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Book Review: William, by Mason Coile
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sez“William” by Mason Coilec.2024, Putnam $27.00 224 pages
The second the door shut, you knew where your keys were.
Not in your hands. No, they were on the kitchen table.
So you locked yourself out but no worries, your smart phone is tied to your door locks. Your house alarm is, too, as are the lights and the coffeemaker. Technology is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? Although, as in the new novel “William” by Mason Coile, having certain “smart” devices can be a dumb idea.
Once upon a time, Henry had a loving wife and a happy life.
Where did everything go wrong? Why did his wife treat him with such disdain? Was it because of the new baby coming, and Lily’s feelings about it? No, their problems undoubtedly stemmed from Henry’s agoraphobia; they hadn’t left the house together in months. Henry was only really comfortable within the confines of their expensive, uber-safety-enhanced Victorian-era home, in his attic laboratory, his creative space.
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Book Review: Don’t Let the Devil Ride, by Ace Atkins
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sez“Don’t Let the Devil Ride” by Ace Atkins
c.2024, William Morrow $30.00 384 pagesSomething’s missing. And – wait, didn’t you just put it down?
Funny how that happens, isn’t it? You lay something in a safe place you’re sure you’ll remember but nope. It’s missing now but, like your mother used to say, it didn’t grow legs and walk off. As in the new novel, “Don’t Let the Devil Ride” by Ace Atkins, it’s around here somewhere.
Dean McKellar had left again.
It happened a couple years ago, but then, as his wife, Addison, remembered, he was only gone a few days. This time, it was a week with no contact. His phone went unanswered. His secretary offered no information. Addison’s brother, who worshiped the ground Dean walked on, had nothing to share. When she went to Dean’s office, Addy learned that another business rented that spot. How long could she protect their children, fourteen-year-old Sara Caroline, or nine-year-old Preston, from Dean’s unexplained absence?
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Book Review: Here We Go Again, by Alison Cochrun
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sez“Here We Go Again” by Alison Cochrun
c.2024, Atria $17.99 368 pages… Joe didn’t want to die surrounded by hospital walls. Would Logan and Rosemary drive him and his dog to Maine, to a cabin he owned? Would they spend time crammed side-by-side in a used van with a gay logo, keeping Joe alive, coast-to-coast? Could they do it without screaming the whole way?
Can you do me a solid?
Just one little favor, a quick errand, it won’t take long. You can do it next time you’re out, in fact. Consider it your good deed for the day, if it makes you feel better. A mitzvah. An indulgence to a fellow human. As in the new novel, “Here We Go Again” by Alison Cochrun, think of it as a life-changing thing.
She couldn’t remember the woman’s first name.
Did Logan Maletis really ever know it? Everybody at her job – administration, students, other teachers – called everyone else by their last name so the colleague she’d been hooking up with for weeks was just “Schaffer.” Whatever, Logan didn’t care and she wasn’t cold-hearted but when Savannah broke up with her in public, she did wonder if maybe, possibly, the awful names she called Logan were fair or true.
Rosemary Hale would’ve agreed with every single last one of those nasty names.
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Book Review: The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians: True Stories of the Magic of Reading, by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann with Chris Mooney
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sezc.2024, Little, Brown $28.00 338 pages
Last night, you got between the covers and went to South America.
It wasn’t difficult. A few days ago, you walked around London in 1888; you were in the future before that; you’ve met con artists, florists, runaways, and heroines, and you didn’t even have to leave your house. You can experience many things with a book, and in “The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians” by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann, you’ll read about a different kind of adventure.
“To be a bookseller,” say the authors, “you have to play detective.”
That means determining which book with a “blue cover” is the one the customer wants. It’s asking the right questions to find the right fit for young readers and assuring book lovers that “that’s okay” if they didn’t like something.
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Terri Schlichenmeyer’s Holiday Book Gift Guide (Fiction and Non-Fiction)
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm SezOne thin line.
There you are, you’ve just crossed off your last person, thereby finishing your Holiday Gift List for the year. But oops, you forgot that one hard-to-buy-for aunt, and you haven’t gotten anything for your babysitter. And, and, and… you’re out of ideas. So how about something to read? See if these great books don’t give you some guidance…
FICTION
The novel lover who’s always doing good things for other people may enjoy unwrapping “Just Do This One Thing for Me” by Laura Zimmermann (Dutton). It’s the story of a daughter who always does what her free-spirited mother asks of her – even if it gets her in trouble. Wrap it up with “Time’s Undoing” by Cheryl A. Head (Dutton), a novel about a woman who’s determined to learn how her great-grandfather died, and how what it means to her safety. Bonus: this book was based on the author’s own family history.
The reader who loves twisty tales of sister love and rivalry will want to unwrap “How to Care for a Human Girl” by Ashley Wurzbacher (Atria), the story of two sisters, two pregnancies, and a whole pile of resentments. Pair it up with “Before You Found Me” by Brooke Beyfuss (Sourcebooks). It’s a tale of choosing your family and sticking together.
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Halloween Books for Your Screaming Pleasure, by Various Authors
Narration provided by Wondervox.
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm SezHalloween Books for Your Screaming Pleasure
Various Authorsc.2023, various publishers
$12.99 – $27.00 various page countsWhat’s that noise?
Was it the scrape of a branch on the outside of your walls, or the brush of a wing or a fang or a talon? Was there a monster creeping outside your windows, or just the wind and leaves? This is a lousy time for the lights to go out, so grab a flashlight and one of these great new books…
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Book Review: Not Forever but For Now, by Chuck Palahniuk
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm SezNot Forever but For Now” by Chuck Palahniuk
c.2023, Simon & Schuster $25.99 256 pagesYou always wanted the family business.
Started by your grandfather, nurtured by your parents, aunts, and uncles, you hoped to be the next generation of caretakers to help it grow, succeed, and readied for its owners in the future. You trained all your life to take the reins of the Family Empire, and in the new book “Not Forever but For Now” by Chuck Palahniuk, you’ll do it, even if it kills you.
They were probably too big to be in a nursery, but he didn’t care.
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Book Review: The First Lady of World War II: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Daring Journey to the Frontlines and Back, by Shannon McKenna Schmidt
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm SezThe First Lady of World War II: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Daring Journey to the Frontlines and Back, by Shannon McKenna Schmidt
c.2023, Sourcebooks $26.99 336 pagesYou never were much of a homebody.
Not you, not when there were things to see, people to meet, places to go. If there was a get-together, you were there. A trail to explore, you grabbed your boots. Once upon a time, you’d go anywhere for an adventure even if, as in “The First Lady of World War II” by Shannon McKenna Schmidt, it took you straight into the mouth of danger.
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2 Big Gay Book Reviews: The Celebrants, by Steven Rowley, and Big Gay Wedding, by Byron Lane
What better way to review two books by married writers Steven Rowley and Byron Lane than together? It’s the start of Pride month, so let’s check out these reviews from husbands Rowley and Lane. – Mark/EditorBy Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sez
The Celebrants, by Steven Rowley
c.2023, Putnam $28.00 308 pagesEverybody will say nice things about you when you’re lying in a box in front of them.
They’ll say you were everyone’s friend, you were funny and wise, even when you weren’t. You were the greatest person ever, just the best – and don’t you wish they’d say those things now, while you’re alive to hear them? As in the new book “The Celebrants” by Steven Rowley, those sentiments might completely surprise you.
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Book Review: I Have Something to Tell You (For Young Adults), by Chasten Buttigieg
Click to hear audio edition. Narration by WondervoxAI.
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm Sez“I Have Something to Tell You (For Young Adults) by Chasten Buttigieg
c.2023, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing $18.99 209 pagesExperience, they say, is the best teacher.
Once you’ve done something, you can say you like it and you’ll do it again or not. The subject comes with a different viewpoint, once you’ve gotten a little experience with it. You’re wiser, more confident. As in the new book “I Have Something to Tell You” by Chasten Buttigieg, you’ll have the chops to offer valid advice.
If you’d have asked 8-year-old Chasten Buttigieg what life was like, he probably would’ve told you about his big brothers and how wild and daring they were. He would’ve said he didn’t have many friends and that he loved his parents. He wouldn’t have told you about being gay, though, because he had no frame of reference, no experience, or role models. He just knew then that he was “different.”
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Book Review: Gentleman Bandit: The True Story of Black Bart, the Old West’s Most Infamous Stagecoach Robber, by John Boessenecker
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm SezGentleman Bandit: The True Story of Black Bart, the Old West’s Most Infamous Stagecoach Robber, by John Boessenecker
c.2023, Hanover Square Press $32.99 376 pagesHere, take this.
It’s yours. You’ve always wanted it, you’ve always known somehow that you were going to have it and now’s the time. It’s not like you’ve ever passed on a chance to seize what you want, so go ahead – just take it. But as in the new book, “Gentleman Bandit” by John Boessenecker, remember your manners.
On the morning of July 26, 1875, stage coach driver John Shine was stopped on a short route up a mountain by what he thought was a large band of desperadoes with rifles. One of them, a man dressed in white clothing, head masked, his boots wrapped in rags to conceal his footprints, demanded that Shine throw down the coach’s lockboxes and mail bags – which Shine did, with great haste before he was told to “Drive on.”
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Book Review: Code Gray: Death, Life, and Uncertainty in the ER, by Farzon A. Nahvi, M.D
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm SexCode Gray: Death, Life, and Uncertainty in the ER, by Farzon A. Nahvi, M.D.
c.2023, Simon & Schuster $27.99 256 pagesYou know exactly who’s in charge here.
It’s the person in the white coat, a physician with a stethoscope around their neck and a packed pocketful of paper notes and pens. The white coat instantly gets your attention. It’s meant to quickly convey authority, and it does – so much so that you trust your very life to the person wearing it. In “Code Gray” by Farzon A. Nahvi, M.D., that white coat won’t leave you in the dark.
It was only supposed to be a friends-catching-up kind of text thread but for Farzon Nahvi and his colleagues around the country, the flurry of messages they exchanged during the pandemic became a lifeline. For each, it was good to know that their hospital’s reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic wasn’t the only one lacking.