|
|
RFPL Staff PicksSeptember 2017 |
Click on the title to check availability, and to log in and place holds online. To place holds by phone, please call us at (708) 366-5205. During open hours, you can also chat with us at www.riverforestlibrary.org. It's easy! |
|
|
|
Celine : a novel
by Peter Heller
Establishing an excellent record as a missing-persons tracker who specializes in reuniting families to make amends for a loss in her own past, Celine searches for a presumed-dead photographer in Yellowstone only to be targeted by a shadowy figure who would keep the case unsolved. By the best-selling author of The Dog Stars.
|
|
|
|
The many reflections of Miss Jane Deming by J. Anderson CoatsBravely taking part in an effort to move Civil War widows and orphans to the Washington Territory, high-spirited Jane, who has been caring for a young sibling since her father's death, finds that her grit and humor are her best attributes to meet the challenges of a life that is far different than her expectations.
|
|
|
|
The shark club
by Ann Kidd Taylor
Nearly two decades after surviving a shark attack in the Gulf of Mexico, a world-traveling marine biologist and respected "shark whisperer" harbors private insecurities that compel her to return to her Florida coast home to explore old and new relationships. A first novel by the best-selling co-author of Traveling With Pomegranates.
|
|
|
|
Sting-ray afternoons : a memoir
by Steve Rushin
A bittersweet memoir of the author's 1970s childhood nostalgically tours the era's products, history and cultural rebirth, sharing laugh-out-loud observations of his family life as it was shaped by influences ranging from the Steve Miller Band and Saturday morning cartoons to Bic pens and Schwinn Sting-Ray bikes. 35,000 first printing.
|
|
|
|
Vincent and Theo : the Van Gogh brothers by Deborah HeiligmanA meticulously researched account of the relationship between brothers Theo and Vincent van Gogh draws on hundreds of letters written by the master artist that illuminate how Theo supported Vincent throughout the latter's creative and interpersonal struggles. By the National Book Award Finalist author of Charles and Emma.
|
|
|
|
Al Franken, giant of the Senate
by Al Franken
The Harvard-educated comedian and talk-show host chronicles the story of his unlikely senatorial campaign, detailing the ensuing months-long recount and what his service has taught him about America's deeply polarized political culture. 325,000 first printing.
|
|
|
|
Band of brothers (DVD)Follows the 101st Airborne as it prepares and lands on D-Day, and fights its way through Europe to the end World War II.
|
|
|
|
Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine
by Gail Honeyman
A socially awkward, routine-oriented loner teams up with a bumbling IT guy from her office to assist an elderly accident victim, forging a friendship that saves all three from lives of isolation and secret unhappiness. A first novel.
|
|
|
|
Game of thrones, Season 6 (DVD)Follows the adventures of the powerful families in the kingdom of Westeros that are constantly vying for control of the throne.
|
|
|
|
Mystic river
by Dennis Lehane
Sean Devine must confront the world of violence and pain he tried to forget when his childhood friend's daughter is murdered, and the investigation brings him face-to-face with a vigilante killer and a man with a dangerous secret
|
|
|
|
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens agenda by Becky AlbertalliSixteen-year-old, not-so-openly-gay Simon Spier is blackmailed into playing wingman for his classmate or else his sexual identity—and that of his pen pal—will be revealed. 50,000 first printing.
|
|
|
|
Among the missing by Dan ChaonFocusing on the condition of the modern family, a thematically linked collection of short fiction captures the lives, dreams, and fates of men, women, and children who live outside of the American Dream.
|
|
|
|
The girl who was taken
by Charlie Donlea
A year after one of two missing girls becomes famous for escaping from a mysterious abductor, the recovered girl's forensic pathologist older sister discovers clues that may reveal the fate of other missing teens. By the author of Summit Lake.
|
|
|
|
The hate u give by Angie ThomasAfter witnessing her friend's death at the hands of a police officer, Starr Carter's life is complicated when the police and a local drug lord try to intimidate her in an effort to learn what happened the night Kahlil died.
|
|
|
|
How the hell did this happen? : the election of 2016
by P. J O'Rourke
The political satirist and best-selling author of Give War a Chance shares irreverent insights into the stranger-than-fiction 2016 presidential election to profile its colorful candidates, primaries, debates and related issues.
|
|
|
|
March. Book one
by John Lewis
A first-hand account of the author's lifelong struggle for civil and human rights spans his youth in rural Alabama, his life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., and the birth of the Nashville Student Movement
|
|
|
|
March. Book two
by John Lewis
The award-winning, best-selling series returns, as John Lewis' story continues through Freedom Rides and the legendary 1963 March on Washington. Original.
|
|
|
|
March. Book three
by John Lewis
Congressman John Lewis, one of the key figures of the civil rights movement, joins co-writer Andrew Aydin and artist Nate Powell to bring the lessons of history to vivid life for a new generation, urgently relevant for today's world. Original.
|
|
|
|
Caraval by Stephanie GarberBelieving that she will never be allowed to participate in the annual Caraval performance when her ruthless father arranges her marriage, Scarlett receives the invitation she has always dreamed of before her sister, Tella, is kidnapped by the show's mastermind organizer. A first novel.
|
|
|
|
Crime scene : a novel
by Jonathan Kellerman
A latest novel of suspense by the award-winning father-son team finds athletic star-turned-coroner's investigator Clay Edison drawn into a complex case involving a retired psychology professor's death and an old scandal involving the horrific murder of one of the professor's students.
|
|
|
|
Open house (Hoopla digital audiobook)by Elizabeth BergStruggling to come to terms with her husband's abandonment, Samantha sets out to construct a new life for herself and her eleven-year-old son and to rediscover her own identity, which had been lost in her attempts to save her marriage. |
|
|
|
Persons unknown : a novel
by Susie Steiner
Enduring cold-case work as the price she must pay for a transfer back to Cambridgeshire and a better work-life balance, pregnant detective Manon Bradshaw becomes unwittingly embroiled in the murder of her former brother-in-law when the case threatens her family and pits her against close colleagues.
|
|
|
|
The story of Arthur Truluv : a novel
by Elizabeth Berg
Making daily visits to the grave of his beloved late wife, Arthur forges unexpected relationships with a nosy neighbor and a troubled teen who dubs him "Truluv" before the trio discovers healing and family together. By the best-selling author of Open House.
|
|
|
|
When Dimple met Rishi by Sandhya MenonA heartfelt romantic comedy told from the alternating perspectives of two Indian-American teens whose parents have arranged their marriage follows the efforts of one to distance herself from the agreement and the other to woo his intended during a summer program they are attending together.
|
|
|
|
Faithful : a novel (CD audiobook)by Alice HoffmanOverwhelmed by guilt when she walks away from an accident that destroys her best friend's future, Shelby connects with a circle of lost and found souls, including a guardian angel, to fight her way back to her own future. By the best-selling author of The Marriage of Opposites.
|
|
|
|
The handmaid's tale (CD audiobook)by Margaret AtwoodOffred, a Handmaid, describes life in what was once the United States, now the Republic of Gilead, a shockingly repressive and intolerant monotheocracy, in a satirical tour de force set in the near future, in a classic work that is soon to be a 10-part Hulu series. Reissue. An Arthur C. Clarke Award winner and Booker Prize nominee. TV tie-in.
|
|
|
|
Quiet passion (DVD)Tells the life story of American poet, Emily Dickinson. Starring Cynthia Nixon.
|
|
|
|
Rabbit cake (Hoopla digital audiobook)by Annie HartnettAfter her mother accidentally drowns while sleepwalking, Elvis Babbitt, who has a gift for remembering scientific facts, tries to come to terms with the circumstances of her mother's death and the bizarre behaviors of her sister and grieving father. |
|
|
|
Two nights : a novel
by Kathy Reichs
A stand-alone thriller by the best-selling author of the Temperance Brennan series introduces Sunday Night, a woman whose secret past has left her with scars and a killer instinct that proves helpful to a desperate family in the wake of a bomb explosion and a girl's disappearance.
|
|
|
|
When the English fall : a novel
by David Williams
A tale told through the diary of an Amish farmer recounts his struggles to protect his family and way of life when a catastrophic solar storm decimates modern civilization, causing "English" outsiders to violently target the Amish for their resources. A first novel.
|
|
|
|
Britt-Marie was here : a novel
by Fredrik Backman
Walking away from her loveless marriage and taking a job in a derelict, financially devastated town, 63-year-old Britt-Marie uses her fierce organizational skills to become a local soccer coach to a group of lost children, becoming a vital community member along the way. By the author of A Man Called Ove.
|
|
|
|
The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark HaddonAfter stumbling upon his neighbor's dog, Wellington, impaled on a garden fork and being blamed for the killing, fifteen-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone, an autistic savant obsessed with Sherlock Holmes, decides to track down the real killer and turns to his detective hero to help him with the investigation, which brings him face to face with a family crisis. A first novel. 150,000 first printing.
|
|
|
|
The girl with all the gifts
by Mike Carey
A little girl who is detained by the military, restrained in a wheelchair, and goes to school while heavily guarded doesn't truly understand why she is special until it is up to her to save the world
|
|
|
|
The night circus : a novel by Erin MorgensternWaging a fierce competition for which they have trained since childhood, circus magicians Celia and Marco unexpectedly fall in love with each other and share a fantastical romance that manifests in fateful ways. A first novel.
|
|
|
|
The best we could do : an illustrated memoir
by Thi Bui
The author describes her experiences as a young Vietnamese immigrant, highlighting her family's move from their war-torn home to the United States in graphic novel format
|
|
|
|
Boundless
by Jillian Tamaki
Collects a series of comics that explore the virtual and real life world of contemporary women
|
|
|
|
Hunger : a memoir of (my) body
by Roxane Gay
The popular Tumblr blogger and best-selling author of Bad Feminist explores the devastating act of violence that triggered her personal challenges with food and body image, sharing advice for caring for oneself and eating in healthful and satisfying ways. 100,000 first printing.
|
|
|
|
Where the mountain meets the moon
by Grace Lin
Hearing her father speak to the Old Man on the Moon in the quiet hours of the evening, Minli turns to him one day to ask for advice in order to improve the desperate situation of her impoverished family in this enchanting fantasy adventure for middle readers.
|
|
|
|
Beauty and the Beast (DVD)Taking her father's place as prisoner in the castle of a cursed prince who appears as a monstrous beast, Belle sees beyond his exterior and falls in love with him, breaking the curse.
|
|
|
|
Blitzed : drugs in the Third Reich
by Norman Ohler
A fast-paced narrative delivers a surprising perspective on World War II: Nazi Germany’s all-consuming reliance on drugs. An international best-seller. 50,000 first printing.
|
|
|
|
Cocoa Beach
by Beatriz Williams
Fleeing an oppressive home for the battlefields of World War I France, a Red Cross ambulance driver engages in a passionate affair with a dashing army surgeon before dark secrets separate them and eventually lead her on a quest for answers in seaside Virginia. 100,000 first printing.
|
|
|
|
Growing Up Smith (DVD)It's the feel-good, coming-of-age story of Smith, a ten-year-old boy from India growing up in Small Town, America in 1979. As the boy's family tries to straddle the line between embracing the American Dream and preserving their Indian heritage, Smithsneaks out for a taste of Kentucky Fried Chicken, dons a Saturday Night Fever costume, and contends with his parents as they send him to school with a yellow squash instead of a pumpkin to carve for Halloween.
|
|
|
|
Paterson (DVD)Follows a bus driver's life in Paterson, New Jersey, with his Iranian-American wife and his secret passion for writing poety.
|
|
|
|
The tea girl of Hummingbird Lane : a novel
by Lisa See
Explores the lives of a Chinese mother and her daughter, who has been adopted by an American couple, tracing the very different cultural factors that compel them to consume a rare native tea that has shaped their family's destiny for generations.
|
|
|
|
The windfall : a novel
by Diksha Basu
Moving to a wealthy community after the lucrative sale of their website, Mr. And Mrs. Jha, formerly of East Delhi, struggle with cultural changes while their son, studying in America, pursues romance and wonders how his parents' new status will affect his life choices.
|
|
|
|
Origins : fourteen billion years of cosmic evolution (Hoopla digital audiobook)by Neil deGrasse TysonAn exploration of new theories about the formation and evolution of the universe traces the big bang, through the first three billion years on Earth, to today's search for life on other planets, in a volume that covers such topics as dark energy, life on Mars, and current mysteries about space and time. 50,000 first printing. |
|
|
|
Sounds like me : my life (so far) in song (CD audiobook)by Sara BareillesThe five-time Grammy Award-nominated and multi-platinum music artist presents a series of confessional writings about the searches for growth, healing and self-acceptance behind some of her most popular songs.
|
|
|
|
Angels in America : a gay fantasia on national themes by Tony KushnerWinner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
"Glorious. A monumental, subversive, altogether remarkable masterwork...Details of specific catastrophes may have changed since this Reagan-era AIDS epic won the Pulitzer and the Tony, but the real cosmic and human obsessions--power, religion, sex, responsibility, the future of the world--are as perilous, yet as falling-down funny, as ever." -Linda Winer, Newsday
|
|
|
|
"Books We're Excited About in 2017" (Chicago Tribune)
"Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2017" (Chicago Reader)
Explores the toll of capitalism on women through essays ranging from journalistic investigations to personal accounts.
|
|
|
|
Conversations with friends : a novel
by Sally Rooney
Devoting herself to an intellectual life and the self-possessed lover with whom she performs spoken-word poetry readings, a college student is drawn into the lives of a sophisticated journalist and her husband before the increasingly intimate relationship tests the boundaries of her resolve. A first novel.
|
|
|
|
Lovers (DVD)Debra Winger and Tracy Letts play a long-married, dispassionate couple who are both in the midst of serious affairs. But on the brink of calling it quits, a spark between them suddenly reignites, leading them into an impulsive romance.
|
|
|
|
The marriage pact : a novel
by Michelle Richmond
Picture-perfect newlyweds are unexpectedly initiated into a mysterious organization designed to keep marriages happy and intact by enforcing seemingly thoughtful rules that become increasingly exacting and subject to brutal enforcement. By the award-winning author of The Girl in the Fall-Away Dress.
|
|
|
|
Rosalie Lightning by Tom HartEisner-nominated cartoonist Tom Hart's beautiful and touching graphic memoir about the untimely death of his young daughter, Rosalie.
|
|
|
|
Sense of an ending (DVD)Haunted by his past, a man is presented with a diary that causes him to question his life choices. Based on the book The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes.
|
|
|
|
Astrophysics for people in a hurry (Hoopla digital audiobook)by Neil deGrasse TysonThe notable host of StarTalk reveals just what people need to be fluent and ready for the next cosmic headlines: from the Big Bang to black holes, from quarks to quantum mechanics, and from the search for planets to the search for life in the universe. |
|
|
|
Discover...the Aztec Empire
by Isabel Greenberg
An introduction to the ancient Aztec civilization shares fascinating and humorous facts in the format of comic-strip entries that are complemented by a fold-out map and timeline.
|
|
|
|
Last Things : A Graphic Memoir of Loss and Love by Marissa MossAfter returning home from a year abroad, Marissa's husband, Harvey was diagnosed with ALS. The disease progressed quickly and Marissa was soon consumed with caring for Harvey while trying to keep life as normal as possible for their children. This is a story about the redemptive power of terminal illness.
|
|
|
|
Mouse Guard : legends of the Guard. Volume three by Rebecca TaylorA collection of stories about the brave, fabled Mouse Guard are told by the patrons in the June Alley Inn, whose proprietor has offered a prize to whoever can tell the greatest tale.
|
|
|
|
Chemistry : a novel by Weike WangLosing her love for her major when her graduate studies become subject to research failures, a Boston University chemistry student contemplates a marriage proposal from a more successful fellow scientist while she pursues an entirely different kind of chemistry.
|
|
|
|
Crooked kingdom (Overdrive ebook)by Leigh BardugoA highly anticipated next installment in the best-selling Six of Crows series finds Kaz Brekker and his crew badly weakened by the abduction of a valuable team member and fraying loyalties that culminate in a war in the dark and twisting streets of Ketterdam. |
|
|
|
Six of crows by Leigh BardugoOffered a chance to participate in a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams, criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker recruits a team of talented associates to organize a plot that is threatened by their mutual enmity.
|
|
|
|
In the country of men
by Hisham Matar
On a hot day in Tripoli, Libya, in the summer of 1979, nine-year-old Suleiman is shopping in the market square with his mother while his father is away on business, except that he is sure he has just seen his father, standing across the street in a pair of dark glasses, the first portent of grave danger and a sinister, previously unsuspected world. 45,000 first printing.
|
|
|
|
CatStronauts : Mission Moon by Drew BrockingtonAn elite group of cat astronauts, from daring commander Major Meowser to ever-hungry pilot Waffles, fearlessly and hilariously embark on a space mission to save the world from a global energy shortage. A first book. 10,000 first printing.
|
|
|
|
The dolls by James PattersonAn investigative reporter who has covered many crimes of passion over the last 10 years, Lana Wallace finds that she is unprepared for the dark secrets of her newest assignment involving The Dolls.
|
|
|
|
The graveyard book by Neil GaimanAfter the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own.
|
|
|
|
A man called Ove by Fredrik BackmanA curmudgeon hides a terrible personal loss beneath a cranky and short-tempered exterior while clashing with new neighbors, a boisterous family whose chattiness and habits lead to unexpected friendship.
|
|
|
|
Shadow and bone by Leigh BardugoOrphaned by the Border Wars, Alina Starkov is taken from obscurity and her only friend, Mal, to become the protegé of the mysterious Darkling, who trains her to join the magical elite in the belief that she is the Sun Summoner, who can destroy the monsters of the Fold.
|
|
|
|
The traitor's kiss by Erin BeatyA first novel in a debut series partially inspired by Jane Austen follows the efforts of brilliant spy and less-than-ideal lady Sage Flower pursuing an apprenticeship with a matchmaker to escape an arranged marriage while collecting information about a group of soldiers and brides amongst rumors of a political uprising.
|
|
|
|
When the moon was ours
by Anna-Marie McLemore
As their deep friendship turns to love, Latina teenager Miel, who grows roses from her wrist, and Italian-Pakistani Samir, a transgender boy, fear their secrets will be exposed by the beautiful Bonner girls, four sisters rumored to be witches
|
|
|
|
Braced by Alyson GerberLooking forward to a promising new school year playing soccer and spending time with her crush, Rachel receives the terrible news that her scoliosis has gotten worse and that she will be required to wear a back brace that sets her apart from her peers and challenges her sense of self. A first novel.
|
|
|
|
Gilded cage
by Vic James
A tale set in an alternate-universe England where the lower classes must endure 10 years of forced service to magically powered rulers follows the exploits of a rebellious teen and his knowledge-seeking older sister, who spark a rebellion while a dangerous young aristocrat uses dark magic to remake the world. A first novel.
|
|
|
|
Grendel's guide to love and war by A. E. KaplanA teen misfit resolves to defeat a local bully who upsets the senior community by constantly throwing wild parties, an effort that is complicated by the teen's father's PTSD, his unrequited feelings for the bully's sister and an existential crisis related to his mother's death. A first novel.
|
|
|
|
Phoebe and her unicorn by Dana SimpsonWhen Phoebe accidentially hits a unicorn in the face with a rock, she is granted one wish, which she uses to make the unicorn, named Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, her best friend.
|
|
|
|
Saints and misfits by S. K. AliStruggling to secure her identity as an Arab Indian-American hijabi teen who loves pop culture and aspires to a career in photography, Janna Yusuf falls for a boy she cannot date and considers exposing a person with a monstrous nature who is pretending to be a saint in their tightknit Muslim community. A first novel.
|
|
|
|
The wood by Chelsea BobulskiWhen her father goes missing during his nightly patrol, Winter assumes the responsibility of monitoring woodland time portals and safeguarding their travelers while investigating her father's disappearance, changes in the woods and the arrival of a mysterious stranger. A first novel.
|
|
|
|
|
|