Literary Fiction

What we’re reading now, spring edition…

SaraCLeave a comment

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Two soldiers on opposing sides of a war throughout time begin to fall in love via the letters they exchange. While it’s a short read, the book is dense with meaning and subtext, and readers will enjoy the romance and intrigue of this intergalactic Romeo and Juliet story. Shannon

Black Cloud Rising by David Wright Faladé

Tells the story of the African Brigade, a unit of former slaves tasked with rooting out pockets of Confederate guerilla fighters in the Tidewater region of Virginia and in North Carolina’s Outer Banks through the eyes of formerly enslaved Sergeant Richard Etheridge of the African Brigade. Dori

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

It’s 1937 when Mila Pavlichenko a young history student, mother, and sharpshooter joins the Russian army. Her rifle skills are soon apparent and she becomes a sniper. She rises through the ranks and is put in charge of a platoon. Her job is to train others and to kill Nazis. Mila is very successful at her job. Americans are very curious about this lady sniper when she comes to Washington D.C.  as a guest of the White House. Is she for real? Emma

A Night at the Sweet Gum Head by Marty Padgett

A deep look at 1970’s gay Atlanta through the lens of the Drag scene, political activists, and the bars that brought them all together. Deeply researched and well written, this non-fiction gives detailed insight into how a community of people who just wanted to live their lives had to become leaders and inspiration in order to exist. Christine

Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark

Set in 1920’s Georgia, this vivid horror story asks the question: What if the Klu Klux Klan was led by actual demons? Stray dog eating, multi-eyed, otherworldly demons. Three Black female demon hunters, led by Maryse, who gets her guidance from ethereal Gullah Aunties, must destroy the Klu Kluxes to stop the spread of White Supremacy. A beautiful and gory blend of historic events with a horror twist. Christine

Goodnight, Beautiful by Aimee Molloy

A thriller that does not hide the inspiration it takes from King’s Misery. As a newlywed couple tries to put down roots in a small town, tragedy strikes when the husband comes up missing and his wife has to beg the authorities to care all while it becomes more and more apparent that he has been lying to her this whole time. As he fights for his life through the only way he knows how, his wife has to reconcile the man she loves with the man she has uncovered. Christine

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

A touchingly funny book about a small bookstore in Minnesota run by a group of Native American women during the pandemic, and the community of unusual, crazy, genuine people whose lives are touched by this place and by each other.  It’s one of those books where you truly fall in love with the characters and more than anything, want them to find peace and happiness in their lives.  Sara

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

semanurLeave a comment

Here some of the new exciting releases for you to take a look at this week!

The Investigator by John Sandford – Working with Homeland Security in Texas to investigate the thefts of crude oil, Letty Davenport, the brilliant and tenacious daughter of Lucas Davenport, is pitted against a militia group as the case quickly turns deadly.

Three Debts Paid by Anne Perry – While defending his former university professor charged with assault, young barrister Daniel Pitt works with pathologist Miriam Croft investigating a serial killer who only seems to kill on rainy days—a case that makes him question everything.

The Sacred Bridge by Anne Hillerman – Sergeant Jim Chee, after visiting the sacred Rainbow bridge, investigates the death of a Navajo artist, putting his own life at risk, while Officer Bernadette Manuelito searches for the killer of a hitchhiker connected to a Navajo Nation cannabis enterprise.

Summer at the Cape by RaeAnne Thayne – When her sister Lily drowns while saving a child, Cami Porter returns to Cape Sanctuary where Lily’s business Coastal Pines Glamping is threatened by the man from whom she leased the land, and must keep Lily’s dream alive while dealing with grief and the complexities of relationships.

Shadow Fallen by Sherrilyn Kenyon – A knight of William the Conqueror and son of one of the deadliest powers in existence, Valteri is the necessary key to holding back evil if only he can work with the woman who stands for everything in the universe he hates.

Brighter by the Day: Waking Up to New Hopes and Dreams by Robin Roberts – The beloved co-host of Good Morning America and best-selling author presents a guide to finding a sense of hope, positivity and encouragement during even the darkest days of our lives.

Hello, Molly!: A Memoir by Molly Shannon – The actress looks back on losing her mother, sister and cousin in a car accident with her father at the wheel as well as her days as a beloved Saturday Night Live cast member.

Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough – With her 40th birthday approaching—the same time her mother went insane—Emma Averell is unable to sleep, and loses time during the day, symptoms her mother showed, leading her to wonder if the madness is in her blood or is she slowly beginning to lose her mind.

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins Valdez – In 1973 Montgomery, Alabama, Civil Townsend, a young black nurse working for the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic, grapples with her role when she takes two young girls into her heart and the unthinkable happens, and nothing will ever be the same for any of them.

Last Dance on the Starlight Pier by Sarah Bird –  In 1932 Galveston, Evie Grace Devlin, escaping a dark past in vaudeville and becoming a good person, is swept up into the alien world of dance marathons, which thrusts her into the spotlight where the promise of a family, a purpose and even love wait in the wings.

~Semanur

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

semanurLeave a comment

Here some of the new exciting releases for you to take a look at this week!

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth – When their father decides to divorce their mother, who, in a care facility for dementia, cannot speak for herself, so he can marry his young girlfriend Heather, sisters Tully and Rachel must find the truth about their family’s secrets, Heather and who their father really is.

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel – Hired to investigate the black-skied Night City, Detective Gaspery-Jacques Roberts discovers an anomaly in the North American Wilderness, where he encounters a strange group of individuals who have all glimpsed a chance to do something extraordinary that could disrupt the timeline of the universe.

The Candy House by Jennifer Egan – Told through lives of multiple characters, this electrifying, deeply moving novel, spanning 10 years, follows “Own Your Unconscious,” a new technology that allows access to every memory you’ve ever had, and to share every memory in exchange for success to the memories of others.

Sister Stardust by Jane Green – From afar Talitha’s life seemed perfect. In her twenties, and already a famous model and actress, she moved from London to a palace in Marrakesh, with her husband Paul Getty, the famous oil heir. There she presided over a swirling ex-pat scene filled with music, art, free love and a counterculture taking root across the world.

A Family Affair by Robyn Carr – Seeing a young, pregnant woman at her husband’s funeral a mourning wife realizes her husband’s mid-life crisis went a bit farther than she realized in the new novel from the New York Times best-selling author of the Virgin River series.

Crimson Summer by Heather Graham – Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent Amy Larson and FBI agent Hunter Forrest investigate a bloody massacre in Seminole territory that appears to be tied to South American drug cartels and a Doomsday cult.

Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow – Unfolding over seventy years through a chorus of unforgettable voices that move back and forth in time, Memphis paints an indelible portrait of inheritance, celebrating the full complexity of what we pass down, in a family and as a country: brutality and justice, faith and forgiveness, sacrifice and love.

Once A Thief by Christopher Reich – While seeking to prove his Ferrari’s authenticity and expose the real identity of the buyer, freelance private spy Simon Riske crosses paths with Anna Bildt, who, looking into her father’s murder, discovers that they have a common enemy as they are forced to play a deadly game.

Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain – At a time of profound discord and personal anxiety, Bittersweet brings us together in deep and unexpected ways. The author of the best-selling Quiet discusses how a bittersweet state of mind can actually be a kind of silent energy that aids us in overcoming our personal and societal suffering.

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li – A Chinese American art history major at Harvard, Will Chen is offered a (very illegal) chance to reclaim five priceless treasures China lost centuries ago and assembles a team of fellow students, chosen for their skills and loyalty, to help him on his mission and make history.

~Semanur

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

semanurLeave a comment

In this week’s special picks there are new exciting detective, mystery, suspense, and many more genres for you to choose from! Enjoy!

Booth by Karen Joy Fowler – Describes the multiple scandals, family triumphs and disasters that took their toll on the ten children of celebrated Shakespearean actor, Junius Booth as the North and the South reached a boiling point and the Civil War broke out.

The Darkest Place by Phillip Margolin – After a pro bono case upends her life, defense attorney Robin Lockwood retreats home to Elk Grove where she defends a surrogate accused of kidnapping the baby she carried for another couple – a case that may result in unexpected, deadly consequences.

Hideout by Louisa Luna – Alice Vega and Max Caplan re-open the cold case of a cult-hero football player who disappeared from a game in 1984 after they uncover a possible connection to white supremacists, in the third novel of the series following The Janes.

High Stakes by Daniella Steel – Five women work together at a boutique literary and talent agency while the challenges of their individual lives causes chaos both inside and outside the office in a new novel by one of the world’s best-selling authors.

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen – A maverick therapist who lost her license due to controversial methods, Avery agrees to help golden couple Marissa and Mathew Bishop overcome Marisa’s cheating, setting all three of them on a collision course because the biggest – and most dangerous – secrets have not yet been revealed.

The Lightning Rod by Brad Meltzer – Mortician “Zig” Zigarowski, while working on the body of a successful military man, discovers something he was never meant to see, and, to get the answers he needs, sets out to find military artist Nola Brown – a search that reveals one of the U.S. government’s most intensely guarded secrets.

Run, Rose, Run by James Patterson & Dolly Parton – On the rise and on the run, a young singer-songwriter arrives in Nashville to claim her destiny, but it’s also where the darkness she’s fled might find her – and destroy her.

Shadows Reel by C. J. Box – Game warden Joe Pickett, while dealing with the brutal murder of a fishing guide, must help his wife solve a mystery involving a photo album that belonged to an infamous Nazi officer, placing them in the crosshairs of a killer.

The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton – Arriving at St. Dunstan’s Academy in Maine, shy, sensitive Laura Stearns falls under the spell of charismatic, neurotic overachiever Virginia, who gives her purpose until the new school chaplain challenges Virginia, forcing Laura to decide how far she will let her devotion to Virginia go.

Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth by Elizabeth Williamson – Drawing on hours of interviews and exclusive sources and access, a New York Times journalist documents Sandy Hook and its aftermath, where a conspiracy theorists have forced the victims and survivors to defend that an event even occurred.

~Semanur

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

semanurLeave a comment

Here are some of the new books coming to our shelves this week for you to add to your book list!

Listening Still by Anne Griffin – When her parents announce they are retiring from the family business of passing the dead’s last messages to the living, Jeanie Masterson, gifted with the ability to see the dead, finds herself torn between duty, a comfortable marriage, a calling she both loves and hates and her last chance to break free.

The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh – Emma loves her husband Leo and their young daughter Ruby: she’d do anything for them, but almost everything she’s told them about herself is a lie.

One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle – Still reeling from her mother’s death, Carol embarks on their mother-daughter trip to Positano, Italy, alone, where she encounters her mother in the flesh at 30 years old and must reconcile the mother who knew everything with this young woman who does not yet have a clue.

The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer Smith – After the death of her beloved mother, failed indie singer-songwriter Greta James joins her father on a week-long Alaskan cruise, which becomes a journey of discovery for them both as they work to heal old wounds, giving her confidence she needs to move forward.

Wild Irish Rose by Rhys Bowen – In 1907, after helping distribute clothing to those in need on Ellis Island, Molly discovers, through her policeman husband, that a murder occurred on the island that day and the suspect is the spitting image of her and feels strongly that fate wants her to clear this woman’s name.

Phantom Game by Christine Feehan – The #1 New York Times bestselling author presents this thrilling addition to the suspenseful GhostWalker series in which unbridled passion collides with an unearthly danger.

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay – When four teenage girls are attacked at an ice cream shop in Linden, New Jersey, and only one makes it out alive, which is similar to a case in 1999, an FBI agent must delve into the secrets of both crimes – stirring up memories of teen love and lies – to uncover the truth.

Sundial by Catriona Ward – Rob is forced to make one last trip out to Sundial, her parent’s property in the wild Mojave desert where dark secrets are buried, when a frightening accident in her home reveals a disturbing discovery in her oldest daughter’s bedroom.

The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers – In 1947 North Carolina, seamstress Maddie Sykes, a dressmaker for Bright Leaf’s most influential women – the wives of powerful tobacco executives, uncovers dangerous truths about this lucrative industry in a place where everyone depends on Big Tobacco to survive.

Abundance: The Inner Path to Wealth by Deepak Chopra – The New York Times best-selling author returns with a guide on how to forge an inner path to abundance, tap into a deeper sense of awareness and become an agent of change in your life.

~semanur

Review of Tell Me an Ending by Jo Harkin

ShannonLeave a comment
Tell Me an Ending book cover with RRPL catalog link

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!

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

semanurLeave a comment

Here are some of the new books coming to our shelves this week for you to add to your book list!

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas – After saving Crescent City, Bryce, Hunt and their friends get pulled into the rebels’ plans to chip away at the Asteri’s power, in the second novel of the series following House of Earth and Blood.

Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James – This second book in the The Dark Star trilogy delves into the world of Sogolon, where she, a 177-year-old witch, tells her side of the story of what happened to a mysterious boy, as well as her century-long feud with the powerful Aesi, chancellor to the king.

The End of Getting Lost by Robin Kirman – Unable to recall the last year of her life after suffering a head injury on her honeymoon, Gina Reinhold, a young dancer, has the growing sense that her husband is keeping secrets from her as the truth grows more elusive.

Watergate: A New History by Garrett M. Graff – Explores the full scope of the Watergate scandal through the politicians, investigators, journalists and informants who made it the most influential political event of our modern era.

Death of a Green-Eyed Monster by M. C. Beaton – Sergeant Hamish Macbeth’s wedding plans with Constable Dorothy McIver are suddenly at risk when a murder is uncovered in the Scottish town of Lochdubh, in the latest novel of the series following Death of an Honest Man.

Diablo Mesa by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child – Responding to the promise of a hefty donation from a wealthy, eccentric billionaire with space travel ambitions, the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute excavates the site of the 1947 Roswell incident and immediately uncovers two unknown murder victims.

Sierra Six by Mark Greaney – When he sees a ghost from the past – a terrorist leader who was taken out years ago during his very first mission as a junior member of a CIA action team, the Gray Man is not one to leave a job unfinished or a blood debt unpaid.

The Deepest of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong – When secrets start to come out in the town of Rockton, turning people against each other, Detective Casey Duncan, while searching for the person responsible for these revelations, discovers that the culprit is a murderer, and no one knows what will happen next.

The Cage by Bonnie Kistler – Two professional women – colleagues at an international fashion conglomerate – enter an elevator together … but only one is alive when they reach the ground floor.

Drop Acid: The Surprising New Science of Uric Acid—the Key to Losing Weight, Controlling Blood Sugar, and Achieving Extraordinary Health by Davis Perlmutter – A neurologist and the New York Times best-selling author of Grain Brain reveals the hidden, deadly risk posed by high uric acid levels and provides a 21-day program with 35 delicious recipes to reduce your levels.

~semanur

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

semanurLeave a comment

These are the books we are adding to our collection this week. Click on the teal text to go to our catalog and place a hold today!

Abandoned in Death by J. D. Robb – Homicide detective Eve Dallas investigates after a woman’s body is found on a city playground bench holding a sign reading “bad mommy,” in the newest novel of the long-running series following Forgotten in Death.

City of the Dead by Jonathan Kellerman – Court-consulting child psychologist Alex Delaware and homicide detective Milo Sturgis unravel a baffling mystery after a naked corpse in the street leads to the discovery of another murder, in the latest novel of the long-running series following Serpentine.

Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz – A former government assassin helps a South Texas drug kingpin, a man who does bad things for good reasons, after a vicious cartel kidnaps his 18-year-old daughter, in the seventh novel of the series following Prodigal Son.

Steal by James Patterson & Howard Roughan – When the son of the founder of the world’s largest hedge fund is thought to have committed suicide, but a body hasn’t been found, his father, believing that he is still alive, turns to Dylan Reinhart for help, drawing him into a world of multi-million-dollar secrets and danger.

Shadows of Pecan Hollow by Caroline Frost – Set in Texas in the 1970s and 90s, a debut novel looks at the lives of a fierce woman and the partner-in-crime she can’t escape.

Nobody’s Magic by Destiny O. Birdsong – Three black women with albinism find themselves at a crossroads in their lives, in this novel, told in three parts, that is a meditation on grief, female strength and self-discovery set against the backdrop of social and racial histories.

The Great Mrs. Elias by Barbara Chase-Riboud – The author of the award-winning Sally Hemings now brings to life Hannah Elias, one of the richest black women in America in the early 1900s, in a novel swirling with atmosphere and steeped in history.

~semanur

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

semanurLeave a comment

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