The Girl on the Train

Audiobook format

By: Paula Hawkins

Rachel’s life has fallen apart, yet she still takes the train into London every day, pretending to go to a job she lost months ago.  The same schedule, morning and evening. Rachel is really struggling with all the tragedies life has handed her.  The train stops at a broken signal every day outside of a suburban community.  Most days she sees a young couple outside on their deck.  She makes up a story in her head about their relationship and how they live their lives.  She does not know them but when she was married she lived in a house just five doors down the street.  Misfortune strikes the small community and Rachel gets herself involved.  This book will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering about who is the responsible party.  Very well written, you will enjoy the experience.

~Beckie

The Summer’s End

By Mary Alice Monroe

Go back to Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina and renew your acquaintance with Harper, Carson and Dora, three half-sisters who share a father, but are raised by their mothers in very different circumstances. Mamaw, their paternal grandmother invites them for one last summer at Sea Breeze, the family’s ocean cottage, as it is about to be sold

The last book of the Lowcountry Summer trilogy, The Summer’s End, is a great beach read. The setting is glorious, and the wildlife, the marshes and the sea are the perfect place to sort out the changes in each sister’s life.

I enjoyed the first two books of this trilogy, and loved beginning my summer’s reading with this book.

~ Sally

Rosie Effect

Audiobook format

By Graeme C. Simsion

If you want a book that is about a lovable, bumbling genius this is your book. Don Tillman is extreme in everything he does. Because of Don’s nature and speech, I think that this is a book better listened to than read; it is very entertaining. Don's new wife becomes pregnant and he orders an almost commando style stroller to keep the baby safe. Unfortunately, this extreme stroller does not suit his wife and other issues in their marriage have her wanting to leave. All his antics make this a pretty funny book. Very enjoyable as I drove to work.

~Beckie H.

Ancient Trees: Portraits of Time

by Beth Moon

Captivating black-and-white photographs of the world’s most majestic ancient trees.

Beth Moon’s fourteen-year quest to photograph ancient trees has taken her across the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Some of her subjects grow in isolation, on remote mountainsides, private estates, or nature preserves; others maintain a proud, though often precarious, existence in the midst of civilization.The pictured trees include the tangled, hollow-trunked yews—some more than a thousand years old—that grow in English churchyards; the baobabs of Madagascar, called “upside-down trees” because of the curious disproportion of their giant trunks and modest branches; and the fantastical dragon’s-blood trees, red-sapped and umbrella-shaped, that grow only on the island of Socotra, off the Horn of Africa.

~Crystal

Born of Defiance

By Sherrilyn Kenyon

For those of you following Sherrilyn Kenyon’s “Born of” League series, this is the latest book.  I had thought the last couple were getting a bit stale in the storylines (but still worth reading), but this one was just as exciting as her first novels of the series. Defiance takes place in the world of the Andarions, but doesn’t reference Hauk other than by name.  It seems to be just before the early Nykyrian timeline and fills in a few blanks about how the royals and politicians came into power and a little about Nyk’s brother Jullien. If you don’t have Nykyrian’s story fresh in your mind you may want to revisit Born of Night before reading Defiance.  If you have never read any of the series, this is not the book to start out reading.  If you need additional clarification, check out www.sherrilynkenyon.com.  Otherwise, League followers enjoy this latest installment!

~Becky

Easy on the Eyes

By Jane Porter

At 38, Tiana Tomlinson has made it. America adores her as one of the anchors of America Tonight, a top-rated nightly entertainment and news program. But even with the trappings that come with her elite lifestyle, she feels empty. Tina desperately misses her late husband Keith, who died several years before. And in a business that thrives on youth, Tina is getting the message that her age is starting to show and certain measures must be taken if she wants to remain in the spotlight. It doesn't help that at every turn she has to deal with her adversary--the handsome, plastic surgeon, Michael Sullivan. But a trip away from the Hollywood madness has consequences that could affect the rest of her life.


~ Crystal

The Stranger

By Harlan Coben

A stranger comes up to Adam and starts to tell him a secret his wife has about their marriage. Adam checks out the allegations to find most of what the stranger said is true. Shortly after he confronts his wife about the secret, she disappears.

Adam is not the only person the stranger has "enlightened". The stranger thinks he is anonymous and impervious to repercussions. The stranger finds out that there are consequences to his actions.

Coben has again constructed a tight, fast paced suspense that leaves you guessing until the end.

~ Rochelle

Charm: A Wicked Cinderella Story

By Sarah Pinborough

Everyone knows the story of Cinderella and others have re-written it many times, but never quite like this one. You'll get annoyed with Cinderella, feel sorry for the stepsisters, and want to yell at the prince.

Plus, the author has written more re-visions of classic tales.

~ Crystal

Weber's Way to Grill

The step-by-step guide to expert grilling

By Jamie Purviance


I do not grill. I do not know how to light one. But every summer I am thankful for this book that has come into our household. The variety of food that my spouse cooks is a direct correlation with the contents of this book. Sure, he knew how to grill meat before. But this book shows you with beautifully detailed pictures and easy to understand instructions how to prep, how to slice, how to mix spices and marinades, how to tie a pork loin, how to skin mahi-mahi, and how to make the most delicious vegetables—all on the grill. I simply cannot praise this book enough. And I will never tire of the cedar-planked salmon.

~Becky

Online Marketing for Your Craft Business: How to Get Your Handmade Products Discovered, Shared and Sold on the Internet

By Hilary Pullen

This book is for the crafter who has already created a winning handcrafted product and is ready for the marketing phase. UK blogger and social media/marketing specialist Hilary Pullen will guide you through such topics as: search engine optimization, blogging, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Linked In and more. The author's focus is on using these tools to advertise your business in order to grow your customer base and to increase sales.

There is a section on Google+ which is stellar: setting up a Google+ page, adding people to your Google+ Circles and using Google Hangouts for conferences within your online community.

The book's format is sprinkled throughout with color-blocked tips from successful craft entrepreneurs. This is a great guide for new as well as seasoned crafters.

~ Paula

H is for Hawk

by Helen McDonald

H is for Hawk is the true story of Helen McDonald adopting a goshawk following the death of her father.  Unable to cope with the loss of her beloved father, Helen takes in Mabel, a young goshawk, to live with her in her Cambridge apartment.  An experienced falconer, Helen starts training her in the city with visits to the countryside.

Helen compares her experiences with that of T.H. White training his goshawk, Gos. Both make mistakes along the way.  Eventually, Helen becomes unhinged and spending all her time with Mabel only makes things worse.

H is for Hawk is absolutely delightful but not a quick read.  It is one of best non-fiction books I have read in years.  I recommend it highly.

-Holly

Begin Again

Directed by John Carney

I would never have picked up this movie had it not been recommended to me by a stranger standing next to me by the DVD shelf.  Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo play the main characters, and Adam Levine is in a few scenes.  It’s not a blockbuster action movie, and not quite bizarre enough to be independent.  It’s a story about a woman’s life in New York City whose circumstances lead her to meet another “lost soul.” Through collaboration, these two manage to stumble upon a way to begin their lives again.  The music industry is the main background story, and Mark Ruffalo magnificently pulls off the genuine but slimy recording company executive. Knightley and Levine perform a few really great songs. There’s not a lot of romance, but it tells a really good story of people who are able to start their lives over.  Such a nice surprise to get a great movie!

~Becky

The Dinner

By Henry Koch, translated into English by Sam Garrett

The story begins at a posh restaurant in Amsterdam. One brother and his wife are dreading the prospect of having dinner with the older, more handsome, future politician brother and his wife. The conversation is empty between the couples and the courses are small and overly-pretentious, but we start to learn more about the couples as they progress through the courses.

Each couple has a 15 year old son. These two boys have committed a brutal act which was caught on camera and broadcast on the news. The footage is too grainy to identify the youth, but those closest to them know the truth. 

As the dinner finally comes to a close, the couples realize that they are in disagreement over how to handle the situation. 

This story has been compared to Gone Girl in other reviews - while there are no sexual acts or disappearances involved, I will say that the lengths to which these people go to accomplish what they need will leave you with the same sick feeling as Gone Girl. It is a disturbing but highly original tale.

~ Paula

Endangered

By C.J. Box

This is the latest Joe Pickett Novel, recommended to me by my husband, an avid C.J. Box reader. Joe’s adopted daughter April leaves home to go on the rodeo circuit with Dallas Cates. All the sons in the Cates family are trouble. Dallas is the youngest and not as bad as his brothers but bad enough; he took Joe’s daughter off to places unknown. Joe couldn’t make April stay, she is an adult. The entire family was upset by her leaving. Months later a girl’s body is found in a ditch, barely alive - it’s April. Joe feels that Dallas is responsible and does everything he can to prove it. This adventure will keep you at the edge of your seat.

~ Beckie

The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines #6)

By Richelle Mead

This is one author I will read anything she writes; her stories draw me in every time.

In this conclusion to the Bloodlines series Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi. When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world.

~ Crystal