Recent Reads
Recent Reads
September is a big month for book publications. I’m featuring some new releases, which have their publication dates listed, as well as some backlist books that I’ve recently enjoyed. If a publication date isn’t listed next to a title, the book is not a new release and should be more widely available. I hope one of these books appeals to you.
To the Moon and Back by Eliana Ramage (published September 2)
Steph is determined to be the first female Cherokee astronaut. Singularly focused on her goal, she makes choices to support her dreams, often to the detriment of her relationships. Ramage’s writing is incredible and it was so enjoyable to follow along with Steph’s life, from childhood through college and into adulthood as she starts to figure out what is important to her. This novel is in part about mother/daughter relationships and I was moved to tears as Steph began to see her relationship with her mother through adult eyes, realizing more fully the role her mother played in her life and how her mother cared for her. Like when I read “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles, I felt bereft to leave this fully-formed world behind.
The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand (published September 16)
Hilderband has done it again! I ate up this delicious tale of life at a New England prep school. Follow along with a cast of characters from Tiffin Academy, including students and staff, as a new school year begins. Each of the characters has depth, and you feel sympathy for them (or at least some of them) as they navigate increasingly morally-grey areas in their interactions with each other. Fans of Hilderbrand’s previous novels will love this, as will those who enjoy campus novels or stories about rich people behaving badly. This is a highly readable, undeniably fun book.
To Die with Such Men: Frontline Stories from Ukraine’s International Legion by Shannon Monaghan
Monaghan follows a group of western volunteers, experienced soldiers who travelled to Ukraine to fight in the International Legion. She embeds the reader into their units, following them through their missions, giving the reader an insider’s look into their experiences. While the soldiers’ experiences are difficult and the content of this book is tough in that sense, Monaghan is a gifted writer and I could not stop turning the pages. I enjoyed the author’s note at the end of the book, where she discussed how she connected with the soldiers and wrote this book.
Circe by Madeline Miller
Circe is the daughter of the sun god Helios and the nymph Perse. Growing up in her father’s halls, she is considered the least of his children and is treated poorly by the gods and goddesses. When Circe is banished to live on an island alone, she comes into her own, discovering her magic and finding her place. Miller expands on the brief, incomplete glimpse we get of Circe in “The Odyssey,” giving us a full portrait of a nuanced woman. I am not usually interested in books on this topic, but this is a standout in the genre. Compulsively readable, this is a rich and rewarding tale.
The Last Secret Agent: My Life as a Spy Behind Nazi Lines By Pippa Latour with Jude Dobson
This is the incredible memoir of Pippa Latour, who grew up in various African countries, mostly the Belgian Congo, and later lived in Paris. In 1944, 23-year-old Pippa joined the SOE and parachuted into Nazi-occupied France, acting as a wireless operator. She was undercover in the area around Normandy before, during, and after D-Day, and briefly touches on how appalling life was for French civilians, 20,000 of whom were killed around this time. Pippa’s story, both as a child growing up and as a young adult surviving in wartime France, is incredible. This is an easy-to-read, compelling book about an extremely smart, courageous woman. I appreciated how Latour points out the moral difficulties of living in a war zone, emphasizing how terrible war is for all involved. Although she did not talk about her experiences until many decades later, they stayed with her during her entire life.
Katelyn Boyer is the Adult Services Librarian at the Fergus Falls Public Library