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.

Small Book, Big Message

This multi-layered book makes every page count. Using the Christmas season as a backdrop, the author shines a light on what drives the characters' little town--the Church and its supposed good works. Protagonist Bill Furlong, an admirable husband, dad, employee and all-around good guy, has a past of his own which is intertwined with the questionable assumptions of the general citizenry. When he makes an unexpected discovery, he has a decision to make. This book, delivering a very different Christmas message than the usual "holly jolly" was a quick read but will stay in my mind for a long time.