All Posts – Page 25 – Staff Picks

Every Last One: A Novel by Anna Quindlen

Mary Beth Latham is a happily married mother of three teenagers. While her children go through the normal dramas of teenagers, they are generally healthy and well-adjusted. When her talented daughter, Ruby, breaks up with her long-term boyfriend, Mary Beth is not overly alarmed until she is blindsided by an unspeakable act of violence. Bereft, Mary Beth must cope with her grief and regain a sense of meaning in her life. Strong characters and beautiful prose make Anna Quindlen’s novel well worth your time.

The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent

Young Sarah Carrier lives in Puritan-dominated New England, in the late seventeenth century. Sarah sometimes doubts her mother’s affection for her. But, when her strong-willed mother and her siblings are targeted as witches by discontented, hysterical neighbors and an uncle who holds a grudge against them, she will learn of her mother’s deep love. This unconventional retelling of the Salem Witch trials, told from inside the inhumane jail where accused witches were held, is a beautiful story of family love and a mother’s sacrifice amidst the horrors of intolerance and hatred. The inspiration for the book comes from the author’s own family history.

The Sweetheart of Prosper County by Jill S. Alexander

Austin Gray wants to be a “hood ornament” in the No-Jesus Christmas Parade more than anything. She’s sick and tired of being the butt of Dean Ottmer’s jokes, and she’s sure this plan will turn things around. She just needs to join the FFA [Future Farmers of America], make some friends, raise an animal to show at the fair, and win a blue ribbon. THEN, she can be elected the FFA hood ornament. Simple, right?

This story is about so much more than a girl who is trying to win a popularity contest to defeat a bully, though. It’s about a mother and daughter who are still trying to work past the loss of a husband and father. It’s about the dynamics of a small town where everyone knows “everything” about everyone. And, it’s about how Austin finally gets to the realization that Dean Ottmer’s opinion is “as significant to [her] life as a fart in a tornado.”

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

Haven Moore can’t control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan, and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. She lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmother’s house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is, and who she was.

Not your typical good vs. evil story, this complex tale takes the reader across time blending mystery, suspense and romance. An enjoyable read with an unpredictable ending.

The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman

Three generations of extraordinary women are driven to unite in crisis and discover the rewards of reconciliation and love.

Alice Hoffman tells a wonderful story about real characters. She easily weaves in some fantastical elements like each woman’s special gift. Eleanor can tell if a person is lying and Jenny experiences other people’s dreams. The reader easily gets engrossed. Highly recommended.

Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho

“What is real? It’s what you are, not what others make you.” Twenty-four-year-old Veronika isn’t pleased with her life. Not to say that she doesn’t have an overall desired life. She’s young, attractive, and well loved, but something is missing. And on November 11, 1997, Veronika decides to die. Taking a handful of sleeping pills, though, does not do the trick, and she wakes up at a local mental hospital with severe damage to her heart. Although she made it through her suicide attempt, her heart is so damaged that she only has a few days to live. It is in those days that Veronika really decides to live for the first time.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Eleven-year-old chemistry genius Flavia de Luce amuses herself by concocting potions and poisons in her laboratory. Flavia’s two older sisters constantly target her for taunts and pranks, and her father is too busy studying philatelic journals and catalogs to deal with his daughters or the fact that he can no longer afford their inherited English manor house. When Flavia discovers a body in her cucumber patch, she’s delighted for the bit of excitement and takes it upon herself to investigate. She discovers that the victim was an avid stamp collector and former classmate of her father’s, leading her to wonder — could her father be responsible? Flavia, with her trusty bicycle sidekick Gladys, gets to the bottom of things in this smart, fun mystery.

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

A riveting historical account of the Zombie War, this is a document that chronicles the experiences of men, women and children during the plague years. Thought to have started in China, the virus that resulted in the rise of the living dead nearly brought about the end of human society. This collection of individual survivor accounts is a follow-up to Brooks’ 2003 book The Zombie Survival Guide. If you are a fan of zombie lit, you will enjoy this chilling post-apocalyptic horror collection which adds the human element to a United Nations report that was mainly facts and figures.

The Man with the Golden Torc by Simon Green

There really are ghoulies and ghosties and demons and vampires and aliens and things that go bump in the night. Fortunately, the Drood Family keeps things under control so that the general population can carry on in blissful ignorance of the peril all around. Eddie Drood does his part as an agent in the field to keep the peace until he suddenly finds himself being ferociously hunted as a Family traitor. Then it’s up to Eddie to keep himself alive long enough to find out who the real villain is. He collects some interesting allies along the way. Great fun. First of a series.

For the Win by Cory Doctorow

If the letters “MMORPG” [Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game] don’t mean anything to you, you might not think you could get a lot out of this story. I honestly only picked up this book because I am a “gaming widow” and wanted to better understand the MMORPG scene that my husband frequents! This story is about so much more than just gaming, though. Set in the future, this story explores the world of “gold farmers” who become the next generation of sweatshop workers. The narration rotates between characters who run the gamut from factory-dwelling gold farmers in China to an über-rich game developer at Coca-Cola Games Headquarters in the US. Although some reviews complain that Doctorow is heavy-handed in his message, I was simply enthralled by the way that he wove economics and unionization into a story about video games. I think this book would be an excellent tie-in for English and economics/social studies teachers — because the kids will probably enjoy the story while learning an awful lot. But maybe I’m just too big of a nerd and I enjoy learning while I read!

Pale Demon by Kim Harrison

This title is the latest in the Rachel Morgan fantasy series by Kim Harrison. In a world where a virus in genetically modified tomatoes has devastated the human population, demons, vampires, werewolves, pixies, witches, and elves have become conspicuous members of society. Rachel is a strong, talented witch who gets herself into some sticky situations, often through misunderstandings. In this installment of her adventures, Rachel and her band of misfits dodge attempts on their lives while attempting to drive across the country to clear her name.

Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland

The newest from the author of Girl in Hyacinth Blue, this novel tells the fictionalized account of Clara Driscoll, a female artist who worked for Louis Comfort Tiffany at the turn of the century. Clara works in the women’s division of Tiffany’s stained glass design studio and is instrumental in the conception and design of his famous stained glass lamps. Her love of art conflicts with her desire for fair treatment as a woman in a man’s world. The book goes into breathtakingly vivid detail of the creation of Tiffany’s, and Clara’s, colorful windows and lamps. A must-read for art lovers!

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

This book begins on Earth, with Amy and her parents preparing to be cryogenically frozen. They are about to be packed onto a spaceship [Godspeed], hoping to travel for 300 years, become reanimated (thawed out), and then terraform a faraway planet (make it livable/like Earth). Amy overhears the workers saying that the launch has been delayed a year. One whole year she could have spent with her family and friends on Earth! As these thoughts send her into despair, she is glad that they won’t last long; she will be unable to think once she’s frozen. But, then, she is frozen… and she is still capable of thought. Still conscious of the passing time. Talk about a torturous existence! Then someone unplugs her a full 50 years before the estimated landing time, and she will be older than her parents by the time they are reanimated. Chapters alternate between Amy and a guy named Elder, who will soon be the leader of the people aboard Godspeed. If you like dystopias and science fiction, you HAVE to read this book!

Room by Emma Donoghue

On Jack’s 5th birthday, Ma creates a celebration out of the meager resources available to her. She has lived in an 11′ by 11′ foot “room” for 7 years, since she was kidnapped and held by a sexual predator. Jack’s whole life has been defined by the room and items doled out by “Old Nick.” Although based on a terrifying premise, this is a story of courage, determination, and love. Beautifully told in Jack’s words, this is a story of the great love of a mother for her child, creativity in the face of want, and the persistence of a woman in her fight for freedom from captivity.

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King

An intelligent and beautifully written mystery featuring a retired Sherlock Holmes, who meets his match in precocious fifteen-year-old orphan Mary Russell. Russell impresses the legendary Holmes with her intellect and sharp tongue, and Holmes takes her under his wing. The pair set out across England to solve a series of mysteries, getting along at times like oil and water, at others like two cantankerous peas in a pod. King captures the acuity and fastidiousness of Conan Doyle’s original Holmes, and creates a very likable character in Mary Russell. This the first (and my favorite) in an ongoing Russell/Holmes series.