The Goldfinch

by Donna Tartt

At 13 years old, Theo Decker loses his mother in a terrorist bombing, steals a priceless painting, and begins the journey of a lifetime - one that takes him from New York City to Las Vegas to Amsterdam.

The Goldfinch is a riveting story.  Donna Tartt paints a colorful portrait of Theo along with Boris, Hobie and Pippa.  Theo's survival depends on the kindness of strangers, but they are often his downfall.

I put off reading The Goldfinch because of the sheer heft of it.  At 784 pages, I thought I didn't have time.  Now, I only wish that I had read it sooner.  Read the book before you see the movie.  You will be so happy you did.

-Holly

The Geek's Guide to Dating

By Eric Smith

Are you a gamer or a geek? Then check this out. Even if you are not in the dating market (like me), this book will have you doubled over and laughing...ROFL!

Smith provides helpful tips for Player #1 (you) to find the perfect Player #2: identifying what type of geek you are, finding him/her, general dating tips, and break-ups.

No-win scenarios are presented, aka the 'Kobayashi Maru' for Trekkies, as well as a First Date Simulation where, given a scenario, you choose the outcome. You then advance to the next level or it's "Game Over".

Enjoy this book and share it with a geek friend. I did!

~ Paula

The Secret Keeper

By Kate Morton

This is a captivating novel about a woman’s quest to discover why she had witnessed such fear on her mother’s face when she saw, what the daughter thought was, a stranger at their home.  The circumstances that arose from this fear kept the two from ever speaking about the incident until after her mother’s ninetieth birthday. This book is takes you from the present to the past and back again many times, intricately weaving the bits and pieces together until the stunning conclusion.  No doubt, you will enjoy this book as much as I have; I will be reading more books by Kate Morton.

~ Beckie

 

Too Many Murders

By Colleen McCullough
Audiobook format
It is April 1967 in Holloman, Connecticut, where 12 murders have taken place in one day in this normally quiet town. Chief of Detectives Carmine Delmonico finds himself in the middle of the investigation of these seemingly unrelated murders that are entwined in a web of secrets.

 I didn't realize that this is the sequel to 'On, Off' until I was half-way through the audiobook, but I never felt confused about the characters or elements of the story.

'Too Many Murders' has mystery, murder and espionage, while maintaining a warmth in the interactions between the characters. One criticism of this book is that there are too many characters to keep track of; I disagree, but I would say that the reader needs to pay attention - this isn't a light read.

 ~ Paula

A Star for Mrs. Blake

By April Smith

During WWI, when a soldier was killed overseas, the surviving families had the choice of bringing them home for burial or to have them buried in the country where they fell.

Between 1930 and 1933, the US Department of War provided an all expense paid trip to the mothers of these soldiers so they could visit their son’s final resting place. They were called the “Gold Star Mothers”.

This story follows a group of five women whose sons lost their lives in a battle in Verdun France. Grief becomes the uniting factor of “Party A” consisting of Cora (the Mrs. Blake named in the title), Katie, Wilhelminia, Minnie, Bobbie, the Army nurse Lily and the only man in the group, the Lieutenant Hammond, who is to guide the group. This story explores each woman, her background and how they relate with each other.

Cora is interviewed by a journalist who writes her story and sells it to a French newspaper. It creates enough interest that the newspapers want a follow-up story. This opens up doors that Cora never dreamed of. More excitement meets the “Gold Star Mothers” when they have a picnic near a battlefield where their sons fought. Each mother comes to terms with her terrible loss and is forever changed by her “pilgrimage”.

~ Dixie

Counting by 7s

By Holly Goldberg Sloan

This is a tween novel that I couldn't put down even though it is, at times,  heart-wrenching.  Twelve-year-old Willow Chance is an adopted mixed-race girl with loving white parents.  Willow is the child who is super-smart yet friendless - very mature and engrossed in her interests in lieu of hanging out with friends.  She takes an achievement test, aces it, is accused of cheating and is required to have sessions with less-than-competent school counselor Dell Duke.  While waiting for one of her sessions, she makes a friend in Mai Nguyen.  When the unthinkable happens, Mai and her brother and mother, and even Dell Duke come together and save the day for Willow even as she saves them back.    

~ Linda

Lord of Opium

By Nancy Farmer

El Patron is dead and Matt, his young clone, is now expected to take over the corrupt drug empire   Opium which is located between the USA and Mexico. Opium also holds the cure for the world’s ecological devastation. With the borders closed upon El Patron’s death, the stockpile of drugs has grown huge and the rest of the world is clamoring for their drugs. Can Matt outwit the other drug lords who want to take over his country? Can he find a way to fulfil his dreams of stopping the drug trade and returning to food crops, and of returning the microchipped robotic ejits to their original human condition?

~ Sue

The Cuckoo's Calling

By J. K. Rowling, published under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith

Private Investigator Cormoran Strike is living out of his shabby London office after a feud with his wealthy girlfriend. Penniless, a new, hard-working temp named Robin appears on his doorstep. Strike's luck continues to improve  when a childhood acquaintance hires him to investigate his supermodel sister's apparent suicide. With money in his pocket, Strike finds himself unraveling the twisted life of Lula Landry and her drug-addicted social circle, dysfunctional family, and troubled birth mother. 

An unlikely pair, Strike and Robin turn out to be a capable team.This mystery is well-written and unpredictable. 

~ Paula

Borgen (Danish TV series on DVD)

I have become captivated by the Danish TV series Borgen.  It is the story of Birgitte Nyborg the lovely cabinet minister who accidentally becomes Prime Minister following a controversial election.  With the help of her spin doctor adviser and a senior cabinet minister, she learns how to be Prime Minister.

Birgitte’s family life suffers from her political aspirations and at times it is heartbreaking to watch.  However, it is some of the finest television being written.  This series has become popular in Europe and in the US and it is easy to see why.

I can’t recommend it enough.  If you want an excellent TV series on a cold snowy weekend, try Borgen.  With a cup of hot tea, entertainment doesn't get better.
~Holly

This Song Will Save Your Life

By Leila Sales

Elise’s latest big project is to become popular and have friends next school year. Her projects are always big, in-depth and successful. This one fails. On fact, it fails so badly that she decides to try suicide but that fails also. It does point out that she does want to live. On one of her late night walks she discovers an underground dance club which opens up a whole new world, where she begins to understand what it means to be a friend and where she becomes the hottest new DJ. Meanwhile, on the school scene, someone is writes a blog in her name about wanting to commit suicide and she starts hanging around with the two other most unpopular girls.

 ~ Sue

Dark Justice

By Brandilyn Collins

This is the first book I have read by this author and I really liked it.

Hanna Shire and her senile mother decide to take the scenic route as they return from a get away weekend. They come across a car accident and stop to help, like many people would. Soon their world starts to spin out of control.

The victim of the accident whispers mysterious words to Hannah. Now someone wants her and her mother out of the picture because of what they “know”. Hannah’s daughter becomes involved too and they begin to understand that the whole country’s electrical grid is at risk. Now they have to figure out who they can trust and who can stop this terrorist attack?

~ Dixie

Dream Thieves

By Maggie Steifvater

In this sequel to The Raven Boys , the search for the legendary Welsh king Glendower is overpowered by the weakening of the ley lines(invisible channels of energy that connect sacred places of the world) that underlie their small town in Virginia, and the disappearance of Cabeswater, the mystical forest. Ronan’s ability to pull things into this world from his dreams is out of control. He discovers that the school bully shares this ability and can teach him how to control it and bring back exactly what he wants. The Grey Man and others are searching for an object called the Greywaren which allows the owner to steal from dreams, unaware the Ronan is it. 

~ Sue

The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic

By Emily Croy Barker

Nora Fischer is definitely having a bad week.  She is struggling with the final pieces of her dissertation; her boyfriend of four years has just announced that he is marrying another woman; and, to top it off, she has just spent a miserable weekend at a friend’s wedding in the mountains.  In an attempt to shake she wanders up the mountain  for an early morning walk, gets lost, and walks through  a portal into another world.  Nora is transformed from an average looking grad student into a stunning beauty with fabulous new friends and is married to a handsome prince.  Or is she? 

When the elegant veneer shatters, her magical world becomes a dark and dangerous place.  Saved from a horrifying fate by a reluctant, mysterious magician with a troubling past, Nora must learn “real magic” to survive.

I loved this story, and the writing flows beautifully from the first few pages.  This unreal world feels very real, and is populated by such deeply imagined characters that I stayed up for several nights reading.  I can’t wait for the sequel, which is in process.

~ Sally

This Town : two parties and a funeral-plus plenty of parking!-in America's Gilded Capital

by Mark Leibovich

"This Town" is a political narrative about life in Washington D.C.  Mark Leibovich is the Chief National Correspondent for New York Times Magazine.   He is in some ways an insider and his insights about the state of national politics can be blistering.

The book begins with the funeral of Tim Russert and ends 4 years later with Obama winning a second term of office.   He recounts the events along the way including many parties and the colorful characters that are part of the political machine.  The transition of politicians becoming lobbyists is eye-opening and disturbing.  This book is a must read for anyone interested in national politics.

-Holly

Somebody Up There Hates You

By Hollis Seamon - YA

 

Ritchie may be in the hospice ward dying of cancer but he is still a teenager and determined to make his final days memorable.  He is aided and abetted by his ‘crazy’ uncle and Sylvie, the only other teen in the ward, who does not want to die a virgin and accompanies him on one of his escapes. This story, told by Ritchie, made me both laugh and cry.

 

~ Sue