READERS’ FAVORITES
Here are a some of the book recommendations I received from my regular readers. You will see a few familiar titles here as well as new ones.
And There Was Light by Jon Meacham (nonfiction about Abraham Lincoln)
Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
Booth by K. J. Fowler
The Swimmers by J. Otsuka
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Memory Keeper of Kyiv by Erin Litteken (historical novel about Ukraine in the 1930’s)
The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley (YA novel by an Indigenous author about two teens’ clash of cultures)
For other recommended titles see the public comments on the blog site at https://www.jauntingjean.com/reading-favorite-books-of-2022/
A NOVEL FOR OUR TIME
Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
I’m always leery of novels written by two authors, but I’m a fan of much of Jodi Picoult’s work. She has a history of tackling contemporary issues, often divisive ones, from abortion to racism to genetics. Her latest novel is co-written with Jennifer F. Boylan, author of several novels and the memoir, She’s Not There, which I can also highly recommend.
This is a novel about secrets, what we choose to share with others, and what we keep private. It’s also a love story, a book about how we define ourselves, and a suspenseful courtroom drama. Olivia and her son Asher escaped to New Hampshire when Olivia left an abusive marriage. She takes over her father’s role as a professional beekeeper. Ava and her teenage daughter Lily move from Seattle and California. Ava is a forest ranger working in the woods. Lily becomes a student at the local high school, plays cello in the orchestra, and meets and likes hockey team star Asher. Without revealing too much, these four lives become intertwined in unexpected ways.
This is an absorbing, gripping, and sensitively written novel. As the work of two writers, I found it seamless. And it’s a book I would gladly place on the shelves of any and every high school library! (~JWFarrington)
WATCHING: NEW SEASONS
Whitstable Pearl, Season 2 (Acorn on Prime)
In Season 2, oyster bar owner and private detective Pearl Nolan becomes more of a private eye, and the cases she helps solve are more tragic than in the first series. Detective Mike McGuire remains dispirited over the death of his wife, but has a new partner, upbeat Kate. Pearl appears to have moved on with her own new squeeze, schoolteacher Tom, but there are still intense glances between Pearl and Mike. Overall, the series is darker than Season 1 and, except for one episode I found somewhat silly, entertaining drama.
Under the Vines, Season 2 (Acorn on Prime)
Daisy and Louis are still together running their jointly owned New Zealand vineyard in this lighter-hearted series. As the season opens, Louis’s son and wife are both visiting, creating a crowded house, and upending the fragile developing romance between him and Daisy. Secondary characters, Griff, Gus, and Tippy, bring gay and Māori perspectives to the series. It’s funny, but not fluffy, and serious at points without being somber. New episodes are being released weekly on Mondays.
Note: Header photo of a school library courtesy of az12.org.
