First in new trilogy: 'The Watchers'


An atmospheric new trilogy opens with Jon Steele's The Watchers.  Memory-challenged British private detective Jay Harper investigates a series of murders that may be the handiwork of a gang of international killers - or fallen angels.  Set in Switzerland's historical Laussanne Cathedral, the story is somewhat reminiscent of Hunchback of Notre Dame or Richard Harvell's The Bells, but with a paranormal element.  Happy reading!

Guy Reads: The Yard

The Yard is not a book about lawn care.  Alex Grecian's debut novel is a stunning tale of crime fiction.  Set in Victorian England, the pulsating plot follows Sir Edmund Bradford, Commissioner of Police, as he tries to identify and capture the infamous Jack the Ripper.  Think Jackie Chan's Rush Hour set in 1889 London complete with capes and top hats.

What to Read After Cheryl Strayed's Wild


If you loved reading about Cheryl Strayed's 1100 mile solo trek through the wilderness in Wild: From lost to found on the Pacific Coast Trail, then check out these titles:


  • Into the Wild by John Krakauer tells the tragic story of Chris McCandleless who cut off all contact with his family and headed into the Alaskan wilderness.  Be forewarned, this story does not have the happy ending that Wild does but it is riveting and was turned into a movie directed by Sean Penn.

  • Once Upon a River: a novel by Bonnie Jo Campbell, is set in the 1970s and tells the story of a troubled teenager who takes her family's boat and sails Michigan's Stark River guided only by an address on a scrap of paper and a belief in Annie Oakley.

  • Claiming Ground by Laura Bell is a memoir of Bell's time in the 1970s when she worked as a sheep herder on a Wyoming ranch.  Surrounded by the vastness of land and the company of mainly alcoholic men, Bell's life during that time period was marked by periods of isolation that she reflects on many years later from the perspective of a wife and mother.

Just for Fun Friday: Worst Planets to Live On

Science fiction is a pretty neat genre filled with all kinds of wonderful other worldly utopias.  But not all planets are full of fun and games.  Check out Flavorwire's list of Science Fiction's 10 Worst Planets to Live On.  Do you agree with the planet that got top billing?

Regency Romance Companion Reading

If you love Regency-era romance and want to know more about the backdrop of that time, Our Tempestuous Day: A History of Regency England by Carrolly Erickson, makes for great companion reading.  This book explores the cultural, political, and economic atmosphere of the era while discussing the glamour and wealth of the age, the impact of the war with France, the shocking poverty that touched many lives, and the rapid social change that occurred.  Written like a novel, you'll hardly believe you're reading non-fiction!

Book Trailer Wednesday: Criminal by Karin Slaughter

Criminal is the latest crime fiction novel from New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter is becoming one of the hottest titles of the summer.  Will Trent, an agent for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, finds his personal and professional life turned upside down when an investigation is launched into an unsolved shocking crime from 1965.  Will Criminal make your summer reading list this year?

Cozy Crafty Mysteries


Crafty?  Not sure what to read next?  Try one of these craft-based mysteries, many of which include craft instructions:
  • Ready, Scrap, Shoot - This 5th book in the "Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-n-Craft" mystery series deals with the murder of a wealthy matriarch at Kiki's daughter's May Day pageant.
  • Skeleton Letters - This 9th book in the "Scrapbooking Mystery" follows Carmela and Ava as they delve into the murder of a member of their scrapbooking circle who was found in church beside a smashed St. Sebastien statue.
  • Dangerous Alterations - In this 5th book in the "Southern Sewing Circle" series, Yankee librarian Tori Sinclair must rely on her friends from the Sweet Briar Ladies Society sewing circle to help her prove her innocence.
  • Sins and Needles - In this 10th book in the "Needlecraft Mystery" series, adoptee Lucille Jones discovers a potential skeleton in her closet when she arrives in town to research her roots.
  • Antiques Bizarre - In this 4th "Trash 'n' Treasures" mystery, a 90-year-old Russian widow donates a priceless antique that is not what it seems.

Guy Reads: Dan Gets a Minivan

It could happen to anyone, really.  You settle down, have children and find  yourself...driving a minivan.  Dan Zevin, noted humorist, ponders what his lifestyle transition from dude to dad in his new book, Dan Gets a Minivan: Life at the Intersection of Dude and Dad.  You'll find yourself in stitches as this former hipster details his suburban life complete with everything from trips to discount stores, vacations to Disney, and court battles over dog walking violations.  That's life at the intersection of dude and dad!

Hot New Romance: Bared to You

If loved 50 Shades of Greycheck out the latest romance sensation: Sylvia Day's new novel, Bared to You.  It tells the story of Eva, a young woman living in New York City, and Gideon, the billionaire entrepreneur who pursues her. While both Eva and Gideon have been hurt before and are not looking to start new relationships, their attraction is undeniable and the love scenes are definitely scorchers!  Originally published only as an eBook format, Bared to You, the print version has just been released.  Will you check out Bared to You?  What other books would you recommend for those who loved 50 Shades of Grey?

Shadow of Night Reading Companions

Shadow of Night, the highly anticipated sequel to Deborah Harkness' A Discovery of Witches, has hit the shelf!  The book makes reference to many interesting historical figures involved in the shadowy School of Night including Christopher Marlowe, George Chapman, and Sir Walter Raleigh.  If you are hooked on Harkness, you may want to check out these titles:

Just for Fun Friday: Lisa Simpson Book Club

Not only does Lisa Simpson read a lot, she also has great taste in books!  Among her choices: Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, Moneyball by Michael Lewis, and Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections.   Check out this tumblr, the Lisa Simpson Book Club, which aims to document each and every book Lisa has read on the show since it's debut.

Gone Girl Readalikes





Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl is quickly shaping up to be one of the year's most popular crime fiction novels.  Have you already read it and loved it and now find yourself thinking now what?  Check out these crime novels that feature dark doings, twists and turns, and great writing!

Explore the exotic side of WWII in 'Jasmine Nights'

Touring the small clubs and talent contests of Wales, naïve young singer Saba Tarcan jumps at an opportunity to travel with a touring group entertaining troops serving in the Middle East, where she is tapped by the Secret Service to spy on a Turkish impresario and where she reconnects with a flight-obsessed fighter pilot.  This is the plot of Jasmine Nights, a new novel that Publishers Weekly calls a "steamy, sweeping historical."  World War II stories are they're a dime-a-dozen, but the setting and the writing make this one feel completely original; historical fiction readers should definitely check it out.

Heart-pounding mystery in 'Street Girls'

Looking for a thrilling new mystery that's anything but cozy?  Try the new book Street Girls by Linda Regan.  DI Georgia Johnston is investigating a death in South London to determine if it's linked to gang warfare or the deceased's personal life, but it gets personal when it's suggested her partner's teen daughter go undercover in the case.  For other fast-paced, violent suspense stories, try John Sandford's "Prey" series, starting with Rules of Prey.

'Unexpected Pleasures' lives up to its name

For a quick historical romance, try Unexpected Pleasures by Mary Wine, which earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly.  Forced by her ruthless guardian to tempt secrets from his enemies and seduce allegiance from his friends, Lady Justina Wincott nevertheless refuses to sully the reputation of the honorable Sir Synclair.  Check out even more quick reads on the library's Summer Reading Club paperback display.  You don't need to be a club member to check them out, but with a free membership, Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library cardholders can win fabulous raffle prizes all summer long, just for reading!

Love and betrayal in 'Ruler of the World'

Can't get enough historical fiction?  Sign up for the library's monthly historical fiction e-newsletter here, and in the meantime, try the newly-released book Ruler of the World, the third book in Alex Rutherford's "Empire of the Moghul" series.  In this book, the third great Moghul Emperor, Akbar, defies tradition to marry a beautiful princess of a people he had conquered, only to see her raise his eldest son, Salim, to covet the title of the greatest Moghul.  Newcomers to the series may prefer start with book 1, Raiders from the North

Quality new nonfiction at your Community Library

Looking for some high-quality new nonfiction from Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library?  Perhaps you'd like try one of these two books, which both earned starred reviews from Publishers Weekly:

  • Dreamland: Adventures in the Strange Science of Sleep - Examines the complex world of sleep and discusses whether or not women sleep differently than men and if killing someone while sleepwalking would count as murder.
  • Twilight of the Elites: America After Meritocracy - Analyzes scandals in high-profile institutions, from Wall Street and the Catholic Church to Major League Baseball, while evaluating how an elite American meritocracy rose throughout the past half-century before succumbing to corruption and failure.

1st adult book from Harry Potter's JK Rowling

Mark your calendars and place your library holds now; 'Harry Potter' creator J.K. Rowling is releasing her first-ever novel for adults on September 27th.  The highly-anticipated book The Casual Vacancy is a big departure from her famous wizarding world, following the early death of a small town councilman whose demise reveals deep-rooted conflicts in his seemingly idyllic community.  Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library has several copies on order and is already adding names to its waiting list, so place your hold today!

Cultures clash 'In the Kingdom of Men'

A young 1960s Oklahoman finds herself in a very unfamiliar world when she marries an oil driller and moves to Saudi Arabia in the new book In the Kingdom of Men.  The death of a young Bedouin woman causes her to question the decadence and corruption of her glamorous but restrictive new home.  The book earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which called it an "immersive and bracing exploration of one woman's search for freedom amid repression."  Check it out from your Community Library!

Domestic fiction debut in 'The Color of Tea'

Readers looking for a heartwarming story of female friendship might want to check out the debut novel The Color of Tea, in which a woman's life  is restored when she opens a small cafe, forms unlikely friendships, and eventually gains the courage to trust what's in her heart.  Set in the exotic, bustling streets of modern-day Macau, China, the book may appeal to fans of Eat, Pray, Love and other women's fiction.  Find it in the "new books" section of Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library!

Post-apocalyptic thrills in new series starter 'Devil's Wake'

For an exciting start to a thrilling new paranormal series, try Devil's Wake by husband and wife writing team Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due, coming out on July 31st.  When an unprecedented infection sweeps across the world, humanity must fight for control of Earth against a sinister alien life-form.  Trapped in the northwestern United States as winter begins to fall, Terry and Kendra have only one choice: they and their friends must cross a thousand miles of no-man's-land, battling ravenous hordes, human raiders, and their own fears. In the midst of apocalypse, they find something no one could have anticipated . . . love.

Tropical Adventures @ Your Library

Don't have money for an exotic vacation?  Take an armchair trip with one of these great books from Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Library's "Tropical Adventures" display!  Titles include Carl Hiaasen's Skinny Dip, in which a corrupt marine biologist botches the murder of his wife, and Michael Crichton's Pirate Latitudes, a colonial-era Caribbean swashbuckler.  Click here for the full list, and please leave your own suggestions in the comments!

Steamy Viking romance in 'Lord of Fire and Ice'


Looking for a quick, steamy read that's rich in historical detail?  Try the new book Lord of Fire and Ice. Brandr the Far–Traveled's sword sings death, his bed skills are the stuff of legend, and he can call up fire from thin air. No one in a hundred years ever thought he could be enslaved through trickery and forced to wear the iron collar of a thrall—least of all him.  His new mistress Katla has a temper as fierce as a warrior's and a heart as icy as the frozen North. But inch by delicious inch, Brandr means to make her melt...

'The Paperboy' book soon a movie

Hollywood has taken inspiration from Pete Dexter's 1995 novel The Paperboy for a film of the same name, scheduled for release exactly 3 months on October 5, 2012.  The story is about two brothers whose father runs a small newspaper in northern Florida.  As a favor to an attractive woman, they investigate the case of a man who has been convicted of killing the local sheriff..  The movie stars Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, David Oyelowo, Macy Gray and John Cusack.  Beat the impending rush to Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library and check the book out today!

Three New Mysteries


Looking for some top-quality mysteries?  Try one of these three new releases, which all earned starred reviews from Publishers Weekly:
  • An Unmarked Grave - While contending with wounded soldiers and influenza patients, battlefield nurse Bess Crawford stumbles upon the body of an officer and family friend who has been murdered, and uses her father's connections in the military to search for an elusive killer.
  • Never Tell - While investigating the suicide of sixteen-year-old Julia Whitmire, whose famous parents believe that she was murdered, NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher discovers that Julia was engaged in a dangerous game of cyberbullying against an unlikely victim.
  • Guilt Trip - As the pranks played on the cast of "Curtain Call" grow nastier, Lina Townend and Griff Tripp, her business partner and cast member of the production, begin to investigate.

New from Hilderbrand: Summerland

Few writers capture the essence of summer as well as bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand, whose beach-themed books set in New England have charmed thousands.  Her newest release, Summerland, tells the story of a graduation beach bonfire tradition that ends in tragedy.  A horrible car accident leaves the driver, Penny Alistair, dead, and her twin brother in a coma. Penny's boyfriend and her friend Demeter are unhurt but haunted by the events of that night, and by the questions that linger about what happened in the car -- and what happened in the dunes before Penny took the wheel.  Check it out at your Community Library!