Death in the City of Light by David King5/11/2023 ![]() ![]() The book is a bit uneven, but for the most noble of reasons – King sticks to the known facts and doesn’t indulge in the rampant, novelistic speculation many nonfiction authors use to fill gaps. Could the mysterious doctor, as he claimed, have killed these people under orders from the Resistance, or does he work for the Gestapo? Is he simply a monster? Part true-crime procedural and part history of Paris under the occupation, this engrossing book reads like a comedy of errors courtesy of the French judicial system the absurdity of the trial actually makes one appreciate American jurisprudence. Petiot, and the identities of the victims, is complicated by the situation during the Nazi occupation: people disappear in droves every day. ![]() Death in the City of Light: The Serial Killer of Nazi-Occupied ParisĪs swastikas decorate their national monuments, French authorities make an even more horrific discovery at a house in the fashionable 16th arrondissement – burned, dismembered bodies by the dozens. ![]()
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![]() ![]() So in that vein, and much like my picture book post from last November, this month I’ll be highlighting some top releases from 2020 as selected by some of my favorite librarians.īedtime for Sweet Creatures by Nikki GrimesĪ very sleepy child resists their mother’s efforts to put them to bed in this sweet bedtime read.Ī refugee story creatively told through the experience of a family of ants on a paper boat. ![]() While some titles appear in many lists, others make surprise appearances – and yet, I agree with almost every selection. Perusing lists share by various review sources, I’ve been blown away by the variety I’ve seen. But as we head into the new year, one thing I can safely say is that 2020 has given us some excellent new children’s books. I think we can all agree that 2020 has been a challenging year to say the least. ![]() The family upstairs pages5/11/2023 ![]() ![]() Lisa's Jewell's The Family Upstairs glitters like a blade and cuts even deeper.' AJ FINN 'Few writers of psychological suspense devise such swift, slippery plots fewer still people their stories with characters so human and complex. She's always great but this is next level stuff.' SARAH PINBOROUGH Great characterisation, a fascinating and dark set up and a great conclusion. 'I had an unrelentingly pleasurable and thrilling for-God's-sake-tell-me-what-happened sensation in my stomach for the entire read. It takes huge talent to establish a whole world in the turn of two pages.' ERIN KELLY 'You don't read a Lisa Jewell book, you fall into it. 'Rich, dark and intricately twisted, this enthralling whodunnit mixes family saga with domestic noir to brilliantly chilling effect.' RUTH WARE ![]() ![]() Close to them is a hastily scrawled note.Ī compulsive new thriller from Lisa Jewell. In the kitchen lie three decomposing corpses. Well-fed and cared for, she is happily waiting for someone to pick her up. In a large house in London's fashionable Chelsea, a baby is awake in her cot. 'A twisty and engrossing story of betrayal and redemption.' IAN RANKINįROM THE #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THEN SHE WAS GONE 'Creepy, intricate and utterly immersive- an excellent holiday read.' GUARDIAN Gripping, pacy, brilliantly twisty.' CLARE MACKINTOSH 'I swear I didn't breathe the whole time I was reading it. ![]() War and peace book5/10/2023 ![]() ![]() Pierre marries Ellen Anatole unsuccessfully courts Marya. Nikolay accepts being a"cog in a machine" and Andrey rejects being part of the administering forces, choosing, instead, to fight at the front. They each discover the ineffectuality of the individual in a mass situation. Nikolay Rostov and Prince Andrey undergo their first war experience at the battle of Schöngraben. Old Count Bezuhov dies, leaving Pierre wealthy, titled, and the most eligible bachelor in Petersburg. Prince Andrey and Pierre discuss their futures and what they seek in life, both young men idealizing the"man of destiny" who is soon to invade Russia. We are introduced to the major families through the vehicle of a soiree at the Anna Pavlovna's home, a name-day celebration at the Rostovs, and a description of the isolated existence of the Bolkonskys at their country seat. ![]() ![]() While it is difficult to determine exactly how much debt China carries, it is believed that the country has accumulated about $12 trillion in debt since 2008, which is the size of the American banking system in 2008. #4 China’s growth has been fueled by debt. Chinas Great Wall of Debt: Shadow Banks, Ghost Cities, Massive Loans, and the End of the Chinese Miracle Show full title Written by Dinny McMahon Narrated by Jamie Jackson 4. However, I have also seen how the Chinese economy has become increasingly dysfunctional. I have always found there to be something irresistible about China, the pace of change, and the dynamism of its people. #3 I have spent 13 years living in China, first as a student and then as a financial journalist. McMahon, a former correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, is far from the first skeptic of China’s decade of debt-fueled growth. But China’s economic weakness should have us all worried. Reading Dinny McMahon’s China’s Great Wall of Debt provokes the same uneasy recognition as Demon did that the jig is up. #2 The Pilbara region in Western Australia has been the site of many mining companies since 2000, as China’s economy graduates to the next stage and becomes the world’s biggest by 2030. ![]() He visited Paraburdoo, a small mining town just inside the southern edge of the Pilbara, and spoke of the town's rich iron ore reserves. #1 In 1985, China's General Secretary Hu Yaobang visited Australia. Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. ![]() Le guin tao te ching5/10/2023 ![]() ![]() Also included are Le Guin's personal reflections and notes on the text throughout. Avoiding traditional patriarchal interpretations, scholarly fixations, and esotericism, she embues the Tao Te Ching with transformative, awe-inspiring power like no other. ![]() Reflecting more than forty years of Le Guin's personal study and contemplation, her rendering of the text is a brilliant testament to her deep-seated understanding of Taoist principles and their value for our troubled world today. And in Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching, we are treated to Le Guin's unique take on Taoist philosophy's founding classic. The Tao Te Ching is not so much a book as it is an offering of poetic verse. And therein lies the text’s great beauty and significance, but enduring elusion. The Chinese character for tao can be literally translated as the way. Fewer know just how pervasive Taoist themes are to so much of her work. The Tao Te Ching is the ancient text at the heart of Taoism. ![]() Better to infer its meaning through exposure. For now, it’s best to let this word sit vacuous, devoid of a referent. Though it’s often translated as way, there’s no English equivalenteven in Chinese it has a variety of meanings. Le Guin for her extraordinary science fiction and fantasy writing. Le Guin Tao sits at the root of the Taoist universe. ![]() ![]() In some schools, children’s facial expressions are monitored to make sure they are paying attention at the right times. Cameras (so advanced that they can locate a single person within a stadium crowd of 60,000) scan for faces and walking patterns to track each individual’s movement. Commercial transactions, including food deliveries and online purchases, are fed into vast databases, along with everything from biometric information to social media activities to methods of birth control. ![]() Named a Notable Work of Nonfiction of 2020 by the Washington PostĪs heard on NPR's Fresh Air, We Have Been Harmonized, by award-winning correspondent Kai Strittmatter, offers a groundbreaking look, based on decades of research, at how China created the most terrifying surveillance state in history.Ĭhina’s new drive for repression is being underpinned by unprecedented advances in technology: facial and voice recognition, GPS tracking, supercomputer databases, intercepted cell phone conversations, the monitoring of app use, and millions of high-resolution security cameras make it nearly impossible for a Chinese citizen to hide anything from authorities. ![]() Grace lin the year of the dog5/10/2023 ![]() ![]() Unhappy but unable to do anything about it, Pacy and Melody vow to keep in touch. For Pacy, that means learning that her best friend Melody is going to be moving away soon. But the fact that this Chinese New Year is The Year of the Rat means that there are also changes afoot. The start of the New Year is supposed to be a time of happiness and anticipation. Without ever becoming trite or saccharine, Lin hits gold yet again with The Year of the Rat, the sequel to her justly applauded (and popular) The Year of the Dog. Grace Lin’s semi-autobiographical stories of Pacy and her life in New Hartford contain just the right balance of sweetness and story. ![]() ![]() Few books or series fit the bill, but one definitely sticks out in my mind. Think hard now… how many chapter books can you think of that have that same balance of sweetness, family, love, and friends in a perfect little package with a classic kind of feel? "Classic", in the sense that it’s a book that will age well and be beloved for generations. The Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace are one of the finest examples o f this, and it’s hard to find a modern day equivalent to Lovelace’s throne. Classic children’s literature used friendship as a focus as well. Think of The Baby-Sitters Club, Sweet Valley High, or any of their modern incarnations. Friendship binds children’s literature together. The new kid in class/on the block/in the family. Think of the great themes found in children’s literature. ![]() Open hearts by eve dangerfield5/10/2023 ![]() ![]() Plot Īn engaged couple is torn apart after the man is paralyzed in an accident and the woman falls in love with the husband of the woman who caused the accident. Susanne Bier received the International Critics Award at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival "for the fact that it proves that dogma has come of age and matured into a potent cinematic language that skillfully captures the freeing of real emotions that extreme trauma creates within the lives of the characters in her film." The film won both the Bodil and Robert awards for Best Danish Film in 2003. Open Hearts received a 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes movie review website. ![]() ![]() Also referred to as Dogme #28, Open Hearts relates the story of two couples whose lives are traumatized by a car crash and adultery. It stars Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Sonja Richter and Paprika Steen. Open Hearts ( Danish: Elsker dig for evigt), is a 2002 Danish drama film directed by Susanne Bier using the minimalist filmmaking techniques of the Dogme 95 manifesto. ![]() I've Got You by Becca Seymour5/9/2023 ![]() ![]() He’s been crushing on him for so long that he’s eager to explore more. ![]() Mark has no concerns about the changes unfolding between him and Trey, the giant of a man who’s adorably reserved. But there’s no turning back now, especially since a snow-filled trip means they’re forced to spend even more time together. That’s until an epic stumble makes his head spin and he throws all caution to the wind. Eight months’ practice from being part of the same LGBTQIA+ adventure group, Outback Boys, means he’s perfected the skill. It involves not turning into a bumbling mess while around a gorgeous brown-haired man who’s way out of his league. Trey has a problem he’s worked hard to manage. ![]() Author Note: Outback Boys is a sweet and sexy feel-good M/M romance series complete with bruised butts, rope burn, and overworked muscles… all in the pursuit of adventure, of course!.Genre: Gay Romance - M/M Romance - Contemporary Romance. ![]() |