Goodreads Choice Awards: Winners Announced!

The winners of the 2014 Goodreads Choice Awards were announced yesterday! 

Goodreads readers cast 3,317,504 votes this year to decide the winners; these are the ONLY major awards that are decided by readers votes.

Click here to view the winners and nominees in all categories. How many of the books have you read?

Congratulations to all the winners!

Fiction
Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Recognizing that her marriage is in deep trouble in spite of her abiding and mutual love for her husband, television writer Georgie excludes herself from a Christmas family visit before discovering a way to reconnect with the man her husband used to be. By the award-winning author of Fangirl. (Publisher Summary)

Mystery and Thriller
Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King
Months after a crazed hit-and-run driver kills several attendees at a Midwestern job fair, a depressed retired cop and two unlikely allies join forces to find and stop the killer, who has sent a letter threatening another attack. (Publisher Summary)

Historical Fiction

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

A blind French girl on the run from the German occupation and a German orphan-turned-Resistance tracker struggle with their respective beliefs after meeting on the Brittany coast. By the award-winning author of About Grace. (Publisher Summary)

Fantasy
Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

Historian and witch Diana Bishop and her vampire scientist husband Matthew Clairmont return from a trip to the past still searching for the elusive alchemy tome Ashmole 782 in the final installment of the best-selling trilogy following Shadow of Night. (Publisher Summary)

Romance
Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon
After being presumed dead, Jamie Fraser returns to find that his best friend has married his wife, his illegitimate son has discovered who is father is, and his nephew has decided to marry a Quaker. (Publisher Summary)

Science Fiction
The Martian by Andy Weir
Stranded on Mars by a dust storm that compromised his space suit and forced his crew to leave him behind, astronaut Watney struggles to survive in spite of minimal supplies and harsh environmental challenges that test his ingenuity in unique ways. (Publisher Summary)

Horror

Prince Lestat by Anne Rice

A tale spanning periods from the ancient to the modern world reunites fans with beloved characters, from Louis de Pointe Lac and the eternally young Armand to David Talbot and Marius, who hear a mysterious voice urging ancients to destroy increasing populations of maverick vampires. (Publisher Summary)

Humor

Yes, Please by Amy Poehler

A first-person account by the Golden Globe-winning actress best known for her work on Parks and Recreation and Saturday Night Live includes coverage of such topics as her relationships with caregivers and her friendship with Tina Fey. (Publisher Summary)

Nonfiction

Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan

This hope-filled posthumous collection of essays and stories from the talented young Yale graduate who died tragically five days after graduation details the struggle that we all face as we figure out what we want to be and how we can positively impact the world. (Publisher Summary)

History and Biography

The Romanov Sisters: the Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra by Helen Rappaport

Draws on personal writings and private sources to illuminate the daily lives of the four Russian Grand Duchesses from their own perspectives, revealing their awareness of family turmoil and the approach of the Russian Revolution. (Publisher Summary)

Business

#Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso

The founder of "Nasty Gal" fashion shares a manifesto for ambitious young women that explains how to channel personal passion and energy while overcoming insecurities, outlining advice on doing work and garnering recognition. (Publisher Summary)

Food and Cookbooks

Make it Ahead: a Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

The Emmy Award-winning celebrity chef shares favorite make-ahead recipes and meal-planning tips for a variety of occasions, suggesting preparation options for low-stress dishes that improve if prepared in advance. By the #1 best-selling author of Barefoot Contessa Foolproof. (Publisher Summary)

Best Debut Goodreads Author

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

A tale set in a bleak future society torn by class divisions follows the experiences of secret revolutionary Darrow, who after witnessing his wife's execution by an oppressive government joins a revolutionary cell and attempts to infiltrate an elite military academy. (Publisher Summary)

Book Review: 'The Midnight Witch' by Paula Brackston

"Midnight is the most bewitching hour of them all…

From Paula Brackston, the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch’s Daughter and The Winter Witch, comes a magical tale that is as dark as it is enchanting. Set in high society Edwardian England, The Midnight Witch is the story of a young witch who faces the choice between love and loyalty to her coven…" (Provided by Publisher)

Beautiful, young Lady Lilith Montgomery is the daughter of the sixth Duke of Radnor. When her father dies, her drug addict brother Freddie takes over the Duke title, but it is Lilith (who has been instructed in the art of necromancy) who takes on her father's role as Head Witch of the Lazarus Coven.

"Depicting a time of great social change allows Brackston (The Witch's Daughter) to create a pleasing character arc for Lilith, who seems of her time but still willing to defy convention to achieve happiness. There are balls and gowns as well as slums and opium dens, all painting a picture of a lost age, with just enough magic to keep things exciting for fantasy fans." (Library Journal Reviews)

Looking for Paula Brackston's earlier books? You can find them at the Community Library!

	The Winter Witch (2013) The follow-up to The Witch's Daughter finds Morgana, a mute fledgling witch married to a kind farmer,and living in the far off hills for her protection. Before long she is targeted by local townspeople who are being manipulated by a murderous dark force that compels Morgana to harness her powers.
	The Witch's Daughter (2011) After witnessing her witch mother's death in the spring of 1628, Bess turns to secluded Warlock Gideon for protection. Her master teachers her formidable powers including immortality, skills she begins teaching to a new apprentice centuries later. When Warlock Gideon finds out, he insists on payment for saving her life.

Movie Alert: Shadow & Bone

DreamWorks, the production company that brought you the Harry Potter series, announced this week that it has acquired to movie rights to  the hit YA fantasy book, Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo.  With mesmerizing writing and delightful motifs that make it popular with adults as well, Shadow and Bone tells the story of Alina, an orphan of the Border Wars, and her only friend Mal, as she is taken to become the protege of the mysterious Darkling, who trains her to join the magical elite.  Ultimately a story about the power of one's hidden strength, the movie is sure to be a hit.  Make sure you can say you read the book first!

Love, Murder, & Sorcery in Something Red

Douglas Nicholas' debut, Something Red, is an intoxicating blend of fantasy and mythology.  Leading a troupe of companions across the mountains of 13th century England to find shelter from the coldest winter in memory, middle aged Irish woman Molly gradually realizes she is being followed a mysterious evil force that must be faced and defeated if they are to survive.  Full of mysterious characters including shapeshifters, warrior monks, and knights, this suspenseful story of a journey for survival is extraordinary.

New in Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' series

Even though it's the 8th book he's written for the "Dark Tower" series, Stephen King refers to his latest book as 'book 4.5' because it comes between book 4, Wizard and Glass, and book 5, Wolves of the Calla.  Like J.K. Rowling's Tales of Beedle the Bard, which was a series companion volume based on Harry Potter mythology, King's new book The Wind through the Keyhole is only loosely connected to the Dark Tower series.  In The Wind through the Keyhole, a teenage Roland Deschain takes charge of Bill Streeter, a brave but terrified boy who is the sole surviving witness to a murderous shape-shifter's most recent slaughter. Roland calms the boy by reciting a story from the Magic Tales of the Eld that his mother used to read to him at bedtime, "The Wind through the Keyhole."   Looking for the complete list of books in the "Dark Tower" series?  Here they are, in reading order:

1) The Gunslinger
2) The Drawing of the Three
3) The Waste Lands
4) Wizard and Glass
4.5) The Wind Through the Keyhole (Stephen King's newest book)
5) Wolves of the Calla
6) Song of Susannah
7) The Dark Tower (the final book in the Dark Tower series)

Happy reading from your Community Library!

Top 5 Funniest Science Fiction Books

These novels prove that "humorous science fiction" is not a contradiction in terms.  Fans of funny sci-fi, try these top 5 funniest science fiction books available from Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library:

1. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - After Earth is demolished to make way for a new hyperspatial expressway, Arthur Dent begins to hitchhike through space.  This phenomenally popular book also has five humorous sequels, starting with The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.
2. The Wizard of Karres - It just wasn't fair! Captain Pusart had foiled the deadliest of space pirates and eliminated the threat of the Worm World, yet his troubles kept piling up.  There was only one thing to do - run away and join the circus! An interstellar traveling circus, that is.
3. Emperor Mollusk versus the Sinister Brain -  Bored after retirement, Emperor Mollusk--former super-villain, mad genius, and intergalactic menace--finds himself defending, rather than attacking, Earth when the planet is threatened by assassins and an up-and-coming megalomaniac.  Somewhat like the movie Megamind.
4. Shades of Grey - (don't worry, no relation to 50 Shades of Grey) - Color Control Agency employee and House of Red member Eddie Russet experiences discontent with his limited vision when he meets Gray Nightseer Jane, who suggests that their color-blind world was brought about by a disaster that nobody is allowed to acknowledge
5. The Android's Dream - (not to be confused with Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, which was the basis for the movie Blade Runner) - To avoid an interstellar incident, ex-cop and hacker Harry Creek searches for a rare type of sheep to be used in an alien race's coronation ceremony, following a trail that leads to pet store owner Robin Baker, whose genes contain traces of the sheep DNA.

Disagree with these rankings?  Please leave comments or suggestions!  For funny fantasy novels, try books by Terry Pratchett, Robert Asprin, or Christopher Moore.

Ancient alt-history in 'Pillars of Hercules'

Why is it that alternate history stories so often focus on recent history?  The Pillars of Hercules is a refreshing departure from this trend.  In this steampunk fantasy, Prince Alexander of Macedon leads an army to the Pillars of Hercules, near the fabled ruins of sunken Atlantis.  Meanwhile, a group of adventurers races his host for the prize.  Looking for more fantasy set in or inspired by the mythic past?  Try Jim Butcher's "Codex Alera" series (starting with The Furies of Calderon), or David Drake's The Legions of Fire.

New fantasy trilogy opens with a 'Vengeance'

Looking for a new series opener?  Try Vengeance by Ian Irvine, in which Tali, the subterranean slave of a brutal race, escapes to the surface, where she teams up with the nobleman Rix.  Library Journal gave this book a starred review, saying that the book is "a compelling tale of vengeance, loyalty, and the search for a place in the world."  This is the first book in the planned "Tainted Realm" trilogy, so fans have two more volumes to look forward to.

First in a new fantasy series: 'The Killing Moon'

Looking for an inventive new work of epic fantasy?  N.K. Jemisin's new book The Killing Moon is the first in the planned Dreamblood series, in which priests are tasked with policing their territory through the use of healing dreams.  When one priest is sent to collect the dreams of a diplomat from abroad, he is pulled into a web of intrigue from which he will not easily escape.  The book's desert setting, loosely inspired by northern Africa and the Middle East, is part of a larger trend in fantasy fiction.  Try Kingdoms of Dust or Desert Spear for more books that draw on the desert for inspiration.

Desert Fantasy in 'The Kingdoms of Dust' and other books

In the newly-released The Kingdoms of Dust, which earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly, necromancer and spy Isyllt Iskaldur finds herself hounded by assassins and seeking asylum in the kingdom she once worked to undermine.  New to "The Necromancer Chronicles"?  Start with The Drowning City, followed by The Bone Palace.  Looking for more desert-inspired fantasy?  Try The Warded Man and its recent sequel, Desert Spear, or straddle the border with science fiction in the classic novel Dune, in which a young nobleman goes into exile on a the desert planet Arrakis.  The new book The Steel Seraglio, in which an army of the sultan's exiled concubines fight to retake their city, might also be to your liking.

Concluding Paolini's Inheritance Cycle

By now, fantasy fans have probably heard that Inheritance, the final book in Christopher Paolini's 4-book "Inheritance Cycle," has been released.  As of this writing, the library's seven copies of this book are all checked out, but library cardholders are welcome to place a hold on Inheritance here by clicking the red "request" button.  With each epic volume topping 800 pages, the series is popular with fans of intricately plotted fantasy stories like J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" or George R.R. Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire," the latter of which has experienced a resurgence in interest since its television adaptation in "Game of Thrones."  If you've already read all of the above, try Sherwood Smith's less well-known four-book fantasy series "Inda," which is also characterized by vivid world-building and intricate plots.

Weres and Wolves

     

Love wolf/werewolf fantasy?  Here are four suggestions just for you:

Promise of the Wolves by Dorothy Hearst - Set 14,000 years ago, Promise of the Wolves takes us to a land where time is counted in phases of the moon, distance is measured in wolflengths, and direction by the scent of the nearest trail.

Wolfsangel by MD Lachlan - Acting on a prophecy, the viking King Authun raids an Anglo-Saxon village and captures twin boys, taking them back to the witches who live on the perilous mountain of the Troll Wall. Companion to Wolves by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear - A young nobleman chosen to become a wolfcarl, a warrior bonded to a fighting wolf, Isolfr is bound to Viradechtis, a queen wolf, as they confront a powerful force supernatural creatures that threatens the complaisant human holdings.

Benighted by Kit Whitfield - Lola Galley, an ordinary human in a world in which nearly all the population is lycanthropic, sets out to bring to justice the rogue lune responsible for the mauling of an old friend.

A more comprehensive version of this themed list was originally published in the library's Fantasy December 2011 NextReads newsletter - subscribe free here for once-a-month emails about new releases and themed booklists in your favorite genre. 

Don't miss this Shakespearean/Victorian mashup!

Inspired by two beloved works of English literature (Twelfth Night and The Importance of Being Earnest), All Men of Genius takes place in an alternate Steampunk Victorian London, where science makes the impossible possible. Violet Adams wants to attend the exclusive, all-male Illyria College, founded by the late Duke Illyria.  She gains entry disguised as her twin brother, Ashton, but keeping the secret of her sex isn't easy, especially when the duke's young ward starts to develop feelings for Violet's alter ego. Not to mention blackmail, mysterious killer automata, and the way Violet's pulse quickens whenever the young duke, Ernest (who has a secret past of his own), speaks to her. For another enjoyable story about a cross-dressing girl at a male-only school, try Tamora Pierce's young adult fantasy novel Alanna: The First Adventure, or the more recent work of realistic fiction, Babe in Boyland.

Western + steampunk + mystery = Alloy of Law

Looking for an action-packed read the defies easy classification?  Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson combines elements of Westerns, mysteries, and fantasy to create this unique new release.  Although the book is set in the same universe as Sanderson's earlier Mistborn trilogy, 300 years have passed since the events in those books, making Alloy of Law a solid stand-alone selection. As the Booklist reviewer puts it, Alloy of Law is "rife with philosophical ponderings, and plenty of crime-fighting action, [and it] fits nicely in any gun holster."   Of course, if you want to read this book, you'll have to get in line!

Concluding the Acacia trilogy

Fans of George R.R. Martin's epic "Song of Ice and Fire" fantasy series might have already discovered David Anthony Durham's "Acacia" books, starting with The War with the Mein.  Like the "Song of Ice and Fire," this series follows the children of a noble family torn apart by betrayal.  With epic world-building and intriguing political maneuvering, the first two "Acacia" books have garnered a large fan following in their own right.  Now, the trilogy finally comes to a climactic close with The Sacred Band.  Place your holds now!

Reader Review: The Demon Spirit

Thanks to Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library member Diana R. for submitting this reader review!

The Demon Spirit by R.A. Salvatore
Rating: 3 out of 5

Fast paced and full of action-packed mythical fantasy creatures. Even though I started at book two it was easy to get acquainted with characters - not as good as the Dark Elf series - Even though the ending makes you wait for the next sequel I didn't really love it enough to go for it.

Just Announced: World Fantasy Award Nominees

This year's World Fantasy Award nominees have been announced!  The winner won't be revealed until the World Fantasy Convention in late October, so why not read them all and see if your favorite wins?

• Zoo City by Lauren Beukes - Zinzi has a Sloth on her back, a dirty online 419 scam habit – and a talent for finding lost things. But when her latest client, a little old lady, turns up dead and the cops confiscate her lastpaycheck, she’s forced to take on her least favourite kind of job: missing persons.
• The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin - After Yeine Darr is summoned to the majestic city of Sky and named an heiress to the king of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, she is thrust into a vicious power struggle with cousins she never knew she had, drawing ever closer to the secrets of her mother's death and her family's bloody history.  The first book in a planned trilogy.
• The Silent Land by Graham Joyce - Buried under a flash avalanche while skiing, young married couple Jake and Zoe miraculously dig their way out only to discover themselves alone in an eerily silent, evacuated region and unable to contact the outside world.
• Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay - Shen Tai, a general serving the Emperor of Kitai, receives 250 Sardian horses, an unthinkable gift fit to overwhelm an emperor, and travels to claim the horses in person.
• Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord - When Paama leaves her husband, she attracts the attention of the undying ones who present her with the Chaos Stick, which allows her to manipulate the subtle forces of the world.

Sequel Alert: The Magician King

If you loved Lev Grossman's 2009 novel The Magicians, you probably can't wait to get your hands on the sequel, The Magician King, which is coming out tomorrow (August 9, 2011). Both books pay homage to beloved fantasy series from the past like The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings while employing a tongue-in-cheek Monty Python or Douglas Adams brand of humor. In this newly released sequel, Quentin Coldwater returns to Fillory together with compatriots from Brakebills College of Magical Pedagogy: a daring quest filled with plenty of swordplay keeps the plot engaging while humor and fully realized characters raise interesting questions on the nature of heroism. Happy reading!

Can't Miss SciFi & Fantasy

Here are five titles available at your Community Library from Kirkus's recently published a list of "Can't Miss Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2011." In Among Others, 15-year-old Morwenna finds escapes into scifi novels after the mysterious death of her twin. The Wise Man's Fear (a personal favorite of librarian Carolyn W.) is the sequel to Name of the Wind, and follows the adventures of Kvothe, a wise-cracking university student and jack-of-all-trades seeking answers about his parent's deaths. In Richard Matheson's Other Kingdoms, a soldier's retreat to a peaceful English village after World War I turns into something more sinister when he ignores local superstitions, while in The Quantum Thief, a criminal is broken out of a diabolical future prison in exchange for agreeing to steal a valuable artifact. Last but not least, China Mieville's literary Embassytown tells the story of how humans teach aliens how to lie, with disastrous results.