The Innocent

Author: David Baldacci
Stars: 4
Review by:  BKF
Another book I could hardly put down. A fast read, short chapters (100 of them!), and suspense all the way to the last page. Baldacci is a master storyteller!

Into Thin Air

Author: Jon Krakauer
Stars: 4
Review by: BookWorm2
An invigorating read about the perils of climbing Mt. Everest. Well crafted, but not in any way uplifting.

Lucky You

Author: Carl Hiaasen
Stars: 3
Review by: T.Wright
Always enjoy the quirkiness of Hiaasen books.

Keep Quiet

Author: Lisa Scottoline
Stars: 4
Review by: Ada
A mystery with a surprise ending. I like all her books.

The Smoke Jumpers

Author: Nicholas Evans
Stars: 5
Review by: Voracious
A love triangle where everyone is a hero. Great opening and interesting depiction of the life of smoke jumpers.

The Romanov Bride

Author: Robert Alexander
Stars: 5
Review by: Carole Ann
A historical novel based on much research. It would appeal to readers interested in divine right of tsars, women's rights, religion, rebellion , poverty and sensitivity to human trials.

Trust Women: A Progressive Christian argument for reproductive justice

Author: Rebecca Todd Peters
Stars: 5
Review by: libraryaimee
A discussion of how reproductive rights have become regulated in a morally righteous yet unjust fashion. Here is an amazing quote, "When we shift from judgment to justice, we become the kind of community that helps women solve problems and live healthy and safe lives rather than blaming and shaming..."

Towers in the Mist

Author: Elizabeth Goudge
Stars: 3
Review by: Lizzytish
A charming story that takes place within a year in Elizabethan Oxford. It follows the lives of the Leigh family and some other famous historical figures. Great detail and the slow pace bogged me down at times. I do love other books by this author. I see this is one of her first works where she has not defined herself as the author she later becomes. 

My Italian Bulldozer

Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Stars: 3
Review by:  rgfundamental
Sweet, delightful rom/com set in Tuscany.

Beneath a Scarlet Sky

Author: Mark Sullivan
Stars: 2
Review by: rgfundamental
Fast read. Based on compelling true story of WWII. No clever turn of phrase.

Something in the Water

Author: Charlotte McLeod
Stars: 3
Review by: Lizzytish
An enjoyable trip to Maine with Shandy. Of course there is murder most foul involving a chicken pot pie. Throw in some lupines, mysterious paintings, a fountain of youth (?), some quirky characters, and you’ll be in for a treat. I love the banter between Shandy and his wife.

New for June...

The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz

Diana Cowper walks into a funeral home one morning to arrange her funeral.  Six hours later she is dead: murdered.  It’s almost as if she saw it coming…or did she? An aborted text to her son, renowned actor Damien Cowper, suggests she might have known.  Enter disgraced, disgruntled, retired detective Daniel Hawthorne who is “consulting” on the murder, connecting it to the hit and run accident Ms. Cowper was acquitted of ten years ago, resulting in the death of one eight-year-old, and the permanent disability of his twin brother.  He approaches acclaimed mystery author Anthony Horowitz (no relation) to follow along the investigation and write a true crime novel once the case is solved.  Horowitz is intrigued by both the idea and the enigmatic Hawthorne and agrees to follow along.  The pair begins by following the obvious trail: the Godwin accident, but along the way, the pair comes across seemingly unimportant things, but put together, add up to a much different picture than the original solution.  There is so much more going on in these storylines than meets the eye; with his keen senses, Hawthorne goes places and arrives at conclusions the police missed.  This cleverly plotted roman a clef has the feel of a classic mystery novel from the Golden Age, yet it goes so much beyond that as it teases the reader, drawing them into the story, and then leaving them dangling as the duo dashes off to explore another angle.  Horowitz has outdone himself in this deftly plotted sleight of hand with characters who charm, frustrate, and slowly lure readers in, and a character, the author, who feels he will never fully be in control of these characters, even if he is one himself.

The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson

Any reader who has sought and found solace and comfort in books will adore this debut novel.  Miranda has a job as a history teacher in Philadelphia and has recently moved in with her boyfriend when she receives a mysterious package followed by a phone call that her estranged but beloved uncle Billy has died in California.  Miranda thought Billy hung the moon, but never saw or heard from him after he and her mother had a falling out on Miranda’s twelfth birthday.  Now Miranda learns she is the heir to Billy’s estate which includes the LA based store Prospero books. Miranda, having been named after Prospero’s daughter in The Tempest, has always had a special affinity for the bookstore, but owning the floundering shop when her life is on the other coast is something altogether different.  Miranda’s mother delight at having her daughter home quickly turns to anger and distance when she learns Billy has left a quest for Miranda to unravel, using books as clues, leading to answers about Billy’s life.  While Miranda feels a kinship to the store, she isn’t ready to throw away her life for something so unknown, but the more she learns about Billy, the more she realizes he was not the carefree, fun-loving person she saw him as, and the more she realizes that her place may indeed with Billy’s bookstore on the west coast.

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

Geo Shaw is about to be released from prison after serving five years for her part in her best friend’s murder fourteen years ago when they were sixteen.  Geo’s at the time boyfriend, Calvin James, took the brunt of the blame and was sentenced to life in prison, for Angela’s murder and two others, earning him the label “the Sweetbay Strangler”, but escaped before Geo’s five year sentence is up.  Geo, who lost her power job, her high-profile fiancé, and her safe, secure life, returns to her childhood home where she tries to rebuild, finding that very few people in the town have forgiven her, and most don’t want her living near them.  She oddly enough, finds comfort and solace in the man who arrested her, Kaiser Brody, the man who was Geo and Angela’s best friend in high school.  Two pairs of murders occur shortly after Geo’s release, and are eerily reminiscent of Angela’s, and what’s more, there is a new twist that points directly at Geo.  Certain that Calvin is taunting her, coming for her, Kaiser ramps up Geo’s protection, not realizing it isn’t Calvin Geo has to fear.  This original thriller has chilling twists and turns that don’t stop, characters so damaged yet so compelling, that you can’t tear your eyes away from them for a moment.  This book is one to be read slowly so not one detail is missed, yet one to be rushed through to the final, stunning conclusion.  

How Hard Can it Be? By Allison Pearson

Kate Redding (I Don’t Know How She Does It) is back and facing down fifty: re-entering the workforce, juggling her husband, children, mothers, and menopause all with grace, panache, wisdom, and a whole lot of humor. Kate’s husband Richard has decided to live a more mindful life (take a job at a meditation center), which means Kate needs to go back to work if she’s hoping to hang onto the house with great bones they bought, get her son Ben the latest Play Station, and have money left over to let her teenage daughter keep up with her friend Lizzie and the crowd.  Kate shaves seven years off of her age to even get an interview and finds herself working an entry level marketing job at the wealth management firm she left to be a full-time mom seven years ago, now run by people who can’t correctly place Madonna at 56 years of age.  With menopause hot on her heels (literally), Kate relies on “Roy” in her brain to recall the salient facts of life. She doesn’t need Roy to remind her about how crazy she was about Jack, though, when an unexpected e-mail from him hits her in box, turning the rest of Kate’s world upside down.  Funny, unless you’re living through it, in which case the book is uproariously funny.  Anyone who has been fifty needs to read this book, anyone who hopes to someday be 50 should read this, and then treat the rest of us a little more kindly. 

Bearskin by James A. McLaughlin

Rice, the hero of this debut novel, has gone as anonymous as possible, taking a job as the warden at a Virginia mountain preserve after being involved out west with a Mexican drug cartel.  When Rice finds dead bears on the preserve, their paws and gall bladders removed, he takes matters into his own hands as he tries to track down the poachers without going to the local sheriff.  Soon, Rice is in over his head, in a new environment, mixed up with locals who don’t necessarily see things the way he does.  Before long, his past slams into his present and it is not only his new way of life that is endangered, but his life.  The beauty of Rice’s new world is visceral, but so is the savagery he finds.  McLaughlin’s descriptions of the flora and fauna in the preserve are on par with Barbara Kingsolver, his Southern feel reminiscent of Ron Rash.  Book groups will find much to discuss in this multi-layered novel.

Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris

Finn and Layla were driving through France on holiday when Finn stopped at a rest area to use the bathroom. When he returned to the car, Layla was missing; ten years later she has never been found.  Grieving from his loss, Finn recovers with the help of his friend Harry and Layla’s sister Ellen, to whom he is now engaged.  Their life seems to be idyllic, though it is clear Finn did not tell the police the entire truth about what occurred that night, nor has he been completely honest with Ellen.  Layla’s disappearance returns to the forefront when small trinkets that only have meaning to Finn and Ellen begin turning up and each believes their prefect life is about to unravel, but who has more to fear and just who has more to lose in this twisty turny novel that provides one surprise after another and will have readers flipping back at the end to see if they can figure out just what it was they missed.

Mine by J.L. Butler

Divorce lawyer Fran Dey has been working her way up the ladder when she risks is all as she begins an affair with a client and then watches in horror as he becomes the primary suspect in his wife’s disappearance.  Fran feels an immediate attraction and pull toward Martin Joy who has retained her as counsel in his divorce from wife Donna.  Fran knows she shouldn’t become involved, but can’t stay away; she becomes unsure that Martin and Donna are actually separating after seeing them at a restaurant together.  The next morning she wakes up with blood on her and no memory of the night before.  As Fran tries to sort through her feelings and concerns about Martin, she is drawn deeper into a web of lies and secrets that threaten everything Fran has worked for and even puts her mental health in jeopardy.  A second story line adds to the obsessive, dark feel of the novel.

Broken Ice by Matt Goldman

Nils “Shap” Sharpiro and his business partner Ellegaard, both retired cops, are hired by Linnea Engstrom when she disappears from a state hockey tournament game in the small town of Warroad, MN where hockey is king.  The next day, the body of Linnea’s friend Haley Housh is found dead in a cave, and though the girls weren’t together that evening, Nils doesn’t believe it’s a coincidence.  While examining the cave, Nils is shot through the shoulder with an arrow.  Instead of staying home and recuperating, Nils ramps up his investigation to try and find Linnea before she meets Haley’s fate.  Nils is a very likable, if very flawed, character, and his plain talking, pull no punches manner, along with his ex-wife and other characters, will win many fans to this fledgling series. 

Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent

In the opening scene of this domestic psychological thriller, Dublin judge Andrew Fitzsimons strangles Annie, a prostitute.  Fearing Annie is not dead, his wife Lydia finishes the job and instructs Andrew to bury Annie in their backyard.  Lydia and Andrew’s overweight teenage son Lawrence, bullied at school and tacitly at home, knows something is up with his parents but is able to hide in the shadows and bide his time, or so he thinks, until he is able to use his knowledge to his advantage.  Annie’s sister Karen demands that the police search for Annie, no matter what her lifestyle was.  Being told from three points of view,  creates a narrative with strong characters, keeps the tension high, and keeps readers wondering how everything…especially Andrew’s connection to Annie…fits together, until one final twist reveals just how evil a person can be.  

Splinter in the Blood by Ashley Dyer

DS Ruth Lake is standing over her partner, DCI Greg Carver, in his living room, the gun that almost killed him in hand: she didn’t do it, though.  So why, before the emergency team arrives, does Ruth wipe down Greg’s home and remove all the evidence from their current case, The Thorn Killer, that Greg had been working on at home?  The Thorn Killer has murdered five people and tattooed them with ancient symbols: was Greg getting too close?  When Greg wakes up in the hospital, he has no memory of the shooting, nor of what he thinks he may have figured out about the Thorn Killer.  Lake continues Greg’s investigation, focusing on the last victim who not only looked eerily like Greg’s estranged wife, but who also had a pair of her earrings on when she was found.  Lake is still hiding something and easily justifies her actions---to herself---but will these secrets jeopardize and investigation and put more lives, including Lake’s, in danger as well?  

The Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland

Loveday Cardew has found refuge in books and in Archie’s bookstore, Lost for Words Bookshop in York for the past ten years.  A poetry book found on the street brings performance poet and magician Nathan into the store and Loveday’s life.  Having spent all of her teenage years in foster care, Loveday has a difficult time with relationships, and the burgeoning one with Nathan is no acceptation.  Told in three parts: Loveday’s life before foster care, her first attempts at a relationship, and present day, her story is slowly revealed, her heart laid bare as she struggles to have a “normal” life even as the past, in the form of books from her childhood, comes back to her dredging up memories so visceral she knows it’s time to face her past, heal from it, and move on to her future.

The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Famous Writers (And Their Muses) by Terri-Lynne DeFinoCecibel Bringer was in a terrible accident that left not only physical scars, but left her unable to forgive and love.  Working in the Bar Harbor Retirement Home, established as a home for writers, Cecibel can move, sometimes unseen, among the residents such as once luminary Olivia Peppernell whose former lover Alfonse Carducci is the home’s newest resident. Something about Cecibel strikes a chord with Alfonso and he begins to write again, soon joined by Olivia, the two writing alternating chapters.  As the two former literary stars reemerge, so does Cecibel as she learns to love and live in this delightful homage to the power of the written word, not only in the reading of it, but in the writing as well.

Congratulations to...

... our Week #3 Prize Winners:

• DebH09
• dorcaf

Progress So Far

Click on image to enlarge.

Cut Your Grocery Bills in Half

Author: Steve & Annette Economides
Stars: 4
Review by: JK
The book gave some really good ideas for saving money.

The Hazel Wood

Author: Melissa Albert
Stars: 3
Review by: Lizzytish
Alice in Wonderland meets the Grimm Brothers on steroids? Alice and her mom have been on the run for most their lives. From bad luck. Alice’s mother is kidnapped, and there the adventure really begins as Alice enters Hinterland to try to save her mom. Some twists and turns and creepy characters await. But for Alice:“The quickest way to end this is to begin it, and that's no way to start, is it?” 
I must admit, I wasn’t overly fond of Alice. The adventure was enjoyable.

Sein Language

Author: Jerry Seinfeld
Stars: 4
Review by: Voracious
Old book that still holds up, brings back many pleasant childhood memories.

What Happened That Night

Author: Sandra Block
Stars: 5
Review by: PageTurner25
I absolutely LOVED this book! Block has a way with words.  This novel was such a page tuner I could not put it down. The point of view from which Block writes is very capturing! I especially liked how  the story was told through flashbacks from Dahlia's and then James' point of view. Very attention grabbing. I am definitely going to check out more books by Sandra Block, she is my new favorite author.  I highly recommend!!

Look Alive Out There

Author: Sloane Crosley
Stars: 4
Review by: Sarah E.
As always, Sloane has a humorous take on all of her interactions with the universe. Her wit and sarcasm - whether applied to playing neighbor politics with a high schooler or towards her encounter with meniere's disease - make this the perfect, light summer read.

Close to Home

Author: Cara Hunter
Stars: 3
Review by: Ada
Mystery with a trick ending. Who would have thought?

The House Swap

Author: Rebecca Fleet
Stars: 3
Review by: Kim P.
Domestic issues mostly.  Dragged at times.

The Couple Next Door

Author: Shari Lapena
Stars: 4
Review by: Maureen M
It was a good read.

Under the Tuscan Sun

Author: Frances Mayes
Stars: 5
Review by: Maureen M
Absolutely loved it. It made me feel as if I was in Italy!

The Ins and Outs of Poop

Author: Thomas DuHamel, PhD
Stars: 5
Review by: Chris L.
My 3 year old granddaughter has 'bathroom issues' which did not seem normal. This book discusses encopresis a common condition of functional constipation. It was a relief to find a path to dealing with this problem as a family.

The Art of Mehndi

Author: Sumita Batra
Stars: 4
Review by: S E Sanchez
Batra writes poetically about the history, geography and symbolism of henna body art. Beautifully illustrated, the book is a wonderful introduction to this ancient temporary adornment.

Year of Wonders

Author: Geraldine Brooks
Stars: 4
Review by: BKF
It's 1666 and the Plague has decimated over half the population of a small English village. Through housemaid Anna Frith's eyes we see how tragedy effects the people of the village. Some become heroes, others villains. Anna's loss is great but her will to survive and help those in need changes her life forever. The Year of Wonders is an outstanding book of historical fiction.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

Author: Becky Albertalli
Stars: 5
Review by: line82

Charming. Great characters.

Alice Network

Author: Kate Quinn
Stars: 5
Review by: Judy E
3 time periods collide in this intrigue involving the Alice network of women spies during WW 1 and WW11 from current time period. Even more interesting because women spies were not prominent during this time.

The Cemetery Keeper's Wife

Author: MaryAnn McFadden
Stars: 3
Review by: Bnbook
The book is based on a true story that took place in Hackettstown NJ.

We Own The Sky

Author: Luke Allnutt
Stars: 4
Review by: Ada
Very sad book. Do not read if you do not like sad. It was good if that does not affect you.

Elephants Can Remember

Author: Agatha Christie
Stars: 3
Review by: Lizzytish
Ariadne Oliver once more appears with Poirot, and between them they solve a cold case from 20 years ago. I was able to figure this one out as there were many clues. The elephants were all witnesses from the past that helped Poirot put it together. Being Christie was in her 80’s ( I think) it was pretty impressive.

Not That Bad

Author: edited by Roxane Gay
Stars: 4
Review by: libraryaimee
I can't say I enjoyed reading this book, but it was a necessary, well-written book. It is a collection of essays by people who have endured sexual harassment & abuse. Eye opening and horrifying that we still live in a culture that dismisses this behavior as "boys will be boys" and blames the victims.

What Would Virginia Woolf Do?

Author: Nina Lorez Collins
Stars: 3
Review by: libraryaimee
A book for women about aging. Very warm and funny. Covers every topic imaginable. I was enjoying it very much and then I looked at the author's picture...she looks so young and so glamorous! It kind of took away some of the enjoyment of the book because it is written as a been-there, done-that style....and it was hard to relate to the photo! :)

Seduced

Author: Randy Wayne White
Stars: 4
Review by: Noel
Can't wait for the next Hannah Smith novel!

The Underground Girls of Kabul

Author: Jenny Nordberg
Stars: 5
Review by: Debbie B
A very powerful story about how the women of Afghanistan live and survive in a man's world.

My Lady's Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel

Author: Kitty Curran & Larissa Zageris
Stars: 5
Review by: libraryaimee
A choose-your-own-adventure romance novel. So fun and imaginative! You are the heroine and you choose which story you'd like to follow. You could end up with a man (many, many men to choose from), a woman, or, perhaps, a supernatural being!

Six Years

Author: Harlan Coben
Stars: 4
Review by:Voracious
A good mystery read that kept you guessing throughout.

Blow Out

Author: Catherine Coulter
Stars: 4
Review by: Judy
Coulter's mysteries about the FBI and Savich and Sherlock never disappoint. This was especially interesting because there was lots of information about the Supreme Court.

Fallen Skies

Author: Philippa Gregory
Stars: 3
Review by: Chris L.
Different from Gregory's Historical Dramas. Interesting and suspenseful.

How To Walk Away

Author: Katherine Center
Stars: 4
Review by: MI
First book that I have read by this author. Enjoyed her style, very descriptive, written in the present tense. Quick, easy read that reinforced the power of the human spirit.

Letter From Home

Author: Carolyn Hart
Stars: 4
Review by: JLB
Mystery in war time; page turner.

Barracoon

Author: Zora Neale Hurston
Stars: 4
Review by: S E Sanchez
Subtitled The Story of the Last 'Black Cargo', Barracoon recounts Zora Neale Hurston's interviews with Cudjo Lewis, a man captured in Africa and enslaved in the United States. Hurston's training in Anthropology and advanced social science research lends itself to a respectful depiction of Lewis' detailed recollections of life before, during and after slavery.

Surprise Me

Author: Sophie Kinsella
Stars: 3
Review by: Ada

The last few chapters were the best parts.

Tell No One

Author: Harlan Coben
Stars: 4
Review by: BKF
Twenty five years old, married seven months to his childhood love, Dr. David Beck has it all. Until his wife is murdered and he struggles on with his life without her. Eight years later he receives a mysterious email in a code that only he and his deceased wife would know. So starts the adventure. I could hardly put this book down... a real page turner!!

Congratulations to...

... our Week #2 Prize Winners:

• P.M.W.
• Judy

Progress So Far

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The Guest Room

Author: Chris Bohjalian
Stars: 4
Review by: BeachBarb
Might be disturbing to some. Deals with some dark social issues, but Bohjalian is a terrific writer, speaker and person.

Scars

Author: Cheryl Rainfield
Stars: 5
Review by: August Mom
A Young Adult Novel-Autobiographical. Self-Harm and family dynamics as well as great resources for families, youth and anyone who cares about our youth.

The Handmaid's Tale

Author: Margaret Atwood
Stars: 5
Review by: Linda P.
Disturbing on so many levels, but the style of writing was excellent.

Portrait of a Murderer

Author: Ann Meredith
Stars: 2
Review by: Lizzytish
Another reprint of a 1930s-era British mystery. This one differs in the fact that we know who did it and why. More of a psychological character study. The murder happens during the early morning of Christmas. Adrian Gray is murdered by one of his children who have all gathered to get money from him. Most of the characters are odious which did not add to the reading pleasure.

Punch Escrow

Author: Tal M. Klein
Stars: 4
Review by: Lizzytish
It is now 2147 and you can teleport anywhere. There’s no government. Corporations run everything. Joel is suppose to meet up with his wife in Costa Rica until he realizes he’s not in Costa Rica. And thus the adventure begins. There is humor, science, adventure, 80’s pop culture, and twists. Great fun! The footnotes make it more hardcore science, but you can skip them without missing out.

Sourdough

Author: Robin Sloan
Stars: 4
Review by: Lizzytish
A deliciously, charming book! Lois, a software programmer working on a robotic arm, is given some sourdough starter. It is not your usual starter dough. But it does start Lois on some interesting paths! Get yourself a slab of butter and spread it on some thick sourdough bread while you enjoy the ride! 
Oh, and like Sloan’s other book, the cover glows in the dark!

Authority

Author: Jeff Vandermeer
Stars: 5
Review by:dorcaf
This is the second book in a trilogy and picks up some time after the first book ends. Great character development. I don't want to say anymore because I'm bound to give something away...but truly looking forward to the final book...just wish that I didn't have to wait for it to come back to the library :-(.

Annihilation

Author: Jeff Vandermeer
Stars: 5
Review by: dorcaf
I don't usually like science fiction but this book grabbed my attention from the first page. I love how the author really delves into each character to help you get a better understanding (or not) of what motivates them. Looking forward to reading the second book in this trilogy. By the way, the movie based on this book (or perhaps the trilogy) is soon to be on DVD. My son saw the movie and based on our very brief discussion, I would recommend reading the books first.

The Essential Grandma Moses

Author: Jane Kallir
Stars: 5
Review by: Voracious
Very clear reasoned explanation of Grandma Moses and her unique impact on the art world. Very small, lots of great illustrations, and written by someone with inside knowledge and appreciation.

By Invitation Only

Author: Dorothea Benton Frank
Stars: 5
Review by: Linny
Great book.

The High Tide Club

Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Stars: 4
Review by: libraryaimee
Everything you'd expect from Mary Kay Andrews...murder and beaches!

The Girl You Left Behind

Author: JoJo Moyes
Stars: 4
Review by: mystery lover

Life in occupied France.

Fishbowl

Author: Bradley Somer
Stars: 5
Review by: BKF
A captivating read! The novel takes place over a 30 minute time frame where we get a brief look into the lives of a number of people who live in an apartment building, through the eyes of a goldfish falling from its 27th floor!

The Temptation of Forgiveness

Author: Donna Leon
Stars: 2
Review by: Chris L.
This latest Brunetti book is just so-so. I have read all 27 and this is not one of the better ones.

The Swans of Fifth Avenue

Author: Melanie Benjamin
Stars: 4
Review by: Mitchie L
This was a fun and interesting read about the relationship between Truman Capote and Babe Paley and her New York social circle. Truman was once their friend and confidant until he published a "fictionalized" story of the socialites and revealed their innermost secrets. It really sparked my interest in the real events as did Benjamin's other book The Aviator's Wife.

Talking about Detective Fiction

Author: P.D. James
Stars: 5
Review by: Ann Marie
P.D. James (now deceased) wrote a nonfiction book examining the mystery genre, from its beginnings to the present. While her book focuses on British mysteries, James also covers American mysteries, including the hard-boiled detective fiction of Hammett and Chandler. Insightful and entertaining. Mystery fans will enjoy this book. I also discovered some authors I plan to check out during my next trip to the library!

Haunted

Author: Randy Wayne White
Stars: 4
Review by: Noel
I am really enjoying the Hannah Smith series.

The Music Shop

Author: Rachel Joyce
Stars: 4
Review by: Ada
It got better as it progressed.

The Gunners

Author: Rebecca Kauffman
Stars: 4
Review by: Judy
The Gunners is a wonderful book about friendship and loyalty. A very quick read.

Waiting for Godot

Author: Samuel Beckett
Stars: 1
Review by:Shapoppa
 I love plays & I know Samuel Beckett is acclaimed. Of course I know there is some deep, existential meaning in Waiting for Godot, but still, I don't have to like it. In fact, the best thing I saw written about it was from uncyclopedia.wikia.com. It humorously gave the curtain credit for being in the cast. "The Curtain: Only involved in the very end of the play. Considered by many to be the highlight. Its motives are clear." That just cracked me up, but this tragicomedy in two acts - did not.

The Gift

Author: Danielle Steel
Stars: 4
Review by: August Mom
A quick read.  1950s era teen pregnancy, family loss, love found and restored hope.

The Catcher in the Rye

Author: J.D. Salinger
Stars: 4
Review by: Judy

Oldie but Goodie!

Congratulations...

... to our Week #1 Prize Winners:

• Carol K, Booklover
• Linda P.

Progress So Far...

Click on image to enlarge.

Life Is Like a Musical

Author: Tim Federle
Stars: 5
Review by: Shapoppa 

This book was delightful. Federle shares some life lessons he's learned on his journey as a Broadway performer and writer that can be applied not only to someone interested in musical theater, but to anyone. For this 50-year old who is in a bit of a goal-rut, it was a refreshing read and gave me some perspective to look back on my life in order to recognize what it was back then that I enjoyed and to use that as the impetus to figure out what I'd like to do moving forward.

Hardcore Twenty-Four

Author:  Janet Evanovich
Stars: 5
Review by: PattiK

Once again, Janet Evanovich delivers with a book that is delightful, entertaining, and full of giggles. 

The Catcher in the Rye

Author: J.D. Salinger
Stars: 4
Review by: Angel

Oldie but Goodie!

The Girl in the Blue Coat

Author: Monica Hesse
Stars: 2
Review by: PAM!

I didn't realize it was a YA book so it was a very watered down version of WW2 events. 

Every Breath You Take

Author: Mary Higgins Clark
Stars: 4
Review by: Reading GAL

Great book. The book was full of suspenseful twists and it had a good development of characters.

The Gift

Author: Danielle Steel
Stars: 4
Review by: August Mom

A quick read. 1950’s era -teen pregnancy, family loss, love found and restored hope.

Just Jennifer

How Far She’s Come by Holly Brown

Twenty-four Cheyenne Florian couldn’t be more surprised when she is recruited to be a new personality on the new INN, Independent News network “Because independent thinking is the only way out”.  Billionaire Edwin Gordon, founder and owner of the station, flies to California where he interviews Cheyenne on his private plane after watching her vlogs which show her to be an opinionated young woman of convictions.  Cheyenne thinks INN is a completely different type of network, but when she arrives in New York, she finds the same old things: women who are jealous and suspicious, men who are happy to leer at her, and show hosts afraid she’ll displace them.  An anonymous delivery of a diary from 1991, written by a Elyse Rohrbach, a female newscaster, becomes a cautionary tale for Cheyenne, and as she reads, Cheyenne realizes the events in the diary creepily mirror what is happening to Cheyenne in present day, without her necessarily realizing it.  The plot, inspired by the #metoo movement is sometimes too subtle, and often times too obvious; Cheyenne is a strong young woman with a lot of inner character and nerves of steel making the plot plausible and a little too real.

New Titles for May

Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall

Mike and Verity have a very intense, bordering on dangerous , relationship, playing a game called “Crave” in which Verity makes Mike jealous by letting another man hit on her, especially at a bar, fingers the silver eagle necklace her gave her, and then he swoops in, literally, to save her.  But now Mike sits in a prison cell, awaiting trial for murder; his barrister has Mike write his account of the relationship with Verity, leading up to the murder.  Slowly, a story of obsession emerges, but on whose part?  Mike is certain that Verity’s announcement she is getting married after his two years spent, at her request, in America, is just one big Crave: why else would she have invited him to the wedding?  Is Mike the predator or the prey?  This twisty psychological thriller, unusual in that there is an unreliable male narrator, will have readers guessing until the very end…and beyond. A LibraryReads selection www.libraryreads.org

The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy

A group of Brooklyn mothers all giving birth in May have formed a group to offer support and give advice in the days leading up to the births of their babies, and in the weeks following, assuring everyone they are not alone.  In the midst of record breaking July heat, the women decide they need a night out on the fourth of July; they especially encourage the single mother among them, Winnie, who they feel needs the night out more than any of them.  Nell arranges for her babysitter to watch Winnie’s son Midas so the group can spend the evening letting off a little steam.  Winnie, nervous leaving Midas for the first time, has a webcam app on her phone to keep an eye on her son; Nell erases the app so Winnie will stop watching Midas and have a little fun.  The evening out quickly turns to disaster when Alma calls hysterical saying that Midas is gone.  What follows is a carefully plotted thriller as the police search to locate Midas; each woman’s life is carefully examined, their secrets revealed in this honest, frank look at the mommy culture and all the pressures that come along with being a new mother, as women struggle to be all things to everyone, including themselves.  Book groups will find many topics to discuss in this original twist on the suburban, psychological thriller with a lot of depth, and an ending that surprises but makes all the pieces that were there all along quickly fall into place.   A LibraryReads selection www.libraryreads.org 

House Swap by Rebecca Fleet

Caroline and Francis decide to house swap for holiday this year rather than traveling to France; they leave Leeds to spend a week in the suburbs of London, and hope that the time away from their son, their jobs, and everything else will help set their marriage on the road to recovery after Caroline had an affair with a co-worker.  Once in the house things are not as smooth as they had hoped: Francis is still Francis, and Caroline still had the affair.  Slowly, Caroline notices there are “reminders” or her affair everywhere: flowers her lover bought for her, “their” song playing on a CD, and she realizes that the person with whom they swapped the house has a hidden agenda and wonders what kind of danger she has put them in, or what kind of danger her family home four hours away, might be in.  Slowly, Caroline begins to realize that this house swap was anything but random, and that someone is menacing her, but to what end?  This domestic thriller shirts back and forth between the present and the past and tells the story from various points of view, until the final shocking secret is revealed.

Wicked River by Jenny Milchman

 Natalie and Doug Larson’s honeymoon goes terribly wrong, but Natalie doesn’t realize how wrong until it is almost too late.  Doug has convinced his new bride that a weeklong canoe trip through six million acres of the Adirondack’s is the perfect way for them to celebrate their love for each other and to become even closer.  Natalie, a city girl, is unsure, but wants to please Doug and agrees.  Their adventure takes a turn for the worst when they become lost and are without their GPS; Natalie and Doug struggle to survive as they try to make their way out of the deep forest in which they are the only humans.  But the woods are not uninhabited as the couple believes them to be; there is something evil hiding around each turn in the river and a mad man, whose agenda is known only to him, seems to befriend him until he wants to hurt them.  This chilling plot will leave you breathless, slowly creeping up on you with Jenny Milchman’s deceptive prose as she describes the lush forest and the clear river alongside pure evil.  Nuanced characters and a wicked fast-paced ride down the rapids as Natalie and Doug fight to survive in the wilderness, and Natalie struggles to understand what her new husband has been keeping from her will keep you riveted until the exciting conclusion.  

Little Disasters by Randall Klein

In the heat of the summer, an unnamed incident in midtown Manhattan shuts down the subway system, and essentially, the entire island as two men try to return home to Brooklyn to their families and women they love.  Michael, married to cookie entrepreneur Rebecca, has been having an affair with Jenny since just after the couples met in the maternity ward at the hospital.  The two were supposed to meet at the northern end of Manhattan at the Cloisters, but Jenny texted Michael at the last minute she couldn’t come, so Michael begins his long trek to Brooklyn, his wife and son.  Paul, Jenny’s partner, is under the East River when the subways stop and must first surface and make it to the island before beginning his trek home.  The narrative flows easily between the year earlier when the two couples were waiting expectantly for the birth of their children, the tragedy that followed, the events that brought the couples together, eventually leading to the affair, leading up to Michael and Paul’s trips on the hottest summer day, back to lives that are much different than they expected.  Told from various points of view, the reader doesn’t necessarily get the full picture until all parties have weighed in.  This keenly observed domestic story is a strong debut that should be well-received.

My Ex-Life by Stephen McCauley

David Hedges was married to Julie Fiske thirty years ago, but they decided they’d be better as friends than as husband and wife.  David moved to San Francisco and though he is living in an enviable apartment with an even more enviable low rent, he finds himself at a low point in his life: his boyfriend has left him for an older man, his job helping the uber-rich children get into college is now grating on his nerves, he has gained a little bit of weight, and he has just learned that the aforementioned great apartment is being sold out from under him.  Julie is running an illegal Airbnb on the coast in Massachusetts and is trying to get together enough money to buy her soon-to-be second ex-husband out while dealing with her surly teenage daughter Mandy, so who can blame her if she smokes a little too much pot?  Her ex and his new girlfriend want Mandy to come live with them feeling Mandy needs more structure in her senior year before college; without thinking, Mandy, who has recently learned of her mother’s first ex-husband, blurts out that David is helping her with her college applications.  Mandy, who is on the cusp of doing something really stupid, reaches out to David, she indicates that it might be a good idea if he came east for a visit, and given his current situation, why not? Julie is surprised to see David on her doorstep, but before long, the three have settled into an easy routine.  David and Julie as comfortable with each other as they were thirty years ago, as they learn ways to help each other reclaim their lives.  This elegantly written, keenly observed novel of manners in the 21^st century is generous, funny, heartwarming, and heartbreaking as it delves into family and relationships in all their various forms.

Paper Ghosts by Julia Heaberlin

An woman, unnamed until the end of the book, has befriended, under the guise of being his daughter, a 61-year-old photographer, Carl Feldman, who is living in an assisted living home, diagnosed with dementia, and accused, though acquitted, of being a serial murderer.  The young woman is convinced that Feldman is responsible for her sister Rachel’s disappearance twelve years ago and has been obsessed with Feldman, confronting him, and making him confess.  Using his photographs as proof that he murdered young women, the narrator springs Feldman from the home and takes him on a driving tour of Texas, tracing the dead women, and leading up to Rachel’s disappearance.  The two strike an unusual bond during their trip and Feldman ends up helping the woman more than he thought he could with a very surprising ending for each.  A LibraryReads selection www.libraryreads.org 

Sorority by Genevieve Sly Crane

Life behind the doors of a sorority house often gives the appearance of perfection: but look a little deeper and you’ll find insecurities, petty squabbles, and even hatred, just like anywhere else.  Margot is dead and this debut follows members of an unnamed New England sorority through the times before and after her death, focusing on several young women, but also bringing in the “Greek chorus” in some chapters as the story unfolds.  One young woman tells her affecting story of her dying mother and the lasting effects that had on her; another young woman, the anorexic, hides the relationship she had with another, more seemingly together woman with whom she was best friends for much of her childhood, and a father brings his newly pregnant mistress to meet his daughter. Each individual episode reads like a disparate short story, Margot’s death connecting them all, bringing to light the uncertainty, pressure, and stress of pledging a sorority.  This novel never looks away from the pain that is often under the veneer of these young women as they attempt to belong to something much bigger and lasting, or so they think, than themselves as individuals.

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

Harriet “Hal” Westaway is one overdue notice from financial ruin: she is late on her rent, utilities, and the repayment on the loan she made with a less than reputable source.  Her tarot business on the Brighton Pier does well, but not well enough to support her meager lifestyle.  A letter from a solicitor informing her she is a beneficiary to her recently deceased grandmother’s will is a shock: Hal believes both her Westaway grandparents have been dead for years and she knows of no others.  But, the windfall could help to put her back on track with her finances and if the solicitor thinks she is an heir, who is she to argue.  She travels to Trepssan House in Cornwall where she meets her uncles for the first time, and an elderly housekeeper who is less than pleased to meet the newest relative.  The more Hal learns about her “family” and its history and the history of the house, the less she wants to be connected to it, but she still feels a strong draw and connection, if she can only figure it out before she loses her life.  This gothic mystery is deliciously creepy and spine-tingling with a strong protagonist and a surprising outcome.  A LibraryReads selection www.libraryreads.org 

The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll

Reality television, sibling rivalry, women entrepreneurs, and social consciousness all play a part in Jessica Knoll’s second novel.  Reality television star Brett is dead, and her sister Kelly, new to the cast of Goal Diggers, tells the story of Brett’s life and death to Jesse, part of the crew, sparing no details about their fellow cast members.  Brett the youngest cast member, unashamed of her less than perfect body, and gay, is the driving force behind SPOKE, spinning classes that donates a bicycle to young women in Morocco who must often walk more than ten miles for clean water, often getting attacked on the way.  Kelly, a single mother with a business savvy and precious twelve-year-old daughter has come into the business, hoping to add yoga studios, and ultimately herself to the Goal Diggers cast.  In between the interview, different case members tell their stories and of their relationships with Brett: Stephanie Simmons, a best-selling author, struggles with depression, and her less than perfect marriage; Jen has made her name with a juice bar and vegan lifestyle but craves, and indulges in, turkey bacon; dating website designer Lauren may not have it as together as she appears to.  As each woman’s response to the pressures of constantly being in the spotlight is explored, their facades begin to crack, and jealousies, some petty, some not so, come to light, making the final revelation of Brett’s death and the events surrounding it a surprise, in this look at reality television culture.  A LibraryReads selection www.libraryreads.org 

New in April

Lost Books and Old Bones by Paige Shelton

When Delaney Nichols left Kansas to work at The Cracked Spine in Edinburg, Scotland she never guessed she would fall in love with the country, with her new boss Edwin MacAlister, with her job, and with local pub owner Tom.  Delaney forges a friendship with some local medical students when they bring in a set of rare illustrated medical books, An Atlas of Illustrations of Clinical, Medical, Surgery, and Pathology to sell.  Sophie and Rena have been best friends forever and introduce Delaney to fellow student Mallory one night when they are out at a pub.  Delaney also meets Dr. Bryon Eban, a professor at the school, who Delaney suspects is having affairs with at least one of the young women if not more.  Eban is also obsessed with a 19^th century professor at Edinburgh University, Robert Knox who bought the murder victims of William Burke and William Hare for his medical students to practice on.  Delaney finds a set of scalpels with the books that were brought in and wonders if there is a connection to Knox, but before she can research the provenance, Mallory is found murdered in the alley next to the bookstore and Delaney finds herself off and running on another murder investigation.  Complicating matters is Bridgit, a reporter who once dated Tom and is not above putting out damaging, if not outright lies, stories about Delaney.  Though Delaney is headstrong and independent and often takes the lead, almost pushing her friends aside, in her investigation which seems a little discombobulated at times and may not win new fans to this series, but the book history and the Scottish setting will hold the interest of readers who have read the first two mysteries in the series.

All the Beautiful Lies by Peter Swanson

Just before his college graduation, Harry Ackerson learns his father Bill has died after a fall from his usual cliff walk.  Harry heads for his father’s home in Kennewick, Maine where his 35-year-old stepmother Alice is waiting with arms more open than makes Harry comfortable: Alice goes back and forth between hovering and fussing over Harry and his loss and making sexual advances toward him.  Harry agrees to stay the summer and help out at his father’s bookstore until things are more settled.  Harry, already on edge, learns from the police that Bill may have been murdered and a mysterious young woman, Grace McGowan shows up at Bill’s funeral.  Grace says she casually knew Bill when he had his bookstore in Manhattan, and just happened to show up in Maine, but Harry thinks there’s more.  Chapters alternate between Harry working through Bill’s death and probable murder, and Alice’s teenage and young adult years until the two stories collide in a not entirely unexpected way.  The tension is often high, but there are a few too many loose ends and coincidences to keep this story as tight as it could be.

After Anna by Lisa Scottoline

Scottoline’s latest stand-alone tells the same story using two separate chronologies with mixed results.  Maggie Ippolitti has been estranged from her daughter Anna for sixteen years: Maggie was diagnosed with post-partum psychosis shortly after Anna’s birth and her husband Florian, divorced her, took full custody of Anna who he promptly placed in prestigious boarding schools, and never allowed Maggie to see her again.  Maggie has since recovered, and is remarried to widowed pediatric allergist Noah Alderman, and has a loving relationship with her step-son, ten-year-old Noah who suffers from apraxia.  Maggie is shocked and overjoyed when she gets a call from Anna who announces since her father has died (which Maggie knew), Anna would like to leave boarding school, and live with Maggie and her family finishing out her senior year in a suburban Philadelphia high school.  Barley consulting Noah, Maggie agrees, and in an almost euphoric state throws herself into giving Anna the ideal family life.  Anna too, seems to slide right into her new life and it all seems too good to be true: until it’s not.  Maggie finds some notes in Anna’s old textbooks that make her wonder if Anna is involved in a missing student from the boarding school.  The other narrative, told in reverse chronological order, begins with Noah awaiting the verdict after his trial for murdering Anna.  As Noah’s trial unfolds, readers learn of the tension between Anna and Noah, Anna accusing him of unwanted sexual advances, Noah being removed from his home, and Maggie immediately taking Anna’s side.  As Noah’s verdict is being read, Maggie is unraveling Anna’s story and the two collide in a rather rushed conclusion, leading to a too-good-to-be-true epilogue a year later, missing the healing that would have needed to occur to arrive at such a state.  Also not fully explained is why Maggie never sought out Anna once Maggie recovered, and especially once Florian died.  Nonetheless, fans of Scottoline will overlook these aspects and quickly turn the pages to find out what is really going on.

Paris by the Book by Laim Callanan

Leah and her husband Robert, a young adult author, both yearn for Paris---France, not Wisconsin where they live---but each through their own children’s book.  Leah is obsessed with the movie The Red Balloon, based on the book, while Robert prefers the Madeleine series by Ludwig Bemelmans.  Leah and their two daughters, Ellie and Daphne, are used to Robert’s disappearances while he writes and are certain he will return when as he leaves notes.  One day he disappears without a note and with no contact.  Leah finds tickets to Paris that Robert purchased; thinking that this is a romantic gesture meant to bring his family to Paris to find him, Leah and the girls set off, but they do not find him in Paris and though they don’t want to think he has left them, they can’t bear the thought that he is dead, either.  Before long, Leah and the girls find themselves part of Paris, Leah running a bookstore and dating a younger man, the girls attending school, and all of them becoming involved with the store’s owner, her son, and grandchildren.  A manuscript written by Robert shows up and Leah, using the manuscript, The Red Balloon, and Madeline as guides, searches for her husband, uncertain what she will do if she finds him.  This book will charm Francophiles and bibliophiles alike with plenty to discuss for book groups.