As we reach the midway point of another calendar year, a number of publications have released their first-semester report cards for books released since January.
Predictably, volunteers with the Tucson Festival of Books have their own thoughts about that. Here are some of their selections for Best Book of the Year (So Far):
“HٷɴǴǻ” by Amity Gaige was a Jenna Book Club pick that will keep readers guessing from first page to last. The story swirls around Valerie Gillis, an experienced Appalachian Trail hiker who goes missing on the trail, 200 miles from her destination. As we meet those trying to find her, we are reminded that all of us are searching for something, even if we aren’t in the Appalachians. — Gay Vernon
“Careless People” is a startling personal memoir by Sarah Wynn-Williams, a former director of public policy at Facebook. Equal parts funny, absurd and horrifying, it takes us behind the scenes with rich and powerful people — and explores the impact social media can have on our everyday lives. — Lindy Mullinax
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“Old School Indian” by Aaron John Curtis is an irreverent coming-of-middle-age story featuring Abe Jacobs, a Mohawk who left the reservation at age 18, thinking he’d never be back. But when life knocks him sideways, 25 years later, he returns in the hope of finding health, happiness, and maybe even himself. — Lynn Wiese Sneyd
“Cooler Than Cool” by C.M. Kushins is a richly detailed biography of the late Elmore Leonard, whose 45 bestselling novels included “Gunsights,” a tale set in Tucson. One of the top crime writers in the history of American fiction, Leonard attended the first four Tucson Festivals of Books from 2009-12. — Helene Woodhams
“The Stolen Queen” is the latest from the new queen of historical fiction, Fiona Davis. This time, she connects a 1936 archaeological dig in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt to the disappearance of a rare Egyptian artifact the night before the annual Met Gala in 1978. Among the suspects is Hathorkare, one of Egypt’s few female pharaohs. — Pamela Treadwell-Rubin
“I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com” by book festival alum Kimberly Lemming is a delightful romp featuring a young biology student who is attacked by a lion … and then rescued by aliens from another planet. Once there, she falls in love — with two of them! — Jessica Pryde
“When the Earth Was Green” by book festival alum Riley Black is a beautiful and insightful look at the longstanding relationship between prehistoric plants and life on Earth. — Jennifer Casteix
“Tetra Nova” is an operatic novel by poet and University of Arizona graduate Sophia Terazawa. It is a story featuring a Roman goddess named Lua Mater and her new protégé, Emi. In this dreamscape of a tale, they visit temples in Japan, the mountains north of Tucson, and a refugee camp off the coast of Malaysia to see where Emi belongs. — Cameron Quan
“Shadow of the Solstice” by Tucsonan Anne Hillerman takes us to Shiprock, Navajo Nation, New Mexico, where tribal police officers Jim Chee and Bernadette Manuelito are awaiting the arrival of a U.S. cabinet secretary from Washington. There is a uranium mine, a body, and a Navajo teenager missing in Phoenix, too. — Tricia Clapp
“Nٲ” by Michael Connelly is new in a variety of ways. Released last month, “Nٲ” introduces Connelly fans to a new character — a sheriff’s sergeant named Stillwell — and a new location: Catalina Island. Predictably, trouble finds him there. — Pamela Treadwell-Rubin
“MܰԻ” by Caroline Fraser is a true-crime study of the American Northwest, looking for reasons why, in the name of Ted Bundy, the region produced so many serial killers in the 1970s and ‘80s. — Tricia Clapp
“MԲ” by first-time novelist Veronica Chapa blends history and myth in a reimagining of Malinalli, also known as “La Malinche,” the enigmatic interpreter for conquistador Hernán Cortés. It is a must-read for fans of magical realism and stories that challenge traditional views of history. — Smantha Neville
“Can’t Get Enough” by Kennedy Ryan is a modern romance story starring Hendrix Barry, a young woman who has it all. Well-loved by friends and family, she has found fame and fortune by making all the right choices along the way. Then she meets Maverick Bell. — Jessica Pryde
“My Friends” is another rich, uplifting tale from Swedish novelist Fredrik Bachman. In this one he explores the power of friendship and art, the pivot point being a famous painting that shows three young children sitting on the end of a pier. — Bill Finley
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