Religious Fiction

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

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There are many exciting new book releases coming and you don’t want to miss it…

The Choice

When the enemy’s witches, traitorous and power-mad, appear to her in a dream, practicing black magick and sacrificing the innocent, Breen, united with Keegan and all of Talamh, must save those in need of rescue and, with every weapon she has, confront the darkness once and for all.

The Whittiers

When a devastating tragedy takes their parents from them, the eldest four adult Whittier children must put aside their personal issues and grief to keep the family together and support each other and their two youngest siblings.

Hunting Time

A wealthy entrepreneur hires Colter Shaw to track down and protect his employee, Allison Parker, a brilliant engineer, who is on the run from her ex-husband with her teenage daughter, in the fourth novel of the series following Hunting Time.

A Christmas Memory

Reeling from the loss of his brother in Vietnam, Richard moves with his family from California to his grandmother’s abandoned house in Utah where he finds the holiday spirit with the help of an elderly neighbor and his dog.

NYPD RED 7

When a network of professional assassins, trained by the U.S. military, terrorize New York City, NYPD Red detectives Kylie MacDonald and Zach Jordan must hunt down these elusive mercenaries—the biggest challenge they’ve ever faced, which forever changes their lives.

The Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee Book

Hand-picking the keenest insights and funniest exchanges from 84 episodes of the groundbreaking streaming series, this gorgeously designed and carefully curated book collects casual yet intimate conversations with the funniest people alive, becoming the most important historical archive about the art of comedy ever amassed.

Defending Alice: A Novel of Love and Race in the Roaring Twenties

Roaring Twenties New York society is set ablaze when a working-class black woman marries the son of a wealthy, prominent family and makes international headlines after he sues for annulment accusing her of hiding her “Negro blood.”

All the Blood We Share: A Novel of the Bloody Benders of Kansas

The family of a gifted medium who can receive messages from Beyond are welcomed by the town of Cherrvale, but no one knows about their other business, in a novel based on the true story of old West serial killers.

~Semanur

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

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

The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell – In this sequel to the best-selling The Family Upstairs, two women are faced with complicated mysteries that are linked to a cold case that left three people dead in a Chelsea mansion 30 years ago.

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin – Liv Reese, waking up holding a bloodstained knife and her hands covered in scribbled messages, remembers nothing from the past two years and goes on the run for a crime she doesn’t remember committing, followed by someone who will do anything to stop her from remembering—permanently.

Bark to the Future by Spencer Quinn – When dog Chet and his human, Bernie Little, run into a homeless panhandler who turns out to be an old classmate, they investigate his past in the thirteenth novel of the series following It’s a Wonderful Woof.

Sister Friends Forever by Kimberla Roby – This powerful story of friendship follows four best friends who, leading very different lives, come together each month to discuss their hopes and dreams.

A Dark and Stormy Tea by Laura Childs – After witnessing the murder of her friend Lois’ daughter, tea shop owner and amateur sleuth Theodosia Browning investigates and is surprised when so many suspects turn up in the latest addition to the long-running series, following Twisted Tea Christmas.

Heat 2 by Michael Mann & Meg Gardiner – Follows the formative years of homicide detective Vincent Hanna and an elite group of criminals and crime syndicates, in the new novel by the four-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker and writer-director of Heat, Collateral and Miami Vice.

I Remember You by Brian Freeman – After dying at a rooftop party in Las Vegas on the Fourth of July, Hallie Evers wakes up in the hospital, disoriented, but alive, with memories that are not fully her own and embarks on a cross-country search for answers.

~Semanur

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

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Here we have some new exciting releases for you to take a look at this week!

AN HONEST LIE by Tarryn Fisher – A girls’ weekend in Las Vegas takes a violent, desperate turn when one of the group is kidnapped by a killer, leaving the rest to piece together the diabolical clues he leaves behind for them.

I’LL BE YOU by Janelle Brown – An identical twin and former child TV star reassesses the complicated bond with her estranged sister after their panicked father says she stopped answering her phone and has checked into a mysterious spa in Ojai that might be a cult.

THE BAXTERS: A Prequel by Karen Kingsbury – On Kari Baxter’s wedding day, a building storm brings conflict and doubt to the family until a moment of danger reveals important truths, which could bring them back together or tear them apart.

CITY ON FIRE by Don Winslow – A mid-1980s longshoreman who does occasional stints for the Irish crime syndicate becomes embroiled in a conflict between rival factions in the first book of a new series from the New York Times best-selling author of The Force.

THE GOOD LEFT UNDONE by Adriana Trigiani – This richly woven tapestry of three generations of women faced with impossible choices follows Matelda, the family’s matriarch, as she, facing the end of her life, must decide what is worth fighting for and when to let go.

THE PALACE PAPERS: Inside the House of Windsor – The Truth and the Turmoil by Tina Brown – The #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Diana Chronicles takes readers inside the British royal family since the death of Princess Diana, showing the Queen’s stoic resolve as family drama raged around her.

COUNTRY BORN  by Linda Lael Miller – Discovering that he’s falling for his best friend’s sister, J.P. McCall decides to do whatever it takes to protect her after someone from her past returns to Painted Pony Creek in the third novel of the series following Country Proud.

UNMASKED: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases by Paul Holes – An icon in the true crime world, the cold case investigator who finally caught the Golden State Killer provides an insider account of some the most notorious cases in contemporary American history and opens up to the most intimate scenes of his life.

THE WRONG VICTIM by Allison Brennan – When a charter boat holding nine people explodes near the San Juan Islands, FBI Special Agent in Charge Matt Costa and his Mobile Response Team must discover which one of the dead was the target—and who committed the largest act of murder in San Juan Islands history.

LITTLE SOULS by Sandra Dallas – In 1918 Colorado, as the Spanish Influenza runs rampant, sisters Helen and Lutie, after their tenant dies, must care for her daughter, which leads to murder, placing them both in danger from the ensuing investigation and the flu.

~Semanur

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

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

The Becoming by Nora Roberts – Able to walk between the world of man and the world of magick called Talmh, Breen Siobhan Kelly must take the next step on the journey to becoming all that she was born to be when one member of her bloodline, the outcast god Odran, plots to destroy Talamh.

Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon – Jamie and Claire reunite after the Jacobite Rising but worry that their grown family, finally together, will be torn apart by the American Revolution in the latest addition of the popular series following Written in My Own Heart’s Blood.

The Christmas Promise by Richard Paul Evans – The #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Noel Collection presents this heartwarming new novel in which love and faith help restore the true magic of Christmas for the people we care for most.

These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett – Turning her writer’s eye on her own experiences, the brilliant author transforms the private into the universal, providing us all a way to look at our own worlds anew, and reminds how fleeting and enigmatic life can be.

Flying Angels by Danielle Steel – After her brother is wounded in the attack on Pearl Harbor, Audrey and her best friend Lizzie enlist in the army as flight nurses in a new novel from the New York Times best-selling author of over 150 books.

Fear No Evil by James Patterson – When Dr. Alex Cross and Detective John Sampson are attacked by two rival teams of assassins in the rugged Montana wilderness in the latest addition to the popular, long-running series following Deadly Cross.

Harsh Times by Mario Vargas Llosa – Describes the international conspiracies and conflicting interests during the Cold War that led the CIA to assist in perpetrating a coup in Guatemala in 1954 in the new novel from the Nobel Prize in Literature Award-winning author.

City of Time and Magic by Paula Brackston – Believing that Liam was kidnapped by Lydia Flyte on a mission to Regency England, Xanthe is shocked to discover their involvement with a group of unscrupulous Spinners who sell their time traveling talents to wealthy bidders.

The Deathwatch Beetle by Kjell Eriksson – Even though she is no longer with the police, when Ann Lindell receives a tip that Cecilia Karlsson, who disappeared four years ago from the island of Gräsö in Roslagen, has been seen alive, cannot help getting involved.

The City of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon – Filled with unforgettable characters, unique situations and a gothic atmosphere reminiscent of his beloved Cemetery of Forgotten Books quartet, this posthumous collection offers imaginative and enchanting stories that sum up the career of this amazing writer.

~Semanur

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

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

Better Off Dead by Andrew Child & Lee Child – Jack Reacher doesn’t back down and doesn’t hesitate to teach someone a lesson when a shadowy crew picks a fight with the former US Army military police major in the latest novel of the series following The Sentinel.

Down the Hatch by M.C. Beaton & R. W. Green – Private detective Agatha Raisin, having recently taken up power-walking, is striding along a path in Mircester Park during her lunch break when she hears a cry for help. Rushing over, she finds an elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. Swinburn, in the middle of the green with the body of an old man lying at their feet.

Forgiving Paris by Karen Kingsbury – The #1 New York Times bestselling author of life-changing fiction brings her signature emotional, heart-tugging (Woman’s World) prose to this wise and worldly novel of forgiveness and hope in the City of Lights.

The Nameless Ones by John Connolly – From the international and instant New York Times bestselling author of The Dirty South, the white-knuckled Charlie Parker series returns with this heart-pounding race to hunt down the deadliest of war criminals. In Amsterdam, four bodies, violently butchered, are discovered in a canal house, the remains of friends and confidantes of the assassin known only as Louis.

Going There by Katie Couric – Heartbreaking, hilarious, and brutally honest, Going There is the deeply personal life story of a girl next door turned household name. The iconic media star discusses her professional and personal life, including losing her husband at a young age, her historic turn as anchor of the CBS Evening News, and experiences dealing with gender inequality.

As the Wicked Watch by Tamron Hall – The first in a thrilling new series from Emmy Award-winning TV Host and Journalist Tamron Hall, As The Wicked Watch follows a reporter as she unravels the disturbing mystery around the deaths of two Black girls the work of a serial killer terrorizing Chicago.

The Unheard by Nicci French – In this new heart-pounding standalone from the internationally bestselling author that People calls “razor sharp,” a single mother suspects her young daughter has witnessed a horrible crime when she draws a disturbing picture but the deadly path to unravel the truth could cost her everything.

Renegades: Born in the USA by Barack Obama& Bruce Springsteen – Two longtime friends share an intimate and urgent conversation about life, music, and their enduring love of America, with all its challenges and contradictions, in this stunningly produced expansion of their groundbreaking Higher Ground podcast, featuring more than 350 photographs, exclusive bonus content, and never-before-seen archival material.

The Wicked Widow by Beatriz Williams – While digging up dirt on a Presidential candidate at the behest of her 90-something society queen aunt, pregnant Ella Dommerich, with the help of her mysterious connection to a certain redheaded flapper, stands between a ruthless family and the prize it’s sought for generations.

The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan – Perfect for the holidays! A brand-new heartwarming Christmas novel from the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop on the Corner and Christmas at the Island Hotel. 

Gated Prey by Lee Goldberg – A simple sting operation takes a violent and unexpected turn for Detective Eve Ronin in a gripping thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg.

The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian Miller – The captivating and powerful story of one man who banishes himself to a solitary life in the Arctic Circle, and is saved by good friends, a loyal dog, and a surprise visit that changes everything, in a novel that is both ceaselessly brilliant and pure delight.

~Semanur

New Books Tuesday @RRPL

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

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik – An unwilling dark sorceress destined to rewrite the rules of magic clashes with a popular combat sorcerer while resolving to spare the lives of innocents. By the award-winning author of the Temeraire series.

The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde – In an England populated with anthropomorphic rabbits and humans, one hare family moves into a cozy little village that does not want them there and are defended by two human neighbors who take a stand against prejudice.

Battle Ground by Jim Butcher – When the Last Titan, a being more dangerous than anything humanity has faced in a millennium, declares war on the city of Chicago, professional wizard Harry Dresden embarks on a defense that permanently transforms the mortal world.

The Gift of Family by Mary Monroe – A middle-aged couple who has never been able to have children and an elderly widow who maintains a grueling schedule to support her grandkids come up with a solution to help both families during the holiday season, with unexpected results.

Jack by Marilynne Robinson – A conclusion to the story that began with the Pulitzer Prize-winning Gilead traces the story of prodigal son John Ames Boughton, who pursues a star-crossed, interracial romance with a high school teacher who is also the son of a preacher.

Unrestricted Access by James Rollins – A first anthology of short fiction by the best-selling author of the Sigma series includes 11 previously published stories as well as a new full-length novella featuring Captain Tucker Wayne and his military war dog, Kane.

Christmas Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke – Firing up the Cookie Jar’s ovens to attend a lengthy holiday checklist, Hannah Swensen helps loved ones manage seasonal doldrums before she is challenged to identify a skilled antique restorer found near death outside her bakery.

The Orphan’s Guilt by Archer Mayor – When a man’s routine DUI defense reveals evidence of a years-old shaken-baby murder case, Joe Gunther and his Vermont Bureau of Investigation team peel back layers of history to uncover links to other deaths.

The Brightest Star by Fern Michaels – Writing biographies to support her family’s struggling Christmas shop, Lauren is assigned to pen the life story of a handsome and surprisingly intelligent online retailer mogul who has put hundreds of small companies out of business.

Happily This Christmas by Susan Mallery – An independent businesswoman and single mother offers support to her neighbor and secret crush during a holiday season shaped by a prickly daughter’s pregnancy, a painful secret, difficult past mistakes and an unexpected second chance at love.

Just Like You by Nick Hornby – Miserably married to a man with whom she once shared everything in common, Lucy forges an unexpected bond with her 22-year-old babysitter, a man from an entirely different class, culture and generation. By the best-selling author of About a Boy.

The Return by Nicholas Sparks – Moving into a family beekeeper cabin to recuperate from war injuries, an Afghanistan veteran falls in love with a guarded sheriff while working with a sullen local teen to investigate the mystery of a grandparent’s death. 1.5 million first printing.

Dreaming Death by Heather Graham – Sparring with a new partner who considers her underqualified, a rookie Krewe of Hunters agent uses her supernatural prophetic dreams to outmaneuver a killer who has been targeting vulnerable young women in Washington, D.C.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig – A new novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived. By the internationally best-selling author of Reasons to Stay Alive and How To Stop Time.

~Semanur

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

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This week we have a collection of romance, horror, historical fiction, and much more for you to choose from. You can also find topics such as friendship, family life, and animal & nature… Enjoy!

Shadows in Death by J. D. Robb – Spotting an infamous assassin from Dublin among the onlookers at a Washington Square Park murder scene, Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her husband, Roarke, struggle to protect each other when they discover the killer is targeting them.

One by One by Ruth Ware – When an offsite company retreat is upended by an avalanche that strands them in a remote mountain chalet, eight coworkers are forced to set aside their corporate rankings and mutual distrust in order to survive.

The Darkest Evening by Ann Cleeves – Discovering a toddler in an abandoned vehicle near the run-down home where her estranged father grew up, Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope approaches the property during a boisterous Christmas party before discovering the body of a woman outside.

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman – Taken hostage by a failed bank robber while attending an open house, eight anxiety-prone strangers including a redemption-seeking bank director, two couples who would fix their marriages and a plucky octogenarian discover their unexpected common traits.

Robert B. Parker’s Fool’s Paradise by Mike Lupica – Surprised by the murder of a man he met the night before at an AA meeting, Paradise Police Chief Jesse Stone follows leads to one of the wealthiest families in town to identify the victim and his mysterious agenda.

A Question of Betrayal by Anne Perry – A sequel to Death in Focus finds daring young MI6 photographer Elena Standish embarking on a first mission in Mussolini’s Italy to rescue and uncover the truth about a former lover who betrayed her six years earlier.

Hanging Falls by Margaret Mizushima – Scouting for trail damage after a Timber Creek flood, officer Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner, Robo, stumble on the body of a murder victim with ties to a bizarre religious cult, before an unexpected visit leads to astonishing revelations.

The Stone Wall by Beverly Lewis – A Lancaster County tour guide researches her Alzheimer’s patient grandmother’s Plain heritage and the story behind a mysterious stone wall while confronting a difficult choice about her growing feelings for a handsome Mennonite and a young Amish widower.

The Invention of Sound by Chuck Palahniuk – A father on the brink of uncovering his missing daughter’s fate and a talented Foley sound artist find themselves on a collision course with Hollywood’s violent underworld. By the best-selling author of Fight Club.

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons – Wanting to organize an assisted death on her own terms, a world-weary octogenarian forges an unexpected bond with an exuberant 10-year-old who drags her to tea parties, shopping sprees and other social excursions.

Monogamy by Sue Miller – Derailed by the sudden passing of her husband of 30 years, an artist on the brink of a gallery opening struggles to pick up the pieces of her life before discovering harrowing evidence of her husband’s affair.

Dear Ann by Bobbie Ann Mason – A woman facing a life crisis reflects on her past as a naïve graduate student who set aside her educational ambitions at the height of the Summer of Love to pursue an obsessive relationship.

What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez – A woman who is content to listen to the people she encounters talk about themselves is asked by one to do something extraordinary, in the new novel by the New York Times-best-selling, National Book Award-winning author of The Friend.

Call of the Raven by Wilbur A. Smith – An action-packed and gripping adventure by bestselling author, Wilbur Smith, about one man’s quest for revenge, the brutality of slavery in America and the imbalance between humans that can drive – or defeat – us.

~Semanur

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

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

A Traveler at the Gates of Wisdom by John Boyne – From the award-winning, best-selling author of The Heart’s Invisible Furies comes an epic tale of humanity, a novel that aims to tell the story of all of us. Imaginative, unique, heartbreaking, this is John Boyne at his most creative and compelling.

No Offense by Meg Cabot – A sequel to No Judgments finds a broken-hearted Molly relocating to a library in the Florida Keys before the discovery of an abandoned newborn leads to an unexpected partnership with an arrogant town sheriff.

Choppy Water by Stuart Woods – When his Maine vacation is interrupted by extreme weather that a menacing adversary uses as cover to target a close friend, Stone Barrington uncovers a massive scheme with corrupt ties spanning New York City through Key West.

Lone Jack Trail by Owen Laukkanen – A veteran Marine and an ex-convict find themselves on opposite sides of the law, in a new thriller from the best-selling author of Deception Cove.

We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin – The discovery of an unknown girl found by the side of the road a decade after an unsolved disappearance compels a young police officer’s investigation into dangerous local and personal secrets. By the best-selling author of Black-Eyed Susans.

The Midwife Murders by James Patterson & Richard DiLallo – When two kidnappings and a stabbing occur on her watch in a Manhattan university hospital, a fearless senior midwife teams up with a skeptical NYPD detective to investigate rumors that shift from the Russian Mafia to an underground adoption network.

Microbes: The Life-changing Story of Germs by Phillip K. Peterson & Michael T. Osterholm – With straight-forward and engaging writing, infectious diseases physician Phillip Peterson surveys how our understanding of viruses has changed throughout history, from early plagues and pandemics to more recent outbreaks like HIV/AIDS, Ebola, Zika, and Coronavirus.

Then She Vanished by T. Jefferson Parker – Helping a rising politician whose wife has gone missing amid an inexplicable series of bombings, private investigator Roland Ford investigates the activities of a mysterious group before uncovering sinister ties to a kidnapping that threatens an entire city.

Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family by Omid Scobie & Carolyn Durand – With unique access and written with the participation of those closest to the couple, the insider authors offer an honest, up-close and disarming portrait of a confident, influential and forward-thinking couple who are unafraid to break with tradition, determined to create a new path away from the spotlight, and dedicated to building a humanitarian legacy that will make a profound difference in the world.

Olive the Lionheart: Lost Love, Imperial Spies, and One Woman’s Journey into the Heart of Africa by Brad Ricca – Draws on personal writings in an account of Olive MacLeod’s search for her missing fiancé, naturalist Boyd Alexander, in 1910 Africa, a quest shaped by dangerous natural elements, a murderous leopard cult and two adorable lion cubs.

Last Call on Decatur Street by Iris Martin Cohen – Working as a Crescent City burlesque dancer after college pressures and a drinking problem lead to her expulsion, Rosemary interweaves her pain into seductive performances before resolving to go sober on a transformative night.

Via Negativa by Daniel Hornsby – Dismissed by his conservative diocese for his eccentric insubordination, a homeless Father Dan transforms his car into a mobile monk cell and embarks on a spiritual road trip marked by an injured coyote and other offbeat travelers.

Making Sense: Conversations on Consciousness, Morality, and the Future of Humanity by Sam Harris – The best-selling neuroscientist and author of The End of Faith shares transcripts of 12 top-selected conversations from his controversial podcast to explore such topics as the nature of consciousness, free will, political extremism and ethical living.

Little Scratch by Rebecca Watson – A debut novel written in the style of a woman’s thoughts on a deceptively ordinary day traces her growing perturbation of mind as she moves through a routine marked by self-doubt, impatience, philosophical development and personal neuroses.

Houseplants for All: How to Fill Any Home With Happy Plants by Danae Horst – A beautiful guide to selecting and growing the right plants for your home, with a plant profile quiz.

Help Yourself: A Guide to Gut Health for People Who Love Delicious Food by Lindsay Maitland Hunt & Linda Pugliese – More than 125 gut-friendly recipes plus science-backed advice for wellness in body and mind. This game-changing cookbook will make you rethink how you eat.

Operation Vengeance: The Astonishing Aerial Ambush That Changed World War II by Dan Hampton – The best-selling author of Viper Pilot presents a narrative account of America’s secret World War II mission to assassinate Isoroku Yamamoto, the Japanese commander who masterminded the Pearl Harbor attacks.

Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America: A Recent History by Kurt Andersen – The best-selling author of Fantasyland presents a deeply researched history of America’s 20th-century transition toward government-sanctioned, normalized inequalities that favor big business and resist progressive change while rendering everyday workers increasingly powerless.

~Semanur

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

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This week we have a collection of autobiography, horror, historical fiction, and much more for you to choose from. You can also find topics such as friendship, family life, and political science… Enjoy!

Filthy Beasts: A Memoir by Kirkland Hamill – A writer for Salon and The Advocate reflects on how his newly divorced mother moved her family to her native Bermuda, leaving him and his young brothers home to fend for themselves while she chased nightlife and suitors.

Miracle Country: A Memoir by Kendra Atleework – Describes how the author’s thriving childhood in the natural desert landscape of the Eastern Sierra Nevada was upended by her mother’s tragic early death and how the region of her youth has been ravaged by climate change.

When Truth Is All You Have: A Memoir of Faith, Justice, and Freedom for the Wrongly Convicted by Jim McCloskey with Philip Lerman. Foreword by John Grisham – The founder of the Centurion Ministries, the first American organization dedicated to freeing the wrongly imprisoned, describes his life-changing advocacy of an innocent convict and his establishment of a movement that has freed dozens of victims.

Other People’s Pets by R. L. Maizes – Abandoned by her mother and thief father, a woman who empathically relates more to animals than people drops out of veterinary school and turns burglar, targeting houses where ailing pets can benefit from her care.

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones – A novel that blends classic horror and a dramatic narrative with sharp social commentary follows four American Indian men after a disturbing event from their youth puts them in a desperate struggle for their lives.

Peace Talks by Jim Butcher – Joining the White Council’s security team to help facilitate peace among hostile supernatural nations, wizard Harry Dresden is confronted by manipulative political forces that threaten all of Chicago. By the best-selling author of the Codex Alera series.

Queen of Storms by Raymond E. Feist – Posing as innkeepers and awaiting instructions from their Kingdom of Night masters, Hatushaly and Hava are assassins from the mysterious island of Coaltachin and are called to arms when the Greater Realms of Tembria are threatened.

The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal – When political divides, riots and sabotage compromise the Earth’s response to the Meteor strike, Elma departs for a fledgling Mars colony before the challenges of interplanetary pioneer life are further complicated by her husband’s presidential campaign.

Age of Consent by Amanda Brainerd – Forging a deep friendship in spite of disparate backgrounds, two 1980s boarding school students join a friend for the summer in a New York City apartment, where they are affected by sexual relationships with powerful older men.

The Order by Daniel Silva – The award-winning author of The New Girl and The Other Woman presents a latest high-action thriller that pits enigmatic art restorer and master spy Gabriel Allon against an international threat that tests the limits of his skills.

A Walk Along The Beach by Debbie Macomber – Two sisters must learn from each other&;s strengths and trust in the redeeming power of love in a touching new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.

The Revelators by Ace Atkins – Struggling to recover after an attempt on his life, Sheriff Quinn Colson resolves to track down his would-be killers, only to find his efforts stymied by an interim sheriff who has been appointed by a corrupt governor.

Demagogue by Larry Tye – The definitive biography of the most dangerous demagogue in American history, based on first-ever review of his personal and professional papers, medical and military records, and recently unsealed transcripts of his closed-door Congressional hearings.

Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close by Aminatou Sow  & Ann Friedman – The feminist hosts of the Call Your Girlfriend podcast argue that close friendship is the most influential and important relationship a human life can have, sharing strategies for creating fulfilling, long-term relationships with friends.

~Semanur

Something to (read and) Think About… Religious Fiction

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Our current genre presents a little more of a challenge than the beach reads (ie pretty much whatever you wanted -no limits!) This discussion featured religious fiction, a book that has religiously-based attitudes, values, or actions as a central feature of the story in any style of story. When you read what people said about their books, you’ll see there’s a pretty interesting variety. Are you ready to find the next book to add to your growing TBR pile?

Megan: Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore, is a hilarious and irreverent accounting of Jesus’ life between the time of his well-documented birth and his famous teachings, miracles, and ultimate sacrifice as an adult. Jesus’ best buddy Biff tells all, revealing all sorts of adventures and high jinx. Fans of Moore will recognize his satirical humor and well-placed bawdy joke.

Carol: The winner of several awards for Christian fiction, Dear Mr. Knightley, Katherine Reay’s 2014 debut novel, is jam-packed with Jane Austen references and is based on the 1912 novel Daddy-Long-Legs. Samantha Moore receives a grant from a mysterious benefactor to receive her Masters’ degree with the caveat that she write him letters telling him how she is doing at the school. Sam uses the correspondence to this anonymous “Mr. Knightley” as a means to escape her unfulfilling life—revealing to him alone what she truly feels. “Sam” is naive, innocent, and flawed, but finds that with guidance from some new friends, including the single, handsome writer Alex Powell, she might not mess up her one chance at a new life.

Beth: Michael Perry’s The Jesus Cow is a satirical take on small town life in middle America. When Swivel’s own born and raised, Harvey Jackson discovers the face of Jesus Christ on his calf, he tries his darndest to ignore it. Soon the secret gets out and his small town farm turns into a national destination. This blasphemous tale of false idols is light hearted and enjoyable.

Steve: Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns is the heartbreaking tale of two women, Mariam and Laila, who, through tragic circumstances, end up the wives of the sadistic Rasheed. They come to rely on each other and form a surprising bond as they help each other survive in the brutal household in this moving story that spans three decades, beginning with the turbulent 1970s in Afghanistan.

Sara: I read The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. This is historical biblical fiction based on the life of Dinah, the only daughter of Jacob. Jacob is well known for having 12 sons, the youngest and most famous being Joseph, abandoned by his brothers but going on to rule Egypt. Dinah is mentioned in only one chapter of the Bible as the daughter who is defiled by a prince of Shechem and avenged by her brothers. This story tells of Dinah’s life as girl living in a world where her father and grandfather have multiple wives, and women are seen as property and breeding stock. Dinah grows up with her mothers and aunts, learning about life and dreaming about love while sitting in the red tent where women went during their times of impurity in keeping with Jewish law. This was an interesting look into what the life of a woman of her times could have been like.

Gina: In William Paul Young’s The Shack, Mack returns to the Shack. This old abandoned building was the last location that Mack’s youngest daughter was thought to have been when she was abducted from a nearby camping grounds in Oregon during a family vacation. Mack was intrigued by a note he received in the mail to return to the shack, addressed by God. In this visit, Mack meets all three forms of God, gets understanding of life’s mysteries and finds peace. If you have ever wanted to have a deep meaningful conversation with God, this is the book for you as it was for me.

Emma: In Cynthia Ruchti’s As Waters Gone By, Max and Emmalyn Ross bought a cottage on Madeline Island in Lake Superior 8 years ago. Currently Max is serving a 5-year prison term for seriously injuring a man when he drove drunk into a fertility clinic. In order to pay Max’s legal fees, Emmalyn had to sell their home and move to the island. She plans to restore the cottage and hopes to restore her soul. The good neighbors on Madeline Island play an important role in helping her achieve her goals. This Christy Award finalist in contemporary fiction is a short sweet happily-ever-after book.

Dori: In Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah, 16-year-old Amal decides to start wearing the hijab full-time to school to embrace her faith, but she’s worried about everyone’s reaction. She knows she can count on her best friends, but what will the teachers, her parents and handsome Adam think? Set in Australia, this young adult novel helps to explain why young women would choose to wear the hijab and also deals with prejudice and fear. It also does a great job of explaining that Muslim people are as different, or as alike, as everyone else. Amal is a fully realized character; she’s smart, funny, and charming and you will want to see how she and her friends succeed in negotiating our tricky world.

Stacey: The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff starts with an unnamed woman visiting a recently opened exhibit “Two Hundred of Circus Magic” at the Petit Palais in Paris. She’s checking for a message from the past, hoping to find out what happened to her dearest friend when they were separated by tragic circumstances during World War II. Both women face persecution based on religious beliefs and are aware they must hide important elements of who they are in order to survive. With plenty of historical details and changing relationships, this could be a good book choice for your next book discussion.

For our next genre discussion? We will *not* be lightening the mood -at all. Next up is literary fiction defined by an inventive, rich, demanding, multi-layered, experimental, or technical virtuosity writing style. The focus is more on character than plot and will prompt a high degree of interaction between reader and book. And so -let the search begin!

enjoy!
Stacey