•  January Staff Picks Newsletter  •
 
New Year, New Books for You!
 
Our staff has some great suggestions -
scroll down for book picks for all ages!
Just click the book cover to place a hold. 
 

Catherine's Picks
The Red Lotus
by Christopher A. Bohjalian

An ER doctor and her boyfriend travel to Vietnam on a bike tour when he disappears during a solo ride. An unusual series of events leads her to wonder what they are really doing in Vietnam.


 
Playlist : The Rebels and Revolutionaries of Sound -Young Adult
by James Rhodes

Complemented by an online playlist of favorite classics, a celebrated concert pianist traces the links between the master composers of the past and the music of today’s world, sharing their backstories and role in shaping and defining cultural history.
The Magnolia Sword : a Ballad of Mulan - Young Adult
by Sherry Thomas

When her ailing father is conscripted to fight invaders from the north, Mulan dresses as a man to take his place in the army, but an old enemy and an attraction for her troop's commander complicate her mission.
Kitty's Pick
If Only I Could Tell You
by Hannah Beckerman

A novel of mothers and daughters, the bonds of family and the secrets that can sometimes divide us yet also bring us together follows Audrey, who has been dealt more ups and downs than she can handle, as she searches for a way to fix her broken family.
Karen's Picks
The Fifth Column
by Andrew Gross

Losing everything after a catastrophic bar fight, a man in 1941 New York uncovers a secret Nazi spy ring planning an attack on the city, in a work of suspense inspired by the true story of the Duquense Spy Ring.
The Year of Less : How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store
by Cait Flanders

In her late twenties, Cait Flanders found herself stuck in the consumerism cycle that grips so many of us: earn more, buy more, want more, rinse, repeat. When she realized that nothing she was doing or buying was making her happy she decided to set herself a challenge:she would not shop for an entire year. 
Kopp Sisters on the March
by Amy Stewart

In 1917, as the U.S. prepares to enter World War I, the Kopp sisters arrive at Camp Chevy Chase training camp where they are faced with scandal, betrayal, the skepticism of the War Department, the double standards of a scornful public and the very real perils of war. 
Nicole's Picks
The Stranger Diaries
by Elly Griffiths

A first stand-alone mystery by the author of the Ruth Galloway series finds a high school English teacher chronicling her suspicions about the murder of a colleague before discovering a sinister message in her own diary.
The Moroccan Girl
by Charles Cumming

A simple assignment for MI6 during a literary festival lands a successful novelist on the trail of a revolutionary leader who is being targeted by the world's competing intelligence services. By the best-selling author of The Trinity Six.
The Little Book of Hygge : Danish Secrets to Happy Living
by Meik Wiking

A guide to the Danish philosophy of well-being shares advice and ideas for taking healthy breaks, living in the moment, creating positive atmospheres, building relationships and finding the richness of life in everyday small comforts.
Whitney's Picks
The Ghost Stories of M.R. James
by M. R. James

A biographical sketch of the author accompanies fifteen of his stories about ghosts, ancient cathedrals, lonely mansions, and spectral visitors.
The Tuscan Child
by Rhys Bowen

Joanna Langley embarks on a healing journey to Tuscany to learn about her British-bomber-pilot father's hidden past. By the New York Times best-selling author of The Royal Spyness and the Molly Murphy Mysteries
Old Bones
by Douglas J Preston

A series debut by the #1 New York Times best-selling authors of the Agent Pendergast thrillers finds young curator Nora Kelly and historian Guy Porter teaming up for an excavation in Sierra Nevada that exposes complex realities about the Donner Party.
The Murder List
by Hank Phillippi Ryan

A bright, hard-working law student married to a faithful and devoted husband discovers that everything she believes about her life is false and is caught up in a game of cat-and-mouse for her very survival.
Rules for Vanishing - Young Adult
by Kate Alice Marshall

When Sara and her friends search the forest for Sara's missing sister Becca, a mysterious road unfurls before them, where the ghost of Lucy Gallows sends horrors and challenges in their path to find Becca.
Michelle's Picks
The Confession Club : a Novel
by Elizabeth Berg

Invited to join a supper club where friends in their community support each other throughout private setbacks, two women enduring difficult relationships discover the power of friendship and sharing their secrets. By the best-selling author of Open House.
The Vanishing Season
by Joanna Schaffhausen

An award-winning first novel follows the experiences of a police officer who hides her identity as a serial killer's only surviving victim while overseeing petty crime in a sleepy community where the disappearances of three people on a fateful anniversary compels the officer to reach out to the FBI agent who saved her years earlier.
Anna and the Swallow Man - Young Adult
by Gavriel Savit

When her university professor father is sent by the Gestapo to a concentration camp, seven-year-old Anna travels the Polish countryside with the mysterious Swallow Man during World War II.
Van Life : Your Home on the Road
by Foster Huntington

A photographic tour depicts the creative and unique vehicles of people who have taken a break from normal life and set off across the country in a home-on-wheels created from a converted vintage truck, camper or van.
Kimberly's Picks 
Chaplin : A Life
by Stephen M. Weissman

An intimate portrait of the eminent silent-film star offers insight into the pivotal role of childhood tragedies in forming his personality and art, in an account that describes the poverty and parental alcoholism that marked his early years, his first achievements in British music halls, and his sudden success in America.
Rebecca
by Daphne Du Maurier

At the great Cornwall estate of Manderley, Maxim de Winter and his frightened new wife try to live with the haunting legacy of Maxim's first wife, the beautiful and cold Rebecca, who died in a sailing accident
Home Work : a Memoir of My Hollywood Years
by Julie Andrews

In a follow-up to the critically acclaimed Home, the beloved performing artist reflects on her Hollywood career and the creations of three of her most iconic films, Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music and Victor/Victoria. 
The Art of the Photograph : Essential Habits for Stronger Compositions
by Art Wolfe

Drawing on his 40-year career and based on his popular lecture series, a legendary image-maker shares a vast array of insights, advice and techniques to shift the fundamental way readers see and capture the world around them.
Darcy's Pick
The Five : The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper
by Hallie Rubenhold

Researched portraits of the five women murdered by Jack the Ripper in 1888 challenge popular beliefs to reveal each victim's historically relevant and diverse background while discussing the cultural and gender disadvantages that rendered them vulnerable. 
Staff Picks in Children's Books
Nina's Picks
Red House, Tree house, Little Bitty Brown Mouse
by Jane Godwin

Simple, skill-building rhymes and high-contrast artwork depict a little mouse who observes the colors of her diverse community, posing a search-and-find challenge on every spread. 
With a Little Help From My Friends
by John Lennon

A picture book rendering of the acclaimed Beatles song complements its iconic lyrics with evocative depictions of two children who meet at school and become close friends before one has to move away. 
Little Mole's Wish
by Sang-gn Kim

In a U.S. release of a best-seller from Korea, a lonely Little Mole walks home from school on a wintry day while rolling up a big snowball that he reshapes into a friendly bear, who becomes his companion and confidante. 
Catherine's Picks
The Dragon Warrior
by Katie Zhao

Training in secret when the Jade Society shuns them for their half-Chinese heritage, 12-year-old Faryn Liu conquers a demon in San Francisco’s Chinatown before resolving to prove herself by finding the gods’ island home before the end of the Lunar New Year.
Pippa Park Raises Her Game
by Erin Yun

Life is full of great expectations for Korean American Pippa Park. So when she gets a mysterious basketball scholarship to Lakeview Private, she jumps at the chance to reinvent herself. 
Mary's Picks 
How I Met My Monster
by Amanda Noll

Discovering five little monsters under his bed, young Ethan observes as his squeaky guests, including a particularly compatible green little friend, compete to become the personal monster who helps Ethan fall asleep. By the creators of Hey, That’s MY Monster! 
Pluto Gets the Call
by Adam Rex

When he receives a call from Earth telling him he is no longer considered a planet, Pluto embarks on a journey through the solar system, where he tries to understand his new designation while meeting planets, asteroids, the moon and the sun. 
Kimberly's Picks
Miss Rumphius
by Barbara Cooney

Seeking adventure in faraway places, Miss Rumphius fulfills her dream and then sets out to make the world more beautiful.
The Cow Loves Cookies
by Karma Wilson

While all the other animals on the farm enjoy eating their regular food, the cow chooses to eat the one thing she loves best, in a read-aloud story from the New York Times best-selling author of Bear Snores On.
Hooray for Hat!
by Brian Won

Elevated from a bad mood when he receives an exciting new hat, Elephant cheers up his equally grumpy friend Zebra before marching to the homes of other downcast friends who join them in a fabulous hat parade.
Owl Moon
by Jane Yolen

On a winter's night under a full moon, a father and child trek into the woods to see a great horned owl.
Mansfield Public Library
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Mansfield, Massachusetts 02048
(508) 261-7380

www.mansfieldlibraryma.com/