Category Archives: Fiction

Beach Reading and the Adult Summer Reading Code!

The Adult Summer Reading Code is: Penny
For more information about our Summer Reading Programs for all ages, please click here.

SURFSIDE SISTERS
By Nancy Thayer
“Having left Nantucket behind for the life of a successful novelist in New York City, why should Lara return? Because success isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, her mother is now unemployed and depressed, and Lara herself faces writers’ block after a relationship went bust. The problem? She and childhood best friend Isabelle haven’t spoken in years after a big blowup. What’s more, she’s crushing on Isabelle’s brother the moment she hits the island. The New York Times best-selling Thayer lives on that very island and makes its tides and times very real.” ~Library Journal

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

MRS. EVERYTHING
By Jennifer Weiner
“It’s been a while since Weiner explored the complicated terrain of sisterhood, and readers will flock to this ambitious, nearly flawless novel.” ~Booklist

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

THE WONDER OF LOST CAUSES
By Nick Trout
“An artfully crafted story about the connection between a boy and his dog and the deep bond between a son and his mother.” ~Kirkus

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

SUMMER OF ‘69
By Elin Hilderbrand
“As always, Hilderbrand’s characters are utterly convincing and immediately draw us into their problems, from petty to grave…To use the parlance of the period, a highly relevant retrospective.” ~Kirkus

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

More World War II Recommended Reading and the Adult Summer Reading Code!

The Adult Summer Reading Code is: Penny                                                                                            For more information about our Summer Reading Programs for all ages, please click here.

June 6, 2019 marks the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings and the Battle of Normandy. The library has a wonderful collection of World War II novels and non-fiction. The following are just a few suggested titles. Check back for more recommendations every week in June and July.

THE NIGHTINGALE
By Kristin Hannah
“Hannah departs from the contemporary novels she’s known for with this engrossing tale of two sisters’ bravery in occupied France during WWII.” ~Booklist

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

FORGOTTEN: THE UNTOLD STORY OF D-DAY’S
BLACK HEROES, AT HOME AND AT WAR
By Linda Hervieux
“In her debut, journalist and photographer Hervieux unearths a valuable piece of the D-Day landing story scarcely included in the official records: the contributions of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, the only African-American combat unit to land at Normandy.” ~Kirkus

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

THE SOLDIER’S WIFE
By Margaret Leroy
“Leroy has written a tender love story wrapped around a horrifying account of unspeakable cruelty. She brings to life the island and the characters that populate it.” ~Booklist

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

THE DEAD AND THOSE ABOUT TO DIE: D-DAY:
THE BIG RED ONE AT OMAHA BEACH
By John C. McManus
“A focused tale of the hellish ascendancy of the U.S. Army’s famed 1st Infantry Division on June 6, 1944, underscoring how the Normandy invasion nearly went terribly awry.” ~Kirkus

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

 

World War II Recommended Reading

June 6, 2019 marks the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings and the Battle of Normandy. The library has a wonderful collection of World War II novels and non-fiction. The following are just a few suggested titles. Check back for more recommended reading every week in June.

THE LIGHT OVER LONDON
By Julia Kelly
“This is a bold story of a young woman’s innocence and heartache, and her satisfying discovery of her worth and inner strength.” PW

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

THE ALLIES: ROOSEVELT, CHURCHILL, STALIN,
AND THE UNLIKELY ALLIANCE THAT WON WORLD WAR II
By Winston Groom
“Groom’s legions of fans will enjoy his novelistic approach to history, and all readers will appreciate the plethora of information he offers about three of the most important personalities of the twentieth century. With plenty of action, romance, intrigue, diplomacy, tragedy, and richly detailed history, The Allies is a strong addition to WWII collections.” ~Booklist

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

THE ALICE NETWORK
By Kate Quinn
“A compelling blend of historical fiction, mystery, and women’s fiction, Quinn’s complex story and engaging characters have something to offer just about everyone.” ~Library Journal

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

DOUBLE CROSS: THE TRUE STORY OF THE D-DAY SPIES
By Ben MacIntyre
“Macintyre effortlessly weaves the agents’ deliciously eccentric personalities with larger wartime events to shape a tale that reads like a top-notch spy thriller.” ~PW

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

75th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings

June 6, 2019 marks the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings and the Battle of Normandy. The library has a wonderful collection of World War II novels and non-fiction. The following are just a few suggested titles. Check back for more recommended reading every week in June.

NORMANDY ’44 : D-DAY AND THE EPIC 77-DAY BATTLE FOR FRANCE
By James Holland

“This hefty, scrupulously balanced history of the Allied invasion of northern France goes beyond some of the well-known events of D-Day, thanks to Holland’s meticulous research and clear-eyed view of the big picture… This is an excellent and engrossing new look at the Normandy invasion.” ~PW

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

EVERY MAN A HERO: A MEMOIR OF D-DAY, THE FIRST WAVE AT OMAHA BEACH,
AND A WORLD AT WAR
By Ray Lambert

“Lambert, a 98-years-young recipient of the Silver Star, finally agreed to commit his WWII experiences to paper after realizing that he is one of the last survivors of the D-Day landings at Normandy…All Americans owe Lambert gratitude for his service and sacrifice, and for sharing his memories so that we never lose our connection to the ever-relevant past. ~Booklist

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

ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE
By Anthony Doerr
“A novel to live in, learn from, and feel bereft over when the last page is turned, Doerr’s magnificently drawn story seems at once spacious and tightly composed. It rests, historically, during the occupation of France during WWII, but brief chapters told in alternating voices give the overall—and long—­narrative a swift movement through time and events.” ~Booklist

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

THE FIRST WAVE: THE D-DAY WARRIORS WHO LED THE WAY TO VICTORY IN WORLD WAR II
By Alex Kershaw
“Kershaw is at his evocative best describing the chaos, courage, and carnage of combat, vividly portraying the bravery of the “greatest generation.” Even readers well-read on the subject will enjoy this perspective.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

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

MISTRESS OF THE RITZ
By Melanie Benjamin
“Benjamin, who has made a career out of fashioning compulsively readable historical fiction starring real-life women does it again here with the life story of American expatriate Blanche Auzello, the titular Mistress of the Ritz, whose French husband, Claude, managed the legendary Paris hotel from the Jazz Age into the sixties and, notably, during the German Occupation.” ~Booklist

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

SOLDIER, SAILOR, FROGMAN, SPY, AIRMAN, GANGSTER, KILL OR DIE:
HOW THE ALLIES WON ON D-DAY
By Giles Milton
“Cornelius Ryan and Stephen Ambrose have set the standard for D-Day historiography. It’s safe to say that Milton (Nathaniel’s Nutmeg) can be now added to that list with this refreshing portrayal of how the Allies prepared, fought, lost, and won on that fateful day in 1944.” ~Library Journal

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

MISSION TO PARIS
By Alan Furst
Furst conveys a strong sense of the era, when responding to a knock might open the door to the end of one’s days. The novel recalls a time when black and white applied to both movies and moral choices. It’s a tale with wide appeal.~ Kirkus

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

MADAME FOURCADE’S SECRET WAR: THE DARING YOUNG WOMAN WHO LED FRANCE’S LARGEST SPY NETWORK AGAINST HITLER
By Lynne Olson
“As well researched and engrossing as her previous books, showcasing her adroit ability to weave personal narratives, political intrigue, and wartime developments to tell a riveting story, Olson’s latest is highly recommended to readers interested in World War II, the history of espionage, women’s history, and European history.” ~Library Journal

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

The Silent Patient

The Silent Patient
by Alex Michaelides
Artist Alicia Berenson is accused of brutally shooting her husband, however, she will not speak, not even to defend herself. Her only voice is through her last painting which holds the key to this mystery and reveals a deep psychological connection to the murder. ~SR

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

This is also an excellent audiobook choice. If you would like more information about the audio version of this title, please click here.

Spotlight on Author Louise Penny

Louise Penny’s series, featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is a perennial favorite among library staff and patrons. Set in the fictional village of Three Pines in the province of Quebec, this series will entertain and enthrall readers with a quirky cast of characters, as well as transport them to a quaint Canadian village with no shortage of secrets and murder. The titles in this series are listed below, in order, for your convenience. Happy reading!

STILL LIFE
“This is a real gem of a book that slowly draws the reader into a beautifully told, lyrically written story of love, life, friendship, and tragedy. And it’s a pretty darn good mystery too.” ~Booklist

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

A FATAL GRACE
“Penny is a careful writer, taking time to establish character and scene, playing around with a large cast, distracting us so we won’t see the final twists coming until they’re upon us. This is a fine mystery in the classic Agatha Christie style, and it is sure to leave mainstream fans wanting more.” ~Booklist

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

THE CRUELEST MONTH
“Penny is an award-winning writer whose cozies go beyond traditional boundaries, providing entertaining characters, a picturesque locale, and thought-provoking plots. Highly recommended.” ~Library Journal

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

A RULE AGAINST MURDER
“Murder interrupts Chief Insp. Armand Gamache and his wife’s annual summer holiday at Quebec’s isolated, lake-front Manoir Bellechasse in Agatha-winner Penny’s intriguing, well-crafted fourth mystery.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

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

THE BRUTAL TELLING
“Having won numerous mystery prizes, including the prestigious Arthur Ellis and Anthony awards for her debut, Still Life, Canadian author Penny has only gotten better with each succeeding novel. Her fifth in the series is the finest of all.” ~Library Journal

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

BURY YOUR DEAD
“Penny’s first five crime novels in her Armand Gamache series have all been outstanding, but her latest is the best yet, a true tour de force of storytelling.” ~Booklist

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

A TRICK OF THE LIGHT
“Readers who love literary mystery writers such as Donna Leon will enjoy Penny’s latest excellent series entry.” ~Library Journal

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

THE BEAUTIFUL MYSTERY
“This heart-rending tale is a marvelous addition to Penny’s acclaimed series. Fans won’t be disappointed.” ~Library Journal

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

HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN
“Another bravura performance from an author who has reinvented the village mystery as profoundly as Dashiell Hammett transformed the detective novel.” ~Booklist

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

THE LONG WAY HOME
“Another gem from the endlessly astonishing Penny.” ~Booklist

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

THE NATURE OF THE BEAST
” A strong sense of place, a multilayered plot, and well-crafted (and for Penny’s fans, familiar) characters combine for a thoughtful, intriguing tale.” ~Library Journal

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

A GREAT RECKONING
“This riveting read, with characters of incredible depth who only add to the strength of the plot, will keep readers guessing until the last page.” Library Journal

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

GLASS HOUSES
“The familiar, sometimes eccentric, denizens of Three Pines and Gamache’s loyal investigative team help propel the plot to an exciting, high-stakes climax.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

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

KINGDOM OF THE BLIND                                                                                                               “Insightful, well-plotted… Penny offers intriguing commentary on the willful blindness that can keep people from acknowledging the secrets and lies in their own lives. Penny wraps up some continuing story lines and sends recurring characters in surprising directions.” ~Publishers Weekly

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

 

Spotlight on Author Paul Doiron

If you haven’t read the Mike Bowditch series by author Paul Doiron, you’re missing out on some great thrillers. This series is a favorite among staff and patrons alike. If you would like to take a look, we’ve provided a list of the titles in the series, in order, below. Happy reading!

THE POACHER’S SON
“Doiron’s strong debut features Mike Bowditch, a newbie game warden, who hears that his estranged father, a hard-living poacher, has been accused of murdering two men and has escaped into a wilderness area. Ignoring the orders of both his superior and the police, Bowditch sets out to find his father and prove his innocence.” ~ Publisher’s Weekly

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

TRESPASSER
“Doiron serves up a tense thriller that stars a memorable main character and brings the rugged Maine landscape vividly to life.” ~Library Journal

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

BAD LITTLE FALLS
“Doiron’s third Bowditch entry is riveting and honest, with full-depth characters and a landscape that isn’t cutting any slack. Readers of Nevada Barr and C. J. Box will enjoy this similar tale, with the added surprise of a refreshing hero whose youth and inexperience Doiron skillfully twists into an asset.” ~Booklist

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

MASSACRE POND
“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
“Thoughtful plotting and strong characters raise this above the crime novel pack.”         ~Publisher’s Weekly

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

THE PRECIPICE
“This is one of the finest entries in a uniformly strong series that has quietly taken its place among the very best outdoors-based crime dramas.” ~Booklist

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

WIDOWMAKER
“The seventh Mike Bowditch novel (after The Precipice) continues to deliver vivid descriptions of rural Maine, a satisfying mystery (this one with tantalizing loose ends), and a conflicted main character.” ~Library Journal

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

KNIFE CREEK
“This solid eighth entry in the Mike Bowditch series, following Widowmaker (2016), is full of strong characters, great dialogue, and Doiron’s signature command of the rugged and natural Maine setting.” ~Booklist

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

STAY HIDDEN
“The extraordinary sense of place makes this Doiron’s strongest novel yet. This is not Jessica Fletcher’s Maine. It is a much darker place, more like C. J. Box’s Wyoming. With foghorns.” ~Booklist

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

The Naturalist

Title: The Naturalist
Author: Andrew Mayne
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer; October 2017

Summary/Review:  Dr. Theo Cray is a professor of Bioinformatics. He describes himself as a “biologist who stares at a computer screen and sometimes goes out into the real world.” When a former student, Juniper, is found dead, Theo is an immediate suspect. As the investigation and interrogation by Detective Glenn proceed, it is determined that Juniper was killed by a bear, not a man, and Theo is free to go. But he isn’t really free. Not free from the guilt he feels at having failed Juniper, having not prepared her for dangers that lurk out in the field. Not free from his surety that the police have everything wrong. As Theo investigates on his own he ticks off local authorities but also makes a few friends. As his computer generated hunting pattern yields more and more bodies, and Theo gets closer to finding the truth about the killings, it becomes clear it will be a brain vs. brawn showdown.

This was such an engrossing thriller, I read it in one day. Great writing and short chapters always keep my reading momentum going. Mayne’s writing is humorous and thrilling at the same time. A truly fantastic read and I can’t wait to read the next in the series.

Who will like this book: For readers who like a fast paced, un-put-downable thriller.

Recommended by: Sue B., Circulation

If you would like to check our catalog or place a hold on this book, please click here.

Uncommon Type

Title: Uncommon Type
Author: Tom Hanks
Publisher: Deckle Edge, October 2017

Summary/Review: Yes, that Tom Hanks.

This is a collection of 17 really wonderful short stories. I admit that short stories have always been an interest of mine, my favorites being from Stephen King, but I am getting off target.

I discovered that Tom Hanks is a “serious” writer in addition to his work on successful screen plays after happening upon his opinion piece in the New York Times about his love affair with the mechanical typewriter (link below) I was most impressed by the author’s ability to create scenes and timeframes as many of these stories take place in the past.

These are really feel-good stories about an immigrant who makes his way in the US, a bowling savant who just can’t seem to roll anything but perfect games when not working at Home Depot, a time traveler who overstays his welcome in the past, a woman who types for the love of the activity — kind of ordinary situations described in a very friendly, relaxed manner nothing like the immediate sound bite copy we have all become used to. An interesting plot line, which runs through many of these tales is the central role the plain old mechanical typewriter plays in forcing the typist to slow down to think about and feel the words being imprinted directly on the paper, not recorded electronically for later editing.

I think heartwarming stories would be a good description of this collection. You will NOT be scared, bothered or distressed. There are no rapes, gratuitous sex or violence to be found here.

Take the time to read at least a few of these. You won’t be disappointed.

Recommended by: Mark Z., guest reviewer.

If you would like to check our catalog or place a hold on this book, please click here.

Tangerine

Title: Tangerine
Author: Christine Mangan
Publisher: Ecco, March 2018

Summary/Review: Twisted mind games abound in this atmospheric debut novel due out in March 2018. Sweet Alice and fearless Lucy were best friends until a tragic accident fractured their friendship. A year has passed and Lucy has followed Alice to Tangier, Morocco to try to set things right…or so she says. Lucy adapts to her new surroundings quickly while Alice is still struggling to adjust. Feeling manipulated and controlled by her husband and Lucy, Alice begins to suspect Lucy had a darker motive for tracking her down. Perhaps it is all part of a bigger plan.

 

Who will like this book: For readers who like suspense, and who like characters with a sinister edge.

Recommended by: Sue B., Circulation

If you would like to check our catalog or place a hold on this book, please click here.