b'Book ReportExplore Matters Magazinesstory topics with these booksThe Bee Sting by Paul MurrayThe Barneses of Dublin are in bad shape, the fam-ily of four besieged by problems both financial and emotional, internal and communal. But when exactly did things start to go awry, and could their fate have been avoided? In this long, ambitious novel, Murray excavates the ruins hiding beneath the surface of an average family. Birnam Wood by Eleanor CattonIn the tradition of novels such as The Overstory, Catton uses the threat of ecological peril to explore deeper, universal human themes. After a landslide leaves a New Zealand farm abandoned, a rogue gardening collective called Birnam Wood wants to seize the land and grow a new farm, putting them at odds with an American billionaire, who wants the land for his own survivalist purposes.Finance for the People: Getting a Grip on Your Financesby Paco de LeonFinancial guides are not known for their humor and big-heartedness, but de Leons book manages to be both, not only providing common-sense tips for in-vesting and rescuing your credit score, but also dig-ging into the emotional component of money and how empowering it can be to get a hold on your finances.Martyr by Kaveh AkbarThis debut from a memorable new novelist focuses on Cyrus, a recovering addict obsessed by the fear that his death wont matter. He has begun writing a book about martyrs, probing his family history and sending him to New York to meet a woman who is turning her death into performance art. A funny, searching novel about how we seek meaning in our lives.Whats Cooking in Flowervilleby Felicita SalaIn the bustling town of Flowerville, people grow their food on rooftops all year long, with a picnic at years end to celebrate. In this gorgeous picture book fea-turingdouble-pagespreadswithrecipes,young readers will learn the value of harvesting their own food, no matter how tight their living space or what time of year it is.298 Walton Avenue, South Orange, NJ 07079 973-762-0230 | sopl.org20/ matters magazine / hearth + home 2024'