Danielle’s Comments (group member since Jul 24, 2014)

Danielle’s comments from the Lakeland Public Library group.

Happy June, friends! According to the calendar, it might still be Spring, but the library's 2021 Summer Reading Challenge is well underway. Our theme is Tails and Tales and we're getting in touch with nature. You'll earn badges by logging your reading time and completing activities. Those badges will enter you into the weekly drawings to win some fun prizes. The easiest way to track your reading and earn badges is by signing up on Beanstack. If you signed up last summer, please take a moment to update your information. If this will be your first time participating, we have some tutorials to show you how easy it is to get signed up and start logging your reading. Each week, Susan will be posting book suggestions to help us earn our Reading Activity badge. Do you need some additional reading material to get your 5- or 10-hour badge? Check out one of these Fresh Reads:

The Secret Bridesmaid by Katy Birchall
As a professional bridesmaid, Sophie Breeze is hired by London brides to be their right-hand woman, posing as a friend but working behind the scenes to help plan the perfect wedding and ensure their big day goes off without a hitch. So when she's hired for the society wedding of the year, it should be her big chance to prove just how talented she is. It's not ideal that the bride, Cordelia, is an absolute diva and seems determined to make Sophie's life a nightmare. It's inconvenient when she finds herself drawn to Cordelia's off-limits older brother, Lord Swann. But things get downright complicated when a rival society wedding is announced for the very same day. Can Sophie pull off the biggest challenge of her career, win over a reluctant bride, catch the eye of handsome Lord Swann, and keep her true identity secret and her dignity intact?

In the Company of Killers by Bryan Christy
Tom Klay is a celebrated wildlife reporter with a secret—writing for The Sovereign magazine is a cover for a more dangerous job: CIA spy. Being a member of the press allows him to collect valuable information from places the CIA can’t penetrate. While on assignment in Kenya, Klay’s closest friend is killed, his own life is threatened, and his carefully constructed double life begins to collapse. As he begins investigating the attack, he unintentionally becomes a piece of a larger, more lethal puzzle that involves top levels of government from all over the world. The more he digs, Klay realizes that everything he thought he knew about his work may be a lie.

The Last Watch by J.S. Dewes
The Argus, a spacecraft parked at the rim of a vast, empty space anomaly known only as the Divide, serves as the last protection for humanity against the great unknown. The crew, made up of bottom-of-the-barrel military has-beens, would be content to serve out their time in relative peace. But when the Divide starts expanding, swallowing up the known galaxy, the crew of the Argus must find a way to stop it before the universe is completely engulfed.

The Conductors by Nicole Glover
Hetty and her husband, Benjy, were Conductors on the Underground Railroad, ferrying dozens of enslaved souls to freedom. Now that the Civil War is over, those skills find new purpose as they solve mysteries and murders that the White authorities ignore. When a friend is murdered, their investigation stirs up a web of intrigue, lies, and long-buried secrets connected to the Black elites of Philadelphia. With a clever, cold-blooded killer on the prowl testing their magic and placing their lives at risk, Hetty and Benjy will discover how little they really know about their neighbors . . . and themselves.

The Unkindness of Ravens by M. E. Hilliard
Greer is a librarian and an avid reader of murder mysteries. She also has a habit of stumbling upon murdered bodies. The first was her husband's; the tragic loss leading her to leave New York behind for a new start in the Village of Raven Hill. But her new home becomes less idyllic when she discovers her best friend sprawled dead on the floor of the library. Was her friend's demise related to two other deaths that the police deemed accidental? Do the residents of this insular village hold dark secrets about another murder decades ago? Does a serial killer haunt Raven Hill? As the body count rises, her anxious musings take a darker turn when she uncovers unexpected and distressing information about her own husband's death and the man who went to prison for his murder. She is racked with guilt at the possibility that her testimony may have helped to convict an innocent man. Will her quick wit and resourcefulness be enough to protect her from a murderer?

Thief of Souls by Brian Klingborg
Despite graduating from China's top police college, Le Fei has been assigned to the sleepy, backwater township of Raven Valley where almost nothing happens. That changes when a young woman is found dead, her organs removed, and incense paper stuffed in her mouth. The Beijing City Police wants to pin the crime on the first available suspect rather than wading into uncomfortable truths, leaving Lu Fei on his own. As Lu digs deeper into the gruesome murder, he finds himself facing old enemies and creating new ones in the form of local Communist Party bosses and corrupt business interests. Despite these rising obstacles, Lu remains determined to find the real killer, especially after he links the murder to other unsolved homicides. But the closer he gets to the heart of the mystery, the more he puts himself and his loved ones in danger.

The Guncle by Steven Rowley
Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP, for short), loves Maisie and Grant, his niece and nephew. That is, he loves spending time with them when they visit Palm Springs or when he heads home for the holidays. But Patrick is out of his league in terms of caretaking and relating to two kids, even if they are super adorable. An unexpected family tragedy leaves him taking on the role of primary guardian for the summer. Despite having a set of "Guncle Rules" ready to go, Patrick's life is not-so-suited for a six- and a nine-year-old. Quickly realizing that parenting—even if temporary—isn't solved with treats and jokes, Patrick's eyes are opened to a new sense of responsibility and the realization that, sometimes, even being larger than life means you're unfailingly human.

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Sutanto
When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. Unfortunately, a dead body proves to be a lot more challenging to dispose of than one might anticipate, especially when it is accidentally shipped in a cake cooler to the over-the-top billionaire wedding Meddy, her Ma, and aunties are working. It's the biggest job yet for their family wedding business, and nothing, not even an unsavory corpse, will get in the way of her auntie's perfect buttercream cake flowers. But things go from inconvenient to downright torturous when Meddy's great college love—and biggest heartbreak—makes a surprise appearance amid the wedding chaos. Is it possible to escape murder charges, charm her ex back into her life, and pull off a stunning wedding all in one weekend?

Dance With Death by Wil Thomas
In June of 1893, the future Nicholas II travels to London for a royal wedding, bringing with him his private security force and his ballerina mistress. Rumored to be the target of a professional assassin and the subject of conspiracies against his life by his own family, who covets his future throne, Nicholas is protected by private security and the professional forces of both England and Russia. These measures prove inadequate when Prince George of England is attacked by an armed anarchist who mistakes him for Nicholas. As a result, Barker and Llewelyn are brought in to help track down the assassin and others who might conspire against the life of the heir apparent. Their investigations lead them down several paths, including an old nemesis of Llewelyn's. With Barker and Llewelyn both surviving separate attempts on their lives, the race is on to find both the culprit and the assassin they hired. Taking them through both high and low society, chasing down motives both personal and political, Barker and Llewelyn must solve the case of their life before the crime of the century is committed. (This is book #12 in the Baker & Llewelyn series.)

Happy April, friends! This year marks the 25th anniversary of National Poetry month. Launched by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry month seeks to remind us all that poets pay an integral role in our society and that poetry matters. Over the last year, I’ve found myself becoming more interested in learning about and reading more poetry. I’ll definitely be checking out the Academy’s list of 30 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month at Home or Online. Poetry not your thing? We’ve got you covered with some fresh reads for April:

Northern Spy by Flynn Berry
Since The Good Friday Agreement 20 years prior, the IRA has gone underground, but they never really went away. Lately, bomb threats, security checkpoints, and helicopters floating ominously over Belfast have become features of everyday life. When BBC producer Tessa sees security footage of her sister, Marian, participating in a raid on a gas station, she's convinced that Marian has been abducted or coerced. The sisters were raised to oppose the violence enacted in the name of uniting Ireland. The truth about Marian is revealed, and Tessa's faced with impossible choices that test the limits of her ideals, the bonds of family, her notions of right and wrong, and her identity as a sister and mother. (This book was recently announced as the April 2021 pick for Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club, so get yourself on the request list for this one now.)

Fatal Fried Rice by Vivien Chien
Lana runs her family's Chinese restaurant like nobody's business. When it comes to actual cooking, she's known to be about a step up from boiling rice. So Lana decides to go to culinary school to prove that she has what it takes in the kitchen. But when the course instructor, Margo Chan, turns up dead after class, Lana suddenly finds herself on the case. Since she was the one who discovered the body, Lana must pull double duty to find the killer and clear her name. With or without her boyfriend's help, Lana launches her own investigation into Margo's life and mysterious death. It leads her on a wild goose chase to and from the culinary school and back to the noodle shop, where the guilty party may be closer than she thinks. (This is book #7 in the Noodle Shop Mystery series.)

Machinehood by S.B. Divya
It’s 2095, and humans are dependent on pills. These pills supplement their health so they can stay alive. They also boost their endurance, focus, and productivity to compete with robots and droids in the new gig economy. Welga Ramirez, an executive bodyguard, is close to early retirement before her client is killed by a terrorist group. The Machinehood has attacked several major pill funders and issues an ultimatum: stop all pill production in a week. The US government believes the Machinehood is a cover for an old enemy, one that Welga is uniquely qualified to fight.

Raft of Stars by Andrew Graff
Tired of the physical abuse his friend Dale "Bread" Breadwin endures from his father, Fischer "Fish" Branson decides to take action. After hearing a gunshot, the boys believe they have murdered Bread’s father. They flee into the forest and find a raft, but natural terrors threaten to overwhelm them. Sheriff Cal, Tiffany, the gas station attendant, and Fish’s mother and grandfather track them into the forest. The time spent in the wilderness changes everyone and helps them develop and reshape their identities and reevaluate how they live.

Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge
Libertie is set in Reconstruction-era Brooklyn and is inspired by the life of Dr. Susan Smith McKinney Steward, the first Black female doctor in New York. Dr. Kathy Sampson has a clear vision for her daughter's life: Libertie will go to medical school, practice alongside her, and carry on her legacy. Libertie falls in love with and marries a man from Haiti who promises her that she will be his equal on the island. When Libertie realizes that she is subordinate to her husband and all men, she must discover what freedom really means for a Black woman and struggles with where she might find it for herself and those who come after her. (BookPage magazine interviewed Greenidge about the little-know history behind the novel. Read it here.)

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
No matter how hard she tries, things in Eve Brown’s life always go wrong. But when she ruins an expensive wedding, her parents tell her it’s time to grow up. Until she can commit to a job for one year, they are cutting her off financially. This reality check leads her to interview for an open position at Jacob Wayne’s bed and breakfast. Jacob is set on dominating the hospitality industry and expects nothing less than perfection. When Eve and her purple hair turn up unexpectedly, he’s unimpressed and tells her, in no uncertain terms, no. Then she mows him down with her car...accidentally. Eve feels responsible for Jacob’s injuries and sticks around to help run the understaffed B&B. Jacob should hate everything about this, but the more time the two spend together, the more their hostility turns into something else. (This is the final book in the Brown Sisters trilogy.)

Red Island House by Andrea Lee
When Shay, a Black American professor with an adventurous streak, marries Senna, an Italian businessman, she never imagines that this adventure will take her from their home in Milan to an idyllic stretch of beach in Madagascar. Senna builds them a lavish vacation villa, making her the reluctant mistress of the sprawling household. She finds herself torn between her connection to the continent of her ancestors and her privileged American upbringing. Initially, she’s content to observe the affairs and rivalries around her. Throughout their marriage, Shay finds herself drawn deeper and deeper into a place where a blend of magic, sexual intrigue, and transgression forms a modern-day parable of colonial conquest. A collision of cultures forces her to make a life-altering decision that will forever change the family's life.

The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson
There's a serial killer on the loose. When bodies start washing up on the banks of the River Thames, Detective Inspector Angelica Henley fears it is the work of the notorious Jigsaw Killer Peter Oliver. But it can’t be him; Olivier is already behind bars, and Henley was the one who put him there. The race is on before more bodies are found. She’d hoped to never have to see his face again, but DI Henley knows Olivier might be their best chance at stopping the copycat killer. But when Olivier learns of the new murders, helping Henley is the last thing on his mind. Will it take a killer to catch a killer? Now all bets are off, and the race is on to catch the killer before the body count rises. But who will get there first – Henley or the Jigsaw Killer?

First Person Singular: Stories by Haruki Murakami
First Person Singular is a collection of eight short stories told by the classic Murakami narrator: a lonely man. Philosophical and mysterious, the stories touch on love, solitude, memory, and childhood. As a collection, the stories challenge the boundaries between our minds and the outside world. Is the narrator Murakami himself? Is this a memoir or a work of friction? You, the reader, get to decide.

Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff VanderMeer
Security consultant "Jane Smith" receives an envelope with the key to a storage unit. Inside she finds a taxidermied hummingbird and clues leading her to a taxidermied salamander. Silvina Vilcacampa, the woman who left the note, is an alleged eco-terrorist. Jane becomes obsessed with discovering her whereabouts and her fate. By taking the hummingbird from the storage unit, Jane sets in motion a series of events that quickly spin beyond her control. Soon, Jane and her family are in danger, with few allies to help her make sense of the true scope of the peril. Is the only way to safety to follow in Silvina's footsteps? Is it too late to stop? As she desperately seeks answers about why Silvina contacted her, time is running out―for her and possibly the world.

Are any of these books going on your TBR? Is there another new release you’re excited about? What books have you been loving recently? Let us know in the comments!

Happy Women’s History Month! During March, we celebrate women’s accomplishments and contributions, both past and present. Check out this article from BookPage magazine highlighting 10 women on the rise. These books are forthcoming, but in the meantime and between time, check out one of these fresh reads:

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
This science fiction domestic thriller follows a famed geneticist whose husband uses her methods to clone her — and has an affair with the clone. When he's murdered, the two women must figure out what to do next.

The Removed by Brandon Hobson
The Removed explores Cherokee mythology and history and tells the story of the Echota family and their attempt to reclaim the memory of their teenage son, Ray-Ray, who was killed in a police shooting. As the Echotas prepare to gather in a shared ritual of memory-making each family member carefully attempts to unpack the trauma of Ray-Ray's loss. They walk both a spiritual world of Cherokee folklore and meaning, and a world outside that culture and tradition.

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Klara is an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities. From her place in the store, she carefully watches the behaviors of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her. Klara and the Sun offers a look at our changing world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator and explores the fundamental question: what does it mean to love?

A Pairing to Die For by Kate Lansing
Parker, owner of Vino Valentine, is finally settling into her winery and her new relationship with Reid, a local chef. But their delicate pairing is endangered when Reid's estranged family comes into town to celebrate the opening of his new restaurant. Parker wants to make a good first impression, but her efforts might be in vain when Reid's sous chef is found dead in the alley behind the restaurant, and Reid is implicated in the murder. In order to save Reid, Parker will have to find the real killer, even if the truth is difficult to swallow. (This is the second book in the Colorado Wine Mystery series.)

My Year Abroad by Chang-rea Lee
Tiller is an average American college student with a good heart but minimal aspirations. Pong Lou is a larger-than-life, wildly creative Chinese American entrepreneur who sees something intriguing in Tiller beyond his bored exterior and takes him under his wing. When Pong brings him along on a boisterous trip across Asia, Tiller is catapulted from ordinary young man to talented protégé, and pulled into a series of ever more extreme and eye-opening experiences that transform his view of the world, of Pong, and of himself.

The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguyen
The Committed follows the unnamed Sympathizer as he arrives in Paris in the early 1980s with his blood brother Bon. The pair try to overcome their pasts and ensure their futures by engaging in capitalism in one of its purest forms: drug dealing.Traumatized by his reeducation at the hands of his former best friend, Man, and struggling to assimilate into French culture, the Sympathizer finds Paris both seductive and disturbing. (Check out The Sympathizer to learn about his life before arriving in Paris.)

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
In eighteen-century London, a secret apothecary caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary's fate is jeopardized when its newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking a string of consequences that echo through the centuries. In present-day London, aspiring historian, Caroline, spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, running from her own demons. When she stumbles upon a clue to the unsolved apothecary murders that haunted London two hundred years ago, her life collides with the apothecary's in a stunning twist of fate — and not everyone will survive.

First Comes Like by Alisha Rai
Beauty influencer Jia takes a bold step — crashing an L.A. party to meet the man who has been wooing her via Instagram DMs, only to discover that he doesn’t know who she is. Jia is humiliated, and to make matters worse, her family insists on traveling to California to meet her new beau after the paparazzi publish a picture of them from their one conversation at the party. Jia asks Dev to pretend to date her during the visit so that she doesn’t have to tell her family she was catfished. But in the process of learning enough about each other to be convincing as a couple, they develop a true fondness for each other. (This is the third book in the Modern Love series.)

The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor
A dark history lingers in Chapel Croft. Five hundred years ago, Protestant martyrs were betrayed—then burned. Thirty years ago, two teenage girls disappeared without a trace. And a few weeks ago, the vicar of the local parish hanged himself in the nave of the church. Reverend Jack Brooks and his fourteen-year-old daughter arrive in the village hoping for a fresh start. Instead, Jack finds a town rife with conspiracies and secrets. The more Jack and Flo explore the town and get to know its strange residents, the deeper they are drawn into the age-old rifts, mysteries, and suspicions.