Every month we let you know what we’ve been reading and our monthly recommendations. You’ll get to see new titles with fabulous reviews from the Bay Books team, and we’re sure you’ll love these fantastic books just as much as we do. We recommend a wide range of genres and themes.

Tina’s Picks:

Raiders, Rulers, and Traders: The Horse and the Rise of Empires by David Chaffetz

I have always been fascinated by horses, their beauty, their intelligence, and the various uses they have been put to over the centuries but in this study of human history, the horse is given a profound center role. Author Chaffetz describes the incredible impact and importance horses have had, particularly in the vast empires of Eurasia and the Mongols, where horses were initially domesticated for milk and meat. They soon found that horses were even more valuable for warfare and transportation and creating important links between cultures. Bonuses with this book are the maps, illustrations, glossaries and a timeline and if you know me as a reader, I can never pass up a book with map. Dig into this book and learn a new appreciation for horses.

You like it Darker: Stories by Stephen King

This guy terrifies me. It isn’t just the scary, obvious things we fear like snakes, long-dead people, stealthy serial killers, but that he also weaves in the fickleness of talent, the power and pathos of unrealized dreams, and the meaningless of life. And maybe death. It’s that he goes down deep into places we don’t even know we have within us. Read this with the light on and a friend near by, one you trust.

When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut

This is a fictional examination of the lives of real-life scientists and thinkers whose discoveries resulted in moral consequences beyond their imagining. The author develops the complicated links between scientific and mathematical discovery, madness, and destruction and the fact that the world has to live with the consequences. Extremely thought provoking. National Book Award Finalist.

Taiwan Travelogue by Shuang-Zi Yang (translated by Lin King)

A runaway bestseller in Taiwan, this is more than a travelogue. It is a journey into finding the roots of your history through incredibly described dishes, secrets based in lost colonial history and how power dynamics can affect our most intimate relationships. This kind of colonial history of our world is always attractive to me as a reader. For world civilization buffs, this one is for you.

Wendy’s Pick:

Country People by Daniel Mason

A family of four sets out to spend a year in rural Vermont, leaving behind the sophisticated comforts of California. Kate (wife/mother) has been offered a visiting professorship at a small, prestigious college, so husband Miles (working on completing his doctoral thesis…for the 12h year. Russian folktales, anyone?) and their two children, along with their loyal pooch, all head east. Once there, Kate becomes embroiled in academia, the kids attempt to assimilate, and Miles falls-in with a kooky cast of colorful characters. The story is wrapped in complicated family dynamics, local legends, conspiracy theories, and personal connections found and affirmed in an increasingly divided world.

Becky’s Pick:

Once and Again by Rebecca Serle

Serle explores the Novak family’s unique gift: each woman can turn back time – once.
The novel explores love, loss, and the weight of choices, as Lauren Novak contemplates using her gift among amidst familial and personal challenges. Her mother has spent her power and lives in fear of what she can’t reverse.
What would you choose to turn back, if you had just one choice?

Every month we let you know what we’ve been reading and our monthly recommendations. You’ll get to see new titles with fabulous reviews from the Bay Books team, and we’re sure you’ll love these fantastic books just as much as we do. We recommend a wide range of genres and themes.

Tina’s August Picks

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent Who Pays the Rent by Judy Dench

As I read this book, with great admiration for Judy Dench, I was doubly delighted to hear her exquisite voice(in my head!) as she describes backstories of her many performances and gives her own witty, accurate interpretation of the Bard’s writings. She has spent over seven decades with Shakespeare as part of her life and profession and is in a very good position to entertain. Definitely a feel good read.

The Everywhere Millionaire: Who Is Really Rich in America and How They Got There by Owen Zidar and Eric Zwick

Economists Zidar and Zwick give us an illuminating examination of small business owners who have built extraordinary fortunes by taking advantage of our tax code. Is this wrong? What they content is isn’t so much that it is wrong, in their examples, but that they don’t share with those that helped them become successful, their employees. This drive income inequality and is a vivid depiction of America’s millionaire class. Interesting to read.

The Moon Without Stars out Stars by Chanel Miller (Juvenile Literature)

After her zines launch her into the popular crowd at school, seventh grader Luna must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice to stay there. At an age where self-consciousness about everything is an everyday thing, the author addresses this issue in a way to catch your attention. Very poignant as Luna attempts to find herself alongside her growing pains and the growing pains of others.

Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature by Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian (Science and Nature)

A national bestseller, a National Book Foundation Science + Literature Selected Title, and a Time 100 Must-Read Books of 2025, Forest Euphoria is a thrilling book about the abounding queerness of the natural world that challenges our expectations of what is normal, beautiful, and possible. Robin Wall Kimmerer raves that it’s “an antidote to the loneliness of our species.” This is a read that you won’t forget and need in your life.

Wendy’s August Picks

Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer

This is a charming, hilarious story of a young American man who has recently graduated from college and landed his first a job as an archivist in Tuscany, Italy. He arrives at a lavish but decaying villa and begins cataloging its extensive collection of art and antiquities -among other unexpected duties that will be thrust upon him as a staff member and resident! His employer is an eccentric baroness, and she, along with a colorful set of supporting characters, romance and intrigue, all combine to make this beautifully crafted coming-of-age story an absolute pleasure.

The Things we Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

One of those books you don’t stop thinking about long after you’ve finished it, this is one of my top reads of the year. Our protagonist is Artie Dam, one of those exceptional high school teachers who is empathetic, humble, compassionate, competent, and somehow able to accomplish the nearly impossible task of authentically connecting with his students in today’s increasingly challenging educational environment. Despite his apparent stable life, Artie is suffering serious loneliness and depression. A shocking family secret is revealed, forcing him to face his relationships in a new light. The author has us contemplating the difference between our public and private selves, what we may not know about those closest to us – and what we ourselves have hidden. Set against the complexities of the 2024 presidential election, this novel is impactful, engaging and profound.

Becky’s August Pick

All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches by Ben Rhodes

(A history in 15 speeches is written by Ben Rhodes, former speech writer for President Obama – important because as a speech writer he knows of what he writes.)

What does it mean to be an American? And who gets to decide?

In a democracy, a speech is the purest form of persuasion. Standing in front of a crowd, the speaker tries to convince those gathered to believe something and possibly act on that belief.

This book tells the story of the argument over American identity through 15 speeches. Some but not all are iconic. They are inspiring and sobering, delivered in war and peace.

For each speech selected, Rhodes describes the movement that led the speaker to create and deliver the speech and then follows the threads that run throughout all the speeches, weaving together American identity.

Also of interest is how differently Americans speak today and therefore how people consume information. in early years, a speech would be heard only by those in the audience. As technology has changed, so has the way people speak. Radio made it more possible to reach mass audiences; television elevated the setting, and now the internet facilitates online communities. Speeches are now consumed in bite size pieces.

From Benjamin Franklin to Donald Trump, Rhodes travels the history of American identity through speeches. A great read for history lovers.

Karin’s August Pick

John of John by Douglas Stuart

How many people in the world cannot live as the person they truly are? This novel investigates how two men – father and son – separately negotiate between their very much under-the-radar sexuality and the very rigid, traditional society in which they live. The story is also a fascinating look at the life of Scottish Harris islanders (home of Harris tweed), and their struggle to maintain their traditional weaving practice, their pastoral way of life, and their faith as they clash with contemporary mores and economic hard times. Can one, should one, live a lie?
 

Rumor has it that April showers bring May flowers. Rumor also has it that every month we let you know what we’ve been reading and our monthly recommendations! This month, we are featuring some hits from our favorite authors and poets. (Hint hint…April is Poetry Month!) Be sure to keep up with our picks–you’ll get to see new titles with fabulous reviews from the Bay Books team, and we’re sure you’ll love these fantastic books just as much as we do. We recommend a wide range of genres and themes. Get ready to explore more books!

Tina’s Picks

Once and Again by Rebecca Serle

I’m not sure that any author messes with time travel quite the way that Serle does but she does it masterfully. In this novel, a rare gift is given to three generations of women–the gift to redo anything once. But is this a gift or a burden? Does the knowledge of it begin to influence your life or does it bring wisdom? Well done and a story that will draw you in and make you think.

You’ll Do: A History of Marrying for Reasons Other Than Love by Marcia A. Zug

At one turn, both hilarious and cringeworthy, we’re presented with a fresh, engaging social history exploring the instrumental use of marriage. She draws on sources including court cases, historical anecdotes, her family’s history and in doing so, provides ample evidence of how generations of American men and women have used marriage to fight racial, gender, and class discrimination while also using marriage to gain money or status, elude criminal prosecution or ensure parental rights. Author Zug also documents the risk of exploitation and abuse. All in all, this was an engaging read which I would truly recommend.

What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena

“How many ways, I think, can a girl be assaulted? I never got to live my life. I never got to be old enough, to become unattractive enough, to be left alone. To finally just be.” 

This wasn’t the first line in this book, but perhaps it should have been. Shari Lapena is a new author to me that I found while on vacation and I quickly read through three of her books in a row. The plots are built around some of the most traumatic personal family experiences you might imagine when involving children but in this one, she gets to the heart of what it’s like to be a female growing up in a world where beauty is highly prized because it is desirable. For those who have it, they are easily manipulated, harassed, abused, not believed when seeking help and all because of youth and beauty. It is a murder mystery as well so expect some red herrings and plot twists. The ending is satisfying but very emotional.

Everyone Here is Lying by Shari Lapena

Creepy. In a sweet little postcard perfect town, every adult has a secret which seems to affect everyone’s child’s well being. Except for one child. And that’s the kicker in this psychological thriller with a twist you truly won’t believe. Author Shari Lapena plays upon the typical course of thinking when a child goes missing: Sex Trafficking? Molestation? Murder? Lover’s retaliation for an affair gone wrong? It will keep you glued to the pages.

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Okay, this one has been out for a while, but I have resisted reading it, even though I was an avid tennis player. But as usual, Reid pulls out a story that not only describes the game of tennis thoroughly and lovingly, but also the drama that surrounds it. Whether it is between a coach and player, player and player, opponent and favored winner—Carrie Soto is Back is so much more than about tennis. It’s group dynamics, romance, love, and dignity at its best. For me, it brought back so many memories of spending time on the court with my dad and my first ‘sky’ ball.

Wendy’s Picks

Euphoria by Lily King 

Inspired by the real-life experiences of renowned anthropologist Margaret Mead, this story takes place in 1930’s New Guinea and revolves around 3 young anthropologists who find themselves embroiled in a complicated love triangle that is as sensual and intoxicating as it is destructive. With some parallels to Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible (one of my all-time favorites), we are swept into the study of and interaction with vastly different cultures, the egos and ethical contradictions involved, and the inevitable negative impact left behind by the western world. A page-turning, stunning novel.

A Nature Poem for Every Spring Evening, Edited by Jane McMorland Hunter

As a passionate year-round resident of northern Michigan, I embrace and find joy in every season. But…SPRING can be challenging, a time of year that is both wearing and hopeful. I keep this volume of spring poems on my coffee table or nightstand and have found beauty and comfort in the words of some of the world’s most famous poets–from Emily Dickinson to Eleanor Farjeon. If you are looking for some celebratory or insightful reflections to get you from March 1 to May 31, you will enjoy this lovely compilation.

Becky’s Picks

More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen

High school English teacher Polly’s life is turned upside down when an ancestry test, given to her by her book club buddies as a joke, reveals an unexpected match…. She finds herself asking surprising questions about her family and friends in this wise and wonderful novel of life, loss and moving on. Polly’s book club friends, who have become her closest friends, have heard it all. Quindlen’s warmth, humor and insight into the power of love and hope remind the reader how friendship can change your life in the most powerful ways.

Dog Songs by Mary Oliver

Oliver’s style, using simple, clear language to explore more complex ideas often draws parallels between a dog’s life and human existence. She includes poems about dogs she knew that will make the reader both laugh and cry. The collection is joyful, comforting and poignant as it reminds the reader of lessons dogs offer about love and nature.

Grace’s Pick

The Flame: Poems, Notebooks, Lyrics, Drawings by Leonard Cohen

I’ve had this Leonard Cohen collection in my arsenal for some time now, and what better time to revisit it than for April’s Poetry Month? This is one of those few books that–as a musician, self-proclaimed Leonard Cohen superfan, and poetry lover–I find myself returning to time and time again. This volume was the final collection published by Cohen during his lifetime, and, much like his songs, these poems are timeless, moving, generation-spanning gems. The collection offers it all: not only poetry, but excerpts from Cohen’s notebooks, unreleased song lyrics, and numerous self-portraits and sketches penned by the artist himself. I find it rare in life to come upon a book that reads as if the author were speaking (or singing) directly to you, and The Flame is undoubtedly one of these rarities. 

My advice? Read this book, then read it again, gift it to someone you love, then take it back. Read it once more. If you want to smile, listen to his song “Passing Through” (specifically the Live in London version, 1972.) If you want to cry, listening to pretty much any of his other songs should do. And, of course, if you feel like waltzing, there’s certainly always “Take This Waltz.” Then read the book again. In that order.

Karin’s Pick

Into the Hush by Arthur Sze

Sometimes readers are put off by poetry because they suppose poems are often difficult to understand. Poems are seen as being too much trouble to mess with because they seem to be so open-ended, so unresolved; it might seem like too much work to try to arrive at what they might mean. But given half a chance, poetry doesn’t have to be difficult or obtuse. If one is willing to read a bit more slowly and think a bit more openly, poetry can create new understandings and ultimately allow a reader to see the world a bit differently.

In his latest volume, Into the Hush, the current U.S. Poet Laureate, Arthur Sze, encourages a reader to do just that. Sze’s evocative use of language draws the reader into thinking about the objects, emotions, and relationships of this world. Reading his poems allows us to be privy to a poet using language to marry perceptive description with deepening understanding, The images he creates are both beautiful and thought-provoking. You will be the richer for givingInto the Hush a try!

Every month we let you know what we’ve been reading and our monthly recommendations. You’ll get to see new titles with fabulous reviews from the Bay Books team. We’re sure you’ll love these fantastic books just as much as we do. We recommend a wide range of genres and themes. So get ready to explore more books!

Tina’s Picks

The Best American Short Stories 2025 edited by Celeste Ng and Nicole A. Lamy and The Best American Essays 2025 edited by Jia Tolentino

I love these “Best American …….” series of books. They remind me of my university days, which to me is a great memory. One of my freshman English professors assigned stories from the previous year’s “The Best American Short Fiction Stories” as part of our reading assignments. I loved it as much as I loved the Reader’s Digest Book Series. Both give you a snapshot of the author’s talents and of the story. Pick one of these up and enjoy a short little story each night before bed. Much better than television!

The Night We Became Strangers by Lorena Hughes

Imagine being alive when H.G. Wells dramatized on radio the novel “The War of the Worlds” and sent America into a panic. Now imagine eleven years later, another radio station in Ecuador adapts the show and once again, there are catastrophic consequences. Based on a true story, this novel describes those events through the eyes of two young journalists who were directly impacted by this radio prank. I can’t even imagine!

Book and Dagger: How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II by Elyse Graham

Some Bright Nowhere by Ann Packer

Married for over forty years, Claire decides to stop treatment for cancer and spend her
remaining time in hospice. Her husband assumes he will be the one to care for her as
he has been for the past eight years but no, he is shocked when she tells him she would
rather be looked after by her two best friends. Her wish is to be surrounded by female
energy, laughter, chatter, and tears which forces her husband, Eliot, to confront his
inadequacies as a caregiver and husband. Author Packer examines thoroughly Claire’s
motivations and the impact this decision has on her family, including two adult children.
Such an interesting read!

Wendy’s Picks

Flesh by David Szalay

Winner of the 2025 Booker Prize and one of my top reads from the past year, the author
was reportedly inspired to write this novel based on his time living between Hungary
and England, and the dramatic social and economic divides he personally witnessed
across modern Europe. At the center of the story is an introverted Hungarian man,
Istvan. The novel opens when Istvan is an awkward 15-year-old and finds himself
coerced into an affair with a lonely 42-year neighbor woman, with whom he misguidedly
falls in love. The affair ends, of course, and in a scuffle with the woman’s husband, the
husband falls down a set of stairs. Istvan’s entire life is shaped by these traumatic
experiences – and others – throughout his lifetime. The prose is minimalist, its impact
profound. I cannot stop thinking about this book and looking for people who have read it
so that we can discuss! So much to unpack here, including the title itself, which points
not only to the erotic/sexual nature of man, but also the fragile and bleak (doomed?!)
human condition. This is a fast and deeply thought-provoking read. Put it on your list.

Good Things by Samin Nosrat

If you are a fan of the author’s wildly successful first cookbook, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat; or
even if you are unfamiliar with the endearing Chef Nosrat, you will LOVE the 125+
recipes in this beautiful publication – a collection of her favorite things to prepare for
those she loves. Recipes range from simple comfort food to multi-dish menus for dinner
parties. In Nosrat’s words, “Recipes, like rituals, endure because they are passed down
to us – whether by ancestors, neighbors, friends, strangers on the internet, or me to
you!”

Becky’s Picks

Flint Kill Creek: Stories of Mystery and Suspense by Joyce Carol Oates

Oates has put together a dark collection of stories, recent and reconsidered, that blend
psychological tension with the macabre. She excels at creating a sense of unease,
often grounding her stories in seemingly ordinary settings that gradually reveal hidden
voices of moral ambiguity. The characters are complex and often haunted. Each story
charts its own unpredictable path into darkness.

The collection offers a gripping mix of suspense and introspection – a good choice for
readers who like slow burning literary thrillers.

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

Theo of Golden follows Theo, an elderly man who arrives in the small town of Golden,
Georgia as he visits a small coffee shop where the walls are covered with portraits of
the people of Golden. He begins to buy and give portraits to their subjects, fostering
deep connections and transforming lives. With each exchange, a friendship is born, and
a life altered.

Generosity, community and the invisible thread of kindness makes this a delight to read.

Karin’s Pick

True Nature: The Pilgrimage of Peter Matthiessen by Lance Richardson

This immersion into Peter Matthiessen’s long and far-ranging life allows us to grasp the depth of his intellectual inquiries, the depth of his involvement with causes he believed in, and the depth of his emotional involvement with the many, many people and places with which he became involved. Richardson’s well-written and well-researched biography of this complicated, at times difficult, but always fascinating man, allows us to trace Matthiessen’s’s evolution from Yale student, to co-founder of the Paris Review, to becoming a writer’s writer.

The only American writer to win the National Book Award in both Fiction and Nonfiction, Peter Matthiessen’s wide-ranging interests over his long writing career resulted books such as Far Tortuga, At Play in the Fields of the Lord, and The Snow Leopard. He traveled the world in order to research multifaceted topics, and then with clarity and passion, developed them into books that pondered humankind’s desecration of the natural environment; or allowed us to accompany him in his search for transcendence through Buddhism; or involved us with complex people faced with complex situations, actual or fictive.

If you love any of Matthiessen’s writing, this biography will provide an interesting and absorbing backstory about the writer behind it.

Grace’s Pick

God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut

…And God bless you, Kurt Vonnegut. A 1965 pre-cursor to the more widely-known Slaughterhouse-Five, this satirical gem details the life of Eliot Rosewater, the eccentric and typically intoxicated philanthropist at the helm of the multimillion-dollar Rosewater Foundation. Surrounded by a society tinged with greed, hypocrisy, and individuals with heftier wallets than hearts, Eliot decides to use his family fortune to help humanity—no matter how absurd, seemingly trivial, or inordinately colossal humanity’s problems might be. 

A humanitarian in his own right, Vonnegut has readers look outward and inward with this funny, poignant, and sometimes downright-insane novel, leading us to wonder how we might go about navigating such a world. Eliot’s answer, in a roundabout way, is something for us all to aspire to, in this day and age: 

“There’s only one rule that I know of: God d*** it, you’ve got to be kind.”

Every month we let you know what we’ve been reading and our monthly recommendations. You’ll get to see new titles with fabulous reviews from the Bay Books team. We’re sure you’ll love these fantastic books just as much as we do. We recommend a wide range of genres and themes. So get ready to explore more books!

Tina’s Picks

Dr. No by Percival Everett

A self-made billionaire named John Sill hires Professor Kitu to aid in his ambition to turn himself into a Bond villain. “You know, evil for evil’s sake,” says Sills. Interestingly enough, Professor Kitu’s area of expertise is the study of ‘nothingness’. Seriously. He studies ‘nothing’.

In other words, Sill intends to instrumentalize “nothing” for mass destruction. But to instrumentalize is to objectify — as soon as “nothing” is used, it will become “something” — and so Sill’s attempts may be doomed from the start. It seems that the main character in this novel is the futility of achieving the plot goal—does that make sense? It sure makes for good reading!

The Social Lives of Birds by Joan E. Strassman

Evolutionary biologist and author Joan Strassman visited us when she was launching her book Slow Birding and this book proves to be just as interesting. She examines what it means for birds of a feather to flock together, why some birds are altruistic and prefer caring for another bird specie’s young, or why some male mating dances requires two males to be successful. She also describes how birds confront conflicts and how they resolve them. She does not limit this bird knowledge to local avian population but to the entire world. The stories and knowledge is intriguing and this is a must read for all bird lovers.

The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso

This unforgettable novel describes a library filled to the brim with books containing the memories of those who bore witness to history. Slowly the government is destroying and burning these memories but a WWII-era young lady, trapped in space time warp, is desperately trying to save them.  Speculative historical fiction at its best.

Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson

I love when the ridiculous and science education are pooled together in a witty, informational manner. It’s probably why Gary Larsen is my hero but Neil Sharpson is edging his way up with this incredibly funny book about fish, and of course, why we shouldn’t trust them, just as we are learning facts about fish that will make each reader look at them differently. The young person in your life needs this book! (Ages 3 – 7 years)

Becky’s Picks

Heart the Lover by Lily King

King’s lyrical prose and deep and deep character development draw you into a story filled with emotions and poignant moments.

The story navigates the themes of love, resilience and self-discovery with very relatable, if somewhat complex characters.

The importance of friendships and family and the intricacies of human relationships are beautifully explored.

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

In the busy Christmas season, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant in a small Irish town, makes a discovery while making a delivery to the local convent – one that forces him to confront his past.

Hope, Heroism and Empathy – a good recipe any time of year but especially during the holiday season.

Wendy’s Picks

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan

You will truly be swept up in this emotionally layered novel set in the heart of the Midwest (Ohio), as we follow two couples across 6 decades of American history, from WWII to early 21^st century. Themes of love, betrayal, heartbreaking loss, generational impact and forgiveness are carried across the narrative by a richly developed set of characters – ordinary people who are authentically dealing with the often-extraordinary complexities of life. Reads like an American classic and one of my top 5 picks of 2025.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

This beautifully crafted, debut novel is written in the form of letters, penned by protagonist, Sybil Van Antwerp, an intellectual, a retired attorney, and divorced mother to 2 adult children. Her life story is revealed through her many missives, written over decades to people both ordinary and famous: family, friends, authors and politicians. In this way, we learn about her life, her loves, pain and regrets. The novel is, in many ways, a love letter to book lovers like us!  At the end of every letter, Sybil tells the recipient what she is reading and asks what they are reading.    

Karin’s Pick

Flashlight by Susan Choi

On both the National Book Award long list and Booker Prize long lists, this novel chronicles a family’s fraught history and the ways in which its remaining members grapple with the disappearance of an integral member. Called a “spellbinding, heart-gripping investigation of family, loss, memory, and the ways in which we are shaped by what we cannot see,” this novel has earned its numerous accolades

Grace’s Pick

The Girls by John Bowen

What begins as an idyllic, cozy tale set in an old English village gracefully morphs into a sly, suspenseful, and charmingly wicked classic. Though it initially debuted in 1986, this novel’s masterful containment of numerous genres—let’s call it LGBTQ folk-horror—makes it a timeless page turner that will never go out of style. In detailing the seemingly quintessential lives of Janet and Susan, partners and keepers of the town’s artisanal gift shop, Bowen leads readers down a uniquely macabre path illustrating that when it comes to peaceful country living, “perfect” relationships, parenthood, and septic tanks, there is often more there than meets the eye. Observationally beautiful, Gothic, yet amusing, and surprisingly touching—The Girls offers a little something for everyone.