|
Trust No One: A thriller by Paul CleaveIf you are looking for dark, gritty, psychological suspnse that makes you question every bit of reality, Karen suggests this book! Jerry Grey wrote crime fiction as Henry Cutter. But when Jerry gets early onset Alzheimer's, Jerry can't remember what crimes he created as Henry versus crimes he may have committed in Jerry's past nor if either of them is responsible for murders occurring now. The sense of dread, confusion, and mystery bid into a nightmare reality where you can trust o one, not even yourself.
Karen's Criminal Spines book club was about to discuss this book.
|
|
|
Dark Matter by Blake CrouchAn ordinary man is kidnapped, knocked unconscious—and awakens in a world inexplicably different from the reality he thought he knew. By the author of the best-selling Wayward Pines trilogy.
Magan predicts Dark Matter will do for astrophysics what The Martian did for botany and engineering. Chicagoan Jason is walking down the street when he is suddenly mugged. He awakes in an alternate universe where he has created a box like the one containing Schrodinger's cat. As Jason steps in and out of the box, the pages fly. The Chicago elements should make it popular with local readers in particular. Dark Matter is also a Library Reads book for July 2016.
|
|
|
The Motion of Puppets by Keith DonohueBecky rates this book "creeptastic"! Set in Quebec, circus performer Kay Harper, has fallen in love with the Quare Mains toy shop, particularly the marionette in the window. Then comes the morning her husband Theo wakes, but can't find Kay anywhere. With suspicious police hounding him, Theo starts haunting Quebec's Old City. But Kay has become a puppet in Quare Mains, and a prisoner. Like Donohue's previous novel The Stolen Child, dual points of view are presented. However, it is the realism of this story that will give you chills. It's a perfect recommendation come Halloween for people who don't like Horror but are looking for a scare!
|
|
|
Chasing Water: Elegy of an Olympian by Anthony ErvinA gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic swimmer discusses his early success, his retirement to engage on a spiritual journey and his return to worldwide competition, including the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
With the Rio Olympics around the corner, this biography is sure to capture hearts. Stacey enjoyed how the author duo creates two points of view, with Ervin speaking in first person while journalist Markides uses third person. It's unusual to see one story from two perspectives in nonfiction. Ervin's roller coaster life from success to homelessness and drug addiction, then back to success make for a compelling odyssey.
|
|
|
Sandman Slim by Richard KadreyWorking as a sideshow gladiator in Hell after being snatched by demons at the age of nineteen, James Stark escapes and returns to Los Angeles, where he plots to destroy the magic circle that stole his life in spite of such challenges as the circle's conniving leader, an abusive talking head, and a sleazy video store owner.
After Killing Pretty, the 7th in this series, made the Locus 2015 Recommended Reading List, Karen decided to give the series a try. The Sandman Slim series would appeal to any fans of the TV show Supernatural!
|
|
|
All is Not Forgotten by Wendy WalkerGiven a controversial drug to medically erase her memory of a violent assault that occurred after a party, young Jenny struggles with difficult emotional memories that linger months later, an event that reveals vulnerabilities in her family as her father becomes obsessed with revenge and her mother descends into denial.
Melissa is enjoying this debut novel about how our memories and subconscious effect healing from traumatic events. Because the story is told from the perspective of Jenny's psychiatrist, we get to see Jenny, her mother, her father, and a soldier whose life has also been altered by the drug. Library Reads selected All is Not Forgotten as one of their Top Ten books of July 2016.
|
|
|
The Portable Veblen by Elizabeth McKenzieAn aimless amateur translator struggling under the thumb of an oppressive parent and an ambitious medical researcher from a hippie family endure tests to their bond and question their priorities as their wedding approaches. By the award-winning author of Stop That Girl.
Megan suggests this books for fans of Where Did You Go, Bernadette. The books share quirky characters with interesting marriages. Paul, a famous neurologist, and Veblen are either going to live happily ever after in a weird old house, or their engagement is going to fall apart. When Veblen can't deal with all the current stress, she starts talking to squirrels. A great summer read from McKenzie!
|
|
|
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh NguyenFollows a Viet Cong agent as he spies on a South Vietnamese army general and his compatriots as they start a new life in 1975 Los Angeles.
Becky will be taking ARRT's Quarterly Book Discussion and Leadership Training concept "on tour" for RAILS. She will be giving three lectures, discussions, and training sessions through the area. If you live too far to come to the ARRT meetings, keep an eye on the RAILS website and Becky's Tour Schedule to register. RAILS hopes to start special interest groups for discussion leaders following these presentations. Dates and locations are:- September 13, 2016, 9-12, Galena Public Library
- September 15, 2016, 9:30-12:30, Peotone Public Library
- September 20, 2016, 9:30-12:30, DeKalb Public Library
|
|
|
First Star I See Tonight by Susan Elizabeth PhillipsDiscovered by the former Chicago quarterback she was hired to tail, ambitious detective Piper Dove pretends to be the athlete's stalker and is subsequently hired as his bodyguard, an arrangement that is threatened by their growing chemistry and a portfolio of eccentric clients.
While some romance series can get stale over time, Debbie found the 8th Chicago Stars novel delightful. Her review is coming soon. And if you ever get a chance to meet Susan Elizabeth Phillips in person, she is charming and a wonderful speaker!
|
|
|
Barkskins by Annie ProulxWorking as woodcutters under a feudal lord in 17th-century New France, two impoverished young Frenchmen follow separate journeys, one of extraordinary hardship, the other of wealth and craftiness, that shape their families throughout three centuries. By the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Shipping News and Brokeback Mountain.
While this is a 700+ page book, Debbie says it is worth every page. This multi-generational novel not only follows two families but also explores the ecologically devastating impacts of deforestation.
|
|
|
Today Will Be Different by Maria SempleBecky won the ARC War by having snagged this title to the group's jealousy. (Check Edelweiss for an e-book ARC.) Becky has just started it, but already finds it very good and hilarious!
Eleanor Flood's life is a chaos, but she thinks taking it one task, one moment at a time will get her through. But her son, husband, and former friend all have monkey-wrenches to through into that simple plan. Sure to be a hit with Where Did You Go, Bernadette fans!
|
|
|
Vinegar Girl: The Taming of the Shrew retold by Anne TylerA modern retelling of The Taming of the Shrew follows the experiences of a preschool teacher who alienates others by speaking her mind and who manages her family's home before she is expected by her eccentric father to marry his assistant to prevent the young man's deportation. By the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Breathing Lessons.
Megan was really enjoying this book, until the final soliloquy. While it mirrors the play, Megan thought it brought the book down. Meanwhile, Debbie was so wrapped up in the tale which takes 21st century sensibilities into a different time and place, the soliloquy didn't detract from her enjoyment.
|
|
|
The Binding by Nicholas WolffWhen a desperate father brings his daughter to him, claiming that a strange mental disorder is afflicting their sleepy Massachusetts town, young psychiatrist Nat Thayer discovers that the afflicted patients are being targeted by a malignant force with ties to the community's dark history.
Becky recommends this book for all lovers o suspense, with a touch of supernatural. Dean Koontz fans are a natural fit. Even if your readers don't enjoy horror, buy this book! Becky's Booklist review will be coming soon. (Guesses as to pseudonymous author's real identity are welcome!)
|
|
|
War Paint: Madame Helena Rubinstein and Miss Elizabeth Arden: Their Lives, Their Times, Their Rivalry by Lindy WoodheadDescribes the lives, careers, and rivalry of cosmetics industry pioneers Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden.
Just as Chernow's Alexander Hamilton experiences a second life with the popularity of the musical Hamilton, Debbie predicts the musical War Paint will create new interest in this book. While a few plot points were changed from the nonfiction work to make the play more exciting, the producers did an excellent job of incorporating real events and capturing the tone of the times.
|
|
|