More Recommendations from BT

A few books that BT recommends.....

Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker. (This might be my next read)

Unspeakable Things. Dark, chaotic, intriguing

Land of Dreams: easy read. Either a rip off of LaLa Land or vice versa

American Pop: story of soda pop. Fun read

Believing the Lie  - appropriate for today's world

There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak

I probably wouldn't have picked this one up except that one of my trusted book-loving friends has declared it one of the best books she's ever read. It is a beautifully written novel about three people who live in different places at different times and how their lives are all woven together. They live near rivers, and water is a major theme throughout the book. There's a lot of sadness and violence but the story is compelling. I will confess some chapters felt like I was reading a textbook instead of a novel and I gave myself permission to skim some parts. But I also learned a lot about the Middle East throughout history. 

One of the major issues the book tackles is how museums in Europe and the US (and private citizens) have taken ancient artifacts from other countries to display them in their museums and homes. And how the people of the Middle East have lost these treasures. 

Highly recommend this one. - June

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden

Lordy Lordy! This is one of those books I would hesitate to recommend to many of my friends. However, it is a fascinating story and very well written. One of the constant debates in my former book club was if you can like a book if you dislike the main character. If you fall into the category of those who need to relate to the character, you probably won't like this novel. Isabel is not at all a likeable person. She's stuffy, cold, and judgmental. She lives alone in a big house and has no friends. Even her family doesn't like her much. 

The novel takes place in Amsterdam in the early 1960's. When Isabel's brother has to go out of town, he asks Isabel if his current girlfriend can stay with her. The rest of the book is all about their relationship. And I'll just say that it is very intense and very graphic. And at times a little shocking. But I do recommend the book - an interesting character study in a unique time and place. It's also recently won a number of awards. - June

The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskins

Don't judge a book by its cover or its title! There are so many titles that include the word "library" or "librarian" or "bookstore". And there are also many book covers where a woman is shown from the back. In many cases, these novels are on the light side, appealing to those of us who love books, libraries and reading. When I saw this book and saw the high ratings, I was not prepared for this story.

Hana is a Bosnian war refugee who works in a library. She's known as the sweater lady because she deliberately wears drab sweaters and skirts to make herself invisible. One day a police officer comes to Hana at the library and informs her that her best friend has died and he is investigating her death. The rest of the book follows this investigation while also flashing back to the war in Bosnia and how Hana and her friend ended up in the US.

I realized when I finished this book that I'd read another book by this author just last year, The Life We Bury. Guess I'm now a fan!

I strongly recommend this one. - June

Still Life by Louise Penny

Once again, I'm the last to arrive at the party. Many of my friends love Louis Penny's books about the detective from Three Pines and they remind me to read the on a regular basis. I generally avoid series just because I get bored with the same basic plot in each book. But I'll admit this book was a fun audiobook. Since Still Life is the first one in the series, the characters and the town are all introduced. I feel I could now pick up any of the other books. I wasn't expecting the humor in this book - that was a nice surprise.

In this first book, Jane Neal has been found dead in the woods. Was it a hunting accident? Was it murder? The people in the town are all suspects and Chief Inspector Gamache figures it all out.

Glad I finally read one of Louise Penny's books. I've been told by a few friends that the first few books are the weakest and they get better as you read through the series.  I'll look for another - especially an audiobook. - June