Hidden Treasure by Jessie Burton: REVIEW Synopsis While young Bo Delafort is mudlarking on the banks of the Thames one day in 1918, she finds a jewel-studded silver disk and believes she hears the river speaking to her through it. This treasure could be the answer to her family’s prayers! But someone else has been…

The Story of ABBA: Melancholy Undercover by Jan Gradvall: REVIEW Synopsis Music critic Jan Gradvall dives deep into music history, Swedish politics and culture, and the band members’ backstories to explain the enduring appeal of this Swedish pop band and to tell The Story of ABBA. My Review I grew up on the music of…

Our Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey: REVIEW Synopsis In Our Last Wild Days, journalist Loyal May isn’t exactly thrilled to move back to her hometown of Jacknife, Louisiana, or to work for its small local paper, but her mother is in the early stages of dementia and needs family close by. Loyal had left…

Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane – REVIEW Synopsis Nature writer Robert Macfarlane travels to some of the world’s most polluted and/or threatened rivers to explore the crucial question, “Is a river alive?” My Review Is a river alive? Spoiler alert: The answer is YES, and humans should stop arrogantly trying to control or…

Review: The Magician’s Daughter by Katy Grabel Synopsis A memoir of Katy Grabel’s coming-of-age behind the scenes of her father’s traveling magic show in the 1970s. My Review I think the word that best describes this memoir is “charming.” It’s a sweet and wholesome story of 14-year-old Katy’s experiences on the road with her family’s…