Plymouth Staff Choices

The Night Gardener by George Pelecanos
Adult New Book Display - Main Level
Downloadable Audio Book

Fans of the smart, nuanced storytelling on the HBO series, The Wire, will also like The Night Gardener, because George Pelecanos wrote both. And just as The Wire made many TV critics’ “Ten Best” lists, The Night Gardener received critical acclaim as one of the best mysteries of 2006. Pelecanos uses his screenwriting talents to create scenes that the reader can actually “see” and the dialogue crackles as it propels the story forward.

The book opens with a child’s murder in 1985 and then jumps forward twenty years to 2005 when another child’s murder brings together the story’s main characters. The Night Gardener takes place on the gritty streets and working class neighborhoods around Washington DC - territory that Pelecanos covers right down to the fast-food wrappers blowing across the corner basketball courts. The story’s characters are all believable, complex human beings - complete with the usual foibles and flaws as well as rare moments of grace. The first part of the book allows us time to get to know the characters, so that we feel like we’re riding in the same car with them when the action accelerates and the plot takes some unexpected twists and turns. Fans of writers like Denis Lehane, Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin, Ruth Rendel, and Margaret Yorke who are looking for a complex, character-driven mystery will want to check out The Night Gardener.

The Devil’s Feather by Minette Walters
Adult New Book Display
CD Book Shelves – Main Level

Can’t decide between a cozy, English mystery and an action-packed thriller? Minette Walters’ new mystery has both. It interweaves two plots – a “ripped-from-the-headlines” story of a renegade mercenary and a little local murder in Dorset. The book begins with lots of action when Connie Burns investigates a British soldier-for-hire in connection with a series of brutal rapes and murders in Sierra Leone and Baghdad. Then the story shifts gears when the heroine flees to England in order to hide from the mercenary, who wants her silenced - permanently. The middle part of the story delves into the secrets, scandals, and suspicious characters living in the Dorset village where Connie goes underground. Fans of suspense should not be deterred by the change of pace, because Walters delivers plenty of action in the book’s final chapters.

The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice
Adult New Fiction- Main Level- Rice

Fans of Dodie Smith’s I Capture the Castle or Nancy Mitford’s The Pursuit of Love will enjoy this playful comedy set on a crumbling British estate after World War II. Penelope Wallace has never before had friends like the charismatic Charlotte and her brash cousin Harry, and is delighted to join them in glamorous new social circles. Posing as Harry’s new girlfriend (to make the old one jealous) does not, however, prevent Penelope from falling in love with a hopelessly unsuitable older man. And try as she might, she can’t think of a way to save Magna, the rotting, leaking and threadbare mansion where she lives with her family. Readers may find themselves wishing they could spend a week or two with the characters of this deliciously amusing story as they plot, scheme and dance late into the night.

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Adult Fiction Shelves- Main Level- Toole

Looking for a story about a quixotic malcontent living in New Orleans in the early 60’s? Well, no you probably aren’t, but that shouldn’t stop you from picking up John Kennedy Tooles hilarious satire Confederacy of Dunces. Ignatius J. Reilly a 30-year-old intellectual introvert who still lives with his mother is forced to seek a job. From here he is thrown into a variety of misadventures meeting an eccentric array of characters. The novel works on many levels delivering comedy, social satire, and a very colorful description of the French Quarter. While many of the events that occur in the book may seem like disconnected tales, they eventually culminate in a hilarious and satisfying climax. Even more interesting are the events that surround the author himself who was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize. For more information on the author's life check out the dictionary of literary biography database at http://plymouthlibrary.org/remote.htm

Love and War in California by Oakley Hall
Adult New Book Display - Hall

The story begins during Payton Daltry’s college years in San Diego at the start of WWII and follows his life through to late middle age. Payton’s formative years abound with contradictions. He works at a socialist newspaper in spite of the personal costs, which include social ostracism and physical intimidation. At the same time, he longs to return to the upper-lass life his family lived before the depression. Payton desperately wants the approval of his father but he antagonizes him at every opportunity. He believes an unfounded rumor about his older brother whom he has always looked up to and admired. Of course, when he falls in love, Payton can’t decide how to proceed. All these relationships are left unresolved when he ships out to fight in France.

Oakley Hall’s prose evokes a visceral sense of place and time. He also populates the story with unforgettable minor characters. The fictional story is complemented by references to real people and actual events. Errol Flynn and Jack Warner are two “real life” characters who make appearances in the book. The details of the liberation of concentration camps and the waning days of fighting in Europe also provide a realistic backdrop to the story.

Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman Comic geeks, take note! This no-pictures novel puts a realistic spin on the world of superheroes and supervillains. Our antihero is Dr. Invincible, pondering on what separates villains from heroes, remembering key superheroes as they all attended the same high school for the gifted, and plotting again to take over the world. Our heroine is Fatale, a cyborg with only shadowy memories of her former, fully human life. She’s the newest member of veteran superhero team the Champions. As she never feels that she quite fits in, she watches the other team members closely, giving us as readers insight into them. The reflections fit in between showdowns in a book whose characters, setting, and plot are all compelling.

I Gave You My Heart, but You Sold It Online by Dixie Cash
Adult New Fiction Display - CASH

Dixie Cash is a pseudonym for two sisters who write books that combine humor, romance, and a little light detective work. Fans of Janet Evanovich, Fannie Flag, and the Sweet Potato Queens will want to check out their most recent title: I Gave You My Heart, but You Sold It Online. The two earlier books in this series also have titles that could have been country-western songs: Since You’re Leaving Anyway, Take Out the Trash and My Heart May Be Broken, but My Hair Still Looks Great. The stories revolve around the adventures of two big-hearted, West Texas gals who run a combination hair salon and detective agency. It’s impossible to summarize the plot, which has more twists and turns than a tornado. Suffice it to say that the story gets hotter than a jalapeno when the gals get involved with a two-timing rodeo star, a sex-crazed octogenarian, and a gender-confused Las Vegas showgirl. Throw into the mix some online dating, identity theft, and stalking-on-a-budget and you've got one spicy salsa of a story. So find a shady spot, put some Margarita mix in the blender, and enjoy.

The Scandal of the Season by Sophie Gee
Adult New Book Display – Main Level - GEE

In 1711, a young Alexander Pope sets out for London against his father’s will. He hopes to make a name for himself as a poet; his father remembers all too keenly Catholics being burned in the streets and forced to live at least ten miles outside of the city. Meanwhile, his childhood friends Teresa and Martha Blount are also heading to London for the season, where Teresa hopes that their cousin Arabella, the acclaimed belle of the season, can introduce them to the best in society. The Jacobite rebellion is being plotted, some Catholics supporting a return to a Catholic reign, while others want only to blend in with society. Amid the political turbulence, Alexander watches as Arabella becomes enmeshed in a passionate affair, so shocking that it will become… the scandal of the season. This highly accurate origin story for The Rape of the Lock is full of intrigues both social and political, and delightful for anyone who enjoyed books like Tracy Chevalier's Girl with a Pearl Earring.

The Nanny Diaries: A Novel by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus - Adult Fiction Shelves – Main Level – McLaughlin
Adult Paperbacks – Main Level - McLaughlin

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a nanny? How about being a nanny to a rich Manhattan family? The Nanny Diaries: A Novel will give you a glimpse into the world of all that encompasses nannyhood. While the novel is fiction, the authors, Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, have both worked as nannies in New York City and had a myriad of experiences to draw upon when writing their novel.

The Nanny Diaries: A Novel is about young 21 year old Nan, mostly known as Nanny, who is earning a child development degree from NYU. Nan takes nanny jobs to earn money for her expenses. One day she meets Mrs. X at Central Park, and her world is never the same! Soon Mrs. X decides to employ Nanny to watch over her young 4 year old son, Grayer, while she deals with important matters such as party planning, shopping, and pedicures. At first, Nan finds this ritzy world of Prada shoes, fancy parties, and lavender water fascinating. Who wouldn’t want to work for a rich family that lives in a huge multi-million dollar apartment and shops on Fifth Avenue? However, as time passes, Nan witnesses Grayer’s sadness firsthand and realizes that no amount of money can take the place of real parents. Furthermore, Nanny begins to notice that she is often treated like the gum on the bottom of one of Mrs. X’s designer shoes as she is given more and more hours and offered less and less salary. As the Xs’ marriage begins to implode and Nan learns too much about their personal life, she knows that she cannot work for them forever, but how can she leave young and lonely Grayer? If you are looking for an interesting and delicious read set in fabulous New York City with plenty of satirical gossip, you will enjoy The Nanny Diaries: a Novel by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus!

A Kiss of Fate by Mary Jo Putney
Adult Fiction Shelves - Main Level - PUTNEY

Add a little magic to your romance with this first in a series set in Great Britain, early 18th century. Gwynne Owens is a young member of the secret magical group called the Guardians, who use their magic to preserve the peace as much as possible. She herself doesn’t have any sign of power, but is a librarian and a serious student of Guardian lore. When the action begins to heat up, she is a young and wealthy widow, living with her much older Guardian sister-in-law. Then she meets Duncan Macrae, a powerful Scottish weather mage. Their attraction is both powerful and frightening to Gwynne (nothing like a few lightening bolts to heat things up), and an early kiss leaves her with vivid visions of violent destruction. She wants to run the other way as fast as she can, but the Guardian Council senses that she will be crucial to balancing Duncan’s power during the gathering uprising in Scotland. After a hasty wedding, the pair is off on a short wedding tour on the way to the Macrae manor in the lowlands of Scotland. And now Gwynne’s power is awakened – truly high levels of seduction, charm, and persuasiveness, with some pretty good future reading to boot. Just quiet female powers, really, she thinks – will they be enough to keep Duncan from adding his power to the uprising and causing the rivers of blood in her visions? It doesn’t quite have the broad appeal of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander, set in the same time period, but Kiss of Fate is a fine traditional romance with a touch of magic and a lot of action in the bedroom. It has a scholarly and adventurous seductress, and a kilt-wearing man whose kisses cause storms. If these are up your alley, give it a try.

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes – Adult Fiction Shelves, Adult Paperbacks, and Adult Large Print – Main Level – Keyes. Teen Zone Paperbacks – Main Level - Keyes.

Charlie Gordon is a mentally retarded man in his early 30’s who is chosen for an amazing experiment—to receive a brain operation, injections, and therapy in order to make him smart. The model for such an experiment is conducted on a mouse named Algernon who has shown a great increase in intellectual abilities. Charlie happily agrees to be a part of this experiment because he thinks that being smart is the best thing in the world.

Soon after this experiment is conducted, Charlie does gain in intellectual smarts, but his mental facilities in terms of relationships with others is still behind that of normally progressing young adults. Thus, while Charlie enjoys being able to read and speak in many languages, he struggles with the most basic of human relationships. Charlie comes to realize that being smart doesn’t mean that one has all the answers or happiness in life.

Sadly, Charlie also comes to realize that the doctors who have designed this experiment have failed to plan fully for what can occur in such a rapid explosion of intelligence. Furthermore, Dr. Strauss and Professor Nemur also fail to take into account real human emotions and desires as they treat Charlie like some sort of experimental lab rat. Charlie does find friendships with Algernon, his partner in this experiment, and Alice Kinnian—his teacher. He eventually falls in love with Alice, and they share a tender yet tragic love story.

Flowers for Algernon is mesmerizing. It is a novel that relates to all of our human emotions of love, fear, sadness, joy, failure, and success. Daniel Keyes has truly written a classic novel that will grab onto the reader and not let go until you are finished.

The Merlot Murders: A Wine Country Mystery by Ellen Crosby
Adult Mysteries – Crosby

Some people would say that drowning in a vat of Merlot is not a bad way to go: those people will appreciate this tasty new mystery by Ellen Crosby. When the family vineyard in Virginia (yes, Virginia) falls on hard times, developers come calling with lots of cash. Some family members want to sell and some want to keep the vineyard. When one of the hold-outs is killed in a hunting accident, it looks like coincidence. But a second fatal “accident” proves to be one coincidence too many.

Enter Lucie Montgomery called home from France, where she learned a thing or two about wine, in order to salvage what remains of the family business. Lucie has a lot on her mind between old family feuds, funerals, and former boyfriends. Not to mention she's scrambling to raise enough money to save the vineyard and contending with the strong objections of the family members who desperately need the cash a sale would bring. Soon it looks as though Lucie will be the next Montgomery family member to suffer a tragic accident. If you want to know what happens next, pour yourself a glass and settle into a comfy chair with this delicious mystery.

For other mysteries with a gourmet flair, check out the Plymouth District Library’s Booklist of Tasteful Mysteries.

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
Adult Fiction-Main Level

This long forgotten work is beautiful, yet haunting. What makes “Suite Française” so compelling has very much to do with the author herself. Irene Nemirovsky, a Russian born Jew, was quickly gaining popularity as a French writer before the outbreak of World War II. Originally, “Suite Française” was planned to be a five part work chronically the war from just before the invasion of France to the end which was tentatively called La Paix (Peace.) Unfortunately, Nemirovsky was arrested in July 1942 for being a Jew and sent to Auschwitz where she died.

Before she died, Nemirovsky had finished two parts of the sequence. However, it was not until 1998 that Nemirovsky’s two daughters finally opened the notebook containing the two novellas. Finally, after sixty years, the book was published and has received much critical acclaim.

The first novella is called “Storm in June” and portrays the flight of the people of Paris as they scramble in stunned disbelief to avoid the advancing German army. The narrative follows several groups of people and their struggle to survive while maintaining their humanity. The second novella, “Dolce", follows the uneasy balance of the German occupation. Set in the rural town of Bussy, an intriguing plot unfolds as the differences between the rural French and the German soldiers are explored, eliciting sympathy, unlikely attraction, and hatred.

Considering the context in which it is written, “Suite Française,” is a dramatic novel full of powerful emotions. This is not a historical novel written long after the fact. This is a work of art that was created as the events unfolded.

World War Z by Max Brooks
Adult Science Fiction - Main Level - SCIFI BROOKS

At first glance, the title World War Z might sound as though it’s going to be the equivalent of a schlocky B horror movie. We are talking about zombies here, and the material with which they’ve been presented in the past hasn’t been very deep. Aside from a few metaphors about consumerism that one might gleam from a George Romero film, the zombie hasn’t been treated very seriously as a motif. However, World War Z not only succeeds in presenting the zombie in a realistic setting, but there is also a mountain of sub-text being presented about our own human nature.

The book is presented as an oral history of the war in question and every detail down to the jacket is meant to convey the “realism” of it. The author himself is a character who interviews a wide variety of people from across the world about their experiences with the war. From political officials, military personnel, and pharmaceutical companies to celebrities and the average citizen, Brooks manages to capture each characters voice perfectly. Of course there’s gore, and lots of good old fashioned zombie violence, but what makes this book stand out is the grounding it has in reality.

It’s the arrogance of the politicians, the greediness of the companies, and the foolishness of the citizens that makes you really horrified, because if you were to replace the zombie element with any other crisis so much would still ring true. It’s this examination of our human nature when we are faced with such a dire dilemma that really resonates. In addition to this title, Brooks has also put out a Zombie Survival Guide that is actually referenced in World War Z.

Crow Lake by Mary Lawson - Adult Paperbacks – Main Level – Lawson

Kate Morrison is a 26 year old zoologist and Assistant Professor of Biology at a Toronto university. She is in love with Daniel Crane who is the Professor of Zoology at the same university. She seems happy on the surface, but her family’s past always haunts her. When she receives an invitation to her nephew Simon’s 18th birthday party all of these memories from the past flood back into her mind.

The Morrison family suffers a great tragedy the summer of Kate’s 7th year. Her parents die in a car accident, and she and her little sister, Bo, are left to be raised by their older teenage brothers, Matt and Luke. Kate idolizes Matt who loves to study marine life with her in the many ponds near their home of Crow Lake.

The family struggles to make a living and find peace during the first year after their parents’ death. Eventually, their lives seem to get better until Matt gets involved with Marie Pye. Marie Pye is the daughter of the local farming family, the Pyes, who possess dangerous secrets. Once Matt becomes close to Marie, Kate and Matt’s relationship changes forever, and these events leave Kate bitter and un-fulfilled. Will Kate learn to confront and make peace with the past?

Crow Lake is a 2003 Alex Award winner which means it is an adult novel that will appeal to teenagers as well. Written in a mesmerizing fashion, Crow Lake by Mary Lawson is a fascinating portrait of one family’s life in Northern Canada. This novel switches between past and present so expertly that the reader is never left confused. In fact, once a reader starts Crow Lake, he/she will not be able to put it down until its conclusion!

Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker
Adult New Book Display - Main Level - Barker

Clive Barkers first “adult” novel in six years begins with a very simple plea, “Burn this book.” It seems Jakabok Botch the minor demon now inhabiting the pages of Mister B. Gone would like nothing better than for you the reader to stop what you are doing grab a match and incur the wrath of a hefty library fine. However, if you are like me the temptation to read ahead instead of immolating the pages will no doubt be too much. Thus, Botch is resigned from the first page to threaten, taunt, seduce, and reason with the reader as well as tell his life story. Spanning from the depths of hell to the workshop of Johan Gutenberg, Botch revels in his family life, his love life (demons apparently love in their own ghastly way), and ultimately how he found himself trapped in the pages before you.
While many of Clive Barkers horrific trademarks remain, the book has enough humor in it to set it apart from his previous efforts. Fans may be a bit disappointed that this book isn’t the sprawling epic they might be waiting for. Especially if you’re like me and you are eagerly awaiting the final installment of his classics “The Great and Secret Show,” and “Everville.” However, if you view his latest book as a light appetizer instead of a hearty main course Mister B. Gone delivers enough to sate your appetite.

Face of an Angel by Denise Chavez
Adult Fiction- Main Level- Chavez

This is the delicious saga of the Dosamantes family of Agua Oscura, New Mexico. Young Soveida Dosamantes dreams of becoming a nun, but grows up to enter a different kind of service: waitressing at the El Farol (“the Light”) restaurant. From her mother, Dolores, and grandmother, Lupe, Soveida learns what it means to serve a husband, recommendations she emulates with woeful results. Is it possible to find happiness serving only others? The novel is a rich mixture of Soveida’s intriguing family history, humorous waitressing advice, excerpts of term papers for her Chicana studies class, snippets of phone conversations, and Soveida’s own story. Each section is named after a member of the Catholic hierarchy of angels, and pondering how Chavez matched names and chapters is a worthwhile side project for any literary types out there.

Matrimony
Adult New Book Display- Main Level- Henkin

Professor Chesterfield of Graymont College is fond of only two of his creative writing students. The first, Julian Wainwright, is the privileged son of wealthy New Yorkers and the second, Carter Heintz, wants to be Julian. Soon the two are best pals, both in love with Mia Mendelsohn’s photo in the freshman directory. While Carter dates a different girl, Julian woos Mia in the dormitory laundry room, and the couple is still together at graduation. Mia’s family, however, is falling apart: her mother has cancer.

Julian and Mia marry immediately, while Mrs. Mendelsohn is still able to attend the wedding. After moving to Ann Arbor, Mia pursues a graduate degree at the University of Michigan and Julian battles a killer case of writer’s block. The story meanders after the married couple as they settle into patterns together, watch their old relationships change, and discover how little they really know about each other. Should they have revealed more before marrying? Does it even matter?

This quiet, beautifully written work manages to amble along slowly while also covering a lengthy chunk of Julian and Mia’s lives. Henkin's prose is charming yet unpretentious, earning Matrimony a spot in the New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2007. If action and adventure are what you love, this is probably a bad choice, but fans of realistic fiction at its realist will be pleased.

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Adult Paperbacks - Main Level DANIELEWSKI

To describe Mark Danielewski’s novel House of Leaves in a few words would be somewhat impossible. However, I feel inclined to try anyway. Imagine a book, about a book, about a movie, about a photographer and his family who are living in a house that grows and changes from the inside yet remains static on the outside. Confused yet? Well that’s half the fun of House of Leaves. More than just a book about a haunted house, it focuses more on the concept of darkness. The darkness that grows inside us, and the absolute infinity that the illusion of darkness can create even if we are merely standing inside a closet. The book consists of two main narratives, one involving Johnny Truant, who comes across a monograph written by a blind man Zumpano. The other deals with the contents of this monograph detailing the experiences the photographer has inside the house. As if this wasn’t enough the two narratives begin to slowly dissolve leaving the reader to question if Truant isn’t just making the whole thing up himself.

The book itself is as much a labyrinth as the house is, inverting text on certain pages, single words on others, and for the truly adventurous a whole load of footnotes. In addition Danielewski’s sister, the musical artist Poe, made an entire album that is a companion piece to the book. While many may criticize the book as form over function, or simply view it as pretentious postmodern garbage, the enjoyment of House of Leaves depends solely on how much the reader wants to delve into the abyss. If you're willing to dive in with an open mind than you may find the experience more than rewarding

The Heroines by Eileen Favorite
Adult New Book Display - Main Level - FAVORITE

It’s the early 1970s. Thirteen-year-old Penny Entwhistle lives with her mother in a little B&B on the Illinois prairie. Along with some regular customers, this B&B is visited by the heroines of literature, who come at the most stressful points of their stories. Penny has clear memories of Blanche DuBois and Scarlett O’Hara (who tried to steal their silver). Now, though, Penny is really sick of all the attention her mother gives them – particularly the weepy Deirdre, who’s currently taken over Penny’s own room. Penny snaps. She meets the mysterious Conor in the woods, a Celtic king who claims that Deirdre is his runaway wife and wants her back. When the police get involved, Penny tells them the truth, with predictable results. She meant to hurt her mother – but suddenly, Penny is the heroine in her own story, and things are not going well. This is light and amusing fiction for fans of the classic heroines.

The Gift by Richard Paul Evans.
CD Book Shelves - Main Level - EVANS

Nathan Hurst has struggled for much of his life with Tourette’s syndrome and painful secrets from the past. He works for the same company that he has worked for since he was a teenager. Life seems like it will always be the same. Until one night while stranded in an airport, he meets Addison Park and her two children, Collin and Lizzy. There is something special about Collin, the older child. Nathan and Addison fall in love and share a magical love story, but the greatest love story within The Gift is the purity of Collin and “his gift.”

The audio recording of The Gift is performed by John Dossett and is extremely well done. Mr. Dossett does a masterful job at conveying all of the characters' emotions. If you are looking for a book with a message of love, hope, and redemption, then you should pick up a copy of The Gift.

Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy
Cd Book Shelves – Main Level – BINCHY

Talking to a spiritual well? That is not the half of it in this delightful Irish tale!

Whitethorn Woods is a fascinating story of ordinary people who all have a connection to a small town in Ireland—Rossmore. Rossmore is home to the Whitethorn Woods and nestled within these woods is the famous St. Ann's Well. St. Ann’s Well brings peace to many who visit over the years as they pray for everything from healing an illness to finding a special someone. Now there are talks of a new highway to be built right though the woods which will destroy the famous St. Ann’s Well.

Young Father Flynn is a mentor for the townspeople of Rossmore, and he does not know which side of the issue to fall upon, progress or hope. As Father Flynn listens to his brethren, the story of Whitethorn Woods truly unfolds because the voices of all those who have had a connection to this Well are explored. Some are simple tales of friends and lovers; others are tales of deceit, shock, and even murder. What will happen to these people and their famous St. Ann’s Well? Maeve Binchy has created a marvelously unique and fascinating tale that will be hard to stop once it is started!

The audio book version of Whitethorn Woods is delightful. Read by Sile Bermingham and Paul Michael in true Irish style, the listener will be entranced by the personal stories of the inhabitants and relations of Rossmore, Ireland. Binchy’s characters are very well developed and deliciously human. Any listener that takes the time to travel to this small Irish town is surely in for a special treat!

Nice to Come Home To by Rebecca Flowers
Adult New Books Display - Main Level - Flowers

Prudence Whistler has always been just that – prudent. She’s always had a written plan for her life, and followed it to the letter. At 36, though, her plan is crashing down around her. She’s fired from her job at a non-profit and her boyfriend dumps her just as she had decided that he’d be an OK husband. Her younger sister, Patsy, is a single mother who believes in following her heart, and who’s still holding out for true love. Pru has always been sure that she’s better at life than Patsy – but a weekend trying to parent two-year-old Annali by herself as well as suddenly finding Patsy and herself in the same boat has her reconsidering. A crazy cat, a couple of gay best friends, a few NPR inside jokes, and some inappropriate romantic choices round out at lighten the story. Her search for a vocation, love and family is authentic and tender without losing the sense of fun.

Without Blood by Alessandro Baricco
Adult Fiction Shelves - Main Level

Without Blood is a dark fable that somehow manages to create a rich epic story of revenge without exceeding one hundred pages. The story involves a young girl Nina who witnesses the execution of both her father and brother. After this damaging incident she spends the rest of her life seeking revenge on the three men responsible. The story itself is deceptively simple, however its themes are anything but. Alessandro Baricco the best-selling author of Silk touches upon how the damages of war, the need for vengeance, and the mental scars we keep inside can continue to be passed on like a disease. While a story such as this could span more than ninety-seven pages, Baricco distils the narrative down to its basic elements. By doing this each moment of the story, every glimpse of the characters psyches, every word is imbued with more importance.

The Reserve by Russell Banks
Adult New Book Display BANKS

If your taste runs to classic American authors like Hemingway and Fitzgerald, you will enjoy reading Russell Banks’ latest novel - The Reserve. On the other hand, you can bypass the literary stuff and just enjoy this tale of madness, betrayal, and tragedy set in the Adirondacks in the late 1930’s.

The novel’s hero, Jordan Groves, bears a striking resemblance to a Hemingway character -- he’s an artist of some renown with a storied past as WWI flying ace. The story begins when Jordan “crashes” a party by landing his seaplane in the exclusive enclave known as “The Reserve.” There he finds himself intrigued by a beautiful, seductive, and somewhat unhinged heiress - Vanessa Cole. Vanessa embodies the fragility and carelessness typical of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s female characters (think of Nicole Diver (a character based on Fitzgerald’s own wife, Zelda) and Daisy Buchanan). Desperately unhappy in what she perceives as her gilded cage, Vanessa’s rebellion wreaks havoc beyond the well-heeled environs of The Reserve and into the lives of the barely-scraping-by locals. When Jordan realizes that Vanessa is too much for him to handle he retreats to the safety and serenity of his home and family, where his wife, weary of his philandering, takes matters into her own hands.

Russell Banks is well-known for giving voice to complex, multi-dimensional characters who convey the story to the reader in their unique voices. Banks employs the same character-driven style in The Reserve and he succeeds brilliantly in channeling Hemingway and Fitzgerald, although that faithfulness to "the masters" sometimes comes at the expense of Banks own voice and style. But that’s just a minor drawback in what is otherwise an entertaining and smart novel.

(Note: If you like complex, character-driven stories check out Affliction and >The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks. Both novels were made into movies too.)

Off the Mangrove Coast by Louis L’Amour.
Main Level – Adult Westerns– L’Amour

Louis L’Amour is famous for the westerns that he has written, but his writing has crossed many genres and styles in his shorter stories. Off the Mangrove Coast is a collection of stories that he has written over the years– only one of which is actually a western. From sunken treasure to the center of the boxing ring and being taken prisoner in the rainforest, each story has the ability to captivate the reader.

For those who are trying to broaden the authors or genres that they read, or who are participating in the summer reading program, Off the Mangrove Coast offers a fast-paced collection of short stories. Each story can easily be read from start to finish in one sitting. L’amour’s vivid use of imagery brings his stories to life.

Magic Street by Orson Scott Card
Adult Science Fiction – Main Level – CARD

The story behind the story is that a Black friend of Card’s challenged him to write a fantasy novel with an African-American hero. Not just a sidekick – a real hero. Not a comfortable task for a very white author, but Card (Ender’s Game) does an admirable job. Only two people in the comfortable Black middle-class neighborhood of Baldwin Hills know where Mack Street came from – and the woman who got pregnant and gave birth to him all in the same day isn’t one of them. He grows up going in and out of all the houses in Baldwin Hills, firmly part of the community. He’s mostly happy, except that he can see people’s deepest dreams – and when they come true, it always hurts them. A girl who dreams of being a fish wakes up inside her parents’ waterbed, and is permanently brain-damaged by the time she’s found. Eventually Mack Street finds out that he is the center of a centuries-old conflict between immortals, and must decide whose side he’s on before everyone’s dreams start coming true. This story of modernity meeting ancient magic will hook you from the beginning.

>The Birth House by Ami McKay
Adult Fiction Shelves – Main Level - McKay

World War I in tiny, remote Scots Bay, Nova Scotia. Dora Rare is the only girl in a large family of boys, the first girl in generations. At her mother’s urging, Dora becomes the apprentice to Miss Babineau, the local midwife, and moves in with her, eventually taking over both Miss B.’s practice and her rivalry with the local “modern” doctor. The story is more about the characters and setting than the plot; an author’s note said that she wanted it to feel like treasures pulled out a pocket at the end of the day. Filled with short glimpses of daily life, letters, and newspaper articles, it is a beautiful testament to the courage of women. The book feels very similar to Jennifer Donnelly’s A Northern Light, while the rural Canadian setting is reminiscent of a darker and older L.M. Montgomery.

Scarlet Feather by Maeve Binchy.
CD Book Shelves - Main Level - BINCHY

Cathy Scarlet and Tom Feather open a catering business named Scarlet Feather in Dublin, Ireland one January. They are friends from their culinary student days and have always dreamed of opening their own business. Thus, when Scarlet Feather starts to take off, they feel all their dreams are going to come true. Of course nobody's life is a fairy-tale and interesting trials and triumphs follow Tom and Cathy as they embark upon their careers. Relationship troubles, family issues, and two adorable abandoned children enrich this tale of food, love, joy, and sorrow.

Scarlet Feather by Maeve Binchy is very human and relatable. Maeve Binchy is extremely gifted in the art of story-telling because she knows how to weave many unique characters and their storylines succinctly together. The audio version of Scarlet Feather is delightfully read by Barbara Caruso who makes certain that all of the characters have their own distinctly Irish flavors. It's a "yummy" treat!

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards
Adult Mysteries – Braun - Main Floor

As The Cat Who Could Read Backwards is the initial book in the “Cat Who” series; more background information is provided in this book than in subsequent novels. James Qwilleran starts his job at the newspaper, Daily Fluxion. The art world is already frustrated with one of the writers at the paper, MontClemons, with whom Qwilleran is living. Reluctant to open up, many of the artists make it difficult for Qwilleran to get his articles for the paper, until three murders disrupt the art world. Although the police are involved in the investigation, it is Qwilleran and a backwards reading, painting appreciating Siamese cat, Kao K'o-Kung (aka Koko) that solve the crimes.

While some mysteries aim to shock with blood and vulgarities, The Cat Who series seeks to provide a fun, light, clean read. The simple yet engaging text and fast placed plot move the story along. By developing the charters, Braun makes them just as important as the mystery itself, helping the reader to connect with Qwilleran and Koko. If you love cats and mysteries, but are tired of the gore and foul language found in many books, then The Cat Who series is for you!

Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist Adult Paperbacks - Main Level - Lindqvist

Just as “Twilight” fever seems to be sweeping the nation like some nasty blood infection turning its teen readers into gooey piles of Edward obsessed vampoholics, another book turned film has quietly slid by. While it might seem that “Let the Right One In” has elements similar to the aforementioned book (vampires, young love) the two stories couldn’t be any more different. “Let the Right One In,” tells the tale of Oskar a young boy living in Blackeberg, Sweden who must contend with constant bullying, his impending adolescence, and the rage that is welling up inside him. One night he encounters Eli, a mysterious girl who has just moved in next door. As Oskar’s fascination with Eli grows so does his interest in a series of brutal murders that might just be related to his new friend. While “Let the Right One In” goes to many horrific places, the most compelling aspect of the book is how innocent the relationship between Oskar and Eli is in light of their situation. It’s the solace the two gain from each other, even in the face of their figurative and quite literal demons, that gives the story its center.

It is a shame then that the equally impressive film adaptation, which received near unanimous critical acclaim, didn’t even get a full release. To add insult to injury there is already plans of an American remake that will most likely squeeze out all the subtly and artistry of the original. Then there is "Twilight." How does one softly convey that the book is rife with cliches, has a tenuous need for vampires at all, and is ultimately an insulting and simplistic perspective of a teenage girl's concept of love. I guess it can't be conveyed softly. Of course there isn’t anything wrong with books and film that have mass appeal, it's just unfortunate that mediocrity sells so well while a genre classic such as “Let the Right One In” goes ignored.

Look for the DVD release of “Let the Right One In” on March 10th.

Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas Adult Fiction - Main Level - Dallas

During WW II as Japanese Americans were sent to “internment camps” throughout the west. In the book Tallgrass, 13 year-old Rennie Stroud examines the impact of the internment camp built on a deserted ranch named Tallgrass, on the farmers and townspeople of Ellis, Colorado. After a girl in Rennie’s class is killed, most of the town rush to judgment against the Japanese, but Rennie’s parents are wise and do not fall into the prevailing xenophobia that sweeps across the town. Rennie’s father hires a couple of young people from the camp to help on the farm and in the house, putting the family in the line of fire from town bullies. Tallgrass is part historical fiction, part mystery and part coming of age story as Rennie relates the events of that year from the vantage point of 40 years later. Dallas (The Persian Pickle Club) has an innate sense of life in small towns in the west, of living where everyone knows, or thinks they do, everything about everyone else and how women bond together and negotiate differences with grace to help each other.

For an extra treat, listen to the audio book of Tallgrass produced by BBC Audiobooks. It won Audiofile Magazine’s 2008 Audie Award for Best Fiction. Lorelei King reads it with great skill, capturing the cadence and manner of speech of the many different characters in a way reminiscent of that era.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows Adult Fiction - Main Level - Dallas and CD Bookshelves - Main Level - Shaffer

In January, 1946, writer Juliet Ashton is looking for a new subject to write about, having throghly tired of her light hearted Izzy Bickerstaff goes to war series which she wrote during the war. Then she receives a letter from a Guernsey farmer Dawsey Adams who found her name and former address in a used book that he had purchased. Her building had been bombed in the blitz, and she'd moved, but somehow the letter had found her. This starts up a correspondence, the whole book is told in letters between Juliet and others, between them and he tells her of the German occupation of Guernsey and of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society which was formed as an alibi when several islanders were caught on the road late at night having had a dinner of roasted pig (forbidden to islanders) to keep them from arrest. Of course once founded, they had to start buying books and reading and discussing them to avoid suspicion. While at first I though this was going to be a British Ya Ya Sisterhood, it turned out to have depth as well as humor. Juliet goes to Guernsey at the request of several islanders who've been corresponding with her and learns to not only love the island and it's people, but learns about Nazi atrocities on the islands and in the camps.

Here is another book that is excellent as an audio book. All five readers are fantastic from the upper class voice of the publisher and one snooty Guernsey Islander who can't believe that pig farmers and women of "uncertain parentage" are capable of anything literary, the more regional accents of the islanders, the broad American accent of a wealthy American suitor (perfectly done) to the French accents of a woman who survived Ravensbrook.

Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
Adult New Book Display Main Level – MYSTERY EVANOVICH

For all you Stephanie Plum fans, Plum Spooky is the latest Between-the-Numbers novel by Janet Evanovich. Stephanie Plum has Martin Munch on her "most wanted" list for failure to appear in court. Martin has a degree in quantum physics and worked as a researcher. He is on the run because he has stolen a valuable piece of equipment from his lab. His partner in crime is Wulf Grimoire, a wanderer that can disappear like smoke, literally.

Diesel pops back into Stephanie’s life because he is after Wulf. Together they try to capture Martin and deter Wulf from world domination. Be prepared for Lula, the 300 pound ex-prostitute that teeters around in 4 inch heels wearing size small spandex, Bernie the ex- Easter Bunny, Elmer the Fire Farter and oh yeah, a lot of monkeys. This quirky story will leave you laughing and wanting more of Stephanie Plum. Her new book, Finger Lickin’ Fifteen is scheduled to be released June 16th, 2009.

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Adult Paperback Main Level – KINSELLA

This book has everything; it is laugh out loud funny, romantic and even at times suspenseful. Sophie Kinsella really gives her readers something to relate to. Most women love to shop but Rebecca Bloomwood takes her shopping to the next level. Rebecca is a financial journalist writing for Successful Saving in London. Yet as she writes about finance and eventually gives people advice on how to get out of debt and save money, she is an uncontrollable shopper and comes up with very imaginative solutions to hide/ignore her debt. She is deceiving her friends, family and the very handsome Public Relations rep Luke Brandon. Will Rebecca learn to cut back her shopping before she loses everything? To find more about Rebecca’s funny antics, the reasons why she thinks spending money is saving money and to see if she lands the handsome PR rep, check out Confessions of a Shopaholic. If you want to keep following Rebecca check out the rest of the Shopaholic series:

Shopaholic Takes Manahatten

Shopaholic Ties the Knot

Shopaholic and Sister

Shopaholic and Baby

Blindspot by Jane Kamensky and Jill Lepore
Adult New Book Display – Main Level - Kamensky

Our story here is told by two separate narrators. The first is a disgraced and indebted Scottish painter by the name of Stewart Jameson. He is fleeing Edinburgh, both the debt collectors and in search of his friend, Ignatius Alexander. Jameson tells us, the Dear Reader, that Alexander is an African-born, British educated doctor, but not how or why they were separated. Jameson hopes both to find his friend and earn the money to repay his debt in Boston. Meanwhile, Fanny Easton writes letters to a former schoolmate telling her plans to escape the Manufactory. She is the daughter of one of a judge, but she was disowned and thrown out of the house after her art tutor impregnated her. Now she has seen Jameson’s advertisement in the paper looking for an apprentice and decides to disguise herself as a boy, Francis Weston, to take the job. Then, Samuel Bradstreet, prominent citizen, revolutionary and early abolitionist is murdered, found dead just after sitting for his portrait. Jameson and Weston are key witnesses. Suspected are Bradstreet’s slaves, whose verbal promise to free them on his death is all the evidence the court really seems to want. But one of the slaves recognizes Fanny and asks for help, and she, as a guilty former owner, feels obliged to help. Early revolutionary and racial politics, intrigue and a whole lot of gender-bending sexual tension make this a fascinating and page-turning historical. The authors are both historians; some notes on the accuracy of the piece are included in book, and more on their website. Be sure to read the blurbs on the back cover, as well.

The Flirt by Kathleen Tessaro
Adult Paperbacks – Upper Level – TESSARO

Imagine yourself finding that the spark has gone out of your marriage. You’d like to get things going again, but since part of the problem is that you’re not feeling amorous, either, you’re not sure where to start. If you are a man in London, enter the hired flirt, a “professional massager of the female ego”, who will conduct a chaste yet thrilling flirtation with your wife. She’ll start being excited about herself, and you’ll start being excited about her. On the other hand, if you are a woman in a similar position, you could visit Bordello, and have the proprietress make seductive yet subtle custom lingerie, such that you won’t look like you’re trying at all, but your husband will nevertheless find you irresistible.

These are the two businesses that we are introduced to at the beginning of this book, along with a mélange of characters. There’s Hughie, an out-of-work actor, applying for the job of professional flirt, and his love of the moment, Leticia Vane, proprietress of Bordello. Hughie’s running up a tab at the local café, where Rose, a young single mother, is the waitress. Sam, a regular there and a plumber is called to fix a problem at Bordello. Rose interviews for a household job at the home of Olivia, a rich and sad American, but Olivia takes her for an up-and-coming artist instead. Jonathan works for Olivia’s wife Arnaud, a tennis ball billionaire. Not only is Arnaud an impossible boss, but Jonathan’s wife Amy is pregnant for the fourth time and both of them are wondering what happened to their dream of domestic bliss. The interlocking characters and plot lines rise like beaten egg whites to make a delightful meringue of a book, filled with comic situations and bittersweet chocolate reflections on the messiness of love and the fleeting nature of romance.

Darkborn by Alison Sinclair
Adult New Book Display – Main Level – SCI FIC SINCLAIR

In the city of Minhorne, Lightborn and Darkborn have always lived side by side, despite the fact that light is fatal to Darkborn and vice versa. Dr. Balthasar Hearne, Darkborn, gets a knock on his door just as the sunrise bell is ringing, and obeying ancient laws of hospitality, opens it. It’s his estranged younger brother’s former lover, now betrothed to a high society lord. Before next day comes, she has given birth to twins whose father, she impossibly claims, came to her in the day. Yet the unwanted twins appear to be sighted, impossible for Darkborn. Bal’s sister, the attending midwife, takes them to safety. That night, Bal is attacked and beaten by ruffians demanding the twins. He is saved by his Lightborn neighbor, but as they flee, they find his wife, Telmaine, and two daughters returning home from a society visit, unexpectedly accompanied by Baron Ishmael di Studier. The ruffians snatch the older girl on their way out. Despite his title, Ishmael is disreputable, a known mage who uses his powers to hunt the Shadowdwellers on the borders – important, but hardly proper for a baron. And only the Lightborn consider magic use truly acceptable. Lady Telmaine herself has magic, which she has concealed even from her husband her whole life and never learned to use. But now, with the plot rapidly thickening and both her husband and daughters’ lives in danger, she may need to risk her position in society.

This novel was well put together. It has an interesting premise and a taut plot without overwhelming with too many characters or details of the world. The characters were sympathetic. The kidnapped child fell just under my low threshold for child or parental suffering (I won’t read books, thriller or thoughtful, that center on a child’s death), and the thriller-aspect just the right pace to tempt me to stay up a few minutes late without keeping me up all night. The only downside is that (common for fantasy) it’s the first of a trilogy, the next volume due out next year, and the mystery behind the mystery isn’t solved this book.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova
Adult Paperbacks-Main Level
Alice Howland is a psychology professor at Harvard University. She is well-respected and successful – popular with her students and colleagues. She travels regularly to give speeches at important conferences, and writes articles and books. When she gets lost on her way home from her daily run, her panic leads her to her doctor. She realizes that she has been misplacing things lately, but blames it on menopause. When her clumsiness and lapses in language get worse, she eventually gets a diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s. The reader experiences Alice’s steady decline, until she can no longer work, cannot recognize her own children, and does not know when she is in her own home. This is a truly heartbreaking story, so realistic that the reader can’t help but feel compassion for Alice and her loved ones. This is Neuroscientist Genova’s first novel.

Girls in Trucks by Katie Crouch
Adult Fiction Shelves--Main Level
Sarah Walters grew up in the cotillion world of South Carolina. As she goes out into the world and becomes an independent adult, we watch her become self-destructive. She can’t seem to keep a relationship going, and has low self-esteem and a job that never quite becomes a career. Her debutante friends (Bitsy, Charlotte, and Annie) are also flawed characters. The author gives the characters a dry wit, though, that gives this book more depth than just a slacker with no self respect. When family tragedy brings Sarah home to South Carolina, she has to decide if the southern way – back to her roots – is where she should stay, or if it is too late for her to come back for good.

Thank You For All Things by Sandra Kring
Adult Paperbacks Main Level - KRING

11-year-old Lucy McGowan and her twin brother Milo have genius IQ's. They are home schooled by their mother, Tess, in Chicago. When Tess's father's health declines, the family goes to Tess's childhood home in Wisconsin to help out. Tess has always refused to talk to the children about their father, and they know equally little about their grandfather. Lucy dreams of having a father figure in her life, and loves her new-found grandfather too. She is very perceptive, though, and realizes that there are secrets between her mother and her grandfather. Lucy finds some old journals of her mother's, and puts the pieces together of her grandfather's abusive past - this old man that she has come to adore. She begins to understand why her mother has been hesitant to bring a father figure into their lives, but still yearns for it. Sandra Kring's books are all wonderfully emotional with precocious children characters that readers love.

Vision in White by Nora Roberts
Adult New Book Display-Main Level – PB ROBERTS

Mackensie (Mac) Elliot and her three best friends turned their childhood playtime activity into a reality. Together they founded Vows, which is a full service wedding venue complete with a florist, baker, and a photographer. Mac is the women behind the camera and her photographs have appeared in numerous magazines and advertisements across the state. Mac loves the ability to capture the happy moments in life that she has never experienced. Her father abandoned her when she was 2 and started a new family that does not include her. Her mother begs for attention and money without a second thought. While planning the wedding of a high school acquaintance she runs into the bride-to-be’s brother. Carter Maguire is not Mac’s type. Mac is not looking for any type of relationship since she has too much going on in her life already. Carter is crazy about Mac and would do anything for her. Nora Robert’s plays a nice twist making the woman afraid of saying “I do”. Go ahead and read Visions in White to see if Mac and Carter have their happily ever after. Also look for Bed of Roses, the next in The Wedding Quartet series due out October 27, 2009.

The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews
Adult New Book Display-Main Level – ANDREWS

Dempsey Killebrew had everything going for her in Washington DC. She had a great job as a lobbyist (even though she is a lawyer). Dempsey also had great friends and shared an apartment with a few of them. Her life changed in an instant when her boss is caught in a political scandal and he pointed the blame at her! This event left Dempsey broke, unemployed and homeless. It is hard to pay $2000 a month in rent when one does not have any income. Dempsey had nowhere to turn and was out of options. She decided to help out her father, who had inherited an old family place called Birdsong that is located in Guthrie, Georgia. Dempsey realizes this could be a good opportunity for her, her dad does not think it needs that much work, just some paint and a little elbow grease to get it in tip top shape to sell.

Dempsey was in for the shock of a lifetime when she actually pulled up to the old Victorian house. It is basically a dump with junk everywhere. She is also in for a surprise when she finds out that there is a squatter with an unfriendly dog living there. It turns out this squatter is a distant relative that refuses to leave, ever! Dempsey agrees to let her stay while she renovates the house.

Guthrie is a typical small town; everyone knows everyone and their business. Dempsey has met some friendly people, some she would consider friends. The one problem that does creep up is the FBI Agents that will not leave her alone. The agents are trying to get Dempsey to give up information about her ex-boss. Check out The Fixer Upper to see how Dempsey clears her name of any wrong doing, finds her identity, true love and actual belief in herself.

While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky
Adult New Book Display – Main Level - Delinsky

Robin Snow was a world class runner. She had dreams of going to the Olympics. When she suffers a massive heart attack during a training run, her family is devastated. How could this have happened to their vibrant, healthy daughter? Robin’s family surround her bedside in utter disbelief that she is brain dead – that machines are the only thing keeping her body going. Family secrets come out, but ultimately the family pulls together and learns about each other (as well as the Robin they didn’t know!). Here's some good brain candy for an easy weekend read.

Sofie Metropolis is a great choice for fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Sofie is a young, single, sassy P.I. in the Greek-American community of New York City (Astoria). She finds herself in ridiculously dangerous situations in her quest to find missing pets, cheating spouses, and serve papers to the wiliest of citizens. These books are all really, really funny!

Sofie Metropolis by Tori Carrington
Adult Mysteries-Main Level - CARRINGTON

Dirty Laundry: A Sofie Metropolis Novel by Tori Carrington
Adult Mysteries-Main Level - CARRINGTON

Foul Play: A Sofie Metropolis Novel by Tori Carrington
Adult Mysteries-Main Level - CARRINGTON

Black Hills by Nora Roberts
Adult New Book Display-Main Level – ROBERTS

Cooper Sullivan was 11 years old the first time that he visited his grandparents ranch in South Dakota. Cooper was very unhappy to be there, he wanted to spend his summer home in New York hanging out with his friends and going to Yankee baseball games. His grandmother gives him 2 weeks to sulk and pout, once those weeks were up she made a deal with Cooper, go out and have fun and help grandpa around the ranch and they will buy a TV. Cooper realized that things are not too bad, he even found a friend. Lil Chance was the young neighbor girl. That summer the two became fast friends, riding horses and hitting baseballs in her homemade batting cage. Each summer Cooper would visit their friendship grew. One unforgettable summer Lil and Cooper realized that they wanted to be in a relationship with each other. They were inseparable all summer and had an experience neither of them will ever forget; they found the body of a young hiker.

As the years went by Lil makes her dreams come true. She is a wildlife biologist. She has opened an animal rescue on her family’s land and she travels all over the world researching different animals. Cooper struggled in life, his father wanted him to become a lawyer and join the family firm and Cooper wanted anything but that. He went on to become a policeman and later private investigator. Twelve years after they had their inseparable summer Lil and Cooper meet again.

Cooper left his job and life in New York to come back to the family ranch for good to help out his aging grandparents. Lil finally comes home from a long research trip and suddenly strange things start happening at her animal rescue. Lil tried to brush off the strange happenings but things escalate once her beloved cougar is killed. Cooper and Lil are thrown into a whirlwind of activity that has people scared in their small town. All these strange happenings and murders bring up the memory of the young hiker that Cooper and Lil found 12 years in the same hills. The wonder if the unsolved murder has anything to do with the incidents in the Black Hills of South Dakota. This is an interesting tale of suspense that spans many years and will keep you guessing all the way to the end.

13 1/2 by Nevada Barr
Adult New Fiction Barr

In 13 ½, Nevada Barr takes a break from her excellent Anna Pigeon park ranger series of mysteries and crafts a perfectly paced, terrifying standalone novel.

This psychological thriller spans several decades, beginning in the 1960s with a family brutally murdered in Rochester, MN by one of their own, the reviled “Butcher Boy”, and continues through the present day with the murder of a tarot reader in New Orleans’s French Quarter. When the past collides with the present, an innocent woman must question what she really knows about her husband. Is she living with a stranger?

This book contains a few necessarily disturbing scenes consistent with the theme of a sociopathic personality. There is no additional, gratuitous violence, however.

Smash Cut by Sandra Brown
Adult New Book Display-Main Level – BROWN

The phrase smash cut is a movie term where one scene abruptly ends and another begins without any transition. THE SCENE: Hotel Moultrie, 3:15 pm on a Tuesday. An elevator with four people is stopped at a floor to pick up others. The occupants were stunned when the door opened to a mask man who quickly hit the stop button. The unknown man ordered everyone to kneel. After he took their jewelry he shot one man dead. END SCENE. Paul Wheeler was the man that was shot dead in the elevator on that fateful day. Of the three witnesses one was the most important; Wheeler’s female companion, art gallery owner, Julie Rutledge. The big question is who murdered Paul, was it a random robbery or the work of a cold, chilling sociopath.

Paul was a widow with no family except for his brother Doug, sister in law Sharon, and his nephew Creighton who were all shocked by his death. There is obvious dislike between Julie and Creighton, who try to point the police in each other’s direction even though they both have iron clad alibis. This is where Derek Mitchell enters. Derek is a hotshot criminal defense lawyer and he turns down the offer to be Creighton Wheeler’s lawyer. Not only is there a strange and startling conflict of interest but he does not like Creighton as a person and could not justify being his lawyer. Creighton is a spoiled young man. He does not hold a job; he plays various sports and has a large obsession with movies, especially horror movies. Just about every comment he makes is taken from a movie. Strange and scary disturbances start happening to Julie and Derek as they team up to prove that Paul’s murder was the work of a sociopath. Sandra Brown offers up a great read in this romantic thriller. You will enjoy the many twists and turns that this novel brings.

The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson
Adult Fiction Shelves – Main Level – JACKSON

Laurel’s life seems perfect until the ghost of her pre-teen daughter’s best friend comes to her in the night. Molly shows her to the backyard pool, where her body floats face down. How can little Molly be dead? Who did this to her? Shelby, Laurel’s daughter, might know more than she’s saying. Their family friend Bet may know more, too. Bet is from the impoverished town of DeLop, where Laurel’s family secrets lie. Then there is Thalia, Laurel’s difficult sister, who is summoned to help her figure it all out. This book is filled with subplots: sisterhood, friendship, loyalty, family secrets, and appearances. Joshilyn Jackson is an amazing author who just keeps getting better!

The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf
Adult New Book Display- Main Level – GUDENKAUF

Early one August morning Martin Gregory wakes up and realizes his 7 year old daughter, Petra, is missing from her bed. He wakes up his wife and they search high and low for Petra. They figure she must be next door at her best friend’s house. The Gregory’s go over to the Clark’s house. This is when Antonia Clark realizes that her daughter Callie is missing as well.

Callie and Petra are best friends which is quite unusual because they have nothing in common. Callie suffers from selective mutism. Petra understands Callie in a way that no one else does. As a result Petra is Callie’s voice, whether they are at school, on the playground or just playing like normal seven year old girls.

The sheriff is notified and soon the FBI is called in to look for the missing girls. The parents know the girls are in the woods that back up to their houses. The woods are a safe haven for the girls and Callie knows her way around the woods thanks to her brother Ben and her mother.

Despite their daughters being best friends the Clark’s and the Gregory’s are not very close. As tensions rise to find their daughters terrible family secrets are revealed including the one that caused Callie not to speak for three years.

Heather Gudenkauf writes a great tale of suspense. Each chapter being narrated by a different character really keeps the reader engaged in all that is going on while trying to find the missing girls, as well as exposing the reader to all the family dynamics and secrets of the Gregory’s and the Clark’s. This book will keep you enthralled until the very last page.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
Adult New Book Display-Main Level – SPARKS

Veronica “Ronnie” Miller’s life was never the same after her parents divorce. She lives in New York with her mom and her younger brother Jonah. Ever since the divorce Ronnie has fallen into the wrong crowd. She does not apply herself at school, stopped playing the piano all together, gotten caught and arrested for shoplifting and to top it off she has not spoken to her dad in three years. Her dad lives in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is furious when her mom forces her and Jonah to visit their dad for the summer. Ronnie’s dad, Steve, is a former concert pianist and teacher that lives in a quiet beach town. Steve is currently engrossed in a project for the local church. He is recreating a stained glass window for the church because the old one was destroyed in an arson fire a few months earlier. He is very excited for his children to come and visit.

Once the family is together their summer begins. Ronnie is starting off on the wrong foot in town by making friends with the local delinquent kids. The one bright spot in her summer has been meeting Will. He is the all American boy next door. Ronnie is completely herself around him and drops the attitude that she has developed. Ronnie has been slowly making amends with her father. Jonah is having the summer of his life and never wants to go back to New York. He gets to help his dad with the stained glass window and have father son bonding time whenever he wants. It is near the end of summer that Ronnie and Jonah find out the real reason they had to spend their summer with their dad. This reason will change their lives forever. Also at the end of summer is when the truth is learned of how the church burned down all those months ago. This has been a hard summer for the Miller family and many lessons have been learned through their journey. Nicholas Sparks once again writes another great novel about love, lost, and trust. You will read about broken hearts and how love and time can heal them.

Sharp Objects Gillian Flynn
Adult Fiction Shelves Main Level – FLYNN

Sharp Objects is Gillian Flynn’s debut thriller. Camille Preaker is a reporter for Chicago’s Daily Post. She is sent on assignment by her editor to go back to her hometown of Wind Gap, Missouri. Camille is sent to do a human interest piece on two missing local girls that show up dead in a grueling manner. The girls vanished less than a year apart. The town is scared for their little girls because the police have no leads. Once Camille is back in her old town you start learning the truth about why she left and had no desire to ever return. Her mother is the most influential person in town. In public she shows that she is the loving doting mother. In private she lets her disappointment and hate show for her oldest daughter. Being around her mother, Camille is drawn back to the times that made her so unhappy and she has the desire to harm herself again, something she has not done since she has been hospitalized. The deeper that Camille is involved in the investigation the more she is convinced that the killer is local. Flynn takes dysfunctional family to a whole new level in this twisting and turning suspense thriller.

Dark Places Gillian Flynn
Adult New Book Display Main Level – FLYNN

True to her first novel Gillian Flynn pens another suspense thriller more twisted than her first. Libby Day was seven when her mother and 2 older sisters were brutally murdered in the middle of the night on a cold day in January of 1985. Her testimony of what happened that day landed her older brother Ben, just 15 at the time a life term in prison. Not only does Libby have the emotional scars from that day she also has physical scars from the spending the night in the woods. It is now 24 years later and Libby needs money. She has never had to work and now her money is running out. A man named Lyle contacts her offering money if she will come to the next meeting of the Kill Club. The Kill Club is a group of people that meet and discuss old murder cases. Since Libby is so desperate for money she agrees. She was unprepared for what happens as she meets this club. Certain members of the group believe that she lied about what happened that day. They think that Ben is innocent and they want Libby to prove it. The story is told in alternating chapters between Libby in the present day, her mom Patty on the day she died and Ben on the day he allegedly committed the murders. There are so many things that happened on that fateful day in January and so many secrets were kept. The big question is if Ben did not commit the murders then who else was in the house that night?

Except the Queen by Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder
Adult New Book Display – Upper Level - Yolen

The first thing I noticed about this book when I opened it up was Jane Yolen’s dedication, which I will reproduce here in it entirety. This, dear readers, is a recommendation list from one of the grande dames of fantasy. I find that I have read many of them, but there’s a good handful that I plan on hunting down:

For Terri Windling, Ellen Datlow, Isak Dinesen, Angela Carter, Alice Hoffman, Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman, Pamela Dean, Patricia Wrede, Holly Black, Emma Bull, Patricia McKillip, Ellen Klages, Kelly Link, Diana Wynne Jones, Robin McKinley, Shannon Hale, and all the other sisters of fantasy.

But the actual book. Two fairy sister, Meteora and Serana, witness the Queen engaged in a certain act with a human man. The Queen! With a human! They try to stifle their giggles quickly, as they know that revenge will be swift and terrible if word ever gets out. Of course, inevitably, it does and it is. The Queen finds them both and turns them into ugly, fat and magic-less old ladies (how ugly or fat? It’s hard to say coming from people accustomed to eternal youth) and sends them to far cities in the human world. Serana is taken to the hospital as a homeless woman, and eventually set up with an apartment and a small allowance by a social worker. Meteora is found by the Great Witch herself, Baba Yaga, and assigned to watching over her house, the lower stories of which she rents out to college students. The story follows these two as they try to establish communication with each other and to survive among the bewildering ways and proliferating cold iron of the human world. We also meet two young people, both with magic but living in the human world. The Dog Boy, Robin, tries to escape from his cruel father, while Sparrow, who does not know her own name or history herself, finds herself being sucked into a black spell: A friend of a friend guides her to the tattoo parlor of one Hawk, who promises her the most beautiful tattoo she has ever seen, just for her. But the tattoo bleeds at night for weeks, though Sparrow heals even from knife wounds overnight, and Sparrow’s dreams grow increasingly dark. (Meteora’s musings on tattoos are interesting, as she sees bad spells in almost every tattoo she sees – butterflies for a short and meaningless life, or barbed wire for pain and suffering.) The old sisters, too, sense darkness attempting to rise and use what frail powers they have left to help the young people, trying to find a purpose in the human world. The characters are compelling and the plot nicely not obvious. This fey are authentic, the Unseelie Court terrifying, the Seelie Court maybe good but still not necessarily trustworthy or friendly to humans, both sides deeply respectful and fearful of Baba Yaga, who aligns herself with neither court. This is fantasy done well, and, I’ll note, a good stand-alone for those who want a solid fantasy fix without committing to a trilogy or more.