This was a crazy month of traveling. I went home for a weekend, went to Dallas to see family, and was always on the move. It was always my birthday month, which left some extra time for reading. The month, it was all about mysteries.
“The Art Forger” by B.A. Shapiro
I truly loved this book. With a penchant for detective novels and a love for art, I was utterly enthralled. It was a mix of real art history with some fictional characters and juicy details to create a thrilling story about the most famous museum heist of our time. For anyone that has an interest in fine art and/or a mystery, this book is for you!
“Secure the Shadow” by Claudia Emerson
This was a truly wonderful collection of poems with an eerie modern relevance in connection to the past. It’s a beautiful merging of tradition and moving forward. Emerson is able to present such a hauntingly realistic image of life, death, and everything in between. Although my words cannot do justice to her beautiful poetry, I highly recommend this for a good dose of modern eloquent writing.
“Thy Neighbor” by Norah Vincent
This is a story of mystery, deceit, and secrets. Everyone has them, especially your neighbors. With a block full of very specific characters, everyone has a history. One such neighbor begins spying on the others in order to find answers to his horrific personal tragedy. Little does he know that the answer is right in front of his face. This book is quite the page-turner, and one full of disturbing, dark details that challenge you to want to find out more. It will definitely keep you on edge and wonder exactly who you’re living next to.
“The Bee-Loud Glade” by Steve Himmer
Can you imagine life as a hermit? Can you imagine being paid for it? While Finch is in a rut of losing his job, waiting to get evicted, and living without much human contact, he gets the opportunity of his lifetime. A little bit Truman Show, a little bit Cast Away, this book gives insight into how we live and challenging social constructs. The novel made me question how I would fare, or any of us really, without modern technology, living in the wilderness alone, or speaking for that matter. It’s a great book to really make you contemplate your current lifestyle choices.
“Out of the Box” by Julie Morse
If you’re like me, you have quite the imagination. It seems Julie Morse did too. This is a chronicle of the stories of travel and life with her family friend, deemed Uncle Bob. He traveled all around the world, supposedly working within the packaging trade. Julie always had her suspicions, but Bob never let on to anything different. However, he had some partnerships with the government which spurred daydreams of exotic spy adventures. Be sure to read along and make your own judgement.
“A Thin Dark Line” by Tami Hoag
A murderer is released in a small town after 15 years, dead bodies start popping up, violence errupts, and who do you think is to be blamed? This is a story of overcoming prejudices and seeing what’s real rather than listening to what’s been told. It captures a love that breaks all barriers and goes from a face slap to intimate lovers in a shorter time than you’d think. It’s a great mystery and one that really makes you question where you’d stand in this small town. Would you stand up for your beliefs or follow along with the others?
What are you reading?
