Westerns

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

semanurLeave a comment

Take a look at some of the exciting new releases coming to our shelves in this week…

RANDOM IN DEATH

When a 16-year-old girl is murdered during a show at a New York club, Lieutenant Eve Dallas, with the lab results showing a toxic mix of substances and infectious agents in the victim’s body, must find a madman consumed by hatred who’s just another face in the crowd.

HARBOR LIGHTS

Eight short stories and a never-before-published novella, from the best-selling author of Cadillac Jukebox include the tale of a father and son who watch evil forces disguised as federal agents try to ruin their family.

THE FRIENDSHIP CLUB

After a series of terrible dates, Marni McGuire, the host of a popular TV cooking show, forms an unbreakable bond with her best friend Ellen as well as a young intern on the show and her pregnant daughter Bella as they navigate the challenges and celebrate the joys of life.

DEAD MAN’S HAND

Brad Taylor and Pike Logan face off against Putin’s agents and a group of rogue Ukrainian partisans plotting to assassinate a Swedish deputy minister in the latest novel, in the series following The Devil’s Ransom.

DIVA

Describes the scandalous love affaire between the legendary opera singer, Maria Callas, and the fabulously rich Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, whose relationship ended suddenly with the shocking news that he was to marry Jacqueline Kennedy.

NO ONE CAN KNOW

Returning to the house where her parents were murdered, mother-to-be Emma Palmer who has never told anyone what she saw the night her parents died, even when she became the prime suspect, is reunited with her estranged sisters who will do anything to keep the past buried.

ONE IN A MILLION

When Frank Culhane, the wealthy patriarch of one of Texas’s most prestigious families, is murdered, Detective Sam Rafferty, a city outsider, is propelled into a tangle of simmering rivalries and forbidden attractions as Frank’s second wife and his scorned first wife hold the future of his ranching dynasty in their hands.

THE MISSING WITNESS

Framed for the murder of an FBI agent after testifying against David Chen and his illegal businesses, Kara Quinn goes on the run, determined to clear her name without putting her partner, Matt Costa, in danger.

EASTER BASKET MURDER

A collection of Easter-themed mysteries set in coastal Maine features sleuths from three best-selling cozy mystery series: Lucy Stone, Hayley Powell and Julia Snowden, who investigate a deadly art theft and a body that mysteriously vanishes after being discovered.

~Semanur

My Year of Book Abundance – Top 10 of ’23

DoriLeave a comment

After a couple of years of feeling distracted and disengaged from reading, this year delivered a bounty of titles that monopolized my imagination and stretched some brain cells in the process. I’m sad to only get to share 10 (so I added a few more – don’t tell). Also, if you notice an Irish theme, it’s been that kind of year.

Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor: This is the first of a trilogy about history and power and greed in India. It’s an amazingly thrilling ride.

Goodbye Eastern Europe: An Intimate History of a Divided Land by Jacob Mikanowski: I loved the way it was written through themes, like myth and religion, peoples and cultures, and politics.

Old God’s Time by Sebastian Barry: A devastating portrait of the effect of trauma through generations set in Ireland. Crazy beautiful writing.

Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens: An old-fashioned western that’s not so old-fashioned. A scrappy young girl finds work in a brothel and finds friendship and romance in the process. The Wild West through a new lens.

Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck: Erpenbeck’s a contemporary German author – this novel is set in East Germany right before the fall of the Berlin Wall and centers on the relationship between a young woman and an older man – the disintegration of their relationship mirrors the ruin of East Germany. So good.

Foster by Claire Keegan: a moving novella that captures a young girl’s summer spent as a foster at her aunt and uncle’s. Coming from a poor Irish family with siblings galore, it was a special time where she was doted on and made to feel special.

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray: This was my favorite of all I think. Another Irish author, Murray dissects the fall of a family through the voices of all the members – we get to know their histories, motivations, and desires. Each voice is unique and the writing is incredible. It’s long, but it’s worth it.

The Fraud by Zadie Smith: Smith’s first work of historical fiction tells the story of a trial in 19th Century Britain. Told through the eyes of a housekeeper and cousin of a famous writer, we also travel to the sugar plantations of Jamaica and learn about the lives of the people living as slaves there. It’s worth it for that alone.

North Woods by Daniel Mason: This one is about a house in New England, as told by various residents over the years. There’s an apple farm, a catamount, a seer, and an artist, among others.

The Maniac by Benjamin Labatut: A novel about the life of a Hungarian scientist, a genius who worked on the atomic bomb and computers, and whose insight led to AI. Told from the perspectives of his friends, wives, and co-workers, it’s a frightening look at the responsibilities of science.

Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang: I listened to this audiobook and it was weird, and sensual, and made me slightly more hopeful for life after climate crises.

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue: Yes, another Irish title, this one a little less literary, but no less moving. It really captured early 20s friendship and it made me laugh out loud!

Bonus with no image: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Suntanto: I listened to this one – and it was funny and clever, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

~ Dori

Honoring Cormac McCarthy

LinneaLeave a comment

Cormac McCarthy passed away on June 13, 2023, at 89 years old. He is known for changing the landscape of American literature, eschewing conventional usage of punctuation, and having a generally bleak outlook on American life. He won numerous awards for his works, including the Pulitzer Prize for his novel, The Road; the National Book Award for All the Pretty Horses; and the film adaptation of his novel No Country for Old Men won four Academy Awards. McCarthy wrote twelve novels, multiple short stories, a few screenplays (some never published), and a couple plays.  

Maybe you haven’t read any of McCarthy’s work, maybe you’re interested in one of his works you haven’t read, or you’re ready to watch a film adaptation; whichever you choose, we’ve got the materials to help you honor him. 

The Orchard Keeper 1965 

“A young boy, an old man, and the outlaw who has unknowingly killed the boy’s father, all try to resist the changes brought about during the period between the wars.” 

Blood Meridian 1985 

“Based on incidents that took place in the southwestern United States and Mexico around 1850, this novel chronicles the crimes of a band of desperados, with a particular focus on one, “the kid,” a boy of fourteen.” 

All the Pretty Horses 1992 

“Cut off from the life of ranching he has come to love by his grandfather’s death, John Grady Cole flees to Mexico, where he and his two companions embark on a rugged and cruelly idyllic adventure.” 

No Country for Old Men 2005 

“Stumbling upon a bloody massacre, a cache of heroin, and more than $2 million in cash during a hunting trip, Llewelyn Moss removes the money, a decision that draws him and his young wife into the middle of a violent confrontation.” 

No Country for Old Men 

This film adaptation was released in 2007, directed by the Coen Brothers. It stars Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, and Javier Bardem, who won the Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won four. 

The Road 2006 

“Apocalypse grips the earth; wildlife has disappeared; and starvation prevails. Amidst this bleak backdrop, a man and his young son slowly make their way toward the coast. Avoiding roves of marauding cannibals and fighting off starvation, they gain hope and stamina in knowing they are some of the remaining few virtuous people.” 

The Road 

Viggo Mortensen, Robert Duvall, and Charlize Theron star in this 2009 film adaptation. While it wasn’t nominated for any Academy Awards, it did win a couple film critics awards: Best Cinematography and Best Actor for Viggo Mortensen.  

The Passenger 2022 

“In 1980 Pass Christian, Mississippi, salvage diver Bobby Western, after a plane crash, discovers the pilot’s flight bag, the plane’s black box and the tenth passenger are missing, submerging him in a conspiracy beyond his understanding as he is shadowed in body and spirit by the past and present.” 

Stella Maris 2022 

“1972, Black River Falls, Wisconsin: Alicia Western, twenty years old, with forty thousand dollars in a plastic bag, admits herself to the hospital. A doctoral candidate in mathematics at the University of Chicago, Alicia has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and she does not want to talk about her brother, Bobby. Instead, she contemplates the nature of madness; she surveys the intersection of physics and philosophy; and she introduces her cohorts, her chimeras, the hallucinations that only she can see. Told entirely through the transcripts of Alicia’s psychiatric sessions, Stella Maris is a philosophical inquiry that questions our notions of God, truth, and existence.” 

-Linnea 

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

semanurLeave a comment

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

The Last Kingdom

When his protégé infiltrates a renegade group intent on winning Bavarian independence from Germany, with everything hinging on a lost 19th-century deed that is the legal title to lands that Germany, China and US want, Cotton Malone battles an ever-growing list of deadly adversaries, all intent on finding the last kingdom.

I Have Some Questions for You

A successful film professor returns to teach at her alma mater and becomes determined to investigate a closed murder case, in the new novel from the author of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist The Great Believers.

Burner

Court Gentry and his lover, Zoya Zakharova, discover they both want to capture Alex Velesky, who stole records from his Swiss bank employer, but for very different reasons, in the 12th novel of the series following Sierra Six.

A Calder at Heart

After losing his whole family to Spanish Flu, a former US Army Major heads to Blue Moon where the Calders welcome him and offer him a piece of ranching property in the third novel of the series following Calder Grit.

Every Man a King

NYPD investigator Joe King Oliver is tested when asked by his billionaire friend to defend a White nationalist who has been accused of murder, in the sequel to the Edgar Award-winning Down the River Unto the Sea.

It’s One of Us

A successful interior designer who keeps failing in her quest to conceive is shocked when she learns that a suspect in a recent murder investigation is her husband’s son from a long-ago donation to a sperm bank.

The Librarian of Burned Books

Set against the backdrop of World War II, this unforgettable novel, inspired by the true story of the Council of Books in Wartime, follows three women whose fates become intertwined by their belief in the power and goodness in the written word to triumph over the very darkest moments of war.

~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!

Wyoming Homecoming

Returning to Catelow, Wyoming, for her great-uncle’s funeral, Abbie Brennan, raising her young niece and keeping her own family legacy alive, tries to avoid Sheriff Cody Banks, who had once blamed her for his wife’s death, until circumstances throw them together, giving them a second chance. 

Jujutsu Kaisen. 18, Fever

In a world where cursed spirits feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryomen Sukuna have been lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna’s body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of jujutsu sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the supernatural!

Queen of Myth and Monsters

Uncertain who her allies are in the vampire stronghold of Revekka, Isolde, the newly coronated queen, contends with courtly intrigue while a deadly blood mist threatens all of Cordova and her trust in Adrian when troubling information about his complicated past comes to light.

100 Plants to Feed the Birds

An award-winning birder and science editor offers an easy-reference guide profiling the planting and care of the 100 best native plants for providing food and homes to local and migrating birds.

Fodor’s Essential Italy

An updated guide to Italy includes maps, suggested itineraries, excursions and recommendations from locals to fit every budget and see it all, from designer shopping in Milan to visiting the Colosseum in Rome or hiking the Cinque Terre.

Rick Steves Germany

From fairy tale castles and alpine forests to quaint villages and modern cities, this exciting passport to Germany provides strategic advice, vital trip-planning tools, detailed maps and a wealth of information on what to see and do.

Moon Alaska

Provides the inspiration for planning an unforgettable Alaskan adventure with the help of strategic itineraries, which include unique experiences, honest advice and background information on culture, weather, wildlife, local laws and history.

~Semanur

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

semanurLeave a comment

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

semanurLeave a comment

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

The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka – When a crack appears in the pool, a fellowship of swimmers who take comfort in their laps are cast out, including Alice, who, slowly losing her memory, is reunited too late with her estranged daughter, in this intimate story of mothers and daughters, and the sorrows of implacable loss.

Think of Me by Frances Liardet – In 1974, 10 years after his wife’s death, James, needing a change of scenery, moves into a new house in the beautiful English village of Upton where the discovery of scarf is the catalyst for unlocking new revelations about his past, which gives him purpose and a second chance at love.

Caramel Pecan Roll Murder by Joanne Fluke – Baker Hannah Swensen agrees to help bake pastries at a local inn during a flashy fishing competition but investigates when the event’s celebrity spokesperson is found dead, in the latest addition to the series following Chocolate Cream Pie Murder.

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley – Arriving in Paris to stay with her brother, Ben, Jess learns that he has gone missing, and to find him, starts digging into his life, realizing, even though she has come to the City of Lights to escape her past, it’s his future hanging in the balance.

Calder Grit by Janet Dailey – Trying to calm tensions, an ambitious, young mill owner agrees to marry the daughter of a homesteading family in 1909 Montana after his spoiled half-brother took advantage of her, in the second novel of the series following The Calder Range.

The Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon – In 1963 Berlin, Martin Keller, a captured physicist and American who spied for the KGB, is swapped by the British and returns to East Berlin where he needs to know who arranged for his release and why.

Nothing to Lose by J. A. Jance – Twenty years after he lost his partner Susan to her husband’s murderous rage, Beau, when Susan’s son needs his help, is drawn into a missing persons case, becoming tangled in a web of family secrets where a killer with nothing left to lose waits to take another life.

This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel – When she receives an email from Wisewood, an off-the-grid facility where her sister is learning to become her Maximized Self, threatening to expose her darkest secret, Natalie heads North to come clean and soon discovers that Wisewood won’t let either of them go without a fight.

~Semanur

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

semanurLeave a comment

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

Bewilderment by Richard Powers – A widowed astrobiologist and single father to a troubled son contemplates an experimental neurofeedback treatment that trains the boy on the recorded patterns of his mother’s brain in the new novel from the Pulitzer Prize–winning and #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Overstory.

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki – A novel explores the themes of loss, growing up, and our relationship with things.

Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty by Anderson Cooper & Katherine Howe – Drawing on never-before-seen documents and told from a unique insider’s viewpoint, the CNN anchor and New York Times bestselling author tells the story of his legendary family and their remarkable influence.

A Darker Reality by Anne Perry – Elena Standish investigates the mysterious death of Lila Worth, who she discovers is a British spy, at an anniversary party for her parents in Washington, D.C., in the third novel of the series following A Question of Betrayal.

Daughter of the Morning Star by Craig Johnson – After a Native high school basketball star whose sister disappeared begins receiving death threats, Tribal Police Chief Long, Absaroka County Sheriff Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear investigate in the latest novel of the series following Next to Last Stand.

An Impossible Promise by Jude Deveraux – Although they were lovers in the past, Liam O’Conner and Cora McLeod are just roommates in the present as they try to follow the angels’ commands in the second novel of the series following An Impossible Promise.

The Burning by Jonathan Kellerman & Jesse Kellerman – When deputy coroner Clay Edison discovers a link between the murder he is investigating and his brother, he is forced to reckon with his own suspicions, resentments and loyalties.

The Jailhouse Lawyer by James Patterson – When a young lawyer takes on a judge who is destroying her hometown, she ends up in jail where she learns the deadly truth about why the jail is so crowded and why so few prisoners are released.

When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash – When a plane crash lands at the nearby airfield on the coast of North Carolina, Sheriff Winston Barnes begins a murder investigation that will change the course of his life and the fate of the community he has sworn to protect.

~Semanur

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

semanurLeave a comment

We have some new releases picked out for you to dive in for the following week. There is an adventure, humor, romance and many more for you to enjoy!

My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham  Jones – Protected by horror movies – especially the ones where the masked killer seeks revenge on a world that wronged them, Jade Daniels, an angry, half-Indian outcast, pulls us into her dark mind when blood actually starts to spill into the waters of Indian lake.

19 Yellow Moon Road by Fern Michaels – Maggie Spritzer and the other members of the Sisterhood investigate The Haven, a commune run by the dubious sons of a disgraced, Ponzi-scheme-running Chicago businessman in the latest novel of the series following Bitter Pill.

The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson – June Jones emerges from her shell to fight for her beloved local library, and through the efforts and support of an eclectic group of library patrons, she discovers life-changing friendships along the way.

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang – When she suddenly loses her ability to play the violin, Anna Sun must learn to listen to her heart and falls in love with a man her parents disapprove of, forcing her to choose between meeting expectations and finding happiness in who she really is.

Whiplash by Janet Dailey – Returning to the family ranch, Val Champion, whose dreams of a Hollywood acting career have become a nightmare, finds that she is no safer at home when she comes face-to-face with her first and only true love – rodeo man Casey Bozeman.

A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins – Three women unknown to each other are each questioned in connection with the gruesome murder of a young man found on a London houseboat in the new novel by the New York Times best-selling author of The Girl on the Train.

You Can Run by Karen Cleveland – To get her son back, CIA analyst Jill Bailey must do something she thought she’d never do with the help of a hard-hitting journalist, forcing them both to confront their loyalties to family and country.

What the Cat Dragged in by Miranda James – Librarian Charlie Harris and his faithful feline companion, Diesel, have inherited Charlie’s grandfather’s house, along with a deadly legacy: a decades-old crime scene, in an all-new mystery in the New York Times best-selling Cat in the Stacks series.

The Education of Nevada Duncan Carl Weber & C. N. Phillips – Heir to the Duncan and Zuniga crime family fortunes, Nevada Duncan must attend the world’s most elite school for the children of underworld figures where he learns the importance of friendship as an enemy lurks in the shadows who wants what Nevada has.

The Last Guests J. P. Pomare – A wife finds herself racing for answers when the decision to rent out her family vacation home takes a deadly turn.

Revelator by Daryl Gregory – Returning to the backwoods of Tennessee for her grandmother’s funeral, and to check on Sunny, a mysterious 10-year-old girl her grandmother adopted, professional bootlegger Stella soon discovers that Sunny is a direct link to her buried past and her family’s destructive faith.

The Devil You Know by Kit Rocha – Maya, genetically engineered for genius and trained for revolution, vows to stop an operation trading in genetically enhanced children with the help of Gray, who, unable to escape the time bomb in his head, has found his purpose in his final days – keeping Maya safe.

~Semanur

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

semanurLeave a comment

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

Breathe by Joyce Carol Oates – After her husband comes down with a mysterious illness, Michaela contemplates widowhood at age 37 and refuses to surrender her love in the new novel from the best-selling and prize-winning author of The Falls.

Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson – A mother and midwife inadvertently threatens the fortunes and livelihoods of her family and their neighbors after noticing an increase in local miscarriages and believes it’s caused by the pesticides used by the Sanderson Timber Company.

We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange – Returning to the east coast to recover from a drunk driving accident she caused, 29-year-old Sunday Brennan must protect her family from a man from her past who brings her family’s pub business to the brink of financial ruin.

Murder Most Fowl by Donna Andrews – When a filmmaker takes footage of Macbeth, which her husband is producing, that reveals dark secrets about the major players, Meg Langslow, with the filmmaker’s electronic devices destroyed, must uncover the darkest secret of all to expose a killer.

Ghosts by Dolly Alderton – A single author believes she’s met her dream match on a dating app until he ghosts her and forces her to deal with everything she’s trying to ignore, including her father’s dementia and her editor’s dislike of her new book.

Billy Summers by Stephen King – A former Iraq war vet working as an assassin-for-hire who only accepts jobs when the target is truly a bad guy seeks retirement in the new novel from the legendary best-selling author of over 60 novels.

Blind Tiger by Sandra Brown – A moonshiner in Prohibition-er Texas must deal with murder, lust, greed and other mayhem in the new novel from the New York Times best-selling author of Thick as Thieves and One Good Deed.

Class Act by Stuart Woods – Returning to New York from Maine, Stone Barrington helps out a former client who mistakenly thought an old feud would remain in the past in the latest addition to the long-running series following Double Jeopardy.

Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens – Beth Chevalier quits school, lies to her parents and becomes addicted to pills while dealing with the murder of her sister on the notorious Cold Creek Highway in the new thriller by the author of Still Missing.

Down Range by Taylor Moore – An elite, undercover DEA officer helps out a formerly-peaceful ranching community in Texas who are under assault by a group of criminals controlled by a rich, entitled businessmen with ties to law enforcement and local businesses.

The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones – While in Portugal for her brother-in-law’s wedding to Ali, who rubs everyone wrong way, Rachel discovers something about Ali that changes everything and threatens to unravel friendships and marriages in a place where jumping to conclusions becomes the difference between life and death.

The Turnout by Megan Abbott – When a suspicious accident occurs at their family-run ballet studio just at the onset of the annual performance of The Nutcracker, sisters Dara and Marie Durant find their delicate balance threatened by an interloper.

~Semanur