Some of the best local reads of 2023 | Book Talk
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The end of the year is when we take a look at some books that made an impression.
In fiction, Akron author Alan Hlad’s fourth historical novel “The Book Spy” is about a woman whose library job is a cover for her World War II underground work. “Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl” by Akron native Renée Rosen finds a former socialite associating with cosmetics queen Estée Lauder in the late 1930s. “Cleveland Noir” is a collection by some of Northeast Ohio’s best storytellers. “The Heart of It All” by Christian Kiefer is about a troubled small Ohio town. Former Beacon Journal writer Thrity Umrigar’s “The Museum of Failures” is a powerful family drama. William Zink’s “The Bagger” captures the essence of Akron in the 1980s.
The mystery field yielded some fine books this year. “Original Sins,” a contemporary noir by Bob Houlihan, does not disappoint. “The End of the Road” is a fine crime novel by Andrew Welsh Huggins, author of the Andy Hayes detective series. “Killingly” is a brilliant historical mystery by College of Wooster Professor Katharine Beutner.
Several fine mysteries were continuations of series: “Past Imperfect,” second in Joshua Cohen’s noir series about a 1950s Cleveland private detective; “What Harms You,” second in an excellent forensic mystery series by former Cleveland author Lisa Black. “Go Find Daddy” is third in the Ed Runyon detective series by Jeromesville author Steve Goble and Linda Castillo’s “An Evil Heart” is 15th in an exciting series about a police chief in a small Holmes County town.
A couple of mysteries were the inaugural entries in series: “No Mistaking Death” is first in an announced series by Shelley Costa and “Of Manners and Murder” is the inaugural entry in Anastasia Hasting’s 1880s-set historical mystery series.
In memoirs, Akron native Kelley Shinn tells of her international travels as a double amputee in “The Wounds That Bind Us.”
In children’s books, “How Do You Spell Unfair? MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee” by Carole Boston Weatherford is a storybook about the 13-year-old Akron girl who faced discrimination in 1936. “The World’s Worst Time Machine” is a middle-grade novel by Dustin Brady of Cleveland; “Roy Fox and the Palmatian” is a charming fable by Wooster medievalist C. Dale Brittain.
In nonfiction, “A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe” by Mark Dawidziak releases Poe from his cultural caricature. “Midwest Pies: Recipes that Shaped a Region” by Cleveland designer Meredith Pangracean is an easygoing combination of cookbook and history lesson.
“Little, Crazy Children: A True Crime Tragedy” by Akron journalist James Renner tells the grim story of a Shaker Heights student who was murdered in 1990. In “Dream Town: Shaker Heights and the Quest for Racial Equity,” Shaker Heights native Laura Meckler examines the complicated history of the Cleveland suburb. “This Is Christmas Song by Song: The Stories Behind 100 Holiday Hits” by Cleveland author Annie Zaleski studies seasonal music.
“Breaking Through the Lines: The Marion Motley Story” by former Beacon Journal sportswriter David Lee Morgan Jr. tells of the lines of racism and segregation endured by of one of the first Black players in the NFL. In “Follis: Greatness Transcends,” former Beacon Journal sportswriter Ralph N. Paulk argues that Charles Follis should be in the Football Hall of Fame.
“The Beginning Was the End: Devo in Ohio” by former Beacon Journal columnist David Giffels and Jade Dellinger presents the influential Akron-born band’s formation and early success. “Joe Thomas: Not Your Average Joe – The Authorized Biography from Wisconsin to Cleveland to the Hall of Fame” by Marc Bona and Dan Murphy is a comprehensive look at the nice-guy athlete.
Event
Akron-Summit County Public Library (Richfield branch, 3761 S. Grant St.): Amber Sawyer signs her children’s book “Born to Race,” about her harness racehorse, 2 to 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Email information about books of local interest, and event notices at least two weeks in advance to BeaconBookTalk@gmail.com and bjnews@thebeaconjournal.com. Barbara McIntyre tweets at @BarbaraMcI.
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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Some of the best local reads of 2023 | Book Talk
