Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Alone in the North Carolina coastal marsh, abandoned by everyone, Kya Clark was fortunate to possess the gumption she needed to survive on her own from a single-digit age. Dodging the rest of humanity, save a select few who offer help in the form of trade, the young girl becomes one with nature. The locals, who catch rare glimpses when she has no choice but to enter town for necessary supplies, call her The Marsh Girl, and they deplore her.

Despite her intentions to remain unnoticed and alone, love - in different forms - finds Kya. As love often does, it blesses and curses this eccentric soul. Extremes of success and turmoil shake up Kya's world. After being the victim of a brutal assault, Kya finds herself on trial for murder in the small town where almost everyone views her as little more than trash. Her life depends on the ability of twelve jurors to put aside their prejudice and judge her fairly.

Owens's beautiful writing style is irresistible. Coupled with a fresh story, this book is impossible to put down. Whatever I could say to convince you to read it, consider it said.

The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

Over several decades, the owners, editors, and reporters of a Rome-based English newspaper deal with one another, the quick-turnaround news cycle, family, life abroad, and the decline of print journalism in this comic novel.

The book's like an interconnected series of short stories - vignettes of life from the modern-day editor of the paper, the original founder, his descendants, the copy editors, a wanna-be stringer, and more. There's love, there's hate, it's funny and it's sad.

I really liked this book - it's a gossipy bit of behind the scenes in the world of journalism. I've been listening to the audiobook in the quilting studio, and it's been sort of like serial television: office rivalries and home life and a lot of the challenges of expatriates in Italy.

Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family by Constance Novis and Helen Fester

Books by the Dorling Kindersley (DK) company are always rich with photos and illustration with text broken into digestible bits - and this book is a stellar example of the style they do so well. It's a coffee table style book with 250 pages packed with information and vivid photography.

I learned a ton about European history and even more about the 20th-century monarchs and world events; I was fascinated with the progression of the monarchy from Queen Victoria to the current Queen Elizabeth and into the future with the line of succession.

I also liked that scandal isn't swept under the rug - it's mentioned, but not dwelt upon. The modern royals have endured a lot of media scrutiny through infidelities, divorces, youthful indiscretions, and momentary lapse of judgement and those are presented without judgement.

I spent a lot of time hopping away from the book and online to learn more about someone or something. It's re-fired an interest in history and a desire to read more.

I had this book checked out so long the library's automated system started threatening me with the replacement cost of $54 if I didn't return it. It's a phenomenal book, but certainly a lot to wade through.

Arcady's Goal

by Eugene Yelchin

What do you know about the children left behind by Russia's enemies of the people in the beginning of the 20th century?  This work of fiction sheds just a little light on the life of one boy whose luck might just turn for the better.

Arcady has spent most of his life in a children's home.  While life is tough, he excels at one thing - soccer.  Although the children must play all games one-on-one, he is able to beat anyone the guards place against him.  It doesn't sound like much, but his skill is sometimes the only way to win food rations from the stingy guards.

He dreams of the day his talent will lead him to a better life.  When it does, Arcady must learn just how difficult life on the outside can be.

The author's note at the end will have you clamoring for more information.