“When all else fails, give up and go to the library.” ~From Stephen King's 11/22/63
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Laura recommends: Homegoingby Yaa GyasiThis sweeping family saga tells the stories of two half-sisters and their descendants, through seven generations, beginning in 18th century Ghana. One sister, Effia the Beauty, marries an Englishman, and the other, Esi, is sold into slavery when her efforts to help a family slave result in a raid on her village. The narrative follows both lines of the family for more than 250 years as a series of connected stories that flow together, immersing the reader in each generation’s perspective before moving on to the next. Effia’s son, Quey has a government job in the slave trade, but his son James abandons his heritage to marry a villager’s daughter. Esi’s daughter, Ness, fails to escape enslavement on a cotton plantation, but her son flees to an uncertain freedom in the North. Each subsequent generation—miner, musician, teacher, heroin addict, civil rights leader, or student—Ghanan and American, lives with the ghosts of the past, each touched by the legacy of slavery and presented in intimate portraits. Empathetic, haunting and, in the end, quietly triumphant.
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Astrid recommends: Cruel Mercyby David John MarkScottish Detective Sergeant Aector McAvoy is usually based in Yorkshire, England, but he has come across the pond to join forces with New York cop Ronald Alto. The NYPD is investigating the murder of an Irish boxing fighter and his Irish coach, who was shot in the head but so far has survived and is in a medically induced coma. In addition, another man was found impaled on a tree branch near the scene of the first shootings. Aector wants to help but really has another goal, to find his missing brother-in-law, also a fighter, who followed the other Irishmen to New York and could possibly be the killer or just might be dead himself. The plot involves several players: Italian and Chechen gangsters, the Catholic Church, a feud between “traveler” families back in the old country, self-mutilation and a serial killer. McAvoy will save the day, or die trying. This is the sixth installment in the series which started with The Dark Winter. McAvoy is a great character, the books are well written, and the series is highly recommended.
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Roseanne recommends: Truly Madly Guilty [sound recording]by Liane MoriartyLiane Moriarty writes another intricately plotted novel set in Australia about a group of neighbors and friends that get together one day for an impromptu back-yard barbecue. While they’re all distracted and enjoying themselves something life-changing happens which continues to affect them all long after it has occurred. Sam & Clementine, who have two daughters, Ruby & Holly, are friends with Erika & Oliver, who are trying to have a child, and who live next door to Tiffany & Vid and their daughter Dakota. There are issues in each of their lives, between spouses and in their friendships which this book addresses not only in current day, but in flashbacks. The audiobook is superbly narrated by Caroline Lee who has narrated most of the author’s books.
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Stacey recommends: 11/22/63: A Novelby Stephen KingIf you love reading time travel books or suspense or adventure or historical fiction or romance or alternate history novels… this book just might be for you. In this big, absorbing genre-bender, King explores what would happen if we were able to change history. When Jake’s dying friend asks him to take over his mission to prevent JFK’s assassination by traveling back in time through a wormhole, Jake can’t think of any reason why not. And then the story’s off and running… Jake returns to the late 1950s and learns to love (and sometimes hate) life in a “simpler” time. Jake’s wry first-person narration puts us right there with him, in a richly evoked late ’50s / early ’60s setting, among memorable characters. If you like stories that take you on a long, winding, exciting, surprising ride, give this one a try.
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Christi recommends: Cooking for Jeffrey: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbookby Ina GartenAt home, I renamed this delicious cookbook to “Cooking for Jay”. I cook once a week because I can and my husband (a.k.a. Jay) is an awesome chef so therefore he does most of the cooking. Some of the most impressive recipes include Filet Mignon with Mustard and Mushrooms, Rigatoni with Sausage and Fennel Pasta, and my favorite - Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes. To feed your sweet tooth may I suggest the Apple Pie Bars. This cookbook shares enjoyable stories of how Ina and Jeffrey met and their life together. Try one of many delicious recipes and serve meals with confidence!
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Misty recommends: We Believe You: Survivors of Campus Sexual Assault Speak Outby Annie E. ClarkThis book is a real eye-opener. It gives several accounts of men and women who were sexually assaulted on college campuses and what happened afterwards. The emotions of the survivors are very real, intense, and gut-wrenching. This book truly brings an unmistakable awareness to the violence that survivors face not only during their assaults but also afterwards, by their colleges. Institutions they thought would support them and guide them turned their backs on them. I really hope this book helps those who aren't comfortable coming forward with their stories. I hope it also gives them some comfort to know that even when their institutions don’t believe them, there are still people out there that do.
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Lee recommends: Waking the Spirit: A Musician's Journey Healing Body, Mind, and Soulby Andrew SchulmanAfter a dangerous but successful surgery, the author, a musician, suddenly went into shock. Nothing the doctors tried worked. As a last ditch effort, his wife found his iPod and lured him back to her with music. He decided to give back by playing for other patients in the ICU. Sometimes the music was able to reach them when nothing else could, calming them and giving them something familiar and beautiful to hold on to when their world was full of pain and confusion. Alternating anecdotes and information from doctors and researchers, this is a fascinating read about a “medical treatment” which was once common, and is now being rediscovered.
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Christine recommends: Roller Girlby Victoria JamiesonA great read for fans of Raina Telgemeier’s books as well as for adults. This story zips along faster than a jammer on the line, and it’s funny, but it’s got a lot of heart as well. Astrid wants to go to roller derby camp this summer. Her first problem is she can’t roller skate. Her second problem is her friend Nicole wants to go to ballet camp instead. What’s a roller derby fan to do, besides dye her hair, lose Nicole’s friendship and gain new friends, and practice for roller derby glory? Hope her mom doesn’t find out the truth about how she’s getting home…Highly recommended.
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For More Reading Pleasure...
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Check out our Readers' Corner:
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BPL Contemporary Literature Book Discussion:
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Come join us on the second Tuesday of the month. We meet in the Conference room at 7:30 pm. No registration required (and we serve cookies). We are on break and will return in August. Watch July's newsletter for the next batch of books we'll be reading.
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