Fiction
An Award-Winning Good Read
The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera is a middle grade novel that blends Mexican folklore and science fiction. I just had to read it after learning it won the 2022 Newbery Award, one of the most prestigious prizes in children’s literature.
When Earth is destroyed by a comet, 12-year-old Petra Peña’s family is among those chosen to travel through space and time to help populate a new planet. Something goes wrong while they are in their sleep-states and when Petra wakes up hundreds of years later, she seems to be the only person who remembers Earth. Even more disturbing, the management of the ship and its mission have been taken over by an evil “Collective,” who have purged the memories of those on board, eliminating those unwilling to be brainwashed. Petra, whose close relationship with her abuela (grandmother), Lita, prepared her to be the future world’s cuentista (storyteller), must look deep within herself and her memories in an attempt to save civilization.
I absolutely loved this unusual book that reminded me of The Giver by Lois Lowry. I also loved the way the author weaves Mexican folklore and language throughout the novel, as Petra shares her favorite cuentos (stories) with her newly awakened shipmates. If you like books about the importance of stories, folklore and family, take a magical and memorable journey along with The Last Cuentista.
-Carol
Review of Tell Me an Ending by Jo Harkin
Nepenthe is a cutting-edge company that specializes in a certain kind of psychiatric medicine. Unlike traditional therapy, Nepenthe doesn’t dispense medication or help you process your memories. Instead, they delete those memories entirely, and can even make you forget that you got a memory deletion in the first place! In Jo Harkin’s debut novel, Tell Me an Ending, five people must grapple with the fallout of memory deletions in their lives: Noor, a doctor who works at Nepenthe; William, a former police officer with PTSD; Finn, whose wife had a memory deleted; Mei, a girl who remembers a place she’s never been; and Oscar, who doesn’t know who he is, why he’s on the run, or how his bank account is full of money.
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I actually did. I usually love the juxtaposition of a world-altering scientific breakthrough used for something mundane like deleting painful memories of a break up, but I felt that this novel lacked heart. Harkin’s novel is best understood as an investigation of the morality and ethics of memory deletion, less akin to novel than a philosophy discussion in a textbook. The book does have an emotional payoff at the end, but the characters are almost blank slates until more than halfway through the novel, making it difficult to connect with them. All in all, I wanted Harkin to go for more with this book: push her concept farther, develop her characters more, and steer the plot in a less mundane direction. While Tell Me an Ending can be described as science fiction, this is a literary novel that asks questions about how memories define us and if nature or nurture makes us who we are.
Release date: March 1, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
What We’re Reading Now…..
Evelyn is the leading scientist on genetic cloning. When she discovers a clone of herself at her ex-husband’s house, she realizes that he has stolen her research to make the perfect wife. Somehow, the husband ends up dead on the kitchen floor, and Evelyn and her clone have to cover up the murder in this science fiction-flavored domestic thriller. Shannon
I just picked up this new novel that snagged a starred review in Booklist and am really excited to dig in. Described as a literary horror tragedy, this thought-provoking book looks at marginalization and systemic oppression through a classic haunted house story, with some contemporary twists. The haunted house in this tale is actually a full-contact escape room attraction, and a team of contestants must stay in the house to win thousands of dollars. That can’t end well, right? After each interlude of court documents or descriptions of that evening, the story moves to longer, more character-driven chapters, where readers get to know the key people in the large cast, including Kendra, a Black teenager new to Nebraska and Jaidee, a gay Thai college student. Nicole
Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz
I’m currently reading a YA book with a lot of crossover appeal. Noble Blood fans rejoice! Dana Schwartz, host of the chart-topping podcast about history’s most infamous and ill-fated royals, has written a gothic mystery filled with grave robbers, dark magic, and 19th century science. Hazel Sinnett wants to be surgeon more than a wife, dressing in men’s clothes to attend courses at the Edinburgh Anatomist’s Society. When she’s discovered, she makes a deal: Pass the medical exam independently, and the University will permit her to officially enroll. The only problem? Hazel needs bodies to study. While she’s made the acquaintance of resurrection man Jack, Jack is trying to solve the mystery behind his missing friends and several graveyard secrets. Oh, and stay alive during a plague. Anatomy: A Love Story is the latest pick for Reese Witherspoon’s YA Book Club. Two additional titles that I love: The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr. (So exceptionally good, and a debut, and impossible for me to write an adequate blog review so I’m glad it can be shown off in some way), Real Life by Brandon Taylor. Thanks! Kari
The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis
The story centers around the Henry Clay Frick family in 1919 and later his mansion/collections/museum which were given to the city of New York. Two models decades apart are drawn to the Frick family. I’m not sure how the novel will end but am enjoying the plot. This is a book for fans of historical fiction, art history and landmarks of New York. Emma
A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
Paul Tremblay’s story of a televised exorcism and its aftermath does one of the things that I love about the horror genre; instill the reader with a sense of doubt. A Head Full of Ghosts gives multiple (and temporally varied) perspectives on a family’s experience having their lives turned into a paranormal investigation show when it is suspected that their eldest daughter is possessed. Tremblay gives the reader no certainty on what’s “really” going on and holds a tread of tension that I am unsure is ever broken. Greg
The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H.G. Parry
This was a delightful novel about two brothers, Charley Sutherland, a college English professor who has a concealed magical ability he can’t quite control: he can bring characters from books into the real world, and his somewhat estranged brother Rob, who is left to reluctantly help clean up Charley’s messes. The real trouble begins when they discover there is another person with this summoning ability, and they are NOT using it for good. As the fictional world begins to threaten the real world, the brothers must unite to try and put things in order. I thought the ending was a little unrealistic at first, but then remembered that the whole book is about fictional literary characters living in the modern world, so I guess anything goes! Sara
The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
Gornichec takes a largely overlooked member of Norse mythology, Angrboda, and tells her story, including her relationship with Loki. A relationship that directly results in the events that would induce Ragnarok and the end of the world. The Witch’s Heart takes a well-known pantheon and builds upon it an entirely new story that provides depth to characters both unknown and prominent in popular culture. Trent
A multi-generational story about the Lyons family and their neighborhood, the Briar Patch. A short novel written with the most beautiful and haunting prose; it explores poverty, racism, ghosts, and otherworldly beings. Horror comes in many forms. Christine
Warm Up With a Vintage Number
Looking for a book that wants to make you sing and dance? Pick up this oldie from “way back” in 2017.
The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce begins in 1988 at a record store in a small English village, on Unity Street, dead-end strip of struggling shops, whose buildings have been in disrepair for decades.
Frank, forty and single, is the owner of the music shop, which sells only vinyl records (no CDs!). Frank knows absolutely everything about music and always manages to find the right album for the right person at the right time. Someone might come into his shop wanting Duran Duran and walk out with Mozart instead if Frank has a sense that a certain song or type of music will cure them of their blues.
If only Frank could make that kind of magic for himself. Unfortunately, Frank isn’t great at personal relationships as a result of an unorthodox upbringing. He is a poor communicator and finds it hard to stand his ground, even when a real estate developer starts to pressure Frank and his fellow shop owners to sell.
Everything changes on the day that Ilse Brauchmann, an attractive young woman wearing a pea-green coat, peers into Frank’s store window and immediately faints outside of his shop. Will Ilse, who mysteriously always wears gloves, be able to chip away at Frank’s tough exterior and help him come to terms with his past?
As with all of Rachel Joyce novels, this book will make you cry a little and laugh a lot. Pick up The Music Shop if you are looking for a satisfying, feel-good read with a sweet romance and a charming cast of supporting characters. Like that perfect song, it might just heal your soul.
-Carol
New Books Tuesday @ RRPL
Here some of the new exciting releases for you to take a look at this week!
Free Love by Tessa Hadley – From the best-selling author of Late in the Day comes a novel that portrays the dissolution of a family in 1960s England.
Mercy Street by Jennifer Haigh – As anti-abortion protests intensify, Claudia, a counselor at the Mercy Street clinic, is in a constant state of fear and turns to an affable pot dealer through whom she meets a random assortment of customers, one of whom may unwittingly bring about the destruction of the clinic.
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson – Two estranged siblings try to reclaim the closeness they once shared while trying to piece together their late mother’s life story and fulfill her last request of sharing a traditional Caribbean black cake “when the time is right.”
The Christie Affair by Nina De Gramont – Brilliantly reimagining the unexpected 11-day disappearance of Agatha Christie that captivated the world, this novel is told from the point of Miss Nan O’Dea, who infiltrated the Christies’ wealthy, rarified world to destroy their marriage.
A Game of Fear by Charles Todd – Inspector Ian Rutledge investigates when the lady at a grand manor claims she witnessed a violent murder, but no blood or body can be found, in the latest installment of the best-selling series following A Fatal Lie.
The Goodbye Coast by Joe Ide – Against his better judgment, Detective Philip Marlowe takes on two missing-persons cases, while grappling with his troubled and confounding relationship with is father, a once-decorated LAPD homicide detective.
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb – When, right before the cutthroat Tchaikovsky Competition — the Olympics of classical music, his priceless Stradivarius is stolen, with a ransom note for $5 million in its place, Ray McMillian must piece together the clues to reclaim the violin before it’s too late.
What the Fireflies Knew by Kai Harris – Told from the perspective of almost 11-year-old Kenyatta Bernice (KB), this coming-of-age novel follows KB as she is sent to live with her estranged grandfather where she, as everything and everyone changes around her, is forced to carve out a different identity for herself and find her own voice.
Catch Her When She Falls by Allison Buccola – Years after her high school boyfriend was convicted of killing her best friend, a small-town Pennsylvania coffee shop owner visits an online true crime forum and begins wondering if there was another explanation for Emily’s murder.
The Family Chao by Lan Samantha Chang – When Big Leo, the owner of Fine Chao restaurant is found dead—presumed murdered, his three sons are reunited and fall under suspicion of the town and police, and must reckon with the legacy of their father’s outsized appetites and own future survival.
~semanur
Warm Up with a Riveting Read
I’ve loved reading Lisa Lutz since 2008’s The Spellman Files and its sequels, books about a family of private detectives that were filled with interesting and quirky characters and had me rolling with laughter and eagerly awaiting each installment. Her brand-new book, The Accomplice, a twisty mystery/thriller standalone novel, had me hooked as well.
Luna and Owen have been the best of friends since college and while it might appear otherwise, their relationship has always been strictly platonic. For years, they have been each other’s “ride or die” friend, the one who will keep your secrets no matter what, lie for you when you need them to, and generally have your back whatever the situation.
In 2019, long past college days, Luna and Owen are neighbors married to other people. Still inseparable, they both find themselves questioned when Owen’s wife is murdered. Unfortunately, it’s not the first time either of them have been in this situation. While students at Markham University, a girlfriend of Owen’s mysteriously died. Though they both claim innocence in both crimes, there are secrets they each are desperately trying to keep hidden, including why Luna changed her name many years ago. How far will these two friends go to protect one another’s secrets and how well do they really know one another after all?
Suspense, secrets galore, witty banter, well-drawn (flawed) characters, and a surprise ending? This book really does have it all! Fans of Liane Moriarty who haven’t discovered Lisa Lutz and fans of contemporary character-driven mysteries will not be disappointed with The Accomplice.
-Carol
5 New Books to Read in 2022
New year, new books! There are so many great books being published this year and below you’ll find five books that I’m particularly excited for! I can’t wait to read these titles and I hope you’ll get inspired by my picks as well.
In addition to stocking up on new releases in the coming months, this year I’m planning on revisiting some favorite classics as well. I’ll be spending some time with H.P. Lovecraft and Emily Bronte again, while making time to dive into some non-fiction titles and biographies (which is a bit out of my typical reading comfort zone).
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
The award-winning, best-selling author of Station Eleven and The Glass Hotel returns with a novel of art, time, love, and plague that takes the reader from Vancouver Island in 1912 to a dark colony on the moon three hundred years later, unfurling a story of humanity across centuries and space. Expected publication: April 2022
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic and Velvet Was the Night comes a dreamy reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico. Expected publication: July 2022
Book of Night by Holly Black
#1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black makes her stunning adult debut with Book of Night, a modern dark fantasy of shadowy thieves and secret societies in the vein of Ninth House and The Night Circus. Expected publication: May 2022
Such a Pretty Smile by Kristi DeMeester
A biting novel from an electrifying new voice, Such a Pretty Smile is a heart-stopping tour-de-force about powerful women, angry men, and all the ways in which girls fight against the forces that try to silence them. Expected publication: January 2022
Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty
Set in a Native community in Maine, Night of the Living Rez is a riveting debut collection about what it means to be Penobscot in the twenty-first century and what it means to live, to survive, and to persevere after tragedy. Expected publication: July 2022
What books are you looking forward to checking out this year?
Book Review: The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
It’s been some time since I read a novel that truly surprised me and Catriona Ward’s The Last House on Needless Street not only surprised me, it astonished me. This strikingly original, difficult, and heartfelt novel disguises itself as a horrific story about a serial killer and a missing child, leading readers down disturbing paths and in all the wrong directions as it slowly but surely reveals itself to be much more.
Told through the perspective of multiple narrators, we follow the life of Ted, a strange and lonely man who lives at the end of the forebodingly named Needless Street. He has boarded up all the windows in his house, which sits at the edge of a deeply wooded park and regularly hosts visits with his estranged daughter. His only friend appears to be his cat Olivia- who is also a narrative voice and is quite charming.
The tale opens on the anniversary of the disappearance of a young girl, a disappearance that Ted was initially suspected of causing, and we also meet the vengeful sister of the missing girl who is still trying to track down her sister’s potential murderer years later. This deeply layered plot is revealed little by little with each chapter, and keen readers will note right off the bat that all is not as it seems with each narrator, and we are clearly not getting a complete picture.
The final few twists of this novel are stunning, and absolutely heartbreaking, making this a standout novel of psychological horror, but also an emotional story of trauma and finally, and most importantly, hope. A detailed author’s note at the end further explains Ward’s excellent work on this story and why this is a very realistic tale of trauma. Highly recommended for fans of deeply woven mysteries, unreliable narrators, and psychological horror.
Note: There are some very upsetting and intense scenes in this novel, particularly depicting animal abuse and child abuse, so please proceed with this trigger warning in mind.
Request a copy here or snag a digital copy here!
Shannon’s Top Ten of 2021
It’s the end of the year (where did the time go??), and there’s been a lot of really great books published in 2021! My list is of course very science fiction and fantasy heavy, but what can I say? I’m a lady who likes spaceships and unicorns.
Without further ado, here is my top ten of 2021 – click any of the book covers below to be taken to our catalog, where you can request a copy of the book with your library card number and PIN.
And last but not least, my favorite book of 2021:
Time travelling alternate history queer love story – plus naval battles and the Napoleonic Wars… what’s not to love? You can read my review of this excellent novel here. You can also find all of these titles by searching in our digital library.
Well, that’s a wrap on 2021 for me. Be sure to check out the top ten lists of other staff members this week!
Read it or Weep 