Staff Picks

Looking for something good to read? Here are a few titles that our staff has enjoyed. Most are available here at the library. Click on the links to check the library catalog.

Atwood, Margaret. Payback : debt and the shadow side of weath. 2008 Explores debt as a central historical component of religion, literature, and societal structure, while examining the idea of humanity's debt to the natural world.

Beah, Ishmael. A Long Way Gone: memoirs of a boy soldier. 2007 A human rights activist offers a firsthand account of war from the perspective of a former child soldier, detailing the violent civil war that wracked his native Sierra Leone and the government forces that transformed a gentle young boy into a killer as a member of the army.

Beniof, David. City of Thieves. 2008 Documenting his reluctant grandparents' experiences during the infamous siege of Leningrad, a young writer learns his grandfather's story about how a military deserter and he endeavored to secure their pardons by gathering hard-to-find ingredients for a powerful colonel's daughter's wedding cake.

Brown, Cupcake. A Piece of Cake. 2006 An inspirational, frequently disturbing memoir of a troubled youth describes how the author fell victim to the ills of the child welfare system, detailing her experiences with sexual abuse, neglect, drug and alcohol addiction, prostitution, and gang banging, as well as her long and difficult struggle to rebuild her life.

Chevalier, Tracy. Falling Angels. 2002 In a novel of manners and social divisions set against the backdrop of turn-of-the-century England, two girls from different classes become friends, and their families' lives become intertwined in the process. By the author of Girl With a Pearl Earring.

Chiaverini, Jennifer. Quilter's Apprentice. 1999 In this heartwarming debut novel, Sarah, struggling to find a job and a sense of place in her new town, finds herself learning how to quilt from a cantankerous old woman who also teaches her about the deep love that can exist between friends.

Coben, Harlan. Long Last. 2009 Contacted by a woman with whom he had an affair years earlier, Myron Bolitar learns how she has been wrongfully accused of murdering her ex-husband, a situation that is further complicated by a long-hidden family secret.

Cox, Lynne. Grayson. 2006 In her first book since Swimming to Antarctica, long-distance swimmer Lynne Cox tells the story of a miraculous ocean encounter she had at seventeen while training for a big seim. In the early morning dark, Lynne was swimming her last half mile back to shore when she realized tht a baby gray whale was alongside her. The eighteen-foot long baby would die if it followd Lynne to shore. This is the story of what happened....

Dai, Sijie. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. 2002 At the height of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, two young boys are sent to the country for "reeducation" at a remote mountain village, where their lives take an unexpected turn when they meet the beautiful daughter of a local tailor and stumble upon a forbidden stash of Western classics in Chinese translations.

Dawson, Greg. Hiding in the Spotlight. 2009 - Non Fiction The author relates the remarkable story of his pianist mother, a child prodigy who escaped certain death when the Nazis invaded Ukraine, adopted a new identity, and came under the protection of a Nazi commander who heard her play.

DeMille, Nelson. The Lion's Game. 2006 Chafing under the claustrophobic care of her liberal parents, Frederica Hatch finds her snug world transformed by Laura Lee French, a new college dorm mother who had once been married to Frederica's earnest and unglamorous father.

Dunn, Jancee. But enough about me. 2006 In an entertaining memoir, a journalist details her odyssey from an ordinary family life in suburban central New Jersey to the hip, stylish, and celebrity world of Rolling Stone magazine, chronicling zany moments ranging from being mistaken for Ben Affleck's girlfriend to eating Velveeta in Dolly Parton's kitchen.

Enoch, Suzanne. Flirting with Danger. 2005 While robbing the Palm Beach mansion of British playboy millionaire Rick Addison of a valuable ancient artifact, beautiful thief Samanthan Jellicoe gets more than she had bargained for when a mysterious explosion lands her in the arms of her all-too-handsome target.

Evanovich, Janet. Motor Mouth.2006 Alexandra "Barney" Barnaby returns to take on a whole new set of bad guys, Florida heat, colorful and dangerous characters, and high-stakes adventure, all the while romancing gorgeous race car driver Sam Hooker, in an action-packed sequel to Metro Girl.

Evanick, Marcia. A Berry Merry Christmas Amber McAllister gets a special gift for Christmas when her late husband's business partner arrives in the town of Misty Harbor with a proposition that teaches her how to once again revel in the magic of the holiday season and fall in love.

Fallada, Hans. Every man dies alone. 2009 - Fiction This never-before-translated masterpiece is based on a true story. It presents a richly detailed portrait of life in Berlin under the Nazis and tells the sweeping saga of one working-class couple who decides to take a stand when their only son is killed at the front.

Fielding, Joy. Still Life. 2009 Her body shattered by a devastating car accident, Casey lies in a hospital bed able to hear but not communicate and discovers that the people nearest to her are not who she thought them to be and her accident may have been a setup.

Ford, Jamie. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. 2009 When artifacts from Japanese families sent to internment camps during World War II are uncovered during renovations at Seattle's Panama Hotel, Henry Lee embarks on a personal quest that leads to memories of growing up Chinese in a city rife with anti-Japanese sentiment and of Keiko, a Japanese girl whose love transcended cultures and generations.

Frazier, Charles. Thirteen Moons. 2006 From the age of twelve, when he is sent alone into the Indian Nation to run a trading post, Will's life becomes intertwined with the destiny of the Cherokee Indians, as he falls in love with a mysterious girl named Claire, builds a friendship with a Cherokee Chief named Bear, learns to fight and survive, and battles Washington to preserve the Cherokee homeland and culture.

Gaunt O'Malley, Carole. Hungry Hill. 2007 Gaunt, the only girl of eight O'Malley children, breaks the silence of an alcoholic's daughter in this remarkably moving memoir, which begins when her mother dies of cancer in 1959. Carole, 13, feels responsible for her younger brothers, while her father, who increasingly turns to drink, does little to help. Unable to cope, he burdens his daughter with adult tasks, from leaving her alone with the priest as he administers the last rites to her mother to telling Carole to hold the fort and sending her off with a credit card to buy the new family sofa. Gaunt describes the often humorous details of her Catholic high-school days, but hidden among the good grades, disappointing cheerleader tryouts, and writing awards is the sad lack of her father's attention to anything she does, meritorious or otherwise. The siblings know his whiskey bottle is ever present, but they don't recognize his alcoholism until shortly before he drinks himself to death at age 47. Booklist

Geiger, John. The Third Man Factor:surviving the impossible. 2009 Non-Fiction Explores the human capacity to survive extreme conditions, noting a phenomenon in which people in life-endangering circumstances often sense an unseen presence who offers encouragement and guidance.

Goolrick, Robert. A Reliable Wife. 2009 Ralph Truitt, a wealthy businessman with a troubled past who lives in a remote nineteenth-century Wisconsin town, has advertised for a reliable wife; and his ad is answered by Catherine Land, a woman who makes every effort to hide her own dark secrets.

Grafton, Sue. S is for Silence. 2005 Thirty-four years after Violet Sullivan's unexplained disappearance, Daisy--the not-quite-seven-year-old daughter she left behind--enlists the assistance of private detective Kinsey Millhone to help her find the truth.

Gruen, Sara. Water for Elephants. 2006 Ninety-something-year-old Jacob Jankowski remembers his time in the circus as a young man during the Great Depression, and his friendship with Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, and Rosie, the elephant, who gave them hope.

Gruenewald, Mary Matsuda. Looking like the enemy: my story of imprisonment in Japanese-American internment camps. 2005 In 1941, Mary Matsuda Gruenewald was a teenage girl who, like other Americans, reacted with horror to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Yet soon she and her family were among 110,000 innocent people imprisoned by the U.S. government because of their Japanese ancestry. In this eloquent memoir, she describes both the day-to-day and the dramatic turning points of this profound injustice.

Gulley, Philip. Home to Harmony.2000 The new pastor in a small Indiana town experiences one humorous adventure after another as he acclimates to his new congregation and lifestyle.

Hilderbrand, Elin. The Love Season. 2006 Journeying to Nantucket to visit with her new fiancé's family, Renata goes against her father's wishes to confront the truth about her mother's untimely death, an effort that brings her into the complicated life of her godmother, Marguerite.

Hosseni, Khaled. Kite Runner. 2003 Traces the unlikely friendship of a wealthy Afghan youth and a servant's son, in a tale that spans the final days of Afghanistan's monarchy through the atrocities of the present day.

Hosseni, Khaled. A Thousand Splendid Suns. 2007 Two women born a generation apart witness the destruction of their home and family in war-torn Kabul, losses incurred over the course of thirty years that test the limits of their strength and courage.

Kerkeling, Hape. I'm of then: losing and finding myself on the Camino de Santiago. 2009 - Non Fiction An account by a popular German comedian and writer describes his unlikely candidacy for the physically arduous spiritual pilgrimage across the French Alps to the Spanish Shrine of St. James, the loneliness that prompted his quest for meaning, and the deep sense of peace and positive transformation he experienced during his journey.

Lewycka, Marina. A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian. 2005 Putting aside a lifetime of rivalry when they learn that their recently widowed father is planning to remarry a gold-digging woman, sisters Vera and Nadezhda find themselves outmaneuvered by their father's scheming fiance, a situation that is compromised by a hurricane, family secrets, and their father's obsession with tractor history.

Mallery, Susan. Delicious. 2006 Top chef Penny Jackson, who has finally made a name for herself in the Seattle culinary scene, is stunned when her ex-husband Cal Buchanan makes her an offer she cannot refuse, and now, as they work closely together, she finds herself in hot water as passion flares between them.

Michaels, Kasey. Dial M for Mischief.2008 When her father is murdered, Hollywood darling Jolie Sunshine, determined to stop the gossip once and for all, turns to millionaire Sam Becket for help in finding the truth surrounding her father's death, a partnership that leads them both down a path of temptation.

Moehringer, J. R. Tender Bar. 2005 A vivid memoir of growing up and coming of age with a single mother describes how the author received valuable life lessons and friendship at the neighborhood bar, an old-time New York saloon populated by a colorful assortment of characters who provided him with a kind of fatherhood by committee.

Ohlin, Alix. Babylon, and other stories. 2006 A new anthology of short fiction by the author of The Missing Person captures characters in the midst of coping with life's uncertainties and revelations, from a determined child who practices the piano on paper keys, to an expectant mother who discovers the tragic story of her new home's previous inhabitants.

Olafsson, Olafur Johann. Valentines : stories  2007    A haunting selection of twelve thematically connected short  stories examines the complexity and changing quality of modern-day human relationships over the course of time, as he explores the lives of a lustful photographer who confronts his own mortality, a father who tries to transform his new lover into his late wife, and other characters.

Perrotta, Tom. Little Children. 2004 A group of young suburban parents, including a handsome stay-at-home dad, a former feminist, an internet surfer, and an over-structured mom, finds its sleepy existence shattered when a convicted child molester moves back into town and two of the parents have an affair.

Perrotta, Tom. The Wishbones.1997 A thirty-one-year-old rock'n'roll guitarist decides to get married, only to begin an affair with Gretchen, a New York poet, and finds himself torn between letting his dreams die and having a steady gig

Phillips, Susan Elizabeth. Breathing Room. 2002 Having lost her fiance to another woman and her savings to a dishonest accountant, Dr. Isabel Favor seeks emotional shelter in Italy, where she encounters Hollywood actor Lorenzo Gage, with whom she finds renewal.

Phillips, Susan Elizabeth. Natural Born Charmer. 2007 Taking to the road between seasons, attractive Chicago Stars quarterback Dean Robillard meets the beautiful and infuriating Blue under unusual circumstances and draws on his competitive skills to overcome her wariness of relationships.

Porter, Andrew. Theory of Light & Matter: short stories. 2010 Fiction These ten stories take us across the country—from rural Pennsylvania to Southern California to suburban Connecticut—and deep into characters struggling to find meaning in their day-to-day lives.

Ray, Jeanne. Julie and Romeo. 2000 Julie and Romeo had been born to rival florist families in Boston, but it is love at first sight when they spot each other across a crowded lobby.

Rice, Luanne. The Edge of Winter. 2007 Neve Halloran and her daughter Mickey are starting a new life near a wildlife sanctuary in Rhode Island's South County. Mickey becomes friends with a lonely boy who is also fascinated by the creatures of the coasts and Neve is drawn to a man who has devoted his life to the sanctuary.

Roberts, Nora. Jewels of the Sun.2000 While immersing herself in the study of Irish folklore, American Jude Murray meets Aidan Gallagher, a dashing Irishman whose knowledge of Irish myth and flashing blue eyes intoxicate her.

Strempek-Shea, Susan. Shelf life. 2004 The author recounts her memories of working in a local bookstore while she was recovering from breast cancer.

Shonk, Katherine. The Red Passport: stories. 2003 A collection of short works set in post-Communist Russia includes "My Mother's Garden," in which an elderly woman living near Chernobyl is frustrated about her inability to eat local vegetation; "Our American," in which a boy witnesses an older sibling's romance with an American; and "The Young People of Moscow," in which an aging couple sells Soviet poetry in an underground bazaar.

Sonnino, Piera. This has happened. 2006 An Italian woman who survived the Nazi concentration camps describes the deaths of her parents, three brothers, and two sisters at the hands of the Nazis and chronicles the growing anti-Semitism that existed in Italy at the time, from Mussolini's racial laws of 1938 to the horrors of Auschwitz.

Steinberg, Paul. Speak you also: A survivor's reckoning. 2000 A Holocaust memoir that explores the terrible costs of survival chronicles the experiences of teenager Paul Steinberg, a young chemistry student, who worked with author Primo Levi in the Auschwitz laboratory and who was immortalized as Levi's "Henri," the paradigm of the ultimate survivor, who would cling to life at the expense of his own humanity.

Trigiani, Adriana. Very Valentine. 2009 When a failing custom wedding shoe business in Greenwich Village falls unexpectedly into her lap, apprentice Valentine Roncalli is challenged to bring her family's old-world craftsmanship into the twenty-first century, an endeavor that is further complicated by personal responsibilities and her budding romance with a chef.

Wiggs, Susan. Winter Lodge 2007 When a devastating house fire reveals a rare treasure among her grandfather's belongings, leading her on a search for the truth, Jenny Majesky returns to the only place she feels safe, The Winter Lodge, where she finds an ally in the local police chief who makes her feel safe--and loved.

Wood, Patricia. Lottery. 2008 Having learned essential life skills from his grandmother that helped him overcome his low IQ, a man finds himself without a caregiver at the age of thirty-one and wins a fortune by playing the lottery, a windfall that brings him more family than he ever wanted.

Woods, Stuart. Blood Orchid. 2003 Grieving over the loss of her fiancâe, Chief of Police Holly Barker joins forces with a handsome FBI agent to investigate the murders of two Miami businessmen, following clues that lead into the middle of a lethal real-estate scam.

Zadoorian, Michael. Leisure Seeker. 2009 Recognizing that the final stage of their lives is upon them, John and Ella Robina, the former an Alzheimer's patient, the latter succumbing to cancer, sneak away from their over-protective children and doctors to embark on an RV vacation along Route 66.

Updated 05/04/10

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