BookClique

If you like your mysteries as violent as I do then Gun Machine by Warren Ellis will be a pleasure for you to read.   Although he doesn’t realize it, veteran NYPD detective John Tallow has just been going through the motions with his job for a while now.  After his partner is killed in an apartment building, Tallow discovers a huge collection of guns in one of the dwellings there that rejuvenates his interest in detection and police work.  Forensics discovers that all of these guns have been used in unsolved murders so a ton of cold cases are reopened which creates a lot of work (which a lot of the employees resent).  Unfortunately for Tallow, he’s actually assigned the gun case because a lot of powerful people do not want the case solved and think that he will be useless at it.   He hits roadblocks everywhere he turns and is assigned to work with two CSUs that are also not on anyone’s favorite list.  But the three work brilliantly together and end up being real adversaries to the corrupt police officials and criminals running the city.  Highly recommended.

Stacy W.

Filed under: Fiction, Mystery by stacyw
No Comments »

Sometimes you need a break from serious reading…I do, when I am exceptionally busy, ill, or when the sun is out!  I grabbed The Family Way by Rhys Bowen from TCPL’s new mystery book area.  It’s a Molly Murphy mystery– Molly being a ‘retired to marriage’ private detective living in New York City in the early 1900s.  While not nearly as fully developed as some of Anne Perry’s historical mysteries, the 11 titles in the Molly Brown mysteries provide an interesting look at turn of the century New York, female roles, and the search for Irish independence.  In The Family Way, Molly and her friendsfoil a baby for sale/baby kidnapping ring. Take a break and vicariously detect with Molly Murphy!

Amy P.

Filed under: Fiction, Mystery by stacyw
No Comments »

When the popular Irish novelist, Maeve Binchy died in 2012, like many readers, I experience a twinge of regret having enjoyed many of her 16 novels over the years.  From a full page notice in the New York Times Book Review, I was enticed to read her latest novel, the posthumously published A Week in Winter.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  It tells the tale of Chicky Starr who returns from a difficult sojourn in New York City to purchase and rehabilitate an old mansion into a deluxe bed-and-breakfast on the Atlantic coast of Ireland.  The bulk of the novel tells the various tales of the staff and the first week’s guests.  It’s immensely readable and focuses around the theme of finding your passion in life.  Binchy is also the author of plays, nonfiction, and wonderful short stories.  While in England many years ago, I enjoyed her London Transports short stories all centered around various stations on the London tube.  She will be missed, but has left lots of popular reading to explore at TCPL in print, audio, in movie form, and as downloadables.  Treat yourself!

Amy P.

Filed under: Fiction by stacyw
No Comments »

I ran across Creating Innovators while selecting collections for the Mobile Library.  The book addresses disparity between schools and real life application of knowledge.  Placing an importance on play, passion and purpose to bridge the gap of rote information and making a difference in the world.  Parents who stress creativity and play are lauded after the fact. The format of the book largely cites very interesting and successful young change makers in case studies with an eye toward looking back over their early lives to see what made the difference.  Certainly not the majority of schools as we see them today but schools and parents of tomorrow (literally) could jump on board this success.  Some schools (and individual educators) already have in interesting ways told here.  A strong aspect of the book that initially caught my eye was the abundance of QR codes interspersed throughout the pages. Scan the codes while reading to get extended information on that paragraph’s topic or more up-to-date information. In today’s informational stream much is happening while printing is in progress! In other words, what made the man responsible for the iPhone or organic shoes?

Linda P.

Filed under: Non Fiction by stacyw
No Comments »

Frances and Bernard is a small jewel of a novel.  It’s a fictionalized account of the friendship and love affair between novelist Flannery O’Connor (Frances) and poet Robert Lowell (Bernard) composed as a series of letters between the two with letters to other friends occasionally interspersed.  Author Carlene Bauer fully captures the life of the mind of this literary pair and in so doing illuminates the intellectual and religious concerns of the urban American elite in the 1950s and 1960s.  Bower is the author of the memoir, Not That Kind of Girl and also writes for Slate, Salon, Elle, and the New York Times.  Watch for more from her.  I know that I will.

Amy P.

Filed under: Fiction by stacyw
No Comments »

The third novel by Gillian Flynn entitled Gone Girl is a real killer! The suspense that Gillian builds through out the novel is amazing.  On the eave of Nick and Amy’s fifth wedding anniversary Amy goes missing.  What happens next will keep you reading as this novel is full ride thriller that is guaranteed to keep your attention.  The novel is divided where one chapter is Nick’s thoughts and actions followed by the next being Amy’s point of view and her actions. This was a very interesting way to let the reader be able to dive into the psyches of both of these characters, allowing them to be able to understand what each character has gone through or what they will be going through.  It definitely was not your average story of a missing wife; it was a psychological ride that even at the end left you shaking your head.  It is well worth your time to read this novel.

Jolene L.

Filed under: Fiction by stacyw
No Comments »

I have lost count of how many times I’ve recommended author C.J. Box to other readers-his Joe Pickett series is top notch.  Box’s newest effort, Breaking Point, does not disappoint and has game warden Joe trying to figure out why an acquaintance of his named Butch has went off the deep end (or more accurately, took to the mountains).  Meanwhile, he is also trying to deal with a new boss who is unsure of his methods, help his wife deal w/ a failed restoration of a historical property, train a new dog named Daisy, and catch some guys who poached an antelope just for the thrill of it and posted the deed on Facebook.  As Joe digs deeper into Butch’s background he discovers that Butch was being cheated out of his use of some land he had purchased by evil power hungry bureaucrats at the EPA.  Before you know it, Joe’s new boss wants him to work with the EPA to help them track Butch down and bring him to justice.  But will Joe be able to conduct Butch back safely or will the EPA agents kill Butch as soon as Joe tracks him down?  Read Breaking Point to find out!

Stacy W.

Filed under: Fiction, Mystery by stacyw
No Comments »

Lauren Scheuer’s Once Upon a Flock: Life With My Soulful Chickens is such a fun read it will make you want to get some chickens if you do not have any.  Scheuer is an illustrator and the book is full of drawings and pictures of her small flock.  She really enjoys being outside and after years of running around outdoors with her child, she is lonely when her child turns into a teenager and wants to be inside on her computer all the time.   Her solution is to become a small chicken farmer.  Scheuer loves to build things so the chickens give her an excuse to build a coop.  She ends up getting 4 chickens and pays extra money for them to be sexed (not always 100% accurate but should ensure you get hens instead of roosters) but ends up with one rooster anyway.  Scheuer takes the reader through the fights amongst her hens for pecking order, the friendships made, the illnesses, the egg laying, and teaching her dog to see the hens as something to protect and not eat. This book is for any owner of a small flock or anyone dreaming of owning one.

Stacy W.

Filed under: Non Fiction by stacyw
No Comments »

Devil’s Wake by Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due has Hollywood written all over it-don’t be surprised if it is the next hit movie or TV series.  It’s about zombies and I am happy to report that there is not an ounce of humor in it (there was a period of time when anything released about zombies was either comical or romantic)-I like my horror straight up and cannot tolerate evil beings who  have “relationships” or even any thoughts besides murder and mayhem.  In Devils’ Wake two things set off the infection in people: a certain
mushroom and flu shots.  Once infected, the victim has an overwhelming urge to bite and this is how the infection is spread.  Of course, big cities are hit first and worst.  A group of young adults who are working as camp counselors in rural Washington state escape infection and must try to get to a safe haven in California.  They take the camp dog, Hipshot, and hit the road.  Along the way they add a few more people that Hipshot deems normal (his nose can tell who has been infected and who has not).  Not only do they have to avoid/kill zombies along the way, they also have to deal with “pirates” –these are normal people who aren’t interested in helping anyone, they just want to loot and rape.     Fans of “The Walking Dead” should give this one a try and I will add the future zombie apocalypse to my reasons for owning a dog (and not getting a flu shot!).

Stacy W.

Filed under: Fiction, Horror by stacyw
No Comments »

I am usually very cautious about reading a story where an animal plays a large part.  I took a chance on Another Insane Devotion by Peter Trachtenberg.  It seemed, according to reviews, to treat the relationship between the cats and their people as real and meaningful, on the same level and with nuances as with love between humans. This true story is about a writer who is out of state when his cat Bisquit goes missing and his need to find her, at pretty much any cost.  I was not disappointed.  It was like reading Milan Kundera with cats added to the mix of relationships that needed untangling.  The language was straightforward and economical, but replete with insight.  There were some tough spots to read for a tender-hearted cat lover like myself, but the author’s pursuit of understanding and empathy got me though them.  I loved this book.

Sherri M.

Filed under: Non Fiction, Uncategorized by stacyw
No Comments »