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A Baker's Dozen of Staff PicksDecember, 2017
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Check out what our staff is recommending this month!
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If you enjoy this newsletter and would like to subscribe to our bimonthly issue, you may do so by visiting Avon Lake Public Library homepage and clicking on Find New Books to Read under the Quick Links section. Simply place a check next to A Baker's Dozen of Staff Picks or any other newsletter you might be interested in receiving.
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Dead Woman Walking by S. J BoltonA standalone thriller by the award-winning author of the Lacey Flint series follows the experiences of a survival of a hot-air balloon crash who discovers she does not know who she can trust after witnessing a murder.
Dianne: Circulation Department "Great story, you will not see the twists coming."
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The Hundred-Foot Journey : a novel by Richard C. MoraisFollows the life journey of Chef Hassan Haji, who progresses from his family's modest restaurant in Mumbai to master haute cuisine in an elegant Parisian restaurant.
Nadge: Adult Services "Stir together family, nationality, travel and tantalizing tastes as Hassan Haji's journey as a gourmet chef unfolds. This beyond meat and potatoes menu unfolds to tempt the taste buds as we follow Hassan's journey in the elite world of French cuisine." |
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The Rooster Bar by John GrishamThe author of such best-sellers as A Time to Kill and The Pelican Brief presents a latest high-octane thriller of non-stop suspense.
Dan: Circulation Department
"I recently finished The Rooster Bar, it was a hard book to put down. I felt connected with the characters. I realized I was tense while reading this book. I couldn't believe what three main characters were getting themselves into and I didn't want them to get caught. Although this is a fictional book, the story is all too real for many graduates who find themselves buried by debt and pursued by collection agents without prospects of a way out." |
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The Apparitionists : a tale of phantoms, fraud, photography, and the man who captured Lincoln's ghost by Peter ManseauThe story of "spirit photographer" William Mumler documents how his images of the ghosts of loved ones were highly sought and infamously denounced, tracing the story of his successful defense against charges of fraud, the yet-unsolved mystery behind his photography and what his successes reveal about period culture.
Jen: Technical Services "With Halloween behind us, and Christmas around the corner (I'm thinking the ghosts that visit Scrooge from A Christmas Carol), this book is an interesting tale of the history of spirit photography and the rise and fall of William Mumler's "career" of the mid-19th century persuasion."
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House Rules : a novel by Jodi PicoultUnable to express himself socially but possessing a savant-like knack for investigating crimes, a teenage boy with Asperger's Syndrome is wrongly accused of killing his tutor when the police mistake his autistic tics for guilty behavior.
Jess: Adult Services "Emma is a single mother raising her two sons by herself. To accommodate her autistic son, Jacob, she creates a certain set of house rules. Little does she know how one day a house rule will change their life forever."
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Winter Solstice : a novel by Elin HilderbrandPreparing for a particularly joyful holiday season after Bart's safe return from Afghanistan, the Quinn family members count their blessings, from Kevin's marriage to Patrick's rehabilitation, only to encounter unexpected challenges. Lynn: Adult Page "Set on Nantucket, the Quinn family prepares for a reunion, and together they share love, loss, and new beginnings. This quick holiday read reminds us of the power of family bonds."
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Opening Wednesday at a Theater or Drive-in Near You : the shadow cinema of the American '70s by Charles Taylor"When we think of '70s cinema, we think of classics like The Godfather, Taxi Driver, and The Wild Bunch. but the riches found in the overlooked B movies of the time, rolled out wherever they might find an audience, unexpectedly tell an eye-opening story about post-Watergate, post-Vietnam America. Revisiting the films that don't make the Academy Award montages, Charles Taylor finds a treasury many of us have forgotten, movies that in fact "unlock the secrets of the times."
Gerry: Administration "A revue of the often unappreciated, grimy, low-budget films of a certain era that may be artful -- or at least fascinating artifacts -- in spite of themselves. Several are (of course) in our collection!"
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Walking with Peety : the dog who saved my life by Eric O'GreyAn inspirational speaker discusses how he overcame high-risk challenges with obesity and Type-2 diabetes by rescuing an equally at-risk shelter dog who shared his journey of recovery during a transformative year's worth of rehabilitating walks. Laura: Adult Services "I loved this book, not only because it is an inspiring true story about a man who adopts a dog that literally saves his life, but also because it is an amazing testament to the dedication the author undertook to make healthier lifestyle choices. Eric and Peety's story is one you won't soon forget."
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Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste NgFighting an ugly custody battle with an artistic tenant who has little regard for the strict rules of their progressive Cleveland suburb, a straitlaced family woman who is seeking to adopt a baby becomes obsessed with exposing the tenant's past, only to trigger devastating consequences for both of their families.
Carrie: Technical Services
"A well-written novel, set in Shaker Heights, Ohio tells the story of a typical suburban family and their interactions with a single mother and her daughter and family friends who attempt to adopt a Chinese baby. Characters are well developed in this book and many will identify with the Cleveland area setting and landmarks that are written about." |
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The Chilbury Ladies' Choir : a novel by Jennifer RyanLetters and journals reveal the struggles, affairs, deceptions, and triumphs of five members of a village choir during World War II as they band together to survive the upheavals of war and village intrigue on the English home front.
Liese: Substitute Librarian "The Chilbury Choir is about to be disbanded because all the men are leaving to fight the Nazis until a plucky music tutor, Prim, encourages the ladies to stand on their own. It's narrated from the point of view of several different women through their diaries and letters. It combines a coming of age story for Kitty, a love story for her beautiful sister Venetia, and other several plots are interwoven with subterfuge and intrigue. This book is also available in the Playaway format, voiced with a British accent and even the choir makes a cameo appearance at the end."
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The Forgetting by Sharon CameronEvery twelve years the town of Canaan erupts into chaos and violence, after which the citizens undergo the Forgetting, but Nadia discovers she still has her memories and is determined to put an end to the Forgetting Holly: Circulation Department "This book is about a city in which everyone forgets who they are every 12 years. They all have to keep a journal tied to them at all times so that when the forgetting comes, they can read their book and reclaim their life. One person, however, does not forget and tries to figure out why. It is very interesting what she finds out about who she is and where they come from. It was a pretty quick read as I didn't want to put it down until I found out the answer."
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Nomadland : surviving America in the twenty-first century by Jessica BruderAn award-winning journalist sets out on the road to explore the new phenomenon of “workampers” who are migrant workers made up of transient older Americans who took to the road after discovering that their social security came up short and their mortgages were underwater.
Virginia: Librarian Substitute "Jessica Bruder writes about the increasing number of Americans living on the road moving from job to job giving up the expense of a permanent home by living in an RV or their vehicle. The life stories of the people Bruder meets are heartbreaking as they endure physically demanding, low-wage seasonal jobs just to feed themselves. Given the nomads' hopeless situation, I was awed by their resilience, creativity, and positive outlook for the future."
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The Revolution of Marina M. by Janet FitchA young woman of privilege coming of age in 1916 St. Petersburg finds her life and ambitions violently upended by historical events that find her joining the cause for workers' rights, falling in love with a radical poet and navigating devastating betrayals. By the best-selling author of White Oleander.
Karen Scott: Adult Services "If you are a historical fiction buff, enjoy this novel that takes place during the Russian Revolution. It is an outstanding read."
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Avon Lake Public Library 32649 Electric Blvd. Avon Lake, Ohio 44012 440-933-8128alpl.org |
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