I imagined that I would have little time for reading in June, because of the wonderful visit with Nancy and her family (which Nancy will blog about, I am sure, so I did not) but I actually read more than I thought. It was an eight book month!
1. The Locked Room (2022) by Elly Griffiths. I had not read a Dr. Ruth Galloway, archaeologist, mystery since last year. (I had gotten kind of annoyed with the whole Nelson/Ruth relationship, so had deliberately given the books a rest.) However--I decided to take up where I left off. This book was written, and is set, during the COVID lockdown, with masks and vaccinations and social distancing all a part of the telling. Even Cathbad gets sick enough to be hospitalized. Also the mystery is pretty good.
2. The Lost Girl (2019) by Anne Ursu tells the story of two sisters, identical twins who are not identical--they look the same on the outside, but their personalities are very different--who are put in different classrooms for the first time, and both of them are feeling a little bit lost in this new situation. Iris and Lark begin to do things apart from each other for the first time, and it is while they are apart that Iris meets the man in the bookshop who we will learn is the villain of the piece. The lost girl of the title is his sister, long lost in unfortunate circumstances. Super interesting to find out who she is, and to learn who is telling the story!
3. A Girl Called Justice (2019) by Elly Griffiths--the first book in a mystery series for youth written by this author (who you may remember from earlier posts is really named Domenica de Rosa) with a youthful protagonist called Justice Jones. After her mother's untimely death from cancer, the homeschooled Justice is sent to boarding school. The school, and the timing of the stories, are based on experiences of Elly/Domenica's mother. It was a fun read.
4. The Lovely and the Lost (2019) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Definitely one of my favorite YA authors! This story tells of Kira Bennett, who was found in the woods as a lost child, whose family never came forward to claim her. She was adopted by the search and rescuer who found her, and Kira has been trained in this occupation herself, learning to use a dog to look for the lost. She and her family are part of the group set to find another missing child, and the experience brings some of Kira's buried memories to the surface. If you are unfamiliar with the author, she is on the faculty at the University of Oklahoma, with a double appointment in psychology and professional writing. I really like her work!
5. The Last Remains (2023) by Elly Griffiths. (I know, I know!! I am reading too many of her books this month!) A body is found behind a wall. It is someone from Cathbad's past. As Ruth, Nelson, Judy and the rest are trying to find out what happened, Cathbad disappears. He has been acting strangely--is it due to long Covid, or does he have a guilty secret? Before that answer is found, he is vanished without a trace. Cloughy consults a medium who says "he is no longer walking on the earth." What does that mean? Read and find out.
6. The Naturals (2013) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. This book really uses the author's psychology background. It is the first in a series, and while I really liked it, it is on the graphic side of things for a Barnes book. Call me a sissy, but I could not go on and read the next in the series, though I may get to it. Because this book was good, just a bit much for milk toast me. And I thought I was reading too much Griffiths and Barnes, so I needed to branch out!
7. The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening (2023) by Ari Shapiro was a great little memoir, and I do like to read a good memoir. Ari Shapiro is the host of All Things Considered on NPR, and also sings with the Pink Martini band. A Jewish-American gay man who was born in North Dakota and raised in Oregon, Ari has lived an interesting life and met many interesting people. His favorites are the normal people whose lives have touched his own. Highly recommended.
8. Comedy Girl (2004) by Ellen Schreiber took me from one Shapiro to another! The protagonist, Trixie Shapiro, is a Jewish high schooler who dreams of being a stand-up comic. And dreams do sometimes come true! Only sometimes dreams require choices with uncomfortable consequences. A lovely story.
