Note to Shelf: August 2022

Created on August 1, 2022, 1:47 pm

Last Updated August 3, 2022, 3:14 pm

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Babs thought that while the story "starts out a bit slow, you should stick with it! The story features Lucas Davenport's tenacious adopted daughter, Letty. A recent graduate of Stanford with a master's in economics, she is extremely bored with her desk job working for U.S. Senator Colles. Then the Senator offers Letty a job that she cannot refuse: a position with the Department of Homeland Security. It seems several oil companies in Texas have reported thefts of crude oil, and Colles wants to know who is selling it and what are they doing with the profits. Letty, who is very much like her Dad, jumps at the chance to uncover the culprits. This is Sanford's first Letty Davenport novel and it is a violent, fast-paced story that is sure to please all his fans. I know I was not disappointed!"
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Diane says that Baldacci "introduces us to Travis Devine, a decorated and emotionally damaged ex-Army Ranger. He enters the combustible world of finance for the Gordon Gecko-esque Wall Street firm of Cowl and Comely as a "Burner" – a frosh burning the candle at both ends for advancement, and subliminally, to prove himself to his estranged father. Devine is recruited by Army CID to investigate Cowl and Comely and its principal Brad Cowl on the suspicion of international conspiracy. Devine's three lives of housemate, burner, and CID agent all collide starting on the 6:20 commuter train to New York and ends in Area 51. Baldacci's rapid-fire burst of espionage, romance, exotic cars, murder, and street brawls of Jack Reacher proportions, (four-on-one, really?) keep you wanting more."
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Annette shares that "Rich Gunderson’s family has been logging redwoods in northern CA for generations. But in 1977 things start to change: old-growth trees have been decimated, making Rich’s livelihood unsustainable; clear cutting means indigenous tribes can no longer fish salmon and local families are at risk from floods; and his wife Colleen, a midwife, wonders if the local increase in stillbirths and miscarriages is due to industry’s ubiquitous herbicide sprays. Damnation Spring is Ash Davidson’s gripping novel of a struggling family forced to accept the changing world around them. From harrowing descriptions of loggers chopping 300-foot redwoods to the moving portrayal of parents’ boundless love for their child, Davidson’s writing draws you in as it depicts life in this harsh, yet beautiful environment."
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Kristen O. found that "Cultish is a fascinating blend of history and social science that examines the way language is utilized (and weaponized) by cults and the cult-like. From the explicitly harmful groups like Jonestown and Heaven’s Gate to the more innocuous CrossFit, Montell breaks down how language makes cults so compelling in the first place, and why the line between a cult and a tight-knit group is less clear than we think. Historic information is further enhanced with stories and insights from survivors that are expertly delivered as juicy without feeling exploitative. Witty yet tonally appropriate, Cultish is an engrossing look into under-explored side of language that will change the way readers hear the world around them."
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Kathleen exclaims that "Ann Hood is back with a thoroughly engaging memoir: Fly Girl. Straight out of college, Ann joins the ranks of flight attendants with TWA in the golden age of air travel. Hoping to be a writer ultimately, Hood garners experiences to use later in her writing career. The early days of flight are marked by luxury for the flyers and sexism for the flight attendants. Rules set down to keep the field of flight attendants young, thin, and single are the norm. I was totally absorbed by Hood’s tales of flight and the huge change the industry has gone through since 1978. From dressing up for your flight to traveling in your pajamas today with planes packed and seats overbooked, the romance of flying may be behind us."
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