A Gentleman’s Gentleman
TJ Alexander
“Christopher was beginning to wonder if Harding communicated exclusively through his brows, and how long it might take to learn that language.”
Lord Christopher Eden’s isolated life in the countryside is upended when his solicitors inform him that he must marry before his next birthday or forfeit his title and lands. As “a man of unique make” he does not believe he can make a wife happy, but he’s prepared to visit London for the Season to find someone he hopes will understand him. Things get even more complicated when his valet, James Harding, arrives at the estate. The two strike up a delicate friendship, but can it survive the secrets both men are keeping?
Although it was originally the cover that caught my eye (the patterns! the colors! the fabrics!), once I read the premise I grabbed a copy. It felt strange at first, but I know trans people have existed as long as cis people; it’s interesting to consider how they would have found ways to be themselves during a time so different from now. The plot wandered a little, but I loved Christopher and James and how the author explored their stories.
Perfect for you if you like non-traditional romance, slow burn (spice in the last couple chapters only), and the Regency setting.
The God of the Woods
Liz Moore
Book club
“She explained. [Panic] came from the Greek god Pan: the god of the woods. He liked to trick people, to confuse and disorient them until they lost their bearings, and their minds.”
The disappearance of Barbara Van Laar sends local citizens and police into the wilds of the Adirondack Mountains — the same area where her brother vanished 14 years before. The disappearances magnify the tensions between the wealthy Van Laars and the blue collar community laboring in their shadow; uncovering what really happened will bring to light secrets that some would rather stay buried.
I went into Moore’s book expecting some variant of the classic murder mystery; while that was certainly part of it, I think it ended up being an even better character study. Most of the characters are awful people, but in a way that held my interest — partly because I wanted to keep learning about them, but also because I needed to see if they got their comeuppance. I loved the writing style and had fun going back through to check for clues I missed along the way. As for book club opinions, as usual it was a mixed bag. Most of us enjoyed the writing but had trouble keeping timelines and characters straight (especially on audiobook). Several people wished it had been just a bit shorter, and we all agreed that some aspects were less than believable. That didn’t dampen my enjoyment, however, and it fully earned my five-star rating.
Give this a try if you like character-focused novels, dual timelines, and (non-gory) murder mystery tales.
The Dead Sea: A 10,000 Year History
Nir Arielli
DNF
“The story of the Dead Sea involves salt and sulfur, but also date palms and sugarcane.”
When asked what comes to mind when they think of the Dead Sea, most people will say that it’s very salty, that nothing can live in it, and that someone found some scrolls near it. The full story is infinitely more complex: it is geographically unique, important to Jews, Christians, and Muslims, the scene of battles and exploration, and more recently an example of the challenges of tourism and conservation.
Normally I love a science-history book, but I’ve been avoiding this one since I got it last year in Heywood Hill’s Year in Books subscription box. I was worried it would be too dry (pun…intended?), but hoped I would be pleasantly surprised. Arielli is clearly passionate about the Dead Sea and has put together quite the body of research; however, at the 100-page mark I realized I’m not interested in hanging out at the intersection of limnology and Biblical Studies.
Not sure who I’d recommend this book to, but you can have my copy!
Caroline: Little House, Revisited
Sarah Miller
“All her life she had longed to breach that pale and hazy boundary between enough and plenty.”
Children have been reading and re-reading the Little House stories for nearly a century; everyone knows at least something about Laura Ingalls Wilder’s journeys across the prairielands of America. But what about her mother Caroline? What did she think about her husband’s wanderlust, giving birth in isolated wilderness, and being separated from her own family? Caroline is a look at the Ingalls’ life from the perspective of a woman determined to make a new life for her husband, her children, and herself.
Even though this is a novel, it’s one clearly based in fact — not just Caroline’s life, but the life of every woman who “went West.” The sadness of family loss; the monotony of travel by wagon; the backbreaking labor of cooking on an open fire and creating a garden from nothing; the spectre of starvation or death in childbirth. Caroline and her sister-travelers had spines of steel, and may be more truly responsible for the settling of the West than anyone else. Miller’s story is well-researched and written, but for better or worse portrays Caroline as the stereotypical/ideal 19th century woman I don’t like reading about: overly pious, obsequious to her husband, and full of resentment and fear that she refuses to voice because it’s some version of “not how a good wife should feel.” I’d rather have spent my time reading non-fiction about women going West than this novel that has “Christian romance” vibes.
This one wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t for me.
The Ship Beneath the Ice: The Discovery of Shackleton’s Endurance
Mensun Bound
“From out of the amber of another age, this wreck and its story seemed to have touched everyone.”
In November 1915, explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance sank beneath the Weddell Sea — 10 months after becoming trapped in brutal, crushing ice. The entire crew survived, and we’ve learned much from the diaries, photographs, and video footage of their expedition. But the biggest mystery, the location of the Endurance, remained unsolved for over a century — until a modern group of explorers decided to retrace her steps and find her tomb.
I love a good adventure, especially when it’s true. Author Mensun Bound takes the reader through the life of the Endurance, from her original build to the day footage of her wreckage was broadcast around the world. The members of the modern expeditions had technology Shackleton would have considered science fiction, but had to rely on the same iron will he and his crew needed to survive their marooning in one of the most inhospitable places on Earth. The Ship Beneath the Ice is a little heavier on navigation and submersible robot science than I prefer, but it’s clear that Bound and the expedition teams have an endless passion for history, Shackleton, and the Endurance herself.
Add this to your TBR if you like Shackleton history, exploration, and sea-based science (trigger warning: animal death).
Nadya
Pat Murphy
“She Changed. A gray wolf stood in the clearing, her head lifted to sample the breeze. She did not think about the death that the cards had foretold; she did not plan for the night ahead. The only time was now, this moment and no other. No past. No future. Only now.”
Her whole life, Nadya has known she’s different from everyone else — and not just because she’s the daughter of immigrant parents. When her world is torn apart in one blood-soaked night, she grabs her gun and rides a dead man’s horse west, in search of solitude and safety. Her journey may force her to decide which she must be: the woman or the wolf.
Speak of the devil he shall appear. Earlier this month I was reading Caroline, wishing for a more interesting tale of “women going west,” and look at what landed in my lap. Two vastly different genres, but with similar themes of internal conflict, loneliness, and a fierce desire to protect those you love. Plus, y’know, wolf people. I loved seeing Nadya learn who she truly is and find where she belongs. My only quibble with the story is that it’s got a little too much going on, and the bulk of it describes what I think is the least interesting part of Nadya’s journey. She spends a lot of time trying to keep Elizabeth—another woman heading west—from dying from a snakebite or dehydration or some other fool thing. I knew from the moment they met that Elizabeth isn’t interested in loving Nadya as she is. I’d rather the final portion of the novel have been the bigger focus.
Pick this up if you like character-driven fantasy with a strong female lead.
The Chaos Machine: The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our World
Max Fisher
“This technology exerts such a powerful pull on our psychology and our identity, and is so pervasive in our lives, that it changes how we think, behave, and relate to one another. The effect, multiplied across billions of users, has been to change society itself.”
Social media companies have spent a lot of time in the last decade defending themselves in court and the press. They present themselves as the good guys, or at least as guys who can’t be blamed for what people post. In The Chaos Machine, journalist Max Fisher presents a different story: tech companies pursuing growth with ever-more complex and uncontrollable algorithms that promote polarization, anger, and violence.
I know of Silicon Valley’s bro-y reputation and obsessive focus on growth and money. I’ve long been aware of the addictive/negative effect social media has on me personally, and seen how it leads people I know down rabbit holes of rage-posting. But this book has kept me up at night. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised by Fisher’s findings, but I’m definitely horrified. The idea that a company’s leaders could be presented with evidence that the algorithms they’ve created are causing serious harm and just…brush it off? That a company could create something so complex they can’t hope to moderate or control it? It all feels so dystopian and awful and terrifying. A little long and repetitive, but this is absolutely the kick in the pants I need to scale back on my own social media use — and recommend others do the same.
Read this if you’re interested in learning how the big social media companies think and operate. Just be prepared to lose some sleep and re-think your social media habits.
Photo by Rodion Kutsaiev on Unsplash
