“Let’s Go Crazy: Prince and the Making of Purple Rain” by Alan Light
The title alone was enough to make me read the book, but if you need a little more info, here it is: 2014 marks the 30th anniversary of Prince’s “Purple Rain” masterpieces: the film, the song, and the album. Light delves deep into the story behind Prince’s semi-autobiographical tale that spawned one of the most enduring albums in history and turned Prince into a music legend. Filled with interviews of people close to the album and the film, this will have you breaking out your lacy fingerless black gloves in no time.
“The Bishop’s Wife”
by Mette Ivie Harrison
Harrison has written a tense story about a missing woman in a Mormon community. Linda Wallheim is a devout Mormon and mother of five, as well as the wife of the … wait for it …bishop. And as the bishop’s wife, it’s her role to comfort another Mormon family after Carrie, a young mother, goes missing. Carrie’s husband says she ran away and left him and their young daughter behind. But Linda finds Carrie’s husband abhorrent and Carrie’s father even more so, and begins to suspect that maybe Carrie didn’t leave her home willingly. Despite the protests of her husband, Linda begins her own investigation.
“The Year of Reading Dangerously: How Fifty Great Books
(and Two Not-So-Great Ones) Saved My Life”
by Andy Miller
As critic and author Miller’s 40th birthday approached, he began ruminating on the fact that he was not nearly as well read as he wished to be, so he set off on a reading journey. Starting with “The Master and the Margarita,” Miller was determined to read books he felt would help define someone as “well read” — “A Confederacy of Dunces,” “Anna Karenina,” and so on. The results are a wonderful book about the power of reading and how books can actually change your life.
“Five” by Ursula Archer
Nothing says “Happy holidays!” like a gruesome crime thriller! When a woman’s body is discovered in a field, Detective Inspector Beatrice Kaspary must find the killer — using clues tattooed on the bottom of the body’s feet. These lead her to more grisly discoveries, and it becomes evident the killer is playing a game. Can Kaspary follow the bloody trail in time to stop the killer from striking again? “Five” is super suspenseful and well-written, but not for the faint of heart.
“Cold Storage, Alaska” by John Straley
Miles McCahon has been leading a quiet life in the small town of Cold Storage, caring for his ailing mother and working as a health care provider for the town’s inhabitants. But when his ex-con older brother, Clive, is released from prison and decides to return home to Alaska, trouble follows. Hot on Clive’s heels are his psychopathic ex-business partner with a score to settle and an Alaskan state trooper looking to catch Clive in the act. It’s like an episode of “Northern Exposure” written by Elmore Leonard. In other words: awesome.