FICTION:
F ABRAHAMS
Abrahams, Peter, 1947-. End of story. 1st ed. New York : William Morrow, c2006.
Ivy Seidel dreams of becoming a writer. Although she’s got a drawer full of rejection letters, she’s also fiercely determined to succeed. Offered the chance to express her gifts by teaching inmates at a maximum-security prison, she accepts. It’s there that she discovers Vance Harrow, convicted of terrible violence, who also possesses tremendous talent. Fascinated by him and disturbed at his plight, she begins her own investigation into his past. What Ivy discovers takes her on a journey from which there is no return.
F AKUNIN
Akunin, B. (Boris). The death of Achilles : a novel. Advanced reader’s ed. New York : Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2006.
In 1882, after six years of foreign travel and adventure, renowned diplomat and detective Erast Fandorin returns to Moscow in the heart of Mother Russia. His Moscow homecoming is anything but peaceful. In the hotel where he and his loyal if impertinent manservant Masa are staying, Fandorin’s old war-hero friend General Michel Sobolev (“Achilles” to the crowd) has been found dead, felled in his armchair by an apparent heart attack. But Fandorin suspects an unnatural cause. His suspicions lead him to the boudoir of the beautiful singer (not exactly a courtesan) known as Wanda. Apparently, in Wanda’s bed, the general secretly breathed his last. . .
F ALLEYN
Alleyn, Susanne, 1963-. Game of patience. 1st ed. New York : St. Martin’s Minotaur/Thomas Dunne Books, 2006.
In the fall of 1796 in postrevolutionary Paris, police spy Aristide Ravel, who’s haunted by fears that he has helped send dozens of innocent victims to the guillotine, and his employer, Commissaire Brasseur, investigate the slaying of Jean-Louis Saint-Ange, a property owner who lived on his rents, and Saint-Ange’s ex-lover, Celie Montereau. Saint-Ange had apparently been extorting money from aristocratic families, and few, including his colorful porter, Grangier, mourn his demise. Despite qualms about “mistakenly being the cause of a man’s death,” Aristide dutifully interviews anxious former associates of Celie and her well-to-do parents in search of the truth.
F ALVAREZ
Alvarez, Julia. Saving the world : a novel. 1st ed. Chapel Hill, NC : Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2006.
Alma Huebner, a Latin American novelist, is working on another of her best-selling family sagas when she’s sidetracked by the story of an earlier idealist, Francisco Xavier Balmis, who undertook to vaccinate the population of Spain’s American colonies, which were devastated by smallpox. To do this, live ‘carriers’ are required. Selection of these boys falls to Isabel Gomez y Cendala. Isabel’s bravery inspires a very different novel from Alma. ‘Saving the World’ weighs ambition against morality in the age-old urge to save the human race.
F BARLOW
Barlow, John, 1967-. Intoxicated : a novel of money, madness, and the invention of the world’s favorite soft drink. 1st ed. New York : William Morrow, c2006.
In 1869 Yorkshire, self-made Victorian businessman Isaac Brookes encounters Rodrigo Vermilion, a hunchback midget dressed in rags, who makes a Isaac a business proposition that will change the gastronomical landscape of the world.
F BARNES SCIENCE FICTION
Barnes, John, 1957-. The armies of memory. 1st ed. New York : Tor, 2006.
Special agent Giraut Leones of the Thousand Cultures’ Office of Special Plans shares his political focus with a musical career as a brilliant lutist and vocal composer but also risks assassination at his performances by any of the possible enemies he has made through the years. When his performance of the controversial Ix Cycle sets off a flurry of reactions among Ixian cultural radicals and members of his own agency, Giraut becomes an even greater target, as well as a suspect. Soon his survival depends on rethinking his long-held views on cultural assimilation, ethnic identity, and the rights of artificially intelligent beings.
F BEBRIS MYSTERY
Bebris, Carrie. North by Northanger, or, The shades of Pemberley : a Mr. & Mrs. Darcy mystery. 1st ed. New York : Forge, 2006.
After the intrigues and excitements of their time in the city, the Darcys are more than prepared for a bit of peace and quiet at Pemberley. This is time that they can spend together as Elizabeth settles into her pregnancy. However, such serene solitude is not meant to be. First a letter from Lady Anne Fitzwilliam Darcy, long deceased, is discovered. The contents are both mysterious and prescient for Mrs. Darcy. Then a summons to Northanger Abbey involves the young couple in intrigues that threaten not just the Darcy legacy and good name, but Mr. Darcy’s freedom as well; and to make matter even worse and more uncomfortable for the expectant mother, Darcy’s overbearing aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, arrives on the scene to further bedevil Elizabeth.
F BERG
Berg, Elizabeth. We are all welcome here : a novel. 1st ed. New York : Random House, c2006.
During the summer of 1964, a mother struck down by polio is raising her daughter, Diana, to understand how to love life and enjoy freedom despite life’s handicaps and reversals. When the efforts of the Freedom Fighters begin to affect Peachie, the black woman who helps care for them, and the freedom of the household is threatened, Diana makes a radical move that changes everything.
F BISHOP FANTASY
Bishop, Anne. Sebastian. New York : Roc, c2006. In Bishop’s hardcover debut, a half-incubus named Sebastian lives in a land where night reigns and demons dwell. Sebastian revels in dark delights. When he dreams however, it’s of a woman calling to him that only wants to be safe and loved. While he hungers for her, he also understands he could destroy her. Little does he know, the nearly forgotten Eater of the World has escaped his prison and is determined to bring an end to Sebastian’s realm and his life.
F BLACK
Black, Baxter, 1945-. Hey, cowgirl, need a ride? 1st ed. New York : Crown Pub., c2005.
Lick, a down-on-his-luck rodeo cowboy working on a ranch in the remote Nevada desert, finds life getting exciting once again when Teddy Arizona, the trophy wife of a Las Vegas casino owner, arrives on the scene, along with a half-million dollars she claims she stole in an effort to keep her husband from staging an exotic animal hunt with famed tiger trainer Ponce de Crayon.
F BOWEN MYSTERY
Bowen, Rhys. Oh Danny boy. 1st ed. New York : St. Martin’s Minotaur, 2006.
Bowen captures early 1900 New York in her fifth installment of a series featuring Irish sleuth Molly Murphy. This time Molly is contemplating giving up P.I. work to move west as a way to avoid the handsome but deceiving NYPD captain Daniel Sullivan. That is, until Sullivan’s accused of accepting bribes and incarcerated in the city jail. When he asks Molly to help prove his innocence, she agrees, getting drawn into his case, as well as that of a serial killer who’s murdered five prostitutes.
F BOYNE
Boyne, John, 1971-. Crippen : a novel of murder. 1st ed. New York : Thomas Dunne Books, 2006.
The Irish writer John Boyne’s grimly fascinating new novel is based on the Hawley Harvey Crippen murder case. This murder and brutal dismemberment of his wife, Cora, and the race across the Atlantic aboard a cruise ship with Scotland Yard Inspector Walter Dew, in pursuit of Hawley and his lover Ethel, disguised as father and son, delighted and scandalized Londoners in 1910.
F BROCKMEIER FANTASY
Brockmeier, Kevin. The brief history of the dead. 1st ed. New York : Pantheon Books, c2006.
The City, where the recently departed reside as long as they are remembered by the living, is home to Kuka Sims, who prints the City’s only newspaper, Coleman Kinzler, a vagrant who speaks the word of God, and Marion and Philip Byrd, who find themselves falling in love once again, all of whom are remembered by Laura Byrd, whose own time is running out.
F BRUEN MYSTERY
Bruen, Ken. The dramatist. 1st U.S. ed. New York : St. Martin’s Minotaur, 2006.
These days, Jack Taylor is sober and off drugs. Mainly because his dealer’s in jail. The dealer calls him for a favor to which Jack doesn’t want to comply. However, the man’s sister is dead and Jack investigates.
F CARROLL
Carroll, Susan, 1952-. The courtesan : a novel. 1st ed. New York : Ballantine, c2005.
In 1575 Paris, Gabrielle Cheney vows to secure her future by winning the heart of Henry, the Huguenot king of Navarre, hoping that she will also become the power behind the French throne, but her plans are endangered by Captain Nicolas Remy, a warrior Gabrielle fears and desires above all others.
F CHERRYH SCIENCE FICTION
Cherryh, C. J. Pretender. New York : DAW Books, 2005. Exhausted from a two-year rescue mission to a distant sector of space, and with resources strained by four thousand extra mouths to feed, the crew of the starship Phoenix yearns for the luxuries of home. But when the ship makes the final jump into atevi space, they learn the worst: supplies to their home station have been cut off; civil war has broken out on the atevi mainland; the powerful Western Association has been overthrown; and Tabini-aiji is missing and may be dead.
F CHIAVERINI
Chiaverini, Jennifer. Circle of quilters : an Elm Creek quilts novel. New York : Simon & Schuster, c2006.
When two members of the Elm Creek Quilting group decide to leave, a call for new members is made. Among the applicants are: Maggie, whose love of history shines through in all her projects; Chef Anna, whose food-themed quilts are wonderfully innovative; Russ, the male quilter whose path-breaking style could lend Elm Creek Quilts an intriguing aesthetic departure; Karen, a novice teacher whose preternatural gifts complement her deep understanding of the quilters’ mission, and Gretchen, the soulful veteran with a legacy steeped in quilting tradition.
F CLARK
Clark, Mary Higgins. Two little girls in blue. New York : Simon & Schuster, 2006.
A young couple comes home from an evening out to find their babysitter unconscious and their three-year-old twin daughters missing. A ransom note for eight million dollars is left. After paying the ransom, only one child is returned with a note saying that the other child is dead and her body dumped in the ocean. But there’s reason to believe she may still be alive. Guided only by the telepathic communication between the twins, the mother starts a search for her missing child.
F COOK
Cook, K. L. The girl from Charnelle : a novel. 1st ed. New York : William Morrow, 2006.
It had been a year and a half since Laura Tate’s sister had eloped and her mother had mysteriously boarded a bus, never to return. The 16-year-old seemed to be handling the pressures of caring for her father and three brothers well. But the emotional repercussions of her family’s struggles are revealed when a chance encounter with a married man leads her into a complicated relationship for which she’s unprepared. Will she too be forced to flee her beloved Charnelle, Texas, and the family she loves?
F DAHEIM MYSTERY
Daheim, Mary. The Alpine recluse : an Emma Lord mystery. 1st ed. New York : Ballantine Books, c2006.
Newspaper editor Emma Lord is preparing the latest edition of the ‘Alpine Advocate’ when she learns of arson, only blocks from her home. As an investigation gets underway, it soon becomes evident that the fire was used as a cover up to an even more sinister crime: murder. Can Emma and Sheriff Milo Dodge find the killer before he strikes again?
F DANIELS
Daniels, Angie. In the company of my sistahs. New York : Dafina, 2006. Always being the one to have her life together, Lisa Miller plans a Jamaican vacation to help her sister and her childhood friends find love and fun. Hopefully, her heartache won’t spoil their time. Renee Moore, her sister, is twice-divorced and just wants to sip Rum Punch and find the perfect fling. Nadine Hill’s secret desire for women has been driving her nuts. Kayla Sparks dreams of marrying a church-going man, and has found that in a sexy, married reverend.
F DORSEY MYSTERY
Dorsey, Tim. The big bamboo. 1st ed. New York : Morrow, c2006.
After failing at his pursuit of marriage in ‘Torpedo Juice, ‘Serge Storms attempts another noble mission: to bring Tinsel Town’s attention back to Florida and revive the Sunshine State’s presence in the movies. Along the way, he and his stoned-out sidekick Coleman run into Ford Oelman, a budding young screenwriter who’s run afoul of Ian and Mel Glick, who run Vistamax Studios. When Serge blows into Hollywood, murder, mayhem and kidnapping break loose.
F DSOUZA
D’Souza, Tony. Whiteman. 1st ed. Orlando, Fla. : Harcourt, c2006.
American relief worker Jack Diaz arrives in West Africa amid rising tensions between Muslims and Christians and finds himself drawn into the mounting violence that threatens his life and the Muslim village he is stationed at.
F DUGONI
Dugoni, Robert. The jury master. New York : Warner Books, c2006.
Attorney David Sloane’s life spirals out of control when a personal friend to the President calls Sloane and makes a startling confession just before killing himself, placing Sloane in the middle of a web of political scandal and corruption.
F DUNHAM
Dunham, Tracy. Yes, the river knows. 1st ed. New York : Berkley Prime Crime, 2005.
Leaving the big city and coming back to South Carolina was the best thing attorney Tal Jefferson ever did. Even though she’s still haunted by the ghosts of her past, she’s finally given up the booze and started letting the tranquility of her hometown work its way through her veins. But her life is thrust back into turmoil when she and a high school acquaintance make a gruesome discovery in the Wynnton River. A man has been murdered-and soon, he’s identified as the estranged husband of Tal’s fierce-hearted secretary, June Atkins. In a town full of racism and self-delusion, Tal will have to clear June’s name and save them both from a murderer who’ll do anything to save himself.
F EGLETON
Egleton, Clive. The renegades : a Peter Ashton novel. 1st U.S. ed. New York : St. Martin’s Minotaur, 2006.
When a British secret service operative turns up dead in a London restaurant shoot-out, the SIS suspects that he was accidentally caught in the crossfire of a robbery. However, after one of the other corpses turns out to be a man with multiple identities and possible ties to terror organizations, they’re not so sure. Following the revelation of a cover-up within the British secret service, and suicide bomb attacks on British Council offices, Peter Ashton and the SIS must track down those at the heart of the conspiracy.
F ESSEX
Essex, Karen. Leonardo’s swans : a novel. 1st ed. New York : Doubleday, 2006.
Isabella d’Este, daughter of the Duke of Ferrara, has never envied her less attractive, naive sister Beatrice, until Beatrice is betrothed to the future Duke of Milan, a man who matches Isabella’s passion and intellect.
F FORD MYSTERY
Ford, Clyde W. The long mile. 1st ed. St. Paul, Minn. : Midnight Ink, 2005.
Framed for the murder of DEA agent Danny Rodrigues during a drug bust, former New York City police detective John Shannon is released after serving two years in prison. Shannon is determined to put his life back together with his wife and son and find the person who really murdered Rodrigues. Barely out of prison, Shannon is offered a choice by the ex-CIA agent who runs New York’s Office of Municipal Security: take a job with the agency or face rearrest and a retrial for murder. Angrily turning down the job, Shannon soon learns that his son, J. J., is missing. Against the advice of his lawyer, he breaks the conditions of his release and races to find his son and clear his name before the government closes in on him. Booklist
F FOSSUM MYSTERY
Fossum, Karin, 1954-. Don’t look back. 1st Harvest ed. Orlando : Harcourt, 2005.
Meet Inspector Sejer: smart and enigmatic, tough but fair. At the foot of the imposing Kollen Mountain lies a small, idyllic village, where neighbors know neighbors and children play happily in the streets. But when the body of a teenage girl is found by the lake at the mountaintop, the town’s tranquility is shattered forever. Annie was strong, intelligent, and loved by everyone. What went so terribly wrong? Doggedly, yet subtly, Inspector Sejer uncovers layer upon layer of distrust and lies beneath the town’s seemingly perfect façade.
F FRAZER MYSTERY
Frazer, Margaret. The sempster’s tale. 1st ed. New York : Berkley Prime Crime, 2006.
The latest medieval mystery in the acclaimed series finds Dame Frevisse on a mission in London to recover gold from the coffers of the murdered Duke of Suffolk and give the gold to her cousin. Frevisse’s co-conspirators in this secrecy are seamstress Anne Blakehall and her lover, a Jewish trader smuggling the gold through Anne’s shop. But their mission is jeopardized when a crucified body is discovered, supposedly scarred with Hebrew letters, stirring up anti-Semitic sentiment in the populace.
F FRIEDMANN
Friedmann, Patty. Side effects : a New Orleans love story. [Emeryville, Calif.] : [Berkeley, Calif.] : Shoemaker & Hoard ; Distributed by Publishers Group West, c2005.
The lives of three drugstore employees, two black one white, become intertwined as they work together and gain a unique insight into the people and culture of New Orleans.
F GRIMES MYSTERY
Grimes, Martha. The old wine shades : a Richard Jury mystery. New York : Viking, 2006.
Richard Jury is intrigued by the story the man sitting next to him is spinning about a good friend whose wife, son, and dog vanished into thin air one day in Surrey. The woman and child had been missing nine months, but the dog had come back. Jury decides to go to Surrey and try to solve the mysterious disappearance and discovers that while the missing woman’s husband is now in a psychiatric facility, he doesn’t seem as disturbed as one might expect about his wife and son’s disappearance.
F GRUBER MYSTERY
Gruber, Michael, 1940-. Night of the jaguar : a novel. 1st ed. New York : Morrow, 2006.
‘Night of the Jaguar’ concludes Gruber’s trilogy featuring Miami detective Jimmy Paz. After an American priest is shot in the jungles of Colombia, an Indian shaman arrives in South Florida, armed with a bag of totems and the fearsome power of Jaguar, his god. When affluent Cuban-American businessmen begin dying in gruesome fashion, Jimmy Paz is called out of his self-imposed retirement to track the killer who has now set his sights on Jimmy’s seven-year-old daughter.
F HARRISON MYSTERY FAVORITE
Harrison, Janis (Janis Anne). Bindweed : a gardening mystery. 1st U.S. ed. New York : St. Martin’s Minotaur, 2005.
When Toby’s mother dies, Missouri florist Bretta Solomon and everyone else in town takes extra care to ensure the slow-witted man is looked after. When Toby dies after being attacked by killer bees, which appear to have been deliberately planted in his home, Bretta becomes even more involved. She must put her decorating jobs on the back burner as she searches for a killer.
F HARRODEAGLES
Harrod-Eagles, Cynthia. The colonel’s daughter. New York : Severn House, 2006.
In the early summer of 1954, young George West, qualified as an architect but completing his national service, meets 17-year-old Josella Grace, daughter of a retired Colonel. He falls passionately in love with this reserved but beautiful girl—a love that seems destined never to be fulfilled. Their story, and its dark secrets, alternates between George’s tale of first love in 1954 and Josella’s bittersweet perspective, a decade later in 1964, of the difficulties of her relationships. Their unique voices chart the anguish, tragedy and despair, as their lives are led apart, without hope of a happy reunion.
F HART MYSTERY
Hart, Ellen. The iron girl. 1st ed. New York : St. Martin’s Minotaur, 2005.
After years spent mourning the death of her partner, Christine, Jane Lawless is moving on. While sorting through Christine’s things, Jane’s shocked to discover a gun. Before her illness, Christine, a real estate agent, was selling a house for the Simoneau family. The night before her death, three family members were murdered. Now Jane wondered if Christine had known some Simoneau family secrets and was fearful for her life? Perhaps finding out would bring Jane closure at last. Instead, it leads her deep into danger.
F HART MYSTERY
Hart, Carolyn G. Dead days of summer : a death on demand mystery. 1st ed. New York : William Morrow, c2006.
Working a case, Max Darling calls Annie to let her know he may be getting home late. When he never shows up, Annie’s frantic, especially after his car is found with a murder weapon in the trunk and a young woman’s body nearby. The case results in a media frenzy with Max being portrayed as an unfaithful husband willing to kill to get rid of a mistress. Annie’s sure Max is innocent. Now all she has to do is prove it.
F HAUTMAN MYSTERY
Hautman, Pete, 1952-. The prop : a novel. 1st Simon & Schuster pbk. ed. New York : Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2006.
Prop player Peeky Kane finds she’s accidentally involved in a scam to rob $30,000 from an Arizona casino owned by the Santa Cruz tribe. To make matters worse, her daughter just admitted that she steals money from her for crack, and masked gunmen enter the casino and make off with a killing, leaving several dead. Peeky recognizes one of them as her boyfriend Buddy, and she teams up with Hector Vega, a powerful member of the tribe to bring him down.
F HAYDON FANTASY
Haydon, Elizabeth. The Floating Island : the lost journals of Ven Polypheme. ARE pbk. New York : Starscape, c2006.
Charles Magnus Ven Polypheme—known as Ven—is the youngest son of a long line of famous shipwrights. He dreams not of building ships, but of sailing them to far-off lands where magic thrives. Ven gets his chance when he is chosen to direct the Inspection of his family’s latest ship—and sets sail on the journey of a lifetime. Attacked by fire pirates, lost at sea and near death, Ven is rescued by a passing ship on its way to the Island of Serendair. Thankful to be alive, little does Ven know that the pirate attack—and his subsequent rescue—may not have been an accident. Shadowy figures are hunting for the famed Floating Island, the only source of the mystical Water of Life. They think Ven can lead them to this treasure, and will stop at nothing to get it—even murder.
F HOAG MYSTERY
Hoag, Tami. Prior bad acts. New York : Bantam Books, 2006.
Minneapolis homicide detective Sam Kovac and his wisecracking partner Nikki Liska must discover who kidnapped a judge whose recent unpopular ruling regarding a potential serial killer made her a target. The case takes them down a strange, dark trail of smoke and mirrors, revealing a suspect list larger than anyone expected, including a rogue cop looking for revenge. With an entire community at risk, finding the kidnapper is imperative.
F IGGULDEN
Iggulden, Conn. Emperor : the gods of war. New York : Delacorte Press, 2006.
In the conclusion of the Emperor series, Julius Caesar leads his legions across the Rubicon to confront his last rival for supreme power, knowing that danger and bloodshed lay ahead. The prize for victory would be dominion over the greatest empire the world has ever seen. What Caesar doesn’t know is how much else will be his if he is victorious. It will also bring the love of Cleopatra, the Egyptian queen who will bear his only son, and betrayal by his closest ally.
F JAKEMAN MYSTERY
Jakeman, Jane. The Egyptian coffin. Berkley trade ed. New York : Berkley Prime Crime, 2005.
Autumn, 1830, Lilian Westmorland, the spirited young heiress to an estate in England’s West Country, has only narrowly survived a devastating riding accident. Her guardian thinks it best that she travel to Egypt, where the warm climate might help her recover. But Lord Ambrose Malfine fears that her trip may pose even more danger to his young neighbor, the daughter of his late friend. After her departure, he hears of strange things happening one after another, including the death of a little girl. Compelled to rescue Lilian from danger, Ambrose races to Egypt, where, among Cairo’s labyrinthine streets, he uncovers unspeakable evil...
F KELLERMAN MYSTERY
Kellerman, Jonathan. Gone : an Alex Delaware novel. New York : Ballantine Books, 2006.
Two acting students vanish only to be found battered and bruised three days later, recounting a horrific ordeal of abduction. The scenario becomes even stranger when the couple’s story is revealed as a hoax. After being charged as criminals themselves and released by the police, one is murdered and the other goes missing. Psychologist Alex Delaware and the L.A.P.D.’s Milo Sturgis must unravel the case of the couple who cried wolf. In the process, they discover a host of identical cases.
F KONKLE
Konkle, Marsena. A dark oval stone. Brewster, Mass. : Paraclete Press, c2006.
Haunted by a childhood shaped by the death of one brother in Vietnam and another in an elementary school fire, Miriam Kovatch is accustomed to living under the shadow of grief. Her deceased mother, devoutly religious and expert at sodden prayers, taught Miriam to be on the alert for whatever tragedy was destined to be lurking around the corner. When Miriam’s husband dies suddenly, confirming her mother’s powerful lessons, she is forced to embark on an enlightening journey of self-discovery that shakes the foundations of her own faith and ultimately contradicts everything she once believed about her family and herself. Sustained by the unexpected friendship of a remarkable stranger, Miriam begins the painful process of embracing all that life has to offer.
F LIPMAN
Lipman, Elinor. My latest grievance. Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2006.
Frederica Hatch describes herself as the Eloise of the rather lackluster college at which her parents both teach, and where she was raised. When the college hires Laura Lee French to den mother a neighboring dorm, the timing seems excellent for Frederica, 16, who is craving more attention.
F LISS MYSTERY
Liss, David, 1966-. The ethical assassin : a novel. 1st ed. New York : Ballantine Books, c2006.
When a Florida couple is murdered right before his eyes, encyclopedia-selling college student Lem Altick finds himself enveloped by the world of charismatic assassin Melford Kean, a mysterious post-Marxist intellectual with whom he forges a wary friendship that puts his life in danger.
F MCGARRITY MYSTERY
McGarrity, Michael. Nothing but trouble : a Kevin Kerney novel. New York : Dutton, [2006], c2005.
Santa Fe Police Chief Kevin Kereny agrees to help an old friend by serving as a technical advisor on a contemporary Western movie, believing he is in for a working vacation near the Mexican border, but when a dead man is discovered near the film site, Kevin is drawn into the investigation.
F MCPHEE
McPhee, Martha. L’America. 1st ed. Orlando, Fla. : Harcourt, c2006.
When Beth and Cesare meet on the small Aegean island, it begins a transformative love affair that spans two continents, two decades, and two lifetimes. Cesare, a cosseted Italian boy, was raised in a prosperous town where his family has lived for 500 years. Beth, is an ambitious American dreamer born to hippies and raised on a commune. The events of September 11th serve as a catalyst for the unfolding of their story.
F MEDWED
Medwed, Mameve. How Elizabeth Barrett Browning saved my life. 1st ed. New York : Morrow, c2006.
Abigail Randolf is struggling with the death of her mother and the remarriage of her Harvard professor father. Abby would rather hide in her booth at an antiques market than deal with the conflict caused by an object inherited from her mother’s apartment. Forced by her friend Gus, Abby takes the object on the Antiques Roadshow TV program only to find out that it belonged to author Elizabeth Barrett Browning and is worth thousands of dollars. This news brings ex-lover Ned and ex-friend Lavinia out of the woodwork to stake a claim to the prize, much to Abby’s dismay. The reader roots for Abby as she faces her weaknesses and ultimately comes out ahead.
F MEIER MYSTERY
Meier, Leslie. New Year’s Eve murder. New York : Kensington, c2005.
Lucy Stone and her daughter Elizabeth have won mother/daughter makeovers in Manhattan from ‘Jolie’ magazine. Lucy is less than thrilled to be in the Big Apple among the post-holiday shopping crowds. When the magazine’s fashion editor falls mysteriously ill and dies, the women know something isn’t quite right. Especially when there are any number of people who could have killed the woman without batting a well-made-up eye. Now it’s up to Lucy to dress down a killer before the ball drops in Times Square.
F MICHAELS
Michaels, Fern. Hey, good looking. New York : Pocket Books, 2006.
When the Gunn family reunites to mourn the death of 33-year-old Russ, they find themselves confronting some old wounds. Only the intervention of Darby Lane can bring an end to the impasse between father and son. She teams up with her three wily aunts, Dodo, Diddy, and Ducky Lane, to free her lover’s father from his pernicious second wife, who had blackmailed him into marriage and had made the man a prisoner in his own home ever since.
F MONTANARI MYSTERY
Montanari, Richard. The skin gods : [lights, camera, madness]. 1st ed. New York : Ballantine Books, c2006.
Two Philadelphia detectives set out to find a killer who turns Hollywood movie murders into real-life crimes. A cold-blooded killer with a secret vendetta has detectives Jessica Balzano and Kevin Byrne hunting a murderer who takes his inspiration from cinema classics like ‘Psycho’ and ‘Fatal Attraction.’ What Kevin doesn’t know is that this monster has now set his sights on his teen daughter, Colleen.
F MORROW
Morrow, James, 1947-. The last witchfinder. 1st ed. New York : William Morrow, c2006.
Abrim with picaresque adventures— escapades that carry Jennet Stearne from King William’s Britain to the fledgling American Colonies to an uncharted Caribbean island—our heroine’s search for justice entangles her variously in the machinations of the Salem Witch Court, the customs of her Algonquin Indian captors, the designs of a West Indies pirate band, and the bedsheets of her brilliant lover, the young Ben Franklin. Finally, in a reckless and courageous ploy, Jennet arranges to go on trial herself for sorcery, the only way she can defeat the witchfinders now and forever. Rich in detail, rollicking in style, and endlessly engaging, “The Last Witchfinder is a tour de force of historical fiction.
F MORTIMER
Mortimer, John Clifford, 1923-. Quite honestly. 1st American ed. New York : Viking, 2006.
Life couldn’t be better for Lucinda Purefoy, whose father is the Bishop of Aldershot. She’s got a steady boyfriend, a degree in social sciences, and the offer of a job in advertising. It’s because of these blessings that she feels she must do something to pay back her debt to society and do some good for the world. That’s why she joined SCRAP, an organization that trains girls to become guide, philosopher, and friend to ex-cons. Her life changes drastically after meeting career-burglar Terry Keegan.
F MOSLEY
Mosley, Walter. Fortunate son. 1st ed. New York : Little, Brown and Co., 2006.
In spite of their differences, Eric and Tommy are as close as brothers. Eric, a Nordic Adonis, is graced by a seemingly endless supply of good fortune. Tommy, a black boy, is cursed with health problems, yet remains optimistic and strong. After tragedy rips them apart, their lives astonishingly diverge. In a story of resilience and redemption, the two confront separate challenges, and when circumstances reunite them years later, they draw on their extraordinary natures to confront a common enemy and, ultimately, save their lives.
F MOSSE FANTASY
Mosse, Kate, 1961-. Labyrinth. 1st American ed. New York : G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2006.
While on an archeological dig in the French Pyrenees, Alice Turner stumbles into a cave and makes a startling discovery. In addition to two crumbling skeletons, there are strange writings on the walls and the pattern of a labyrinth. Between the skeletons there’s a stone ring with an identical pattern and a small leather bag. A sense of malevolence in the cave gives Alice the feeling that something’s been disturbed that was meant to remain hidden and that somehow a link to a horrific past has been revealed.
F MRAZEK
Mrazek, Robert J. The deadly embrace : a novel of World War II. New York : Viking, 2006.
Second Lt. Elizabeth ‘Liza’ Marantz arrives in London in January, 1944 to join the staff of the military security command. Assigned to Maj. Sam Taggart, a former NYC homicide detective, it’s their job to protect the secrets of the Overlord D-Day invasion plan from falling into German hands. After two of her female co-workers suffer suspicious deaths, Liza and Taggart investigate. Since both women were mistresses of several high ranking generals involved with planning Overlord, could the intelligence for the D-Day invasion have been compromised?
F PARKER MYSTERY
Parker, T. Jefferson. The fallen : a novel. 1st ed. New York : William Morrow, c2006. San Diego homicide detective Robbie Brownlaw, afflicted with synesthesia, a neurological condition that allows him to sense when people’s words do not match with their feelings, puts his abilities to good use when he and his partner are called upon to investigate the death of Garrett Asplundh, a former officer whose personal tragedies lead some to believe he may have committed suicide.
F PERRY MYSTERY
Perry, Anne. Dark assassin : a novel. 1st ed. New York : Ballantine Books, c2006.
William Monk, superintendent in the Thames River Police, is on a patrol boat near Waterloo Bridge when he notices a young couple at the railing of the bridge, apparently engaged in an intense discussion. Seconds later, the pair plunges to their death in the icy waters. Has Monk witnessed an accident, a double suicide, or a murder? His ensuing investigation leads him toward a conspiracy that reverberates into the highest levels of Her Majesty’s government.
F PERRY MYSTERY
Perry, Thomas, 1947-. Nightlife : a novel. 1st ed. New York : Random House, c2006.
The cousin of a Los Angeles underworld kingpin is dead and his girlfriend is missing. Strands of the girlfriends’ blonde hair are found at the scene, but Portland detective Catherine Hobbs doesn’t know if that makes the woman a victim or the killer. The detective intends to find out.
F PETERS
Peters, Julie Anne. Between Mom and Jo. New York : Little, Brown, 2006.
Fourteen-year-old Nick has a three-legged dog named Lucky 2, some pet fish, and two mothers, whose relationship complicates his entire life as they face prejudice, work problems, alcoholism, cancer, and finally separation.
F PETERS MYSTERY
Peters, Elizabeth. Tomb of the golden bird. 1st ed. New York : William Morrow, c2006.
Convinced the tomb of the little-known King Tutankhamon is in the Valley of the Kings, Emerson heads to Luxor. Before excavations begin however, an incident at the hotel turns the family’s attention to detecting. Emerson and Ramses are lured into a trap by a group of villains who demand, ‘Where is he?’ After the men escape, they’re left with one question. Who is HE? Could Emerson’s charming half-brother be involved somehow?
F PRONZINI MYSTERY
Pronzini, Bill. Mourners : a nameless detective novel. 1st ed. New York : Forge, 2006.
Nameless, a detective, doesn’t like funerals, so his new case is less than pleasant. James Troxell’s wife had hired him through the agency to find out why her husband was spending so much time going to funerals and sending flowers to survivors of people he didn’t even know. The only similarity seemed to be that the deceased were all women who had died violent deaths.
F RANKIN MYSTERY
Rankin, Ian. Blood hunt : a novel. 1st Little, Brown ed. New York : Little, Brown, 2006, c1995.
Former soldier Gordon Reeve does not believe his brother’s death was a suicide and travels to California to determine what really happened to his brother and find the person responsible.
F ROBERTS MYSTERY
Roberts, Nora. Blue smoke. New York : Putnam’s, c2005.
Reena Hale achieves her goal and joins the arson unit after a devastating fire destroys her family’s pizzeria; however, as she continues to trace the origin of threats against her and unsolved arson cases, she struggles with her relationship with Bo Goodnight.
F ROWLAND MYSTERY
Rowland, Laura Joh. The assassin’s touch. 1st ed. New York : St. Martin’s Minotaur, 2005.
During a horse race at Edo Castle, the shogun’s chief intelligence officer drops dead as his horse gallops across the finish line. It’s the fourth such death among high-ranking officials. Sano Ichiro, the shogun’s second-in-command, is asked to investigate. His only clues: a single fingerprint and an unexpected connection to Sano’s wife, Reiko. They put him on the trail of an underground movement to overthrow the regime, and in the path of an assassin.
F SCALZI SCIENCE FICTION
Scalzi, John, 1969-. The ghost brigades. 1st ed. New York : Tor, 2006.
Scalzi spins the tale of an alliance of three alien races against interstellar humanity, the defection of a human military scientist, and the signs of an impending war which call for desperate measures from the Colonial Defense Forces. The creation of the superhuman hybrid Jared Dirac from the DNA of the traitor Charles Boutin is intended to provide a window on Boutin’s mind and on the reasons for the alien alliance, but the transfer apparently fails, and Dirac is assigned to the Ghost Brigades, Special Forces troops cloned from the DNA of dead men minus any moral qualms. The sequel to Old Man’s War combines taut military action with keen insights into the moral issues revolving around developing technologies. Library Journal
F SCOTTOLINE MYSTERY
Scottoline, Lisa. Dirty Blonde. 1st ed. New York : HarperCollins, c2006.
New judge Cate Fante, is attractive, sexy, and tough-minded. In spite of her new status in the elite meritocracy however, she is more attracted to bad boys and working-class men than legal types. When someone from her court case is shot to death and the accused killer is apprehended, Cate’s appalled to discover that she knows the accused and that her private life is now splashed all over the papers. To clear her name, she must find a murderer.
F SENNA
Senna, Danzy. Caucasia. 1st Riverhead trade pbk. ed. New York : Riverhead Books, 1999, c1998.
Two sisters, one light-skinned like their mother, the other dark like their father, are separated after their parents divorce and go on to lead very different lives while hoping for a reunion with each other.
F SHINN FANTASY
Shinn, Sharon. The thirteenth house. 1st ed. New York : Ace Books, c2006.
The shiftling Kirra returns to her home of Danalustrous after a long journey and learns that her half sister, Casserah, has been proclaimed heir to the land but refuses to attend the social events required of her position, so Kirra shapeshifts into her sister to perform her duties and encounters more problems than she ever imagined.
F SHOLES
Sholes, Lynne, 1945-. The grail conspiracy. 1st ed. Woodbury, MN : Midnight Ink, c2005.
Rookie SNN reporter Cotten Stone finds herself in the middle of the biggest news story in two thousand years, and enlists the help of biblical history scholar John Tyler to uncover the truth behind the discovery of Christ’s Holy Grail.
F STACKPOLE FANTASY
Stackpole, Michael A., 1957-. Cartomancy. New York : Bantam Books, 2006.
In order to save Nalenyr from oblivion, the old heroes who once defended the land are awakened by a group of trailblazing mapmakers with the power to discover and shape new worlds.
F TALLIS MYSTERY
Tallis, Frank. A death in Vienna. 1st American ed. New York : Grove Press, c2005.
In Vienna at the turn of the twentieth century, Max Liebermann is at the forefront of psychoanalysis, practicing the controversial new science with all the skill of a master detective. When a mysterious and beautiful medium dies under extraordinary circumstances, Max’s good friend, Detective Oskar Rheinhardt, calls for his expert assistance. The medium’s body has been found in a room that can only be locked from the inside. Her body has been shot, but there’s no gun and absolutely no trace of a bullet. On a table lies a suicide note, claiming that there is “such a thing as forbidden knowledge.” All signs point to a supernatural killer, but Liebermann the scientist is not so easily convinced.
F TATLOCK
Tatlock, Ann. Things we once held dear. Minneapolis, Minn. : Bethany House, c2006.
As Neil Sadler struggles to recover from a devastating loss, he is reminded of a disturbing ordeal from his childhood that begins to haunt him, and sets out to bring closure to his past and move on with his life.
F TEMPLE MYSTERY
Temple, Lou Jane. Death du jour. 1st ed. New York : Berkley Prime Crime, 2006.
Fanny Delarue, a young cook with a wealthy family in the Place Royale, is keeping two fires burning. One for food and one for Henry, the head chef. She’s also trying to ignore the political heat that’s building all around her. Tempers flare and nerves are strained until one day a chef to a neighboring household is found dead under suspicious circumstances. With the Place Royale in tumult, Fanny must solve the crime before the flames converge on her hopes for her future.
F THOMAS
Thomas, Jodi. A Texan’s luck. Jove mass-market ed. New York : Jove Books, c2004.
Captain Walker Larson received the shock of his life when a stranger walked into his office claiming to be his wife. Walker had no idea that his father had bought him a wife in a lottery, but he knew that he had no desire for a wife, so he sent her away. Nearly three years later, Lacy is shocked when Walker shows up on her doorstep, ordered by the military to protect his wife from a killer. Lacy wants nothing to do with him. But will these two realize that their marriage was a far better gamble than either of them had imagined?
F THURLO MYSTERY
Thurlo, Aimée. Mourning dove. 1st ed. New York : Forge, 2006.
Life in the Clah household is about to become more complicated, as Ella’s mother Rose decides to remarry and the father of Ella’s daughter, Dawn, announces his desire for full custody. When Jimmy Blacksheep, a member of the New Mexico National Guard, is killed shortly after returning from a tour of duty in Iraq, Ella investigates. It reveals corruption that might involve Blacksheep’s brother, a local police officer. Ella must be very careful about how she handles this case.
F TODD MYSTERY
Todd, Charles. A long shadow : an inspector Ian Rutledge mystery. 1st ed. New York : William Morrow, 2006.
While leaving a New Year’s Eve celebration in 1919, Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge finds a brass cartridge casing identical to countless others he’d seen during the war he could not forget. This one has an engraving in the metal. He pockets it. Soon, he finds another, in a most unexpected place. The casings seem to point to unfinished business involving the war. A man with a dark secret, Rutledge already walks on the edge of sanity and now it appears someone is hunting him.
F VINE MYSTERY
Vine, Barbara, 1930-. The minotaur : a novel. 1st American ed. New York : Shaye Areheart Books, c2005.
Kerstin Kvist arrives at remote Lydstep Old Hall in Essex to serve as a private nurse for John Cosway, a thirty-nine-year-old man plagued by madness, and finds herself drawn into the bitter fights among the family members and a decades-old mystery.
F WATERS
Waters, Sarah, 1966-. The night watch. New York : Riverhead Books, 2006.
Told in three parts that telescope back in time, from 1947 to 1944 to 1941, this is the story of several Londoners whose lives and relationships are animated and changed by the war in unexpected ways that lend depth and nuance to their characters and reveal in intimate detail the lasting impact of historical events on individual lives.
F WEBB MYSTERY
Webb, Betty. Desert run : a Lena Jones mystery. 1st ed. Scottsdale, AZ : Poisoned Pen Press, 2006.
This complex novel featuring Scottsdale private detective Lena Jones—“a refreshing heroine” (“Booklist”)--is based on an actual Arizona history. When Lena is hired to provide security on a documentary film site, she uncovers more about the film’s subject than she bargained for.
F WRIGHT MYSTERY
Wright, Nina, 1964-. Whiskey on the rocks : a Whiskey Mattimoe mystery. 1st ed. Woodbury, MN : Midnight Ink, c2005.
When a body turns up at one of her properties, newly widowed real estate agency owner Whiskey Mattimoe sets out to solve the murder without becoming the next victim.
F ZAHN SCIENCE FICTION
Zahn, Timothy. Star Wars : outbound flight. 1st ed. New York : Del Rey/Ballentine Books, c2006.
Jedi Master Jorus C’baoth’s Outbound Flight Project—the journey of fifty thousand men, women, and children, including Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padawan Anakin Skywalker, on a mission to colonize worlds beyond the known galaxy—is drawn into war when it crosses paths with the Chiss mastermind Thrawn.
NON-FICTION:
158.1 SAN
Sansone, Kathryn. Woman first family always : real-life wisdom from a mother of ten. 1st ed. Des Moines, IA : Meredith Books, c2006.
Sansone offers real-life wisdom, insight, and confidence-building advice to battle each day’s inevitable stresses. Tips for achieving emotional balance, creating a fulfilling marriage, and raising well-adjusted children. Includes quick-read sections on Self, Marriage, Family, and Children with practical tips and examples from Kathryn’s own life.—From publisher description
200 DEN
Dennett, Daniel Clement. Breaking the spell : religion as a natural phenomenon. New York : Viking, 2006.
An innovative thinker tackles the controversial question of why we believe in God and how religion shapes our lives and our future. For a growing number of people, there is nothing more important than religion. It is an integral part of their marriage, child rearing, and community. In this daring new book, distinguished philosopher Dennett takes a hard look at this phenomenon and asks why. Where does our devotion to God come from and what purpose does it serve? Is religion a blind evolutionary compulsion or a rational choice? In a narrative that ranges widely through history, philosophy, and psychology, Dennett explores how organized religion evolved from folk beliefs and why it is such a potent force today. He contends that the “belief in belief” has fogged any attempt to rationally consider the existence of God and the relationship between divinity and human need.—From publisher description
200.9 ARM
Armstrong, Karen, 1944-. The great transformation : the beginning of our religious traditions. 1st ed. New York : Knopf, 2006.
In the ninth century BCE, the peoples of four distinct regions of the civilized world created the religious and philosophical traditions that have continued to nourish humanity to the present day: Confucianism and Daoism in China, Hinduism and Buddhism in India, monotheism in Israel, and philosophical rationalism in Greece. Later generations further developed these initial insights, but we have never grown beyond them. Rabbinic Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, for example, were all secondary flowerings of the original Israelite vision. Now, in The Great Transformation, Karen Armstrong reveals how the sages of this pivotal “Axial Age” can speak clearly and helpfully to the violence and desperation that we experience in our own times.
230 ENG
Englert, Jonathan. The collar : a year of striving and faith inside a Catholic seminary. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Co., 2006.
While 63 million Americans now practice the Catholic faith, the number of priests is plummeting. As a result, parishes nationwide are closing down, placing more strain on those all ready wearing the collar. Against this backdrop, Englert charts the journey of four men to the priesthood at a seminary outside Milwaukee that specializes in so- called second-career priests: men who come to the vocation later than their college years.
282 KAI
Kaiser, Robert Blair. A church in search of itself : Benedict XVI and the battle for the future. 1st ed. New York : Knopf, 2006.
By looking at the past of the Catholic Church, this book tells the story of the future of the church and the struggles that lie ahead. The narrative takes readers across the border between faith and church politics, focusing on six cardinals heading to the conclave. Each is attracted to the idea of a long-deferred people’s church. With concern for the church and knowledge of its ways, Kaiser gives readers an understanding of the issues and the combatants in the battle for the souls of the Catholic world.
305.89 VIT
Vitebsky, Piers. The reindeer people : living with animals and spirits in Siberia. Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2005.
Vitebsky traces the history of the Eveny people in northeast Siberia, focusing on how the culture’s social relationships are formed through an intense partnership with reindeer as they migrate over the swamps, ice sheets, and mountain peaks that make up the world’s coldest inhabited region.
338.4 CRI
Critser, Greg. Generation Rx : how prescription drugs are transforming American lives, minds, and bodies. Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2005.
The author examines the possible consequences of the growth of prescription drug use and the impact of direct-to-consumer promotion (DTC) and off-label marketing.
650.1 CRO
Crowley, Katherine. Working with you is killing me : freeing yourself from emotional traps at work. 1st ed. New York : Warner Business Books, 2006.
Presents a step-by-step program designed to help people cope with workplace stress, deal with difficult colleagues, and take control of their response to the stressors.
741.6 KID
Kidd, Chip. Chip Kidd. New York : Rizzoli, 2005-. Vol. 1. Work : 1986-2006.
Affiliated with Alfred A. Knopf Publishers for two decades, book designer/novelist Chip Kidd has created covers for many hundreds of books. This collection offers a generous sampling of his work in approximately 900 color and b&w illustrations, along with Kidd’s anecdotal and exuberant commentary about how the designs came together. Also included are an introduction by John Updike, quotes and comments from 40 writers, and an introductory section devoted to biographical info and pictures of Kidd’s family.
818 ATW
Atwood, Margaret Eleanor, 1939-. Waltzing again : new and selected conversations with Margaret Atwood. 1st ed. Princeton, NJ : New York : Ontario Review Press ; Distributed by W.W. Norton & Co., c2006.
This gathering of 21 interviews with Margaret Atwood covers a broad spectrum of topics. Beginning with Graeme Gibson’s “Dissecting the Way a Writer Works” (1972), the conversations provide a forum for Atwood to talk about her own work, her career as a writer, feminism, and Canadian cultural nationalism, and to refute the autobiographical fallacy. These conversations offer what Earl Ingersoll calls “a kind of ‘biography’ of Margaret Atwood—the only kind of biography she is likely to sanction.” Enlivened by Atwood’s unfailing sense of humor, the interviews present an invaluable view of a distinguished contemporary writer at work.
823 FLI
Flirting with Pride & prejudice : fresh perspectives on the original chick-lit masterpiece. Dallas, TX : [Chicago] : BenBella Books ; Distributed by Independent Publishers Group, c2005.
This collection of essays explores the impact of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”, discussing what it reveals about women, the search for true love, and the allure of the book’s characters.
914.04 MAY
Mayes, Frances. A year in the world : journeys of a passionate traveller. 1st ed. New York : Broadway Books, c2006.
Frances Mayes celebrates the allure of travel in this book of memory woven into the present, a joyous sense of quest, and of pleasures found in the most unlikely of places. In ‘A Year in the World’ she takes readers to Spain, Portugal, France, the British Isles, Turkey, Greece, the south of Italy, and North Africa, where they’ll experience the various cultures, art, architecture, history and culinary traditions.
917.304 LEV
Lévy, Bernard Henri. American vertigo : traveling America in the footsteps of Tocqueville. 1st ed. New York : Random House, c2006.
What does it mean to be an American, and what can America be today? To answer these questions, celebrated philosopher and journalist Bernard-Henri Lévy spent a year traveling throughout the country in the footsteps of another great Frenchman, Alexis de Tocqueville, whose “Democracy in America” remains the most influential book ever written about our country. The result is “American Vertigo”, a fascinating, wholly fresh look at a country we sometimes only think we know. From Rikers Island to Chicago mega-churches, from Muslim communities in Detroit to an Amish enclave in Iowa, Lévy investigates issues at the heart of our democracy: the special nature of American patriotism, the coexistence of freedom and religion (including the religion of baseball), the prison system, the return of ideology, and the health of our political institutions, and much more. He revisits and updates Tocqueville’s most important beliefs, such as the dangers posed by the tyranny of the majority, explores what Europe and America have to learn from each other, and interprets what he sees with a novelist’s eye and a philosopher’s depth.
921 CHILD
Child, Julia. My life in France. New York : Knopf, 2006.
Begun just months before her death and completed by her grandnephew, this memoir resurrects Julia’s early days in France when she didn’t even know how to cook or speak French. After discovering French cuisine, she decided to take some courses at the Cordon Bleu which resulted in launching Julia’s career as a celebrity chef. Upon returning to the United States, Julia basked in the success her cookbook, ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ brought, and the love she gained from millions of fans.
921 GREENE
Greene, Bob. And you know you should be glad : a true story of lifelong friendship. New York : William Morrow, 2006. Growing up in Bexley, Ohio, Bob Greene had four best friends. Of the four, Jack was his very best friend, a bond forged from their first day of kindergarten. Growing up, they shared most of life’s experiences together. Ultimately separated by time and distance as adults, they continued to stay close, holding onto their friendship. Then, in 2004, Bob received a call that Jack was dying.
921 JONES
Jones, Thomas D. Sky walking : an astronaut’s memoir. 1st Smithsonian Books ed. New York : Smithsonian Books/Collins, 2006.
Tom Jones had an exciting life. This memoir is the tale of his journey from Air Force pilot and CIA scientist to a veteran astronaut who flew four shuttle missions and spent 19 hours spacewalking. In addition to sharing in the teaming up with the Russians to build an international space station, he also shares his thoughts on what the future of the space program holds in the aftermath of the ‘Columbia’ tragedy.
921 LYNCH
Lynch, Sheri. Be happy or I’ll scream! : my deranged quest for the perfect husband, family, and life. 1st ed. New York : St. Martin’s Press, 2006.
Lynch cleverly captures the angst of child-rearing in this funny memoir. She works while her husband stays at home with their two children, but that doesn’t squelch her desire to create a family like those on TV, with their touching moments and meaningful lessons. Thus she gives herself a year to transform her family.
921 MADISON
Allgor, Catherine, 1958-. A perfect union : Dolly Madison and the creation of the American nation. 1st ed. New York : Henry Holt & Co., 2006.
Following the Revolutionary War, Dolly Madison and her husband, James, came to the nation’s newly-minted capital. Within a few years she had mastered both the social and political intricacies of the city and by her death in 1849 was the most celebrated person in Washington. In spite of that, most Americans know little about her. This book offers an extraordinary portrait of an unsung founder of our democracy, and an account of a little-explored time in America’s history.
973.931 BER
Berman, Morris, 1944-. Dark ages America : the final phase of empire. New York : W.W. Norton & Company, c2006.
In this provocative, scattershot jeremiad, cultural historian Berman (“The Twilight of American Culture”) likens America to ancient Rome on the brink. On the geopolitical plane, he contends, the United States is a belligerent, overstretched empire, saddled with huge deficits and a hollowed-out economy, vulnerable to terrorist blowback and, worse, collapse if foreign creditors finally pull the plug. The rot is cultural and spiritual, too: Americans are cold, alienated shopaholics immured in suburban anomie, each encased in a private bubble of iTunes and media noise and indifferent to the public good. Culprits include globalization, technology and, more fundamentally, the individualism and commercialism that is the bedrock of American identity. Because American civilization is a “package deal,” the author considers it impervious to piecemeal reform and, given Americans’ ingrained “stupidity” and willful blindness, unsalvageable. Berman’s attempts to tie every American dysfunction to an all-encompassing sickness of soul overreaches, leading him to lump together serious issues like poverty and the Abu Ghraib outrages with trivialities like annoying cell phone yakkers or the “freedom fries” phenomenon, which he bemoans as “symbolic of an emptiness at the core.” Publisher’s Weekly
MEDIA:
DVD MYS
Mystic River. Widescreen ed. Burbank, CA : Warner Home Video, [2004], c2003. Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden, Laura Linney, Kevin Chapman, Adam Nelson, Tom Guiry.
When Jimmy Marcus’ daughter is found murdered, his childhood friend Sean Devine is assigned the case. His personal life unraveling, the investigation takes Sean back into a world of violence and pain he thought he’d left behind. It also leads him on a collision course with Jimmy Marcus, a man with his own dark past eager to solve the crime with brutal justice. And then there is Dave Boyle, a man who hides monstrous secrets beneath a bland facade—secrets that his wife Celeste, is only beginning to suspect.
Please note: Some of the book descriptions have been excerpted from Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com. They are most often based on Publisher's descriptions. Sources such as Booklist, the New York Times Book Reviews, Publisher's Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus and others are specifically identified.
