The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara

Dancing through the New York drag ball scene of the 1980s, this is a heartbreaking, fantastic story of love and friendship.

A young queen in love begins the first Latino house on the circuit. But we know gay love stories of the 80s usually end badly, so she must rely on friends to be her real family. There is music and fashion, there are drugs and there are tears. There is money to be made the hard way, because there is always rent to be paid.

But don't let me depress you out of reading this, because it's wonderful. Angel and Venus and Hector and Daniel and all the rest are friends you'll be glad to have met.

Also, the 80s weren't so long ago, and we should not forget.

Behind You by Jacqueline Woodson

In a follow-up to If You Come Softly, Woodson explores what a life without Miah feels like for his family, friends, and girlfriend.

It's a short book (about a hundred pages) and I'm not sure how strongly it would stand on its own if you haven't read the first book. But as a continuation of the story - as a pondering of "what comes next" I enjoyed this revisiting of the characters. Each character deals with grief in their own way, and for that exploration, it might be valuable for teens - you get to see lots of different ways to react to life's changes.

If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson

Love may be color blind, but she's in the minority. And twenty years since this book's publication, not much has really changed on that front.

I listened to the anniversary audiobook of this short teen novel (just three discs), and I enjoyed every minute of it. It's a story of first love - of attraction at first contact - when Ellie drops her books in the school hallway and Jeremiah helps her pick them up. They end up in class together and a friendship begins, then blossoms into a secret-but-not-secret relationship.

It's an innocent love: all studying and hanging at the park and kisses. There's a strong connection between the two and a desire for a future. But old ladies cluck at them on the New York streets because Miah is a tall black boy and Ellie is a Jewish white girl. I kept trying to figure out what's different since the book's publication, and I couldn't find much; I mean that in a good way (timeless story) and unfortunately (racism).

There's a sequel, on which I've already placed a library hold ...

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

In this wartime New York novel, a girl's life intersects repeatedly with that of a gangster nightclub owner.

Anna Kerrigan first encounters Dexter Stiles as a child, with her father Eddie in one of his shady business meetings. Year later - with Eddie long gone - Anna has become a Navy yard worker and encounters Dexter again in one of his clubs. It's a captivating story of a woman forced to grow up early and her desire to work outside the bounds of what "girls" were allowed to do.

But the story isn't just Anna's - it's told in turns by Dexter, Eddie, and Anna. Therefore, you get the backstory of how crime pays, how shady deals happen, and what motivates each of the men. You also get a couple perspectives on the Kerrigan family, who are anchored by Anna's adored and severely disabled sister. Interestingly, the audiobook is a multi-cast recording with three narrators.

The ending was maybe a little too neatly tied for my taste, but overall I enjoyed the book immensely. It's always interesting to ponder the lives of women in the past and the struggles they faced, especially those offered a bit of unusual freedom during the wars.

Three Junes by Julia Glass

Readers check in with a family's members three times (in the month of June) to learn about their relationships and loves. We meet recently widowed Paul as he vacations in Greece and ponders his new life and the condition of his family. Then we meet his sons, years later, as they gather for Paul's funeral. Further on, we meet up with prodigal son Fenno when his dog - his last link to his mother - dies and is buried.

We read this for book discussion. I was only halfway through by our discussion date, and decided I was going to continue because - unlike everyone else - I was enjoying the story.

A lot of the book centers around Fenno and his life off in New York. He moves across the world, graduates college, begins a business, comes to terms with his sexuality, deals with the impact of AIDS on his circle of friends, and makes visits back to Scotland to see his family. What he doesn't do is fall in love. Which makes him a slightly tragic figure.

I liked the book - it's rather quiet, without big drama. Just people trying to do the best they can, and sometimes failing.

All Grown Up by Jami Attengerg

What is adulthood, really, if you don't get married or have a family? No mortgage, a steady but boring job, no serious responsibilities ... things are less complicated for Andrea Bern than for many other 40 year olds. So why isn't she happy?

In vignette stories we get an idea of Andrea's life: a friend's wedding, getting to know a neighbor, conversations with her therapist, on a date, on the phone with her mother, watching a coworker give her first big presentation. Andrea's featherweight life is a contrast with her brother's huge and heavy responsibility to his own tiny family.

It's funny and a little sad, but very well written and quick to consume. The story is complex in the way life really is, and I understood this character because I have been her, at times. Loved it!

The Star Side of Bird Hill by Naomi Jackson

Two New York City kids get to know their grandmother (and learn about their whole family, really) when they're sent to spend a summer in Barbados.

Teenager Dionne is sure Bird Hill is hell; her mother's always threatened with "sending her home," and she's not sure what she's done to deserve this punishment. Her younger sister, Phaedra, is more accepting of the trip, making friends and exploring this new terrain.

It's a heartbreaking, heart-warming story of family and disappointment and love and growing up. Again and again, men prove to be a disappointment, but the warmth and strength of the community's women buoy the spirit and the story.

The audiobook, read by Robin Miles, was simply INCREDIBLE and added a rich layer to the story's depth with the various accents and patois. We chose to read this title for the library's book discussion, and I'm glad we found it.

They May Not Mean To, But They Do by Cathleen Schine

There's a point in life when roles flip between parents and their children - when adult children become guardians for infirm older adults. It's a time fraught with anger, indignation, and sadness ... but if you're lucky, it's also filled with joy, laughter, and reminiscence.

The Bergman family is in just this situation. Father Aaron has dementia and his wife Joy is determined to keep him at home and care for him herself. Son Daniel makes weekly visits for dinner to keep an eye on them, but he's also got a young family to tend. Daughter Molly lives in far away California but feels the pull of guilt and obligation.

This is an amazing, funny and heartwarming book about the universality of families. Nobody's perfect, but they're all doing their best. You'll recognize yourself and your relatives in these characters and the love they share, along with the frustration.

The Big Rewind by Libby Cudmore

The horror of discovering her downstairs neighbor's bludgeoned body soon turns to curiosity as a young urban hipster strives to learn about the woman who was more acquaintance than friend - and uncovers a musical mystery that may lead to the real killer.

With a few minor tweaks, this could have been a teen book - as it is, I think it's targeted at the new "young adult" category that's become trendy in publishing: intended for those out of school, but still early in their careers and adulthood.

Jett and her neighbor KitKat live in a super trendy part of Brooklyn where neighbors hardly use cash and instead barter services and goods. Jett's scraping by, working only as a temp but living cheap in her honeymooning grandmother's rent-controlled apartment. Her passion for vintage vinyl means she's shopping the dollar bins and debating whether 1990's solo Sting is hot or not while drinking Two Buck Chuck with her friend-not-boyfriend Sid.

For all its ironic pop culture and snarky musical references, I really enjoyed this book. The mystery at its heart is twisty and dark without an obvious end, and the will-they/won't-they tension with Sid adds a bit of salty-sweet. Super-short chapters keep the action clipping along briskly, and you'll probably burn up iTunes hunting down the lesser-know lyrics and bands spread liberally through the story.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

An explosion, a pretty girl, and a painting of a tiny yellow bird - the triggers that kickstart a new life for New York youngster Theo Dekker. It all happened in just a minute or so, but the repercussions last a lifetime.

At a whopping 770 pages long, this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel carries some heft. So instead, I did my shoulders a favor and listened to this one as an audiobook - all 32+ hours of it. Let's just say I got a lot of quilting time in while I enjoyed Theo's tale.

I don't know what I expected this book to be like (I'm embarrassed to say, more literary? boring?) but I was delighted to discover it's simply the tale of a boy growing up. So, maybe not SIMPLY - he's abandoned, orphaned, oblivious, neglected, saved, and endangered - but it's really a fantastic story about the event that changed Theo's life and the direction it took afterwards.

And I can't even say I wish there'd been less of it - it really was a fantastic story, captivating and engrossing even through 26 discs-worth of material.

Adam by Ariel Schrag

Adam learns a lot during the summer he spends with his older sister Casey in New York City. It's the kind of experience a 17-year-old guy will never forget: a taste of independence, the big city, a rapidly expanding worldview, first love, sex! ... and being mistaken as trans.

Casey's queer, and she introduces Adam to friends of all genders, proclivities, orientations, and pronouns. When he meets the girl of his dreams at a lesbian party (hoping she's bisexual), he doesn't correct her assumptions that he's twenty-something and transitioning to male. It's a recipe for disaster with all the miscues and fumbles you might expect, but Adam also gains insight, empathy, and a few other important life skills.

This could be a teen book, but it's pretty explicit when it comes to some sex matters (this is an obvious concern to the characters); the library copy I borrowed had been cataloged as adult fiction. This book's not for the prudish, but the sex isn't gratuitous and the experiences all add to Adam's enlightenment (and perhaps the reader's, too).

I enjoyed the book, and my only complaint was that the center section (and Adam's deceit) dragged on a bit long. Schrag does a nice job integrating sensitive information and cultural context into the storyline without halting the action to give a lecture, and I felt the characters were relatable and realistic.

Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell, Jr.

I was completely captivated by the American history and rich eccentricity presented in this book; this is the kind of nonfiction I love - well written and engrossing, with liberal photographic illustrations.

W.A. Clark was a pioneer in Montana back before it became a state. He made a ton of money in his entrepreneurial ventures, including hauling mail, prospecting in grocery items and tobacco, and copper mining. He built railroads and subdivided a plot of land that became downtown Las Vegas. A late-in-life second marriage to a much younger woman brought two daughters, in addition to his already-adult children.

Combining W.A.'s late-in-life family and his youngest daughter Huguette's 104-year lifespan means this book and these 2 rarified people's lives encompass a huge and extremely eventful span of American history. But perhaps just as interesting as the history lesson are the tales of lavish spending and luxury lifestyles.

At the end of her life, Huguette owned five residences (3 homes and 2 apartments) and yet insisted upon living in a New York City hospital - despite the fact she wasn't sick. She spent piles of money on dolls, dollhouses, and charitable donations to whomever she wished, while also refusing money to many who thought themselves more deserving. She owned priceless art masterpieces, jewelry she never wore, and cars that were never driven.

When I finished the book, I had to immediately get online and learn more - that's the sign of a good book, in my estimation. Lawsuits were still pending when the book was published, and I so wanted to know WHAT HAPPENED! I highly recommend this book. Awesome!

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Growing up at the turn of the 20th century, precocious youngster Francie Nolan understands her family lives a mean, tough existence in poverty, but also sees the world as a place rich with experiences for a smart, thoughtful girl like herself.

This year our library's book discussion group has chosen to read a few classics, which I think will be fun - I had never read this book, and in reading recognize I would not have enjoyed it as a student, but very much enjoyed it in adulthood.

Through the lives of the Nolan family and Francie's mother's Rommely sisters, we get a look at the lives of the poor Irish in America. Frequently I found myself amazed that, although the book takes place 100 years ago, many of its struggles and strifes are not significantly different today.

Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father by Alysia Abbott

Steve Abbott gave his daughter an unusual life; he was a devoted and loving only parent, a struggling full-time poet and writer, and on the front line of the 1980s AIDS epidemic as an out gay man in San Francisco.

It's a good book, and Alysia's honest in a way many might have glossed over. She didn't always behave well - often demanding her father's full attention to the detriment of the rest of his life. But it's overall a loving look at a nontraditional life, and the kind of story we've not heard much; since the AIDS epidemic primarily claimed gay men, most of its history has been written about the community of friends that grew up around sick men and their partners. This is a look at a marginalized group that's just beginning to speak out: children and wives of AIDS victims.

The Wife, The Maid, and The Mistress by Lawhon

The real-life disappearance of a New York judge in 1930 spurred this fictional whodunit of political intrigue, crooked cops, and the behind-the-scenes power of women.

Judge Joseph Crater is a slimeball from page one - from every perspective we see, he's got "bad news" written all over him. But where did he end up, and who's behind it all?

His wife has retired to her beloved lake cottage, and isn't going to deal with any of the mess surrounding his disappearance. The maid has seen way more than she lets on, and is desperately trying to get pregnant with her politically compromised police detective husband. And then there's the showgirl who's a mob moll and compromised in a million different ways.

The result is a twisty, sudsy, rumors-and-lies kind of book. I'm always fascinated by unsolved crimes and the idea that SOMEONE knows and doesn't tell - and this is one of those stories. It was a quick read, and I think mystery lovers will enjoy the tale.

Wicked City by Alaya Johnson

In an alternate-reality past, 1920s New York is dealing not only with the Prohibition, but also with a controversial new intoxicant for its vampire population called Faust. Should that also be prohibited? Because the alcohol prohibition has worked out so well (not).

Our do-gooder heroine, Zephyr Hollis, grew up in a famous vampire killing family. But on her own as an adult, she's softened her views and taken up campaigning rather than staking. Her best friend is a mystic, and she's accidentally magically bound to a djinni.

This is the second book in the Zephyr Hollis series, and I occasionally felt like I should have read the first book to give me some additional background, but it wasn't strictly necessary for the story. I had a tough time tracking down the first book, but I'll be giving that a try also, soon. And this book ends with a dramatic phone call, certainly indicating another book in the works.

Sutton by J.R. Moehringer

Willie Sutton was one of the last great bank robbers and a folk hero to the Depression-strapped Americans who lost it all thanks to the crooks in suits that ran the banking industry. But Sutton was also quite a storyteller, which is what captivated former journalist Moehringer: Sutton wrote two autobiographies (which contradict one another), and the police reports don't tell the same story as the newspaper accounts. So Moehringer spun a fiction story between the "facts" of the known story.

The book takes place on the day Sutton is released from Attica State Prison, Christmas 1969. He's picked up and put up by a New York newspaper reporter and photographer who have been promised the exclusive on his first 24 hours of freedom. Willie takes them on an epic roadtrip through his past and all over New York City - much to their chagrin. Between stops, we get Willie's story through his reminiscence - but reporter and photographer get barely anything; we hear Willie's thoughts, but they're left in the cold.

I'll read anything J.R. Moehringer writes (I loved his memoir "The Tender Bar" and read Agassi's "Open" because he was the ghostwriter) and this one was no disappointment. He's so good at putting you right into the action that non-fiction (or pseudo non-fiction) feels like great fiction.

At 15 hours long, this audiobook is practically "real-time" - I felt like I was spending Christmas Day in the car right along with Willie, reporter, and photographer. I loved the story, and many times I was compelled to further research a fact or character to find out how much was real. It's a great inside look at a period of American history that tends to get written off in broad strokes of Depression, poor, blah blah. I feel I better understand the frustrations and struggles through Sutton's story (even if it's hypothetical, pseudo-fiction, and unreliable).

Nothin' to Lose: The Making of KISS (1972-1975) by Ken Sharp, Gene Simmons, and Paul Stanley

I don't remember a time when there was no KISS; in my life they've always existed. And for that reason, this book was very interesting to me - it chronicles their rise to fame, and the immense struggles it took for the band to build an audience and one-by-one win over the critics.

I really wanted to LOVE this book. And I do actually love it, a little - but I also thought they needed a much stronger editor (the book is an unwieldy 560 pages long). If four people said that Paul and that one guy didn't get along, all four quotes are in the book: Wouldn't we have been better served by one of those quotes, and then perhaps Paul's perspective? The book could have been about one-third shorter.

What did I love? The stories! The day the band took over Cadillac, Michigan and the reasons why. The friendship between KISS and Rush (and the animosity between KISS and Aerosmith), plus Ted Nugent's opinion on a KISS stage show. The only time Gene ever got high and the one time Paul got drunk. During the timespan this book covers, the band was a strong fierce foursome, a band of brothers - before things got ugly and the split happened. Ace and Peter are quoted extensively in the book, and while there's a bit of foreshadowing there's no ugliness or animosity in this book.

And a minor annoyance: I wished there had been a few more pictures. Most of the photos in the book are previously unreleased, which is very cool. But when they talk about the photo shoots for the album covers, I wish they'd also given us the cover (I spent a lot of time looking things up on the internet while reading this book).

Highly recommended for the KISS Army, and still recommended for more casual fans. You'll come away with a new appreciation for how hard they've worked to get where they are.

If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson

Both Jeremiah and Ellie are new to their private Manhattan high school, and both are going through a rough patch in their personal lives. When they run into one another (literally) the first time in the halls, something immediately clicks into place.

But he's black, and she's Jewish; she's a doctor's youngest daughter, and he's a famous artistic couple's only child. While they're defiant together as a couple, they're each reluctant to introduce the other to their family.

One thing I found interesting is the relative timelessness of this story - Woodson has made it feel contemporary, yet they don't use cell phones or Facebook or IM one another. There's no tech to date the story. So it would be wonderful as a discussion book: when do you think the book takes place? Could the book have taken place in 1986? Or 2016? What might be different?

Big Girl Panties

by Stephanie Evanovich

The newest Evanovich on the literary scene has created witty, likeable characters.  Not just anyone can endure the hardships Holly Brennan has had in her life and still come across as funny when the sarcasm rolls.  While Holly starts the book with a self-deprecating view, she is never mean or spiteful.  Even when she sees herself negatively, this character has enough spunk to push herself toward a higher goal.

It doesn't hurt that her new personal trainer is hotter than Adonis.  Evanovich masterfully creates just enough baggage for each character to keep them apart until she is ready to push them together long term.  Whether you settle in for the laughs on the beach, pontoon, or patio, you will find this light love story a welcome addition to your summer.