Beth's Book List
Beth Hemke Shapiro hails from Chicago but is close to considering herself a native of Columbia after having lived here for more than two decades. With degrees in philosophy, law, and library science, Beth has enjoyed careers ranging from arts administrator to tax consultant to high school librarian. In her spare time Beth likes to travel, attend arts events, hang with her family, and read. Her favorite genres include literary fiction, speculative fiction, and current events.
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This book’s primary appeal stems from its inability to be pegged into a single genre. Part historical fiction (Annie Oakley), part science fiction (time travel), and part literary fiction (a struggling modern-day historian), Annie and the Wolves tackles abuse, secrets, and revenge. A fascinating story that leaves readers wondering how much our actions can influence the future.
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Santi and Thora relentlessly encounter each other in different lives and in different roles: as police partners, as lovers, as siblings. As they piece together more details about their previous lives, they—along with us—question fate, free-will, and purpose. An engrossing, thought-provoking debut novel that suggests vast possibilities and that climaxes to an amazing ending. Wide appeal for fans of Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life and David Levithan’s Every Day, with the addition of diverse central characters.
In THE REMOVED the line between the Cherokee spirit world and the earthly world exists fluidly. The loose delineation allows for an intense look at the effects of trauma on a people, a family, and individuals. Upon finishing, I wanted to do a 180 and reread to pick up additional details of the intertwined stories.
Recovering from her sister’s suicide, Freya falls under the spell of Byrne Hall—a mysterious, crumbling British seaside mansion—which houses the magnetic artist Cory and his bed-ridden mother. While Freya loses touch with day-to-day reality, she also uncovers secrets about her sister. THE WHISPERING HOUSE by Elizabeth Brooks is a hugely atmospheric gothic novel, perfect for readers who relish the psychological creepiness of Daphne Du Maurier’s well-known classic Rebecca.
Such a fabulously twisted mashup of sci fi, fantasy, horror, and mystery! The first installment of The Locked Tomb Trilogy, this book--with its irreverent protagonist and its political necromancers--is unlike anything I've ever read.
The plot of magic, mystery, and murder unfolds with displays of classism and elitism, as Galaxy "Alex" Stern--former high school dropout, addict, and newest "Dante" of Lethe House--monitors and confronts the magical activity at Yale's eight powerful secret societies.
The author of H is for Hawk returns with a glorious collection of essays about the natural world. A book that easily can be read straight-through, or, if desired, by chosen topic, be it goats, hares, or mushrooms.
Clarke imagines a bizarre, other-wordly labyrinth, with unique classical statues contained in endless rooms that frequently flood with ocean tides. I found the book weirdly immersive, and it creeps along with its own peculiar suspense.
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A remarkably thorough history of the conservation movement. A valuable and necessary addition to US history, especially as climate change brings the probability of further extinctions.
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Perfect for reading on a dark and creepy afternoon, Lanchester's stories crescendo to epitomize the horror of the digital age.