“I find myself wondering which is more egregious, to pretend to be happy when you’re not, or to feel so consistently dissatisfied when you should be happy.” ~ From Emily Giffin's First Comes Love
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Lee recommends: A Curious Beginning: A Veronica Speedwell Mysteryby Deanna RaybournVeronica Speedwell is now free to leave England and find adventure. But it doesn’t wait for her. When she comes home from her aunt’s funeral, she is thrilled to find an intruder ransacking the cottage. She is rescued by an elderly stranger, who whisks her off to London, deposits her into the not-so-tender care of an irascible naturalist friend, and disappears. When his body turns up, they both go on the run from suspicious police and mysterious strangers. It’s not easy to figure out what is going on when they have to duck everyone who might tell them! For anyone who likes Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody series.
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Laura recommends: They May Not Mean To, But They Doby Cathleen SchineThis sardonic and touching story revolves around 86-year old New Yorker, Joy Bergman, whose beloved husband is recovering from cancer surgery and sliding into dementia. Joy is Aaron’s sole caretaker, although their two adult children, Molly and Daniel, offer many well-meaning but undesired suggestions for help. Joy is still working in order to make ends meet, but her new boss at the museum is trying to edge her into retirement. Molly and Daniel are struggling with their own grief and changing family dynamics. Molly is trying to care for her parents from her home across the country in LA, and Daniel, who has a job and a family of his own, does what he can to help. Molly’s son hasn’t found a purpose in life and her wife also has troubles with an aging parent. Daniel’s daughters are coming of age and are a source of both delight and frustration. The story’s point of view shifts among these appealing yet flawed characters, resulting in an honest and moving portrait of the joy, guilt, and love experienced by a modern family coping with aging, illness, death, and self-discovery.
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For lovers of the works of Philippa Gregory this is another great book. The third in the War of the Cousins series, The Kingmaker's Daughter is the story of Anne Neville and her road to becoming queen. In Gregory's account, Anne emerges as an endearing and intelligent heroine, caught up in the snares of her father's politics. For the most part Gregory follows the undisputed historical facts faithfully, while building on them imaginatively to create memorable characters and an engaging plot. In this novel, you feel as if you are actually with Anne as the events of her life unfold. The author has also done an excellent job with Anne's voice.
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Astrid recommends: The Sherlockianby Graham MooreArthur Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes, only to resurrect him 8 years later, without explanation. Conan Doyle kept meticulous records, but one of his diary journals from that time was never found. Now, however, one of the members of the Baker Street Irregulars, the preeminent Sherlock Holmes Society, is planning to present said journal at the next meeting. Before he gets that chance, however, he is found dead in his hotel room. Harold White, a newly inducted Sherlockian, decides to investigate. Chapters on Harold’s investigation alternate with chapters of a past investigation by Arthur Conan Doyle and his friend Bram Stoker into a string of murders. For all Sherlock Holmes aficionados and anyone who likes a good mystery. The author won an Academy Award for the screen play of The Imitation Game and hails from Chicago.
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Roseanne recommends: First Comes Loveby Emily GiffinEmily Giffin writes another heartwarming book about two sisters, Meredith and Josie. Fifteen years after their brother Daniel is killed in a car accident right before Christmas, both sisters are at a crossroads in their lives where they must make important decisions. Meredith is the seemingly perfect sister, married to Daniel’s best friend Nolan. They have a have a four year old daughter, Harper, but Meredith is unhappy and trying to figure out why. Josie is the screw-up, still single, living with her male best friend Gabe, and desperately wants to find love but is putting motherhood before marriage. It is a relatable book about family and the unbreakable bond between sisters. The audiobook is narrated by Emily Foster and Catherine Taber.
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Christi recommends: 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl: Fictionby Mona AwadThis witty novel is comprised of 13 short stories of an unhappy teen, Lizzie, who obsesses over her weight and craves to be loved. Her best friend is always telling her she is the pretty one. Lizzie (then Beth, then Elizabeth) has very low self-esteem so she is willing to allow her friends and boyfriends to control her. She believes her self-worth is all about her looks and being thin. Most teens and adults alike will relate with Lizzie in at least one of these tales. This book is both funny and heartbreaking.
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Stacey recommends: Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writingby Jennifer WeinerIn her humorous, irreverent memoir, Jennifer Weiner—well-known author of women’s fiction and chick lit novels—gets personal. Sometimes a romp, sometimes a strikingly honest look at the challenges she faces, this book is five parts memoir and one part guidebook to living an abundant life. While Weiner is open about her struggles with weight, family drama, and divorce, she keeps the tone cheerful. If you enjoy reading about the unvarnished lives of authors, this book describes the delights (arranging for her Nanna to appear as an extra when her book was made into a movie) and the tough times (harsh reviews that belittle the work of female authors) of a writer’s life. A delightfully quick read full of funny stories and hard-won truths, this book will make you laugh, wince, and sometimes identify with Weiner’s true tales.
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Christine recommends: The Propertyby Rutu ModanMica is accompanying her grandmother, Regina, to Poland to claim property their family owned before WWII, but Regina changes her tune once they arrive. Who is the mystery man living in her old apartment, and why is she hesitant to meet him? Why is Regina’s son-in-law following them around? Lost love, found love, and money all play a part in this journey and kept me reading. The illustrations reminded me of the Tintin graphic novels of Hergé.
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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). Here are the next dates and titles: There are extra copies available behind the circulation desk that can be checked out by Batavia Public Library cardholders.
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