Bob Stoothoff: Just finished a fun read. I needed it after reading "Four Hours in My Lai". The book, A Libertarian walks into a Bear, tells the experience that the town of Grafton NH had when, in the "oughts", an increasing number of libertarians hatched the Free Town Project. Mathew Hongoltz- Hetling does a good investigative effort with a wonderful sense of humor reflected in the writing. It weaves in the story of the black bears in the area, providing considerable challenges.

Bob Perkins: Yes, I recommend classmate Bob Brunk' s book, A Question of Value (2024). It presents his experiences as an auctioneer in North Carolina. Each story is different and centers on what people value. Published by the University of North Carolina, it's provocative, humorous, poignant, and a "good read." Also, Kate's memoir.

Janet Whittaker: Non-fiction: The Trayvon Generation by Elizabeth Alexander: "From a Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times bestselling author and poet comes a galvanizing meditation on the power of art and culture to illuminate America's unresolved problem with race." (Reading Group choices)
Historical fiction: In 1900, J.P. Morgan hired Belle Green (Bella da Costa Greene) as his personal librarian. She hid her African-American heritage and passed as white, living in fear of exposure; nevertheless, she grew quickly into a voracious expert who purchased priceless volumes.
Fiction: Small Things Like These by Clair Keegan: A novella which tells the simple but powerful story of a coal merchant in a small town in Ireland who rescues a girl he has discovered being tortured by nuns at a secret laundry. Girls pregnant out of wedlock were tortured and sometimes killed with the support of the Irish government in secretive laundries from the 1700s through the 1990s. The focus of the story is the coal merchant, however; the simplicity and peacefulness of his large family is in the foreground.

Barb Fossum Mutz : A fascinating book is What the Owl Knows. Actually it is incredible what man has learned about elusive owls, but the cleverness of different breeds of owls is astounding

Another review here: Owl.

Helen Moran: If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal by Justin Gregg.

Becky Bulleit: Red Notice by Bill Browder. Browder started in Wall Street and saw great potential in investing in Russia just after the breakup of the Soviet Union. He made a fortune but along the way he exposed corruption. Over time he became an enemy of Putin and is lucky he got out of Russia with his life. Russians that worked for him did not. He is still exposing the regime. The book cover says “A true story of high finance, murder and one man’s fight for justice”. He has written a follow up titled “Freezing Order”.
Becoming Madame Secretary by Stephanie Dray. Francis Perkins met very influential people in Greenwich Village including Franklin Roosevelt. They did not like each other at first, but over the next 20 years they formed an historic partnership that took them to the White House! She was the first woman to serve in a US presidential cabinet and had a pivotal role in creating the New Deal and Social Security.
The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore. Mirielle was a socialite married to a silent film star but when diagnosed with leprosy was forcibly sent to the Carville Lepers Home in Louisiana. It was America’s only leper colony. Mirielle thought she would only be there for a short time but as time went on she had to learn to adjust. You learn about the isolation, stigma, and experimental treatments in the 1920’s. Leprosy did not have a cure at that time. It is now called Hansen’s disease and has a cure.

Hardy Wieting: J.L. Austin: Philosopher and D-Day Intelligence Officer by M.W. Rowe
Austin was an Oxford philosopher, leader of Ordinary Language Philosophy, with its idea of that the actual meaning of words is as they are used by the ordinary man on the Clapham omnibus and not by philosophers distorting them for their own purposes.
Amazing book because Austin was a high-ranking Intelligence officer in the war. The secrecy surrounding this makes it extremely difficult for a biographer to find out what he was doing. So, Rowe, the biographer, has chosen to describe in detail everything he can find out about the war, from the British perspective, and from a lot of that plus whatever specific of Austin he can find, infer what Austin did. (His many letters to his wife serve only to show that he couldn't reveal anything about the war).
In fact, Rowe proves himself to be a first-class military historian in all this. His analysis of specific events and their importance is keen, as is his account of the overall picture, and the military figures making, on both sides, the big decisions. The accounts of D-Day and Ardenne Forest (Battle of the Bulge) are terrific.
I was particularly taken of course, birder that I am, with the passenger pigeons. The very effective French resistance used them extensively and Austin, a birder himself, got much from this. But in the build-up to D-Day info stopped coming in the usual amounts. Turns out Rommel had formed a special unit to find the pigeons and blast them out of the skies.
The war, although only about 5 years of Austin's life, takes up over half the 640 pages. I've just finished the war and am now back with teaching - like flying to a different planet.

by Michelle Bishka, Features Editor The only time life as a high-schooler has the intrigue of a mystery novel is when that high-schooler belongs to the fictional world. Although not everyone can be a character in a book, everyone has the opportunity to explore the many mystery novels that can give them the same buzz of solving a crime. Browse the list below to find a novel or a series to fulfill your mystery reading needs.
1. In the Woods, Tana French: “What I am telling you, before you begin my story, is this – two things: I crave truth. And I lie.” Tana French is a novelist who is famous for her enticing plots that keep her readers guessing, and In the Woods is no exception. In the Woods marks the start of a series following a group of detectives that call themselves “The Dublin Murder Squad.” The book begins by describing a case that happened many years ago: the kidnapping and murder of a group of children in a forest. One child remained alive, Rob Ryan, but he was unable to remember what happened that night or who was responsible for the crime. Many years later, a similar case emerges, and Rob, as part of “The Dublin Murder Squad,” is on it to finally discover who is responsible, and to find closure for himself. However, it proves to be difficult for Rob to relive his past, and he keeps it a secret from the rest of his partners on the case. French does an exceptional job at painting Rob as a severely flawed character who still remains likable no matter how much unintentional harm he does. This is because Rob is not a horrible character, but a lost one. Instead of hating the main character for the damage he does, it makes you sympathize with him. With complex characters leading this novel, In the Woods is not one to miss.
2. The Dark Lake, Sara Bailey: A thriller rivaling Tana French’s work, The Dark Lake revolves around Gemma, a detective cracking the case of the murder of a young teacher named Rosalind, who she knew from high school. Although Rosalind was adored in high school, Gemma fostered some darker thoughts about her. Her obsession with Rosalind in the past spills over to the present in ways you would never expect until you have read the novel. Although Gemma has an unnerving perspective on the case, and makes many mistakes throughout the book, she is not a character to be hated, but she is not one to be liked neither. With its psychological approach to crime, The Dark Lake is definitely not a thriller to skip.
3. The Cuckoo’s Calling, Robert Galbraith: Written by J.K Rowling under a pseudonym, this novel, based on another traditional thriller plot, sparks a new series dubbed Cormoran Strike. The whole series follows Detective Cormoran Strike who was contacted to solve a case as a private investigator after being out of work for quite some time. The first novel deals with a murder of a model that has been staged as a suicide. Despite the fact that the plot may seem appealing, the storyline does tend to lag in some places, and the writing style may not be up to everyone’s taste. Although this was a solid start to the series, I prefer the second novel of the series the most, The Silkworm, as its plot reveals to be more fast-paced.
4. Dangerous Girls, Abigail Haas: “Wouldn’t we all look guilty, if someone searched hard enough?” Dangerous Girls is a dark mystery that is a bit contradictory, making it even more enjoyable. The novel inspects the unpleasant side of friendships closely, to the point where it seems that the safer alternative to making friends is to avoid people altogether. However, while showing the nasty corners of friendship, the book shows the importance of friendship as well. These mixed signals Dangerous Girls sends the reader is part of the reason the novel is viewed so highly in addition to its exceptional plot. The plot follows Anna and her friends on their trip to Aruba for spring break. Unfortunately, what was intended to be a trip about having fun, instantly transforms into a disaster involving a murder case that leaves Anna to be seen as its prime suspect. The story progresses quickly due to the writing style of the novel: the book moves forwards and backwards in time. This haphazard approach to writing ultimately adds to the effect of the story.
Hopefully one of these books or series will let you visualize yourself as a character in its plot, and let you feel the excitement of cracking a case.
About Michelle.
And thanks to The Glen Bard for the above reviews. They keep us up-to-date!

Here are links to other of their reviews of interest: Jojo Rabbit [a comedy about the Hitler youth][remarkable]; and Best documentaries.

Book Review
Maariya Quadri, Editor
Protagonist: 4/5 Kya is an independent, hardworking, resourceful main character living off the land in the marsh. She’s the type of protagonist that you can’t help but root for her til the very end.
Plot: 4.5/5 This book is quite multifaceted: while it is a tale of survival and love, it is also a murder mystery, and a brilliant one at that.
Setting: 3/5 The beautiful marshland setting is incredibly easy to imagine for readers, so much so that you’ll feel like you’re exploring the marsh with Kya. However, the community of the nearby town is so cold to her that they tone down the pleasant nature of the book considerably.
Diversity: 2/5 The characters in Where the Crawdads Sing are mostly Caucasian, except for two Black American characters that provide Kya with the supplies and support she needs to survive in the marsh.
Engagement: 4/5 While this story can be a bit description-heavy at times, you won’t be able to put it down. It’s an absorbing experience unlike anything you’ve read, so much so that it truly doesn’t fit into any exact genre.

Film Review
Amy Tran, Editor
Cast: 3.5/5 The performances from the cast of Where The Crawdads Sing was exceptional. The way each and every actor/actress portrays their character evokes a great amount of emotion from the audience whether that be proudness, pity, anger, or anxiousness. Similar to the book, there wasn’t much diversity besides Mabel and Jumpin’ however their roles in the story were very significant.
Plot: 3.5/5 The plot of the movie stays relatively true to the plot of the book. It jumps between two timelines: One of Kya growing up in the marsh and learning how to survive on her own and the other of the murder investigation and court case where Kya is the main suspect. From the very beginning of the movie, we get introduced to the court case almost immediately which takes time away from Kya’s childhood. If you’ve read the book, her childhood is explored so much and it really makes up who Kya is as a person. I wish we got to see more of that in the movie as it would have created a stronger emotional connection to her.
Cinematography: 4.5/5 Filmed in the State Parks of Mandeville and Madisonville, Louisiana, the cinematography of Where The Crawdads Sing is by far the best part of the movie. The stunning wide shots of the marsh and its wildlife combined with its warm color tones allow the audience to see the marsh as Kya does—as home.
Music: 3/5 Mychael Danna’s Where the Crawdads Sing OST (Original SoundTrack) blends non-western traditions with orchestral music to bring the marsh to life. His pieces capture the wild marshlands of the North Carolina setting as well as the underlying mystery of the murder court case. Also in the album is an original song by Taylor Swift called “Carolina,” a folksy song that is perfect for Kya’s story.
Engagement: 2/5 As much as I loved the film and everything that went into it, I didn’t find it very engaging. It may be because I already know the story and have read the book, but never once during the movie was there a moment I felt on the edge of my seat despite the fact that murder mystery is one of its main genres.