Five picks for November

Buzz Reads is a column about books by reviewer Cindy Burnett. Each month, Cindy recommends five recently or soon-to-be released titles.

I’m Starting to Worry about This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin (fiction) – Lyft driver Abbott nervously accepts an offer of $200,000 cash to transport a woman named Ether across the country with a large black box. But she has a list of rules he must follow: he cannot look inside the box; he cannot ask questions about the box; he cannot tell anyone what he is doing; they must leave immediately; and he must leave all trackable devices behind. What ensues is a hilarious and timely tale about the way technology and the internet have completely overrun our lives. As the internet community speculates about what’s in the box as well as sparking rumors that this duo is preparing to launch a terror attack, the tension mounts. A variety of characters narrate the story, which works particularly well and so many thought-provoking issues are raised. I’m Starting to Worry about This Black Box of Doom will appeal to fans of quirky, unique, and creative stories and is well worth the read.

Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp by Michelle Moran (historical fiction) – This story of family, loss, and the difficult choices people sometimes have to make is a powerful reminder that the truth is usually more layered and nuanced than the stories brought to the screen in Hollywood. Moran’s historical fiction tale follows the life of the von Trapp family’s complicated matriarch through a dual timeline narrative that follows Maria’s life in Austria from her early years through meeting the von Trapps and the creation of the Broadway musical several decades later as Oscar Hammerstein works on the Broadway musical about the von Trapp family. Readers will most likely be surprised to learn that Maria was the disciplinarian of the family, that she was not initially in love with Captain von Trapp but married him for the kids, and that the family did not escape in the night over the Alps to freedom. The details about her early years and how they informed her life as well as how she unsuccessfully petitioned Hammerstein to alter aspects of the Broadway musical are fascinating and kept me turning the pages. Moran includes an in-depth Author’s Note about her research as well as what happened to each von Trapp family member. Fans of The Sound of Music and historical fiction novels will love this one.

The Man in Black & Other Stories by Elly Griffiths (short stories) – Elly Griffiths takes a break from her Ruth Galloway, Harbinder Kaur, and Max Mephisto series to pen this fabulous collection of short stories. While some of them include her series characters, many are standalone tales and even those referencing her beloved characters can be easily enjoyed without reading her previous books. These vignettes cover a broad range of genres including ghost stories, psychological suspense, cozy tales, and even some horror as well as a story narrated by a cat. My favorites include Articulation, Castles in the Air, Turning Traitor, and What I Saw From the Sky. It is easy to dip in and out of this collection, and certain characters in one story make appearances in others, creating a thread that runs throughout the book. This book will appeal to fans of short stories and Elly Griffiths as well as serving as a great introduction to her writing for those who have not read her books before.

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman (mystery)  – In We Solve Murders, Richard Osman takes a break from The Thursday Murder Club series to launch a new series about a daughter-in-law, Amy Wheeler, and father-in-law, Steve Wheeler, duo who get drawn into a murder plot that is endangering Amy’s life. Amy is employed as a bodyguard for Maximum Impact Solutions, a personal security company, whose latest assignment takes her to a private island in South Carolina where she is charged with guarding a famous author, Rosie D’Antonio. When they are attacked, the two go on the run around the world and eventually bring Steve into the mix to help them solve the ever-growing number of murders targeting influencers that are tied to Amy. The clever mystery, authentic characters, and humorous dialogue and scenes combine to make this one a winner. This book is a good fit for Thursday Murder Club fans, mystery readers, and those who enjoy a fast-paced story.

What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World’s Most Familiar Bird by Sy Montgomery (nonfiction) – This short, delightful book by National Book Award finalist Sy Montgomery delves into the lives of chickens, particularly her flock of hens she dubbed the Ladies. Adding to her collection of books about the octopus, the hummingbird, and the hawk, What the Chicken Knows highlights the things that make these birds so remarkable: some of them like to be held and cuddled; chickens have different levels of intelligence and distinctive personality characteristics; they have individual voices so that no chicken sounds the same as any another chicken; and they communicate with at least 24 distinct calls including numerous calls signaling distress or an emergency. While Montgomery is familiar with these details about chickens, she realized over time that most other humans are not; instead, they know surprising little about this very common bird, so she sets out to change that with humorous anecdotes and her engaging narrative style. This charming book will make a great gift at the holidays or as a hostess gift and will appeal to animal lovers as well.

Editor’s note: Book reviewer Cindy Burnett also writes our weekly Page Turners column. She hosts an award-winning book podcast entitled Thoughts from a Page Podcast www.thoughtsfromapage.com, runs the Instagram account @thoughtsfrompage, and regularly speaks to groups about books