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Top Book Club Picks in April

Friday, May 24th, 2013

The following were the most popular book club books during April based on votes from more than 80,000 book club readers from more than 35,000 book clubs registered at bookmovement.com.  Click on a highlighted title to go straight to our catalog.

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

2. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

4. Defending Jacob: A Novel by William Landay

5. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

6. The Kitchen House: A Novel by Kathleen Grissom

7. The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

8. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

9. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

10. The Language of Flowers: A Novel by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

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Lean In Further

Tuesday, May 21st, 2013

If you have read and enjoyed Lean In:  women, work, and the will to lead by Sheryl Sandberg, you might also like Stiletto Network: Inside the Women’s Power Circles That Are Changing the Face of Business by Pamela Ryckman (Find in our catalog).

This is what it says about Stiletto Network in our catalog:  “In numbers never seen before, ambitious women are joining forces in every major American city, forming salons, dinner groups, and networking circles – and collaborating to achieve clout and success. A new girls’ network is alive and set to hyperdrive, and it’s upending all the old rules about how power is allocated and business practiced.

Stiletto Network is an up-close and personal account of the groundswell of women’s groups changing the face of business: the “Power Bitches”; “Brazen Hussies”; “S.L.U.T.S.” (Successful Ladies Under Tremendous Stress); and dozens more. It’s about what happens when bright, caring women - from captains of industry to aspiring entrepreneurs - come together to celebrate and unwind, debate and compare notes. But it’s also about what happens when they leave the table, when the talking stops and the action starts. You’ll learn how they mine their collective wisdom to real­ize their dreams or champion a cause, how they lift up their friends and push them forward, ensuring each woman gets what she needs – be it information, an introduction, a recommendation, a partnership, or a landmark deal.

You’ll read about women such as Kim Moses, who created the most downloaded app in the history of Warner Bros. And Jennifer Nason, who oversaw the largest high-yield bond offering of 2010. And Mallun Yen, who joined the founding team of RPX, one of the fastest-growing start-ups in history, and steered it toward a $1 billion IPO. And Bonnie McElveen-Hunter and Melanie Sabelhaus, who created the most successful fundraising pilot in the history of the Red Cross. All of these movers and shakers were propelled by Stiletto Networks.

Stiletto Network is the first book to shed light on this groundbreaking movement. Sharing story after story of women banding together to help other women, the book’s witty, compassionate, and revealing narrative serves as both an inspiring call to action and a fascinating inside look at the new networks that are reshaping the business world.” (American Management Association)

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Quilting Mysteries

Monday, May 13th, 2013

Monkey Wrench by Terri Thayer.  “With two weeks left before the annual Quilters Crawl, Dewey Pellicano is excited to showcase her quilt shop after a four-year absence from the crawl. Quilters from all over visit as many quilting shops as they can within a short time. But Dewey’s giveaway planning and Twitter promotion are cut short when her assistant manager, Vangie, is implicated in her boyfriend’s untimely demise following a protest against a campus drug bust.”

 

Knot What It Seams by Elizabeth Craig.  “When former folk art curator Beatrice Coleman retired to Dappled Hills, North Carolina, for peace and quiet and quilting, she never expected that murder would disturb the peace… Dwindling membership has the Village Quilters hanging by a thread, and group leader Meadow Downey is desperate to recruit some new folks. With Beatrice’s blessing, she attempts to weave frequent quilt show judge Jo Paxton into their fold. As the town’s irascible mail carrier, Jo delivers trouble wherever she goes. And with all that mail at her fingertips, she knows everyone’s business. Soon Beatrice wonders if they’ve made the right choice. After a car accident sends Jo to meet her Maker, it’s discovered someone tampered with her brakes. Meadow believes someone’s out to eradicate the Village Quilters, but Beatrice isn’t so sure. Now she and her fellow quilters will have to piece together the clues, or a deadly killer might strike again.… Includes quilting tips and recipes!”

The Devil’s Puzzle by Clare O’Donohue.  “After their quilting retreat upstate, the Someday Quilts ladies return to Archers Rest to prepare for the town’s big anniversary celebration. But their plans are unexpectedly derailed by the discovery of a human skeleton in Nell’s grandmother’s backyard-making Eleanor the prime suspect in a murder. But a skeleton isn’t the only thing that’s long been buried. When a wave of vandalism raises fears that the town’s bygone history of witchcraft has been reawakened, secrets are unearthed that could change life in Archers Rest forever.”

Tumbling Blocks by Earlene Fowler.  “With Christmas just a few weeks away, Benni’s queenly boss, Constance Sinclair, demands that she investigate the death of a local socialite. It’s not long before Benni recognizes that there may be some deadly truth to Constance’s suspicions. But with a famously reclusive artist about to put Benni’s quilting museum on the map-and her daunting mother-in-law and her “surprise” new husband visiting-Benni’s holiday is already hectic. Nevertheless, she’ll need to crack the exclusive circle of suspects before one more gourmet goose gets cooked.”

Alice’s Tulips by Sandra Dallas.  “Alice Bullock is a young newlywed whose husband, Charlie, has just joined the Union Army, leaving her on his Iowa farm with only his formidable mother for company. Equally talented at sewing and gossip, and not overly fond of hard work, Alice writes lively letters to her sister filled with accounts of local quilting bees, the rigors of farm life, and the customs of small-town America. But no town is too small for intrigue and treachery, and when Alice finds herself accused of murder, she must rely on support from unlikely sources. Rich in details of quilting, Civil War-era America, and the realities of a woman’s life in the nineteenth century, Alice’s Tulips is Sandra Dallas at her best, a dramatic and heartwarming tale of friendship, adversity, and triumph.”

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Women’s Fiction for Mothers’ Day

Sunday, May 12th, 2013

Mothers – for Mothers’ Day treat yourselves to a good book!  Borrow these from the library:

The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs.  “Set to inherit half of Bella Vista, a one hundred-acre apple orchard in a town called Archangel, along with a half-sister she’s never heard of, Tess Delaney, who makes a living restoring stolen treasures to their rightful owners, discovers a world filled with the simple pleasures of food and family.” Includes recipes.

 

Between Heaven and Texas by Marie Bostwick.  “In a luminous spin-off to her heartwarming Cobble Court Quilts series, “New York Times”-bestselling author Bostwick delves into the life of one of her readers’ favorite characters, Mary Dell Templeton, and her journey from a Texas ranch to becoming a wife, mother, and celebrated quilter.”

 

 

Big Sky Summer by Linda Lael Miller.  “”The “First Lady of the West,” #1 “New York Times” bestselling author Linda Lael Miller, welcomes you home to Parable, Montana–where love awaits.” With his fathers rodeo legacy to continue and a prosperous spread to run, Walker Parrish has no time to dwell on wrecked relationships. But country-western sweetheart Casey Elder is out of the spotlight and back in Parable, Montana. And Walker cant ignore that his “act now, think later” passion for Casey has had consequences. Two “teenage” consequences Keeping her childrens paternity under wraps has always been part of Caseys plan to give them normal, uncomplicated lives. Now the best way to hold her family together seems to be to let Walker be a part of it–as her husband of convenience. Or will some secrets–like Caseys desire to be the ranchers wife in every way–unravel, with unforeseen results?”

I’ll Be Seeing You by Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan.  “”I hope this letter gets to you quickly. We are always waiting, aren’t we? Perhaps the greatest gift this war has given us is the anticipation#133;” It’s January 1943 when Rita Vincenzo receives her first letter from Glory Whitehall. Glory is an effervescent young mother, impulsive and free as a bird. Rita is a sensible professor’s wife with a love of gardening and a generous, old soul. Glory comes from New England society; Rita lives in Iowa, trying to make ends meet. They have nothing in common except one powerful bond: the men they love are fighting in a war a world away from home. Brought together by an unlikely twist of fate, Glory and Rita begin a remarkable correspondence. The friendship forged by their letters allows them to survive the loneliness and uncertainty of waiting on the home front, and gives them the courage to face the battles raging in their very own backyards. Connected across the country by the lifeline of the written word, each woman finds her life profoundly altered by the other’s unwavering support. A collaboration of two authors whose own beautiful story mirrors that on the page, I’ll Be Seeing You is a deeply moving union of style and charm. Filled with unforgettable characters and grace, it is a timeless celebration of friendship and the strength and solidarity of women.”

The Newcomer by Robyn Carr.  “With humor and insight, #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr explores letting go of the past-and finding something worth building a future on Single dad and Thunder Points deputy sheriff “Mac” McCain has worked hard to keep his town safe and his daughter happy. Now hes found his own happiness with Gina James. The longtime friends have always shared the challenges and rewards of raising their adolescent daughters. With an unexpected romance growing between them, theyre feeling like teenagers themselves-suddenly they cant get enough of one another. And just when things are really taking off, their lives are suddenly thrown into chaos. When Macs long-lost ex-wife shows up in town, drama takes on a whole new meaning. Mac and Gina know theyre meant to be together, but can their newfound love withstand the pressure?”

Stolen by Daniel Palmer.  “The future looks bright for Boston couple John Bodine and Ruby Dawes. John’s online gaming business is growing, and they’re talking about starting a family. But when Ruby receives a life-changing diagnosis, and their cut-rate insurance won’t cover the treatment she desperately needs, John makes a risky move. He steals a customer’s identity and files a false claim for Ruby’s medication.The plan works perfectly–until the customer in question contacts John with a startling proposition. If John and Ruby play a little game he’s devised, he won’t report their fraud. The rules of Criminal’ are simple: commit real crimes. But if they fail, there will be deadly consequences. John assumes it’s a sick joke–until people start dying. With each round, the crimes get more twisted. John and Ruby can’t disappear–and they can’t go to the police. Their only option is to keep playing, while trying to outwit a psychopath who has no intention of letting them leave this game alive…”

Editor

 

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May is Mystery Month

Monday, May 6th, 2013

Here are four new or recent mysteries to be found in Harford County Public Library.  All four involve not only murder but also politics, international strife, espionage and sabotage.  The protagonists must go deep under cover to sort it all out.  Check out one or all of these in honor of Mystery Month.  Click on a title to go straight to our catalog.

Rapscallion: a Regency Crime Thriller by James McGee.  “For a French prisoner of war, there is only one fate worse than the gallows: the hulks. Former man-o-wars, now converted to prison ships, their fearsome reputation guarantees a sentence served in dreadful conditions. Few survive. Escape, it’s said, is impossible. Yet reports persist of a sinister smuggling operation within this brutal world, and the Royal Navy is worried enough to send two of its officers to investigate. When they disappear without a trace, the Navy turns in desperation to Bow Street for help. It’s time to send in a man as dangerous as the prey. It’s time to send in Hawkwood.”

His Majesty’s Hope: a Maggie Hope mystery by Susan Elia MacNeal.  “For fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Laurie R. King, and Anne Perry, whip-smart heroine Maggie Hope returns to embark on a clandestine mission behind enemy lines where no one can be trusted, and even the smallest indiscretion can be deadly. World War II has finally come home to Britain, but it takes more than nightly air raids to rattle intrepid spy and expert code breaker Maggie Hope. After serving as a secret agent to protect Princess Elizabeth at Windsor Castle, Maggie is now an elite member of the Special Operations Executive–a black ops organization designed to aid the British effort abroad–and her first assignment sends her straight into Nazi-controlled Berlin, the very heart of the German war machine. Relying on her quick wit and keen instincts, Maggie infiltrates the highest level of Berlin society, gathering information to pass on to London headquarters. But the secrets she unveils will expose a darker, more dangerous side of the war–and of her own past. “You’ll be [Maggie Hope's] loyal subject, ready to follow her wherever she goes.”– O: The Oprah Magazine From the Trade Paperback edition.

Judas Horse: an FBI Special Agent Ana Grey mystery by April Smith.  “Maverick FBI Agent Ana Grey is back in a suspense-charged new novel, going undercover into the volatile core of a terrorist cell. Emotionally vulnerable after a shooting incident, Ana has just returned to the job when she learns that a fellow agent has been murdered by a group of hard-core anarchists operating behind the façade of FAN (Free Animals Now). Dispatched to the FBI’s infamous undercover school to learn the art of deceit, Ana takes on the identity of a down-on-her-luck animal lover determined to save the wild mustangs of the West. Now she’s ready to work her way into the inner circle of Julius Emerson Phelps, the unstable, charismatic leader of a “family” of outcasts who live on an isolated farm in Oregon, and who are preparing an act of terrorism Phelps has dubbed “the Big One.” The stakes increase significantly when Ana learns that Phelps is playing his own game of dangerous deception, and that he possesses a stockpile of dirty secrets about the Bureau sufficient to blow it sky-high. With razor-sharp realism, Smith renders the psychological vise of a deep-cover agent living a lie 24/7. Negotiating a minefield of loyalty and betrayal, under constant threat of discovery, Ana is forced to commit the very crime she’s determined to stop. Judas Horse is a breathlessly exciting thriller.”

One Blood by Graeme Kent.  “Once again, Ben Kella has his hands full. A sergeant in the Solomon Islands Police Force, as well as an aofia , a hereditary spiritual peacekeeper of the Lau people, he’s called to investigate acts of sabotage that threaten the local operations of a powerful international logging company. Meanwhile, Sister Conchita, a young nun with a flair for detection, has been forced to assume command of a run-down mission in the lush Western District of the Solomon Islands. When an American tourist is murdered in the mission church, she and Kella join forces to uncover the links between these goings-on and a sudden upsurge of interest in John F. Kennedy, who was once a wartime U.S. naval officer in the area but now, in 1960, thousands of miles away, about to become the thirty-fifth American President.”

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Two Novels, One Title

Friday, May 3rd, 2013

These two novels came out almost simultaneously and are both doing well.  Read them both and compare!

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (Find in our catalog).

Summary:  “What if you could live again and again, until you got it right? On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in a variety of ways, while the young century marches on towards its second cataclysmic world war. Does Ursula’s apparently infinite number of lives give her the power to save the world from its inevitable destiny? And if she can — will she? Wildly inventive, darkly comic, startlingly poignant — this is Kate Atkinson at her absolute best.” (We also have this in audiobook, Playaway and large print)

Life After Life by Jill McCorkle (Find in our catalog).

Summary:  “Award-winning author Jill McCorkle takes us on a splendid journey through time and memory in this, her tenth work of fiction. Life After Life is filled with a sense of wonder at our capacity for self-discovery at any age. And the residents, staff, and neighbors of the Pine Haven retirement center (from twelve-year-old Abby to eighty-five-year-old Sadie) share some of life s most profound discoveries and are some of the most true-to-life characters that you are ever likely to meet in fiction. There s retired third-grade teacher Sadie Randolph, who has taught every child in town and believes we are all eight years old in our hearts; Stanley Stone, a prominent lawyer, now feigning dementia to escape life with his son; Marge Walker, the town s self-appointed conveyor of social status, who keeps a scrapbook of every local murder and heinous crime; Rachel Silverman, recently widowed, whose decision to leave her Massachusetts home and settle at Pine Haven is a puzzle to everyone but her; C.J., the pierced and tattooed young mother who runs the beauty shop; and Joanna Lamb, the hospice volunteer who discovers that her path to a good life lies in helping people achieve good deaths. As each character begins to connect with another, the mysteries and consequences of their lives are revealed. What they eventually learn about themselves and one another will profoundly transform them all. Delivered with her trademark wit, Jill McCorkle s constantly surprising novel illuminates the possibilities of second chances, hope, and rediscovering life right up to the very end. With Life After Life, she has conjured up an entire community that reminds all of us that grace and magic can and do appear when we least expect it.”

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War of 1812 – Legends and Lore

Monday, April 29th, 2013

We have an interesting new book on order and coming very soon from The History Press: Chesapeake Legends and Lore from the War of 1812 by Ralph E. Eshelman and Scott S. Sheads (Find this book in our catalog).

This book should be of particular interest this month and next in view of the forthcoming commemorative events to be staged at Havre De Grace on the 200th anniversary of the burning of the town by the British.  Ralph Eshelman has written a number of books on the War of 1812 in the Chesapeake.  Scott Sheads is well known for his works on the maritime defense of Baltimore and on the history of Fort McHenry.

This is the summary of Chesapeake Legends and Lore to be found in our catalog:  “In the two hundred years following the War of 1812, the Chesapeake Campaign became romanticized in tall tales and local legends. St. Michael’s on the EasternShore of Maryland was famously cast as the town that fooled the British, and in Baltimore, the defenders of Fort McHenry were reputably rallied by a remarkably patriotic pet rooster.  In Virginia, the only casualty in a raid on Cape Henrywas reportedly the lighthouse keeper’s smokehouse larder, while Admiral Cockburn was said to have supped by the light of the burning Federal buildings in Washington, D.C. Newspaper stories, ordinary citizens and even military personnel embellished events, and two hundred years later, those embellishments have become regional lore.  Join historians Ralph E. Eshelman and Scott S.Sheads as they search for the history behind the legends of the War of 1812 in the Chesapeake.”

Put a hold on this book today to get a copy as soon as you can.  It’s a quick read and a fascinating one!

Editor

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Havre de Grace in the War of 1812

Friday, April 26th, 2013

Havre de Grace in the War of 1812 : fire on the Chesapeake by Heidi L. Glatfelter (Find this book in our catalog).

The weekend of May 3, 4, and 5, 2013 will be given over in Havre de Grace to a commemoration of the attack on the town by the British fleet on May 3, 1813.  Click here for the many exciting events taking place in the Upper Bay area to mark the bicentennial.

To mark this historic occasion, why not check out this recent book on Havre de Grace, which places the events of 1813 in the context of the history of the town and then follows the rebuilding of the town through into the rest of the century and beyond.  I enjoyed the way the book brought the various inhabitants to life and contributed to an understanding of the town as it remains today.

Summary in our catalog: “In the early morning hours of May 3, 1813, British Rear Admiral George Cockburn launched a brutal attack on the city of Havre de Grace, Maryland.  Without mercy for age or infirmity, the British troops plundered and torched much of the town.  It was the beginning of the Chesapeake Campaign of the War of 1812, and it would only end with the burning of the capital and the failed siege of Baltimore.  Author Heidi Glatfelter traces the attack and the response of the residents of Havre de Grace—from thebravery displayed by John O’Neill, who was taken prisoner by the British, to quick-thinking citizens such as Howes Goldsborough, who found ways to save  their homes and those of their neighbors from total destruction.  Join Glatfelter as she reveals the stories of a town under siege and a community determined to rebuild in the aftermath.”

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Blood Lance: a Crispin Guest medievel noir

Thursday, April 25th, 2013

Blood Lance by Jeri Westerson (Find in our catalog).  I recently finished reading this exciting and action-filled medieval mystery about a disgraced knight, Crispin.  I have always loved medieval mysteries for their exotic settings. If done well a historical background provides rich detail for those who enjoy learning arcane facts along with trying to solve the mystery.  Within a small enclosed medieval community the puzzle can be solved using the methods of observation and deduction much admired by mystery readers. There is plenty to enjoy in a medieval mystery if it has believable characters with interesting dialog and plausible motives all set in a colorful and evocative background.  Blood Lance hits all the buttons and is filled with exciting action as well.

Known around London Bridge as The Tracker, Crispin makes a bare living finding things for people.  Returning home after a late night, he  sees a body hurtling from the uppermost reaches of the Bridge.  Guest’s attempted rescue fails, however, and the man – an armourer with a shop on the bridge – is dead.  While whispers in the street claim that it was a suicide, Guest is unconvinced.

Check our catalog page for this book and read an excerpt to get a taste of the exciting action.

Editor

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Top Historical Fiction

Wednesday, April 24th, 2013

This is a list of Top 10 Historical Fiction, 2013, chosen by author Brad Hooper and published in Booklist April 15, 2013.  See if you agree with Brad’s choices.  Click on a title to go straight to our catalog.

The Accursed. By Joyce Carol Oates.  “Oates brings her dark humor and extraordinary fluency in eroticism and violence to this effective novel—set in Princeton, New Jersey, in the early years of the twentieth century—about the devastating toll of repression and prejudice, sexism and class warfare.”

 

 

The Bartender’s Tale. By Ivan Doig. “This coming-of-age drama, set in Montana in 1960 but often flashing back to the Depression, is involving and subtly portrayed.”

 

 

Bring Up the Bodies. By Hilary Mantel. “The sequel to Wolf Hall (2009) takes the dramatic story of Thomas Cromwell, chief secretary to King Henry VIII, through the edge-of-your-seat events in the fall of Anne Boleyn, the monarch’s second and doomed consort.”

 

 

Coup d’Etat. By Harry Turtledove. “The author’s masterful presentation of an alternate WWII reaches its fourth volume with its quality undiminished.”

 

 

The Dream of the Celt. By Mario Vargas Llosa. Tr. by Edith Grossman. “An Irishman in the British diplomatic service in the immediate pre-WWI years—an actual historical figure—is the main character in the Peruvian Nobel laureate’s latest novel.”

 

 

Heading out to Wonderful. By Robert Goolrick. “With understated delicacy, the author creates a mesmerizing gothic tale of a good man gone wrong in the post-WWII years.”

 

 

The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln. By Stephen L. Carter. “Carter draws on historical documents and a vivid imagination to render a fascinating mix of murder mystery, political thriller, and courtroom drama.”

 

 

In Sunlight and in Shadow. By Mark Helprin. Houghton.  “In this prodigious saga of exalted romance in corrupt, post-WWII New York, the author creates a supremely gifted and principled hero.”

 

 

Merivel: A Man of His Time. By Rose Tremain. Norton.  “In this wonderful sequel to Restoration (1990), set 16 years later, Tremain’s lovingly flawed protagonist, Sir Robert Merivel, pens a second riveting memoir as King Charles II’s once glorious reign winds down.”

 

 

The Testament of Mary. By Colm Tóibín. “This stunning interpretation of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is as beautiful in its presentation as it is provocative in its intention.”

 

 

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