Five picks for April

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

Dissolution by Nicholas Binge (science fiction) – Maggie Webb has spent the last 10 years caring for her husband Stanley, whose memories are slowly disappearing. When a stranger shows up at her home and tells her that someone is purposefully removing Stanley’s memories, she is given the chance to save Stanley. Maggie dives into her husband's memories, uncovering a decades-old feud threatening reality itself. The science-fiction elements are clearly explained – the science does not bog down the story – and the relationship between Stanley and Maggie is a standout. While I thoroughly enjoyed the entire book, the ending is what truly makes the book; it is outstanding and so clever. This compelling and timely novel took me on a page-turning trek through memory and time. Dissolution will appeal to those who like intelligent and thought-provoking plots, Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, and strong storytelling.

The Eights by Joanna Miller (historical fiction) – Oxford, 1920. Oxford has admitted female students for the first time in its 1,000-year history. Exuberant about attending this historic university, four young and very different women move into rooms on the same hall and slowly develop an unlikely friendship. This compelling debut chronicles what it was like for these women to make history at Oxford while enduring hardship and pushback from men and women alike. Miller brings Oxford and the 1920s vividly to life as well as the suffrage movement. The women embrace the rapidly changing fashions of the time period, bob their hair, wait for Agatha Christie’s latest novel, and more. The Eights is an engrossing snapshot in time that highlights an important moment in women’s history set against the backdrop of World War I’s aftermath. This book will be a great fit for those who love interesting time periods in history and for fans of a strong sense of place. It will also make an engaging selection for book clubs.

The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner (fiction) – The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits follows two sisters, Cassie and Zoe, whose 2003 meteoric rise to musical fame occurs when they are just out of high school. Overweight and socially awkward, Cassie is a child prodigy, a gifted singer, songwriter, and pianist, who wants to embrace her love of music but not in the spotlight. Friendly and outgoing, Zoe is decently talented as a singer and on the guitar, but desperately wants to become a star. When fate intervenes, the two sisters are thrust into sudden stardom as the Griffin Sisters. But not even a year later, the duo mysteriously splits, and the two women fade back into their everyday lives. Two decades later, Zoe’s daughter is desperately trying to understand what happened and why. This family saga explores the high cost of fame, what happens when secrets are kept, and the deep bonds of both sisterhood and motherhood. Weiner addresses the music industry’s obsession with appearance and, in particular, its focus on insisting women must be thin. While this behavior is abhorrent, it is the way the industry operates, and I appreciate Weiner’s inclusion of this storyline and its impact on Cassie. This book will appeal to those who enjoy books about music and familial relationships. 

Heartwood by Amity Gaige (fiction/mystery) – Heartwood follows a search and rescue team racing against time when an experienced hiker disappears on the Appalachian Trail in Maine. The story is told through the perspectives of the rescue team, an armchair detective, interviews with other hikers, and letters the missing hiker wrote to her mother while on the trail. While the book is character driven, it is incredibly compelling, and the mystery inspires larger questions about the many ways in which we get lost and how we can be found. The cast of characters are delightful, and Gaige’s depictions of Maine and the Appalachian Trail are so vivid that they transport the reader to these locales. This book is a good fit for readers who enjoy a strong sense of place as well as for fans of beautiful writing and stories about nature and the outdoors.

The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper (historical fiction) – When a young librarian named Tildy discovers two mysterious and historic dollhouses in a hidden room at the San Francisco library where she works, she embarks on a journey that reveals hidden details about the miniatures. After locating clues masked within these dollhouses, Tildy begins to believe that Belva Curtis LeFarge, the influential heiress who established the library over 100 years ago, is relaying her final message. Spanning the course of a century, this book is a captivating story of secrets and love that embraces the importance of illuminating overlooked women from the past. I loved the entire book from the dollhouse story to the scarred World War 1 veterans recovering in the English countryside to Walt Disney’s Burbank studio in the 1950s. The Library of Lost Dollhouses is a must read for fans of heartwarming stories, the Thorne Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago, discovering forgotten histories, and books about human resilience and healing.

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.