Book

Hurricane Harvey in the news raises the relevance of this novel to a category five. The fact that we're bringing Julie Murphy--one of the best contemporary realistic fiction authors in the country--to town for a Meet the Author visit means you must put this book on your radar. I listened to the audio version. It's fantastic. The narrator is a perfect fit for Ramona's voice. Ramona is a high school senior living with her overworked and underpaid father and her nineteen-year-old pregnant sister in a too-small trailer in Eulogy, Mississippi, right off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. When Ramona

Arrowood is a grand mansion on the banks where the Des Moines River meets the Mississippi River. Arden Arrowood spent her childhood living in the family home until the tragic disappearance of her two-year old twin sisters drove her family to abandon the house. Now, almost 20 years later, Arden returns to  Arrowood and the memories of her childhood and her sisters. Will she finally be able to find out what happened on that fateful day so long ago?

Arrowood is an absorbing story with a strong lead character that holds your interest throughout. The sense of place (the mansion on the river and

A Foxfire Christmas is an amazing collection of Christmas traditions from the people of Appalachia; food, gifts, decorations, and preparations. It also includes a wonderful compilation of interviews by Georgia High School students.

Learn how to make dough ornaments, simple crafts, and hear stories from elders who have spent their entire lives in the mountains. Holiday recipes are a big part of the Christmas holidays and these have been passed down for many generations. 

Let’s get this out of the way first: while Circling the Sun is about Beryl Markham, famed aviator of the 1920’s, there are barely two chapters about her adventures as a pilot. What happens between the passages about flying is a compelling historical novel about a young English girl who is abandoned by her mother in Kenya and who eventually wins respect in the male-dominated worlds of horse training and aviation. 

The Spring Hill book discussion group found the love triangle exhausting, but Markham's escapades in the Kenyan bush involving lions, elephants, and colonial politics make it a

As an avid watcher of The Daily Show, I knew Trevor Noah was born and raised in South Africa. What I didn't know was how amazing his life circumstances were growing up and just how much he had to overcome to be the person he is today. In Born A Crime, Noah chronicles his life as he remembers it, detailing not only his experiences but also the culture of South Africa just before, then after, the end of apartheid. During apartheid it was illegal for black and white people to be together, let alone have a child. Noah's birth, to a black mother and white father, made him literally born a crime.

W

Will Schwalbe, author of The End of Your Life Book Club, the true story of Schwalbe and his dying mother reading and discussing books together at the end of her life, now shares another meaningful book. Books for Living reveals how particular books have taught Schwalbe life lessons over the years. He says these are “books that prompted me to remember something, realize something or see my life and the world differently.” The book is written in short contained chapters that are quick and easy to read one or two at a time.

I was familiar with some of the books and I understand how he takes

Bruce Cable is living the life he always wanted and has worked hard to attain. He lives on Camino Island and owns an independent bookstore that over the years has become the hub of culture and literature on the island. Bruce is a collector of many things: first editions, rare books, and works by young women. His bookstore hosts several book signings a month and he is a regular on most author's book tours.  

When the original F. Scott Fitzgerald manuscripts go missing from the Firestone Library at Princeton University the world of literature is in an uproar. The FBI and Princeton's insurance

“Everyone who is alive has a ghost inside them, don’t they?” 

Get In Trouble is Kelly Link’s third collection of short stories for adults, and her best work to date in my not-so-humble opinion (I loved her last collection, Magic for Beginners, so that’s saying something). Link is a master of creating different story shapes and then telling them from innovative angles. Her writing is wholly original without being intimidating or hollow, comprised of fully fleshed-out characters and intriguing scenarios. Many of these stories explore loss and identity in ways that are thought-provoking yet

As I ponder what to say about this book, I'm reminded of two quotes I like from another; Difficult Conversations by Douglas Stone:

People almost never change without first feeling understood.

The single most important thing [you can do] is to shift [your] internal stance from "I understand" to "Help me understand." Everything else follows from that.

Though stated differently, those ideas lie at the core of the parenting approach Greene describes in this book. Parents can best help their children learn, change, and grow--and deal with difficulties and misbehavior--by starting with

Bodine Longbow is a fourth-generation Montana rancher and operator of the Bodine Resort. The ranch and resort are definitely a family affair with her great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, father and brothers all working together. Callen Skinner has returned home to Montana to reconnect with his family, both biological and honorary. Growing up, Callen spent a lot of time on the Bodine ranch and never imagined he'd end up finding love with the girl next door.

The mystery and suspense develop as the past and present collide. Alice Bodine, the aunt Bodine never knew, ran away from home over 20

Small Great Things is the story of Ruth Jefferson, an African American labor and delivery nurse with twenty years of experience working in hospitals on the East coast. When a couple requests that no person of color touch their baby, the hospital complies and assigns a new nurse. But later, due to an emergency, Ruth is left in the nursery by herself, and the baby goes into cardiac arrest. She hesitates before performing CPR, but there is no way to save the baby. Ruth then finds herself dismissed from her job and on trial for the death of the baby.

Ruth is represented by a white public defender

It is 1974 and Gwendy Peterson is a twelve-year-old living in Castle Rock, Maine. She meets a strange man named Richard Farris, who says he has been watching Gwendy and that she is the person to whom he is entrusting a button box. The box has eight buttons and two levers. Farris is vague about the function of the buttons, but Gwendy quickly comes to her own conclusion about what they do. Almost immediately, she learns the result of pulling each lever, and is eager to repeat this for the prizes she receives.

At first, she is apprehensive about the buttons, and concerned about the consequences

Gwendy's Button Box is not one of King's usual horror stories; it's lighter, and more toned-down. Still, it was an enjoyable afternoon read. 

When Gwendy is twelve years old, she meets a man who offers her a mahogany box covered with eight colored buttons. The man tells Gwendy that he's been watching her and has decided she is "set solidly on her feet" and is worthy enough to keep the button box, for now. He shows her how to make the box release a tiny piece of chocolate and explains the importance of the buttons, especially the "everything" button, and then he disappears.

The story follows

The North Water is beyond dark. Cormac McCarthy’s The Road looks like a leisurely stroll through a park on Sunday compared to this gruesome novel about a 19th century whaling expedition. The Volunteer is heading out on a six month voyage to northern waters, where hopefully all the whales haven’t been killed yet. Captain Brownlee, the ship’s surgeon Sumner, and harpooner Dax all carry secrets on board--some repugnant, some violent--while the financier may have sinister motives for sending them on this assignment. What happens after they set sail is gripping, graphic, and gruesome, and is not

If the John Steuart Curry image of a crazed John Brown at the state capital and those gigantic Van Gogh sunflowers are the only murals that come to mind, you will be delightfully surprised by this artful trip through Kansas. This is a treasure trove, a mini tour of the state via its murals: painted and mosaic, new and old.

History and whimsy are depicted on downtown streets, in museums and on everything from old silos to the side of a Dollar General store. Kansas Murals has photos and details of 90 works throughout the state. More are in a list at the book’s end. 

No matter where you are in

Riley Callahan and Paige Warren were best friends and spent many summers together growing up in Summer Harbor. One summer Paige came back from camp all grown up, and Riley fell in love with her and was determined to tell about his feelings. But then Paige fell for his older brother, Beau. Riley could not watch the love of his life go to his brother, so he joined the Marines. Riley would often remind himself that a Marine needs to improvise, adapt, and overcome. And he has to do just that upon returning home as a veteran and amputee with PTSD. He has to face everyone from his past--most of all

Do you ever dream about living off the land, but don't know where to start? Welcome to the Farm offers a perfect glimpse into modern homesteading. 

Shay Elliot, of The Elliott Homestead blog, scratches the surface of, and thus demystifies, many farm activities that might seem foreign and exotic. For beginning homesteaders, and even for those who are just curious about what happens on a small farm, she breaks down different aspects into digestible chapters and sections. Ever thought about keeping bees? In a few pages you'll know if you want to investigate further. Butchering a hog or chicken

When we meet Violet, she is on vacation, relaxing on the same beach where she first met her husband, Finn, and thinking about how lucky she is and how despite some obstacles she and Finn have ended up together. Everyone said it was fate that brought them together. So Violet is blindsided when she returns to their hotel room to discover that Finn has disappeared and taken their young son, Bear, with him.

What Violet didn't know is that she was the only person in their circle who didn't have a secret. Finn has secrets, Finn's best friend Caitlin has secrets that Finn uses to blackmail her into

Jean Taylor's husband, Glen, is accused of abducting a small child named Bella in what becomes a sensationalized media case. The press fixates on Glen and his alleged guilt, even after he is declared by the courts to be not guilty. Jean is noteworthy mostly for standing steadfastly by Glen's side and staunchly maintaining his innocence throughout the long ordeal. Both Glen and Jean also refuse to ever speak to the rabidly interested press, but now that Glen has died in an accident, Jean decides (seemingly at random) to open up to one journalist in particular. Since the Bella case has never

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking is probably as close as you will ever get to a kitchen apprenticeship with a professional chef in book form. The first part is a guide to the how and why of good cooking. You get clear explanations of what makes a pie crust or a cut of meat tender or tough, how and when to salt and season various ingredients; all the keys to making great meals. The second half is a collection of recipes that let you practice what you've learned.  

The author, Samin Nosrat, shares her hard won expertise here with clear instructions, clever

The Buddha in the Attic is a short novel depicting the lives and struggles of Japanese mail-order brides arriving in America in the years leading up to World War II. It is not one central story that follows a single character--or even a few. Instead, the author uses the first person plural narrative style (through the use of "we" and "our") to tell the stories of countless, mostly nameless women. The narrative begins on the boats, as the young girls share their dreams for the unknown future, and continues with their lives in America as they struggle to adapt to a new land and a new language

We Love to Sew Bedrooms by Annabel Wrigley is a helpful book for kids who want to learn to sew with the help of an adult.

The projects are geared towards the mod 70's appeal. There are 23 different fun projects with step-by-step instructions including pictures with each. Since they contain both pictures and word instructions, it can prove to be easier for completion. The first section defines terms needed throughout and also explains how to use a sewing machine.  It lists the necessary supplies, and includes special skills instructions such as using an iron, a hot glue gun, sewing buttons, or

What a wonderfully original and twisty concoction this is.

Consider, for instance, the ruler of the strange, intentionally insular realm in which the story takes place. Kept alive by magic for centuries, his life is fueled by justifiable paranoia about assassination attempts, so much so that he has decided sleep is too great a risk. Instead, he has learned to let the two hemispheres of his brain alternate shifts slumbering, so that only one half of his body is ever active at a time. One eye is coldly rational and verbal; one eye is abstract and intuitive. Remember that if the Grand Steward's

People deal with grief, fear, anger, and other difficult emotions in many ways. One of those ways is humor. That's Mara. Her telling of her story is hilarious. With a cynical, skeptical, acerbic, over-the-top wit of the best social-commentary-humorists, she shares how she spent her senior year of high school dealing with the very real possibility that she might just spontaneously combust.

I didn’t really count Perry myself, but that still made this my fifth time. I’d seen more of these than anyone. I’d forgotten that. As much as this was a shared experience, I was the reigning champ of

Aunque no soy hispanohablante nativa, he aprendido bastante del idioma para hacer comentarios de este libro. Es un libro extraordinario de un autor maravilloso, Paulo Coelho. La protagonista, María, no tiene nada que hacer en su pueblito y desde temprana edad, está convencida que nunca experimentará lo que se llama "el amor verdadero". Ella sale de Brasil con su corazón roto y viaja a Suiza donde se volvió prostituta. Sigue viviendo allá durante muchos años hasta que tiene que tomar una decisión muy grave. ¿Debe continuar viviendo allí trabajando como prostituta o debe arriesgar todo para

​I'll admit I wasn't sure about a memoir that alternated between recipes and recovery from an aneurysm​, but Stir must have won me over because I not only felt the unique disappointment that only happens when finishing a good book, I also can't stop talking about it. Jessica Fechtor's recovery from a brain aneurysm while running on a treadmill is memoir-worthy without the wonderful observations, recipes, and memories. That's why Stir is a multi-layer cake of a memoir, a cake so fluffy with life and beauty, not even an aneurysm can sour it.

Each chapter is comprised of both an intimate essay

Hello and welcome to our new releases roundup for the month of July! If this is your first time, we take a brief look at some of the well-reviewed titles that we either love or have heard great things about. You’ll never find John Grisham, Michael Connelly, or Janet Evanovich on these lists. It’s not that we don’t like them – we do – but those are authors who you’ve likely already heard of. We love spotlighting books and authors that you might not be familiar with. Feel free to tell us about the under-the-radar titles that you’re excited about.

First up this month is for all you thriller and

Having read many books with Anne Boleyn as either a periphery or main character, Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession offers a very different take on this notorious woman. In this second novel of the Six Tudor Queens series, Alison Weir paints Anne Boleyn in an almost sympathetic light. Where she is generally seen as a conniving, cold and adulterous woman, Weir shows her as a woman shaped by the events of her upbringing and pushed to her limits by the pursuit of a king who always gets his way, and the promise of being Queen.

The second and perhaps most well known of King Henry VIII's wives, Anne

Celine is a savvy, cultured, sixty-nine year-old private investigator and sculptor battling emphysema. Gabriela hires Celine to investigate her father’s death. Paul Lamont, Gabriela’s father, is a famous National Geographic photographer. Lamont’s frequent travels to South America cause friends to joke he is a spy. After Gabriela finds a passport with a different name, she is certain her father was not killed in a bear attack at Yellowstone National Park.

Celine and her quiet, yet always-on-top of things husband, Pete, set out to Yellowstone to travel Lamont’s path. As a champion of lost

Out of Darkness is a heartbreaking and powerful read. This is a story about racism, disaster, love and hope.

Naomi is a 17-year-old Mexican living with her half siblings and white stepfather in New London, Texas, in 1937. Naomi is in danger of her stepfather's wrath and abuse, but she'll do anything for her siblings.

Wash is a black teen who's been living with racism his whole life; he goes to a inferior black school while the white kids go to the state-of-the-art school down the road, and he's tired of keeping his eyes to the ground. Naomi and Wash fall in love. It's against the rules--they