Table of contents for Vol. 120, No. 4, 10/15/23 in Booklist

When I was young, I’d hear mellifluous tones on a continuous loop, whether it was my father practicing the French horn or my mother teaching violin students. Both are musicians, and both practiced hours a day, preparing for recitals, students, or concerts. My father also loves to listen to classical music and as much as I pushed myself toward more popular music when I was younger—my friends were persuasive—at home I’d hear Beethoven, Strauss, Mahler, and Mozart over and over again. Classical music became part of the way I perceived and experienced the world. At one point, after attempting but failing miserably at baseball in the Little League, I thought perhaps I should try the French horn, I mean how hard could it be (ha!)? So, I practiced and played…

General Fiction Alice Sadie Celine. By Sarah Blakley-Cartwright. Dec. 2023. 272p. Simon & Schuster, $26.99 (9781668021590). The title characters of Blakley-Cartwright’s (Red Riding Hood, 2011) first novel for adults have been thrown together by biology, choice, or lust. Celine married young and quickly became mom to Sadie before upending their small-town Ohio lives to study at Berkeley, where, now 44, she’s a radical and downright famous professor of feminism and gender studies. Young twentysomethings Sadie and Alice have been best friends since high school, owing to a “chance” meeting that Sadie, ever calculating and controlled, actually secretly engineered. Preoccupied with finally losing her virginity to her boyfriend of a year (“Do you know how difficult it is to have a sex-positive parent?”), Sadie begs Celine to attend Alice’s basement performance…

Adult Are You Willing to Die for the Cause? By Chris Oliveros. Art by the author. Oct. 2023. 168p. Drawn & Quarterly, $24.95 (9781770466616). 741.5. The Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) started off in the early 1960s as a socialist insurrection opposed to Anglo-Saxon imperialism. But through a series of bumbling attacks, the FLQ devolved into a domestic terrorist group feared by both the Canadian government and the Québécois. Oliveros’ engrossing first in a two-book series explores the early days of the FLQ. In a story told from the points of view of politicians, law enforcement, reporters, and disillusioned former FLQ members through a lost, fictional 1975 CBC documentary, Oliveros captures this tumultuous period in Canadian history with humor and gravitas. Clean, clear, and wavy lines mixed with muted…

Music, illustration, dance, and one famous art crime are just some of the artistic endeavors found in these 10 excellent books, reviewed in Booklist from October 15, 2022, through October 1, 2023. —Sarah Hunter Ander & Santi Were Here. By Jonny Garza Villa. 2023. St. Martin’s/Wednesday, $18.99 (9781250843999). Gr. 9–12. Queer, nonbinary, Mexican American artist Ander is taking a gap year in Texas painting murals, and as he struggles with how or whether to integrate his Mexican heritage into his art, he falls for undocumented Santi. Beating Heart Baby. By Lio Min. 2022. Flatiron, $18.99 (9781250819093). Gr. 10–12. Santi and Suwa both perform in their high school’s elite marching band, and their romance becomes strained when Suwa’s musical talents propel him toward a spotlight he both wants and fears. Breaking…

Adult The Fraud. By Zadie Smith. Read by the author. 2023. 12.5hr. Books on Tape, DD (9780593788776). This richly detailed audiobook marks the first foray into historical fiction by acclaimed British bestselling novelist Zadie Smith. Smith, who also narrates this complex, kaleidoscopic novel, delivers a layered tale and performance. Based on actual events in Victorian England, the story surrounds the highly publicized Tichborne trial, in which an Australian butcher claimed to be the long-lost aristocratic heir to the massive Tichborne estates. One of the witnesses at the trial is Andrew Bogle, a Black man formerly enslaved by the Tichbornes in Jamaica. The story also follows Scottish widow Eliza Touchet, longtime housekeeper of her cousin by marriage, William Ainsworth. Eliza is prepping for William’s upcoming nuptials to a much younger maid,…

Not every child wants a fright for Halloween, but they certainly don’t want to be left out of the fall fun. Here are a few not-so-scary picture books for sensitive celebrants. Anzu the Great Kaiju. By Benson Shum. Illus. by the author. 2021. Roaring Brook. K–Gr. 3. Rather than possessing a fearsome power like the rest of his kaiju family, Anzu has the ability to conjure flowers. A sweet and humorous take on belonging and being one’s authentic self. The Goblin Twins. By Frances Cha. Illus. by Jaime Kim. 2023. Crown. K–Gr. 3. When the abandoned building they call home is slated for demolition, adorable twin dokkaebi (Kebi and Doki) move from Korea to New York City just in time for Halloween. Gustavo, the Shy Ghost. By Flavia Z. Drago.…

Journalism & Publishing Scribners: Five Generations in Publishing. By Charles Scribner III. Nov. 2023. 224p. Globe Pequot, $27.95 (9781493079971); e-book (9781493079988). 070.5092. The story of the venerable Scribner’s publishing house is one of family, tradition, and a long track record of success. The first Charles Scribner (there are seven to date) founded the firm in 1846. Although the family surname is derived from scrivener, meaning scribe, an auspicious totem for a company in the book business, its bright future was by no means assured. When Charles married the daughter of railroad tycoon John Insley Blair, who owned more acres of land than any other American at the time, that felicitous match was affectionately deemed “failure insurance.” The first book Scribner’s published was The Puritans and Their Principles, a far cry…

The work of Lee Miller (1907–77) was rediscovered 20 years ago, prompting a flurry of books illuminating her daring and dramatic life and remarkable achievements as a fashion model, artist, celebrity photographer, and war correspondent who covered the horrors of the London Blitz, Normandy, Buchenwald, and Dachau with awesome presence of mind and transcendent artistry. A new book by her son, Antony Penrose, Lee Miller: Photographs, includes a foreword by Kate Winslet, who plays Miller in Lee, a just-released feature film. Miller’s experiences are heart-seizing and her virtuoso photographs are stunning and indelible as they capture humankind at our dazzling best and monstrous worst. The books below illuminate Miller from different perspectives and portray some of the artists in her circle. Agent Josephine: American Beauty, French Hero, British Spy. By…

Demon Slayer, by Koyoharu Gotouge, exploded onto the anime and manga scene with much of its popularity peaking in 2020, but as the anime continues to gain viewership in North America, this 23-volume manga series is still popular among library patrons. With its relatively low volume count, it’s a battle-manga that is easier for libraries to collect and keep in stock. There are some distinct arcs and places where purchasing could pause for those budget-conscious librarians looking to spread the wealth among many series, so I recommend sticking to these arcs if purchasing this series in chunks. Training and Intro: v.1–3. Gr. 7–12. When Tanjiro returns home to find his sister has become a demon and the rest of his family is murdered, he turns his quest for vengeance into…

Older Readers All That Consumes Us. By Erica Waters. Oct. 2023. 416p. HarperTeen, $19.99 (9780063115965). Gr. 9–12. In her first year at her exclusive Appalachian college, Tara Boone hoped to join the mysterious academic society Magni Viri—members receive full scholarships, allowing them to focus on academic pursuits while living in an atmospheric mansion. She didn’t get in, though, and now she’s working three campus jobs. When a troubling and tragic event vacates a spot for Tara in Magni Viri, she accepts, desperate for a chance to fulfill her dream of becoming a writer. Soon after she joins, however, she’s plagued by strange occurrences and disturbing nightmares. She suspects Magni Viri hides something sinister, but the other students in her cohort are tight-lipped. Stoker Award winner Waters pens an eerie academic…

Booklist’s first Documentary Preview presents nonfiction films of interest to libraries and discussion groups with recent and forthcoming release dates from over a dozen distributors. All information is provided by the film distributors and is subject to change. Running times, ISBNs, and formats are listed when known. View this list at Booklist Online (booklistonline.com) to read brief summaries for each film. Animals Apex Survival. Prod. By Johnny Beechler. Dir. by Johnny Beechler and Jakes Jordaan. 2023. 59m. Dreamscape Media. DVD (810071448621), DD (810071448621D). Bird Walk. Prod. By Cintia Cabib. 27m. Cintia Cabib. 2024. Horseshoe Crab Moon. Prod. by MediaSmith Films. Dir. by Mitchell Smith. 2023. 48m. Bullfrog Films. DVD (194874595X). Rowdy Girl. Prod. and Dir. by Jason Goldman, 2023. 72m. Collective Eye Films. Arts Anhell69. Dir. by Theo Montoya. 2022. 75m.…

I conic stars, enigmatic artists, gritty films, a barrier-breaking TV show, a musician who disappeared and one who reappeared, and a cultural aesthetic that weds art and science are the engrossing subjects of the ten most remarkable arts books reviewed in Booklist over the past year. Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures. Ed. by Kevin Strait and Kinshasha Holman Conwill. 2023. Smithsonian, $29.95 (9781588347404). This fascinating collection of essays and imagery assembled in sync with an exhibition at the National Museum of African American History and Culture displays the grand range of art, literature, and music that defines the Afrofuturist aesthetic. Cinema Speculation. By Quentin Tarantino. 2022. Harper, $35 (9780063112582). Academy Award–winning writer-director Tarantino has brewed up a dynamic mix of personal stories, film history, and cinematic critique focusing on…

Older Readers Different Kinds of Minds: A Guide to Your Brain. By Temple Grandin. Nov. 2023. 256p. illus. Philomel, $18.99 (9780593352878). Gr. 7–10. 150. This upbeat offering is part memoir, part plea for more hands-on educational experiences, and part explanation of how autistic people think and solve problems differently from what’s considered “normal.” Grandin, an internationally known, though controversial, animal communicator and autism ambassador, draws on the lives of famous thinkers and inventors along with personal experiences from her school days. Citing historical and contemporary examples, she shows how unique perspectives often result in innovative solutions (while stressing the importance of determination and grit). She brings in elements of biology, neurology, psychology, and sociology and, of course, recounts lots of anecdotes involving animals. An inclusive tone is maintained throughout, reassuring…