Liz
Liz
I love mystery-suspense novels and I am drawn to stories surrounding bookstores.
In this book, Malcolm Kershaw reluctantly writes a list of his favorite crime fiction for the Old Devil's Bookstore blog. Malcolm envisions that his post "could really blow up." It does not. Years later an FBI agent tracks him down to question him about murders committed in the surrounding Boston area. Off the record, she wants his opinion as "an expert in detective fiction."
In reading this fantastic book I found a new source for my own book list. As a mystery-suspense enthusiast, it doesn't get much better than this.
A celebrity couple holds their wedding on a rustic island; the vintage estate is exquisite and creepy. The remoteness feels private yet claustrophobic. So many secrets and suspicions surrounding the bridal party. The beautiful, festive event turns into the scene of a brutal murder. It seems as if so many dominoes falling down all at once: a body was discovered and I thought many of the characters had a true motives AND pent up anger to kill.
This is a story of abandonment, survivorship, manipulation, prejudice, forgiveness and love. It is a story about Kya, the "Marsh Girl," who lives alone deep in a North Carolina marsh. She has no money and now social skills. A few gain her trust in order to help her. In turn, they teach Kya to garden and to read. As she grows up, Kya teaches herself everything there is to know about the surrounding flora and fauna: becoming the "Marsh Expert." Through her growth in isolation she matures into a beautiful, strong woman but she is unprepared to navigate the sexual advances of young men. The small community that she is a part of avoids her, regarding her as marsh trash, until the day when a body is discovered.
This book appeals to me as amazing literary fiction with superb biological details woven in. I learned through Kya's eyes about the mating rituals of fireflies and the unique coloration of scallops species specific to the marsh. No surprise that author Dr. Delia Owens holds degrees in Zoology and Animal Behavior.
This a fantastic book for middle-schoolers with interests ranging from running and sports to dancing and music. Sunny is funny, honest, quick, and creative, yet his life is far from perfect. I sympathized with Sunny as he struggled to understand what growing up with a single dad - a widower - means. As a pre-teen, Sunny is drawn to other interests than his dad intends for him to succeed. The book is Sunny's diary: it is intimate, personal yet whimsical. He attaches a sound to everything: a person's name, running, facial expressions, even medical terms.
This amazing book is the third of four in the 'Track" series.
Young Isabella identifies with six different important, influential women. Not familiar with all of them? Check out the notes at the end of the story.
I admire Isabella's spirit and energy. I admire Isabella's mother. This story is full of empowerment and love.
