The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller

 Freya Lockwood has been estranged from her mentor/father figure, Arthur Crockleford, since a disastrous incident in Cairo Egypt 20 years earlier. Now in her 40's, Freya is drawn back into a world of complex emotions when she finds out that Arthur has been murdered, but left clues for her and her flamboyant aunt Carol to find his murderer.  Their search leads the two women into the world of the illegal antiquities market and they must use all their wit and charm to expose the villains without becoming victims themselves. 

Here is a new flavor of cozy mystery.  There are the cooking mysteries, and the knitting club mysteries, and now antique hunter mysteries.  It is the author's first novel, and there were a few writing elements that were a little amateurish.  Still, the plot is well constructed, with a lot of interesting suspects and clues.  I ended up enjoying it and will probably at some point read the sequel.  I personally am not really into antiques, and if someone was, they would especially enjoy this novel.  The author is the daughter of a host of one of these famous antique shows on TV, and really seems to know her stuff. (2024 304p.)

Hillbilly Elegy by J. D, Vance

 J.D Vance was raised by grandparents who were Kentucky hillbillies.  His mother moved in and out of relationships with a variety of men, and suffered from alcohol and drug addiction, so Vance relied on the stability provided by his grandmother and grandfather to get him through his teenage years, and provide the motivation and support to go to college. This memoir that launched Vance's political career looks at both the failings and the resilaincy of the working class white culture from the south, plagued with unemployment, teenage pregnancy, and drug addiction. He posits that those who make it out of the destructive cycle are those who have people in their life that keep them in line and point--or even shove-- them toward a better life. 

This book was incredibly popular when it came out in 2016.  It was published before Vance became a senator, or a the Vice President.  It shows a segment of American culture that I have not personally had much experience with.  It was interesting to me to see a portrayal of how the working poor live. Vance doesn't shy away from the messiness of their lives.  He resists showing them as merely the victims of oppression and openly admits that many of their social challenges are the result of their own poor choices.  Some critics of the book claim that Vance is, himself, guilty of stereotyping in the book, but be that as it may, I still found the book interesting and enlightening.  The reader should beware that the book is full of harsh language and behavioral elements, but I believe they are authentic and it would have been impossible to tell an accurate story without them.  (2016, 272 p)