I lie stretched out upon the window-seat / And doze, and read a page or two, and doze, / And feel the air like water on me close, / Great waves of sunny air that lip and beat / With a small noise, monotonous and sweet, / Against the window — and the scent of cool, / Frail flowers by some brown and dew-drenched pool / Possesses me from drowsy head to feet. ~ May Morning by Stephen Vincent Benét
The Desk from Hoboken
By M.L. Condike
from the publisher: In a bid to heal from the grief of a personal loss, forensic genealogist, RaeJean Hunter, takes on a straightforward case -identify human remains found on a nearby college campus, believed to be the 180-year-old remains of Mary Rogers, a woman who died mysteriously in 1841 and was believed to have been buried in the nearby cemetery that had washed away. It should be simple enough, a project to get her back in the game.
This truly indie book has a lot to recommend it. The story is intricate and interesting. The author is clearly well-versed in genealogy and historical research and it serves the narrative well. I would have loved for a bit more explanation on some of the finer points (how the narrator makes the connections she does) to satisfy my curiosity. The writer is less comfortable in imagining dialogue. Many of the conversations feel flat, especially in the midst of such a detailed story.
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Publisher: Harbor Lane Books, LLC. (March 5, 2024)
Language: English
Paperback: 446 pages
ISBN-13: 979-8989032006
The History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks
By David Gibbins
from the publisher: Since we first set sail on the open sea, ships and their wrecks have been an inevitable part of human history. Archaeologists have made spectacular discoveries excavating these sunken ships, their protective underwater cocoon keeping evidence of past civilizations preserved. Now, for the first time, world renowned maritime archeologist David Gibbins ties together the stories of some of the most significant shipwrecks in time to form a single overarching narrative of world history.
I was captivated by the idea of looking at human history through the lens of shipping, exploration, conquest, and travel. For me, however, the presentation of each example was too dry. I enjoy nonfiction, and history especially, but this one didn’t engage me the way I’d hope.
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Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (April 2, 2024)
Language: English
Hardcover: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1250325374
The Mystery Writer
By Sulari Gentill
from the publisher: When Theodosia Benton abandons her career path as an attorney and shows up on her brother’s doorstep with two suitcases and an unfinished novel, she expects to face a few challenges. Does she even have what it takes to be a successful writer? What Theo never expects is to be drawn into a hidden literary world in which identity is something that can be lost and remade for the sake of an audience.
Imagine dropping everything and working on a novel. Imagine hanging out at a coffee shop, drafting your book, and running into your favorite author. And the author is happy to talk to you about publishing! A dream come true. Then it all comes crashing down. The popular author is found dead in their home and you have to help solve the murder. It’s an engaging, if unlikely, plot but it’s fun to read.
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Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press (March 19, 2024)
Language: English
Paperback: 400 pages
ISBN-10: 1728285186
The Tomb of the Mili Mongga
By Samuel Turvey
From the publisher: Combining evolution, anthropology, travel writing and cryptozoology, The Tomb of the Mili Mongga explores the relationship between biodiversity and culture, what reality means from different cultural perspectives, and how folklore, fossils and conservation can be linked together in surprising ways.
This is a truly unique perspective on anthropology and evolution.
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Publisher: Bloomsbury Sigma (April 30, 2024)
Language: English
Hardcover: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1399409778
The Last Murder at the End of the World
By Stu Turton
from the publisher: Outside the island there is nothing: the world was destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched. On the island: it is idyllic. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they’re told by the scientists. Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And then they learn that the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay. If the murder isn’t solved within 107 hours, the fog will smother the island―and everyone on it.
I loved Turton’s The 7 1/2 Lives of Evelyn Hardcastle but this one was more dystopian. Post-apocalyptic isn’t really my thing, but it is a popular genre and settings these days so I can see it being just the right fit for lots of readers.
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Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (May 21, 2024)
Language: English
Hardcover: 368 pages
ISBN-10: 1728254655
from the publisher: Before 1862, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain had rarely left his home state of Maine, where he was a trained minister and mild-mannered professor at Bowdoin College. His colleagues were shocked when he volunteered for the Union army, but he was undeterred and later became known as one of the North’s greatest heroes. How did a stuttering young boy come to be fluent in nine languages and even teach speech and rhetoric? How did a trained minister find his way to the battlefield? Award-winning historian Ronald C. White delves into these contradictions in this cradle-to-grave biography.
I was glad to have a chance to learn more about the figure that has fascinated me for decades. I’ve been to Chamberlain’s home in Maine a couple of times and have often wished I could have met him. I appreciated this biography’s attempt to cover his entire life, not only his military career. The book did trail off as Chamberlain aged, almost as if the biographer was losing interest in his subject, but for the most part I learned a great deal about this amazing American figure.
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Publisher: Random House; First Edition (October 31, 2023)
Language: English
Hardcover: 512 pages
ISBN-10: 0525510087