Audiobooks
December 2022
New and Recently Released
The Last Chairlift
by John Irving, read by Jaques Roy, Raquel Beattie, Cassandra Campbell, and Chris Henry Coffey

In Aspen, Colorado, in 1941, Rachel Brewster is a slalom skier at the National Downhill and Slalom Championships. Little Ray, as she is called, finishes nowhere near the podium, but she manages to get pregnant. Back home, in New England, Little Ray becomes a ski instructor. Her son, Adam, grows up in a family that defies conventions and evades questions concerning the eventful past. Years later, looking for answers, Adam will go to Aspen. In the Hotel Jerome, where he was conceived, Adam will meet some ghosts; in The Last Chairlift, they aren’t the first or the last ghosts he sees. John Irving has written some of the most acclaimed books of our time—among them, The World According to Garp and The Cider House Rules. A visionary voice on the subject of sexual tolerance, Irving is a bard of alternative families. In The Last Chairlift, listeners will once more be in his thrall.
It Starts with Us
by Colleen Hoover, read by Olivia Song

Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil coparenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas, again. After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once, time is on their side, and she immediately says yes when Atlas asks her on a date. But her excitement is quickly hampered by the knowledge that, though they are no longer married, Ryle is still very much a part of her life—and Atlas Corrigan is the one man he will hate being in his ex-wife and daughter’s life. Switching between the perspectives of Lily and Atlas, It Starts with Us picks up right where the epilogue for the “gripping, pulse-pounding” (Sarah Pekkanen, author of Perfect Neighbors) bestselling phenomenon It Ends with Us left off. Revealing more about Atlas’s past and following Lily as she embraces a second chance at true love while navigating a jealous ex-husband, it proves that “no one delivers an emotional read like Colleen Hoover” (Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author).
The Maze
by Nelson DeMille, read by Scott Brick

In Plum Island, Nelson DeMille introduced readers to NYPD Homicide Detective John Corey, who we first meet sitting on the back porch of his uncle’s waterfront estate on Long Island, convalescing from wounds incurred in the line of duty. A visit from the local Chief of Police results in the legendary Detective Corey becoming involved in the investigation of the murders of a married couple who were scientists at the top-secret biological research facility on Plum Island. Fast forward through six more bestselling John Corey novels and The Maze opens with Corey on the same porch, but now in forced retirement from his last job as a Federal Agent with the Diplomatic Surveillance Group. Corey is restless and looking for action, so when his former lover, Detective Beth Penrose, appears with a job offer, Corey has to once again make some decisions about his career—and about reuniting with Beth Penrose. Inspired by, and based on the actual and still unsolved Gilgo Beach murders, The Maze takes the reader on a dangerous hunt for an apparent serial killer who has murdered nine—and maybe more—prostitutes and hidden their bodies in the thick undergrowth on a lonely stretch of beach. As Corey digs deeper into this case, which has made national news, he comes to suspect that the failure of the local police to solve this sensational case may not be a result of their inexperience and incompetence—it may be something else. Something more sinister.
Mad Honey
by Jodi Picoult, read by Jennifer Finney Boylan, Carrie Coon, and Key Taw

Olivia McAfee knows what it feels like to start over. Her picture-perfect life—living in Boston, married to a brilliant cardiothoracic surgeon, raising their beautiful son, Asher—was upended when her husband revealed a darker side. She never imagined that she would end up back in her sleepy New Hampshire hometown, living in the house she grew up in and taking over her father’s beekeeping business. Lily Campanello is familiar with do-overs, too. When she and her mom relocate to Adams, New Hampshire, for her final year of high school, they both hope it will be a fresh start. And for just a short while, these new beginnings are exactly what Olivia and Lily need. Their paths cross when Asher falls for the new girl in school, and Lily can’t help but fall for him, too. With Ash, she feels happy for the first time. Yet at times, she wonders if she can trust him completely. . . . Then one day, Olivia receives a phone call: Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police. Olivia is adamant that her son is innocent. But she would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge the flashes of his father’s temper in Ash, and as the case against him unfolds, she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her. Mad Honey is a riveting novel of suspense, an unforgettable love story, and a moving and powerful exploration of the secrets we keep and the risks we take in order to become ourselves.
Our Missing Hearts
by Celeste Ng, read by Lucy Liu

Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in a university library. Bird knows to not ask too many questions, stand out too much, or stray too far. For a decade, their lives have been governed by laws written to preserve “American culture” in the wake of years of economic instability and violence. To keep the peace and restore prosperity, the authorities are now allowed to relocate children of dissidents, especially those of Asian origin, and libraries have been forced to remove books seen as unpatriotic—including the work of Bird’s mother, Margaret, a Chinese American poet who left the family when he was nine years old. Bird has grown up disavowing his mother and her poems; he doesn’t know her work or what happened to her, and he knows he shouldn’t wonder. But when he receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, he is pulled into a quest to find her. His journey will take him back to the many folktales she poured into his head as a child, through the ranks of an underground network of librarians, into the lives of the children who have been taken, and finally to New York City, where a new act of defiance may be the beginning of much-needed change.
Upcoming @ Your Library
For Youth
 
Weekly Wednesday Storytime!

Join Ms. Laura for stories, songs, and fun Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. in the children's room.
 
 
Take a Ride on the Polar Express!
Saturday, December 17 at 11:00 a.m.

 
Calling all train conductors! All aboard for a magical storytime adventure where we'll ride The Polar Express all the way to the North Pole! Limited to 12 participants -- registration is required. Recommended for ages 3 to 7.
 
 
 
For Adults
 
 
Interfaith Book Discussion
Thursday, December 15 at 11:00 a.m.
 
Attend the inaugural meeting of this new interfaith book group to learn more.  The group will read and discuss spiritual reads, memoirs and similar books. The discussion will be led by Rev. Hannah Lovaglio, Senior Pastor at the First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury.  The group will be reading authors from a variety of faith traditions and meet once a month on the third Thursday at 11:00 a.m.  Register here.
 
Artist Reception - Nature Photography
Thursday, December 15 at 7:00 p.m.
 
Meet local nature photographer Robert Zurfluh and view his images.  Frames photographs will be for sale. These photos would make a perfect gift for yourself or someone special.  Robert will donate 20% of the proceeds that evening to the Cranbury Public Library Foundation. 
 
 
Regular Events
New book discussion members are always welcome! See more on Goodreads at Cranbury Public Library Book Chat.  
 
Evening Book Discussions
Tuesday, January 20 at 7:00 p.m.
 
This month we are discussing  Horse by Geraldine Brooks.  This discussion will be in person in the new library.
 
 
Afternoon Book Discussion
Wednesday, December 21 at 1:30 p.m.
 
In December we are discussing The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick. This discussion will be in person in the new library.
 
 
 
Spinning Yarns
Tuesdays, December 6 and 20 at 6:30 p.m.
 
Join us for an hour of knitting, crocheting, crafts and conversation.  All levels welcome. This group will meet in person in the new library. 
 
 
Literary Conversation Cafe
January 23 at 7:00 p.m.
Do you want to join others in discussions about literature?  The topics can be varied from poetry to plays, favorite or banned books, authors and translations. The group will decide what the members want to discuss each month. If you are interested, register for the January organizational meeting here.
 
 
Tech Talk @ the Library
Call to make an appointment
Learn how to use our online catalog, download digital materials, and more! Call the library (609-722-6992) and speak to Dean at the Information Desk.  
 
Library Hours and Closings
Monday thru Thursday - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Library Closed December 24, 25, 26, 31 and January 1 & 2, 2023
 
Cranbury Public Library
30 Park Place West
Cranbury, New Jersey 08512
609-722-6992

www.cranburypubliclibrary.org/