The Impossible Thing by Belinda Bauer — Who knew that illegal egg collecting was a thing? Who knew I would be completely drawn into this mystery solved over two timelines in early 20th century Yorkshire and present day Wales. I learned about the very real crime of collecting and hoarding wild bird eggs. At age 52, it’s exciting to read about something you’ve never even glancingly heard of on the news or in school. But even more than the topic, the characters of Celie and Patrick kept me reading this book in one sitting. This books scratches the Possession itch.
One Death at a Time by Abbi Waxman — A romp of a mystery set in the world of Hollywood and AA. The program is the level setter for characters making their way in the world of entertainment. Making young Mason the sobriety sponsor for glamourous movie star Julia is a great trick for bringing the generations and the classes together. A typical thriller trope is that the sleuths are always trying to get to eat or sleep, but crimes and danger keep getting in the way. In this book, the characters are always trying to get to a meeting, and I loved how Waxman used AA to play with mystery themes.
Murder Takes A Vacation by Laura Lippman —A good, old fashioned caper. Cruise ships, old ladies, Europe, art crimes, fun. What more do you need to know? Lippman keeps the plot moving and the writing tight. This was my first Laura Lippman read, not sure how. I’m going to Baltimore for work in early August, and I think diving into the Tess Monaghan series will be my airplane reading.
33 Place Brugmann by Alice Austen — Calling it now: my favorite book of 2025. A novel set in Brussels during the Second World War, centered on one apartment building and it inhabitants. The book opens in 1939 as a Jewish art dealer and his family manage to get out of Belgium just in time and then follows the rest of the people at 33 Place Brugmann as they try to survive the war. Everyone is reading Wittgenstein and making art while also making life-and-death decisions. Moving and well done.
Watching: Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee: I love a game show, I love spelling, and I love comedian Aaron Chen. So the Australian version of this show seems like it was made for me. Full episodes come and go on youtube due to copyright, so you have to keep your eyes open. Guy Montgomery developed the show online during COVID followed by live shows, a New Zealand version, and now a high-production Australian version with co-star Chen. If you prefer your game shows zany, this is for you. Bonus points for the gorgeous production design that calls back to golden age game shows like “What’s My Line?” and “Match Game.”