Staff Picks
Anita's Pick
The Lost City
by Henry Shukman
Traumatized by the death in combat of his charismatic friend and lover Connolly, twenty-year old Jackson Small is invalided out of the British army and returns home to England from Belize. Grappling with an emotional breakdown, and unsure of his own role in Connolly’s death, Jackson embarks on a pilgrimage to the Peruvian cloud forest to look for the lost city of La Joya - glimpsed once by Connolly and never forgotten.
But it is not so easy for Jackson to escape his military past. Robbed of all his money and most of his equipment, he is forced to undertake an undercover military operation in a lawless region ruled by an egomaniacal drug lord. He receives unexpected help from a cast of extraordinary characters - the mysterious young Peruvian boy, as wily as he is innocent, who latches on to Jackson early in the trip, the American grad-student, Sarah, with whom he falls in love, her free-spirited uncle, living off the grid in the Andean wilderness with his two wives, and a priest dedicated to helping the abandoned children of his Peruvian city.
Part love-story, part psychological drama, and wholly a page-turning adventure yarn, Shukman’s debut novel is one of the best, and most unusual, of a crop of new books I’ve read recently. Many reviewers have compared his writing to that of Conrad, Hemingway or Graham Greene, and although the comparisons are apt, Shukman’s lyrical prose and muscular story-telling owe much more to his own background as a prize-winning poet and travel writer.
Diane's Pick
A Thousand Splendid Suns
by Khalil Hosseini
A Thousand Splendid Suns is a bittersweet story that deals with the plight of women in Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion. Two women, Mariam, an illegitimate daughter raised in a hut by her mother and and Laila, raised in a modern family with loving father and depressive mother are brought together as rivals, finally forming a deep bond against the forces that threaten them and their children. This is a gripping story not for the timid.
Jenny's Pick
Click here to place a hold on the Sister Wendy DVDs.
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Jessica's Pick 
Breaking Dawn
by Stephenie Meyer
Reporting from teen services – I couldn’t resist talking about the popular Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer and have recently enjoyed the fourth book Breaking Dawn. This novel was worth the wait and filled with new plot development (and a major twist) for those who have enjoyed previous books in the series. The title well represents a change in perspective for many characters and a cataclysmic whirl of an ending. Join Narrators Bella (human) and Jacob (werewolf) as they give us their take on sharing life with the Cullens - a vampire clan who has vowed to avoid harming the innocent. In rainy Forks, Washington, Bella has fallen even more deeply for Edward, a major member in the Cullen clan who faces guilt-ridden turmoil over the outcome of their love affair. Jacob desperately wishes for Bella to love him more than Edward until the unanticipated Renesme joins the story. A major collision with the ever-powerful and violent Vulturi brings both werewolf and vampire rival together, pulling from all facets of the series in a “hold your breath” twist as each chooses which side they stand by – and which of the others they would truly sacrifice their lives for. This narrative reads slightly like a movie script and will perhaps join the list of Meyer’s novels converted to the big screen. A personal favorite, as I found Breaking Dawn to be the most fulfilling of the series! See for yourself – I kept the biggest surprises to myself!
Judie's Pick
The Drowned Maiden's Hair
by Laura Amy Schlitz
This book is about 11 year old Maud Flynn, a rebellious little orphan who has a habit of telling boastful stories, she's disobedient, disagreeable, ill-mannered, and mouthy. To make matters worse she's not what most people would call pretty. In short Maud's chances of being adopted are slim to none. So no one is more surprised than Maud herself when on a day just like most others, she is adopted on sight by the fashionable and elegant Hyacinth Hawthorn. Maud cannot believe her good fortune and is determined to turn over a new leaf, to be perfectly good, anything to make Hyacinth love her, even if she has to be a "secret child" hiding upstairs when the door bell rings, unable to go outside. Even if Hyacinth's sisters, the stern Judith and dowdy sad Victoria, are absolutely against Maud’s coming to Hawthorn Grove. Maude must not be seen by anyone outside the house. But why? She'll find out soon enough, and then the question will be, how many secrets can one little girl keep? And how far will she have to go to be loved? As she matures as a character, meets other compelling characters, especially a deaf mute, the story proceeds to its satisfying ending.
This is a Juvenile Fiction Book that was recommended to me by an adult patron who just loved it. I was completely swept up in this story. All the characters are fully fleshed out and believable. I whole heartedly recommend “A Drowned Maidens Hair” to anyone looking for a memorable reading experience.
Richard's Pick
Exit Music
by Ian Rankin
I’m generally not a fan of thrillers or detective novels. In my opinion, however, Rankin’s Inspector Rebus series does not fit neatly into either of those genres. It’s true that John Rebus is a Detective Inspector with Edinburgh’s Lothian and Borders Police, and each book’s plot centers around the way in which he goes about helping to solve a particular crime. Ultimately, however, it’s what makes the characters, (all of whom are very human), tick that drives the narrative. The criminals are neither masterminds nor fools, and the police are prone to the same foibles and have to deal with the same real life problems that confront any other person. Perhaps most interesting of all is the way Rankin uses the city of Edinburgh, itself, as a character - a place that he skillfully portrays as being, by turns, charming or sinister, provincial or sophisticated. Exit Music examines the inner conflict Rebus struggles with as he participates in the investigation of his final case, a murder that takes place less than two weeks before his announced retirement. Although he knows the time has come for him to move on, acceptance of that fact is another matter. Over the years Ian Rankin has developed a true talent for writing excellent character studies and I highly recommend the entire series of Inspector Rebus books to anyone who is unfamiliar with them. Although Rebus has now retired, there are hints in Exit Music that other characters who have appeared regularly in Rankin’s books may take his place as the subject of future titles. His readers can only hope that such is the case.