Small Tale of Big Dysfunction

Wayne, the third boy of four, grew up in "the Goulds", a Newfoundland neighborhood many aspired to leave. With parents who were intelligent but flawed and perpetually short on funds, the family was always struggling to stay afloat. Factor in Wayne's mysterious ailment(s)--coughing uncontrollably, unable to keep food down, stunted growth, weakness--and life was even more challenging, especially for him. His quirky grandma, Lucy, was his primary companion, guide and all-around resource for much of his childhood. Funny at times but often frustrating, you keep having to remind yourself that he does, in fact, survive his parents' questionable choices and the childhood that gave him.

Makes Sense of Us

Smarty-pants writer Jackie Higgins researches the dickens out of this topic of animal senses and how they can shine a light on our own functions. There's so much research that it began to feel like I was reading a master's thesis. She's delivered a book jam-packed with data, but I was looking for something more akin to fun facts. If you LOVE information, dig in. If you like it more on the light side, this might be a bit overloaded for you too. I got through it, but sometimes this many details thrown at me makes me forget, well, almost everything. Hopefully I'll remember this one point: her books are too meaty for me.

Sometimes You Know What's in the Box

Madeline is a bookshop owner who carries the weight of being the witness to her friend's murder many years back. The murderer was Evan Handy, a handsome new arrival in her town and school. He was convicted, and she began rebuilding her life in the cozy routine of book selling. That is, until other young women began to disappear, stirring up questions asked by a snooping podcaster and resurrecting her own horrible memories. It had the makings of a good holiday whodunit, but in the early stages of the tale, I'd figured it out. Bah humbug.