A Shot in the Dark by Lynne Truss

In the 1950s, Brighton, England, was bucolic and lovely—if you disregard the hooligans, Teddy Boys and other criminal mischief- makers lurking about. In A Shot in the Dark, author Lynne Truss of Eats, Shoots and Leaves (2003) fame introduces Inspector Steine, a police captain who wants nothing more than for crime to simply relocate itself so he can enjoy his ice cream in peace. When a well-known theater critic is gunned down just before he’s supposed to share crucial evidence in an old case, earnest Constable Twitten is determined to buck departmental tradition and actually solve a crime. This farcical tale is packed with interwoven plotlines, clues strewn about like confetti and a comically oblivious chief inspector. It reads like a stage comedy, and in fact Truss has written four seasons’ worth of Inspector Steine dramas for BBC Radio. There are no dark and stormy nights here, just gorgeous seaside views marred by occasional corpses. The ’60s are coming, but for now, women are still largely ignored; this turns out to be its own kind of liberation, since who would suspect them? Sharp and witty, A Shot in the Dark is a good time. 

Recommended by Monica Shine
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*Portions of this review was originally published in the November 2018 issue of BookPage.  It was published with their consent.

Dream Country by Shannon Gibne

This epic but fast-moving novel focuses on several members of the same multigenerational family, starting with Kollie, a Liberian-American teenager in 2008 Minnesota struggling with his school, community, and family.  The novel moves between the United States and Liberia and backward and forward in time ranging from 1826, soon after African-Americans settled in the new African country, to 2018.  Gibney only spends a few chapters with each group of characters, and I would have been happy to read more about any of these parents, children, soldiers, and lovers, but the book’s relative brevity speeds it along.  All major characters’ stories are compelling, even as they face terrible hardships and losses.  The final section ties these tales together in an especially satisfying way.   Gibney is both a gifted author—her prose is poetic but realistic—and an authority on the subject: she is a professor of English and African diaspora (and she offers a helpful historical timeline at the end of the book). 

Recommended by Andrew Gerber
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Won't You Be My Neighbor? (Documentary - 2018)

The film is a beautiful heartwarming tribute to Fred Rogers and Mister Rogers' Neighborhood - a show which changed children's television forever. The film highlights Rogers' humanity and decency and shows how he could bring his message of decency to children. Few documentaries have been able to capture the spirit, humanity, and works of a person this well.

The tone of the movie is set almost immediately; old footage plays showing a much younger Rogers playing the piano and giving reason for his ambitions. He doesn't seem to be too full of himself, and the concept he has in mind is one that is both humble and sweet. Even before he's given the ability to use his talents, he seems as if he's right next to them. The strong point of this film, for sure, is it's humane portrayal of Rogers. It doesn't just linger on the fact that he did good things, it explores what made him want to do those good things. His motivations make sense, and he, as a person, nearly brought tears to my ears several times. It made me nostalgic for the days when I would stay home with Mr. Rogers and his beloved friends from his Neighborhood.

Recommended by Monica Shine
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A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

Picoult sets her story in Jackson, Mississippi—all the action taking place over one long day at the Center, a women’s clinic for those who had “run out of time and had run out of choices.” Picoult begins her riveting saga at the end of the story, when George Goddard—a distraught, anti-abortion father whose teenage daughter recently had an abortion at the Center—storms inside, fires several shots and takes an unknown number of hostages. Hostage negotiator Hugh McElroy has been called to the scene to confront George.

Picoult then moves backward in time, hour by hour, gradually filling in the details of those who came to the Center that day and why they came. She approaches this divisive issue from all sides—not blaming or condoning, but shining a perceptive light into the lives of those now hoping to survive the hostage situation.

Izzy, a nurse, struggles with the dilemma of whether or not to tell her boyfriend about her newly discovered pregnancy. She’s risen from a childhood of poverty and doesn’t want to rely on him, “the prince from the entitled family.” After the shooting, Izzy tends to the leg wound suffered by Dr. Ward, whose own mother died from an illegal abortion. Dr. Ward regularly travels between four states to provide abortions for women living where almost all such clinics have closed.

Joy completed her abortion before the shooting starts—and although she wanted the procedure, she’s still in mourning for what she’s lost. She lived in foster care for 10 years and didn’t want another child to go through the same miserable experience.

Janine is at the Center faking a pregnancy—she’s an anti-abortion activist trying to prove the clinic doesn’t offer prenatal care. She lives with the guilt of her own abortion after she was raped at a fraternity party. In Picoult’s words, Janine has “white-washed the stain with years of pro-life activism.”

Also inside the Center that morning are Hugh’s teenage daughter, Wren, and his older sister, Bex, who has helped raise Wren since Hugh’s wife left them years ago. Wren is there for a prescription for birth control pills, and she asked Bex to accompany her so she wouldn’t have to walk alone past the line of protesters.

Interspersed with these stories of how each character came to be at the Center are the ongoing negotiations between Hugh and George, heightening the tension throughout the novel, even though most of the denouement occurs in the opening chapter.

A Spark of Light is another winner for Picoult—a provocative exploration of an issue that is in the spotlight now more ever before.

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*Portions of this review was originally published in the October 2018 issue of BookPage.  It was published with their consent.

November Road by Lou Berney

Novels revolving around the assassination of John F. Kennedy have become a genre unto themselves. There are plenty, and likely even more conspiracy theories to boot. So at first take, November Road, the new thriller from author Lou Berney, may seem like just another book to add to the stack. Berney, though, is not just another author. Through gorgeous prose, the Edgar, Macavity and Anthony Award-winning author of The Long and Faraway Gone elevates an otherwise simple cat-and-mouse story into a heartfelt journey of hope and discovery for two characters running from their pasts.

While the loss of the president is certainly felt throughout November Road, it only serves as a backdrop to what is essentially a story of redemption. The novel follows Frank Guidry, an enforcer for mobster Carlos Marcello, whose hands are all over JFK’s death. Frank is tasked with retrieving and disposing of a getaway car parked near the scene of the crime in Dallas, and a hit man has been tasked with disposing of Frank once the job is done. Aware that his life is in jeopardy, Frank makes a desperate dash for freedom along Route 66.

At the same time, young mother Charlotte Roy, along with her two daughters, is making her escape from a failed marriage in Oklahoma. Naturally, the storylines eventually cross as Frank encounters Charlotte, whom he sees as a way to throw off his pursuer. What begins as a convenient way to cover his tracks evolves into a serious romance between the two characters. But with a killer after Frank, the suspense builds toward a fateful showdown.

In the end, November Road is more than the sum of its parts—a thrilling plot, an iconic period piece and unforgettable characters. Above all, it’s an American novel not to be missed.

Click here to find in our catalog.

**Portions of this review was originally published in the October 2018 issue of BookPage.  It was published with their consent.

I Feel Pretty (Comedy - 2018)

Amy Schumer delivers a smart, heart-warming, and absolutely hilarious piece of comedy in her new movie "I Feel Pretty." She is raw and real and in true Amy Schumer fashion, holds nothing back.  A refreshing comedy with great laughs throughout the film.  Renee is working as a sysadmin for a Lili LeClair, a large beauty conglomerate. But she longs to be part of the action at the company's 5th Avenue headquarters.  There's only one problem, Renee doesn't look like the waifish model-types who grace the halls of Lili LeClair.  Lacking self confidence, she decides to let a dream job opportunity pass her by until a well timed wish "to be pretty" gives her the some mojo and she decides to follow her dream. Schumer displays brilliantly what it feels like to be bigger in this society and what it feels like to lack self confidence. A hilarious movie that wasn't just inappropriate raunchy jokes the whole time. This film gives laughs the whole time, provides a great message, and will leave you smiling long after the movie is finished.  

Recommended by Monica Shine

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Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy : The Story Of Little Women And Why It Still Matters by Anne Boyd Rioux

A passionate and serious writer, Alcott dreamed of literary success, but she didn’t imagine she would attain it with a children’s book. She wasn’t above writing for the sake of money, though, and so Alcott accepted her publisher’s request that she write a book for girls. This project would eventually become Little Women.

In the generations since its release, the book has been adapted for stage and film and has influenced children’s literature and produced literary heroines who follow in Jo March’s footsteps (Katniss Everdeen, anyone?). Little Women’s feminist undertones also continue to encourage readers to reimagine expectations for women and girls.

Rioux’s extensive research invites lifelong Little Women fans and new readers alike to dive deeply into the worlds of Alcott and the Marches. Along the way, they’ll uncover the novel’s inspiration and influence and grow to appreciate its ongoing significance, even 150 years later.

Recommended by Monica Shine

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*Portions of this review was originally published in the September 2018 issue of BookPage.  It was published with their consent.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

Perhaps the three scariest words in the history of human imagination were cast in iron atop a gate leading directly into the closest approximation of hell ever erected on earth: ARBEIT MACHT FREI. “Work sets you free.” The banal words that were nothing more than a cruel and tragic joke for thousands turned out to have a deeper meaning for Lale Sokolov, an Auschwitz survivor and the real-life hero of Heather Morris’ extraordinary debut novel, The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

Like the Nobel Prize-winning author Elie Wiesel’s Night, Morris’ work takes us inside the day-to-day workings of the most notorious German death camp. This tale weaves a heart-rending narrative of a Jew whose unlikely forced occupation as a tattooist put him in a position to act with kindness and humanity in a place where both were nearly extinct.  

Just as a flower can grow through a sidewalk’s crack, so too can love spring and flourish in the midst of unspeakable horror, and so it is that Lale meets his lifelong love, Gita, when he inscribes the number 34902 on her arm.  Amidst the horrors of the camp, Lale and Gita must figure out how to survive and keep secrets in this ruthlessly cruel environment.

For decade upon decade, Lale’s story was one that desperately needed to be told. And now, as the number of those who witnessed the terror that was Nazi Germany dwindles, it is a story that desperately needs to be read. The disgraceful words that once stood over Auschwitz must be replaced with others: Never forget. Never again.

Recommended by Monica Shine
Click here to view in the catalog.

*Portions of this review was originally published in the September 2018 issue of BookPage.  It was published with their consent.

Caraval and Legendary by Stephanie Garber

Caraval and its recently released sequel, Legendary, have the transporting quality that makes me consume a book in only one or two sittings.  Open them and you will step into a jewel-bright fantasy world full of intrigue, complex heroines, and their dashing consorts.  Each novel is a mystery set during Caraval, a week-long, invitation-only game set up in a magic-filled arena of the creator’s (Legend’s) design.  Caraval centers on Scarlett, oldest daughter of the governor of a remote island.  Scarlett receives a coveted invitation to Caraval, but is reluctant to risk the wrath of her abusive father by going.  When Scarlett’s younger sister, Donatella, is apparently kidnapped and taken to the Caraval arena, Scarlett’s choice is made for her.  Thus begins her quest to free Tella from Legend’s clutches; a tale of sisterly love and devotion reminiscent of Disney’s Frozen.  Of course, nothing within the walls of Caraval is as it seems, from the bewitching dresses to the mysterious young man who dogs Scarlett’s footsteps.  Scarlett must not lose herself, however—if she doesn’t win the game, she may never see her sister again.

What a delight it is, as a reader, to be swept away by the high-stakes mystery and romance of Garber’s storytelling. The metaphors are often heavy-handed, and the descriptions a little florid, but what is Caraval if not steeped in excess at every turn?  The bright, saturated settings are matched by the protagonists’ keenly-felt emotions, which are often overly angst-ridden for my taste, but these are teen novels, after all.  If you are a lover of enchantment, you will find something to enjoy in the lands of Caraval and Legendary.  

 

Recommended by Sophie

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The tale of Achillies and the Trojan War (as chronicled in Homer’s Epic Poem “The Iliad”) told from the point of view of his steadfast companion Patroclus. Starting from their shared childhood, it presents a comprehensive view more than could ever be told in that classic tale. “The Iliad” tells only the events that happen in the last year of the Trojan War. So Madeline Miller’s “The Song of Achillies” is a refreshing and totally innovative retelling of the great hero throughout his childhood and his relationship with the man that would bring about his fate prophesied since birth. Their friendship and love for each other transcends the eons and is still “sung” of today in this brilliant novel. (I’ll mark this as a spoiler even though the poem dates back to the 8th Century BC just as a precaution) Even after Patroclus’ death on the fields of Troy, the novel lives on through his ghost. Told with longing, and often heartbreaking prose this book should live on as long as the poem and a true testament to not only the great hero Achillies, but of his friend, lover and closest confidant, Patroclus.

Recommended by Monica Shine
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The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn

A taut and eerie thriller from debut Author AJ Finn. This was dubbed “One of the best books of the Year” and rightfully so. This reader flew through the audiobook in a mere two days because it was impossible to put down (or hit pause in my case). Anna is agoraphobic, and has not left her brownstone in almost a year. She spends her days watching her neighbors, playing chess, attempting to help others like her online and drinking red wine. The the Russell’s move across the park from her. She becomes obsessed with their comings and goings and even makes friends with the lady of the House, Jane Russell. When she witnesses a crime from her window, everything she knows is cast into doubt. The parallels to a Hitchcockian film are really justified here. There’s the unreliable narrator, mistaken identity, and most importantly, the single tension filled setting. Recommended by Monica Shine Click here to view in the catalog.

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

This was a fun read--well, listen. I picked up this title because the third in the series just came out and it has been optioned for a movie. It will make a fantastic movie. This is the story of Rachel, an ABC--American Born Chinese (except she isn't), taken to Singapore by her long-term boyfriend Nick for the wedding of his best friend. He doesn't tell her many things--it's the wedding of the year (so she brought one dress to an event that required four); his family is filled with gossip and distrust of anyone they haven't known for generations; he and his family are crazy rich--not just rich, crazy rich; and most of all the family puts the "Fun" in Dysfunction (as the saying goes). As to be expected--things go wrong and get bad (and will make you laugh out loud). In an effort to not spoil, I'll say this is a good, fun, read that made me want to read book two right away. 

Recommended by Monica Shine
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Archival Quality by Ivy Noelle Weir

 This brand new graphic novel is a must-read for anyone who loves museums, ghost stories, or creepy mental hospital lore.  Our protagonist is troubled yet persistent Cel, who takes a questionable job as an archivist at a medical museum after losing her long-time job as a library assistant due to a mental breakdown.  Even though no one ever seems to visit the museum, Cel is required to work outside opening hours (i.e. in the middle of the night) and is encouraged to live in the windowless basement apartment that used to house tortured patients.  Oh, and her boss is clearly hiding something from her.  Add in artifacts that move around when no one’s looking, mysterious writing on the walls, and a girl who keeps visiting Cel in her nightmares, and you have all the ingredients for a story that should only be read by daylight.

Despite its many elements of horror, at its heart this is really a story about a young woman’s reckoning with her own inner demons.  As our cultural conversation begins to include more and more about mental health, it’s interesting to watch the impact this has on all literary genres, including the graphic novel.  The minimalist illustrations are colorful and expressive; I’ll definitely be waiting impatiently by the next work by both author (Weir) and illustrator (Steenz).

Recommended by Sophie 

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Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (Drama)

With some exception, Hollywood pretty much makes two distinct kinds of biopics. The first kind are the ones that almost seem obligatory –  movies about historical giants who did truly incredible things with their lives, incredible things that should be projected on the silver screen for the world to see. 

Then there are the ones about the others – your oddballs, your misfits – the characters that history books often ignore but are nevertheless important in the way our world is shaped. Professor Marston is certainly one of the latter folk. Outside of DC comic devotees and polygraph historians, William Moulton Marston is not a name people know. Marston is the creator of Wonder Woman, the most famous female comic-book hero ever, but did you ever wonder (pun intended) how she was thought up?

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women is a biopic unlike any I've seen in recent memory, intriguing, sexy and a unique story about what it means to love.  In the 1920's Marston and his wife Elizabeth work in the psychology department at Tuft's University where they meet undergraduate Olive Byrne, hired on to be Marston's research assistant.  The attraction between the three is like a lightning bolt and they soon strike up a polyamorous relationship.  But this is the 1920's, and they are shunned from academic society for their love. 


We follow Byrne and the Marston's through the years as they struggle to have a functional family unit all while keeping their arrangement secret from the world.  Marston uses these two strong women in his life as inspiration to create Wonder Woman (arguably one of the most recognizable superheroes of all time).

What stands out for me in this film is a story about three people trying to be in a loving relationship with one another in a world that's still not really ready for what is going on here. So, it was a romance film done differently, under a mask of  the drama and the biography( How very Superhero-like of them).

Recommended by Monica Shine
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She Persisted: 13 American Women who Changed the World by Chelsea Clinton

Just in time for Women's History Month comes Chelsea Clinton's "She Persisted", a picture book which features 13 amazing American women who dreamed big, reached for the stars and cemented their place in history.  The women featured in this book belong to all races, creeds and professions and have done some truly inspirational things.  

Against all the odds, women like Harriet Tubman, Clara Lemlich, Virginia Agpar and Claudette Colvin never took no for an answer and are now celebrated as trailblazers who all are equally deserving to grace these pages.  The illustrations by Alexandra Boiger are beautiful and poignant as well and will keep even hold the pickiest reader's attention. 

This isn't just a book for girls, but for everyone who ever had a dream.  To open doors, children need to know there are others who have opened doors and we can now step through. 


Recommended by Monica Shine
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Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Three Black Witches are born in a glen,
sweet little triplets
will never be friends.

Three Black Witches, all fair to be seen
two to devour
and one to be queen

So begins the wonderful YA book “Three Dark Crowns” by Kendare Blake.  And with an intro like that, who wouldn’t want to keep on reading?  The whole story is just so delightfully creepy, intense, and yet somehow super emotional. The story starts with during the Ascension Year, when the three sisters will display their powers and then have exactly one year to kill the others for the crown.

Our three dark queens are:

Katharine the poisoner, but her gift is seemingly weak. She doesn't have the ability to survive any poison like she should, so she's been steadily poisoned throughout her life in order to build an immunity.  The last three queens of her land have all been poisoners so she feels a steady pressure to uphold that legacy at all costs.

Mirabella is an elemental, meaning she can control the elements.  She is by far the strongest of the three sisters and many have been touting her as the next queen.  However, she is by far the most soft hearted of the sisters.  She mourns the loss of her sisters at a young age, but does she have what it takes to ascend to the crown?

Arsinoe is a naturalist whose gift is pretty much nonexistent.  She is supposed to be able to control what happens in nature (harvests, animals, plants etc.) but struggles to find her way and is constantly frustrated by her lack of a gift.  Is she a lamb to the slaughter, or is there more to her than meets the eye?

It’s impossible not to get engrossed in this lush, vivid story.  You think you know which queen you will side with, however, you have no idea.  Happy reading!

Recommended by Monica Shine
Click here to find in the catalog.

Life after Life by Kate Atkinson

Ursula lives life after life with subtle changes taking place during each one. Some of her lives are long and some are very brief. It gave one a lot to think about, especially about time and choices. Many may wonder about their own lives and the choices they have made and how things might have been different if an alternate course had been taken. Reading this book about Ursula allows one to see the repercussions of making different choices and how that changes things in one's life. This book is ripe with well-developed characters and an intriguing storyline which could easily be bungled in a less accomplished writer.  Atkinson takes the reader on a journey which seamlessly goes from a quiet country home, to London at the height of the Blitz and even to Berchtesgaden and Hitler’s inner circle.  This book isn’t about death, but more about life.  About our possible paths, about family, about history, and about ripples and traps and the horrors of war. 

Recommended by Monica Shine

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Power (Season 1)

Dark, sexy, thrilling, and completely bingeable are words I would use to describe the first season of Power.  James St. Patrick AKA Ghost has risen from running the streets to being a premier nightclub owner in New York.   He has a beautiful wife, a penthouse and his club caters to the Manhattan elite.  However he has one dirty little secret; he may dress and act the part of the respectable businessman but has a double life as one of the city’s biggest drug kingpins.  He and his partner, Tommy Egan (played by the scene stealer Joseph Sikora) try to balance their struggle to keep their street business thriving while maintaining the façade necessary to keep under the radar of the police.  As if this wasn’t enough, enter Ghost’s old High School sweetheart, Angela, a US District Attorney investigating drug crimes.   What follows is a whirlwind of twist, turns and love triangles.  So basically, great TV!

Recommended by Monica Shine
Click here to view in the catalog.

Staff Favorite Books of 2017

OUR STAFF'S FAVORITE MOVIES AND SHOWS OF 2017. 

Our expert staff take a look back at the year and share their favorite titles.  Click on the links below the images to view the item in our catalog.

HARDCORE TWENTY-FOUR                            BEARTOWN                                     THE GLASS CASTLE

by Jeannette Walls                                           by Frederik Backman                                  by Jeannette Walls   

      

 WHEN ALL THE GIRLS                      THE DEMON CROWN                         THE HATE U
HAVE GONE                                                                                                                     GIVE
by Jayne Ann Krentz                                          by James Rollins                                         by Angie Thomas

A LONG WAY HOME                           JANE, UNLIMITED                         A MAN CALLED OVE
by Saroo Brierley                                              by Kristin Chashore                                  by Fredrik Backman

 PLEASE DON'T TELL MY                                     DRAFT NO. 4: ON                                     NEW YORK 2140
                                                                                                          THE WRITING PROCESS
PARENTS I HAVE A NEMESIS
Hoopla Audiobook                                             by John McPhee                                         by Kim Stanley Robinson

IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT                 THE TRESPASSER      THE PEOPLE WE HATE AT THE WEDDING
by Judy Blume                                                 by Tana French                                                     by Grant Ginder

Staff Favorite Movies of 2017

OUR STAFF'S FAVORITE MOVIES AND SHOWS OF 2017. 

Our expert staff take a look back at the year and share their favorite titles.  Click on the links below the images to view the item in our catalog.

         Baby Driver                                             Dunkirk                                       All Eyez On Me 

   Game of Thrones (S7)                    Guardians of the Galaxy v.2                       Hacksaw Ridge

 

           Maudie                                          Orphan Black (S5)                             A Man Called Ove

 Stranger Things (S1)                                Riverdale (S1)                                                   Sully

         Westworld (S1)                               This is Us (S1)                                   Wonder Woman

The Zookeeper's Wife