock star Michelle Zauner (of the band Japanese Breakfast) has crafted a raw and authentic memoir that details her very complicated relationship with her Korean mother Chongmi.  When the seemingly indomitable Chongmi, who is both her daughter's harshest critic and greatest supporter, is diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, Zauner moves back home to Oregon to help care for her. This book is unsparing in its account of the ravages of cancer on the body and spirit. Likewise, when her mother does die, shortly after getting to see Zauner and her boyfriend/band mate Peter marry (a sweetly accelerated engagement and rush to the alter) the grief that she experiences is equally excruciating and nullifying.

With all of this said, there are moments of great humor...Chongmi can deliver some mean one liners. Crying in H Mart is also an incredibly realistic account of the emotional turmoil that exists in mother/daughter relationships.  Above all, there is the shared love of food, specifically the complex flavors of Korean cuisine, that bound mother and daughter together, while also connecting Zauner to that half of her heritage and her relatives still living in Korea. Foodies will delight in the vivid descriptions of the exotic dishes that the author has grown up eating, and then eventually learning to cook. Food is also a pathway into understanding her relationship with her mother. As Zauner writes, “Food was how my mother expressed love. No matter how critical or cruel she could seem—constantly pushing me to meet her intractable expectations—I could always feel her affection radiating from the lunches she packed and the meals she prepared for me just the way I liked them.” 

Trent Preszler grew up in a small town on a South Dakota cattle ranch. He left home for good after he went away to college ending up in New York. An estrangement with his father furthered the distance between them. After the death of his father, Trent's inheritance was a well-used toolbox. These inanimate objects still hold the essence of the man and the simplicity of what is necessary to get something done. The tools bring Trent an unexpected avenue to heal, to remember and to accept the lessons he learned from his family. He embarks on an extremely difficult woodworking project in which he has no experience that will take him close to one year to finish. As Trent uses each tool, he recounts memories of ranch life, reliving those days that are both good and bad.

Little and Often is plainly but eloquently written with doses of humor and pathos. It is an honest look at the complicated relationships that exist within families, how sometimes you will never really know them nor their challenges. Read through this book's page to find out the title's significance and to see if you might find yourself reflected there.

You don't need to be a woodworker to appreciate this memoir. Fans of Nick Offerman's Paddle Your Own Canoe might enjoy this book.

The third novel by author Steven Rowley, The Guncle, is a heartwarming story that manages to be laugh out loud funny while still sensitively dealing with death and mourning. The Guncle (gay uncle) of the title is also known as GUP, or Gay Uncle Pat, a former tv sitcom star who is living a reclusive existence in Palm Springs. After tragedy strikes the family, Patrick finds himself in charge of his young niece and nephew for the summer. It turns out that the kids are not the only ones dealing with grief, as Patrick must also come to terms with both the loss of his partner and of his best friend. There is much wisdom shared here, and despite some of the sad events this novel is entirely life affirming and uplifting.

Whereabouts by author Jhumpa Lahiri is an introspective novel about a woman who observes the world around her. She appears to be stuck in a rut, she lives alone, goes to work, has a circle of friends but does not seem to be fulfilled. She mulls her life growing up and how different her parents’ life is from the one she leads. Thoughts and observations occur to her on the street, at the train station, in the waiting room. There is an undercurrent of something not quite named but something almost like sorrow, simmering just under the surface. Still, I was drawn into her world and her emotions as she navigates her daily routine in her beautiful unnamed city.

Pick up a copy of Whereabouts if you’re interested in reading a quiet book that feels like an exploration and assessment of how far you’ve come, what you have achieved when you have reached a certain age with each brief chapter revealing a little more. At only 157 pages, it is a quick read.

What is also interesting is that Lahiri wrote this novel in Italian, then translated it into English.