Book Discussions for January 2012

Join us at Wayne Public Library for one of our many Book Discussion Groups!
There is a variety of interesting books to read and discuss!
You can also read one and blog about it right here!

BookLetters for January 2012

BookLetters Advanced Titles for January 2012 are here! Visit the Wayne Public Library website to sign up and receive your newsletter today!

Ford County by John Grisham

In his first collection of short stories John Grisham takes readers back to Ford County, Mississippi, the setting of his first novel, "A Time to Kill." Featuring a cast of characters readers will never forget, these stories bring Ford County to vivid and colorful life. This wholly surprising collection reminds readers once again why Grisham is one of America's favorite storytellers.

Autumn Lover by Elizabeth Lowell

Returning to her Wyoming ranch at the Civil War's end, Elyssa Sutton finds it picked bare by scavengers and coveted by determined men. Yet the proud young woman vows never again to abandon her Ruby Mountain home, though it means enlisting the aid of a dark and dangerous stranger who lives for revenge alone.
Hunter Maxwell has suffered from the savagery of outlaws and the faithlessness of a woman. And he will trust no female - nor will he rest until the raiders who destroyed his family pay for their crimes.
A woman in, need, a man in pain, in fury and fire they must now stand as one to fight for something cherished, something lost ... and for a passion neither dreamed could live.
In the brisk chill of Autumn, ravaged hearts will be reborn.

"Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter" by Tom Franklin

This novel is among many things, a coming-of-age story. How did the characters come into themselves as the story progressed? What possibilities might the future hold for Larry and Silas?

For more information about the author, check out:http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/19243/Tom_Franklin/index.aspx

Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah

Meghann Dontess is haunted by heartbreak. Twenty-seven years ago she was forced to make a terrible choice, one that cost her everything, including the love of her sister, Claire. Now, Meghann is a hotshot divorce attorney who doesn't believe in intimacy--until she meets the one man who can change her mind. Claire Cavenaugh has fallen in love for the first time in her life. As her wedding day approaches, she prepares to face her harsh, judgmental older sister. It is the first time they have been together in more than two decades. Over the course of a hot Pacific Northwest summer, these two women who believe they have nothing in common will try to become what they never were: a family.

Hot Water by Erin Brockovich

Environmental activist AJ Palladino has her hands full when she is asked to leave for for a case at a nuclear power plant. Managing work and family life and battling her ex-father in law over custody of her son, she has challenges! There are many twists and turns and plenty of action to keep one reading and there is a real surprise at the end that you won't want to miss!

The book release is November 8, 2011.

"Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

Why is the novel usually considered a work of feminist literature?

For more information about Louisa May Alcott, check out:

www.empirezine.com/spotlight/alcott/alcott.htm

To read works by Louisa May Alcott online, search under the authors field at:

http://www.gutenberg.org/

Night Road by Kristin Hannah

"Night Road" is a vivid, emotionally complex novel that raises profound questions about motherhood, loss, identity, and forgiveness. It is an exquisite, heartbreaking novel that speaks to women everywhere about the things that matter most. How do you feel about Jude blaming Lexi for the accident? Why do you think Lexi returned Zack's letters with out reading them first?

"Deception" by Denise Mina

"Deception" is told from the viewpoint of Lachlan Harriot. Is his perspective reliable and accurate?

For more information about the author, check out:

http://www.denisemina.co.uk/

Go behind the scene in NYC

In Linda Fairstein’s award-winning Alexandra Cooper series you get more than just an edge-of-your-seat mystery. Each book takes you behind-the-scenes at some of New York City’s most famous landmarks. In The Bone Vault the discovery of a mummified body has Alex tracking a killer inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Natural History and The Cloisters. In Entombed, when a body is discovered behind the wall of a Greenwich Village brownstone, Alex finds herself following in the footsteps of a killer well-versed in the tales of Edgar Allan Poe. Bad Blood takes Alex miles underground and into the secret world of the Sandhogs.

Reading order:
• Final Jeopardy (1996)
• Likely To Die (1997)
• Cold Hit (1999)
• The Deadhouse (2001)
• The Bone Vault (2003)
• The Kills (2004)
• Entombed (2005)
• Death Dance (2006)
• Bad Blood (2007)
• Killer Heat (2008)
• Lethal Legacy (2009)
• Hell Gate (2010)
• Silent Mercy (March 2011)

Copies of these titles are available in various formats via the Pals Plus Consortium Online Catalog: http://www.palsplus.org/welcome.html

August 2011 edition of Book Pages

The current issue of BookPage is now available at the Main Library and will be available at the Preakness Branch on Friday, July 29, 2011.
Happy reading!

Amazing Grace by Danielle Steel

On a warm May night in San Francisco, the Ritz-Carlton ballroom shimmers as a glittering, celebrity-studded crowd gathers for a charity dinner dance. The evening is perfect--until, just minutes before midnight, the room begins to sway.... In the earthquake's aftermath, the lives of four strangers will converge.... Sarah Sloane, the wife of a financial whiz, watches her perfect world fall to pieces.... Grammy-winning singer Melanie Free comes to a turning point in her life and career.... Photographer Everett Carson finds new purpose amid the carnage...and Sister Maggie Kent, a nun who works with the homeless, searches through the rubble--and knows that there is much to be done....

"A Kiss Before Dying" by Ira Levin

Bud Corliss is determined to make his dream come true - to marry into a wealthy family and be rich and successful. He feels he deserves this and has it rightfully coming to him. If his plan was not discovered, do you think he would have gotten away with it? Did he receive a just punishment in the end?




For further information about the author, check out:

http://www.iralevin.org/

Haven & The Colorado Kid

Last season I fell in love with a quirky new series playing on Syfy. “The series, Haven, follows a shrewd and confident FBI agent Audrey Parker who has a lost past, and arrives in the small town of Haven, Maine on a routine case. Before long, her natural curiosity lands her in the epicenter of activity in this curious enclave, which turns out to be a longtime refuge for people that are affected by a range of supernatural afflictions.” (Syfy)

The series is based on The Colorado Kid a fun novella by Stephen King that will keep you wondering about all of the town's inhabitants well after the last page is read. This title is available in paperback, large type & audio book via the Pals Plus Consortium Online Catalog: http://www.palsplus.org/welcome.html

Beyond Tuesday Morning: Sequel to the Bestselling One Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury

In this sequel to the best-selling One Tuesday Morning, to widow Jamie Bryan it is still September 12, 2001. What will move her from living in the past to living the life God has given her today?

"Fade Away" by Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben frequently writes about loss and redemption. How are these themes reflected in this book? (This title is the third of the Myron Bolitar series).

For more information about the author, check out:

http://www.harlancoben.com/

Say “hello” to another wizard named Harry.

With the final chapter of the Harry Potter (film) series right around the corner, now is the perfect time to discover an adult wizard named Harry Dresden.

Harry is a private investigator living in Chicago where he deals with paranormal crimes and periodically consults for the Chicago PD.

The Harry Dresden series is written by Jim Butcher and the first book in the series is Storm Front. The audio version is read by James Marsters (Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.)

Copies of this title are available in paperback, graphic novel and audio CD via the Pals Plus Consortium Online Catalog: http://www.palsplus.org/welcome.html

Rizzoli & Isles

Did you know that the TV show Rizzoli & Isles is based on a book series by best-selling author Tess Gerritsen?

If you love the hit show and want more than just a Monday night fix of Jane & Maura then check out the first book in this terrific (book) series – The Surgeon.

This title is available in hardcover, large-type and audio CD via the Pals Plus Consortium Online Catalog: http://ibistro.palsplus.org/uhtbin/cgisirsi.exe/leOjdAjugS/WAYNE/52830082/60/1180/X

Done with Sookie? Check out Rachel...

If you’ve read all the Sookie Stackhouse mysteries and are looking for fun, friendship, action and adventure in a paranormal world then look no further that Kim Harrison’s Rachel Morgan series. The paperback copy of the first book in the series “Dead Witch Walking” has been on my ‘to-be-read’ pile for several years now, but with little time to actually read books, and lots more time to listen to them I was elated when I discovered the books were available on audio. An inter-library loan form, a couple of weeks waiting and into the Hallows I stepped to spend time with vampires, witches, pixies and many other mythical creatures. In an alternate world where humans fear tomatoes, Inderlanders come in all shapes and sizes and Cincinnati, Ohio has been forever changed by “The Turn” Rachel (witch,) Ivy (vampire,) and Jenks (pixie) band together to take down corrupt businessmen, mega-maniacal vamps and shape-shifting demons. Enter the Hallows and see what's lying in wait for Rachel and the gang.

The series reading order is:

Dead Witch Walking

The Good, The Bad, and The Undead

Every Which Way But Dead

A Fistful of Charms

For A Few Demons

The Outlaw Demon Wails

White Witch, Black Curse

Black Magic Sanction
Pale Demon
A Perfect Blood (coming spring 2012)

One Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury

A devoted fireman and a driven businessman, strangers with the same face. On that fateful Tuesday, one will leave the Twin Towers alive--but will he ever find his way home? Winner of the Silver Medallion Book Award.

A story you will not want to put down!

Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders: 101 Patterns That Go Way Beyond Socks!

Whether you are a sock knitter who needs a change of pace, or just a person who own's a lot of sock yarn, this is a great book to own! Lot's of wonderful projects, that take a relatively short time to make! The scarves are fun to make as well as the fingerless gloves, there is something for every knitter/crocheter in this book!

Have a Little Fatih: A True Story by Mitch Albom

New York Times bestselling author Albom goes back to his nonfiction roots with a timely, moving, and inspiring look at faith--not just who believes, but why--prompted by his search for the right words to eulogize a beloved rabbi, he re-discovers his own faith, learns about other religions, trust, and a whole new way to look at life. Truly inspiring.

Oneskein : 30 quick projects to knit and crochet by Leigh Radford

These knitted and crocheted fashion accessories and decorative accents for the home vary in their required levels of skill, but all can be completed quickly and require only one skein of yarn. Several are designed using up a skein's worth of leftovers from other projects.
Oneskein has terrific knitting projects for when you need a quick knitted gift!

I completed the Fingerless Garter Mitts in about one weekend!

"The Probable Future" by Alice Hoffman

The three generations of Sparrow women all are drawn to men with problems, both hidden and visible. Is this always true in love? Is every relationship fraught with problems, hidden or otherwise? Can you think of other works of fiction in which everyone is in love with the "wrong" person or where the "wrong" person turns out to in fact be "right"?

For further information about the author, visit her site at:

http://www.alicehoffman.com/

"Malice" by Lisa Jackson

Rick Bentz is a flawed character but does he deserve the derision from his ex-colleagues in Los Angeles for the accidental shooting?

For more information about the author, check out:

http://www.lisajackson.com/

2012: War for the Souls by Whitely Strieber

December 21, 2012, may be one of the most watched dates in history. Every 26,000 years, earth lines up with the exact center of our galaxy. At 11: 11 on December 21, 2012, this event happens again, and the ancient Maya calculated that it would mark the end, not only of this age, but of human consciousness as we know it. But what will actually happen? The end of the world? A new age for mankind? Nothing? The last time this happened, Cro-Magnon man suddenly began creating great art in the caves of southern France, which to this day remains one of the most inexplicable changes in human history. Now Whitley Strieber explores 2012 in a towering work of fiction that will astound readers with its truly new insights and a riveting roller-coaster ride of a story. A mysterious alien presence unexpectedly bursts out of sacred sites all over the world and begins to rip human souls from their bodies, plunging the world into chaos it has never before known. Courage meets cowardice, loyalty meets betrayal as an entire world struggles to survive this incredible end-all war. Heroes emerge, villains reveal themselves, and in the end something completely new and unexpected happens that at once lifts the fictional characters into a new life, and sounds a haunting real-world warning for the future.

"The Brass Verdict" by Michael Connelly

"I'm in."

Mickey decided to work with Bosch to draw out the killer. Why do you think he was willing to do that when he didn't seem to trust Bosch? Did his theory that everybody lies end up applying to Bosch too in the end?

For further information about the author, check out:

http://www.michaelconnelly.com/

"The Book of Lies" by Brad Meltzer

How does the Superman part of the plot and the Cain part of the plot come together?

What exactly is the murder weapon Cain used to kill Abel.

Lastly, what is the "Book of Lies"?

For further information about the author, check out:

http://www.bradmeltzer.com/

"No Second Chance" by Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben's stories frequently place the protagonist -- an everyman in an everyday world -- into situations that are beyond his control. In "No Second Chance", Marc Seidman is an everyman, however are the antagonists also 'ordinary'?

For more information about the author, check out:

http://www.harlancoben.com/

"The Innocent" by Harlan Coben

Harlan Coben utilizes the second person in the prologue and epilogue to put the reader into the mind of the protagonist, Matt Hunter. Is this an effective device? Does it help make the reader more empathetic to his plight?

For more information about the author, check out:

http://www.harlancoben.com/

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

In Jackson, Mississippi, in 1962, there are lines that are not crossed. With the civil rights movement exploding all around them, three women start a movement of their own, forever changing a town and the way women--black and white, mothers and daughters--view one another.

A book you will not want to put down!

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

"I traded evil for innocence"

Mickey used questionable ways to make sure that justice was served. He tampered with a witness (Corliss); he lied to his client and to the police; he withheld information. Do you think the end justified his actions?

For further information about the author and his books, check out:

http://www.michaelconnelly.com/

The Black Echo by Michael Connelly

Should Harry Bosch excused himself from the case once he recognized Meadows? If he had, would anyone else have pursued his murder properly?

For further information about the author and his books, check out:

http://www.michaelconnelly.com/

"The Other Side of the Bridge" by Mary Lawson

Discuss the novel's title; what does it mean for the characters to reach the other side of the bridge? Could Jake and Arthur ever be free of the wounds they inflicted on each other? What does it signify in terms of Ian's life?

For information about the author, check out:

http://www.randomhouse.ca/newface/marylawson.php

For a review of this book, check out:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2006/oct/07/featuresreviews.guardianreview14

52 Waratah Avenue by Lynne Wilding

As Laura Beaumont struggles wih the loss of love, her other life's passion comes under threat…Someone is trying to sabotage Ashworths, the exclusive department store set up by Laura Beaumont. Is the company about to be taken over? The timing is bad for the Beaumont family because Laura's health is declining and they desperatly need to find a successor to the business. Caroline, Laura's eldest daughter, is an international concert pianist in search of a new career; perhaps at Ashworths. But her ambitious sister Michaela has her eye on the top job and is suspicious of Caroline's motives. Meanwhile, Joel, Laura's son, has to deal with his own problems before he can pursue his career as a doctor. Outside of Ashworths, the Beaumont women have other passions to contend with. Caroline's return to Sydney means facing her ex-husband. Nick wants Caroline back in his life — any way he can get her. Michaela finds herself attracted by young lawyer Leith Danvers.

Gigi by Colette

Perhaps Colette's best-known work, "Gigi "is the story of a young girl being raised in a household more concerned with success and money than with the desires of the heart. But Gigi is uninterested in the dishonest society life she observes all around her and remains exasperatingly Gigi. The tale of Gigi's success in spite of her anxious family is Colette at her liveliest and most entertaining. Written during the same period as "Gigi," "Julie de Carneilhan," based on Colette's last years with her second husband, focuses on a contest of wills between Julie, an elegant woman of forty, and her ex-husband. "Chance Acquaintances," a novella, involves an invalid wife, her philandering husband, and a music-hall dancer whose odd meeting at a French spa affects and indelibly marks each one of their lives.

The Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah

After one of her patients commits murder, psychiatrist Julia Cates is asked to come back to her hometown by her sister Ellie to help with a child who seemed to appear from nowhere out of the forest. Julia's confidence is very low and her life has been almost destroyed. The found child is "wild" and no one knows where she came from. Julia becomes the temporary foster parent to help the young girl. Can Julia find out who the girl is? What her name is?
The book is hard to put down once you get started! I haven't finished reading just yet! The suspense of what may happens next has me hanging on, not wanting to put this book down!

"Along Came a Spider" by James Patterson

This is the first book in the Alex Cross series.

Was it possible for Gary Soneji-Murphy to lead his double life without his family and friends being suspicious?

At a school where there were many children of high-profile people, wouldn't they have done a more thorough background check?

For more information about the character, Alex Cross; check out:

http://www.jamespatterson.com/books_alex_cross.php

For more information about the author, check out:

http://www.jamespatterson.com/about_biography.php

"The Apprentice" by Tess Gerritsen

"The Apprentice" is the second book in the Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles series by Tess Gerritsen and it has recently been made into a television series on TNT.

Tess Gerritsen worked as a medical doctor before retiring to write full-time. Does her knowledge and the graphic detail described in the book (regarding autopsies, etc.) help or hinder the story?

For more information about the author, check out:

http://www.tessgerritsen.com/bio/