The Book of Blood and Shadow
By Robin Wasserman
While working on a project translating letters from sixteenth-century Prague, high school senior Nora Kane discovers her best friend has been murdered with her boyfriend. The killer is caught and apparently involved in a dangerous secret society claiming direct communication with God. A must read for Young Adults who enjoyed The Da Vinci Code!
A Moveable Feast: Life-Changing Food Adventures Around the World
By Don George 910. 4. MOV
Don George’s essays of food encounters around the world include 38 writers, chefs, poets, and journalists. Readers will be rewarded with these travels and “enjoy” exotic fare that includes chicken on a Russian train, tea in Nepal, hot dogs in Manhattan, and bat on the Isle of Fais. George’s book entertains while deepening the readers’ appreciation of many locales, cultures, and foodstuffs.
The Orchard: A Memoir
By Theresa Weir 813.6 WEI
A savvy city girl adapts to new life on an apple farm after she falls in love with Adrian Curtis, the golden boy of a prominent local family whose lives and orchards seem to be cursed. Considered an outsider by her husband’s family, Theresa soon discovers the environmental dangers and hardships of farm life. Deeply in love with Adrian, Theresa begins to appreciate his life (though reluctantly at first) and its irreparable toll on family life and the environment. Hauntingly beautiful and unforgettable.
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
By Susan Cain 155.232.CAI
Introverts prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying. They invent and create but seldom pitch their own ideas. Yet Cain’s riveting stories reveal how society undervalues the great contributions of “the introvert.” Carefully researched, her book draws upon extensive study on the biology and psychology of temperament and explores the fascinating world of the introvert.
Dead Until Dark
By Charlaine Harris
First in the Sookie Stackhouse vampire series, the lead character is a cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana, until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life. When one of Sookie’s coworkers checks out, she decides that maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend is not such a bright idea. Though not really a mystery, later titles in the series are labeled as such. Definitely not a cozy…the stories are adult and quite dark at times.
Flight of Gemma Hardy
By Margot Livesey
Livesey’s latest novel is set in mid-twentieth century Scotland and Iceland, and is narrated by Gemma from her early years as an orphan to adulthood. She endures great hardships as a student in an all girls’ school. It is interesting to follow her through various turning points in her life as she “takes flight” again and alone begins a new chapter. Eventually, Gemma searches for her family roots and makes some personal discoveries which help to answer unresolved questions about her past. Livesey’s portrayal of the quaint country life of Scotland and Iceland is quite enjoyable.
Fifty Shades of Gray
By E. L. James
You have probably already heard the buzz about this title…Erotic fiction, very graphic sexually with little in terms of plot line. Here is the tale: handsome billionaire/ male /dominant in his late twenties pursues inexperienced college graduate female to be his submissive. The story reads like a romance without the “romance” because love is not the intention of Christian, the controlling lead character. Anastasia’s life is a whirlwind once these two meet by chance, processing a lot of life changes including moving, a new internship, relationship, and the pressure to succumb to the role of sexual “slave.”
The end of part one (trilogy) is upsetting and hurt-filled: I expect there are other exotic titles in our collection to recommend in place of this one.
Mary
