New Books at the Cuba Library
**************************************
August 4 Patriot
I always enjoy a “clever title!” How about Aimee Bender’s The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake? narrated by the young and needy Rose Edelstein, who can literally taste the emotions of whoever prepares her food, giving her unwanted insight into other people's secret emotional lives - including her mother's, whose lemon cake betrays a deep dissatisfaction. You can probably guess the subject of a book called Thin, Rich, Pretty. Sure enough, it is about three girls who attended summer camp together who meet again 20 years later where secrets from summer camp surface and they realize its time to grow up. This quick and amusing read is by Beth Harbison. Another similar woman’s fiction title, Fortunate Harbor by Emilie Richards, is about five women with cottages on Happiness Key who remain fast friends in spite of their great differences.
Another chick fiction title this month is Susan Issac’s As Husbands Go. Astonished when her devoted husband is found murdered in a prostitute’s apartment, Susie, mother of 4-year old triplets, bristles as her neighbor’s reactions.
Several Christian novels have arrived this summer. The best known author is Karen Kingsbury who has finished her Above the Line series about two young film makers. In Take Four, Keith Ellison and Dayne Matthews have finally sealed a deal to have the nation's top young actor star in their current film. But the actor takes a public fall that threatens his reputation. Now the producers must act as missionaries to save the film, their families, and the young movie star. Terri Blackstock’s Predator is a stand-alone thriller about the murder of a 14 year old by an online predator. Robin Lee Hatcher’s A Matter of Character is about wealthy Daphne McKinley who writes Wild West adventure novels under a pseudonym. In Ann Gabhart’s The Seeker, everything changes when Charlotte’s father suddenly marries Selena. Charlotte, accompanied by her slave Mellie, leaves her luxurious Kentucky plantation and heads for a Shaker community where she hopes to persuade a new-convert to marry her. Author Cindy Woodsmall’s The Hope of Refuge takes the reader on an emotional journey into the heart of Amish country and the heart of a very human heroine. This Ada’s House novel is a compelling story of love lost and found.
For more action, check out Dan Fesperman’s Layover in Dubai, about an auditor named Sam traveling for a giant pharmaceutical company. He is in Dubai with a colleague who plays fast and loose, and is murdered in a Dubai brothel. Soon Sam too is targeted by crooked cops and Russian mobsters. Fabulous wealth and opulence is pitted against traditional Muslim culture in this captivating read. A half million copies of the new Carl Hiaasen novel have been published. Meet twenty-two-year-old Cherry Pye, a pop star since she was fourteen who is about to attempt a comeback from her latest drug-and-alcohol disaster. This fast-paced romp is called Star Island. Tana French, Edgar winning author of In the Woods, follows that title with Faithful Place. Hoping to escape his extreme poverty by running away with his girlfriend to London, Frank concludes he has been dumped when Rosie fails to meet him. He is astonished when Rosie’s suitcase is discovered more that 20 years later in the third entry in French’s Dublin Murder Squad series.
Ancient artifacts and the second Iraqi War provide the backdrop for John Connolly's outstanding ninth novel featuring PI Charlie Parker. When the former NYPD homicide detective looks into the suicide of an Iraq war veteran, he discovers that several members of the soldier's unit have also killed themselves and that they may have been involved in smuggling stolen treasures into the U.S. This fast paced novel is called Whisperers. Author Lisa Gardner successfully borrows from the headlines in her newest thriller featuring PI Warren who is called to the home of a family of five, four whom are now dead with the dad in a coma. Live to Tell will appeal to readers of Tami Hoag and Tess Gerritsen. Author Faye Kellerman has another best seller with Hangman. Murder, a missing woman, and a sociopath from the past sweep Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus into a labyrinth of mystery and danger in this electrifying tale of suspense.
There are only three more drawings in the adult and teen summer reading program with lots of great prizes left! Come in and check us out !!!
July 28 Patriot
Nonfiction can be as gripping as any suspense novel. “Getting It Wrong” is an examination of ten news stories that became “media-driven myths,” stories that AmericanUniversity professor W. Joseph Campbell reports are dubious and misleading. He cites ten tales of doubtful authenticity, the best known being the radio adaptation of a science fiction title “the War of the Worlds” that sent Americans into a panic. Other myths that are dismantled include Walter Cronkite’s 1968 declaration that U.S. forces in Vietnam were mired in stalemate, an assessment that supposedly led President Johnson to say “If I’ve lost Cronkite, I’ve lost middle America” or the more recent report that described Army private Jessica Lynch fighting off her attackers “until her ammunition ran out.” Campbell calls us to rethink some significant errors that have become part of our history.
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich says, “America needs saving, and it’s up to us to do it.” In “To Save America,” he lays out a bold plan to put the United States back on track. Gingrich shows how Republicans can make a comeback in the 2010 mid-term elections, win the 2012 presidential election, and tells how readers can help restore our nation to its fundamental values. He believes that the election of the liberal President Obama has put America gravely at risk for survival.
A recent library program on “The Amish: A Quiet and Peaceable People” raised many questions about Amish lifestyle. “Plain Secrets: An Outsider Among the Amish” may answer some. Author Joe Mackall, an Ohio-based writer and professor of English, describes the close-knit relationship he has cultivated over more than a decade with a very conservative neighboring Amish family. They are members of a very traditional sect, and Mackall describes the different life styles of their group and of the Old Order, the New Order, Beachy and other Amish groups.
New do-it-yourself” titles include two on food preservation: “You Can Can!” is a step by step guide to canning, preserving and pickling, with over 100 recipes. The other title, “Preserve It!” is published by Dorling Kindersley,a highly regarded publisher known for beautifully illustrated books. Covering pickling, jam-making, freezing, canning, brewing, smoking, salting, drying, curing plus sausage and cheese-making, “Preserve It!” demystifies the processes and shows that with traditional techniques, preserving fruit vegetables, meat, fish and dairy without expensive equipment or training is possible.
Other “do-it-yourself” titles are about home improvement. One is “Black and Decker Complete Photo Guide to Home Improvement,” a guide that starts with basic “house anatomy” with various building parts clearly detailed. “Decorative Painting Techniques for Walls, Floors, Ceilings and Furniture” is also well-illustrated, beginning with basics and moving into a variety of techniques like color washing, sponging, double rolling, combing, feathering for walls and ceilings, and also extensive section on decorative techniques for floors and furniture.
Jewelry making is a popular hobby. “Step-by-Step Jewelry Workshop” shows the techniques of soldering, wirework and metal working, with designs for necklaces, rings and bracelets, including a guide to gems.
The postal exam books are among the most popular titles in public libraries. In “How to Really Get Postal Jobs” the author promises complete information on all post office entry level jobs, including test taking strategies and extensive sample questions. College guides are also popular. The “College Handbook 2011” is an objective guide to all accredited colleges in the US: 2150 four year colleges and 1650 community colleges and technical schools. There are also 40 indexes so students can narrow a search by location or majors areas of study.
New in the health field is the highly-regarded Cleveland Clinic’s “Guide to Heart Failure.” Dr. Randall Starling, one of the foremost authorities on heart health, provides authoritative advice to help people survive heart failure and enjoy a good quality of life. This comprehensive resource gives readers the cutting-edge medical guidance they need to continue to lead a productive life.
There are three copies available of the revised “Comprehensive Economic Dewvelopment Plan for the Town and Village of Cuba. This Plan is the result of a year long collaboration between the Town and the Village, which included both surveys, and a series of public focus groups last winter. Come in and check us out ! ! !
July 21 Patriot
You don’t have to be a fan of vampire fiction to be enthralled by Justin Cronin’s “The Passage,” an ambitious epic novel about a virus that nearly destroys the world. A 6 year old girl holds the key to solution. You do need to be a fan of vampire novels to enjoy Laurell Hamilton’s latest Vampire Hunter novel featuring Anita Blake who is back in St. Louis and trying to live a normal life-as normal as possible for someone who is a legal vampire executioner and a U. S. Marshal. There are lovers, friends and their children, school programs to attend. In the midst of all the ordinary happiness a vampire from Anita's past reaches out. It is called “Bullet.” The ninth installment in MaryJanice Davidson’s “Undead” series finds Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor and her half-sister Laura paying a visit to Hell to help Laura embrace her dark heritage and get to know her mother, Lucifer. The book is called “Undead and "Unfinished."
Portland, Maine, Det. Sgt. Michael McCabe, has to deal with a frozen corpse, a missing witness and a sadistic killer in James Hayman's satisfying novel of suspense, “The Chill of the Night.” It begins when the body of a beautiful attorney is found in the trunk of her BMW. Gregg Hurwitz’ “They’re Watching” is about a disgraced screenwriter Patrick Davis who steps out onto his porch in Bel Air one morning, retrieves his newspaper, and finds a DVD tucked inside. Other DVDs follow, each more disturbing than the last, until Patrick receives a phone call: "So… are you ready to get started?" Another suspenseful tale “Silent Scream” is by Lynda LaPlante. Just as her boss is trying to block her promotion, Anna Travis gets the case that could make or break her career when a British film star is murdered.
Chevy Stevens’ suspenseful “Still Missing” is getting starred reviews. On a August afternoon, realtor Annie O’Sullivan is ending an open house showing when a friendly, well-dressed man enters. That is the beginning of Annie’s year-long ordeal. Fast action and multiple plots make “The Ninth Step” by Gabriel Cohen a compelling read. Homicide detective Jack Leightner relives the murder of his brother while investigating a suspect in a terrorist plot.
"Kings of the Earth” is Jon Clinch’s powerful story of the Proctor brothers, three men who have spent their lives together on their family farm in upstate New York, until the death of the oldest, Vernon. The tale of a hardscrabble life is presented by the surviving elderly brothers and he suspicion of murder soon arises. Stephen Kings’ unusually slim volume “Blockade Billy” is about a quirky baseball player with a past shrouded in secrecy, the tragic hero of this macabre tale from the dark side of the all-American sport. It is set in the spring of 1957, when Billy Blakely, a catcher called up from the Titans' Iowa farm system, helps boost his team out of the basement. Billy hits with such power and guards the plate with such determination (hence his nickname) that teammates are willing to forgive his eccentricities.
Famous best selling author Nora Roberts’ latest romance “The Search” is about canine search-and-rescue volunteer Fiona who finds her solitude broken by her work with a wild puppy and its reluctant artist owner. Ivan Doig’s sequel to “The Whistling Season” begins ten years later in 1919 when Morrie Morgan gets off the train in Butte, Montana. He settles into a boarding house run by a widow. This humorous and affectionate romance is called “Work Song.” Another romance, “Little Town, Great Big Life” is a heart-warming story by Curtiss Matlock, set in Oklahoma where 38 year old Belinda finds herself pregnant. “Maid to Match” follows Tillie Reese, a bright young woman raised in extreme mountain poverty who gets the job of her dreams: lady’s maid in George Vanderbilt’s Biltmore Estate. Author Deeanne Gist’s snapshot of the lives of 19th century servants is rich in detail and readers will cheer for Tillie as she meets difficult situations with courage. Come in and check us out ! ! !
July 14 Patriot
There are audio books for all ages and tastes at your library. New adult books on CD include many suspense novels. Lee Child’s newest thriller “61 Hours” might be the most nail biting 61 hours of your life as Jack Reacher is back in his element-Smalltown, U.S.A. This is Child's 14th thriller to feature the roving ex-military cop who has bummed a ride on a tour bus which skids off the road and crashes. Reacher finds himself in Bolton, S.Dak., a tiny burg with big problems. Linda Castillo’s “Sworn to Silence” is also set in a small town, bucolic Painters Mill where the formerly Amish, and current chief of police Kate Burkholder searches for a serial killer. Linwood Barclay’s latest takes place at an amusement park near the small town of Promise Falls, NY. “Never Look Away” is a gripping, twisty tale of betrayal and heartbreak as Barclay takes ordinary people and puts them in extraordinary circumstances. Gregg Hurwitz’s “They’re Watching” provides scary fun as frightening DVDs, mysterious emails, and threatening phone calls push screenwriter Davis off balance and into a frame-up for murder. Steig Larsson’s first in his compelling, suspenseful trilogy, “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is also available on compact disc, as is James Patterson’s “(9th Judgment” which features detective Lindsay Boxer in the most exciting Women's Murder Club story yet.
There are also many new audio books for those who don’t enjoy being scared to death while reading/listening! Check out Garrison Keillor’s delightful “Church People,” stories from “A Prairie Home Companion” about the secret world of those stalwart people, the Lutherans of Lake Woebegon. They drive Fords, wear cardigans, serve chow mein noodles with tuna, work hard and don’t make a fuss. Or listen to “Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie,” a delightful tale featuring eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison in 1950s England where a dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. This is Alan Bradley’s brilliant first novel. Swashbuskling adventure is what Clive Cussler’s titles are all about. Try “The Silent Sea” where Juan Cabrillo, the heroic skipper of the Oregon, a state-of-the-art warship disguised as a tramp steamer, faces a multitude of difficulties and challenges including a fabulous pirate treasure that may lie at the bottom of a deep well.
There are new family titles available, tales like that old classic “Old Yeller,” which is set in the rough wilderness of frontier Texas where Travis is left to care for the farm when his father leaves on a cattle drive. Other juvenile titles on CD include Newbery winner “Kira Kira,” which is set in the 1950s and '60s and is narrated by a first-generation Japanese-American girl who teaches her sister to see the “kira kira (glittering) in everyday life; and “A Dog’s Life,” Ann Martin's winsome novel, written from a canine's point of view that is sure to melt the hearts of animal lovers, as she traces the dog days of a stray named Squirrel from birth to old age. Try new popular juvenile fiction like “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” where sixth grader Greg learns that in middle school, kids are taller and meaner and you have to try to fit in. Try “Emily’s Fortune” which comes from Newbery Award winner Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, a witty tale of the Wild West filled with comical cliffhangers that features a cast of plucky orphans and dastardly villains or the whimsical tale “Turtle in Paradise.” “The Lightning Thief” is popular fantastical fiction by Rick Riordan, about twelve-year-old Percy who is sent to a summer camp for demigods like himself. He joins his new friends on a quest to prevent a war between the gods.
Check out these new audio books or one of the hundreds of older titles to keep you company during summer travels!
July 7 Patriot
Many authors write several novels using the same characters. Following her best selling debut, “Sworn to Silence,” Linda Castillo gives former Amish citizen Chief Kate Burkholder a case of the brutal murder of seven from one Amish family. This novel is called “Pray for Silence.” A sequel to the highly acclaimed “A Bad Day for Sorry,” follows Stella Hardesty’s amateur investigation into the death of a woman for whom someone else has been wrongly accused. This Sophie Littlefield tale is called “A Bad Day for Pretty."
Fans of author Sharon McCrumb have been waiting for a new story in her beloved “Ballad” series, set in the isolated mountains of Appalachia. A young woman is jailed for the murder of her father. She beautiful and educated while her father was poor and violent, facts that pique the curiosity of the press who descend upon the backwoods hamlet of Wise in “Devil Amongst the Lawyers.” Fans also eagerly await each new adventure of intrepid sleuth Stephanie Plum. “Sizzling Sixteen” finds Stephanie and her grandmother try to out maneuver a killer who is targeting Vinnie, a case further complicated by Lulu’s involvement in a fraudulent investment scheme in this fast-moving tale by Janet Evanovich.
When the country singer ex-wife of a U.S. President is sensationally murdered during a concert performance, forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett tries to fit together the pieces in “The Liar’s Lullaby” by Edgar-winning Meg Gardiner. In a James Patterson mystery already in development as a TV series, former CIA agent Jack Morgan inherits his father’s LA detective agency with active cases such as an NFL gambling scandal and 18 unsolved schoolgirl slayings. This Patterson thriller is called “"Private."
Action-oriented readers will like “Crashers” for its fast-moving story. A crack team from the NTSB has mere days to learn what brought down Flight 818 or else more planes will fall. Critics say this is an excellent debut novel from Dana Haynes. In an explosive thriller by Michael Koryta, failed filmmaker Eric Shaw is eking out a living making family home videos when a client offers him big bucks to travel to a resort town, the childhood home of her father-in-law, to shoot a video history of his life. Almost immediately, things go weird. Critics say that the cataclysmic finale of “So Cold the River” is a masterpiece of supernatural horror.
Books with with less common plots include several debut novels. Printing presses whirr and ashtrays smolder as the complexity of humanity plays out in Tom Rachman's debut novel, “The Imperfectionists.” Set against the backdrop of a fictional English-language newspaper, the chaos of the newsroom becomes a stage for characters unified by a common thread of circumstance, with each chapter presenting a look into the life of a different person. Rochester, N.Y. native Allie Larkin’s “Stay” is getting great reviews. Impulsively buying a puppy on the internet after watching the love of her life marry another, Van is dismayed when her purchase is a 100-pound German Shepard though his presence introduces her to a veterinarian. Tess Callahan’s first novel “April and Oliver” offers a unique love story that focuses on a stagnant friendship-turned-untenable romance between unlikely life-long friends. To deal with the death of her immediate family, as well as the scars of childhood abuse, April becomes a jaded wild child; Oliver, her once-inseparable childhood companion, has become her polar opposite, an engaged law student poised for success. Estranged during Oliver's college years, the two reconnect with troubling results.
Buffalo native Lauren Belfer’s second novel, following her highly successful debut novel about Buffalo, “City of Light,” is a blend of fact and fiction to describe the development of penicillin as a weapon of war in the 1940s. The story is told through a 36-year old photo-journalist who is drawn to the story because of the death of her young daughter from septicemia. Critics are calling “A Fierce Radiance” an “engrossing and ambitious novel that vividly portrays a critical time in American history."
Have you signed up for the “Summer Reading Program” at your library? There are chances to win great prizes! Come in and check us out ! ! !
June 30 Patriot
Intriguing nonfiction this week includes “The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates.” In 2000, Wes Moore had recently been named a Rhodes Scholar in his final year of college at JohnsHopkinsUniversity when he read a newspaper article about another Wes Moore who was on his way to prison. It turned out that the two of them had much in common, both young black men raised in inner-city Baltimore neighborhoods by single mothers. Stunned by the similarities in their names and backgrounds and the differences in their ultimate fates, the author contacted the other Wes Moore in prison and began a long relationship. “Coop: A Family, A Farm & the Pursuit of One Good Egg” is also autobiographical, though more pastoral than Wes Moore’s. Michael Perry lives in a rickety Wisconsin farmhouse. Faced with thirty-seven acres of fallen fences and overgrown fields, and informed by his pregnant wife that she intends to deliver their baby at home, Perry searches for clues on how to proceed as a farmer, a husband, and a father.
Former first lady Laura Bush’s autobiography “Spoken from the Heart” vividly describes growing up in the brash, rugged culture of Midland, Texas. For the first time, in heart-wrenching detail, she writes about the devastating high school car accident that left her friend Mike Douglas dead and about her decades of grief. She moves on to capture presidential life with deft humor and a sharp eye for what really happens inside the White House. Bush successor Barack Obama’s first year is chronicled by Newsweek Editor Jonathan Alter in “The Promise.” He goes from inauguration planning through the passage of health care reform in March 2010 in this engaging, fast-moving contemporaryhistory.
Another well-reviewed book is “Citizen Canine: Ten Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know,” by certified applied animal behaviorist Mary Burch who demonstrates how easy it is to teach your dog these skills to pass the Canine Good Citizen Test.
"Anatomy of a Business Plan” is the 7th edition of the classic by Linda Pinson. It is described as “one of the best books on putting together a thoughtful, thorough, and professional business plan” with proven, step-by-step advice for developing and packaging the components of a business plan: cover sheet, table of contents, executive summary, description of the business, organizational and marketing plans, and financial documents. One of the best guides to Microsoft Office is the “Teach Yourself Visually” guide. These guides on many subjects are popular because they break information into small pieces, allowing the user to grasp one function before moving on. Covering Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, and Publisher, this book is filled with step-by-step instructions and full-color screen shots that show you exactly what you'll see at each step.
There is also a “Teach Yourself Visually” guide to “Jewelry Making and Beading.” Concise two page lessons show you everything you need to know about tools and supplies, bead stringing and weaving, wire wrapping, and more. “The Beading Answer Book” has illustrated instructions and good advice for solving every problem beginners and advanced crafters have including off-loom weaving or knitting and crocheting with beads. More for budding jewelers…”The Complete Guide to Watches,” with over 10,000 watches listed, is the standard reference among watch collectors.
Sloane Crosley’s “How Did You Get This Number” has nine thoughtful and humorous essays about the illusions of youth. Come in and check us out!!!
June 23 Patriot
Chick lit rules this week! Well known female authors with new books out include Diana Palmer, Dorothea Benton Frank, Johanna Lindsey and Mary Balogh. Palmer’s “Dangerous” is about a compassionate 911 operator who feels a connection to a merciless FBI agent with a haunted past. Frank’s South Carolina low country novels are popular woman’s stories. “Lowcountry Summer” finds Caroline Wimbley returning to Tall Pines Plantation to sort out old family secrets and betrayals. Lindsey’s latest is the tenth is her Mallory Family series. Returning home after dodging the fiancé his greedy father, the Earl of Manford wanted him to marry, Richard falls for a married woman but soon crosses paths with his furious fiancé in the fast-paced “That Perfect Someone.” Balogh’s “A Secret Affair” is about the wealthy, beautiful and newly widowed Hannah Reid who sets her sights on a sinfully, dangerously handsome but unmarriageable Constantine Huxtable. The sparks fly!
There are also terrific new novels by lesser known woman’s fiction authors. “Needles and Pearls” is the heartwarming sequel to Gil McNeil’s “Beach Street Knitting Society.” We return to life on Beach Street where Jo Mackenzie, a single mother, runs a yarn shop in a small seaside town. Chick lit fans who also enjoy “food fiction” will eat up Jennifer Ross’s debut novel “The Icing on the Cupcake” because it includes several cupcake recipes as well as a good story. When spoiled southern belle Ansley’s boyfriend breaks up with her, she flees to NYC to live with her estranged grandmother, where she must change her ways and begin a new life. Author Kris Radish’s latest finds five very different women stuck together in a Florida hotel after a terrible storm shuts down the area. As the storm rages outside, so do tempers as the women drop their facades and get to really know each other. It is called “Hearts on a String.” Popular author Diane Chamberlain’s “The Lies We Told” is about two sisters who are both physicians though they have polar opposite personalities. Maya is guarded and quiet, while Rebecca seeks out danger and adventure.
Joshilyn Jackson’s rewarding fourth novel is getting starred reviews. Rose lives under the thumb of her abusive husband. In an encounter with a gypsy, the fortune teller says that if Rose doesn’t kill her husband, he will surely kill her. “Backseat Saints” is a real page turner! Diann Ducharme’s debut novel is about plantation mistress Abigail Sinclair who falls in love with a penniless fisherman. She is devastated when he becomes engaged in her father’s illicit Klu Klux Klan activities in a book called “The Outer Banks House.” In Blaize Clement’s “Raining Cat Sitters and Dogs,” Siesta Key, Fla., pet sitter Dixie Hemingway takes an instant liking to Jaz, a girl she first meets at the vet, where Jaz has brought an injured wild rabbit. Later, three young thugs looking for Jaz confront Dixie. Her policeman boyfriend believes the thugs were involved in a murder and the chase is on to find the thugs before they find Jaz.
Read any of these engaging books and enter the summer reading program at the library for multiple chances to win great prizes! Check us out this summer in person, on the web or on Facebook!!
June 16 Patriot
Sally Gunning's books about strong and independent Colonial era women, “The Widow’s War” and “Bound” are terrific reads! Now she has a third novel called “The Rebellion of Jane Clarke.” After Jane refuses to marry the suitor her father picked out for her, she is sent to live with her aunt in Boston where she witnesses the Boston Massacre. Another novel about a strong woman is set during the Civil War. “My Name is Mary Sutter” is about a skilled midwife who cannot get further medical training because she is a woman. The Civil War changes this in a compelling tale by Robin Oliveira. Ann Brashares second adult novel is reminiscent of Audrey Niffenegger’s “Time Traveler’s Wife.” Daniel thinks of himself as a “recycled soul” as he remembers all of his past lives. For over 1000 years he has been learning how action’s in one life affect the next and that not everyone who returns has good intentions. This interesting tale is called “My Name is Memory.”
Yann Martel’s latest book, “Beatrice and Virgil” finds animals as main characters in this story set during the Holocaust. It features sweet Beatrice, the donkey, and Virgil, her monkey companion. The animals' increasing peril draws Henry, an author who after a very successful first novel, gives up writing, into the taxidermist's brutally absurd world. This strange story is getting mixed reviews, as did “Life of Pi,” the author's first book.
Author Bill Crider, master of the small-town whodunit, is at the top of his game with “Mississippi Vivian,” set in 1970 Losgrove, a sleepy burg where a Houston PI is in town investigating a suspected insurance scam. The PI is an outsider viewed with great suspicion. His only ally is the proprietor of the café whose name is “Mississippi Vivian.” “Junkyard Dogs” by Craig Johnson is an interesting story in which a severed thumb points the way through a “twisty mystery” that involves junkmen, land developers and a creepy ex-convict. Critics are giving it starred reviews.
Eric Van Lustbader's latest installment of the deceased Robert Ludlum’s saga of rogue agent Jason Bourne finds Bourne in possession of a ring with cryptic engraving. Thriller addicts who love intricate conspiracies mixed with lots of action will enjoy “Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Objective.” There are plenty of exciting chases and nasty villains in the latest Isaac Bell adventure by Clive Cussler. “The Spy” is set in 1908 when the dark clouds of WWI are gathering and a naval arms race of epic proportions is underway. Several American leaders in Naval technology are murdered and Isaac Bell is brought in to solve the crimes.
"The Other Side of the Door" by writing team Nicci Gerrard and Sean French is getting starred reviews. It is a cleverly construed story of sex, death and duplicity. The protagonist, Bonnie, finds her secret lover dead in her apartment. Stricken, she gets rid of the body and just hopes it will all go away. In the latest Steve Martini suspense novel, DA Paul Madriani puts his life on the line to stop a threat made by a terrorist to destroy the Supreme Court. Iris Johansen’s sequel to last year’s “Blood Game” is about forensic expert Eve Duncan’s adopted daughter Jane MacGuire, who has a successful art show at a Parisian gallery. But a painting titled Guilt has drawn some unwanted attention: the religious cult Sang Noir wants Jane dead. The novel is called “Eight Days to Live."
International terrorism is the basis for two new novels. Elizabeth Lowell’s “Death Echo” is about ex-CIA agent Emma Cross and her battle against an international crime network, and Nelson DeMille’s “The Lion” is about a Libyan terrorist known as “The Lion” who returns to the US to take care of unfinished business. Come in and check us out!!!
June 9 Patriot.
Make time this spring for more suspense novels! Trapped in a South Dakota town, Jack Reacher is asked by local police to protect the only witness who can put away a brutal crime ring. Lee Child’s “61 Hours” is garnering starred reviews, as is Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s “Fever Dream.” Twelve years ago in Africa, agent Pendergast’s wife was mauled to death by a lion after she shot and missed. Now he makes the startling discovery that his wife’s gun was loaded with blanks. John Sandford’s “Prey series” is still going strong as evidenced by the 20th, “Storm Prey.” Investigator Lucas Davenport’s surgeon wife was witness to a robbery gone wrong at the hospital pharmacy and is now targeted for murder.
When we last saw Lisbeth Salander in “The Girl Who Played with Fire,” she was teetering between life and death after being shot by her father and buried by her brother. “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest” is the final installment in the riveting trilogy by the late Steig Larsson. In the latest Lincoln Rhyme thriller “The Burning Wire,” someone is using NYC’s electrical grid to commit murder. Author Jeffrey Deaver, master of the plot twist, mixes aspects of the traditional procedural with CSI-style forensic techniques in this compelling novel.
Critics are saying that Tonawanda native Thomas Perry’s latest book “Strip” is his best yet, a wacked-out mystery about a strip club owner who has been robbed. The thief and his girlfriend, who is too dumb to know not to rob a gangster-type, are thinking that crime life is fun. The latest adventure by Chuck Palahniuk reaches back to Hollywood’s Golden Age with Hazie Coogan, a do-it-all assistant who discovers that a new suitor of her boss, movie star “Miss Kathie” has already written a celebrity tell-all memoir foretelling Miss Kathie’s death. The adventure is called "Tell-All."
Attorney David Sloane wins a malpractice case but doesn’t even have time to celebrate the victory before a man approaches him and tells him that the doctor he just convicted is the wrong person. Instead, the guilty party in the death of a young boy is the manufacturer of a new toy. When Sloane investigates, he learns that with millions of dollars at stake, his life is merely collateral damage for the toy company. This intriguing suspense novel by Robet Dugoni is called “Bodily Harm."
Critics say that author Karl Marlantes doesn't just introduce you to Vietnam in his brilliant war epic “Matterhorn,” he unceremoniously drops you into the jungle, disoriented and dripping with leeches, with only the newbie lieutenant, Lt. Mellas, as your guide. Mellas is a bundle of anxiety and ambition, a college kid who never imagined being part of a "war that none of his friends thought was worth fighting.” “Eye of the Red Star” is about war in an earlier era. A young recruit named Pekkala catches the eye of Tsar Nicholas II and becomes the Tsar’s most respected detective. When the Bolsheviks seize power in 1917 and the Tsar and his family are murdered, Pekkala is exiled. This debut thriller by Sam Eastland is the story of how Pekkala is transformed after locating the Tsar’s treasure trove.
Women's fiction includes “The Red Thread,” a new book by Ann Hood. After the death of her infant daughter in an accident, Maya Lange opens an adoption agency that places Chinese babies with American parents. The stories of the adopting parents are intertwined with those of the Chinese women in this thoughtful novel. Meeting by chance when a fateful accident sends a 6-year old boy to an upscale Boston hospital, the child’s mother and the doctor’s wife find their lives changing in unexpected ways in Emily Griffin’s “Heart of the Matter.” It’s been a year and a half since the women of the Sisterhood received their presidential pardons, but the freedom they craved has come at a high price. The impossibly lucrative positions handed out to them by the mysterious Global Securities company have turned out to be golden handcuffs-scattering them around the world, cutting off communication, and leaving them in miserable isolation. The stage is set for Fern Michael’s latest, “Cross Roads."
In Nancy Pickard’s new book, “The Scent of Rain and Lightening,” English teacher Jody Linder discovers that the man convicted of murdering her father is being released from prison and is returning to town with his son to establish his innocence.
Come and check us out!!!
June 3 Patriot
In April each year the Mystery Writers of America awards prizes for the year’s best mysteries. The winner this year for best novel is John Hart’s chilling “The Last Child.” A year after 12-year-old Alyssa Merrimon disappeared on her way home from the library in an unnamed rural North Carolina town, her twin brother, Johnny, continues to search the town, street by street, even visiting the homes of known sex offenders. Hart’s “King of Lies” was nominated for an Edgar for best first novel in 2006, and his second “DownRiver” won the 2008 Edgar for best best novel.
The other titles nominated for best novel were: Tim Gautreaux’s “The Missing” about post-WWI Louisiana, the root-buckled and magnolia-haunted underworld for seedy, drunken mobs and twisted backwoods families; “The Odds” by Kathleen George, her fourth novel featuring Pittsburgh homicide chief Richard Christie, aided this time by four abandoned children—Meg, 13; Joel, 11; Laurie, 10; and Susannah, seven, who are trying to cope with the desertion of their stepmother; “Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death” Charlie Huston’s wickedly profane, unabashedly grisly, and laugh-out-loud funny "pulp" tale about a former Los Angeles grade school teacher Web Goodhue, now a full-time slacker suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, who falls into a job on a crime scene cleanup crew where he meets the beautiful Soledad; “A Beautiful Place to Die” by Malla Nunn, about the murder of the white Afrikaner police captain in a small South African border town in 1952.
This year's Edgar for best first novel by an American author is Stephanie Pintoff’s “In the Shadow of Gotham,” The wreck of the steamship General Slocum in 1904 cost Det. Simon Ziele of the New York City police both his fiancée and the full use of his right arm. In response to those losses, Ziele has abandoned big-city policing for the quiet dullness of Dobson, a town in WestchesterCounty, but a brutal murder interrupts his retreat from the world. Critics say Pintoff’s historical mystery debut is reminiscent of Caleb Carr.
Other debut novels nominated are: “Starvation Lake” by Bryan Gruley, where a big city reporter returns to his small hometown and finds evidence that the town's legendary hockey coach, Jack Blackburn, who disappeared after an apparent snowmobile accident a decade earlier, was actually murdered; “A Bad Day for Sorry” by Sophie Littlefield, an amusing, sassy debut that introduces Stella Hardesty, a widow and survivor of domestic violence, who owns a sewing shop in a sleepy Missouri town. On the side, Stella solves problems and metes out justice on behalf of battered women; “Black Water Rising” by Attica Locke about a black lawyer in Houston struggling to become upwardly mobile while weighed down by a past as a civil rights worker who was betrayed and disillusioned. He witnesses a murder that eventually places him and his pregnant wife in jeopardy.
Paperback mysteries nominated for Edgar’s include Megan Abbott’s “Bury Me Deep,” inspired by the true story of Winnie Ruth Judd (aka the Trunk Murderess) and the paperback Edgar winner, “Body Blows” by Marc Strange.
For nail biting suspense, check us out!!!
May 26 Patriot
There are very interesting titles in nonfiction this month. “The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull and the Battle of Little Bighorn” is Nathaniel Philbrick’s latest book following his eye-opening account of the Pilgrims in 2006’s “Mayflower.” He again tackles an American legend. There are so many contrasting accounts of what happened on June 25, 1876 that Philbrick painstakingly incorporates multiple perspectives to try to find the truth about what happened that day at the Battle of Little Big Horn. Sabastian Junger’s “War” is modern day history in the making. Junger was embedded in an infantry platoon and experienced combat firsthand during the units’ 15-month deployment at a desolate outpost in Afghanistan. Fighting is on foot over rugged terrain with chaotic firefights interspersed with interminable periods of boredom for the Second Platoon, known for their brawling as well as their fighting.
There are well-reviewed biographies of two famous American entertainers that hold top spots on the best sellers list. Comedy legend Carol Burnett looks back over her long career, telling stories about her childhood and early days of bit parts in New York, about appearing on game shows, followed by 11 years hosting her own show and then the years following that. Readers also get a peek into the lives of her famous friends and co-stars in this lighthearted look at her career “The Time Together.” Kitty Kelley’s “Oprah” is the first comprehensive biography of one of the most powerful and influential public figures of our time. Kelley researched for over three years, conducting more than 850 interviews to get an “inside picture” of talk show hostess Oprah Winfrey.
Many “self help” books must be updated every few years. New books on job hunting available include one by job search guru Martin Yate: “Knock ‘em Dead: The Ultimate Search Guide” gives proven advice on everything from crafting resumes with keywords and leveraging social networking, to the latest thinking on interview skills. Featuring a new section, “Where the Jobs Are," Yate delves into the hottest fields like education, engineering, and health care, with tips on how to land positions in those fields. Another job search guru Harvey McKay’s “Use Your Head to Get Your Foot in the Door” offers tips to find that next interview. Dawn McKay’s “The Everything Practice Interview Book” tells how to make the best first impression to get the job you want. Working from home books must also be updated regularly. “Making Money from Home: How to Run a Successful Home Based Business” by former banker Donna Partow is geared toward women. She spells out the pros and cons, shows how to write a business plan and examines ways to market your product or service, including electronically.
As the organic food market continues to expand, so too do the opportunities for small farmers. “The Organic Farming Manual: A Comprehensive Guide to Starting and Running a Certified Organic Farm” is a complete guide to growing, certifying, and marketing organic produce, grains, meat, and dairy. Beginning farmers committed to launching an organic operation and experienced farmers hoping to transition from traditional farming will find all the information they need. “Food Rules” is a pocket sized book full of rules for eating wisely, rules like “Don’t eat anything your great grandmother would not recognize as food” or the more specific “Avoid food products that contain high-fructose corn syrup.” Author Michael Pollan also wrote “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and “In Defense of Food.”
Two updated standard health titles are here: “The Complete Guide to Prescription and Nonprescription Drugs 2010” and “The Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine.”
To check out the Cuba Circulating Library, come in our building at 39 E. Main Street, visit us on Facebook, or visit us on our updated webpage!
May 19 Patriot
Genre fiction is a term describing novels that share similarities in character, theme or setting. Genres include mysteries, fantasy, horror, romance, westerns and science fiction. Readers may enjoy some genres and not others.
Historical fiction has many fans. Thomas Steinbeck’s “In the Shadow of the Cypress” is reviewed as a “captivating, provocative, and classy adventure” about the Chinese immigrant communities in California, an interest Thomas shares with his famous father, John Steinbeck. A modern day surfer finds a journal describing two artifacts pulled from the roots of an ancient storm-toppled cypress tree, artifacts engraved with Chinese characters documenting their arrival in 1422. The setting of Isabel Allende’s “Island Beneath the Sea” moves from the sugar plantations of Saint-Domingue to the lavish parlors of New Orleans at the turn of the 19th Century in this story of an African slave determined to claim her own destiny against impossible odds. After living in London for a decade, 33-year-old Justin Fisher returns to Southern California with his wife and young son to reconnect with the family he hasn't spoken to in years. He learns that his parents are dead, and upon visiting their graves, he sees a tombstone with his name on it indicating he died at age four. This unusual plot is the debut novel “Language of Secrets” by Dianne Dixon.
Fantasy novels have fewer fans but those fans are passionate in their enjoyment of a good fantasy tale. Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse novels are well-known, popular fantasy novels that are the basis for HBO’s True Blood series. “Dead in the Family” finds Sookie, the telepathic waitress, contending with her feelings for vampire Erik Northman and worrying over the Shifter community going public. Patricia Briggs’ “Silver Borne” is a paranormal romance featuring Mercy Thompson as the garage mechanic-to-coyote shape-shifter who is still working out the relationship with Adam, her bonded mate and the leader of a werewolf pack, which has been put in danger by a jealous female werewolf. “Where Angels Fear to Tread” offers fast action and a soul-searching detective, Remy Chandler who enlists the help of an angel to find an autistic child who has been kidnapped. The book is by Thomas Sniegowski.
Mysteries have many subgenres. Alexander McCall Smith has a humorous series of light mysteries featuring Botswana lady detective Precious Ramotswe. The eleventh in this series, “The Double Comfort Safari Club” has the usual multiple plots. Agatha winning Earlene Fowler’s folksy 14th Benni Harper mystery is called “State Fair.” Folk art museum curator, rancher, and sometime sleuth Harper attends the San Celina Mid-State Fair, a place for caramel apples and 4-H calves, colorful quilts and homemade jams, and maybe just a little murder. Scott Turow’s ninth legal thriller, “Innocent” is a sequel to his first novel, “Presumed Innocent” and again features two of his most memorable characters, attorneys Rusty Sabitch and Tommy Molto.
For unknown reasons, westerns are most popular in paperback or large print. However, the late Robert Parker is popular in any format so fans are glad Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch are back, facing down the town’s new sheriff in his well-reviewed western “Blue Eyed Devil.”
Romance is also popular in paperback, with high circulation from books like those by Cathy Maxwell and Robyn Carr, both whom have new titles out. Come in and check us out, or for the latest about new books and activities, check us out on Facebook!
May 12 Patriot
Romance reigns this month! The prolific Fern Michael’s has two new books out. One is a “stand alone” novel about 17 year old Liz Townsend who becomes pregnant. The father shirks his responsibility wand all letters sent to him are returned, marked “return to sender.” Liz perseveres, raising the boy alone until 19 years later, when she runs into the father, now a millionaire. She plots her revenge in “Return to Sender.” The Michaels’ book is number two in her “Godmother’s series,” following “The Scoop.” After she moves into a beach-front estate formerly owned by Lucille Ball, Toots Loudenberry finds she has some high-profile ghostly roommates, plus she is trying to assess the true intentions of her friend Ida's suitor and help her daughter's celebrity magazine stay afloat, despite it being the target of a competitor's dirty tricks. The book is called “Exclusive.”
After WW II, following the tragic deaths of both her sister in childbirth and her brother-in-law in the war, it is all Rachel Watkins can do to raise her niece and run the family’s boarding house. But when she discovers a drifter hiding in a shack, Rachel takes him in. By beloved Dorothy Garlock, “Stay a Little Longer” is a poignant yet fast-paced look at life, death and second chances. Nora Roberts’ third installment in her popular “Brides Quartet” finds wedding-planner Laurel rethinking her stand against romance. “Savor the Moment” features Roberts’ irresistible recipe for romance with engaging characters, passion and humor.
Amanda Quick’s “Burning Lamp” has her usual quirky humor in a fast-paced Victorian paranormal adventure matching a powerful crime boss and a social reformer out to save the city’s working girls. “The Killing Edge,” a captivating novel of paranormal romantic suspense from bestseller Heather Graham. Part-time model and psychologist Chloe Marin, a traumatized survivor of what was billed as the Teen Massacre at a Florida beach house 10 years earlier, has new reason to be afraid.
Other women’s fiction this week includes Debbie Macomber’s “Hannah’s List.” On the anniversary of his wife’s death, Dr. Everett receives a letter from her in which she makes one last request: that he remarry one of three women whom she names – a nurse, a chef or an eccentric artist. In Jennifer Chiaverini’s latest entry in her bestselling Elm Creek Quilts series, quilting queen Bonnie Markham explores Hawaii and learns about the islands' quilting traditions while setting up a tropical quilt camp in a tale naturally called “The Aloha Quilt.” Karen Robards’ “Shameless” is the last of her Banning Sisters’ Trilogy, about a scheme to kidnap the beautiful Beth Banning, while “Miss Julia Renews Her Vows” is the 11th is the popular series by Ann Ross.
New Christian fiction includes the third in Beverly Lewis’ Seasons of Grace series. Heather Nelson is determined to for go traditional medicine in hopes of finding answers and healing in Amish country. But first, she offers to drive her Amish friend, Grace Byler, to Ohio to search for her mother. Will they find the answers they long for? Or will "The Telling" cause them all further pain? Stephanie Whitson’s ambitious historical romance “Sixteen Brides” is a resounding success. It follows the paths of four very different women homesteading in Nebraska. “Take Three,” the third book in the Above the Line series by New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury, follows filmmakers Chase Ryan and Keith Ellison as they celebrate their first successful movie.
Come in and check us out!!!
May 4 Patriot
There are great suspense titles this week by well-known authors. “Deep Shadow” finds marine biologist Doc Ford trapped underwater when a cave collapses in a remote Florida lake. While searching for his companions, he is intercepted by a murderous pair of ex-cons seeking sunken treasure in this Randy Wayne White thriller. Critics say that David Baldacci’s “Deliver Us from Evil” is a “clever novel” that pairs a familiar character - the enigmatic agent, with Reggie, a beautiful and deadly woman who works for a group determined to rid the world of evil. Andrew Gross’ “Reckless” is about a double homicide in a storybook-pretty town Connecticut town, while Stuart Woods’ new Stone Barrington mystery features the charismatic lawyer juggling an unwanted new client and a hunt for a defected British agent. This humorous romp is called “Lucid Intervals.” Number 9 in James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club, “The 9th Judgment” finds Lindsay Boxer searching for an assailant who gunned down a mother and her infant in a shopping mall and a cat burglar who kills the wife of a famous actor.
Laurie Kings’ “God of the Hive” is the second half of last years’ “Language of Bees.” Sherlock Holmes’ attempt to get his gravely wounded son out of England is only one of the many storylines in this novel where things are not quite what they seem. The newest Mary Higgins Clark tale is about a psychologist, Olivia, married to an obstetrician, who practices with his identical twin brother. When the brother is murdered, Olivia wonders if it was her husband who was actually killed and that her brother-in-law has taken her place. It is called “The Shadow of Your Smile.” Higgins’ author daughter, Carol Higgins Clark’s latest Regan Reilly tale is called “Wrecked, No. 13.” Unexpected events at a raucous family vacation with her husband and his five siblings challenge Regan to investigate. In “The Clouds Roll Away,” someone in a Richmond, Virginia elite historical neighborhood wants rap star RPM to leave their little slice of paradise, and they let him know by burning a cross in his yard. This beautifully written mystery is by Sibelia Giorello.
Other mysteries include “The Black Cat” by Martha Grimes which opens in a pub that plays a central role in the case. Scotland Yard detective Richard Jury is investigating the murder of a young woman who leads a double life: local plain-Jane librarian by day and glamorous call girl by night. With murders around the country being posted anonymously on the Web by killers who leave no trail, the FBI is reduced to asking civilian hackers to help. None is more qualified than Monkeewrench Sofware, the unconventional unit of cyber investigators led by ponytailed Harley Davison. Check out “Shoot to Thrill” by P.J. Tracy. Carolyn Hart’s 20th Death on Demand book, “Laughed Until He Died,” finds Max and Annie Darling scrambling to unravel three interlinked puzzles: the mystery of three guns, the pants pockets of a victim and the disappearance of a teenager. Jo Bannister mysteries are also popular. In “Liars All,” Detective Brodie Farrell investigates the brutal attack on a young couple. Susan Wittig Albert’s “Holly Blues” unusual storyline finds China Bayles taking in Sally, her husband’s troubled ex-wife. Then she receives menacing phone calls that seem to be connected to the murder of Sally’s parents years before. Who murdered the white Afrikaner police captain in a small South African border town in 1952? Was it a family row? English detective Emmanuel Cooper and his Zulu sidekick investigate in “A Beautiful Place to Die” by Malla Nunn. Bestseller Elizabeth George's richly rewarding 16th novel to feature Insp. Thomas Lynley offers an intricate plot that will satisfy even jaded fans of psychological suspense. In “This Body of Death,” Lynley investigates when the body of Jemima Hastings, a young woman recently relocated from Hampshire, turns up in a London cemetery.
Fantasy lovers will enjoy bestselling “Angelology” by Danielle Trussoni. It is the story of Sister Evangeline, who was brought to the convent when she was 12. Critics say the novel, sure to be popular with those who enjoyed “The DaVinci Code,” offers “intriguing characters, lyrical nature descriptions, hidden clues, secret codes, hidden manuscripts and treasure hunts, creating a sumptuous and surprising novel."
Come in and check us out!!
April 28 Patriot
Wall Street is the subject of two new nonfiction books that came in this month. Michael Lewis’ fast-paced and engaging account is called “The Big Short.” He explains in plain language how the banking industry obscured credit risk by packaging and repackaging low-quality subprime mortgages into securities that would get high credit ratings and be sold to investors who thought they were buying safe bonds. The book is titled “The Big Short.” Roger Lowenstein’s “The End of Wall Street” is both the account of the 2007-2008 credit crisis and coverage of the recession of 2009. Lowenstein also lays blame on politicians, including Bush, who saw loosened credit as a means of bolstering the economic prospects of the poor.
Other bestsellers include “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot, that asks the question “Who owns our bodies?” Lacks was a mother of five in Baltimore, a poor African American migrant from the tobacco farms of Virginia, who died from a cruelly aggressive cancer at the age of 30 in 1951. A sample of her cancerous tissue, taken without her knowledge or consent, provided one of the holy grails of mid-century biology: human cells that could survive--even thrive--in the lab. “The Pacific” is the result of a project conceived by the late historian Stephen Ambrose and carried through by his son, Hugh Ambrose. This work tracks several marines and a navy pilot through WWII in the Pacific Ocean, describing battles such as the harrowing amphibious landings on Peleliu and Iwo Jima and the ghastly campaigns on Guadalcanal and Okinawa.
“The Death and Life of the American School System” by former assistant secretary of education Diane Ravitch has witnessed the trends in public education over the past 40 years. She analyzes the impact of choice on public schools, tries to quantify quality teaching and discuss the charter schools and traditional schools. Conceding that there is no one solution, Ravitch concludes by advocating for strong educational values and revival of strong neighborhood public schools.
Human interest books include Ron Hall’s “Same Kind of Different as Me,” about Denver, a man raised under plantation-style slavery in Louisiana in the 1960s who escaped, hopping a train to wander homeless for eighteen years on the streets of Dallas. Though no longer a slave, Denver's life was still hopeless. Then he meet a godly woman and her husband, Ron, an international arts dealer at home in a world of Armani-suited millionaires. Fans of Kelly Corrigan's “The Middle Place,” a memoir of her fight with cancer, will welcome the return of figures like Corrigan's father, Greenie, in her latest book, “Lift.” Written as a letter to her two daughters, “Lift” is an inspirational meditation on parenthood in general. Other inspirational books include “God Never Blinks: 50 Lessons for Life’s Little Detours” and “The Best Spiritual Writing 2010.”
New travel guides are the 2010 “Fodor’s California,” the “Insider’s Guide to Myrtle Beach,” “Universal Orlando” and two on Disney World: “The Unofficial Guide” and “The Complete Guide…”as well as “Universal Orlando.”
The best “how to” book this month might be “The Forever Portfolio: How to Pick Stocks that You can Hold for the Long Run.” Author James Altucher shows how to find stocks that investors can safely buy and hold for at least 20 years, in order to build a strong, long-term portfolio, and one that is diversified enough to withstand the various cycles of the market. Come in and check us out ! ! !
April 21 Patriot
Sometimes the title of a novel is so interesting that you are compelled to pick up the book. How about “How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly?” It is about a woman married to an indifferent husband who is tired of her routine life. She needs release from her life, just as the ghosts living in her rambling home need release. The colorful characters are spellbinding in Connie May Fowler’s satisfying novel. How about “Mrs Darcy and the Blue Eyed Stranger?” This book is a collection of 14 humorous short stories by Lee Smith, stories with characters who are smarter than they appear with full and meaningful lives. “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” is certainly intriguing. Film and TV writer and producer Seth Grahame-Smith inserts a grandiose struggle with vampires into Abraham Lincoln's life. Remember novels are fiction! What could “Men and Dogs” Be about? Katie Crouch writes with dark and twisty Southern charm in her tale of a young woman who confronts her past after a drunken accident. No word on where the “dogs” come into play!
“The Lake Shore Limited” is an emotional book about Wilhelmina Gertz who has written a play about the feelings that engulfed her when her lover was killed on 9/11. What no one knew was that she was about to break up with him, a fact that forces her to play the role of a grieving lover. This compelling novel is by Sue Miller. “Imperfect Birds” isn’t about birds at all, but rather about a star student and athlete who anticipates a successful final year of high school whose parents discover several unpleasant facts about their daughter’s behavior. The author is the acclaimed Anne Lamott. “The Invisible Boy” is about a three year old boy found in a grave by ex-debutante Madeline Dare. The suspense of looking into the boy’s untimely death is real in this clever novel by Shamus winning New York author Cornelia Read.
Popular authors Anna Quindlen, Elizabeth Berg, Richard Paul Evans and Thomas Kinkade have new titles out this month. In “Every Last One,” Pulitzer-winning Quindlen plumbs the searing emotions of ordinary people caught in tragic circumstances in a story of a thwarted high school boyfriend. “The Last Time I Saw You” is for everyone who has received an invitation to their high-school reunion and broken out in a cold, clammy sweat. Though there can be feelings of dread and self-doubt, glory days can be relived, damaged reputations repaired, lapsed friendships restored, lost loves rekindled. Elizabeth Berg nails the experience. After advertising executive Alan Christofferson loses everything he holds dear, he embarks on a walk across America. Evans’ “The Walk” is a sentimental tale about this walk to a “new life.” Artist Kinkade’s “The Inn at AngelIsland” takes place near the shores of CapeLight, the setting for his last novels. Liza Martin arrives on AngelIsland to sell the inn she and her brother inherited from their aunt, so she can bolt back to her busy life in Boston. But the longer she stays, the harder it is to leave.
New historical fiction includes “Whiter Than Snow” by “Prayers for Sale” author Sandra Dallas. An avalanche thunders down the mountain on a bright April afternoon in 1920, trapping nine children walking home from school in this hardscrabble mining community. In a story based on a true crime, a prominent NYC dentist is found decapitated in his townhouse. The widow that manages the property is promptly arrested but a good attorney comes to her defense. Scandal, social climbing, and corruption in Manhattan during the 1850s come alive in “31 Bond Street” by Ellen Horan.