This month’s choices:
Fiction
The Alice Network
By Kate Quinn
I read this historical thriller several years ago, and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to feature it.
Quinn imagines the story of two women intertwined across two gripping timelines—World War I and post-World War II.
In 1947, American socialite Charlie St. Clair searches for her missing cousin in war-scarred Europe. Her path crosses with Eve Gardiner, a haunted former spy who once worked in the real-life Alice Network—an underground ring of female spies in German-occupied France.
As their journeys collide, long-buried secrets, betrayals, and acts of extraordinary courage surface.
Quinn blends suspense, emotional depth, and historical detail, and The Alice Network celebrates the bravery of women who risked everything for freedom and truth. This book is perfect for fans of The Nightingale and The Rose Code.
Nonfiction
The Sixth Extinction
By Elizabeth Kolbert
It’s rare with my book club that I suggest a title I haven’t read. So, full disclaimer, I just downloaded this book and I’m diving into soon. Probably on my upcoming vacation.
It’s entirely possible that I’ll read it and regret my choice. Ha! But I doubt it. The topic alone is fascinating to me. And besides, I’ve read enough of it (the sample) to know I like the writing and the science angle.
Kolbert addresses the five huge extinction periods in Earth’s history, and she posits that we’re currently experiencing the sixth such cataclysm. And in this case, it’s caused by us. Yes, by good ol’ h=Homo sapiens.
Now, before you get your dander up, I propose that you treat the topic the same way I do with controversial ideas: Read (or listen) to them, consider them from each angle, and either respectfully agree or disagree, without getting upset.
What I DO know is that it’s undeniable that humans have had more of an impact on our planet than any species in history. In many respects, that impact has been terrific. In others . . . not so much.
I’m curious to see how Kolbert addresses it. Her research took her around the globe, and the result is a book that made several “Best Of” and picked up a Pulitzer Prize.
Let’s all absorb it together. At the very least, it’ll probably accomplish the thing I respect the most—it’ll make you think.
Last Month’s Picks
Silence of the Lambs
By Thomas Harris
The novel that inspired the iconic film. Read it was some fava beans and a nice Chianti.
All About Me: My Remarkable Life in Show Business
By Mel Brooks
The legendary director takes you through his life and his films. Opt for the audiobook, narrated by Mel.
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Happy reading!