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I'm not a fan of gruesome, graphic, gory horror; however, I'm a big fan of stories that are dark. Atmospheric. Disquieting. Plumbing the depths of the human psyche. Some of those stories are creepy dark. Some of them are deliciously dark. The Hazel Wood is gritty dark.

Alice has spent her life haunted by a collection of dark fairy tales famously authored by her grandmother. Haunted, and hounded. Always on the run, in one way or another, with her rootless mother. A loving, fiercely protective mother who has always been fully open and honest about everything. Except for one topic: Alice's

Lucy Clark meets Gabe Samson in a Shakespeare class on September 11th. The pair spend the day together anxiously watching the news and later viewing the holes in the skyline where the Twin Towers once stood. This day shapes their lives. After a turbulent year apart, the couple reunites and begins dating. Their idyllic love is passionate, deep, and all consuming. But their careers pull them apart. Lucy wants to stay in New York working on a children's television show. Gabe wants his photography to show the world the Iraq War. The Light We Lost is Lucy and Gabe's love story and the story of life

Lara Lington fights going to her 105 year old great-aunt Sadie's funeral. Her life seems to be at a very low point and she just doesn't have the energy to attend the funeral of one she barely knows. She relents and goes, but shortly into the service she starts to see and hear her dead Aunt.  She is sure she is cracking up, when Sadie starts requesting Lara to follow her and help her find her necklace.  She has no time to follow a ghost around.  After all, she has to mend her failing business, and get her boyfriend back.  

Twenties Girl by Sophia Kinsella is a fun, enjoyable read.  If you like

Lucy Clark meets Gabe Samson in a Shakespeare class on September 11th. The pair spend the day together anxiously watching the news and later viewing the holes in the skyline where the Twin Towers once stood. This day shapes their lives. After a turbulent year apart, the couple reunites and begins dating. Their idyllic love is passionate, deep, and all consuming. But their careers pull them apart. Lucy wants to stay in New York working on a children's television show. Gabe wants his photography to show the world the Iraq War. The Light We Lost is Lucy and Gabe's love story and the story of life

Set shortly after the events detailed in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Kenobi tells a story of Obi-Wan Kenobi adjusting to his new life on the desert planet of Tatooine. Charged with not only concealing his Jedi past from those who might seek to cause him harm, Obi-Wan also faces the teeny-tiny task of somehow managing--from afar--to protect the life of the youth who just might be the savior of the galaxy! Although his presence on the desert world is rooted in secrecy and anonymity, those familiar with everyone's favorite scruffy-looking Jedi know that trouble doesn't take long

Do not let the unattractive cover of Cool Bacon Recipes fool you into not checking this book out for your child. Because if you like bacon, check out these easy recipes. This book did not have very many recipes, but what it did have looked appetizing. The explanation of utensils and terms is perfect for 3rd - 6th graders with the guidance of an adult. And the step by step pictures are always a plus!

Wonderfully exciting action that maintains just the right amount of suspense and energy from start to finish. At heart, this is a heist story; it just happens to be set in a universe of wonder: under the adrenaline are fascinating world-building and intriguing characters--of all shapes and sizes, far beyond human. And lurking somewhere in the background are enthralling science fiction considerations that keep simmering into awareness. It's not just action, but intelligent action. With excellently adept, unobtrusive writing. This is a universe I hope to visit again soon.

Zen Starling is a

America's Forgotten Pandemic is truly terrifying. The influenza pandemic of 1918 killed more people than the bubonic plague; in the U.S., 670,000 people died in 15 months. When you read of the great numbers of people dying, whole families succumbing, shortages of coffins, it’s nearly unbelievable.

All of this is set against the backdrop of the Great War in which people and cities did not want to appear unpatriotic. Americans turned out in scores for Liberty Loan parades. Young men were crammed into training camps and then troop transports, allowing the disease to spread like wildfire. This

Alice Hoffman's Survival Lessons is a tiny, beautiful gem. While I have eagerly devoured all of Hoffman's fiction, I was not aware that she had written a non-fiction book or that she had survived a life-threatening illness. 

Survival Lessons details Hoffman's journey through cancer in the form of life advice. Eighty-three pages long, all the short chapters have the word "choose" in their titles: Choose Your Heroes, Choose to Enjoy Yourself, Choose your Friends, etc. Often displayed in waiting rooms for Oncology patients, Hoffman's book offers so much more than just survival lessons; it offers

In Anthem, Ayn Rand illustrates how society and individuals suffer under extremist rule. The characters are bound to one another, and assigned specific duties, with the intention of benefiting the collective. After Equality 7-2521 makes a discovery from an ancient time, he begins to work on something that is outside of his designated vocation. In a different society, where innovation is valued, his work would be praised when he brings it to the authorities. But instead, he is punished for thinking for himself and not sacrificing his own will and desires for the collective. Even though what he

The Book of Polly is the hilarious and bittersweet story of Willow and her larger-than-life mom, Polly. Polly becomes pregnant with Willow in her late fifties, and Willow’s father dies during the pregnancy. Because her father dies before she is born and Polly has Willow so late in life, Willow only has Polly. Her siblings are long gone, and the bustling life that comes with having a full family is absent, so Willow clings to Polly with heartbreaking tenacity. Willow has always been consumed by the fear that Polly is going to die. Willow also tells a lot of crazy stories about Polly, stories

This is an interesting book about prophecy, antiquity, and crime, with just a tiny bit of romance. The story is about how Semele, an appraiser for a prestigious auction house in NY, finds a 2,000 year old manuscript that was written for her. Semele discovers this manuscript while cataloging items from a recently deceased private collector in Switzerland. The collector left her a handwritten note warning her not to tell anyone about the manuscript. She realizes there must be some connection between herself and the deceased collector even though they had never met. As Semele flies back to NY she

While the Doomsday Book is categorized as science fiction, it could easily be classified as historical fiction. Set in the near future, a time when pandemics have recently ravaged the world, Oxford instructors prepare to send a young historian, Kivrin, to fourteenth century England.

One of Kivrin’s instructors, Dunworthy, is convinced this mission is a mistake and tries his best to stop it. Kivrin is convinced she is thoroughly prepared to spend two weeks in a superstitious, unhygienic, fear and disease-ridden age.

Alternating between the twenty-first and fourteenth centuries, Willis

Everyone has their path. The choices they've made. How any two people end up in the same place at the same time is a mystery. You get on an elevator with a dozen strangers. You ride a bus, wait in line for the bathroom. It happens every day. To try to predict the places we'll go and the people we'll meet would be pointless.

In a world of 24/7 news coverage, where is the line between news and entertainment? In our instant-access world, can we handle the unknown? Do coincidences happen or is everything connected by fate? Does correlation mean causation? Before the Fall by Noah Hawley may ask

I wonder if this book emits its own hiss. What happens when you hold it to your ear? Can you make out my scorched music?

How do you describe a rocket launcher to your nose? Or a landmine to your brain? In Sirens, Joshua more does just that. Each chapter is broken into snippets of time all wrapped up in a purple haze. Mohr doesn’t spare the reader, nor himself, from the brutal truth of his life as an addict. From the corner of Columbus and Columbus to the shining heights of rehab, he describes in detail the horrors and celebrations that propelled him from junkie to author.

The writing is

Once upon a time, not so long ago, a viral Tumblr post fell across the dashboard of an established author. This inspired a search for stories written around the theme: as far as alien species go, humans are strange and weird and wonderful. The result is this collection.

I only rate this three stars (really, three and a half) because the stories don't all resonate with me. There are some exciting adventures: "Sidekick," featuring a kidnaped child and their view of the human that's rescuing them and "The Sound of His Footsteps," which exemplifies why you really want a human if you crash on a

Aiden was six when he went missing during a bad rainstorm which flooded the banks of the river that runs through their village. His family and police believed he had been swept away by the river and drowned, having only found his jacket floating in the river and no body. Ten years later his mom is married and in her last month of pregnancy when she gets the incredible news that Aiden is alive. Told from the viewpoint of Aiden's mom, Emma, the Silent Child is a psychological thriller that will engulf you in the chaos of Emma's intense emotions as she tries to figure out who took Aiden.

What

Gone With the Wind is 1037 pages of delightfulness.

Margaret Mitchell's classic is the perfect book to tackle when one has the time. Scarlett O'Hara is accustomed to a privileged life on a Georgia plantation. When the Civil War strips her of her family's wealth and security, she will do anything and use anyone to regain what she has lost. In addition to using people, she pines for a married man, despises motherhood, marries men for money and is only concerned about herself. Yet, I find myself rooting for her. Excellent, excellent book. Love it! 

Persons Unknown is second in the DS Manon series, where we follow Manon Bradshaw after she has adopted Fly Dent, gotten pregnant, and left the murder squad. She's taken on cold cases to avoid strenuous duty, but it seems she has buyer's remorse. It is obvious that she'd prefer to be working on active cases, and her opinion of her former partner, Davy, and his new lead are less than kind. Steiner touches on current issues of race - Fly, twelve, is aware that he is frequently stopped and questioned or searched because he is a black, teen boy giving Manon reason to move out of London. Manon, Fly

The house where so much of The Girl Before takes place is a minimalist’s dream; a testament to how we can get by with barely any material goods. The latter may seem impossible to those of us who carry our many belongings with us wherever we go. Yet, reading this book, I can see the lure of an uncluttered life.

The house, in fact, becomes a character in the story. More than just a backdrop, the house affects the main characters and seems at times to be an extension of Edward Monkton, the architect of this rule-bound home.

Two women, separated by time, are deemed worthy by Monkton to live in

This is a superb collection of Mary Oliver's poetry. I believe there is a poem for every person in this volume. Interestingly, from Oliver's books I like least (Thirst and Felicity, for example), the chosen poems for this collection are strong and really resonate with me. I plan on reading those collections again, thanks to Devotions. On the flip side, my favorite books by Mary Oliver (Owls and Other Fantasies and Blue Iris) are represented by my least favorite poems. I still found an abundance of magic and beauty in this collection, a staggering amount really, and I feel most pleasantly

​They Left Us Everything is an emotional journey through Plum Johnson's grief and search for self after losing her parents and childhood home. After almost twenty years spent caring for her aging parents, Alex and Virginia, Plum is both liberated and burdened by their deaths, which happen just a mere three years apart. Though Plum loses them, and the loss is enormous, she finds them again through their belongings as she clears out their house, her childhood home, and prepares to sell it.

In packing her parent's belongings, she discovers who they really were, and also what it means to be Plum

This evocative collection of meditations emerged from a time of crisis in Solnit's life, and centers on her mother's descent into Alzheimer's and her own diagnosis of and treatment for potential cancer. Solnit's writing is fluid and meandering, flowing lyrically from thought to thought, topic to topic. Themes recur frequently and range widely: life in the arctic, decaying apricots, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Che Guevara, leprosy, The Arabian Nights, Buddhism, ice, mirrors, breath, wounds, knots, and more. Central to the entire enterprise is consideration of the nature and purpose of stories

When I started this book, my intention was to skip around and read only about the places that jumped out at me. It turns out that everything jumped out at me, and I was held captive by this giant book for several months. With pictures galore, an astonishing amount of research, and hours of happy reading, Atlas Obscura is a one-of-a-kind travel book that invites you to explore all the hidden wonders of the globe.

I'm quite fearful of South America after reading Atlas Obscura. With places like The North Yungas Death Road, The Island of the Dolls, and The Cave of Swallows (which should really be

Little Fires Everywhere is a spectacular title for Celeste Ng’s latest novel, as she carries that imagery throughout the story. Set mostly in Shaker Heights, Ohio, an affluent suburb of Cleveland during the mid-1990s, we meet the Richardson family (mother Elena and children Lexie, Trip, Moody, and Izzy) and the Warrens (Mia and her daughter Pearl). Artist Mia and Pearl have always lived a transient existence and have kept mostly to themselves. But when they settle in to Shaker Heights to stay, their lives intersect with the Richardsons' lives in unexpected and irreversible ways. I loved how

The Portrait follows the journey of Pierre-François Chaumont, a married Parisian attorney. As a boy, Pierre is influenced by his uncle to become a collector of objects. He begins with scented erasers, but quickly raises the level of sophistication and moves on to antiques. By the time the reader finds Pierre in present day, his collection is massive and a point of contention between him and his wife. It is his latest purchase, a portrait of a man, which really puts their marriage on shaky ground. As a result of a heated auction bid, Pierre pays way too much for the piece, but he has to have it

Shirley Jackson is one of my favorite authors, and I really enjoyed this biography about her life. Even if you are unfamiliar with Jackson, however, you can appreciate this well-researched biography that chronicles the social and political background that shaped the author's writing, as well as the mindset of America during her adult life in the 1930s through the 1960s. Each chapter describes two to four years of her life, from her birth in California in 1916, through her move to New York, until finally her death in Vermont at the age of 48. Franklin's biography, though extensive and

In the current political climate, one might think the transition from comedy writer to politician would be rather seamless. In Al Franken, Giant of the Senate, Franken describes his struggles trying to get elected by the people of Minnesota in 2008, the balance he has been able to find when working with ideologically opposed members of congress, the work ethic that enabled him to more easily secure re-election in 2014, and the current political climate in Washington.

Franken's latest book is, of course, humorous with several moments where I laughed out loud or held the person nearest to me

The Reminders is a story about loss, friendship, and recovery. It’s told in the alternating perspectives of Gavin, a man in his late thirties whose partner has recently died; and Joan, a 10 year old girl whose parents are old college friends of Gavin's.

Shortly after Gavin's partner dies he becomes overwhelmed by the reminders of their life together and throws their belongings into the yard and sets them on fire. A neighbor takes a video of it and it makes the news. Joan's parents happen to see this and insist that Gavin come and stay with them for a while.

Joan can recall every detail of

If you enjoy the television series Blacklist and black-ops stories you will enjoy this surprise offering from Twilight author Stephenie Meyer.

The Chemist is a former black ops government employee known for her ability to use various drugs, poisons and their antidotes to chemically torture people with information the government needs. However, "The Chemist" has been on the run since discovering that those in charge are perhaps operating by their own agenda and survival depends on disappearing. Once you get past the initial few chapters the story takes off and doesn't let up until the final