Sure, everyone likes beautiful things. Okay, to err on the side of caution, an overwhelming amount of the populace likes beautiful things. Of course, this overwhelming amount of the populace has different ideas of what constitutes beautiful.
Well, as the population of one that owns and runs this blog, these two books are about things that fall into my perception of beautiful.
All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley- In the face of his older brother’s cancer diagnosis, Patrick Bringley leaves his fledgling career at The New Yorker and takes a job as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. What was supposed to be a temporary solace becomes a second home for a decade. The book offers a behind-the-scenes look at a famous art museum’s inner workings as well as insight into some of the art and artists.
What I loved about this book was that it was an intimate look at how the art museum works. It allows the reader to form a connection with the art museum and the people who work there, as well as the art and artists. It’s interesting, but it also has a soothing undertone to it. It’s like the pages are infused with a comforting hush. There’s also Bringley’s story of his older brother and his battle with cancer. You understand why he’d seek solace in the art museum.
Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive by Eliot Stein- Eliot Stein takes a deep and vivid look at ten of the oldest and most endangered traditions in the world, including the world’s rarest pasta; saving a 700 year old soy sauce recipe’s secret ingredient; Scandinavia’s last night watchman; a tree with its own mailbox; and Cuba’s last official cigar factory readers.
Did I cry a few times while reading this book? Yes. I don’t think I’d heard of any of the customs and/or traditions in this book, but I ended up looking up several of them -like the last Inca rope bridge in Peru- to get a better understanding of them. There’s a hopeful, but forlorn vibe to many of the stories, like the last watchman. Who is going to take over these traditions and these customs? It’s so easy to get invested in their continued existence. And with the final entry in the book, the readers have to accept that it may not be possible to save them all.
I hope these books introduce you to some new beauties. And if they don’t, check your beholder.
A Ghost in Shining Armor by Therese Beharrie–Gemma Daniels has the ability to see ghosts and she likes to help them settle their unfinished business. Which is good because the stranger she kissed on a bet was actually a ghost and her kiss turned him solid. Now Levi has a second chance at life if he helps Gemma reunite with her long-lost sister. Meanwhile, Levi has some sibling issues of his own that Gemma wants to help him work out. And there’s the whole being super attracted to each other business, which is kind of a problem given the whole ghost thing.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna–Mika Moon is one of few witches in Britain. As a rule, witches aren’t supposed to mingle or be open about their witchy-ness, but Mika likes to post videos of herself pretending to be a witch because she’s sure no one will take her seriously. Until one day, someone does. She’s summoned to Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their powers. Breaking the no mingling rule, Mika takes up the task, which moves her into Nowhere House and into the not-so-good-graces of Jamie, the Nowhere House Librarian who is very protective of the girls, which is something they have in common.
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston–August is living her cynical life in New York City, living with weird roommates and working at a 24 hour pancake diner when she has a chance encounter with a gorgeous woman on the subway. Jane isn’t like other girls. Literally. She’s displaced in time and stuck on the subway train. August is determined to help Jane get back to her time, but the more time she and Jane spend with each other, the harder it will be to let her go.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Scwartz- Folklore stories collected and retold by Alvin Scwartz and illustrated by Stephen Gammell in a way that scarred an entire generation, the book found resurgence when a film version was made in 2019. But for some of us, this book never went away. It was often an ’80s/’90s kid’s first introduction to literary horror and our first exposure to urban legends. 
The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin- This series of books about a group of teenage babysitters dealing with the challenges of child-minding and growing up was adapted twice as a television show, once as a movie, and is now available as a graphic novel, which I think is pretty cool. The series covers everything from dating to divorce to blended families to death to diabetes to learning disabilities to racism. There were also Super Specials and a Mystery series, as well.
The Midnight Club by Christopher Pike- A group of terminally ill teens living in a hospice get together at midnight to tell each other stories. According to author Christopher Pike, the book was the result of a request from a terminally ill teen who wrote to Pike and asked him to write about her and the other kids in her group who would meet at midnight to discuss his books. It was adapted as a TV series in 2022.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie- The first Hercule Poirot mystery. A rich older woman is done in by a dose of strychnine and she’s got a house full of suspects, most notably her younger husband and one of her stepsons from an earlier husband’s previous marriage. Poirot has no trouble figuring out this murder is a real family affair.
A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle- The first Sherlock Holmes mystery. Split into two parts, the first part details Watson coming to live with Holmes and the two of them investigating first the murder of a man named Drebber and then the murder of his secretary, a man named Stangerson. Naturally, Holmes solves the murder, and the second part of the book is the murderer’s back story. There are Mormons. I wasn’t expecting that.
Having Wonderful Crime by Craig Rice- Number seven in the John J. Malone and Jake and Helen Justus series finds Jake and Helen on vacation in New York City when they befriend a drunk bridegroom whose wedding night ends up a horror show when his bride disappears and a beheaded woman is found in her bed. Jake and Helen then call on their friend, attorney John J. Malone, to come from Chicago to help them solve this baffling mystery.
The Sunset Years of Agatha Sharp by Leonie Swann- The aging residents of Sunset Hall, a house share owned by Agatha Sharp, are stunned to hear that their neighbor has been murdered and thrilled that the body the police are currently investigating isn’t the one in their shed. The logical thing for Agatha and her housemates to do is find out who killed their neighbor so they can pin housemate Lilith’s death on them. The investigation takes them all over the village of Duck End as they try to unravel the mystery because of course, nothing is as easy as it seems.
She Kills Me: The True Stories of History’s Deadliest Women by Jennifer Wright- Covering forty women, the book explains how they killed for a variety of reasons, including revenge, fear, necessity, and pleasure. Grouped by motives and/or means, there are poisoners, avenging angels, husband killers, family killers, mercenaries, women scorned, and women who would have made the grade on the ol’ psychopath test. Something for everyone, really.
Unbecoming a Lady: The Forgotten Sluts and Shrews Who Shaped America by Therese O’Neill- It’s no secret that women tend to get left out of the history books. This book works to put 18 of them back in, so to speak. These are the women you wanted to learn about in history class because they were so ballsy that some of the milquetoast white guys you had to learn about would clutch their pearls in the presence of these women. In fact, some of them did because one of the women -Dr. Mary Edwards Walker- wore pants in public.
Second Chances in New Port Stephen by T.J. Alexander- Eli Ward is returning to his hometown of New Port Stephen, Florida, a very different person than when he left. Post-transition and sober, Eli finds himself moving in with his parents just in time for the Christmas holidays after the star of the TV show he was writing for decided to embroil himself in a scandal and put Eli out of work, something his parents don’t know. Running into his high school ex Nick Wu is the last thing Eli expects or wants, but the dedicated divorced dad with a busy life sparks a rekindling that could go beyond friends.
Stars Collide by Rachel Lacey- Eden Sands has been a pop star for twenty years, but after the break-up of her marriage, the flop of her last album, and a tour unsold out, she’s finding her star status dimming. She needs a boost, but balks at the possibility of doing a duet with up and coming pop star Anna Moss at the Grammy’s. Anna is desperate to be taken seriously and dueting with her idol Eden Sands could do that for her. When the two of them finally come together, it turns out that they’re better suited for each other than they thought.
What the Dead Know: Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator by Barbara Butcher- True Crime non-fiction with a memoir twist, Barbara Butcher was in the early stages of alcoholism recovery when she lucked into a job at the Medical Examiner’s Office and became the second woman death investigator in New York City. She loved the work and it turned out she was really good at it. It could be grueling, gruesome, morbid, and sometimes dangerous. It’s the kind of work that can only be compartmentalized for so long before that box breaks down.
Personal Effects: What Recovering the Dead Teaches Me About Caring for the Living by Robert A. Jensen- Another book that’s part memoir, this one delves into the world of disaster recovery. Did you ever think about what happens after a major disaster like a tidal wave or airplane crash or building collapse? Someone has to go in there to retrieve the bodies and their possessions. Robert Jensen is the owner of the world’s largest disaster management company. He and his teams do the unthinkable: recover the dead after a mass casualty event. His team has responded to incidents all over the world, including 9/11, the Bali Bombings, the 2004 South Asian Tsunami, and the 2010 Haitian Earthquake, working to give the survivors what they can of the victims.
All the Living and the Dead by Hayley Campbell- This book covers all of the death-related careers you could think of and a few that you never dreamed of. There are the traditional jobs like funeral directors, embalmers, and grave diggers. Then there are the jobs that you’d rather not think about like executioners and crime scene cleaners. There are jobs that are kind of far out there like in cryogenics. And then there are the gigs that you didn’t even know existed. Did you know people still make death masks?
The Breakbeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop, edited by Kevin Coval, Quraysh Ali Lansana, and Nate Marshall- This is the first of The Breakbeat Poets anthologies which include Black Girl Magic, Halal If You Hear Me, and LatiNext. I will one day acquire them all. Until then, let’s talk about this one. It features 78 poets born between 1961 and 1999 writing about the experience of existence in the moment.
Black Queer Hoe by Britteney Black Rose Kapri- Isn’t that title to die for? Tackling questions of identity, sexuality, and power, these poems pull no punches in their exploration and reclamation. The slim volume of poetry is packed with honesty, emotion, and humor. Some of it’s downright raw, but it’s all unapologetic, and I love that. It doesn’t flinch.
Citizen Illegal by José Olivarez- Another slim volume, it packs within its pages and poems reflections on race, ethnicity, immigrants, and racism. Latinx lives and Chicago scenes come alive. It’s honest and funny and emotional.
Love at 350° by Lisa Peers- On the very mild end of the spice scale, we have love during a TV baking contest. Tori Moore is a high school chemistry teacher with dreams of opening her own bakery. With an empty nest looming, her twins get her an audition on American Bake-o-Rama, where she meets Kendra Campbell, the notoriously tough judge, who’s going through her own life upheaval. It takes no time for the two of them to develop heart eyes for each other, but there’s a clause in the contract about fraternizing that would cost them both dearly. 
Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner- And on the absolute other end of the spice spectrum, we have a May-December romance with one big complication. Cassie Klein uses Family Weekend at college to go off-campus and ends up landing a very hot one-night stand with an older woman…who turns out to be the mom of one of her best friends at school. Oops! Erin Bennett wasn’t meaning to hook-up with a college student when she went to visit her daughter at school and she definitely didn’t mean for it to be her daughter’s friend.
Deadhouse: Life in a Coroner’s Office by John Temple- The book follows three deputy coroners -Ed Strimlan, Mike Chichwak, and Tiffani Hunt- working in a coroner’s office in Pittsburgh. We get to know them, their work, their coworkers, some history of both the field and the area they work, and of course, some grisly details about the cases they investigate -and all the hang-ups that come along with investigating, like the sights, the smells, and the politics. 
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes & Other Lessons From the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty- As a twenty-something with a degree in medieval history and flair for the morbid, Caitlin Doughty took a job in a crematory and quickly found herself pursuing her life’s work. The book provides explanations of the cremation practice, some history involving how people lay their dead to rest, and answers questions you didn’t know you needed the answers to, like how many bodies can you fit in a Dodge van and how do you get cremains out of your clothes?
Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden Histories of America’s Cemeteries by Greg Melville- Working in his hometown cemetery in college led Greg Melville to ponder the rich history of America’s burial grounds. He visited several for the book, including Arlington, Hollywood Forever, Boothill Cemetery, Colonial Jewish Burial Ground, Central Park, and Chapel of the Chimes. Each place of eternal rest exhumed more and more of our country’s history and the final resting places of our dead.
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