Category Archives: Favorites

2022 Adult Reading Challenge! April

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DISCOVER DIFFERENT GENRES!    FIND NEW AUTHORS!    WIN PRIZES!

Join us for a fun book challenge throughout 2022! Sign up and keep track via Beanstack. If you’ve participated in any of our recent summer or winter reading challenges, you’re all set to go and don’t need to create a new account.

Visit Beanstack here.

Our theme for April is CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE. Choose from travel memoirs, natural disasters, and survival stories. Here are a few titles to get you started:

FROM SCRATCH: A MEMOIR OF LOVE, SICILY, AND FINDING HOME
By Tembi Locke

“Readers will not want to put Locke’s memoir down, so compellingly does she describe her unique experiences and the universal ups and downs of life.” ~Booklist

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE LONGEST WAY HOME : ONE MAN’S QUEST FOR THE COURAGE TO SETTLE DOWN                         By Andrew McCarthy

“Though most recognizable as a member of the group of actors known in the 1980s as the Brat Pack, actor and travel journalist McCarthy (editor-at-large, National Geographic Traveler) shows off his writing chops in this memoir of his gradual resolution of the major conflicts in his life: to wander or to settle, to commit or to be free, to be lonely or to be sociable.” ~Library Journal

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

ISAAC’S STORM: A MAN, A TIME, AND THE DEADLIEST HURRICANE IN HISTORY
By Erik Larson

“Poignant details and sweeping narrative create a book that is hard to put down even though the outcome is a well-known historical fact: more than 6000 dead and an entire city devastated. At the same time, Larson chronicles a critical period of history for the National Weather Bureau. The blatant errors in judgment led to changes within that federal agency. More than anything, this is a gripping and heartbreaking story of what happens when arrogance meets the immutable forces of nature.” ~SLJ

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

IN HARM’S WAY : THE SINKING OF THE USS INDIANAPOLIS AND THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF ITS SURVIVORS
By Doug Stanton

“A crisp, well-executed reconstruction of naval warfare’s darkest chapter: the sinking and abandonment of the USS Indianapolis.” ~Kirkus

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

2022 Adult Reading Challenge! March

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DISCOVER DIFFERENT GENRES!    FIND NEW AUTHORS!    WIN PRIZES!

Join us for a fun book challenge throughout 2022! Sign up and keep track via Beanstack. If you’ve participated in any of our recent summer or winter reading challenges, you’re all set to go and don’t need to create a new account.

Visit Beanstack here.

Our theme for March is MARCH MADNESS. Choose from sports related books, or true crime books about murder, burglary, or basically anything people go to jail for. See what we did there? Here are a few titles to get you started:

GREED IN THE GILDED AGE
By William Elliott Hazelgrove

“Readers curious about the Gilded Age or who enjoy stories of con artists will appreciate Hazelgrove’s lively tale of a most ambitious grifter.” ~ Library Journal

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE OTHER DR. GILMER
By Benjamin Gilmer

“A haunting, insightful story of justice and humanity.” ~Library Journal

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

DELIBERATE EVIL
By Edward J. Renehan Jr.

“Readers of Nathaniel Hawthorne, lovers of history, and anyone who enjoys a good mystery will be absorbed by this bizarre true crime tale.” ~Library Journal

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

 

2022 Adult Reading Challenge! February

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DISCOVER DIFFERENT GENRES!    FIND NEW AUTHORS!    WIN PRIZES!

Join us for a fun book challenge throughout 2022! Sign up and keep track via Beanstack. If you’ve participated in any of our recent summer or winter reading challenges, you’re all set to go and don’t need to create a new account.

Visit Beanstack here.

February’s theme is ONE BOOK, ONE TOWN. Choose our new OBOT 2022 title or any of our prior choices. Here are a few titles to get you started:

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

To learn more about this year’s OBOT author and book, please click here.

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

Or try something from one of our past OBOT authors;

Ibi Zoboi
Yusef Salaam
Christopher McDougall
Jacqueline Woodson
Will Schwalbe
Emily St. John Mandel
Amanda Lindhout
Sara Corbett
R.J. Palacio
Allan Wolf
Luis Alberto Urrea
Brian Selznick
Greg Mortenson
David Oliver Reling

 

Spotlight on Author Stuart Neville

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If you like Irish crime fiction, or you just want to find a new author, you should give Stuart Neville a try. Neville is a staff favorite (especially for one particular staff member), and has a great backlist to choose from. His newest, THE HOUSE OF ASHES, is last on this list, but certainly not least. Here are a few titles you can find at the Fairfield Public Library.

THE GHOSTS OF BELFAST

“Stuart Neville’s tightly wound, emotionally resonant account of an ex-IRA hit man’s struggle to conquer his past, displays an acute understanding of the true state of Northern Ireland, still under the thumb of decades of violence and terrorism.”  ~Los Angeles Times

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

COLLUSION

“Neville’s deft style builds mounting tension, and his characters, all tragic figures, are skillfully developed. The collusion he describes sounds all too plausible; it’s devious and endemic enough to impress even descendants of the infamous Borgias. The violence, administered up close and personal—and the rage of those who commit it—is almost operatic. A feast for thriller fans.” ~Booklist

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

STOLEN SOULS

“Neville slowly ratchets up the tension—and the violence—until each page practically twangs with suspense.” ~Publishers Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

RATLINES

“Thrilling…. Readers will hope to see more of Ryan, a formidable yet damaged hero.”
~Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE HOUSE OF ASHES     Published September 7, 2021

“[A] gut-wrenching novel of psychological suspense with ghostly undertones . . . This unforgettable tale of servitude and subservience, domestic abuse, and toxic masculinity builds to a resolution offering redemption and heartfelt solace. Neville has outdone himself.”
~Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Spellbinding . . . Neville hooks his reader with the opening sequences of his story, mystery, and horror emerging prominently. The multi-narrative structure that plays out is effective and gripping. Impressive just begins to describe Neville’s latest offering.”
~Seattle Book Review

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

 

Popular Books for September

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Want to know what your friends and neighbors are reading this month? Here are a few of the most popular titles at the Library.

LAST SUMMER AT THE GOLDEN HOTEL by Elisa Friedland

“Friedland brings two families full circle over the fate of a storied hotel they’ve owned together for three generations…Old tensions and new romances arise as they decide if the nostalgia and storied legacy of the hotel can save it, or if they’re having their last summer at the Golden…Episodes of intergenerational disconnect contrasted with unshakeable family bonds make Last Summer at the Golden Hotel a great choice for fans of Schitt’s Creek and feel-good family dramedies.” ~Shelf Awareness

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE MADNESS OF CROWDS by Louise Penny

“This series has always excelled… This new novel grapples successfully with the moral weight of its narrative… ‘All Will Be Well’ never sounded so menacing.”
~The New York Times Book Review       STAFF FAVORITE!

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

A SLOW FIRE BURNING by Paula Hawkins

“A dark, intricate tale of three women tied to a bloody murder on a London houseboat. You’ll be gobsmacked by the end.” —~People

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE GUNCLE by Steven Rowley

“This hilarious and heartfelt story will make you laugh, cry, and want to be a better person.” ~BookRiot         STAFF FAVORITE!

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

BILLY SUMMERS by Stephen King

“King’s latest stars a killer-for-hire whose final assignment involves moving to a small Southern town and taking cover as a writer, a job that turns out to be as rewarding as killing bad guys. As for the hit, it doesn’t go so well, but that’s part of the allure of this twisty, multilayered thriller.”
~The Washington Post

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

Spotlight on Author Belinda Bauer

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Thriller writer Belinda Bauer is a Fairfield Public Library staff favorite. Here are a few of her books you can find or reserve at the library.

BLACKLANDS

“Blacklands is leading the pack of profound new mysteries. . . . Atmospheric . . . . bewitching . . . . a brilliant analysis of an exceedingly twisted mind.” ~Chicago Tribune

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

DARKSIDE

“Bauer joins such contemporary masters of psychological suspense as Ruth Rendell and Minette Walters with her twisted and tricky second novel . . . The shattering conclusion pulls no punches and will leave many readers stunned, even as they realize how everything fits together.” ~Publishers Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

FINDERS KEEPERS

“A remarkable achievement . . . The story rushes along on a tide of suspense.” ~Independent (UK)

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

RUBBERNECKER

“Breathtaking. I read this and wished I’d written it.” ~Val McDermid

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE BEAUTIFUL DEAD

“This is one exclusive that Eve Singer, an attractive iWitness News crime reporter, doesn’t want, in this taut thriller from British author Bauer . . . Readers will root for Bauer’s spunky heroine on this suspenseful slay ride through a snow-globe London.” ~Publishers Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

SNAP

“Bauer deftly interweaves a West Country cold-case murder, a teenage master burglar, some ill-assorted coppers and a pregnant wife, knowing exactly when the turn the dial to humor, pathos or something darker. Intelligent entertainment that keeps you guessing.” ~Sunday Times Crime Club (UK)

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

EXIT

“[Exit] not only unearths deception and greed, but also shows readers that kindness and yearning for good sometimes undergird everyday life . . . Readers who enjoy explorations of the underside of human nature are the perfect audience for this one.” ~Booklist

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

Popular Books For July

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The whole family can participate in Summer Reading at the Fairfield Public Library. You can register here.

Here are the book your friends and neighbors are reading and loving this month.

THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME By Laura Dave

“For readers who like a resilient, resourceful heroine and a compelling domestic suspense story.” ~Library Journal

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

LAST SUMMER AT THE GOLDEN HOTEL By Elyssa Friedland

“Written with Friedland’s signature wit and sharp dialogue, Last Summer at the Golden Hotel is an incisive novel that touches on family legacies, nostalgia, and multigenerational dynamics. Readers not content with armchair immersion will want to book their Catskill getaway immediately.” ~Booklist

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE GUNCLE by Steven Rowley   **STAFF FAVORITE

“Rowley’s depth and humor will warm even the most jaded hearts.” ~Washington Post

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE CELLIST By Daniel Silva

“This book has a twist that is sure to give you chills.” ~Today Show

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

 

Summer Reading is Here!

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Sign up for summer reading fun for the whole family at the Fairfield Public Library. You can register here.

This week’s featured author is Paul Doiron, whose Mike Bowditch series is a staff and patron favorite.

THE POACHER’S SON

First in the series, the Down East Editor-in-Chief received great reviews for his debut:        “Equally a story of relationships and an outdoor adventure, this evocative thriller is sure to put Doiron on several 2010 must-read lists.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

TRESPASSER

“Doiron’s plot is heart-pounding, filled with startling twists and turns. The main characters, some lovable and others despicable, are all multidimensional. And the stylish prose is pitch-perfect, especially in its evocative descriptions of the beauty, and occasionally the ugliness, of coastal Maine in early spring. The story’s slam-bang ending leaves Mike’s life in tatters, and the reader anxious to know what the author has in store for him next.”~Associated Press

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

BAD LITTLE FALLS

“A high-stakes, high-tension yarn in which you keep wishing everything would turn out fine for the deeply flawed, deeply sympathetic hero even though you know it won’t.” ~Kirkus

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

MASSACRE POND

Booklist starred review: “This series follows Bowditch from the start of his warden career, and his evolution creates a constantly fresh perspective, nicely paired with solid procedural details and an outdoors education. Massacre Pond, arguably the best yet, boasts fair-minded exploration of Maine’s conflicting environmental and economic interests and marks a turning point for Bowditch, who questions his fit with a career that constantly requires suppressing his instincts.” ~Booklist

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE BONE ORCHARD

“Massacre Pond is a tough act to follow, but Doiron avoids series stagnancy by placing Bowditch outside of the law-enforcement circle he once loved and treating readers to another round of top-notch outdoors-Maine description. Highly recommended for fans of C.J. Box and Craig Johnson.” ~Booklist

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE PRECIPICE

“Doiron brings his gift for making the Maine woods live and breathe to a taut whodunit in his stellar sixth novel featuring game warden Mike Bowditch…Multidimensional characters and a high level of suspense help make this a winner.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

WIDOWMAKER

“A violent, suspenseful, fast-paced tale written in Doiron’s customary tight, vivid prose, with his keen eye for both idiosyncratic Maine characters and the beauty of the natural landscape.” ~Associated Press

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

KNIFE CREEK

“Doiron maintains a high level of suspense while adding new insights into the character of his complex lead.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

STAY HIDDEN

“Doiron captures the stark beauty of his setting without averting his eyes from the sick and starving wildlife, the rancorous feuds among the lobstermen or the homicidal impulses that push islanders off the deep end.” ~New York Times Book Review

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

ALMOST MIDNIGHT

“Almost Midnight twists between two crises like a braid being drawn ever tighter…each storyline reveals deeper truths about Bowditch and what ties him to people and things he loves…Doiron’s storycraft is razor sharp.” ~Maine Sunday Telegram

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

ONE LAST LIE

“Before you read this book, clear your schedule. It’s the kind of story best read in one gulp…[Doiron] keeps getting better.”  ~New York Journal of Books

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

DEAD BY DAWN

“Brilliant characterizations and a compelling narrative…this series just keeps getting better.” ~Booklist (starred review).

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

 

 

 

 

Summer Reading Fun!

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Sign up for summer reading fun for the whole family at the Fairfield Public Library. You can register here.

This week’s featured author is Jill Shalvis and her Wildstone series. These are perfect beach reads.

LOST AND FOUND SISTERS

“Shalvis has crafted a wonderful summer read that will fit right in with beach blankets, flip-flops, and maybe a little moonshine.” ~ Library Journal (starred review)

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

RAINY DAY FRIENDS

“With a fast pace and a lovely mix of romance and self-discovery, Shalvis’s novel is chock-full of magnetic characters and seamless storytelling, rich with emotions, and impossible to put down.” ~ Publishers Weekly (starred review)

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE LEMON SISTERS

“The Lemon Sisters is full of Shalvis’ signature verve and wit; it touches on sisterhood and forgiveness while also serving up plenty of romance. The perfect beach read for any romance reader.” ~ Booklist

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

ALMOST JUST FRIENDS

“Tender … Believable, realistic characters are at the heart of this novel. Shalvis will immediately grab the reader’s attention with a strong heroine and caring connection between two wounded souls.” ~ Publishers Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE SUMMER DEAL

“Readers will find it easy to root for Shalvis’s stubborn, vulnerable heroines to recognize both the decency and compassion of the sexy men who love them and their own worthiness to be loved. This heartfelt tale is thoroughly satisfying.” ~Publishers Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE FOREVER GIRL

“Shalvis capably weaves the complex, intertwining relationships into an appealing story of second chances. This is sure to satisfy.”  ~ Publishers Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

LOVE FOR BEGINNERS

“The novel whizzes by. Shalvis’s fans will be pleased with the message that everyone deserves a second chance.” ~ Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

Popular Titles For June

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What your friends and neighbors are reading this month:

THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME  by Laura Dave

“Dave pulls off something that feels both new and familiar: a novel of domestic suspense that unnerves, then reassures. This is the antithesis of the way novels like Gone Girl or My Lovely Wife are constructed; in The Last Thing He Told Me, the surface is ugly, the situation disturbing, but almost everyone involved is basically good underneath it all. Dave has given readers what many people crave right now—a thoroughly engrossing yet comforting distraction.”~  BookPage

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

GOLDEN GIRL by Elin Hilderbrand

“This sweeping love story is Hilderbrand’s best ever. . . Her stories are relatable in an aspirational way, but her attention to detail is what makes her characters feel like living, breathing people you want to know. They would never skimp on citronella candles; they would save the least creaky rocking chair for you.”~ Elisabeth Egan, New York Times Book Review

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

MALIBU RISING by Taylor Jenkins Reid

“It’s 1983 in Malibu, and the famous Riva siblings are hosting their annual end-of-summer party—a legendary affair. By morning, the house is in flames, a blaze fueled by smoldering secrets and long-simmering drama. [Taylor Jenkins] Reid has once again crafted a fast-paced, engaging novel that smoothly transports readers between decades and story lines.” ~The Washington Post

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

HOUR OF THE WITCH by Chris Bohjalian

“Bohjalian blends historical fiction with a thrilling courtroom drama. . . A fascinating and immersive read… What makes this novel remarkable and compulsively readable is Bohjalian’s uncanny ability to capture the Puritan perspective… Hour of the Witch is at once brilliantly idiosyncratic while also recognizable. This genre-defying thriller is sure to become a staple of book clubs and a favorite of historical mystery fans.”
~BookPage

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.