Reviews

Staff Review

The Husband's Secret

By Liane Moriarty
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by Diane H.
Dec 23, 2013

In The Husband's Secret the lives of three Australian women are intertwined in ways they would never have thought possible. For years, the tragedy of a teenage daughter’s death has haunted one of the women and unknowingly affected another. The third woman, faced with a marital earthquake, takes her young son to her hometown of Sydney.

Teen Review

Relish: My Life In The Kitchen

By Lucy Knisley
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by Kate M.
Dec 20, 2013

The smell of baking cookies brings back memories of mother's kitchen...Biting into a fresh tomato recalls the garden behind your childhood home...Watching the yellow powder and milk combine to create delicious macaroni and cheese reminds you of your first apartment. For author Lucy Knisley, as for many of us, food is a trip down memory lane. With a caterer mother and foodie father, her life has been defined and marked by some of the best (and worst food).

Staff Review

The Language of Flowers

By Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by Helen H.
Dec 19, 2013

Victoria Jones has just aged out of the foster care system, and her case worker is transporting her to a transitional home. In alternating chapters, the reader watches Victoria make her way in the world while learning about her past. Whether looking forward or back, her past, present, and future are riveting.

Staff Review

The Christmas Chronicles: The Legend of Santa Claus

By Tim Solver
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by Jared H.
Dec 9, 2013

In the 14th Century, Klaus lives the life of a simple woodcarver who begins to carve toys for all the children of his village after the Black Death strikes his village. In the years to come, his fame spreads through out the region. So much so, that it becomes impossible for him to deliver all the toys on one night. Here begins the magic and whimsy that will influence Klaus for the rest of his natural life...and beyond! Here starts the legend of Santa Claus!

Staff Review

Batman: The Court of Owls

By Scott Snyder
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by Jared H.
Dec 9, 2013

For years, Batman has protected Gotham City from the darkness that seeks to destroy it. Within this darkness is the Court of Owls, an urban legend that tells of a shadowy conspiracy ruling Gotham City for centuries. Now the Court has placed the Batman in its sights, to take back their city from the Caped Crusader. Can Batman, the Dark Knight, survive the maneuverings of the Court or will he watch Gotham burn around him?

Staff Review

Fortress in the Eye of Time

By C. J. Cherryh

Rated by Library Staff (not verified)
Dec 6, 2013

In the mood for detailed, lovingly described, slightly creepy, and very political high fantasy?  Have I got a book for you!

(In the mood for a quick, light read?  Come back later.)

Teen Review

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown

By Holly Black
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by Kate M.
Dec 6, 2013

After years of living in the shadows, being glorified as sparkly lovers and dangerous enemies and on TV, vampires have revealed themselves to humans. After a nasty outbreak of vampirism, thanks to a misplaced act of mercy, the world cannot ignore the lore. Infected cities are walled off from the public, called Coldtowns, these places are exquisite prisons for vampires. Humans, enthralled with the beauty and horror of vampires flock to the Coldtowns to offer their sweet red blood for the chance of being turned.

Staff Review

The Witching Hour

By Anne Rice
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by Diane H.
Dec 6, 2013

If you’re in the mood for a long book and like family histories with a supernatural twist, try The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. While the story is set in the same world as her vampire series, there are no vampires in this book. Instead, the tale of the Mayfair witches is told from their beginning several hundred years ago to the present.

Staff Review

The Good House

By Ann Leary
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by Sarah As
Dec 5, 2013

When I picked up this book, I thought the title was reflective of a "good" house as opposed to a "bad" house, but actually the lead character and narrator of the novel is named Hildy Good.

Staff Review

The Whole Golden World

By Kristina Riggle
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by Colleen O.
Dec 4, 2013

It doesn't take long to guess the storyline of this book, as page one takes you into a courtroom where T.J. Hill, a thirty-year old teacher, is on trial for having a sexual relationship with one of his female students. And it gets a little more interesting when the student, Morgan, enters the courtroom with her parents and proceeds to leave them behind and sit on her teacher's side.