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Cumberland Public Library Staff Picks December 2016
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Check out some of these great reads that members of the staff at the library think you might enjoy because, well, we really enjoyed them. Copies of Book Discussion titles are available to be checked out at the Circulation Desk, Reference Desk, or Children's Desk.
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Just getting started
by Tony Bennett
A tribute to the people, places and things that have inspired the nonagenarian music artist's career reflects on the family members and fellow artists who have shaped his prodigious achievements, sharing valuable life lessons and personal reflections on the creative process, humanity and other subjects.
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The reader
by Traci Chee
Fleeing into the wilderness after her father's brutal murder, Sefia learns how to hunt, track and steal in order to survive before embarking on a quest to rescue the beloved aunt who is her mentor, an effort that is shaped by a magnificent book that is unheard of in her otherwise illiterate society.
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Home
by Harlan Coben
When one of two boys kidnapped from their wealthy families resurfaces a decade later, the young survivor is observed by two peers who would discover the fate of the other missing boy.
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When friendship followed me home : a novel
by Paul Griffin
Enduring days of avoiding bullies and reading sci-fi books, a misfit former foster kid bonds with a scruffy abandoned dog and a librarian's daughter before confronting the dual challenges of his adoptive mother's death and his new friend's returning cancer.
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The couple next door
by Shari Lapeña
When a terrible crime committed on the night of a dinner party casts suspicion on a young couple who seemed to have it all, Detective Rasbach discovers that the panicked duo had been hiding dangerous secrets from each other for years.
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We were liars
by E. Lockhart
A modern, sophisticated suspense tale by the National Book Award finalist author of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks follows the revolutionary activities of four friends who turn against each other in the wake of trauma, differing political views and a devastating secret.
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Vanilla beaned
by Jenn McKinlay
When they arrive in Las Vegas to open their first franchise of the Fairy Tale Cupcakes Bakery, Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura are?n't sure about turning their recipes over to brash former showgirl Holly Harzmark until a saboteur with a sweet tooth and a penchant for murder brings out a side of Holly that they both can relate to.
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The Memory Box
by Eva Lesko Natiello
In this gripping domestic thriller, a group of privleged suburban moms amuse themselves by Googling everyone in town, digging up dirt to fuel throny gossip. Caroline Thompson, devoted mother of two, is relieve to hear her name appears only three times, citing her philanthropy. However, a delayed pag of insecurity prods Caroline to Google her maiden name-- which none of the others know. The hits cascade like a tsunami. Caroline's terrified by what she reads. An obituary for her sister, JD? That's absurd. With every click, the revelations grow more alarming. They can't be right. She'd know. Caroline is hurled into a state of paranoia -- upending her blissful family life -- desperate to prove these allegations false before someone discovers they're true.
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League of dragons
by Naomi Novik
A conclusion to the best-selling series finds Lawrence and the dragon Temeraire pursuing a defeated French army, only to discover that Napoleon has returned unharmed to Paris and that the French have stolen Temeraire and Iskierka's egg.
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Woman of God
by James Patterson
Scrutinized as the world's first woman papal candidate, Brigid Fitzgerald, a doctor on the front lines in Sudan, reflects on her difficult childhood and a series of trials that have tested her faith before a high-stakes battle compels her to convert her enemies to a cause that threatens the Church and her life.
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The amazing Maurice and his educated rodents
by Terry Pratchett
In a fantastical realm called Discword, a talking feline concocts a clever scheme, with the help of smart rats and a boy with a pennywhistle, to cash in on the Pied Piper legend, but his plans go awry when they hit Bad Blintz, a town where food is scarce, rats are despised, and a murderous evil rages beneath the streets.
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A change in altitude : a novel
by Anita Shreve
Struggling to maintain her sense of self and her understanding of the world while spending the first year of her marriage in Kenya, Geraldine participates in a climbing expedition to Mt. Kenya and is challenged to come to terms with a devastating accident.
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Weathering
by Lucy Wood
When her mother Pearl dies, Ada, a drifter, returns to her childhood home along with Pepper, the granddaughter Pearl never met, and both women find themselves entangled with the life of the English valley Ada tried to leave behind
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Ratscalibur
by Josh Lieb
A creative reimagining of the Excalibur legend by the Emmy Award-winning producer of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon follows the adventures of a boy who lands at the center of a rodent prophecy after transforming into a rat.
Our Rooster Readers Book Group (Grades 3-5) will be talking about this title (1 of 3) on Thursday, December 8 at 6:00 pm.
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How to Swallow a Pig : Step-by-step Advice from the Animal Kingdom
by Steve Jenkins
An eye-catching tour of the world of Animalia by the creators of What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? reveals the skills animals use to survive in the wild using a whimsical how-to, step-by-step format.
Our Rooster Readers Book Group (Grades 3-5) will be talking about this title (1 of 3) on Thursday, December 8 at 6:00 pm.
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Hilo : the boy who crashed to Earth
by Judd Winick
When a mysterious boy from outer space crash lands on the Earth with no memory of his identity, D.J. and his friend Gina help the boy try to unlock the secrets of his past.
Our Rooster Readers Book Group (Grades 3-5) will be talking about this title (1 of 3) on Thursday, December 8 at 6:00 pm.
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She's not there : a life in two genders
by Jennifer Finney Boylan
A remarkable memoir that tells the story of a person who changed genders chronicles the life of James, a critically acclaimed novelist, who eventually became Jenny, a happy and successful English professor.
Our Evening Book Discussion Group will be talking about this title on Monday, December 12 at 6:30 pm.
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The storied life of A.J. Fikry : a novel
by Gabrielle Zevin
When his most prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, is stolen, bookstore owner A. J. Fikry begins isolating himself from his friends, family and associates before receiving a mysterious package that compels him to remake his life.
Our Daytime Book Discussion Group will be talking about this title on Thursday, December 15 at 6:30 pm.
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I'll give you the sun
by Jandy Nelson
A story of first love and family loss follows the estrangement between daredevil Jude and her loner twin brother, Noah, as a result of a mysterious event that is brought to light by a beautiful, broken boy and a new mentor.
Our Teen Book Discussion Group will be talking about this title on Wednesday, December 28 at 2:00 pm.
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