Science Fiction

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

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

HIDDEN PICTURES by Jason Rekulak – A woman working as a nanny for a young boy who has strange and disturbing secrets.

OVERBOARD by Sara Paretsky – In a city emerging from its pandemic lockdown, detective V.I. Warshawski must elude Chicago powerbrokers and mobsters as she tries to find a missing girl who is the key witness to a nefarious conspiracy, which makes Warshawski a target as well.

BY THE BOOK by Jasmine Guillory – A young, black woman working in publishing makes a surprise connection with an author who has failed to deliver his highly-anticipated manuscript in the second novel of the series following If the Shoe Fits.

THE LIONESS by Chris Bohjalian – In 1964, Hollywood royalty Katie Barstow and her new husband, along her glittering entourage, arrive for their luxury African safari, but are instead taken hostage by Russians mercenaries, in this blistering story of fame, race, love death set in a world on the cusp of great change.

BACK TO THE PRAIRIE by Melissa Gilbert – The New York Times best-selling author and star of Little House on the Prairie recounts her return to rustic life with her new husband in a cottage in the Catskill Mountains during the COVID-19 pandemic.

LONG TRAIN RUNNIN: Our Story of the Doobie Brothers by Pat Simmons & Tom Johnston, with Chris Epting – Written by the founding members of the iconic American rock band, this incredible true story brings to life the longevity, success and drama of The Doobie Brothers—born out of the late 1960’s NorCal and stood alongside The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers and many others.

THE MOVEMENT MADE US: A Father, a Son, and the Legacy of a Freedom Ride by David Dennis Jr. – A work of oral history and memoir chronicles the extraordinary story of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and its living legacy embodied in Black Lives Matter.

FRIEND OF THE DEVIL by Stephen Lloyd – A substance-abusing war veteran working as an insurance investigator visits an elite New England boarding school to find an invaluable, stolen manuscript and soon discovers students are vanishing from campus and investigates with a reporter for the school paper.

MISRULE by Heather Walter – When the woman she loves falls under a curse that not even her vast power can break, Alyce, a dark sorceress, vows to do everything she can to save Princess Aurora, even if it means turning into the monster everyone in Briar believes her to be.

SIREN QUEEN by Nghi Vo – A new novel offers an exploration of an outsider achieving stardom on her own terms, in a fantastical Hollywood where the monsters are real and the magic of the silver screen illuminates every page.

STAR WARS: BROTHERHOOD by Mike Chen – Anakin and Obi-Wan must learn a new way to work together to save Cato Neimoidia when the planet’s fragile neutrality is threatened, dangerously shifting the balance that pushes this world to the brink of war.

BITTER ORANGE TREE by Jokha Alharthi – A young Omani woman attempting to assimilate in Britain reflects on the relationships that have been central to her life in the new novel from the Man Booker International Prize-winning author of Celestial Bodies.

~Semanur

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

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

DREAM TOWN by David Baldacci – World War II veteran and private investigator Aloysius Archer becomes enmeshed in a lethal, extended web of murder and deceit in 1953 Los Angeles, in the third novel of the series following A Gambling Man.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF EQUALITY by Thomas Piketty – The world’s leading authority on economic inequality presents a concise history of the historical progress towards equality in the face of crises, violence and social struggle and charts a path forward towards greater economic justice.

BEAUTIFUL by Danielle Steel – A famous, young model has her appearance forever altered and loses the people she loves most in a terrorist attack and changes the course and purpose of her life after reading a revealing letter that accompanied her mother’s will.

KINGDOM OF BONES by James Rollins – When an insidious phenomenon spreads from a cursed sight in the African jungle called the Kingdom of Bones, scientific warriors Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma Force must head off a global catastrophe and uncover the shattering secret at the heart of the African continent.

DEATH OF THE BLACK WIDOW by James Patterson & J.D. Barker – A case from his very first night on the job, where a woman bludgeoned her kidnapper and then vanished, still haunts a Detroit detective years later and he discovers he is not alone in his search.

THE MEMORY LIBRARIAN: AND OTHER STORIES OF DIRTY COMPUTER by Janelle Monae – In a totalitarian world where thoughts—as a means of self-conception—are controlled or erased by a select few, and your life is dictated by those who feel they have the right to decide your fate, Jane 57821 remembers and breaks free.

BLOOD SUGAR by Sascha Rothchild – Although she did kill three people, an animal-loving Miami therapist with a successful practice is accused of murdering her husband, who she actually did not kill, in a new novel from an Emmy-nominated screenwriter of GLOW and The Bold Type.

JILL: A BIOGRAPHY OF THE FIRST LADY by Julie Pace & Darlene Superville – The Washington Bureau Chief for The Associated Press examines the life of first lady Dr. Jill Biden in her roles as wife, mother and educator over 40 years in the public spotlight.

FEVERED STAR by Rebecca Roanhorse – Welcome back to the fantasy series of the decade in Fevered Star—book two of Between Earth and Sky. Living avatars, Serapio and Naranpa, fight to stay human in the face of changes that will transform the great city of Tova as tense alliances form and far-away enemies gather, in the second novel of the series.

PAY DIRT ROAD by Samantha Jayne Allen – Lured into the family business—a private investigation firm—by her supposed-to-be-retired grandfather, Annie McIntyre, while looking into the disappearance of waitress, finds herself identifying with the victim in increasingly, unsettling ways and must confront her own past to survive this case.

~Semanur

What we’re reading now, spring edition…

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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

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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

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There are tons of new releases that come to our shelves every week. With all the books being unique in their own ways, it is hard to choose between the ones that are suitable for your taste. Here are some books we picked out for you!

The Match by Harlan Coben – From the creator of the #1 hit Netflix series Stay Close comes a gripping new thriller in which Wilde follows a tip that may finally reveal the truth behind his abandonment—only to end up in the sights of a ruthless killer.

The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery – One woman takes the vacation of a lifetime in this poignant and heartwarming story about the threads that hold a family together from #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery.

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James – A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel.

Nine Lives by Peter Swanson – If you’re on the list, someone wants you dead. From the New York Times bestselling author of Eight Perfect Murders comes the heart-pounding story of nine strangers who receive a cryptic list with their names on it—and then begin to die in highly unusual circumstances.

Citizen K-9 by David Rosenfelt – In Citizen K-9, bestselling author David Rosenfelt masterfully blends mystery with dogs and humor to create an investigative team that readers will be rooting for book after book.

Give Unto Others by Donna Leon – As a favor Brunetti investigates the accountant son-in-law of his mother’s friend after he alarmed the family by suggesting they might be in danger because of his line of work in the latest novel of the series following Transient Desires.

Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi – When an old acquaintance desperately needs her help, Jamie Gray is transported to an alternate dimension where she must save large creatures called Kaiju from others who have found their way to the world—and who threaten humankind back on Earth with their carelessness.

Under the Golden Sun by Jenny Ashcroft – During World War I, Rose Hamilton escorts a young orphaned boy to Australia, where his cattle station home isn’t anything like either of them were told to expect, and is unable to part with this boy she has come to love—or his wounded fighter pilot uncle.

~Semanur

An Award-Winning Good Read

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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

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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!

What We’re Reading Now…..

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Cover image for The echo wife

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey

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

Cover image for Reprieve : a novel

Reprieve by James Han Mattson

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

Cover image for Anatomy : a love story

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

Cover image for The magnolia palace : a novel

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

Cover image for A head full of ghosts

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

Cover image for The unlikely escape of Uriah Heep

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

Cover image for The witch's heart

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

Cover image for These bones

These Bones by Kayla Chanault

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

5 New Books to Read in 2022

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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?