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Staff
Picks
As part of our reader advisory services, SRLS staff members read
and review a variety of fiction and non-fiction books each month.
ADULT FICTION
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Martha A. Ferguson, Library Supervisor, Moore County Public Libraries
Ironskin by Tina Connolly
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“Governess needed, country house, delicate situation. Preference given to applicant with intimate knowledge of the child’s difficulties. Girl born during the Great War.”
In Tina Connolly’s debut fantasy novel, readers are caught up in the evolving story of Jane Eliot and her small fey-cursed charge, Dorie. Jane’s face, scarred during the Great War while trying to protect her brother on the battlefield, must be concealed in an iron mask to prevent the fey-cursed scar from oozing emotions to others because of Jane’s curse of rage. Jane quickly discovers the collection of grotesque masks created by Dorie’s father, the enigmatic artist Mr. Rochart, and learns she and the few remaining peculiar staff of Rochart’s crumbling manor house are forbidden to enter his studio. Jane’s curiosity increases and compels her to try to discover Mr. Rochart’s secrets as the parade of beautiful women emerging from his studio increases. Being a governess to the fey-cursed Dorie on the grey misty moor is not what Jane imagined, and the “truths” she understands are challenged.
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David R. Atkins, Library Director, Montgomery County Public Libraries
Isolation by Travis Thrasher |
The Miller family has just returned from the mission field in Papau, New Guinea, and they have been followed home by evil and dark forces. Jim is burned out, and Stephanie his wife is suffering from nightmares and hallucinations. In search of rest and relief from the difficulties plaguing his family, Jim takes them to a mountain retreat in the isolated mountains of North Carolina. The evil forces only intensify once they arrive at the mountain retreat. Jim and Stephanie’s faith in God is tested and stretched to the limit as they seek to overcome the evil that threatens their lives and the lives of their children. Highly recommended. Be warned, you’ll be sleeping with the lights on! http://www.travisthrasher.com/
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Alice Thomas, Director of Moore Public Libraries
Cemetery Girl by David Bell |
At the start of David Bell’s first novel, Tom and Abby Stuart’s only child, Caitlin, has been missing for four years. She was 12 when she took their dog for a walk near their home in Ohio and never returned. Now Abby is ready to move on, symbolized by a memorial service she has planned, when family and friends will gather in a cemetery, around a headstone inscribed with Caitlin’s name and dates.
Tom’s troubled half-brother, Buster, is invited to the memorial service. Because his background includes rehab and an arrest for indecent exposure, Buster was initially a suspect in his niece’s disappearance.
Meanwhile, Tom refuses to give up hope, believing that Caitlin is still alive. He is contacted by a stripper who claims to have recognized Caitlin when a middle-aged man brought her into her strip club.
Soon Caitlin is found, now age 16 and strangely calm. When she refuses to testify against the man connected to her disappearance, Tom decides to investigate on his own. Nothing can prepare him for what he is about to discover.
Surprisingly, this novel received the most write-in votes when the New York Times asked readers what book should have won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize in fiction. It was suspenseful, but I don’t know that it’s Pulitzer Prize-winning-quality. http://www.davidbellnovels.com/
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Martha A. Ferguson, Library Supervisor, Moore County Public Libraries
Father Night by Eric Van Lustbader
Jack McClure Series Book Four |
Jack McClure, Special Agent, has survived a troubled life, an abusive childhood, dyslexia, the death of his daughter, Emma, and the end of his marriage. Jack, closest friend to the President of the United States, has been asked to rescue teenage Allie Carson, daughter of the POTUS, from a horrific kidnapping. Jack’s dyslexia surprisingly has become an asset that allows him to look at situations differently and figure out the governmental cat and mouse others have been unable to see through. Jack forms a special bond with Allie after rescuing her, partly because she was once best friends with Emma. As she becomes a young woman, Allie has become a surrogate daughter to Jack. Allie’s kinship with Jack allows her to understand him and to develop similar unique abilities that help her unravel complex plots. When you least expect it, the unexpected happens… trust no one.
In the Jack McClure series, Lustbader’s thrillers introduce memorable characters in multiple international cities. Lustbader’s writing style is fast paced, action-packed and highly suspenseful, leaving the reader “sitting on the edge of his seat.” Lustbader’s unique writing technique builds the suspense and then switches characters and locations with only a paragraph break. http://www.ericvanlustbader.com/thriller/content/index.asp
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Bonita Collins, Director of Technical Serives, Sandhill Regional Library System
The Perfect Christian by E. N. Joy |
Mother Doreen has a feeling that things are not going to go as planned on this day. You see today is her wedding day. She is marrying Pastor Frey and will be moving to a new city and church home. The problem with that scenario is someone feels she doesn’t deserve to live happily ever after and is determined to stop her wedding. Mother Doreen has seen her share of problems. She married a cheating, lying, gambling, trifling man who was never any good. She did time in prison for a crime that is unspeakable. Through it all, she has remained faithful to her beliefs, her husband and God. The Perfect Christian is a story worth reading and will make you take a second look at your actions and responses when faced with different situations. http://enjoywrites.com/
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Alice Thomas, Library Director, Moore County Public Libraries
The Stonecutter by Camilla Lackberg |
A thriller by an author who’s been hailed as “the Swedish Agatha Christie.” The body of a little girl is found in a fisherman's net. At first it is assumed she drowned accidentally, but a post-mortem suggests otherwise.
Policeman Patrik Hedström recognizes the little girl as the daughter of friends. Add to that the fact that his girlfriend Erica has just given birth to their first child, and you have a very troubling and troublesome case for Patrik.
The present-day murder has twisted roots in an unsolved older crime, and Patrik must unravel one to solve the other. Beginning in the second chapter, The Stonecutter swerves back to a story line that begins in 1923. Agnes Stjernkvist is 19 years old, beautiful, and spoiled rotten by her doting father, who is the prosperous owner of the local granite quarry in the town of Stromstad. While her father may not see Agnes’s budding sociopathic tendencies, they’re immediately on display to the reader:
“Agnes never would have dared to say it out loud, but sometimes she thought it was lucky that her mother had died when she was born. That way she’d had her father all to herself, and considering what she’d heard, her mother might have been harder to manipulate.”
Agnes sets her predatory gaze on a muscular young stonecutter who works for her father. But when her casual fling results in an unwanted pregnancy, events are set in motion that, almost a century later, will culminate in the murder of the little girl.
Lackberg’s novels are all set in the coastal town of Fjällbacka (her birthplace). So far only three have been translated into English. The previous two are The Ice Princess and The Preacher. The back-story, as the series develops, is the relationship of village native Erica Falck and detective Patrik Hedstrom as they move from romance to parenthood. http://www.camillalackberg.com/
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Donald Perkins, Library Manager,
Hampton B. Allen Library, Anson County
Redshirts by John Scalzi |
Ensign Andrew Dahl has just arrived for his new assignment on the Universal Union’s flagship, Intrepid. He starts to notice that the crew already there avoids away missions, like the plague. After has been there a while, he notices a few other things about away missions, such as: there is always a lethal encounter with some alien life form. The senior crewmembers on the mission always survive, and a lower ranking crewmember is always killed. Then he notices that at times some things happen that disregard the natural laws of physics. What could be going on here? Ensign Dahl and some other crewmembers figure out what is really happening on the Intrepid and come up with a plan to save themselves, or at least even up the odds a bit. Will they be able to? And is there even more happening than they know? http://scalzi.com/
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Adrienne Williams, Library Supvervisor, Leath Memorial Library, Richmond County
The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen |
In the murky shadows of Boston’s Chinatown lies a severed hand. On the tenement rooftop above is the corpse belonging to that hand, a red-haired woman dressed in black, her head nearly decapitated. Two strands of silver hair—not human—cling to her body. They are homicide cop Jane Rizzoli’s only clues, but they’re enough for her and medical examiner Maura Isles to make the startling discovery: that this violent death had a chilling prequel. Nineteen years earlier, a horrifying murder-suicide in a Chinatown restaurant left five people dead. A couple who’d been previously married to other partners a cashier, a mobster and the cook who committed suicide. Also connected to the case was the strange disappearance of young girls. An ancient Chinese legend adds to the mystery surrounding the case.
I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense and multiple suspects in the case making it difficult to determine who was behind these vengeful attacks. http://www.tessgerritsen.com/
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Alice Thomas, Director, Moore County Public Libraries
City of Thieves by David Benioff |
Both a coming of age story and a black comedy, City of Thieves recounts the World War II adventures of two young adults in Leningrad during the German siege of the city.
The main characters are Lev, an intelligent and awkward Jewish teenager, and Kolya, a charming Slavic soldier.
Imprisoned after wartime infractions and awaiting execution, they’re offered an impossible deal by the secret police: secure a dozen fresh eggs for a powerful colonel to use in his daughter's wedding cake. Leningrad has been cut off from all supplies for months. Most of its citizens are barely surviving on portions of sawdust-filled ration bread, rats are hunted for their meat, and the bindings of library books are being boiled down for their nutrient-rich glue.
Soon Lev and Kolya are dodging a husband-and-wife team of cannibals, joining up with a band of resistance fighters, hiding out in a brothel, and dodging Einsatzgruppen, the dreaded Nazi death quads. Eventually, the two are taken prisoner, and Lev must beat a sadistic German officer in a game of chess in order to gain the coveted eggs.
This would be a good book to recommend to teenage boys, because of the adventure element and also because it might give them a glimpse of wartime other than what they know from video games.
Fun facts: Benioff is the co-creator of the HBO series Game of Thrones and is married to actress Amanda Peet.
ADULT NON-FICTION
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David Atkins, Library Director, Montgomery County Public Libraries
Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf Goodman
by Sara James Mnookin; foreword by Holly Brubach
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There is only one Bergdorf Goodman in the world, and it is located at 754 5th Avenue, New York City. Bergdorf Goodman is celebrating 111 years of extraordinary this year. Over it’s illustrious history, Bergdorf has gained a cult following among the social glitterati — Jackie Kennedy, Grace Kelly, Joan Rivers and Susan Lucci to name a few. “Scatter My Ashes” is a collection of humorous and sometime poignant anecdotes from former and current employees, famous customers and designers. An easy to read and entertaining account of one of the world’s premiere retail establishments.
YOUNG ADULT FICTION
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David R. Atkins, Library Director, Montgomery County Public Libraries
To Save A Life by Jim and Rachel Britts |
This is a young adult novel based on the 2009 feature film of the same name. Jake and Roger grew up as friends, but Jake became more concerned with status as they entered high school, and their friendship fell apart. Roger became the outsider...The one that no one noticed...the nonexistent person. Lonely and desperate, Roger becomes the center of attention through his dramatic death. A first hand witness to Roger’s death, Jake’s very existence is shaken to the core. This is the story of Jake’s search to for answers, to determine his place in this world and to make a difference. There are a lot of issues facing today’s young adults found in the pages of To Save A Life. The subject matter of suicide, teen pregnancy, alcoholism, drug abuse and divorce are all handled in a sensitive fashion. This is a powerful, thought provoking and inspiring story that is highly recommended for all young adult collections.
Author website: http://www.outreachpublishing.com/authors/britts_rachel/
Movie website: http://tosavealifemovie.com/
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Carmella Johnson , Supervisor, Hamlet Library, Richmond County
Among the Imposters by Margaret Peterson Haddix |
After the rally, Luke’s family along with Jen’s dad Mr. Talbot decides it’s no longer safe for Luke to stay hidden with his family. Mr. Talbot gets the Grant Family to allow Luke to take on the identity of their son, Lee Grant that had died earlier. Luke assumes the identity of Lee Grant. Mr. Talbot enrolls Luke in the Hendricks school for boys. The school is scary for Luke because he has spent most of his time hiding in the attic of his parent’s farm house. He is teased by the new boys and confused about the lack of caring from the teachers. He eventually meets some friends and find other kids that are third children like him. Just when Luke thinks his worries are over with the population police, he finds out one of the members of the group is an informant. http://haddixbooks.com/home.html
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David R. Atkins, Library Director, Montgomery County Public Libraries
Temptation by Travis Thrasher
Solitary Tales Book Three |
Chris Buckley’s story and the mysteries of Solitary continue in Temptation. Chris has survived his first year at Harrington High, and has now been banished to summer school. The dark secrets of the town begin to unfold, as we learn more about the history of the town, Chris’s genealogy and unholy connections with the founder of Solitary. A multi-layered, masterful and compelling story, reminiscent of suspenseful tales of Alfred Hitchcock. Temptation builds to a most unexpected climax, that leaves the reader wanting to know, “What’s going to happen next!
Storytelling at its very best! http://www.travisthrasher.com/
JUVENILE NON FICTION
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Dogs on DutySoldiers' Best Friends on the Battlefield and Beyond
by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent |
Describes the role of Military Working Dogs (MWDs) from the raid on Osama bin Ladens compound, war use in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam,Iraq & Afaganistan to peacetime use for border patrol, rescue. & disaster assistance. Includes hero stories, both happy & sad. Gives rehabilitation info. about both wounds & post-traumatic stress disorder retraining. A section on training of both dogs & handlers is featured. Current plans by the Departmant of Homeland Security is given. Websites & sources are helpful.
PICTURE BOOKS
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Jesse Gibson, Regional Director, Sandhill Regional Library System
Elf on the Shelf by Carol V. Aebersold and Chanda Bell,. Illustrated by Coe Steinwart |
“A great new tradition during the holiday season. The kids can’t wait to get up in the morning, to see where the Elf has moved to. He appears on the day after Thanksgiving, and magically disappears on Christmas Eve. This is a very personal book/kit. Each book is meant for the particular elf that accompanies it. Once your family names it, it is recorded, and registered online. Recommended highly, the children really make a big deal out of it!”
Donald Perkins, Library Manager, Hampton B. Allen Public Library, Anson County
The Weird Series by Erin Frankel |
The Weird series by Erin Frankel is a unique look at bullying. It is one story told from three different perspectives. In Weird we meet Luisa. Luisa is getting bullied at school. In Weird we see how the bulling affects Luisa, and how she handles it. We meet Jayla in Dare. Jayla is a “bystander” and sees Luisa being teased. We learn that Jayla has been bullied in the past; this makes her scared to say something about Luisa’s being bullied. She does; however, remember what being bullied feels like, will she dare say anything? Sam is a bully. We meet her in book three: Tough. We get to see things from the bully’s perspective as well. Mr. C., their teacher, and others try to talk to Sam. Is it enough for Sam to change her behavior?
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Sheila B. Evans, Hoke County Public Library
Charley's First Night by Amy Hest ; illustrated by Helen Oxenbury |
Charley’s first night” is a very sweet, beautifully told and beautifully illustrated story about young Henry and his brand-new puppy, Charley. Henry understands Charley perfectly; “It was snowing that night, and Charley wanted me to carry him home. So I carried him all the way home.” And Charley understands Henry, too. “’This is home, Charley.’ I said that a lot so Charley would know he was home.” Everyone’s on the same page about who will walk & feed Charley – Henry will, of course, “every day forever”. But where will Charley sleep? In the kitchen, “alone every night forever”….or somewhere even better? http://amyhest.com/
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Kit Brewer, Library Supervisor, Hampton B. Allen Library, Anson County
The Croaky Pokey! by Ethan Long |
This is a new twist on the old standard Hokey Pokey song. The frogs are putting their version of the song together with catching a fly…but will the fly be caught by the frogs? There is a bird, turtle, and alligator each trying for it too. Sing along and look at the great pictures as they try! I think children of all ages will really enjoy this book! http://theethanlongstudio.blogspot.com/
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