Publisher: HighBridge
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/16/2013
ISBN-13: 9781622311958
ISBN-10: 1622311957

Nonfiction. What holds America together? And, whatever it is, will it continue to do so? To find out, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Philip Caputo climbs into a truck towing an Airstream trailer and, with his wife and two dogs, embarks on a 12,000-mile journey from the southernmost point of the continental U.S., Key West, Florida, to the northernmost: Deadhorse, Alaska, on the Arctic Ocean. As they travel, Caputo puts his question to ordinary people from all walks of life. The result is an "always engaging and frequently reassuring" (Publishers Weekly) look at contemporary America.

Publisher: Random House Audio
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/16/2013
ISBN-13: 9780385393409
ISBN-10: 0385393407

Historical Fiction. When Spanish cardinal Rodrigo Borgia becomes Pope Alexander VI in 1492, he immediately puts into play his most promising pawns -- his illegitimate children, Cesare and Lucrezia. While shrewd, scheming Cesare uses his diplomatic wiles to hasten his rise from soldier to statesman, Lucrezia makes a series of strategic marriages that give her both access to Italy's most prominent citizens and unprecedented influence in politics. A dramatic and compelling tale of power, ambition, and dangerous alliances, Blood and Beauty traces the meteoric rise of a Renaissance-era dynasty.

First Chapter  

Publisher: Harper Audio
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 06/18/2013
ISBN-13: 9780062263032
ISBN-10: 006226303X

Fantasy. Returning to his childhood home in the English countryside for a funeral, the unnamed middle-aged narrator of this haunting, lyrical fable finds himself drawn to an ordinary-looking farmhouse that's anything but. As long-buried memories surface, he recalls events that occurred at Hempstock Farm when he was seven. When the malevolent Ursula Monkton insinuates herself into the fabric of his close-knit family, the farm's inhabitants, especially 11-year-old Lettie, offer their friendship and later their protection to the lonely, abused boy. However, their aid comes at a price, requiring a sacrifice he's unprepared to make.

Publisher: Random House Audio
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/09/2013
ISBN-13: 9780804126939
ISBN-10: 0804126933

Historical Fiction. Desperately poor and twice widowed -- first by a sailor, then by a hotelier -- Swedish maid Hanna Renström must create a new life for herself in 1905, when she lands in the port city of Lourenço Marques in Portuguese East Africa (now Mozambique). Her late husband's establishment, O Paraiso, is actually a brothel, which makes Hanna its unlikely madam. Excluded by her fellow European colonists due to her profession, and barely tolerated by the African prostitutes she employs, Hanna's strange existence exposes her to society's harsh realities. Bleak and atmospheric, A Treacherous Paradise is loosely based on the experiences of a real-life Swedish madam in colonial Africa.

First Chapter  

Publisher: Books on Tape
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/09/2013
ISBN-13: 9780385363303
ISBN-10: 0385363303

Psychological Suspense. Highly intelligent but socially awkward, reclusive software tester Leila discovers a community of kindred spirits on Red Pill, a website whose members post to an online forum dedicated to philosophical and ethical issues. Leila soon attracts the notice of Adrian, the site's charismatic founder, who recruits her to help Tess, a woman with severe bipolar disorder wishing to commit suicide without upsetting her friends and family. Leila's role is simple: impersonate Tess online for six months while gradually cutting ties to everyone she knows. But the more Leila immerses herself in Tess' life, the less she wants to give up her new identity.

Publisher: Hachette Audio
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 06/18/2013
ISBN-13: 9781611134308
ISBN-10: 1611134307

Fiction. In 1937, 14-year-old Irene Sauvelle moves with her brother Dorian and widowed mother Simone to Blue Bay, a sleepy village on the coast of Normandy. While Simone serves as housekeeper at Cravenmore, the estate of reclusive inventor Lazarus Jann, Irene learns more about the area from Ismael, an orphaned boy who entertains (and later woos) her with his knowledge of local legends and folklore. But when a brutal murder shatters Blue Bay's peaceful routine, Irene and Ismael soon find themselves up against a great evil. Part supernatural mystery with Gothic overtones, part star-crossed love story, The Watcher in the Shadows is sure to entertain listeners.

Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 11/20/2010
ISBN-13: 9781441883476
ISBN-10: 1441883479

YA Science Fiction. Living on the devastated U.S. Gulf Coast, 17-year-old Nailer scavenges for copper wire and other precious metals aboard beached oil tankers, hoping to "make quota," avoid his violent father, and just get by. When Nailer discovers a wrecked clipper ship filled with riches, he thinks his fortune is made...but that's before he finds wealthy young Nita, the sole survivor, on board. He could kill Nita for a profit or he could help her -- except that helping Nita might cost Nailer everything. This exciting, action-packed tale takes place in a bleak, carefully constructed future that fans of great world-building (à la the Uglies series) will love.

Publisher: Books on Tape
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/26/2011
ISBN-13: 9780307942135
ISBN-10: 0307942139

YA Fiction. "Is it okay to hate a dead kid? Even if I loved him once? Even if he was my best friend?" In darkly humorous, cutting prose, high-school senior and full-time "pizza delivery technician" Vera Dietz recounts her struggle to cope with her best friend Charlie's scandalous death -- not to mention his ghost, who begs Vera to clear his name. However, before Charlie died, he effectively ruined Vera's life, so she isn't sure she wants to help him. Sex, lies, and secrets drive this edgy, compelling story that will please fans of strong characterizations, complex relationships, and raw emotion.

Publisher: Scholastic Audio
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 10/18/2011
ISBN-13: 9780545357050
ISBN-10: 0545357055

YA Fantasy. Due to its sizable population of capaill uisce, flesh-eating horses that rise from the sea, Thisby is an ideal location for the Scorpio Races, in which riders and their steeds gallop across the island's treacherous terrain -- and typically don't live to tell the tale. Four-time champion Sean Kendrick eagerly anticipates the annual race, which may be his chance to finally purchase his mount, Corr, from the horse's owner. However, Puck Connolly, the first girl to ever enter the competition, does so only because her family has fallen on hard times. If you like pulse-pounding adventure and vividly imagined settings, don't miss this inventive take on Celtic myth and legend.

Publisher: Bolinda Audio
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/15/2012
ISBN-13: 9781742857640
ISBN-10: 1742857647

Historical Spy Thriller. After crash-landing in France in 1943 and being captured by Nazis, a female wireless operator for the British (who goes by Queenie, Eva, Verity, and various other aliases) reveals bits of code in exchange for reprieve from torture...and to postpone her execution. Woven into Verity's confession is a powerful, gritty tale of war, friendship, espionage, and great courage -- one that reviewers describe as "gut-wrenching" (Booklist), "downright sizzling" (Horn Book), "heartbreaking" (VOYA), and "unforgettable" (Kirkus Reviews).