Staff Choices

Who is Maud Dixon,  a debut novel by former journalist Alexandra Andrews, is a literary thriller that has echoes of Patricia Highsmith's 1955 crime novel, The Talented Mr. Ripley.  Like the earlier thriller, Who is Maud Dixon? is a complex tale complete with stolen identities, exotic locales, and murder. And while Maud Dixon is set in contemporary times, there is something about if that feels vintage...even the names of the two main characters, Florence and Helen, are somewhat old fashioned.
I don't want to give too much of the story away, there is the obvious, predictable twist but others as well. A chilling scene towards the end of the novel had my heart hammering. Highly recommended. 

I am a sucker for any book that takes place in Italy.  Lori Nelson Spielman's The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany was an engrossing combination of all my favorite things about a book, a little romance, a little mystery, some historical references, and a generous helping of beautiful scenery. The Fontana family has had a curse on the second-born daughters for over 200 years. Always to remain spinsters, true love will never find any of them. Emilia has unknowingly resigned herself to the fact that the curse is a real thing as she remains consistently unlucky in love. Her cousin Lucy is unlucky in love as well, falling often yet never really connecting with anyone. When their 80-year-old, estranged aunt Poppy calls offering the two a trip to Italy and an opportunity to break the curse forever, they reluctantly agree.

Speilman provides her readers with an amazing story that crosses generations and completely captivates them as secrets unfold. Aunt Poppy's dual storyline growing up in Italy was riveting and emotional. From New York to Italy, The Berlin Wall to a tiny church in Ravello, we root for these 3 resilient women to find the love and peace they deserve. This is definitely a book that I will be recommending to others. Ciao Bella!

The title of this new novel by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney refers specifically to a struggling New York theater company of which the main characters are members, but in the larger sense it really encompasses the friends and family who play all the supporting roles in our lives. Good Company goes back and forth in time, as we follow friends and fellow actresses Flora and Margot, as roommates in New York City, as newly married brides, and then their diverging paths as Flora devotes herself to mothering daughter Ruby, while Margot becomes a television star on a middling medical drama. There is a lot to say here about the nature of female friendships as well. the petty and not so petty jealousies, and the seemingly steadfast loyalty that can be quickly destroyed by a toxic secret. The secret in this case is the discovery of a wedding band that was supposedly lost over a decade prior, and the painful revelations that are also uncovered.  

Good Company is lacking the satirical bite of the author's previous best selling novel, The Nest. But it is a pleasant diversion, and for those who enjoy audiobooks, very well narrated by Marin Ireland. 

What is there not to like about a book where a horse, a dog, a raven, a rat and one young boy find refuge and companionship with each? Add the City of Light and renowned author Jane Smiley and you are all set.

Perestroika, Paras for short, a young curious racehorse finding her stall door open, scoops up her trainers purse full of winnings and embarks on an adventure that lands her in the Champs de Mar in Paris. She meets Frida the elegant street dog, who navigates the market to find them food. Along with Raoul the raven, and a couple of mallard ducks, they discuss life, ownership, freedom and world problems. Not sure what her future holds, and unclear if she wants to return to the track, Paras spends her days and nights exploring, and reminiscing about her beloved trainers and the racing life. Eventually she befriends Etienne, an 8 year old living with his aging great grandmother in an ancient mansion. Etienne loves Paras and his friends, as well as Curt, the rat who comes out of his hiding place in search of love. The curious, hungry and cold animals find refuge in the old home. With ingenuity, and the generosity of kind shop owners, they all manage to keep their whereabouts a secret as they survive the snowy winter.

I loved this well written and heartwarming book. Through these interesting characters, Smiley reminds us that although "life is a chancey business", all creatures great and small seek the same things; love, freedom, and a sense of belonging. 

When novelist Ann Patchett says that one must read a book, I almost always take her advice. Patchett wholeheartedly recommends reading Meg Mason's novel Sorrow and Bliss, which is about mental illness, dysfunctional families, and a failing marriage. While these themes may sound far heavier on the “sorrow” than the “bliss”, it is often an incredibly funny book.

 Martha, the main character and the narrator of the novel, shares her observations of her struggles with such biting wit. She is prickly and difficult, but also brilliant, and as she tells the story of her life the reader begins to understand how, at the age of forty,  Martha has returned to her childhood home without any seeming  prospects for the future.  While Sorrow and Bliss does focus on mental illness (Martha has been diagnosed with something so severe that it is never named in the novel), this is also a story about the love of family and friends.  Martha’s relationship with her younger sister Ingrid is so refreshingly real in how they both rely on, and alternating, resent one another.

At the end, there is much hope in this novel, just not of the saccharine variety. Sorrow and Bliss should appeal to readers who enjoyed Normal People by Sally Rooney or Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman.

Angie Hockman's debut book, Shipped , is a entertaining, enemies-to-lovers rom-com which confronted some serious issues to enhance the plot. The two main characters, Henley Evans and Graeme Crawford-Collins work for an adventure cruise line and are vying for the same promotion. They are sent on a cruise to the Galápagos Islands to work on some new marketing ideas that will decide who will get the coveted Digital Marketing Director position.

A majority of the story takes place in the gorgeous Galápagos Islands. The natural beauty and habitat of this region was truly a star feature in the book.  I also really appreciated the awareness of environmental issues throughout the story.

I highly recommend this book to those looking for a light rom-com in an exotic setting to read this spring.

Time travel within a small coffee shop in Tokyo. Strict rules must be followed but you won't have much time. It is a little fanciful but it is not science fiction.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold is a quiet, unassuming story about people who seek to reach back in time, to have another chance to meet someone important to them; despite that when they do, nothing in the present will change. Each person must decide if the emotional journey is worth it.

This is author Toshikazu Kawaguchi's debut novel. His playwright writing style may be evident as readers learn more about the characters. Some of the writing is a little simplistic but translating the story into English probably plays a factor.

If you like gentle stories about ordinary people who are searching for important truths for themselves, you might like Before the Coffee Gets Cold.
 

Our Italian Summer by Jennifer Probst is a story is about three generations of Ferrari women who love each other, yet do not always see eye to eye. Francesca- a workaholic, single mother who hardly has time for herself yet alone her family. Allegra who is in those pivotal years between teenager and adult trying to figure out who she is and what she wants in life. All she knows is she does not want to be like her mother. Sophia, the matriarch, hates seeing her girls suffer and yet holds a secret of her own. The solution to their problems is a trip of a lifetime to Italy. Through breathtaking cities, scrumptious food, awe-inspiring churches, ancient villages and a handful of extraordinary people the Ferrari women found a way to come together.

Even though there is some romance, truly, this is a story about rebuilding a family, learning to let go, and finding yourself at any age.  

This contemporary family drama will have you wanting to visit Italy and savor the food, wine, and history.  A perfect read and escape for 2021!

Inspector Gamache leaves the comfort of Three Pines for Paris in this gripping new addition to Louise Penny's popular mystery series. On their first night in Paris, after gathering for a family dinner with his godfather Stephen Horowitz, Gamache witnesses a terrible hit and run. The police investigate it as an accident, but Gamache and his family suspect differently. Paris comes alive as Armand, Jean-Guy Beauvoir and even his wife Reine-Marie track down clues to this tangled mystery. Eventually the mystery hits close to home as Armand's son Daniel,  his godfather Stephen, and the entire family gets wound up in the web of deceit and lies. Who to trust? is the question Armand struggles with, and, is the Devil really here as Stephen foretells? 

Louise Penny continues to entertain with this latest novel. Her books are captivating, and enjoyable and always filled with great character development and an intimate sense of place. I love to read them and love them even more in audio. You don't need to read them in order, but it does make the experience even more enjoyable.

Mira Grant's frightening novel, Into The Drowning Deep,  was my second "out of my comfort zone" read for January (the first one being the second installment of the Bridgerton series, but that is probably me along with half of the country). I heard a recommendation for this sci-fi/horror novel on a podcast, and was intrigued by the premise of a combined ship of research scientists and television crew going to investigate the sighting of mermaid-like creatures in the Mariana Trench. A similar expedition seven years prior resulted in all people aboard mysteriously lost at sea, with only a short clip of terrifying video footage to hint at what had happened to them all. 
Without giving away too much of the plot, this novel is like a combination of Jaws and the disaster films I use to watch as a kid, like The Towering Inferno or Poseidon Adventure. Of course this has the added layer of an unknown menace that is out there lurking in the deep, creating just the right amount of dread. You have your villains, both of the human and monster type, a shipboard romance of the non- heterosexual variety, a neuro-diverse heroine, commentary on conservationism and exploitation of natural resources, oh, and plenty of gruesome deaths. So in short, there is a lot going on in the story. Some of the dialogue is a bit hokey, but overall this was a very gripping and scary book. 

The library also owns the eaudiobook version of Into The Drowning Deep, available for automatic download on Hoopla. This allowed for me to both listen to the novel as I went about my day, and then find my place in the physical book at night to continue on with the tale. Note that this is the first in a series, wondering if it is save to go back into the water yet?