#Gothic

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

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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

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

The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore – In 1860, Elizabeth Packard, committed to an insane asylum by her traitorous husband, becomes a champion for the many rational women on her ward, discovering that the merit of losing everything is that you then have nothing to lose.

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi – Back in the Pink City where he was once a wily street urchin, Malik, assigned to help Samir Singh’s feckless son Ravi build the new public cinema, finds his livelihood, reputation and the people he loves most threatened after Ravi implicates him in a ruthless scandal.

Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie – The year is 1969, and the Bayleen Island Folk Fest is abuzz with one name: Jesse Reid, whose intricate guitar riffs and supple baritone are poised to tip from fame to legend with this one headlining performance. That is, until his motorcycle crashes on the way to the show.

Dream Girl by Laura Lippman – Bedridden after a freak accident, a novelist begins to question his own sanity as he moves through dreamlike memories of his own fictional characters in the follow-up to the New York Times best-selling Lady in the Lake.

Blush by Jamie Brenner – Returning with her mother to her parents’ North Fork Long Island winery, college-age Sadie discovers that her Grandma Vivian once ran a “trashy” book club and decides to reinstate it as a way to reconnect the family.

Sunrise by the Sea by Jenny Colgan – Moving to a Cornish seaside village, hoping for peace and solitude, lonely registrar Marisa Rosso, feeling like life is passing her by, unexpectedly finds her joy again with the help of her noisy neighbor, the community spirit and a campaign to save the local bakery.

Filthy Animals by Brandon Taylor – The author of the Booker Prize finalist Real Life presents a group portrait of young adults enmeshed in desire and violence.

The Summer of No Attachments by Lori Foster – Two best friends, local veterinarian Ivy Anders, who has a strict no-strings rule towards people, and Roxi, an assault survivor, each discover the rewards of opening their heart and letting others in when a pair of brothers arrive in town with an angry little boy in tow.

What a Dog Knows by Susan Wilson – From the New York Times best-selling author comes another heartwarming novel about humans and the dogs that change our lives.

Suburban Dicks by Fabian Nicieza – A mystery featuring two amateur sleuths examines the racial tensions exposed in a New Jersey suburb after the murder of a gas station attendant.

The Perfect Murder by Kat Martin – Surviving a helicopter crash, millionaire Reese Garrett, in the middle of purchasing the Poseidon offshore drilling platform, must discover who wants him dead while keeping his lover, Kenzie, who has been accused of her ex-husband’s murder, and her young son safe from a killer.

Moon Lake by Joe R. Lansdale – Returning to Moon Lake, the place where his father tried to kill them both, Daniel Russell, attempting to finally put to rest the memories that have plagued him for tears, discovers something even more shocking that is linked to dark deeds, old grudges and strange murders.

~Semanur

New Books Tuesday @ RRPL

semanurLeave a comment

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!

Where the Grass Is Green and the Girls Are Pretty by Lauren Weisberger – When her husband is arrested in an Ivy League admissions sting, jeopardizing everything she worked so hard for, Peyton, co-anchor of a hit morning show, soon discovers that this is not the worst of it as dark secrets in their posh world come to light.

The Stars We Share  by Rafe Posey – A sweeping World War II novel about the secrets we keep from the ones we love, and a couple tested again and again by distance, sacrifice, and a woman’s ambition to fulfill her own dreams.

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren – Perfect for fans of The Rosie Project and One Plus One, an entertaining novel follows single mom and data-and-statistics wizard Jess Davis as she, using a revolutionary new scientific dating app, is matched with the app’s arrogant creator who is not what he seems.

The Hunting Wives by May Cobb – Moving to a small Texas town, Sophie O’Neill is immediately drawn to socialite Margot Banks who invites her into a secret clique called the Hunting Wives, with which she becomes obsessed until she finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation with no way out.

Local Woman Missing  by Mary Kubica – When Delilah, who disappeared 11 years earlier when she was only six years old, shockingly returns, the residents of a quiet suburban neighborhood want to know what happened to her, but no one is prepared for what they’ll find.

The Clover Girls by Viola Shipman – The new owners of Camp Birchwood—thanks to their late friend, Emily—Elizabeth, Veronica and Rachel must spend a week together remembering the dreams they put aside and find a way to become the women they always swore they’d grow up to be.

Madam by Phoebe Wynne – While working at Caldonbrae, a prestigious boarding school high above the rocky Scottish cliffs, 26-year-old Rose Christie discovers the true extent of the school’s nefarious purpose when she tries to find out what really happened to her predecessor.

Freedom by Sebastian Junger – Intricately crafted and thought-provoking, the author, ruminating on the concept of freedom, shares his journey walking the railroad lines of the east coast with three friends as an experiment in personal autonomy, but also in interdependence.

Phase Six by Jim Shepard – One of the few survivors of a mysterious outbreak in Greenland, 11-year-old Aleq must deal with crushing guilt for what he may have unleashed from a mining site, while two Epidemic Intelligence Service agents work together to head off the cataclysm.

Light Perpetual  by Francis Spufford – A novel set in 1944 London imagines the lives of five souls who perished during a visit to a local store, illuminating the shapes of experience, the extraordinariness of the ordinary, the mysteries of memory and expectation, and the preciousness of life.

~Semanur

What I’m Currently Reading & What’s Next

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In typical librarian fashion, I am always reading a book or two, in addition to having a plethora of books sitting in various to-be-read piles in my house. Back in the days of spending time at my library office desk, I would always keep a book there to read during my meal breaks (stares nostalgically out window thinking of my desk…). Of course, now that I’m home most of the time I keep a book in the dining room to read during lunch breaks. There is always a book on my night stand (usually my Kindle hangs out there) as well and a book on my coffee table, so I’m prepared for reading at all times. Take a look below to see what I’m currently reading and what I have lined up for the next couple months!

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

I was so excited to snag an ARC of this book from NetGalley! I’m only about halfway through but it is great so far. After escaping a dangerously strict religious compound, where she was forced to marry the nefarious leader Reverend Sherman, teenage Vern escapes to the woods pregnant and alone. She gives birth to twins in the forest and tries her best to survive the harsh realities of this isolated life, all the while being pursued by a mysterious fiend, odd hallucinations, and experiencing uncanny changes in her body and abilities.

You can read a full review of this novel from my colleague Shannon by clicking here!

Something is Killing the Children: Volume 2 by James Tynion IV

Collecting issues #6-10 of this horror comic series, readers catch up with monster killer Erica Slaughter after she has slain the beast who was terrorizing the small town of Archer’s Peak. The only problem is that the monster had babies and now they are loose in the town. A mysterious man from The House of Slaughter arrives (is this the monster slayer version of a Watcher?) to help clean up the mess but seems to make matters worse.

The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson

I am not usually an audiobook person, but every once in a while I check out an audiobook on Hoopla to listen to while I’m in the kitchen. I adore Shirley Jackson but have yet to read all her short stories and this audiobook has been a joy to listen to. Humorous, dark, and sometimes tragic, this powerful collection of haunting stories is read by a variety of voice actors making for an interesting and engaging experience.

What’s next for me? I have Tender is the Flesh by Agustina María Bazterrica, on deck, which was recommended by multiple authors in a recent Women in Horror author panel I viewed. It’s been on my want to read list for a while but after hearing some amazing authors highlight it as one of their favorite books of last year, I knew I needed to bump it up the pile! Another book that was shared in the panel and recommended to me by a friend is Maria Dahvana Headley’s Beowulf: A New Translation. I just got the ebook loaded on my Kindle thanks to OverDrive and can’t wait to start it. Finally, I’m patiently waiting for a digital copy of The Push by Ashley Audrain to arrive for me!

What is on your to-be-read pile? What are you currently reading? Share in the comments and happy reading!

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 Gift of the Magpie by Donna Andrews – When the magpie, who has been bringing her bits of tinsel and costume jewelry, arrives with a gift that may be the clue to solving a crime, Meg finds her hopes for a relatively peaceful holiday season dashed.

A Dog’s Perfect Christmas by W. Bruce Cameron – When their family suddenly faces a life-or-death crisis during the holiday season, the Goss’s find themselves brought back together by the arrival of a little lost puppy who changes everything.

The Girl in the Mirror by Rose Carlyle – Taking her successful identical twin’s place in the aftermath of a suspicious accident, cynical Iris endeavors to conceive a child with her twin’s unknowing husband to secure a multi-million-dollar inheritance.

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth – A highly anticipated adult debut from the award-winning author of The Miseducation of Cameron Post follows the release of a best-selling book about an early 20th-century New England boarding school where gender-diverse students died under suspicious circumstances.

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey – From the Academy Award-winning actor comes an unconventional memoir filled with raucous stories, outlaw wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction.

The Silence by Don DeLillo – Five people gathered together in a Manhattan apartment in 2022 react to a mysterious, catastrophic event that severs all of modern life’s digital connections in this new novel from the National Book Award-winning author of White Noise.

The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X by Les Payne & Tamara Payne – A portrait of the iconic civil rights leader draws on hundreds of hours of interviews with surviving family members, intelligence officers and political leaders to offer new insights into Malcolm X’s Depression-era youth, religious conversion and 1965 assassination.

Battle of Brothers: William and Harry by Robert Lacey – The historical consultant to the hit series, The Crown, draws on official sources in a royal portrait that examines the experiences and conflicts that have shaped the bond between the future king of England and his brother.

Christmas at the Island Hotel by Jenny Colgan – Sent by his privileged family to learn how the less fortunate earn their living, a duke’s son takes a job at a new Murian hotel while falling unexpectedly in love with a hardworking young waitress.

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren – One Christmas wish, two brothers, and a lifetime of hope are on the line for hapless Maelyn Jones.

Death and the Maiden by Ariana Franklin – A long-anticipated series conclusion finds a young healer dispatched to the Cambridge-shire village of Ely, where her courtship with a young aristocrat is complicated by her investigation into the disappearances of several local girls.

Cary Grant: A Brilliant Disguise by Scott Eyman – The best-selling author of Pieces of My Heart presents a heavily researched portrait of the Hollywood legend that includes coverage of Grant’s early start as a teen acrobat, his complicated relationships and his Golden Era performances.

~Semanur