What We’re Reading This Week

Molly

Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear

“This is our next book club book for the 7% Solution Book Club, and I just got started reading it. Birds of a Feather is the second Maisie Dobbs novel, continuing the saga of the former maid and now private investigator, graduate of the Great War and the school of hard knocks. Dobbs is hired to find the wayward daughter of a powerful grocer, and her search for the young woman and attempts to view the world through others’ eyes leads to a gripping and powerful exploration of womanhood in Britain in the 1920s.” The 7% Solution Book Club meets to discuss Birds of a Feather Monday, March 2, at 7 pm, on BookPeople’s third floor. Book club books are 10% off at the register in the month of their selection.

Scott M.

Life or Death by Michael Robotham

“This book is coming out in March. It’s very much a departure for him – Life or Death is a fun, gritty Texas crime novel. The story deals with a criminal who escapes prison the day before his scheduled release. He is soon on the run from both cops and criminals, all of whom think he knows where 5 million dollars from a bank heist might be stashed. The novel has a lot of echoes from Elmore Leonard, particularly the lead characters, who are very philosophical in their weird way. Pre-order now. Life or Death hits the shelves March 10.

Will

Hope: A Tragedy by Shalom Auslander

“The book is about a Jewish man who, while trying to get away from the troubles of the big city, finds a small town to hole up in. He thinks the town will be boring, but soon discovers the town has its own secrets, and when he moves there, he finds, among other strange phenomena, that Anne Frank is living in his rafters. This book is darkly hilarious.”

Cory

Misadventure by Nicolas Grider

“Misadventure is a collection of short stories about men relating to each other physically, romantically, and platonically. Desire is the common denominator of this work: for love, lust, fulfillment, for bringing back. Grider’s voice is uniquely disarming. For lovers of new and powerful short fiction, men, and small press publishing, it’s best to not sleep on this book.”

Courtney

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

“Josie is the kind of character I’d like to have as a friend. She’s smart and bookish, and she doesn’t at all fit in to her community. The novel is set in 1950s New Orleans, which was never an era I’d thought much about. But in Sepetys’ hands, the post-war French Quarter is incredibly intriguing. Mystery, danger, and romance surround a cast of characters which contains catty but affectionate prostitutes, shady gangsters, charming flower salesmen, and one sassy madame. Sepetys has to be one of my favorite YA authors, because she tells unique stories, and she tells them very well.”