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Other books we enjoyed this year (some of which are only available through interlibrary loan):
I Will Always Write Back by Caitlin Alifirenka; Miriam by Mesu Andrews; The Camel Club by David Baldacci; The Accident by Linwood Barclay; For the Love of Mike and In Like Flynn by Rhys Bowen; Admission by Julie Buxbaum; Virgin River series by Robyn Carr; Reticence by Gail Carriger; Outsider by Linda Castillo; The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain; In this House of Brede by Rumer Godden; Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall; Wink by Rob Harrell; 7 Days of Simplicity by Jen Hatmaker; The Book Charmer by Karen Hawkins; Hoot by Carl Hiaasen; Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand; Toot & Puddle by Holly Hobbie; The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe; Sugar Crush by Dr. Richard Jacoby; Simon, the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles; The Vanishing Stair and The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson; Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler; Twenties Girl, Can You Keep a Secret?, and I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella; Schooled by Gordon Korman; March: Book 3 by John Lewis; Liberty Brought Us Here by Susan Lindsey; Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire; Library Lover's Mystery series by Jenn McKinlay; Truevine by Beth Macy; Make Today Count by John Maxwell; Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak; Slay by Brittany Morris; Code Girls by Liza Mundy; The Thyroid Connection by Dr. Amy Myers; On Fire by John O'Leary; Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris; The Office: A Day at Dunder-Mifflin Elementary by Robb Pearlman and Melanie Demmer; Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling; One Perfect Lie by Lisa Scottoline; Red River series (and the expanded series) by Lauraine Snelling; All the Wrong Questions series by Lemony Snicket; The Help by Kathryn Stockett; A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles; Too Much and Never Enough by Mary Trump; Don't Look for Me by Wendy Walker; Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon; Rage by Bob Woodward; Children of the Revolution by Joanne Zienty. Have a Happy New Year, and we'll be back with new staff book reviews on January 6, 2021!
Scientist Ada has a boundless imagination and has always been hopelessly curious. Why are there pointy things stuck to a rose? Why are there hairs growing inside your nose? When her house fills with a horrific, toe-curling smell, Ada knows it’s up to her to find the source. What would you do with a problem like this? Not afraid of failure, Ada embarks on a fact-finding mission and conducts scientific experiments, all in the name of discovery. But, this time, her experiments lead to even more stink and get her into trouble! Read a review by Gennifer King:
The poignant, personal, and unbelievably true story of Mrs. Robert E. Lee and General Montgomery Meigs, and the founding of the Arlington National Cemetery, in the midst of America's greatest struggle--the Civil War. Mrs. Lee’s Rose Garden is the intensely personal story of Arlington National Cemetery’s earliest history as seen through the lives of three people during the outbreak of the Civil War: Mary Ann Randolph Custis Lee, Robert E. Lee, and Montgomery C. Meigs. With all the majesty and pathos of a Greek tragedy, this story unfolds as the war's inevitable spiral of betrayal, tragedy, loss, and death begins, ultimately transforming the nation’s most famous country estate into its most sacred ground. In the years before the war, the Arlington estate sat like an American Acropolis towering above Washington. Mary Custis Lee was known as the Rose of Arlington, a brash, young, willful, and charming young woman, indulged by her famous father, George Washington Parke Custis, the grandson of George Washington. Artistic, well read, and highly intelligent, she was an avid gardener who spent as much time as possible tending the numerous flowerbeds of the Arlington Mansion, along with her mother and her three daughters. Handsome and dashing, Robert E. Lee was easily the most promising soldier of his generation. But long before he was a field commander he was also a great success in the Army Corps of Engineers, having worked on major projects around the U.S. His friend, Montgomery C. Meigs, who had served under Robert, was a scion of Philadelphia society, and rose to become the engineer responsible for helping to complete the capital, and one of the most accomplished builders of his generation. When the time for war arose, Lee refused the opportunity to head the Union Army. He could not draw his sword against his own state, his own people, and instead accepted a commission in the Confederate Army, pitting himself against many of his old comrades. Thus began a series of events that would ultimately pit these three against each other. Mrs. Lee’s Rose Garden is an intimate retelling of Arlington National Cemetery’s tragic beginnings, and sheds new light on this profound chapter in American history. Read a review by Ann Reeves:
As a professional editor, Mikki Lincoln is used to crimes against the English language. As an amateur sleuth, she's finding catching criminals a lot more dangerous than catching typos . . . Nestled in the picturesque Catskills, the village of Lenape Hollow prepares to celebrate the 225th anniversary of its founding. Freelance book editor Mikki Lincoln has been drafted to update and correct the script, left over from the town's bicentennial, which is housed at the historical society. The building is being renovated for the first time since that last celebration. But when construction reveals a shocking discovery—human remains walled up in a fireplace—Mikki shifts focus from cold-reading to solving a cold case. Just as her investigation seems to have hit a brick wall, a new murder rattles the townspeople. Clearly, someone is hiding a few skeletons in the closet. Now Mikki will need to go off script to make a connection between the bicentennial bones and the current homicide. But if this book editor isn't careful, she may be the next one sentenced to death . . . Read a review by Gennifer King:
The beloved New York Times bestselling author tells the moving love story of caring for her parents in their final years in this beautifully written memoir. Elizabeth Berg's father was an Army veteran who was a tough man in every way but one: He showed a great deal of love and tenderness to his wife. Berg describes her parents' marriage as a romance that lasted for nearly seventy years; she grew up watching her father kiss her mother upon leaving home, and kiss her again the instant he came back. His idea of when he should spend time away from her was never. But then her father developed Alzheimer's disease, and her parents were forced to leave the home they loved and move into a facility that could offer them help. It was time for their children to offer practical advice, emotional support, and direction, to the best of their ability--to, in effect, parent the people who had for so long parented them. It was a hard transition, mitigated at least by flashes of humor and joy. But the mix of emotions on everyone's part could make every day feel like walking through a minefield. Then came redemption. I'll Be Seeing You charts the passage from the anguish of loss to the understanding that even in the most fractious times, love can heal, transform, and lead to graceful--and grateful--acceptance. Read a review by Ann Reeves:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr returns to the beloved town of Virgin River with a brand-new story about fresh starts, new friends and the magic of Christmas. Kaylee Sloan's home in Southern California is full of wonderful memories of the woman who raised her. But the memories are prolonging her grief over her mother's recent death. A successful author, Kaylee hoped she could pour herself into her work. Instead she has terrible writer's block and a looming deadline. Determined to escape distractions and avoid the holiday season, Kaylee borrows a cabin in Virgin River. She knows the isolation will help her writing, and as she drives north through the mountains and the majestic redwoods, she immediately feels inspired. Until she arrives at a building that has just gone up in flames. Devastated, she heads to Jack's Bar to plan her next steps. The local watering hole is the heart of the town, and once she crosses the threshold, she's surprised to be embraced by people who are more than willing to help a friend--or a stranger--in need. Kaylee's world is expanding in ways she never dreamed possible. And when she rescues a kitten followed by a dog with a litter of puppies, she finds her heart opening up to the animals who need her. And then there's the dog trainer who knows exactly how to help her. As the holidays approach, Kaylee's dread turns to wonder. Because there's no better place to spend Christmas than Virgin River. Read a review by Ann Reeves:
A debut graphic novel about friendship and finding where you "click" in school. Olive wants to get in on the act . . . . . . Any act! Olive “clicks” with everyone in the fifth grade—until one day she doesn’t. When a school variety show leaves Olive stranded without an act to join, she begins to panic, wondering why all her friends have already formed their own groups . . . without her. With the performance drawing closer by the minute, will Olive be able to find her own place in the show before the curtain comes up? Read a review by Gennifer King:
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights. Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field. Learn how to: * make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy); * overcome a lack of motivation and willpower; * design your environment to make success easier; * get back on track when you fall off course; ...and much more. Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits--whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal. Read a review by Ann Reeves:
Buffy meets Jane Austen in the first book of this wickedly funny NYT bestselling series about a young woman whose brush with the supernatural leads to a deadly investigation of London's high society. Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette. Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate. With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart? Soulless is the first book of the Parasol Protectorate series: a comedy of manners set in Victorian London, full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking. Read a review by Gennifer King:
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