THE SPELLMAN FILES by Lisa Lutz

FIC
LUTZ

In the hilarious tradition of Stephanie Plum, Isabel "Izzy" Spellman's adventures are laugh-out-loud-funny, but she has her own unique situation and voice, Izzy works for her own unique situation and voice, Izzy works for her dysfunctional family's PI business, and the Spellman family relationships are all too similar to their business transactions.

When Izzy's twelve-year -old sister Rae disappears, the family wonders if her obsession with "recreational" surveillance has gotten her into trouble and must use all its collective professional expertise to find her before it's too late.

A SKATING LIFE, by Dorothy Hamill

796.912092

HAMILL

Dorothy Hamill won the Olympic gold medal for figure skating in 1976. In this autobiography she discusses the difficult training regimen and her rise through the ranks to competitive success. She also tell of turmoil in her personal life. Both of her parents suffered from depression at a time when the illness was not understood. She describes the impact their behavior had on her life as well as her own battles with depression in recent years. She also talks about the relationship and financial issues that plagued her as an adult. While there is much to find discouraging in her memoir, there are happy moments and an uplifting ending.

CIRCLE OF SISTERS by Judith Flanders

920.72

FLA

The sisters are Alice Kipling, Georgiana Burne-Jones, Agnes Poynter, and Louisa Baldwin.

From their humble beginnings as daughters of a Methodist minister in mid-nineteenth century England, they are known to us today through their husbands and children. Alice was the mother of Rudyard Kipling, England's unofficial poet laureate of empire, Georgiana was married to Edward Burne-Jones, the famous Pre-Raphaelite artist, Agnes was the wife of Edward Poynter, the head of the Royal Academy of the Arts, and Louisa Baldwin was the mother of Stanley Baldwin, three-time Prime Minister of Great Britain.

A fascinating look at the daily life of women in the Victorian era as well as a glimpse of these famous lives.

WEST WITH THE NIGHT by Beryl Markham

BIOG
MARKHAM, B.

Pioneer aviator Markham recounts memories of her childhood and young adulthood in Africa, first on her father's farm and then, after its sale and the end of that way of life, as a horse trainer and, later, pilot. Her descriptions of the people with whom she lived and worked bring them to life even today, and her stories of Africa conjure up a place long gone. This memoir is a pleasure to read.

WHEN A CROCODILE EATS THE SUN by Peter Godwin

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GODWIN

Journalist Peter Godwin grew up in Zimbabwe and returned to his native country when his father suffered a serious heart attack. His country's decline during the last 10 years is juxtaposed with his parent's decline, both physical and economic (due to the policies of dictator Robert Mugabe). This is a moving story that will appeal to fans of Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight.

ONE DROP: MY FATHER'S HIDDEN LIFE by Bliss Broyard

BIOG

BROYARD

Bliss Broyard knew her father, Anatole Broyard, as the successful book critic for the New York Times and later, as the editor of the New York Times Book Review. In the months before he died of cancer, he yearned to reveal a lifelong secret to his children but succumbed before he mustered up the courage.

It was their mother who told the children that their father had actually been African-American. His light-skinned parents had moved from New Orleans to New York in 1927 where they passed for white in order to get work.

For Bliss, "raised white in Connecticut," this revelation set off a search for identity and reunions with a large extended family in the South. One Drop is a compelling look at the complexities of race from a very personal perspective.

JOHN ADAMS, by David McCullough

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ADAMS

Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for biography, John Adams is brought to life through the skill of historian David McCullough. Adams was an extraordinary many whose work significantly affected our country's future. From his early days as a country lawyer, through to his work at the Continental congress and White House, Adams was a patriot whose devotion to his country was unsurpassed. His relationships with Jefferson, Franklin, as well as his wife and son are explored fully. You will read about famous events as well as those less famous with a fresh perspective, and get to know the man that some regarded as "out of his senses."

THE FILM CLUB by David Gilmour

BIOG
GILMOUR

In this memoir Canadian movie critic David Gilmour and his ex-wife decide to let their struggling 10th grade son, Jesse, drop out of school if he agrees to watch a film three times a week. Gilmour gets to pick our the films and they have to watch them together. Gilmour reasons that by choosing every possible genre, he would at least be offering Jesse some kind of education that would help make his way in the world--something public school had failed to provide.

Jesse learns many lessons during these sessions with his father and realizes that growing up is a lot more than just going to school. He does return to the educational system, but on his own terms. Gilmour also finds his life changed in surprising ways during the many hours he spends with his son.

BLACK and WHITE by Dani Shapiro

FIC
SHAPIRO

Clara Brodeur is an adult now but has spent most of her life rebelling against her famous mother, photographer Ruth Dunne. She has been estranged from Ruth for 14 years, living in Maine with her husband and daughter.

One day she receives a phone call from her sister informing her of her mother's imminent death. Clara reluctantly returns to Manhattan to find her mother surrounded protectively by adoring interns and assistants. She realizes that she must come to terms with the past for the sake of her daughter and her own sanity.

The emotional scars of Ruth's questionable photographs of Clara, taken throughout her childhood, are slowly healed with the help of her family and the maturity that comes with age.

DEAD LINES by Greg Bear

FIC

BEA

Peter Russell's career as a soft-porn director fell victim to the more popular hardcore pornography. His marriage disintegrated after the murder of his daughter. When his best friend dies, little is left Peter besides his job as a general dogsbody to a multi-millionaire.

Asked to help sell the "Trans," a sort of cell phone with unlimited bandwidth and perfect reception, Peter accepts a boxful of them. Soon Peter starts seeing dead people. Peter's story is not so much science fiction as horror. Readers who like Dean Koontz's milder horror stories are a likely audience.

HONOR AMONG THIEVES by Jeffrey Archer

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ARCHER

Saddam Hussein has hired the Mafia and stolen the Declaration of Independence. He plans to burn it in front of reporters and the eyes of the world on the Fourth of July. Law professor and CIA agent Scott Bradely is to star in a scheme to recover the Declaration, hopefully with the help of Hannah Kopec, a Mossad agent and Bradley's former lover. Hannah, however, is heartbroken, believing she successfully assassinated Scott under orders from Mossad. Plots and counterplots interweave seamlessly, keeping the reader guessing. While nearly all of this story is wildly improbable, it is lots of fun, and Archer seems to write with tongue in cheek.

DEATH IN THE DEVIL'S ACRE by Anne Perry

PBK/MYS
PERRY, A.

A series of brutal murders takes place in the red light district of London during the late 1880s. Police Inspector Thomas Pitt is called to investigate to see if there's a tie between the murder victims: a middle aged doctor, a former footman, a very rich and titled gentleman, and a math teacher. All were stabbed in the back and mutilated.

Pitt and his wife Charlotte race against time to find the killer. The search leads them to aristocratic families with secrets to hide, as well as to the underside of Victorian London.

THE RITUAL BATH by Faye Kellerman

FIC

KELLERMAN

Detective Peter Decker is sent to investigate a rape in the sheltered community of a Los Angeles yeshiva. He finds the Orthodox Jewish residents to be uncooperative, but the beautiful widow Rina Lazarus is helpful. The attraction between them complicates everything, especially when it seems the rapist's intended target was and still is Rina. The many details of Orthodox Jewish life are fascinating. This first book is a terrific start to the now-established series.

DEATH AND THE DEVIL by Frank Schatzing

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SCHATZING

In Early Medieval Cologne, a petty thief, Jacob the Fox, witnesses Gerhard Morart, Architect of the New Cathedral, being pushed to his death from its scaffolding. He has been seen by the murderer, a longhaired, seemingly superhuman man who is a professional assassin. Jacob is now his target for he must protect a larger conspiracy which reaches to the very top of Cologne's government. This book features non-stop action as well as interesting details of Medieval Life.

POSSESSIONS by Judith Michaels

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MICHAELS

When Craig Fraser doesn't return from his business trip, his plain wife Katherine, a stay-at-home mom, cannot believe he has fled from embezzlement charges, as his boss claims. Then Ross Hayward, who claims to be Craig's cousin, comes to Vancouver to tell her that Craig, who said he was an orphan, has a wealthy family in San Francisco from whom he also fled. A college friend of Katherine's offers her a job in San Francisco. As Katherine tries to make a new and independent life, she comes to know the Haywards and the missing Craig far better. Always pulled between her new life and the possibility of rebuilding what she had with Craig, Katherine must eventually make several painful choices. Possessions is for readers for enjoy novels about the rich and famous by such authors as Danielle Steel.

PEOPLE OF THE BOOK by Geraldine Brooks

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BROOKS

Hanna Heath, Rare Book Conservator, jumps at the change to work on the Sarajevo Haggadah. The book is an example of the earliest Jewish illuminated manuscripts, and Hanna traces its history using clues found in the book's binding. The trail leads through WWII-era Bosnia, late 19th century
Vienna, Venice during the Inquisition, and finally to the manuscript's creation around 1480 in Spain. The reader is privy to the Haggadah's secrets, though Hanna is not. She must cope with the newly-discovered identity of her father and the machinations of the art forgers.

ONE GOOD TURN by Kate Atkinson

FIC
Atkinson

This sequel to Case Histories features ex-cop Jackson Brodie, again becoming involved in a series of complex, inter-connected cases which begins with an incident of road rage in Edinburgh. Set amidst the Edinburgh Festival where
Jackson’s girlfriend Julia is appearing in a Fringe production, this is another dazzling thriller full of twists and surprises.

CARAMELO by Sandra Cisneros

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CISNEROS
This is the epic tale of the Reyes family as it moves from 1920s Mexico City to 1950s
Chicago. This multigenerational story of a working class immigrant family has as its center Lala Reyes as she grows from childhood to young adulthood. Lala is the youngest in a family of seven and the only girl who regularly makes the trip from Chicago to The Awful Grandmother’s house in Mexico. She gradually forms an uneasy bond with her grandmother,inheriting from her the family stories, legends, and scandals. The family members’ destinies include experiences in the U.S. military, blue collar jobs, poverty and homelessness. Despite the harsh struggle to survive, the family never loses sight of its culture and traditions.

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN by Lionel Shriver

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SHRIVER

Through dozens of letters written to her absent husband, Eva Khatchadourian tries to make sense of the events that have unfolded in her life. From the onset the reader knows that her son, Kevin, has committed a brutal crime —- he killed seven of his high school classmates, a cafeteria worker and a well-liked teacher. Eva visits him in prison though their relationship has never been close. She wonders

THE SHADOW OF THE WIND by Carolos Ruiz Zafon

FIC

RUIZ-ZAFON

This adventure story begins in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books in post WWII Barcelona. Daniel Sempere is taken there by his father, a bookseller, and told that he can choose one book. Daniel chooses The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax. He loves the book, but when he tries to find other works by Carax, he finds that someone is systematically destroying Carax’s books.
As Daniel tries to solve this mystery, he is drawn into the dangerous aftermath of the Spanish Civil War.
This novel features intriguing characters and a strong sense of place.

FAST WOMEN: A NOVEL by Jennifer Crusie

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Crusie

Romance — with elements of suspense and
adventure — is at the heart of this novel. If
you call dognapping an adventure. Heroine
Nell, just divorced from a cheating husband,
applies for a secretarial position at a detective
agency. After she fumbles a few investigations,
her life changes drastically when she uncovers
murder, blackmail and embezzlement.
Crusie blends humor and romance, the funny and
the serious in this antiquated detective story set
in historical Ohio. Despite Gabe and Nell’s daily
battles over trivial office matters, they fall in
love, fight some more and have mad passionate
sex. The fast-paced romance develops the plot
neatly with a predictable ending, allowing the
reader to sit back and enjoy.

IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES by Julia Alvarez

YA/PBK

by Julia Alvarez

This book embodies the wonder, horror and mystique of the era of Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. It tells the heroically heart-breaking, perhaps mythic story of the Mirabel sisters, enemies to the Failed Cattle Thief, folk heroes to the pueblo. The story is told in flashback, beginning in the present day with an interview with the one surviving sister. The story then launches into a chronological build-up to the sisters’ acts of resistance toward the ruthless dictator. This is an engrossing tale that will appeal to fans of history and magical realism, or anyone who admires strong women’s defiance in the face of heavy oppression

GHOST TRAIN TO THE EASTERN STAR by Paul Theroux

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THE

Theroux retraces his 1973 journey for “The Great Railway Bazaar” although he cannot revisit Iran and Afghanistan. This time around, however, he is able to visit Cambodia whose people are still scarred from the horrors of the Pol Pot regime and the new Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union, many now isolated under their own home-grown dictatorships. Although Theroux may have mellowed, he is still an observant and skilled interviewer.

FOUR SOULS by Louise Erdrich

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ERDRICH

Fleur Pillager seeks revenge against a wealthy land baron for the deforestation of her Ojibwe lands. She hires on as a laundress in the home of John James Mauser in order to murder him.

Her scheme becomes complicated when she decides to first cure him of a mysterious illness to enhance the cruelty of his death. Eventually, compassion rules and Fleur and Mauser marry.

Fleur, who adopts her mother's name of "Four Souls," gives birth to an autistic son who eventually helps her reclaim her ancestral lands.

Narrated by several characters, including Nanapush and his wife Margaret, and Polly Elizabeth, a member of the Mauser household who befriends Fleur, this novel picks up where Tracks ended.

HEARTS AND BONES by Margaret Lawrence

FIC

LAWRENCE, M.

This story of historical suspense takes place in post Revolutionary War Maine and features Hannah Trevor, the village midwife, a woman who lives with her illegitimate daughter outside the bounds of convention-a sort of Hester Prynne without apologies.

A brutal murder rocks the normal activities of the village when a young woman is raped and strangled, leaving behind a letter accusing three prominent men of being her murderers. One names is Daniel Josselyn, Hannah's former lover and the father of her daughter.

With Will Quaid, the village constable, Hannah sets out to discover the truth of the tragedy, and discovers her won heart's desire as well.

THE LIGHTKEEPER'S DAUGHTER by Iain Lawrence

FIC

LAWRENCE

When seventeen-year-old Squid returns from a four-year absence to visit her parents on their isolated island off the coast of British Columbia, she brings her three-year-old daughter. The account of her visit is interspersed with the story of what happened during the last year Squid lived on the island, leading to death of her brother and her own departure.

Though there are hints that incest might have been involved, it was not. The true story is nonetheless heartbreaking, involving family dysfunction, statutory rape, and suicide. The writing is beautiful; the story is not, though is is certainly memorable.

HARVESTING THE HEART by Jodi Picoult

FIC

PICOULT, J.

This is the story of the growth of a young woman who needs to deal with the past and her unsettled relationship with her mother before becoming who she wants to be for her own child.

Paige O'Toole was abandoned by her mother when she was just five years old and subsequently is plagued by feelings of worthlessness. Overwhelmed by marriage and motherhood, Paige leaves her family and journeys to find her own mother. Harvesting the Heart is realistic, moving and beautifully told.

A LONG WAY DOWN by Nick Hornby

FIC

HORNBY

The setting is New Year's Eve 2003 on the roof of Topper's House in London, a popular suicide spot. Four strangers converge there, each wanting to end his life in privacy. Maureen is a devout Catholic and single mother to a severely disable adult son. Martin, a former TV host, is just out of prison for statutory rape. JJ is an American who broke up with his girlfriend and was fired from his dream job in a rock band. Teenage Jess, the flighty daughter of a politician, was dumped by her boyfriend. The result of their rooftop meeting is a special bond. That night they forge an agreement not to kill themselves for ninety days. In their attempts to support each other, they provide a moving and lively read.

WHEN WE WERE ORPHANS by Kazuo Ishiguro

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ISH

This book is challenging, and, to my mind, much more effective as a book on tape. One reading might be inclined to skip ahead of what is incomprehensible, and therefore boring, without allowing seemingly insignificant details and images to coalesce and become meaningful.

Christoper Banks is a renowned London detective with a tragic past: his parents disappeared from their home in Shanghai when he was ten. Twenty years later he decides to return to Shanghai to solve the mystery. Why did he wait so long? Why are the only people who penetrate his isolation fellow orphans? Why do people surrounding him bolster his delusions?

When We Were Orphans is a fascinating book, certainly not for everyone, by a rewarding reading experience nonetheless.

THE GREAT INDIAN NOVEL by Shashi Tharoor

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THA

This is a brilliant, fictionalized account of modern Indian history from the time of Gandhi's struggle for independence from Great Britain to the assassination of Indira Gandhi.

Although based on the 2,000-year-old epic THE MAHABHARATA, you do not need to be familiar with this work to appreciate the novel, which is written with great insight and humor.