“There is always in February some one day, at least, when one smells the yet distant, but surely coming, summer.”
— Gertrude Jekyll

Sticky: The Secret Science of Surfaces by Laurie Winkless

from the publisher: In Sticky, Laurie Winkless explores some of the ways that friction shapes both the manufactured and natural worlds, and describes how our understanding of surface science has given us an ability to manipulate stickiness, down to the level of a single atom. But this apparent success doesn’t tell the whole story. Each time humanity has pushed the boundaries of science and engineering, we’ve discovered that friction still has a few surprises up its sleeve.

Publisher: ‎Bloomsbury Sigma (February 1, 2022)
Language: English
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN-10: ‎1472950836


The Maid by Nita Prose

from the publisher: Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by. A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.

Our narrator Molly is a special voice. Her story could be uninteresting, but her telling makes it a fun read.

Publisher: ‎Ballantine Books (January 4, 2022)
Language: ‎English
Hardcover: ‎304 pages
ISBN-10: ‎0593356152


Murder at Teal’s Pond: Hazel Drew and the Mystery That Inspired Twin Peaks by David Bushman

From the publisher: In 1908, Hazel Drew was found floating in a pond in Sand Lake, New York, beaten to death. The unsolved murder inspired rumors, speculation, ghost stories, and, almost a century later, the phenomenon of Twin Peaks. Who killed Hazel Drew? Like Laura Palmer, she was a paradox of personalities―a young, beautiful puzzle with secrets. Perhaps the even trickier question is, Who was Hazel Drew?

It’s a well-researched true crime book that can get into the weeds at times. There are lots of characters and the writer sometimes gets ahead of the story. Still, taking a second look at a century-old mystery.

Read via NetGalley.
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer (January 1, 2022)
Language: English
Hardcover: 364 pages
ISBN-10: 1542026431


The Churchill Sisters: The Extraordinary Lives of Winston and Clementine’s Daughters by Dr. Rachel Trethewey

from the publisher: Bright, attractive and well-connected, in any other family the Churchill girls – Diana, Sarah, Marigold and Mary – would have shone. But they were not in another family, they were Churchills, and neither they nor anyone else could ever forget it. Drawing on previously unpublished family letters from the Churchill archives, The Churchill Sisters brings Winston’s daughters out of the shadows and tells their remarkable stories for the first time.

I very much wanted to love this one but it was a jumble. The narrative thread jumps around — even certain sentences require two or three readings to understand. It was frustrating to read and disappointing since the author had clearly done amazing research.

Read via NetGalley.
Publisher: ‎St. Martin’s Press (December 7, 2021)
Language: ‎English
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-10: ‎1250272394


Hear No Evil by Sarah Smith

from the publisher: In the burgeoning industrial city of Glasgow in 1817 Jean Campbell – a young, Deaf woman – is witnessed throwing a child into the River Clyde from the Old Bridge.
Based on a landmark case in Scottish legal history Hear No Evil is a richly atmospheric exploration of nineteenth-century Edinburgh and Glasgow at a time when progress was only on the horizon. A time that for some who were silenced could mean paying the greatest price.

A truly remarkable story told in a creative way.

Read via NetGalley.
Publisher: ‎John Murray Press (February 3, 2022)
Language: ‎English
Hardcover: 352 pages
ISBN-10: ‎1529369096


The Man Who Tasted Words: A Neurologist Explores the Strange and Startling World of Our Senses by Dr. Guy Leschziner

from the publisher: Vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch are what we rely on to perceive the reality of our world. In The Man Who Tasted Words, neurologist Guy Leschziner explores how our nervous systems define our worlds and how we can, in fact, be victims of falsehoods perpetrated by our own brains.

The author chooses interesting case studies to highlight various neurological oddities. He writes about his patients kindly and relates their conditions to how they affect their everyday lives.

Publisher: ‎St. Martin’s Press (February 22, 2022)
Language: English
Hardcover: 336 pages
ISBN-10: 125027236X