Month: August 2023

Humorous Mysteries

Sick of serious mysteries? This curated list of books is designed to tickle your funny bone while keeping you engaged in the puzzling world of mysteries.

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff

Greeta is presumed to have killed her husband, and this is helpful to her in some ways and not in others. Greeta is approached by women in her community looking to rid themselves of their abusive husbands and so starts the problems. On the surface this mystery is everything we love, humor, wit, satire, compelling, and thrilling. That being said, there is so much more packed into these pages, women’s rights, abuse, child loss, love, and a slew of other topic faced by women in India.

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Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murders by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Vera Wong, self-proclaimed tea expert, shop owner and match maker becomes an amateur detective in this charming, funny mystery by the author of Dial A for Aunties. Entertaining and heartwarming, this mystery is sure to delight fans of funny cozy mysteries.

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Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

Finlay Donovan is working from home while wrangling two young kids and dealing with the cheating ex-husband with whom she shares custody. As if parenting isn’t hard enough, Finlay is mistaken for a contract killer while out to breakfast with her literary agent. Laugh out loud hilarious, fast-paced, and full of twists with a bit of romance to round out this must read.

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A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones

Sunshine Vicram moves home to Del Sol, New Mexico after her parents nominated her for sheriff and she won. With a preconceived notion of what crime will be like in her hometown, Sunshine quickly learns there is more to her hometown than the errant flasher. Darynda Jones writes a phenomenal series of intricate plotting, steamy and suspenseful, great for fans of Janet Evanovich and uproarious mysteries.

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The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

Thursday Next is a renowned Special Operative in literary detection in an alternate London. Thursday is tasked with finding a kidnapper of classic lit characters. Fantasy, mystery, and time come together in this story great for fans of Douglas Adams and Gail Carriger.

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The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Four retirees living in Kent County, England meet once a week to go over cold case files gotten through less than legal means. These sprightly elderly friends combine their incredible brain power and unique talents to help solve a murder in their community. Funny and witty, fans of quirky characters will love this story.

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Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions by Mario Giordano

Who doesn’t love a larger-than-life amateur sleuth? Auntie Poldi does not disappoint. Retired costume designer Auntie Poldi moves to Sicily after her husband’s death looking to end her days drinking wine in the sun. Things heat up after she meets a handsome young man who shows up dead on the beach. Fans of light mysteries will love this often silly, always witty and engaging story.

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It’s Gettin’ Hot Out Here (So Hot). Let’s Learn About Climate Change.

It is. Getting. So Hot. Let’s learn about climate change.

That reference, most likely, only spoke to my fellow millennial peers, but I digress. Nelly parodies aside, climate change is a pressing issue that affects the entire planet. You may want to learn more about this subject for a variety of reasons, but now you can learn about it AND earn an ARO badge.

What We Know About Climate Change by Kerry Emanuel

Do you feel like you have no idea what climate change is? Emanuel, an MIT atmospheric scientist, has you covered. This authoritative book outlines the basic science of global warming and how the current scientific consensus has emerged. He also outlines the dangers involved with a warming climate, like increased intensity of hurricanes and flooding and more rapidly advancing deserts. This is a well-researched and through look at the climate crisis and is a great starting point on your learning journey.

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Nowhere Left to Go: How Climate Change is Driving Species to the Ends of the Earth by Benjamin Von Brackel

Climate change is often framed through the lens of its damage to earth’s ecosystems. Von Brackel‘s book falls into this category. He looks at the journeys of plants and animals as they find new homes in our warming world. This book outlines the urgency of the climate emergency through the prospect of massive species die-offs. It’s awe-inspiring how the flora and fauna adapt, but soon they’ll be left with no place to go.

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The Great Displacement: Climate Change and the Next American Migration by Jake Bittle

With its compelling writing style and thought-provoking tone, Bittle examines the impact climate change has already had on the American populous. His interviews document the experiences of people impacted by hurricanes, wildfires, soil erosion, flooding, and other disasters caused or worsened by climate change. By analyzing how economic disparity, institutional racism, and other factors contribute to the impacts of climate change, he expertly outlines varying levels of displacement and instability further warming could cause.

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Fire and Flood: A People's History of Climate Change, from 1979 to the Present by Eugene Linden

Award-winning science journalist, Eugene Linden, takes a hard look at the last forty years of climate change. By plotting major events, like when the rise in global temperatures distinguished itself from annual variations, Linden depicts a timeline of major government failures, missed opportunities, and misinformation campaigns. In-depth and expertly researched, Linden punctuates this history by using his analysis of events to provide solutions on what society should do moving forward.

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All Hell Breaking Loose: The Pentagon's Perspective on Climate Change by Michael T. Klare

Feel like you’ve heard every perspective of the climate change issue? Well, have you heard the pentagon’s views on the matter? If not, this book is for you. The military often serves as first responders in natural disasters, so climate change is on their radar. But it also plays into conflicts abroad they may need to respond to. Take a fresh look at this issue through the eyes of the military in this compelling and thought-provoking book.

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Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience, and the Fight for a Sustainable Future by Mary Robinson

Former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson, takes a crack at the climate crisis in this concise and engaging book. She highlights communities across the world that are most affected by climate change, showcasing climate changes’ real consequences. Robinson remains hopeful by providing examples of ordinary people who have stepped up to save the planet.

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The Parrot and the Igloo: Climate and the Science of Denial by David Lipsky

Sobering yet witty and accessible is the best way to describe this entry to the list. Lipsky dives deep into the history of climate change denial. Starting with descriptions of inventors who created the technological advances that inadvertently triggered climate change, he weaves a story of the scientists who discovered climate change and the industry leaders who sought to seed doubt in the name of greed. Best summed up by a LibraryReads review, this book is a “surprising and enlightening look at how easily public perception can be shaped”.

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The Carbon Footprint of Everything by Mike Burners-Lee

Everyone talks about their carbon footprint, but how do know how big yours is? Berners-Lee breaks down commonly purchased items by the amount of carbon they produce. It’s almost like a calorie counting guide, but with carbon! This is the newest edition of the book with updated calculations based on recent research and includes new items like cryptocurrencies.

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The Big Fix: 7 Practical Steps to Save Our Planet by Hal Harvey & Justin Gillis Blurb

While it’s great to make you and your home more environmentally friendly, that’s only a fraction of the climate crisis picture. This is where The Big Fix comes in! In this persuasive, well-researched book, Harvey and Gillis focus on 7 areas where big picture, practical changes can be made: electricity production, transportation, buildings, industry, urbanization, use of land, and investments in green technologies. They also provide a practical guide to get involved on a larger scale to make sure climate-conscious decisions are being made.

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Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming by Paul Hawken

Rounding out this list is another book with ideas to address this issue. Winning the Green Prize for Sustainable Literature in 2018, Hawken taps into knowledge from 200 scientists, policymakers, business leaders, activists and more to create an accessible list of 100 ideas on combating and reversing climate change. It’s an optimistic and comprehensive look into solutions.

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Memoirs of the Famous and Not-So-Famous

August is memoir month! Ever wonder about your favorite celebrity’s personal life story? Here are some suggestions for funny, inspirational, interesting, and dramatic stories from some famous and not-so-famous people.

Spare by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

At the time of Princess Diana’s death, Prince Harry was known as happy and carefree, the “Spare” to his brother, Prince William, the Heir to the British throne. His mother’s death and the resulting grief, anger and loneliness changed everything. He struggled at school, and because he blamed the press for his mother’s death, he struggled to accept life in the spotlight. This is Prince Harry’s story at last, with raw, unflinching honesty, full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief.

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Love, Pamela by Pamela Anderson

Pamela Anderson is an actress, activist, and once infamous Playboy Playmate telling the story of her life, alternating between storytelling and her own poetry. As she rose to the height of her celebrity status, she was hurt by the media’s false reporting and the public’s perception of who she was…and who she wasn’t. Fighting back with a sense Driven by her love of art and literature, her devotion to her children, and the causes she cares about most, Pamela Anderson has reclaimed her free spirit and stands firm as a strong, creative, confident woman.

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The Light We Carry: Overcoming in uncertain Times by Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama asks readers to join her in considering questions about how to handle change and challenge in our lives. She shares the principles she has developed to successfully adapt to change and overcome various obstacles, with humor and compassion. It is also an examination of issues connected to race, gender, and visibility, with tools to help readers work through fear, find strength in community, and live with boldness.

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Pageboy: A Memoir by Elliot Page

Elliot Page became one of the world’s most beloved actors, and an Oscar nominated star, with his performance and the massive success of the film Juno. Elliot shares his story of about the criticism and abuse, which turned his dream career into a nightmare. After a long silence, Elliot bravely recounts the winding journey of love, family, fame untangling himself from the expectations of others, and stepping into his true self with strength and joy.

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I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

Former child actor Jeannette McCurdy tells the heartbreaking and hilarious story about her struggles with eating disorders, addiction, and her complicated relationship with her mother, who’s dream was for her only daughter to become a star. Jennette would do anything to make her mother happy, eating little, enduring extensive at-home makeovers, and even being showered by Mom until age sixteen. When her mother dies of cancer, Jeannette quits acting, discovers therapy and recovery to help her decide for what she really wants.

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Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear by Jinger Vuolo

Jinger Vuolo, the sixth child in the famous Duggar family shares how in her early twenties, a brother-in-law who didn’t believe many of the things Jinger had always assumed were true, caused her to examine her beliefs, and allowed her to see that her life was built on rules, not God’s Word. With a renewed faith of personal conviction, Becoming Free Indeed shares what it was like living the Biblical truth that changed her perspective, and how she disentangled her faith with her belief in Jesus intact.

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You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith

From the bestselling poet and author of Keep Moving, “Life, like a poem, is a series of choices.” Poet Maggie Smith writes her memoir about her personal heartbreak of the disintegration of her marriage, which widens into a study of contemporary womanhood, traditional gender roles, and the power dynamics in many progressive homes. Smith interweaves meditations on secrets, anger, forgiveness, and narrative itself.

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Quietly Hostile: Essays by Samantha Irby

A hilarious new essay collection from Samantha Irby, begins by telling readers to respond to cultural snobs with the simple declaration, “I like it!” And yes, “the exclamation point is necessary.” A humorous celebration of quirky, even socially unacceptable, behavior. Bursting with compassion, insight, honesty, and wit that have made Irby a household name.

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The Honey Bus: a Memoir of Loss, Courage, and a Girl Saved by Bees by Meredith May

The extraordinary story of a girl and the first time a honeybee crawled on her arm. Her grandfather, an eccentric beekeeper who made honey in a rusty old military bus in the yard, helped her discover everything she needed to know about life and family was in the secret world of bees. During this pivotal time in her childhood, Meredith learned to take care of herself, forging an unbreakable bond with her grandfather, and discovered the magic and wisdom of nature.

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Finding Me by Viola Davis

Meet a little girl named Viola who ran from her past until she made a life-changing decision to stop running forever. From a crumbling apartment in Central Falls, Rhode Island, to the stage in New York City, and beyond. This is the path I took to finding my purpose but also my voice in a world that didn’t always see me. Viola wrote this for anyone who needs to be reminded that a life worth living can only be born from radical honesty and the courage to shed facades and be . . . you. Finding Me is a deep reflection, a promise, and a love letter of sorts to self.

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