Powerful Story Not to Be Missed

What She Left Behind by Ellen Marie Wiseman
What She Left Behind by Ellen Marie Wiseman is an emotional psychological journey and I recommend setting aside a day to read.

Ten years ago, Izzy Stone's mother fatally shot her father while he slept. Devastated by her mother's apparent insanity, Izzy, now seventeen, refuses to visit her in prison. But her new foster parents, employees at the local museum, have enlisted Izzy's help in cataloguing items at a long-shuttered state asylum. There, amid piles of abandoned belongings, Izzy discovers a stack of unopened letters, a decades-old journal, and a window into her own past. 

Clara Cartwright, eighteen years old in 1929, is caught between her overbearing parents and her love for an Italian immigrant. Furious when she rejects an arranged marriage, Clara's father sends her to a genteel home for nervous invalids. But when his fortune is lost in the stock market crash, he can no longer afford her care - and Clara is committed to the public asylum. 

Even as Izzy deals with the challenges of yet another new beginning, Clara's story keeps drawing her into the past. If Clara was never really mentally ill, could something else explain her own mother's violent act? Piecing together Clara's fate compels Izzy to re-examine her own choices - with shocking and unexpected results.

"Captivating in its complexity, this novel brings together the strengths and suffering of two young women born more than 60 years apart. Told in alternating perspectives, the story reaches a place of immense emotional depth and psychological turmoil, culminating in an unexpected, heartrending ending."--RT Book Review 

Sci-Fi Debut Series

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
Author Samantha Shanon makes her debut with The Bone Season, the first book a seven-part series of dizzying imagination.

It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others’ minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing. 

But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion.  Enlisted in an army against her will, Paige is assigned to her enemy in charge of her care and training. And if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.

"The first of a projected set of seven novels, this book is for those who like their dystopian science fiction multilayered, philosophical and complex" - Kirkus Reviews

Looking for a Mystery? Try One of These New Titles

The Devil Walks in Mattingly by Billy Coffey

It has been 20 years since Philip McBride's body was found along the riverbank in the dark woods known as Happy Hollow and although his death was ruled a suicide, three people have carried the truth ever since—a truth that tortures their souls. "...inspirational novel of sin and redemption." - Publisher's Weekly

The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh

The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh
Treated like an outsider by Ozark Mountain neighbors who regard her mother's disappearance years earlier with suspicion, 16-year-old Lucy is further haunted by a friend's murder, which compels her to investigate family secrets and sacrifices. "The Weight of Blood is a tense, taut novel and a truly remarkable debut. . . a suspenseful thrill ride that satisfies in all the right ways." - BookPage

Carthage by Joyce Carol Oates
Carthage by Joyce Carol Oates
Zeno Mayfield's daughter has disappeared into the night, gone missing in the wilds of the Adirondacks. But when the community of Carthage joins a father's frantic search for the girl, they discover the unlikeliest of suspects—a decorated Iraq War veteran with close ties to the Mayfield family. As grisly evidence mounts against the troubled war hero, the family must wrestle with the possibility of having lost a daughter forever. "This is a story about war, violence, mental illness, love, hatred, and, perhaps most of all, the will to survive and the healing power of forgiveness, all powerfully rendered by a master storyteller." - Library Journal

New Historical Fiction Masterpiece

"A novel to live in, learn from, and feel bereft over when the last page is turned, Doerr's magnificently drawn story seems at once spacious and tightly composed." - Booklist (Starred Review)

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr took 10 years to write and now that it is published the reviews overwhelmingly exclaim this as a book not to be missed. Be sure to place a hold on it today!

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony DoerrMarie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. At age six, she goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. At age twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.

In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge.

"If a book's success can be measured by its ability to move readers and the number of memorable characters it has, Story Prize–winner Doerr's novel triumphs on both counts." - Publisher's Weekly

“[All the Light We Cannot See] has the physical and emotional heft of a masterpiece...the novel presents two characters so interesting and sympathetic that readers will keep turning the pages hoping for an impossibly happy ending...highly recommended for fans of Michael Ondaatje's similarly haunting The English Patient." - Library Journal

June's Book Discussion Announced

House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus
House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus is the June Book Discussion selection!

Is the American dream open to everyone? Massoud Amir Behrani, a former colonel in the Iranian military under the Shah, yearns to find his place in America. He buys a house at an auction – a house that he discovers comes with a recovering alcoholic and addict who says the house is hers. Who will win the battle?

All are welcome to attend the book discussion on Tuesday, June 17 at 2pm. To register click here (or click on the the book discussion box at the top of this blog.)

Copies of House of Sand and Fog are available at the Circulation Desk. Stop by today to pick one up.

Time Travel with a Twist

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
Harry August is on his deathbed. Again. No matter what he does or the decisions he makes, when death comes, Harry always returns to where he began, a child with all the knowledge of a life he has already lived a dozen times before. Nothing ever changes. Until now. As Harry nears the end of his eleventh life, a little girl appears at his bedside. "I nearly missed you, Doctor August," she says. "I need to send a message." 

This is the story of what Harry does next, and what he did before, and how he tries to save a past he cannot change and a future he cannot allow.

Claire North's The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is "beautifully written and structured, the book should be a big hit with SF fans. The pseudonymous author's name is being kept secret, but fans of SF and fantasy authors China Mieville, Christopher Priest, and Adam Roberts might note a stylistic similarity, especially in the novel's elegant prose. Whoever Claire North turns out to be, he or she has written a remarkable book." - Booklist (Starred Review)

Delicious!

Delicious! by Ruth Reichl
Ruth Reichl, food critic for The New York Times, editor of Gourmet Magazine and author of best selling memoirs Tender at the Bone (2008) and Not Becoming My Mother (2009), makes her fiction debut with Delicious!

Billie Breslin has traveled far from her home in California to take a job at Delicious!, New York’s most iconic food magazine. When Delicious! is abruptly shut down, Billie agrees to stay on in the empty office, maintaining the hotline for reader complaints in order to pay her bills.

To Billie’s surprise, the lonely job becomes the portal to a miraculous discovery -- a cache of letters written during World War II by plucky twelve-year-old Lulu Swan to the legendary chef James Beard. Lulu’s letters provide Billie with a richer understanding of history, and a feeling of deep connection to the young writer whose courage in the face of hardship inspires Billie to comes to terms with her fears, her family and her ability to open her heart to love.

"Reichl's vivid descriptions of food will have readers salivating, and an insider's look at life at a food magazine is fascinating. Her satisfying coming-of-age novel of love and loss vividly demonstrates the power of food to connect people across cultures and generations." - Library Journal Reviews

2013 Nebula Award Winners Announced

The winner of The Nebula Award for Best Novel given by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) is:

Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie 
Now isolated in a single frail human body, Breq, an artificial intelligence that used to control a massive starship and its crew of soldiers, tries to adjust to her new humanity while seeking vengeance and answers to her questions.

"Using the format of SF military adventure blended with hints of space opera, Leckie explores the expanded meaning of human nature and the uneasy balance between individuality and membership in a group identity. Leckie is a newcomer to watch as she expands on the history and future of her new and exciting universe."—Library Journal


To learn more about Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and to see the full list of Nebula Awards (including those for novella, novelette and short story), click here.

Emotional Novel of Transcendence

The Snow Queen by Michael Cunningham
Michael Cunningham’s luminous novel The Snow Queen begins with a vision. Heart broken Barrett Meeks walks through Central Park and sees a pale, translucent light that seems to regard him in a distinctly godlike way. Barrett doesn’t believe in visions—or in God—but he can’t deny what he’s seen.

In the not-quite-gentrified Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, struggling musician Tyler, Barrett’s brother, is trying yet failing to write a wedding song that is an enduring expression of his love for Beth, his wife-to-be, who is seriously ill. 

Barrett, haunted by the light, turns unexpectedly to religion. Tyler grows increasingly convinced that only drugs can release his creative powers. Beth tries to face mortality with as much courage as she can summon.

Each travel down a different path in their search for transcendence. In subtle, lucid prose, Cunningham demonstrates a profound empathy for his conflicted characters and a singular understanding of what lies at the core of the human soul.

"Tender, funny, and sorrowful, Cunningham's beautiful novel is as radiant and shimmering as Barrett's mysterious light in the sky, gently illuminating the gossamer web of memories, feelings, and hopes that mysteriously connect us to each other as the planet spins its way round and round the sun." - Booklist (Starred Review)


Remember Me Like This

Remember Me Like This by Bret Anthony Johnston
Four years have passed since Justin Campbell’s disappearance, a tragedy that rocked the small town of Southport, Texas. Did he run away? Was he kidnapped? Did he drown in the bay? As the Campbells search for answers, they struggle to hold what’s left of their family together.

Then, one afternoon, the impossible happens. The police call to report that Justin has been found only miles away, in the neighboring town, and, most important, he appears to be fine. 

Though the reunion is a miracle, Justin’s homecoming exposes the deep rifts that have diminished his family, the wounds they all carry that may never fully heal. Trying to return to normal, his parents do their best to ease Justin back into his old life. But as thick summer heat takes hold, violent storms churn in the Gulf and in the Campbells’ hearts. When a reversal of fortune lays bare the family’s greatest fears—and offers perhaps the only hope for recovery—each of them must fight to keep the ties that bind them from permanently tearing apart.

Bret Anthony Johnston's Remember Me Like This is “an admirable achievement . . . The story starts where other stories might end. . . . [Readers] will find their expectations continually defied as characters refuse to follow a formulaic plot trajectory. . . . This is ultimately an uplifting reading experience owing to the believable love and warmth of the family.”—Library Journal (starred review)

A Legend Comes to Life

The Secret Life of William Shakespeare by Jude Morgan
There are so few established facts about how William Shakespeare, the son of a glove maker from Warwickshire, became one of the greatest writers of all time that some people doubt he could really have written so many astonishing plays. 

We know that he married Anne Hathaway, who was pregnant and six years older than he, at the age of eighteen, and that one of their children died of the plague. We know that he left Stratford to seek his fortune in London, and eventually succeeded. He was clearly an unwilling craftsman, ambitious actor, resentful son, almost good-enough husband. But when and how did he also become a genius? 

The Secret Life of William Shakespeare pulls back the curtain to imagine what it might have really been like to be Shakespeare before a seemingly ordinary man became a legend. In the hands of acclaimed historical novelist Jude Morgan, this is a brilliantly convincing story of unforgettable richness, warmth, and immediacy.

Bestselling Author's Controversial Mystery

Bestselling author Isabel Allende, well known for her literary novels such as as Maya's Notebook and Island Beneath the Sea, tries her hand at writing crime fiction in her new novel Ripper, an atmospheric, mystery involving a brilliant teenage sleuth who must unmask a serial killer in San Francisco. Booklist, Kirkus and Library Journal praise Allende newest novel but Amazon and Goodreads readers are disappointed and, at best, give Ripper mixed reviews. What do you think? Let us know! 

Ripper by Isabel Allende
Summary: Even though their bond is strong, mother and daughter, Indiana and Amanda, are as different as night and day. Indiana, a beautiful holistic healer, is a free-spirited bohemian who looks for the good in people. Amanda is fascinated by the dark side of human nature, like her father, the SFPD’s Deputy Chief of Homicide. 

Brilliant and introverted, the MIT-bound high school senior is a natural-born sleuth addicted to crime novels and Ripper, the online mystery game she plays with her beloved grandfather and friends around the world.

When a string of strange murders occurs across the city, Amanda plunges into her own investigation, discovering, before the police do, that the deaths may be connected. But the case becomes all too personal when Indiana suddenly vanishes. 

Could her mother’s disappearance be linked to the serial killer? Now, with her mother’s life on the line, the young detective must solve the most complex mystery she’s ever faced before it’s too late.

If You Like Alex Cross, You May Also Like...

Cross My Heart by James Patterson
Serial murder; bank robbery; kidnapping -- all of these crimes and more are investigated by Washington, D.C. police detective/psychologist Alex Cross in James Patterson's Alex Cross Mysteries. Told from the points of view of both Cross and the killer, these roller-coaster cases have plenty of twists and grisly details. No wonder this series of 21 books (and counting) make the bestseller lists time after time.

If you enjoyed reading the Alex Cross Mysteries, you may also like these series (according to NoveList):

The Bone Collector by Jeffery Deaver
The Lincoln Rhyme Mysteries by Jeffery Deaver
Reason:  The Alex Cross Mysteries and the Lincoln Rhyme Mysteries are fast-paced, hard-edged suspense stories in which a mystery is being solved. Both series also provide details about crime solving and criminal psychology. (NoveList)
Start with The Bone Collector.

When the Bough Breaks by Jonathan Kellerman
Alex Delaware novels by Jonathan Kellerman
Reason:  The protagonists of the Alex Cross Mysteries and the Alex Delaware Novels share more than merely a first name; they are both criminal psychologists. These intelligent protagonists solve gritty and disturbing crimes committed by psychopathic criminals. (NoveList)
Start with When the Bough Breaks

Rules of Prey by John Sandford
The Prey Series by John Sandford
Reason:  These hard-edged, action-packed mystery suspense stories combine police work, psychological insight, and criminal elements. Both series feature coarse language and graphic violence, and a bleak atmosphere is pervasive. (NoveList)
Start with Rules of Prey

Privileged Information by Stephen White
Alan Gregory novels  by Stephen White
Reason:  These fast-paced, intricately plotted, and suspenseful mystery series both feature detectives trained in clinical psychology who encounter a wide range of disturbed criminals and unbalanced patients. (NoveList)
Start with Privileged Information

A Patron Recommends

Walking on Water by Richard Paul Evans
In Walking on Water, the fifth entry in the New York Times bestselling Walk series, Richard Paul Evans’s hero Alan Christoffersen must say some painful goodbyes and learn some important lessons as he comes to the end of his cross-country walk to Key West.

After the death of his beloved wife, after the loss of his advertising business to his once-trusted partner, after bankruptcy forced him from his home, Alan's daring cross-country journey—a walk across America, from Seattle to Key West, with only the pack on his back—has taught him lessons about love, forgiveness and, most of all, hope.

Now Alan must again return west to face yet another crisis, one that threatens to upend his world just as he had begun to heal from so much loss, leaving him unsure of whether he can reach the end his journey. It will take the love of a new friend, and the wisdom of an old friend, to help him to finally leave the past behind and find the strength and hope to live again.

New to the Walk Series? Here are the books listed in reading order and available at the library:

The Walk by Richard Paul Evans
1. The Walk
Miles to Go by Richard Paul Evans
2. Miles to Go
The Road to Grace by Richard Paul Evans
3. The Road to Grace
A Step of Faith by Richard Paul Evans
4. A Step of Faith

Det. Patrik Hedstrom is Back!

Worldwide bestseller Camilla Läckberg's latest The Hidden Child, (the 5th installment in her Patrik Hedstrom Mysteries) is a psychological thriller about the chilling struggle of a young woman facing the darkest chapter of Europe’s past -- and her own.

The Hidden Child by Camilla LackbergCrime writer Erica Falck is shocked to discover a Nazi medal among her late mother’s possessions. Haunted by a childhood of neglect, she resolves to dig deep into her family’s past and finally uncover the reasons why. Her inquiries lead her to an old family friend but her questions are met with bizarre and evasive answers. Two days later he meets a violent death. Detective Patrik Hedström, Erica’s husband, is on paternity leave but soon becomes embroiled in the murder investigation. Who would kill so ruthlessly to bury secrets so old? Reluctantly Erica must read her mother’s wartime diaries. But within the pages is a painful revelation about Erica’s past. Could what little knowledge she has be enough to endanger her husband and newborn baby? The dark past is coming to light, and no one will escape the truth of how they came to be . . .

"The Hidden Child will keep fans of Swedish crime guessing until the final pages." -Booklist Reviews

Want to read about Erica and Patrick from the beginning? Here are the Patrik Hedstrom Mysteries listed in reading order:

The Ice Princess by Camilla Läckberg
1. The Ice Princess
The Preacher by Camilla Läckberg
2. The Preacher
The Stonecutter by Camilla Läckberg
3. The Stonecutter
The Stranger by Camilla Läckberg
4. The Stranger

Last Collection of Stories from a Favorite Author

Maeve Binchy imagined a street in Dublin with many characters coming and going, and every once in a while she would write about one of these people. She would then put it in a drawer; “for the future,” she would say. The future is now.

Chestnut Street by Maeve Binchy
Across town from St. Jarlath’s Crescent, featured in Minding Frankie, is Chestnut Street, where neighbors come and go. Behind their closed doors we encounter very different people with different life circumstances, occupations, and sensibilities. Some of the unforgettable characters lovingly brought to life by Binchy are Bucket Maguire, the window cleaner, who must do more than he bargained for to protect his son; Nessa Byrne, whose aunt visits from America every summer and turns the house—and Nessa’s world—upside down; and Lilian, the generous girl with the big heart and a fiancé whom no one approves of . . .

Chestnut Street is written with the humor and understanding that are earmarks of Maeve Binchy’s extraordinary work and, once again, she warms our hearts with her storytelling.

"The more you read, the more you want to read, which makes the fact that Chestnut Street is Binchy’s final collection as poignant an ending as any in her oeuvre." (BookPage Reviews)

A Walk on the Wild Side

From a legendary music journalist with four decades of unprecedented access, an insider's behind-the-scenes look at the major personalities of rock and roll.

There Goes Gravity: a Life in Rock and Roll by Lisa Robinson
Lisa Robinson has interviewed the biggest names in music--including Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, John Lennon, Patti Smith, U2, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Jay Z and Kanye West. She visited the teenage Michael Jackson many times at his Encino home. She spent hours talking to John Lennon at his Dakota apartment--and in recording studios just weeks before his murder. She introduced David Bowie to Lou Reed at a private dinner in a Manhattan restaurant, helped the Clash and Elvis Costello get their record deals, was with the Rolling Stones on their jet during a frightening storm, and was mid-flight with Led Zeppelin when their tour manager pulled out a gun. A pioneering female journalist in an exclusive boys' club, Lisa Robinson is a preeminent authority on the personalities and influences that have shaped the music world; she has been recognized as rock journalism's ultimate insider.

A keenly observed and lovingly recounted look back on years spent with countless musicians backstage, after hours and on the road, There Goes Gravity documents a lifetime of riveting stories, told together here for the first time.

To read (or listen) to NPR's recent interview with author Lisa Robinson click here.

Fan of Karen Robards? Try These Authors.

Have you read through all of Karen Robards' books and are looking for more authors just like her? Recently a reader asked this question and, being a fan of Ms. Robards myself, I was able to quickly help her find a few new (to her) authors. I'm sure there are many more readers out there wondering the same thing so here are my recommendations (both personal and from NoveList):

For edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense similar to Ms. Robards' Hunted and Shiver try:

Cover of Night by Linda Howard
Tell Me by Lisa Jackson
The Ugly Duckling by Iris Johansen
In Too Deep by Jayne Ann Krentz

For lively historical romances similar to Ms. Robards' Amanda Rose and Island Flame try:


Prince of Ravenscar by Catherine Coulter
The Care and Taming of a Rogue by Suzanne Enoch
Guardian Angel by Julie Garwood
No Choice But Seduction by Johanna Lindsey

For even more authors and novels, stop by the library and speak with a librarian.

Thanks Mom!

"For Being My First Storyteller, Thanks, Mom!  Here is a sweet video from HarperCollins featuring several authors - including Adriana Trigani, Veronica Roth, Lauren Oliver, Ann Patchett, Dan Gutman and more - expressing their gratitude to their moms this Mother's Day.


Missing Sookie Stackhouse? Try Ms. Harris' New Trilogy

Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris
From Charlaine Harris, the bestselling author who created Sookie Stackhouse and her world of Bon Temps, Louisiana, comes a darker locale populated by more strangers than friends. But then, that’s how the locals prefer it.

Welcome to Midnight, Texas, a town with many boarded-up windows and few full-time inhabitants, located at the crossing of Witch Light Road and Davy Road. It’s a pretty standard dried-up western town.

There’s a pawnshop (someone lives in the basement and is seen only at night). There’s a diner (people who are just passing through tend not to linger). And there’s new resident Manfred Bernardo, who thinks he’s found the perfect place to work in private (and who has secrets of his own).

Stop at the one traffic light in town, and everything looks normal. Stay awhile, and learn the truth...

Pick up Midnight Crossroad on the new book shelf section on the main floor of the library.

A Mother's Love

Looking for books featuring mothers? Stop by our book display on the Lower Level of the library for a few novels including:

The Chocolate Money by Ashley Prentice Norton
Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
Confession of Super Mom by Melanie Lynne Hauser
The Hand that First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrel

by Ashley Prentice Norton:
The story of the daughter of a glamorous chocolate heiress who must navigate a complex landscape of wealth, sex, and decadence through a privileged childhood in Chicago and an East Coast prep school, with only her narcissistic mother to guide her. As funny as it is scandalous, The Chocolate Money is Mommie Dearest, Prep, and 50 Shades of Gray all rolled into one compulsively readable book. 

by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
Interweaving the stories of a Kavita, an orphan; Somer, the American doctor who adopted her; and Asha, the Indian mother who gave her up in favor of a son, a debut novel moves between two families--one struggling to survive in the slums of Mumbai, the other grappling to forge a cohesive family despite their diverging cultural identities.

by Melanie Lynne Hauser
Endowed with extraordinary powers in a bizarre cleaning accident, middle-aged single mother Birdie Lee becomes her town's unwitting champion against a sinister force, an adventure that is challenged by Birdie's smug ex-husband, her teenagers, and a string of PTA meetings. "Like its title character, this debut novel has a secret identity: while it appears too adorable at first, and too typical, it's unexpectedly poignant and packs an emotional punch despite the cheery veneer." (Publishers Weekly Reviews)

by Elin Hilderbrand
The Carmichaels and the Grahams have gathered on Nantucket for a wedding. Plans are being made according to the wishes of the bride's late mother, who left behind The Notebook: specific instructions for every detail of her youngest daughter's future nuptials. Everything should be falling into place for the beautiful event--but in reality, things are far from perfect. While the couple-to-be are quite happy, their loved ones find their own lives crumbling. In the days leading up to the wedding, love will be questioned, scandals will arise, and hearts will be broken and healed.

by Maggie O'Farrel
Fifty years after an unconventional reporter of genteel origins becomes a single mother, present-day London painter Elina navigates the first weeks of motherhood upon surviving a dangerous labor and learns that her life is disconcertingly linked to the woman from the past.

Join the Book Discussion

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: a Memoir of Life in Death by by Jean-Dominique Bauby
Have you signed up yet for our May book discussion? Join us on May 21st at 2:00 p.m. as we discuss The Diving Bell and the Butterfly: a Memoir of Life in Death by Jean-Dominique Bauby.

About the book: In December 1995, Jean-Dominique Bauby, the 43-year-old editor of French Elle, suffered a massive stroke that left him permanently paralyzed, a victim of “locked in syndrome.” Once known for his gregariousness and wit, Bauby now finds himself imprisoned in an inert body, able to communicate only by blinking his left eye. The miracle is that in doing so he was able to compose this stunningly eloquent memoir. In a voice that is by turns wistful and mischievous, angry and sardonic, Bauby gives us a celebration of the liberating power of consciousness: what it is like to spend a day with his children, to imagine lying in bed beside his wife, to conjure up the flavor of delectable meals even as he is fed through at tube. Most of all, this triumphant book lets us witness an indomitable spirit and share in the pure joy of its own survival.

There are a couple of copies of the book still being held at the circulation desk for those interested in the discussion group.

Click here to register for the discussion group.

Librarians' Picks

Looking for your next great read? Our Librarian's Picks display had been updated for May! Stop by and you'll find many interesting titles including:

The Panopticon by Jenni Fagan
The Panopticon by Jenni Fagan
Sent to a home for chronic offenders, 15-year-old foster child Anais is unable to remember the events that led to her sentencing and considers her bleak life in the hands of untrustworthy adults before discovering herself within an ad hoc family that helps her take first steps toward friendship and personal strength. "Readers won't be able to tear themselves away from this transcendent debut." (Booklist Review)

The Spies Who Never Were: the True Story of the Nazi Spies Who Were Actually Allied Double Agents by Hervie Haufler
Describes the role of a network of German spies, sent by Hitler in 1940 to England to gather intelligence on Allied plans, who in reality became a cadre of double agents who reported to the British while sending misinformation to the Nazis about Allied strategy and defenses. "...a fascinating account of these masters of deception." (Booklist Reviews)

Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott
Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott
Anticipating a successful final year of high school in a new community, star student and athlete Rosie gives way to behaviors that reveal to her increasingly horrified parents that she has been abusing drugs and telling costly lies. "This is a deft, moving look at an extremely fragile and codependent mother-daughter relationship and how an out-of-control teenager affects a life, a friendship, and a marriage. Lamott is consistently wonderful with this type of novel, and once again she does not disappoint." (Library Journal Reviews)

Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts
Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts
Montana wildfire fighter Rowan has a strict rule: never get romantically involved with anyone she works with. But the moment she meets new recruit Gull Curry that rule is severely tested. And when it becomes clear that someone blames Rowan for her jump partner's death, and is determined to get revenge, Rowan finds that she needs Gull's help and support more than ever.


The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
A memoir of resilience and redemption, and a penetrating look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette's brilliant father captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who hated anything to do with domesticity. The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.