Recommended Reads

It's the time of year when things start slowing down. Truthfully, I was kind of ready not to be on the run so much, but it does leave some time to fill. What to do except pick up a good book?  Read on for some recent reads I'd recommend. 

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore -- This is one of the hot books of the summer, and there's a reason for that. If you're in the mood for a good mystery/family drama, this is the book for you. 

The story is set at a summer camp in the Adirondacks. The time is 1975, with a second plotline dating back to 1961. It's not a major spoiler to tell you that two children from the family that owns the camp go missing in those years. The family in question has wealth almost beyond imagine, but as we know, wealth and happiness don't always go hand in hand. That's all I want to tell you, except that I found myself reading at all times of the day and night to find out what happens. 

On second thought, I do have one more tidbit to share -- a bit of mythology Moore drops into the book. Pan is the Greek god of the wilds of nature, and the word "panic" is derived from said god's name and his ability to cause terror. Given the role the woods play in the story, this little bit of etymology fit right in.   

This is one blockbuster that warrants the attention it's received. And when you've finished the book, you can watch the Barnes & Noble interview with Moore (and author Kiley Reid) if you're so inclined by clicking here. It's super interesting. 

The Last Animal by Ramona Ausubel -- I am truly baffled about this book not getting more (actually, hardly any) press. I happened to see the novel on a table at Barnes & Noble, checked out the first couple of pages and decided to give it a try. It's a real gem. 

The story starts with a widow and her two teenage daughters in Siberia on a scientific expedition. Not exactly the summer vacation the girls had hoped for. But their mother is with a team of researchers working to find the remains of a wooly mammoth. (Yes, wolly mammoths are extinct, which makes it a difficult task.)  Their objective is to harvest genetic material from the mammoth and create a new type of test tube baby -- a cold-adapted elephant. 

I know -- it sounds gripping. But trust me when I say these girls are not your average teenage kids. Having spent much of their young lives traveling around the world with their parents for their work, the girls are self-sufficient and smart and quite funny. I don't want to spoil the pleasure of reading this book, so no more details. But I will say that it is wholly different from yet reminiscent of "Lessons in Chemistry," with a single mother working in the science field, precocious children and an animal for the ages. Read it! 

"Headshot" by Rita Bullwinkel -- "Headshot" is on the longlist for the Booker Prize and is a real knock out of a read. (Feel free to groan.) It has also been named a Best Book of 2024 So Far by the NYT Book Review and has been recommended by NPR, Vulture and The Guardian. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that it is Bullwinkel's first novel. 

The story takes place in a boxing gym in Reno, Nevada. It is not an upscale gym. The lights flicker; the walls are dirty; and I can't even imagine what the ladies' room looks like. And there's a reason I mention the ladies' room. Readers are dropped into a world where eight young women -- none older than 18 -- have come to box for the title of winner of The Daughter of America Cup national title. 

The book is brutal. There's no getting around the inclusion of violence in a story about boxing. But what's fascinating is the story within the story. We get a look into each girl's psyche as she fights for the title. We learn how she got into the sport, what drives her, and what's going through her head as she weaves and bobs and punches -- and gets hit over and over. It doesn't give anything away to tell you that Andi Taylor, one of the boxers in the first match, has a summer job as a lifeguard and a four year boy just drowned under her watch. It's right there on the first page of the book. Talk about a way to thrust readers right into these young women's lives.  

I get that this is not a book for everyone. But if it sounds the least bit up your alley, give it a try. 

Happy reading!