Stephen's parents used to put books in his crib to keep him quiet when he woke up early in the morning, thus starting him on a lifetime of loving literature. At home, he enjoys reading mysteries and poetry, with occasional forays into horror and fantasy. A displaced Vermonter, he has lived in southwest Michigan since the mid-'90s. When not in the book store he can often be found as a substitute at one our local schools!
After single mother Frida leaves her toddler alone for two hours to run some errands, she finds herself caught up in the child welfare system and eventually sent to a dystopian, high-tech reducation center to learn how to be a “good mother.” With motherhood under constant scrutiny, only a few technological advances separate this book from current reality. Fascinating and frightening.
Full of joy, generosity, and the incisive humor that has led David Sedaris to be called “the funniest man alive” (Time Out New York), The Best of Me spans a career spent watching and learning and laughing—quite often at himself—and invites readers deep into the world of one of the most brilliant and original writers of our time. -Highly Recommended by Stephen
Laughter may be the best medicine, but sometimes you just need transcranial magnetic stimulation. As with her two previous books, Lawson speaks honestly about her mental and physical struggles, as well as her general awkwardness, using humor to make some serious points. The chapter, “An Open Letter to My Insurance Company” alone is worth the price of admission.
Amber Ruffin (Late Night with Seth Meyers) and her sister Lacey Lamar recount the subtle and not-so-subtle racism that Lacey faces living as a Black woman in Omaha, NE, in a style that is both tongue-in-cheek and deadly serious. Funny, cringeworthy, and educational (for this white reader at least).
Birdie Divine, a private investigator in Victorian London, is hired to find the kidnapped child of a baronet, a child who has certain peculiar traits that would make her valuable to collectors of oddities and natural wonders. Accompanied by the ghost of a boxer and her seven-foot housemaid, Birdie pursues the case through all levels of London society. An astounding book, rich in detail and full of memorable characters.
When a young woman is discovered brutally murdered in her own apartment, Copenhagen police detectives establish a link between the victim, and her landlady, who's a bit too fond of drink and the host of raucous dinner parties with her artist friends.
Dawson unearths the career of forensic science pioneer Edward Oscar Heinrich, once a major figure in the criminal justice field but now largely forgotten. Perfect for true crime aficionados and fans of TV shows like CSI: Las Vegas and its spin-offs.
Bryson's latest book discusses the major human systems and organs and discusses how they function, what they do, and how they can go wrong, all in Bryson's inimitable style. Highly recommended!
Facing a crisis of faith, Timothy Egan decided to reconnect with his Catholic roots by making a pilgrimage along the Via Francigena—a medieval route from Canterbury to Rome. Along the way, he encounters believers of various types and asks some of the hard questions of belief. A complicated and insightful book.
A young woman and her seven-year-old son, on the run from an abusive relationship, settle in a small, Pennsylvania town. Life is hard for the two, but generally good, until the son disappears for six days and comes back with a voice in his head that only he can hear. The voice tells him to build a tree house in the forest or else the whole town will suffer, and things spiral out of control from there. A rich, nuanced novel of horror on an epic scale.
