Upright Women Wanted
Amy read Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey, a speculative fiction novella. It gives a reader action and adventure of the Wild West within a near-future where a character named Esther is a stowaway on The Librarians book wagon. Amy is dying for more and hopes there will be more books about Esther and The Librarians.
The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency
Carrie recently read The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency: The Case of the Missing Moonstone by Jordan Stratford, which features two historical women: Ada Lovelace and Mary Godwin. These preteen girls are smart and curious so they take an opportunity to solve a crime seriously.
Our 5-Star Reads in 2022
Carrie
The Nightmare Man by JH Markert
When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk
The Marmalade Diaries by Ben Aitken
The Monsters of Rookhaven by Padraig Kenny
Shit Cassandra Saw by Gwen E. Kirby
When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
Amy
Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close
Haven by Emma Donoghue
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau
The Guncle by Steven Rowley
American Predator by Maureen Callahan
Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka
What Ben Franklin Told Me by Donna Gordon
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
How The Word is Passed by Clint Smith
Girl at War by Sara Novic
One in A Million Boy by Monica Wood
Devolution
Amy listened to Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks. This is part horror and part cryptid horror. If you want to try moving beyond ghosts, witches, and vampires, give this thriller a try. Amy highly recommends this audiobook that includes a full cast, including Judy Greer, Kate Mulgrew, and Jeff Daniels.
We Are the Ants
Amy listened to the audiobook version of Shaun David Hutchinson’s YA novel, We are the Ants. It is a somewhat quirky and dark novel that follows Henry Denton, who has been periodically abducted by aliens over the course of several years. "It is a great audiobook experience and important story of LGBTQ+ representation,” she says.
Ariadne
Carrie read this book upon the recommendation of Riley, our guest in Episode 142. This book is another backstory of a woman from mythology, in a similar vein as Circe by Madeline Miller and The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec. These extended stories stay in her head better than the shorter Edith Hamilton-type myths.
Ban This Book
Amy adored this book by Alan Gratz which explores the topic of book banning when protagonist Amy Anne’s favorite book is removed from the school library following a parent complaint. “This was a clever and interesting way to discuss this hot topic issue with younger readers,” she says.
The Wretched Waterpark
Our favorite bookseller, Sam Miller from Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, KY, recommended this book. The story follows the three sinister Winterbottom siblings as they spend their summer with their Aunt Saffonia, who has recently come into their lives. “If you or the young person in your life are missing A Series of Unfortunate Events, this new deliciously macabre series may scratch that itch,” Amy says.
The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan
“This would be an interesting read for a book club of women/mothers because it does present some unique ideas about societal expectations of women in that role. As if motherhood, one facet of what a woman can be, is the be all and end all. While the main character, Frida, isn’t especially likable, I think that is the point: women can be good mothers and not be ”
—Carrie
What’s So Funny: A Cartoonist’s Memoir by David Sipress
“The memoir is a wonderful story about Sipress’ time growing up in New York City in the 1950s and 1960s. His family, like every family, had its own unique brand of dysfunction which makes the story relatable, sad, and also funny at times. It took him 25 years of submitting his cartoons to The New Yorker before he was published; he is now well-known for his work.”
—Carrie