All posts by peaadmin

Five Book Friday!

January 22, 2016 peaadmin

In 2005, Cliff Arnall, a former lecturer at Cardiff University, was commissioned by a U.K. travel agency to determine the most depressing day of the year in order to best a market winter vacations. It turns out, according to his not-so-very scientific study, that the third Monday in January is “Blue Monday”, the most depressing day of the year.

And since this week began with Blue Monday, I thought the best way to introduce today’s list of books was with a list of things to make you smile a bit. So, without any further ado…..

1) Peabody the Owl, taking a bath. And, by the way…Library Trustees? Could we please have a Library Owl named Peabody? Please?

http://youtu.be/8bFmwp-p1Sc

2) Buzzfeed’s list of “The 27 Most Exciting Books Coming In 2016”, which is obviously subjective, but still gives you plenty of things to look forward to this year.

3) This stunningly beautiful poem about not giving up hope.

4) This plush piece of pizza that looks super-happy to see you: il_570xN.720325247_iaa5

And, finally….

5) A list of some new books to make your weekend a little more fun:

The Rogue Not Taken: Romance author extraordinaire Sarah MacLean is back with a new series that is guaranteed to delight her fans, and perfect for new comers. This first Scandal and Scoundrels book features Sophie, a heroine who is a magnet for scandal–she’s already landed her philandering brother-in-law in a fishpond, and is desperate to find a new start in London. But the carriage in which she’s stowed away isn’t empty. It’s full of trouble–and Kingscote, “King,” the Marquess of Eversley. Their chemistry is a recipe for disaster…but in the close confines of their carriage, Sophie and King might just find that opposites attract…MacLean’s books are good for whatever ails you, and, as RT Book Reviews said of this monumental success, “MacLean has the magic touch… This lovely story is perfect in so many ways; it’s funny, with rapier wit, sweet and super-sexy, one of those stories you’ll keep close to your heart.”

The Old Farmer’s Almanac 2016: Who is the Old Farmer? No one is quite sure. In fact, no one is quite sure how the good people at the Old Farmer’s Almanac make their predictions. According to their website, “We derive our weather forecasts from a secret formula that was devised by the founder of this Almanac, Robert B. Thomas, in 1792. Thomas believed that weather on Earth was influenced by sunspots, which are magnetic storms on the surface of the Sun. Notes about that formula are locked in a black box in our offices in Dublin, New Hampshire.” Though these predictions are now enhanced with state-of-the-art magic weather wands, the Old Farmer is still a joy to read for the snippets of poetry, growing advice, and weather lore included in it, along with weather predictions, tide charts, and growing seasons.

Eleanor: On the surface, Jason Gurley’s newest release is a tale about a girl who attempts to heal her family after her twin sister, Esme, dies in a tragic accident. But it is also so very much more than that. Because in the course of her struggle, Eleanor finds herself whisked off into another reality, and forced to contend with the real cost of grief and the price she will have to pay to appease it. A fascinating genre-mash up that is part surrealist fiction, part science fiction, part tragedy, and part coming-of-age story, this book was originally self-published, but has been reworked and re-edited into this current edition. The San Francisco Book Review cheers, “Jason Gurley weaves a gorgeous story…that grabs a hold and won’t let go…As with most of Gurley’s work, this novel is the very best kind of mash-up between the fantastic and the literary. It’s a smart, beautiful story with vivid images and polished prose, the kind of novel you can read over again and will want to recommend to others.”

American Housewife: Helen Ellis is a master of black comedy, and this collection of short stories is being hailed by all and sundry as one of the funniest books of the year. Though, on the surface, the women of American Housewife look the part, with their strings of pearls, their perfectly coiffed hair, and their perfect casserole recipes, beneath the surface, they are just as vicious, snide, snarky, and brutal as the rest of us. They just do it with better style. Vogue summed up this quirky, madcap collection thusly: “Delightful in its originality and eerie, almost demented, humor… Ellis’s stories start in a place that’s quite familiar—the domestic sphere of New York City’s ritzy Upper East Side, where the author also resides—and end in a place that’s decidedly not. Her characters are stealthily complex, their perfectly composed, well-maintained exteriors the ideal cover for inner lives that seethe with pathos and ambition.”

Maple: Ok, I admit it. This book isn’t strictly “new”. But it’s full of 100 recipes that use maple syrup, and maple syrup is a perfect food. Yay maple syrup! (Also: if anyone needs a taste-tester for the recipes in this book, you know whom to call……)

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Still thinking about the Edgars…a mysterious If/Then post…

January 21, 2016 peaadmin

A bit of a warning: I really, really enjoy talking about Edgar Allan Poe. I find his work equal parts engaging, emotional, and genuinely skin-crawlingly creepy, and I find the man himself, in all his moody, tragic, cantankerous glory, throughly intriguing. My fascination only grew when, after writing yesterday’s post on Edgar and the Edgars, I saw this article that (perhaps slightly facetiously) suggests that Edgar Allan Poe had a time machine.

For the record, if this is true:

EDGAR ALLAN POE! COME HANG OUT WITH US AT THE LIBRARY! WE ARE LOADS OF FUN.

Edgar-Award-gold Ahem…anyways….As I mentioned yesterday, the Edgar Awards, handed out by the Mystery Writers of America, is one of the most recognized awards, particularly within the mystery/crime/thriller genres, for both books and for television. Having been handed out for nearly fifty years, they are a tried and true stamp-of-approval for those looking for a mystery that will challenge or chill. So, in the hopes that you will find some new favorites among previous Edgar Award Winners, and also in the hopes of further enticing the time-traveling Edgar Allan Poe to come and visit, might we suggest that…

If you want to know more about the Edgar Awards, Then check out:

Mr. Mercedes: I can think of very few times when I would not whole-heartedly recommend a Stephen King novel,but in this case, the good Mystery Writers of America had the good sense to agree with me. In this darkly compelling, race-against-time thriller, a depressed and retired cop finds himself unwittingly pitted against a ruthless killer who drove straight into a crowd of job-seekers at an unemployment fair. This is King at his darkest, but also, perversely, at his most humane, capturing the failures and foibles of human nature in a way that manages to be honest, frank, and still somehow empathetic. If you enjoy this, be sure to check out Finders Keepers, the next installment of this proposed trilogy.

Live by Night: Right up there with Stephen King is Dorchester’s own Dennis Lehane–a man whose imagination is worryingly dark, but whose prose are some of the most memorable you’ll ever read. This third book in his trilogy of Coughlin novels (featuring gangster Joe Coughlin) tells of our hero’s misadventures during Prohibition, from the dark streets of Boston to the heady nightlife of Cuba–but it’s a dangerous time, filled with exceptionally untrustworthy men…and for those who live outside the law, the end is usually an early grave…Lehane has proven himself surprisingly adept at historical settings and details, and his obviously love for his characters and subject matter make these stories into epic stories that should not be missed.

The Last Policeman: It’s great for readers that the Edgars aren’t afraid to celebrate authors who bend genres, and play with the elements of mysteries to create a work that is wholly original, and sometimes, quite a challenge. This winner of the Best Paperback Original for 2013 is one of those books. When the Earth is doomed by an imminent and unavoidable asteroid collision, New Hampshire homicide detective Hank Palace not only investigates a suspicious suicide that has gone overlook, but also must contend with knowing that his work will end in six months, whether he wants it to or not. This unsettling, philosophical novel won author Ben H. Waters a great deal of recognition, as well as a legion of fans.

Queenpin: Detective noir novels are a classic in the mystery genre, but it largely remains a genre dominated by men…that is, until Megan Abbott came onto the scene. In this fascinating glimpse into the sordid and strangely alluring world of 1960’s Las Vegas, a young woman is hired to keep the books at a seedy nightclub, and finds herself the protégée of the infamous mobqueen Gloria Denton. But even as Gloria spills all her secrets, it’s clear that these two women aren’t going to take any chances on each other, and that one wrong move might be their last. The cover art for this book is pitch-perfect, as well, harkening back to the pulp novels in which noir was born.

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Celebrating The Edgars, Celebrating THE Edgar…

January 20, 2016 peaadmin

And the list of birthday celebrations continues, with the master of the gothic, the macabre, and the darkly, seductively imaginative…Edgar Allan Poe, himself.

Poe was born in Boston (hooray!) on January 19, 1809, the child of two actors. His father abandoned the family when Poe was still an infant, and his mother died the following year. Poe was then taken in by the Allan family, and though never formally adopted by them, he remained a part of their family into his young adulthood. It was with the Allans that Poe moved to London as a child, a topic we mentioned during our first Postcards From Faraway Series, and John Allan also financed Poe’s tuition to West Point–though, when he failed as an officer’s cadet and declared his decision to become a writer and poet, he and John Allan parted ways for good.

Poe did earn quite a name for himself during his lifetime, both for his fictional writing and poetry, and for his irascible, cantankerous personality. His editorial reviews were often acidic, to put it mildly, and his public appearances were dicey events, at best. When invited by the Boston Lyceum to read his works, Poe grew annoyed that the first lecturer went on and on (and on…for over two hours). So, instead of reading from his wildly popular poem “The Raven”, he recited “Al Aaraff”, a very, very long poem, which he wrote in his teens. When he was attacked by the Boston press for his act, Poe used his own newspaper, the Broadway Journal, to respond:

We like Boston. We were born there – and perhaps it is just as well not to mention that we are heartily ashamed of the fact. The Bostonians are very well in their way. Their hotels are bad. Their pumpkin pies are delicious. Their poetry is not so good. Their common is no common thing — and the duck-pond might answer — if its answer could be heard for the frogs. But with all these good qualities the Bostonians have no soul.

We got over it, eventually, though, and put up this statue on the corner of the street where Poe was born:

5434dd7ea5c2d.image — Yup…Poe and a Boloco…..

But for all the fame and infamy Poe garnered during his life, and by his throughly mysterious death, his true immortality came from the influence his work had, no only on individual writers, but on American Literature as a whole. He invented the modern detective novel with his stories of Auguste Dupin, the man that Arthur Conan Doyle used as the inspiration for his own Sherlock Holmes. He gave us the real meaning of the macabre. He exploited our deepest fears and insecurities, and made them into something haunting, yes, and grim, certainly–but also something beautiful.

Stephen King has noted, “He wasn’t just a mystery/suspense writer. He was the first.” Louis Bayard, who wrote a fascinating novel featuring the young Poe, explained that “Poe is so ingrained in us—so deeply encoded into our cultural DNA—that we no longer recognize him. And yet whenever we write a mystery, whenever we write horror, whenever we write science fiction—whenever we write about obsession—we’re following in his tracks.”

Perhaps this is why the Mystery Writers of America have named their most prestigious award after our Edgar. They announce the shortlist for these awards, auspiciously, every year on Poe’s birthday. These awards honor “the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television published or produced in 2015”, but are most associated with mystery novels, and are regarded as one of the highest awards a mystery writer can achieve.

This year’s shortlist was announced yesterday, on Poe’s 207th birthday, with the actual awards to be handed out at the end of April. You can check out the full list of nominees right here, and we’ll be breaking down some elements of this list in the weeks to come, but here are a few highlights for you to peruse, in honor of the good Mr. Poe’s legacy (and maybe have some pumpkin pie? Edgar seems to have been pretty partial to pumpkin pie…).

BEST NOVEL

The Strangler Vine by M.J. Carter
The Lady From Zagreb by Philip Kerr
Life or Death by Michael Robotham
Let Me Die in His Footsteps by Lori Roy
Canary by Duane Swierczynski
Night Life by David C. Taylor

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney
The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter by Malcolm Mackay
What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan
Woman with a Blue Pencil by Gordon McAlpine
Gun Street Girl by Adrian McKinty
The Daughter by Jane Shemilt

BEST YOUNG ADULT

Endangered by Lamar Giles
A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis
The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melinda Salisbury
The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma
Ask the Dark by Henry Turner

BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY

“Episode 7,” – Broadchurch, Teleplay by Chris Chibnall
“Gently with the Women” – George Gently, Teleplay by Peter Flannery
“Elise – The Final Mystery” – Foyle’s War, Teleplay by Anthony Horowitz
“Terra Incognita” – Person of Interest, Teleplay by Erik Mountain & Melissa Scrivner Love
“The Beating of her Wings” – Ripper Street, Teleplay by Richard Warlow

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Happy (Belated) Birthday, A.A. Milne!

January 19, 2016 peaadmin

January is a wonderful month for birthdays, and sometimes it’s tricky to make sure we talk about all the things about which a Library’s Official Blog should talk. So it is with profuse apologies to the great Alan Alexander Milne that we offer him a belated happy birthday the day after what would have been his 134th birthday.

Milne was born in Kilburn, London, in 1882. His father ran a small private school out of the family’s home, so Milne was, naturally, a student, and had the good fortune to have H.G. Wells as a teacher between 1889-1890. He studied mathematics at Trinity College, Cambridge, and was also a member of the Allahakbarries, the amateur cricket team that also featured the (not-so-stellar) talents of the likes of J.M. Barrie and Arthur Conan Doyle. He served in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment before being seriously injured at the Battle of the Somme on July 7, 1916, and was recruited to Military Intelligence to write propaganda articles for the rest of the war.

Following the war, in 1920, Milne’s son, Christopher Robin was born, and it was for him that Milne’s most well-known stories were written. What is less known is how much Milne struggled with the fame that his stories about Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and his son’s other stuffed toys brought him. Up until the publication of Winnie-The-Pooh in 1926, Milne has found success as a playwright, a satirist, a mystery author, and a poet, among other titles…but following the debut of Pooh, Milne became a children’s writer. This title was only further cemented with the publication of The House at Pooh Corner in 1928.

Nevertheless, Milne kept quite busy into his later life. He produced a stage version of Kenneth Graehme’s The Wind in the Willows (which was a recent favorite selection of our Classics Book Group!), and wrote a number of screenplays for the burgeoning British film industry, specifically Minerva Films, which was founded by Leslie Howard. But it was for Pooh Bear and his friends that Milne will forever be remembered. In 1979, Christopher Robin unveiled a plaque in Ashdown Forest–the setting for the Hundred-Acre Wood–that echoed Milne’s immortal words: “In that enchanted place on the top of the forest a little boy and his bear will always be playing”, reminding us that there is a space, not only Out There, but within our own hearts and imaginations, that will forever be childhood, where Woozles roam, and friends abound–and that gift is one for which we should always be thankful.

And just yesterday, the good people at Brainpickings, we have this glorious recording of Milne reading the third chapter from Winnie the Pooh, made in 1929 by the Dominion Gramophone Company:

While you savor this utterly delightful reading, consider checking out a few of these books by Milne, that really highlight his talents, and give us a glimpse into the history of the denizens of the Hundred Acre Wood:

Winnie : The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh: While Pooh Bear himself is a remarkable character, the real-life story of his inspiration is equally as engaging. Winnie was a bear who was adopted by Harry Coleburn, a Canadian veterinarian who brought Winnie with him to his training camp at the outset of the First World War. Sally M. Walker’s book is both very informative and wonderfully compelling–and just a little tear-jerky–and will leave readers with a whole new respect for Winnie the Bear, and the character he inspired. Jonathan Voss’ illustrations round out the story beautifully as well (I dare you not to get just a little sniffly at that cover…). Another super rendition of this history can be found in Lindsay Mattick’s Finding Winnie.

The Red House Mystery: Milne’s only mystery novel (first published in 1922) has remained a classic “locked room mystery”. Even though Raymond Chandler was somewhat less than complimentary of its plot, it has remained a staple of the mystery genre, featuring a house party, the arrival of a surprise guest, and an inexplicable murder that is taken on by a local amateur sleuth who fashions himself as a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. All signs point to the fact that Milne loved crafting this story, and really enjoyed pitting an amateur detective and villain against each other, in an age when fingerprinting, filing, and profiling were taking a good deal of the mystique out of crime solving–and for that reason alone, it’s worth a re-read soon.

The Enchanted Places: Plainly put, it is incredibly difficult to be the child star of a classic work of literature. Christopher Robin Milne was only one of any number of people who had to contend with the image of themselves that remained trapped on the pages of a book. This book deals with this issue to some extend…as Christopher Robin explains, “My father was a creative writer and so it was precisely because he was not able to play with his small son that his longings sought and found satisfaction in another direction. He wrote about him instead.” Thankfully, the two were able to make peace as Christopher Robin grew older, becoming as much friends as father and son, and that bond is evident in the latter sections of this memoir, which develops into a heartfelt and honest exploration of the Milne men that offers a charming counterpoint to the stories of Winnie the Pooh and his young best friend.

Winnie-the-Pooh and The house at Pooh corner: Recovering Arcadia: Following the smash-hits of Benjamin Hoff’s The Tao of Pooh and The Te of Piglet, people truly began to realize the psychological and intellectual complexities of Milne’s creations. In this highly readable and wonderfully illuminating book, Paula T. Connolly looks at Milne’s own biography, the world in which he wrote, and the finer points of his characters and their world, emphasizing the details that make his lighthearted works into masterpieces. For those looking for a deeper exploration into these classic pieces, as well as recapture the magic of these works, this is definitely the place to begin.

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The King Holiday

January 18, 2016 peaadmin

The Library is closed today, but that shouldn’t stop any of us from forgetting the real reason we are celebrating today. And I can think of no better person to explain it than Coretta Scott King, the wife of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This text is borrowed with gratitude from the website of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change:

“The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday celebrates the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America. We commemorate as well the timeless values he taught us through his example — the values of courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility and service that so radiantly defined Dr. King’s character and empowered his leadership…

On this day we commemorate Dr. King’s great dream of a vibrant, multiracial nation united in justice, peace and reconciliation; a nation that has a place at the table for children of every race and room at the inn for every needy child. We are called on this holiday, not merely to honor, but to celebrate the values of equality, tolerance and interracial sister and brotherhood he so compellingly expressed in his great dream for America.

It is a day of interracial and intercultural cooperation and sharing. No other day of the year brings so many peoples from different cultural backgrounds together in such a vibrant spirit of brother and sisterhood. Whether you are African-American, Hispanic or Native American, whether you are Caucasian or Asian-American, you are part of the great dream Martin Luther King, Jr. had for America. This is not a black holiday; it is a peoples’ holiday. And it is the young people of all races and religions who hold the keys to the fulfillment of his dream….

This holiday honors the courage of a man who endured harassment, threats and beatings, and even bombings. We commemorate the man who went to jail 29 times to achieve freedom for others, and who knew he would pay the ultimate price for his leadership, but kept on marching and protesting and organizing anyway.”

For more information about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., his ideas, and the American Civil Rights Movement, check out these terrific suggestions from the King Institute.

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Saturdays @ the South: Getting your Downton Abbey Fix at the Library

January 16, 2016 peaadmin

Like so many others, we here at the South love Downton Abbey and are going through that strange blend of excitement and mourning with the final season now airing on PBS. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a phenomenon quite like Downton Abbey, at least not in relation to a TV show. The series seems to have struck a chord with Anglophobes and Anglophiles alike with likable characters, so many of whom we can relate to, despite not really sharing any of the same experience. I don’t have a lot in common with the landed English gentry, nor the scullery life of servants and yet the personal struggles from both sides of the stairs are engrossing, heartfelt and deeply relatable. It seems that no matter one’s station in life, love, loss, hope and heartache is something we all share. I think that combination of class differentiation and leveling is something that, while not an original concept, is something that Downton has done extremely well. Of course, the delightful quips from the Dowager Countess, Lady Violet Crawley help, though I suspect she wouldn’t be quite as sympathetic to our impending withdrawal pangs…

Having watched all the episodes so far and kept up with some of the news briefs that have come out about the show (or rather, had conversations with my mom, who has kept up with Downton-related news), I thought there would be little from Downton that could still surprise me. And yet, it browsing the web for some tidbit for this post, I came across something that thoroughly surprised me: the Downton Abbey theme song, “Did I Make the Most of Loving You” has lyrics?! (To be honest, I didn’t even know the theme song had an official title beyond the “Downton Abbey theme.”) The song’s instrumentals came from composer John Lunn, who contacted Don Black, the Oscar-winning lyricist known for such songs as “Born Free.” Black had never seen the show but apparently, after watching just one episode, he had the song’s title and general theme worked out. For those of you who have listened to the Downton Abbey soundtrack, this may not have been the surprise it was for me, but for those of us who didn’t know, it’s somewhat comforting to know that there are still things to learn about this show that made such a mark on our television viewing. Hopefully there will still be things to learn even after the show has run its final credits.

There’s a display set up of Downton Abbey-related reads at the South, but if you’re unable to stop by in person, here are are some titles that can tide you over until the next episode, or to ease your withdrawal symptoms once the series has come to an end. For some stellar viewing recommendations, feel free to check out the Library’s blogger-in-residence Arabella’s suggestions here.

To Marry an English Lord by Gail MacColl and Carol McD. Wallace

In a way, this is the book that started it all. Recounting the mass exodus of more than 100 American heiresses who flocked (or were sent) to England in order to exchange their new family money for an old English title, this book details the surprisingly scintillating marital exchanges of Victorian and Edwardian England. After reading this book, Julian Fellows, the creator of Downton Abbey, was inspired to create the character Cora Crawley and from there established the premise of what would be his hit show.

Minding the Manor by Mollie Moran

If you’ve ever wondered more about the internal life of Daisy, the hopeful, scrappy young kitchen maid, this book will give you a fairly solid idea. This is the true memoir of a young woman who worked her way through the “downstairs” life from scullery maid, to kitchen maid and then to cook in England in the 1930s. Despite being somewhat on a later timeline than most of Downton, Moran reminds the reader of Daisy while adding her own unique personality and struggles. This was also recommended as a great read by a loyal patron here at the South!

Lady Catherine, the Earl and the Real Downton Abbey by Fiona, Countess of Carnarvon

To be honest, the tile of this alone is enough to entice me. The current Countess of Carnarvon, who runs Highclere Castle, the manor used as the real-life setting for Downton Abbey, digs into the castle’s archives to tell the story of Catherine Wendell, an American woman who married the soon-to-be 6th Earl of Carnarvon and presided over the estate during the time frame when much of Downton Abbey takes place. If you’re hooked on this book, you may also want to check out the companion piece, Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey.

Fiercombe Manor by Kate Riordan

Riordan’s novel is an engrossing dual narrative that looks at the lives of those in an estate similar to Downton Abbey during the height of their place in society and those who pick up the pieces after the manor has been all but abandoned and derelict. Haunted by her own troubles and the air of mystery that hangs over the house in its decrepit state, the current resident of the house find that she has common ties with the former lady of the house as she delves into the family, and the manor’s secrets.

Edwardian Cooking: The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook by Larry Edwards

If you watch Downton Abbey for its sumptuous meals and beautiful party scenes or if you’d like to recreate some of the dishes you’ve seen on the show (perhaps for a screening party of the final episode?), this book is your resource. Edwards has compiled 80 recipes that are authentic to the Edwardian era and organized into High Tea, Dinner and Desserts (who wouldn’t want to try some of Mrs. Padmore’s sweets?!) each broken down into courses. Unlike the kitchens of the time, however, this book breaks down the recipes and walks you through instructions, so you don’t have to rely on the head cook’s memory.

As I’ve mentioned before, I think I’ll miss Maggie Smith’s brilliant portrayal of the Dowager Countess the most, but feel free to stop by and chat with us at the South about your favorite parts of Downton Abbey. Till next week, dear patrons, take comfort in the fact that, even though new episodes won’t be forthcoming for much longer, all 6 seasons will be here at the South on DVD for your binge-watching pleasure.

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Five Book Friday!

January 15, 2016 peaadmin

As promised, dear readers, a number of new books have made it on to our shelves this week–nearly all of them fiction. January is a bit of a slow month for publishing (every one is still recovering from the holidays, businesses and people alike), so what does come out this time of year tends to be the really interesting stuff, the stuff that will made the hard-core readers sit up and take notice (ahem…hello.) So it is my sincere hope that these books give you a little bit of an escape from the chill and the gloom of January, and keep your imagination racing!

…Also, apparently it’s National Hot Tea Month. Celebrate appropriately.

The Lady’s Command: Perennial fan-favorite Stephanie Laurens launches a new series, called The Adeventurers Quartet, with this tale of a marriage that it thoroughly unconventional…because it is emphatically a marriage of equals. When Captain Declan Frobisher first met Lady Edwina Delbraith, he knew that she was the woman for him…and, happily, Edwina seemed just as sure as Declan. But though Edwina may look like a delicate angel, she is determined to be Declan’s partner in all things. And if that means sailing with him to West Africa on a secret mission, then so be it. Booklist loved this one, saying “Laurens launches her new Adventurers Quartet on a high note, with a fast-paced tale that is jam-packed with dangerous intrigue and red-hot passion…..Readers looking for something a little bit different than the usual Regency historical will be delighted with the exotic African setting of the book as well as its swashbuckling plot…”

The Covenant: In this second adventure for former Memphis police detective Jackie Lyons, Jeff Crook provides another atmospheric mystery full of twists, turns..and a little ghostly mischief. There is little reason to think that Sam Loftin, Jackie Lyons’ father, didn’t commit suicide–except for the fact that Jackie witnessed his ghost playing out the last moments of his life, and there is definitely indication of foul play. But as her investigations goes deeper, she finds herself drawn into a local feud between the moneyed suburbanites and a charismatic preacher tended to the younger generation, and getting closer and closer to a secret that has been guarded by a secret society for generations… Publisher’s Weekly gave this book a starred review, hailing, “Jackie is a compellingly flawed lead, and Crook convincingly incorporates the supernatural into a nicely hard-edged noir.”

Fallen Land : Taylor Brown’s historical novel is being cheered as something of a marvel. Though set in the wake of the Civil War, this book is about a personal battle, a tale of love and loyalty set amidst the chaos of the post-war South, both small in scale and huge in scope. When Callum, a seasoned and skilled horse-thief, discovers orphaned Ava hiding in the crumbling remains of her family’s house, he determined to bring her to safety. Their trek will take them through the shattered beauty of the South, on the run from slave hunters and marauders, and bring them face to face with the remarkable survivors of the war, until their journey finally intersects with Sherman’s cataclysmic March to the Sea. Kirkus reviewed this book with gusto, saying, “Like McCarthy’s Border Trilogy or Frazier’s Cold Mountain, this is American literature at its best, full of art and beauty and the exploration of all that is good and bad in the human spirit.”

Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist: Sunil Yapa’s debut novel, set during the 1999 WTO protests in Seattle, brings together a cast of seven unlikely characters in a tale that puts readers directly in the middle of the hope, confusion, rage, and despair that ruled the streets during those historic days. Defiant and scrappy, young Victor decides to take part in the 50,000 strong protests in Seattle before leaving for good. But what began as a final fling in his hometown soon becomes an epic, life-changing afternoon that will force Victor, and those close to him and around him, to think long and hard about their lives, their futures, and make the achingly impossible choice between what might be, and what should be. The Washington Post cheers that this is “A fantastic debut novel…. What is so enthralling about this novel is its syncopated riff of empathy as the perspective jumps around these participants–some peaceful, some violent, some determined, some incredulous… Yapa creates a fluid sense of the riot as it washes over the city. Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist ultimately does for WTO protests what Norman Mailer’s Armies of the Night did for the 1967 March on the Pentagon, gathering that confrontation in competing visions of what happened and what it meant.”

This Census-Taker: A new book by China Miéville is always a cause for celebration, and while this book isn’t quite as outlandish as his earlier works, it is just as atmospheric, unsettling, and engrossing as anything he has written to date. Set in a remote hilltop home in a remote and strange city, a young boy witnesses a horror will change his life. But his attempts to escape his home fail, and he soon finds himself trapped in the house with his increasingly deranged parent, dreaming of the lives the far-off children below might be living. When a stranger comes knocking on the door, the boy can only hope for deliverance–but who is this census-taker, and what is it he truly wants? RT Book Reviews certainly enjoyed this latest offering, saying, “The success of Miéville’s novella lies in its chillingly stark, strange atmosphere, which is alive with eerie menace and a haunting beauty that inevitably pulls readers in, even as the shifts in time and perspective obscure the full truth of the narrative. The result is something like the memory of a nightmare — at once realistic and fantastically surreal — that is bizarre, compelling and unnerving all at once.”

Until next week, beloved patrons–happy reading!

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