“Debut author Geary has written an engaging psychological thriller set in rural Oregon. But is he truly converting them, or is his faith leading them astray? Questions abound: Why wasn’t his wife allowed to accompany him? Why is everyone in the human base camp uninterested in the catastrophes that are befalling Earth while they are light years away? Why was Peter’s appointment as pastor to the aliens so urgent? Faber does a great job addressing the question of faith and its consequences. “Peter Leigh is an evangelical Christian pastor whose mission to serve the Lord leads him into space, where he ministers to an alien race. The Book of Strange New Things: A Novel, by Michel Faber I enjoyed it immensely.” -Demi Marshall, Park Road Books, Charlotte, NC Cumming’s early life was a struggle and he hardly shies from relating details, but the driving force behind this book is the demonstration of the many ways one can bring oneself to peace after hardship. The pace is perfect, the presentation truly lovely, and I felt like a close friend rather than an impersonal audience. Cumming’s memoir is a gorgeous, intimate conversation and it reads beautifully. “Every so often reading a memoir feels like a conversation rather than a strict narrative or - the death knell for memoir - a self-indulgent romp down memory lane. #1 Pick: Not My Father’s Son: A Memoir, by Alan Cumming

The bird skinner by alice greenway