Monthly Archives: December 2018

A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal by Ben Macintyre

28 Friday Dec 2018

Posted by in Biography

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A nonfiction spy book that’s as gripping as fiction. Kim Philby was an English intelligence officer in the 1940s and 50s who was secretly working for the Soviet Union, as part of the “Cambridge Five” spy ring. This book is a great mix of history, action, and espionage.

“Macintyre has produced more than just a spy story. He has written a narrative about that most complex of topics, friendship…When devouring this thriller, I had to keep reminding myself it was not a novel. It reads like a story by Graham Greene, Ian Fleming, or John Le Carré, leavened with a dollop of P.G. Wodehouse…[Macintyre] takes a fresh look at the grandest espionage drama of our era.”—Walter Isaacson, New York Times Book Review

“Macintyre does here what he does best — tell a heck of a good story. A Spy Among Friends is hands down the most entertaining book I’ve reviewed this year.” —Boston Globe

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Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

22 Saturday Dec 2018

Posted by in Fiction, Humor

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Frances is studying at Trinity College in Dublin when she and her friend meet an interesting older couple. I loved this author’s witty, somewhat detached style and the complicated relationships she explores in this novel.

“Sharp, funny, thought-provoking . . . a really great portrait of two young women as they’re figuring out how to be adults.”– Celeste Ng, “Late Night with Seth Meyers Podcast” 

“In this searing, insightful debut, Rooney offers an unapologetic perspective on the vagaries of relationships… a treatise on married life, the impact of infidelity, the ramifications of one’s actions, and how the person one chooses to be with can impact one’s individuality. Throughout, Rooney’s descriptive eye lends beauty and veracity to this complex and vivid story.”– Publishers Weekly (starred)

“Readers who enjoyed Belinda McKeon’s Tender and Caitriona Lally’s Eggshells will enjoy this exceptional debut.”– Library Journal (starred)

“A smart, sexy, realistic portrayal of a woman finding herself.”– Booklist (starred)

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A Shepherd’s Life: Modern Dispatches from a Ancient Landscape by James Rebanks

17 Monday Dec 2018

Posted by in Biography, Non-fiction

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While you are waiting to obtain a copy of Educated: a Memoir by Sara Westover ( the holds list is still in the 800’s), you might want to try this book.  Mr. Rebanks, the latest in a long family line of Herdwick sheep farmers, has become an international phenomenon with his evocative prose and blunt observations on the rugged lives and culture of his native English Lake District (Wellesley Books).  He rejects everything about school as a boy but ends up at Oxford.  While most memoirs are about people trying to leave a place, James is determined to remain on the land of his ancestors.

“Captivating… A book about continuity and roots and a sense of belonging in an age that’s increasingly about mobility and self-invention. Hugely compelling” ―Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

“A gorgeous book, unsentimental but exultant, vivid and profound, and a fierce defense of small-scale farming against the twin threats of agribusiness and tourism.” ―National Geographic

“May well do for sheep what Helen Macdonald did for hawks.” ―The Guardian (UK)

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Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke

10 Monday Dec 2018

Posted by in Fiction, murder, mystery

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In a rural East Texas town of fewer than 200 people, the body of an African American lawyer from Chicago is found in a bayou, followed several days later by that of a local white woman. What’s going on? African American Texas Ranger Darren Mathews hopes to find out, which means talking to relatives of the deceased, including the woman’s white supremacist husband — and Mathews soon discovers things are more complex than they seem. With fully realized characters and a timely look at race relations in the U.S., this book by award-winning novelist Attica Locke (who’s also written and produced for TV’s Empire) is the 1st in her Highway 59 series.

Winner of the 2017 Edgar Award

Locke is a gifted author, and her intriguing and compelling crime novel will keep readers engrossed.—Starred Review, Library Journal

“A quick course in plotting and nimble characterizations rooted in a vividly evoked setting”―Nicole Lamy, New York Times Book Review

“In Bluebird, Bluebird Attica Locke had both mastered the thriller and exceeded it. Ranger Darren Mathews is tough, honor-bound, and profoundly alive in corrupt world. I loved everything about this book.”―Ann Patchett

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