The Adventure Zone by The McElroy Family and Carey Piestsch

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Since January, I have been slowly re-reading my favorite graphic novel series. Not just because I love it, but because the finale is coming – the seventh and final volume, THE ADVENTURE ZONE: STORY AND SONG.

The Adventure Zone series is an adaptation of an actual play Dungeons & Dragons podcast. In the podcast, one participant is running the D&D game while the other participants embody characters that experience the world the Game Master has created.

This series focuses on three main characters. Magnus Burnsides is a human fighter, known for throwing himself into danger to protect anyone and everyone. Taako is an elven wizard with a large vocabulary of swears and a flair for the dramatic. Merle Highchurch is a dwarven cleric who is not particularly religious and not really into mining – his cohorts find him lovably incompetent.

The boys – as they are affectionately known by fans – have won battle-wagon races, saved a one-horse western town that was stuck in a time loop, and survived a demented carnival game designed to destroy them. They solved a murder on a train, they saved the world from being transformed into pink tourmaline, and they failed to stop the destruction of a village which was consumed by magical fire. You can’t win them all.

The books are full of the kind of humor that fans of the podcast expect; it is both silly and irreverent by turns. But the interpersonal relationships are the heart of the story. Both the friendship of the core trio and their interactions with the characters they meet during their adventures.

The overarching story that connects this series is the quest for seven relics scattered throughout the world. Magnus, Merle, and Taako belong to an organization called the Bureau of Balance, which dedicated itself to finding and eliminating these relics before their powers fall into the wrong hands.

Each relic has a specific ability but they all affect their bearer’s mind. They corrupt even the most well-intentioned use of their power. The Bureau – thanks in large part to the boys – has found and destroyed six of the seven relics, but the Bureau’s director has been keeping secrets. And Magnus, Merle, and Taako will not rest until all their questions are answered.

Because I listened to the podcast, I do know how this story ends. I also know that there is a lot of ground to cover in one book. Many mysteries remain unsolved; some of those mysteries even remain undiscovered. This is going to be a dense book, but – to paraphrase The Adventure Zone’s goddess of fate – it’s going to be amazing.

The final volume of The Adventure Zone comes out this month. I suggest you start from the beginning, but the library’s copy of STORY AND SONG is on pre-order; it should be here in a matter of days!

 

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Book review by Alyssa Berry, Technical Services Librarian

The Crime Brulee Bake Off by Rebecca Connolly

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Summer is a great time to read cozy mysteries – they are light-hearted, quick reads with interesting and usually quirky characters. You can relax and be entertained whether you are on a beach, in the shade, or taking advantage of the air conditioning.

Rebecca Connolly’s foray into the genre, the Claire Walker series, starts with The Crime Brulee Bake Off. Claire is a history teacher who loves to bake. In fact her education degree was obtained so she could pay the bills while working on her passion.

In pursuit of her dream to be a baker, she applied to be a contestant on Britain’s Battle of the Bakers. Once one of Great Britain’s most watched series, the audience seems to be losing interest. But it is Claire’s favorite show and she gladly went through all the applications, preliminary bakes, and psychological testing. Now she is waiting for a phone call. When the call comes, Claire‘s first reaction is panic but she has 8 weeks to calm down and work on her recipes before filming begins.

Producers are hoping that having the contest at a grand historic home will renew interest. The setting will be the estate of Jonathan Ainsley, an investment banker. He is the seventeenth Viscount Colburn of Blackfirth Park and the surrounding village.

Jonny, as his family calls him, thinks it is utterly bizarre that a reality program wants to use a historic home but he agreed. Taking care of and preserving the huge estate for future generations is expensive and this money will certainly help.

The filming and baking will take place in a pavilion and the historic kitchens and mill. Other than background shots, the home itself is off limits and the grumpy viscount (as the local village calls him) wants it that way.

Given the setting, the theme for the season is historic bakes. The show consists of two judges, two hosts, nine contestants, and a historian to make sure the ingredients used would have been available before 1900.

A segment consists of two bakes, Classic and Occasion, with a different theme for each week. All of the contestants are encouraged to explore the historic kitchens and mill even though they won’t be used for baking, just for filming.

With the first bake done, Claire is doing just that when she runs into the viscount in the mill. Out for a stroll, Jonny is surprised to find Claire but soon finds himself agreeing to provide her information and taking a sudden interest in baking.

After the second bake of the first episode, Claire and a couple of her fellow bakers are talking about their efforts when they realize the baker with the most impressive first two bakes, Lesley, is missing. Thinking she may have gone for a walk, they set out to look for her. Claire finds her at the mill.

Lesley has been murdered. The manner of death is eerily similar to the death of the tenth viscount’s wife. Her death was never solved and the local legend that grew out of the unsolved crime is a source of irritation for Jonny.

The local police force is small and this will be the first murder investigation for Detective Watson. It would seem that the murderer is someone very familiar with the local legend and the details of that first murder. But Watson is unsure how to proceed and he asks for Claire and Jonny’s input.

With the producer adamant about continuing to film, Claire will have access to the other bakers who must be considered as suspects. Jonny is willing to help as he’ll get to spend more time with Claire.

Then another contestant is attacked. Solving the crime becomes imperative. Can they find the culprit before there are no bakers left?

This one definitely fits the light-hearted read category and it is amusing. Claire uses baking terms in place of swear words so you never know what she’ll say next. It has romance and like most baking cozies, you’ll find recipes at the end.

Both this title and the just released second in the series are in the large print collection at the library. Read-alikes for this series are Darci Hannah’s Beacon Bakeshop mysteries and Sarah Graves’ Death by Chocolate series.

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Review by Patty Crane, Reference Librarian

The Shippers by Katherine Center

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In the opening of this newest Katherine Center offering, Josephine Burton is about to walk down the aisle to marry her fiancé, Pearce, when her best friend, Cooper Watts, makes a surprise appearance after being absent from her life for four years. Cooper had RSVP’d no, but after he unexpectedly shows up at the wedding venue, JoJo calls off the wedding.  

JoJo believes she is unlucky in love, but her real problem is a pattern of retreating whenever a relationship becomes serious. Pearce seemed perfect because he was self-absorbed and often absent.  She could never quite lock him down, but after the wedding date was set, her old pattern reemerged. 

After her wedding is called off, JoJo is soon boarding a cruise ship with her family as part of a destination wedding for her older sister Ashley.  Ashley works in marketing and is pursuing a master’s degree in marriage and family counseling. Through Ashley’s guidance, JoJo becomes convinced that this cruise adventure is exactly what she needs to break her cycle of failed relationships. She believes reconnecting with a childhood crush, Finn Turner, will provide the closure she needs to build a healthy relationship. 

As JoJo waits to board the ship, guess who shows up?  Yep, Cooper again, despite having RSVP’d no.  Soon she has shared her plan with Cooper and recruited him to assist her with her mission of closure. 

For Cooper’s part, he is a great assistant. In fact, he is JoJo’s biggest cheerleader.  He shows up for her whenever she needs him. Whether she is evicted from her room by her hypersexual cabin mate, struggling through a mini golf tournament, or left alone on the dance floor when Finn takes a work call, Cooper is there. There is no question that these two best friends belong together. The questions are how quickly will they figure it out and what will it look like along the way? 

That may seem like a spoiler, but the author has a note at the beginning of the book that tells readers there is going to be a happy ending. That the couple gets together. At first, I thought this was weird, but why not be upfront about it? That is what I expect from a rom-com book. That is why I read them. I want that happy ending. Yes, I want the drama, the fun, the shenanigans along the way, but ultimately, I want to know the time and energy I have invested in a book will be rewarded with a feel-good wrap up. Kudos Katherine Center! Thank you for giving me a happy ending and making it a fun ride along the way.

Highlights of the book include Center’s ability to write relatable characters and spot-on dialogue. JoJo quickly had my support; the emotional insight the narration provided about her inner thoughts had me rooting for her the entire book.  And Center’s description of Cooper, not only his unique sense of style, but his steadfast support of JoJo, made him easy to adore, and watching their friendship evolve was compelling.

Fans of beach reads, friends-to-lovers romances and vacation settings will find plenty here. In fine form, the author delivers exactly what readers expect from her books – humor, heart, relationship insight and a well-earned happy ending.

 

Review written by: Jeana Gockley, Joplin Public Library Director

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A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

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Sera Swan used to be one of the most powerful witches in Britain. An aspiring teenage talent, magic came easy to her and was her closest friend. Then, Sera’s great-aunt Jasmine died, and in a split second decision, Sera resurrected her. The spell brings Jasmine back to life (as well as her dead pet chicken, Roo-Roo), but at the cost of Sera’s magic. Sera used to see her magic as an endless, starry night sky, but now in her thirties her magical sky is filled with holes and Sera has barely any magic left at all. 

This is how Sangu Mandanna’s cozy fantasy novel A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping opens, and for the remainder of the novel we share in Sera’s madcap adventures as she tries to get her magic back. Sera spends the majority of her time running the inn her and Jasmine own, the Batty Hole Inn. It’s got that cozy cottage charm only a British inn could have, with some quirks thrown in, of course. Sera had given up hope of ever having her magic back until she learns about a book owned by Britain’s Magical Guild. Unfortunately for Sera, her resurrection spell broke major Guild rules, and she has been exiled from the Guild with no access to its library permitted. 

Enter the novel’s wacky yet lovable secondary characters. In true cozy fantasy fashion, hijinks facilitated by the inn’s well-meaning, long-time residents are plentiful, as well as humorous and heartwarming. The guests at the inn range from the previously mentioned undead chicken Roo-Roo, Sera’s nephew Theo, Sera’s great-aunt Jasmine, a knight from the village Medieval Fair named Nicholas who takes knightly chivalry very seriously and wears nothing but his knight’s armor, a witch named Clemmie that accidentally turned herself into a fox and is now stuck that way, a retired dance teacher named Matilda who gardens (badly) and would love the inn to get a goat, and the newest arrivals a fellow Guild member, Luke, and his sister, Posy.

Guests is the official term since they are staying at the inn, but they are all really found family. They’ve all been in search of something after not really fitting in wherever they went, and found themselves at Batty Hole Inn with fellow outcasts that, while looking for a place to stay, were really in search of an accepting home. The zany group bands together to help Sera get her magic back, fight the Guild, keep the inn together, all while avoiding tripping over the undead chicken. And what cozy fantasy wouldn’t be complete without a little romance between Sera and Luke. 

This was a cute, easy read with lots of laughs and well written characters. The cozy fantasy vibe was there with the magic, mentions of baked goods and tea, and the English countryside setting. I flew through this book because I liked the characters and their development so much. At times the humor did seem to be trying a little hard, and I’m not quite satisfied with the way the novel ended. Overall I would recommend this novel to cozy fantasy fans that enjoy a somewhat predictable yet cute plot, especially alongside a cup of tea and baked dessert.

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Review by Sarah Turner-Hill, Adult Programming Coordinator

NOT NOTHING by Gayle Forman

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Alex did a very bad thing. Because of that bad thing, he must complete volunteer hours at Shady Glen Retirement Home, which he is not happy about. On his first day, he is assigned to work with Mya-Jade, a bossy (according to Alex) volunteer and granddaughter of a resident. During one of his meal deliveries, he visits Josey Kravitz, a 107-year old Holocaust survivor who has stopped speaking. As he leaves the room, he accidentally knocks over an oil portrait of a woman. The old man speaks for the first time in a long time to tell the boy her name. This act sets the stage for Gayle Forman’s newest novel Not Nothing  and changes Alex’s life.

Readers don’t know what the “bad thing” is that Alex did, and that’s intentional. Readers are left to come to their own conclusions about the type of person Alex is and could be, and the human capacity for change and growth. In spite of this, Alex feels like an authentic tween rather than a vessel in which the author can impart a lesson to her readers. 

Alex is only twelve years old, and has experienced significant challenges. His mom has mental health struggles, and the two never stay in one place for long. He is a smart kid, but the constant moves mean that he falls behind in school. He used to try and make friends, but he gave up on that, too. When his mom is hospitalized, Alex is sent to live with his aunt and uncle, who seem annoyed with and burdened by his presence. Coupled with the pending court date for the bad thing he did, Alex feels lost, scared, and angry. 

He’s resistant to well-meaning but impersonal efforts by an ever-changing collection of adults to provide him with opportunities (a word he hates, by the way). But Alex still has hope. He wants what any kid–any human–wants: acceptance, love, belonging. He is also aware of the reputation he has, which makes it hard to open up and make new friends. Will their feelings about him change when they find out what he did? The relationship he builds with Mr. Kravitz changes things. The older man, perhaps sensing something in Alex, begins to tell him the story of the love of his life Olka, and how he lost her.

Although Mr. Kravitz does not speak to anyone except Alex, readers get his perspective on life from snippets at the beginning of each chapter in which he speaks to an unnamed “you” who is not revealed until the end of the book. Through these sections of the book, readers are able to see Alex as a whole person and not just someone who did a bad thing. 

Day by day, Mr. Kravitz tells him a little bit more about growing up in Poland, falling in love, being captured by the Nazis, and getting sent to a concentration camp. Hearing and processing these stories gives Alex a sense of responsibility and respectability. Maybe he is not as much of a lost cause as he thought. This confidence allows him to open up to others, including his new friend Maya-Jade, her parents, and his social worker. Alex’s character growth is particularly affecting, but Foreman crafts well-developed ancillary characters with whom readers will connect just as strongly. 

Despite delving into some weightier topics, Forman’s novel is also funny. Readers find some comic relief in Maya-Jade, some of the Shady Glen residents, and even Alex’s wry sense of humor. Not Nothing is technically a middle-grade novel but it is one of those rare books that transcends age. Readers of all ages will love and be affected by Forman’s story of redemption and of human goodness.

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The Spy in the Archive by Gordon Corera

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In Gordon Corera’s The Spy in the Archive: How One Man Tried to Kill the KGB, we read how in 1968 a sixteen-year-old street tough swaggered his way up to the KGB building in Leningrad to ask how he could get a job there. He was told to come back when he either completed military service or earned a university degree. His name was Vladimir Putin.

During that same year, there was a KGB officer working as an archivist in Moscow’s powerful First Chief Directorate office, the organization responsible for foreign operations and intelligence. He was undertaking a secret mission, one that he devised and kept completely to himself. His name was Vasili Mitrokhin, and his mission was to copy the archives that would hasten the demise of the Soviet Union.

It didn’t start off this way for Mitrokhin, notes Corera. He was once a believer of the communist ideals that had propelled Russia into the revolution of 1917, so much so he was honored to become a KGB officer. But then the reality of the work almost left him speechless. Of his early assignments, he would only say, “I saw horrors.” And after he bungled a high-profile assignment as a field agent, he was told he would never again work abroad. Being sent to the archives room was seen as a humiliation, a way to park a failed officer and forget about him.

Dissident movements find a way under authoritarian regimes. Mitrokhin was impressed with the bravery of underground writers, especially since they knew the full weight of KGB power would find and arrest them. He may not have been in a position to resist via his writings, but he was the only person who had complete access to one very specific KGB basement archive. Mitrokhin quite literally worked in the belly of the beast.

Despite a brief period of hope resulting from Khrushchev’s de-Stalinization efforts—specifically his allowing the publication of Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich— Mitrokhin resented how the Soviets encouraged Russians to inform on each other. He also knew that Soviet party elites sought only to perpetuate their own power. Year after year he copied documents through an encrypted code. On weekends he traveled alone to his family’s dacha outside of Moscow to hide the transcripts under the dwelling. What to do with these papers was a whole other conundrum. It wasn’t until the fall of the Soviet Union that he had his first viable chance.

It was still an exceptionally dangerous environment. It’s not as though most in the KGB stopped being authoritarians. They wanted power and influence in this new Russia, so they would certainly arrest someone caught with secrets that would undermine their futures.

Corera structures the book so that we know the results right from the start. He then slowly details how in 1992 Mitrokhin ended up walking into the British Embassy in Lithuania. The American Embassy was his first attempt. But given that they were already overrun with a flood of Russians seeking to trade state secrets in exchange for either money or relocation, Mitrokhin was lost in flux (which he resented).

In many ways, reading how British MI6 and Mitrokhin finally agreed to various arrangements are the most compelling parts of the book. It was a decorous dance between the two parties. Mitrokhin was savvy enough to structure his notes so that anyone wanting access to them had to agree to his demands. Of course the British were slow to trust this unknown KGB officer. Was he a double agent? In addition, unknown defectors were often viewed with great skepticism. They had a saying: “Defectors defect because they are defective.”

The breadth of the archive meant the CIA and the FBI were brought in to examine its contents. Yet it’s not as though the American and British spooks were jumping up and down with delight. Here were documents showing the number of moles within their ranks. So the archive could also be viewed as an itemization of their own failures.

Once Mitrokhin told his wife and son that he had been—surprise—hording state secrets for decades (they had no idea he had done so), MI6 ushered them out of Russia and into London in a series of events that’s worthy of a spy movie. Mitrokhin would spend the remainder of his days as an unhappy exile, a critic of the capitalist West. He was akin to Solzhenitsyn in that regard. Far from glorifying the West, they were Russian nationalists lamenting the loss of Russia mysticism to Bolshevik subjugation.

That sixteen year old who once knocked on the KGB’s door is now acting out his own laments. Putin once remarked that the fall of the Soviet Union was the “greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century.” His war with Ukraine is a clear indication that he too misses the old days, with an estimated quarter of a million Russian soldiers having been killed in service to his revanchist dreams. It’s been said that Russia never had a leader who cared about the Russian people. Corera’s book certainly underscores this judgement.

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Review by Jason Sullivan

Fields of Fire by Ryan Steck

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Matthew Redd is a Marine through and through. He is a special ops soldier preparing for a mission with his team. The go time has been pushed back again so the team commander gives them all 36 hours liberty.

That’s when things go wrong for Redd in Ryan Steck’s debut, Fields of Fire. With a few hours of liberty left he is out for a ride when he spots a woman trying to change a tire. Raised in the cowboy way, he stops to help. The pretty redhead insists on thanking him with a beer and after some hesitation he accepts – a coke not a beer.

The next day he comes to with a splitting headache and no memory of what happened after he drank the coke. Before he can get himself together, MP’s burst through the door and arrest him for treason. The mission was a go and a trap. His whole team died. He knows he must have been drugged. Did he give away operational details and is responsible for his teammates deaths?

After a week in a cell, Redd is given an option – he can go to trial on a number of charges or he can accept an OTH, other than honorable discharge. It mean the end of his military career but with no way to prove if he is innocent Redd accepts.

After being released, he realizes he missed a call from J.B. Jim Bob Thompson is Matthew’s adopted father and is the one person he doesn’t want to disappoint. When he was eleven years old his mother died from an overdose. His biological father (who didn’t know he had fathered a child) came into his life briefly to take Matthew to J.B.

Living on J.B.’s Montana ranch was hard work and with J.B.’s guidance Matt developed a strong work ethic and a love of the land. But after high school, he followed in J.B.’s footsteps and joined the Marines. Now when he returns the call, he will have to tell J.B.what happened.

But J.B. doesn’t answer and the static filled message he left – Matty … trouble’s come knocking … might need your help – has Matt worried. He doesn’t even bother to pack, just jumps in his truck and heads to Montana.

After a long night, he reaches home to find J.B. isn’t there. He is dead. The official version is he broke his neck when his horse threw him. Matt is not buying it but the body has already been cremated.

J.B. left everything to Matt but things had been hard the last few years and he left behind a lot of debt. The most serious is unpaid taxes. Matt doesn’t have the money to pay it all but if he can get the ranch back in shape maybe he can earn enough to keep it off the auction block.

The area and the town of Wellington have changed since Matt left and a lot of the properties have been bought by Wyatt Gage. The son a billionaire, Wyatt seems intent on adding to his considerable land holdings. He wanted J.B.’s land but J.B. refused to sell now he is determined to get it from Matt.

Matt’s refusal to sell starts a chain of events that threaten the ranch and Matt himself. When he discovers the trouble that came knocking, he has to wonder was the death of his teammates tied to what is happening in Montana.

Matt Redd reminds me a lot of Lee Child’s character Jack Reacher, big, strong fighters that think. But where Reacher is a loner, Matt is looking for home and belonging. This novel is labeled as inspirational fiction but it is not overtly religious in tone. The fighting is violent, the body county runs pretty high and the action is intense.

This is the first book in what is now a 4 book series. If you are a Jack Reacher fan, you might give this series a try. Read-alike authors include Lynette Eason and Terri Blackstock.

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Review written by Patty Crane, Reference Librarian

 

Into the Blue: a Love Story by Emma Brodie

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AJ Graves is feeling stuck. She was supposed to spend this summer at training camp, which would earn her a sports scholarship, which would get her into college, which would eventually lead to her dream job: writing on Saturday Night Live.

Instead, a broken arm has her spending her summer working at a video store and writing fan fiction about her favorite show – Astronauticals, a kitschy, decades-old sci-fi program with a dedicated fan-base.

The star of the show, Eudora Drew, is a local legend. One of the many members of the Drew family who have had illustrious acting careers, she is now a bit of a recluse.

AJ’s new co-worker Noah is Eudora’s nephew, and AJ is not sure why a member of the Drew family would need to work – let alone a puny summer job at a video store. Plus, it is embarrassing when he catches her watching Astronauticals all the time.

But then, Noah shares some insider trivia with her about the production and the improvisational aspects of the show. Eudora and her husband met on the set; before his death, Ezell taught Noah some of the improv games that they play on Astronuaticals.

Noah and AJ strike up a tentative friendship, and eventually get coerced into asking Eudora to participate in a convention that AJ’s younger brother is helping to run.

Enigmatic Eudora agrees to attend, but only if Noah and AJ will spend the summer working with her on their acting. Between work and acting lessons, the pair are nearly inseparable for months. They develop a deep, intuitive connection through improv training, and suddenly AJ can see a new future for herself as an actress.

Then, without warning, Noah leaves town and Eudora coldly severs their teacher-student connection. AJ is left floundering, but determined to succeed without them.

Seven years later, AJ’s career is up-and-running. She is writing both for television and a well-known improv troupe.

That is how she gets invited to an improv performance, which is actually a covert audition for a new TV show: a reboot of Astronauticals that will have to be fully improvised due to an ongoing writers’ strike. There, among the crowd of improv actors, is Noah Drew.

Noah is now a household name; he’s the current Hollywood heartthrob and the star of an HBO series, but their connection still feels the same.

The tension is palpable in their scenes, and AJ – much to her dismay – becomes one of the stars of the TV show. Off-screen, Noah keeps his distance. Until the moment that he really, really doesn’t, and all their history comes flooding back.

Emma Brodie’s INTO THE BLUE: A LOVE STORY is not a romance novel. The love story between AJ and Noah is the central point that the novel revolves around, but everything spinning around that hub is equally important.

Every detail of the novel has been carefully crafted; Eudora’s grief, the struggle between AJ’s family and her dad’s alcoholism, even what it means for AJ to have achieved her dream and found it was not perfect. I will be thinking about this book for years to come.

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Book review by Alyssa Berry, Technical Services Librarian

THE NAMES BY FLORENCE KNAPP

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In the United States, we usually name our babies before they even leave the hospital, but in England, new parents are given a forty-two days’ grace period to live with their child before they register their birth with their local field office. In Florence Knapp’s THE NAMES, what would usually be a normal ritual for a new parent becomes a critical point of no return for new mother Cora.

While it has been made clear by her husband, Gordon, they will follow in his family’s tradition and name the baby after him, as Cora and her nine-year-old daughter, Maia, walk to the registry office, the two discuss possible other names. Maia is set on “Bear.” A name that she thinks sounds warm and cuddly, but also strong and protective. Cora likes “Julian,” and reasons that it could still be considered a tribute to her husband since it means “sky father.”  

During the discussion, the wishes of her husband weigh heavily on Cora’s mind, because despite Gordon being a well-respected local doctor, and a pillar of the community, he is a terrifying and volatile tyrant behind closed doors. She usually does her best to not upset him, but she knows she must try to make the best decision for her new baby. 

When Cora arrives at the field office she hesitates when it is time to fill in the blank for her son’s name.  Will she adhere to the expectations of her domineering husband or will she follow her heart and give the baby a different name?

What follows next is three stories. Told so readers learn what life looks like for the baby depending on which birth name Cora selects. One story features Bear, one Julian and one Gordon. 

It is a fascinating and inventive concept that Knapp utilizes. Readers get three separate glimpses into the child’s life, depending on the name chosen. The novel jumps forward in seven year increments and readers learn not only what Bear, Julian or Gordon have each been up to, but also what has transpired with Cora, Maia and other supporting characters.  

Knapp is not the first to use this “what-if” concept, think of the popular 1998 “Sliding Doors” movie, but I found Knapp’s use of this storyline immensely effective and satisfying. Each story is compelling on its own, but the combination makes this “Read with Jenna” selection ripe for discussion. 

The question of how much of one’s life is determined simply by the name that is assigned at birth is brilliantly explored. The novel quietly implores readers to consider how much of their own path was set the moment their parents wrote their name on the birth certificate. Knapp’s thoughtful, matter-of-fact narration keeps the narrative moving forward and readers will be hard-pressed to put this one down. I highly recommend it!  

 

Review written by: Jeana Gockley, Joplin Public Library Director

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Nonfiction Reads

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I am excited to share that I, Sarah Turner-Hill, have read TWO nonfiction books so far this year. Pretty wild news, I know. I am a consistent consumer of fiction, but for 2026 the one reading goal I made for myself was to read more nonfiction. Two books is more for me, so I am already crushing my goal (thank you for your kind support). The two nonfiction books I read I thoroughly enjoyed (another win) so I would like to share my thoughts with you. 

How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing by KC Davis

I discovered this book from our library’s 2025 Staff Picks, a list of staff members’ top reads for the year. This book was listed by two different staff members so I took that as a good sign. Written by KC Davis, a licensed professional therapist, How to Keep House While Drowning truly is a gentle approach to home care, but also self care. Its aim is to provide simple, accessible steps and advice not only for cleaning your home, but how to improve the thoughts and feelings about cleaning your home. The book is founded on the recognition that there can be a lot of self-loathing and hate talk when it comes to chores and the grownup tasks of keeping a home clean and functioning. Davis proposes that instead of thinking of things like dishes, laundry, cleaning, and even cooking as “chores”, think of them as “care tasks”. And a care task should serve you, not the other way around. Davis provides simple, functional ways to help make this happen in such a real, vulnerable way, drawing from her own experiences struggling with taking care of her home amid mental health struggles or simply during regular life stress. I really appreciated how real this book was, it contained no shaming, doing the opposite by providing tips to stop shaming yourself when the laundry basket piles up or those clothes you’ve been meaning to donate have been in your car for months. The format is also very accessible. It’s written in bite size pieces with the intention of reading a little bit daily or over time, which was perfect for me. It also has helpful skip ahead reading guide tips; if you are short on time or attention the end of a chapter will tell you specifically where to go next or highlights from that chapter if you don’t want to read the entire thing. It’s a very easy book to read, with Davis mentioning its format and even type coloring is designed with struggling readers in mind. I really appreciated Davis’ approach to cleaning (or should I say care tasks) and how validating this book was.

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The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom by Shari Franke

Oh. My. Gosh. I love a memoir and this one did not disappoint. I didn’t know any of the back story to Shari or the nightmare she was about to unfold within the pages of this book. I discovered this book because it won the 2025 Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Memoir. Now I know why. Shari is the oldest daughter of six children, and as Shari grew up her and her five siblings became unwillingly famous thanks to their moms hit YouTube Channel 8 Passengers, in which Shari’s mom, Ruby, vlogged her households day to day lives. Shari’s story reveals the truth that often happens in social media: the surface is a facade that hides a darker truth. Behind the camera Ruby was tyrannical; rigid with rules, controlling, and demanded her children act a certain way, both on and off camera, and wouldn’t hear of it if Shari didn’t want to be filmed or wanted to do something other than what her mother instructed. Ruby’s YouTube channel grew to viral level, with videos gaining millions of views. The height of the popularity was simultaneously a nightmare for Shari and her siblings, who mentions “The line between genuine interaction and performance had blurred so completely that sometimes, I wasn’t sure any of us could tell the difference anymore.” Then Ruby meets “lifestyle” coach Jodi Hildebrandt and joins her coaching program “ConneXions”, which would be best described as a cult. Jodi and Ruby’s need for control fed off one another and their relationship became extreme, with Jodi moving in with the family for a time. Shari moved out for college at 18 and continuously worried over the wellbeing of her younger siblings, and Ruby’s usual tyrannical tendencies were knocked up to disturbing proportions once Jodi entered the picture. There is a lot in this book to try to sum up here, but eventually Jodi and Ruby were both arrested on multiple charges of aggravated child abuse. Perhaps this sounds familiar as it was viral news in 2023. This was a difficult read given the subject matter of Ruby’s cruelty and abuse of her children; Shari shares many horrific details and truly sad events. Shari wrote this memoir as part of her healing process, and that shows in her approach and the strength you can feel coming from her words. Where she has the opportunity to say whatever she wants about the situation, she shares the truths of her experiences in a way that comes across honest, healing, and unhateful, although Ruby earned any hate Shari could have sent her way. It’s a complicated, heartbreaking story, but very impactful and important, especially as the trend of family vlogging is as popular as ever.

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Review by Sarah Turner-Hill, Adult Programming Coordinator