You can be forgiven for thinking Firekeeper's Daughter, the debut novel from Ojibwe author Angeline Boulley, is a fantasy novel. The cover is lush and symbol-laden, and the elemental title fits in perfectly with today's young adult titles. But in fact, Firekeeper's Daughter is a thriller rooted in the real world, a coming-of-age story, and…
Lone Stars is a modern family saga of four generations of the Warner family, spanning from 1960’s Texas to Obama-era Brooklyn. Growing up along the border of Texas and Mexico, Lacy Adams discovers her mother isn’t telling her the truth about her family. In West Texas, a young man named Aaron Warner dreams of college…
There are family secrets, and then there are family secrets of the Sackler variety: obfuscations that span years, decades, and even generations; the ramifications of which irrevocably changed the pharmaceutical industry, indirectly led to the opioid crisis in America, claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, and shattered families of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. These…
True to the praise on the book jacket, The Push by Ashley Audrain is a compelling read. The beginning of the novel is sure to pique the reader's curiosity. Who are these people? How are they connected? Why are they acting this way? It inspires the reader to keep turning the pages to find the answers, and yes, possibly finish the book…
“How is it possible to become free when you do not even know who you are?”--Libertie Sampson Freedom is a theme woven throughout Kaitlyn Greenidge’s excellent new novel set during and after the Civil War. What does it mean to be free, when you must face other people’s expectations, racism and sexism? Libertie’s father was…
May books are special creatures. In May, I like a quirky book. A cheerful book. A book that can transport me almost instantly, because May, in my experience, is jammed full of events, activities, and to-dos that frankly, interrupt my reading to a ridiculous degree. But take heart! Mia P. Manansala’s debut mystery, ARSENIC AND…
Patrick O’Hara, sort-of-retired television star, is living an uneventful, solitary life at his pristine Palm Springs home when tragedy strikes: his sister-in-law (and dear friend) dies young, and her children, ages 6 and 9, have to come live with him for the summer. The only problem: Patrick does not do kids, let alone two…
Spring, to me, means the start of baseball season. With two sons who play and a husband who is pretty much obsessed with the game, it feels like I spend about 40% of my waking hours during the months of April-July watching baseball, talking about baseball, and planning my life (and meals) around, you guessed…
Looking for a psychological thriller with a mystery you won’t be able to solve? Try Possession by Katie Lowe. I was hooked after the first two pages! Author Katie Lowe This whodunit starts with a murder, which the police attribute to a burglary gone wrong. A young man named Michael Philips is convicted and sent to prison. …
In the library world, every season has a hot book, the one with a gazillion holds. This spring’s buzzy title is The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, about a family trying to survive the Dust Bowl and Great Depression of the 1930s. This topic was expertly taken on in 1939 by John Steinbeck’s epic The…
