Ann Leary's latest novel The Good House offers a glimpse of life in a small town New England community, located north of Boston, where everyone not only knows each other's names but is also up on all of the latest gossip about them, too. And, Hildy Good, a successful real estate business woman and somewhat functioning alcoholic, gives them much to talk about. Of course no one confronts her directly about her alcoholism except for her two grown daughters during a formal intervention a few years before the book begins. Hildy dutifully checks into Hazelton, a well-known rehab, and she even stays sober for a period of time. However, she pokes fun at one of the fellow sober locals she meets in the 12-Step recovery rooms because he spends his days at an over-priced coffee shop in town.
Leary creates an authentic person in Hildy. Ironically, the character herself spends much of the novel hiding her truths from others and, most importantly, herself. This provides comic moments in the story, however, because we are able to see what she cannot. Perhaps this is why I liked The Good House and rooted for the oft arrogant, outspoken, condescending Hildy. I identified with her struggles, even if mine weren't exactly the same as hers. The ancillary characters--Hildy's ex-husband who realizes he is gay well into the marriage; a beautiful but lonely young mother she sells a house and befriends, and some of the town folks, especially a former lover, feel like people we might see on the street in this town on the water.
At the end of the book, I felt sad to leave Hildy, a character I had come to respect and care about. However, the final scene is subtle and sweet and I closed the book feeling optimistic about Hildy's future.


Karen Kovacs Dydzuhn

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey

Leviathan Wakes follows the character of Jim Holden, one of many citizens that have spread out over the solar system and inhabiting the surrounding planets. Holden makes his living as an ice miner that accidentally comes across the remains of the Scopuli. It's on this ship that they discover a secret that people are willing to kill and start wars for. At the same time, Detective Miller is searching for the daughter of a rich couple, his investigation bringing him to Holden and the remains of the Scopuli. The two men must work together to find out what is going on and keep themselves and everyone else alive.-(summary from Wikipedia)

Putting together all the pieces that make a great movie-Leviathan Wakes is truly a space opera that is begging for movie rights and will make one of the best sci-fi/thriller movies of that year, if done properly. The characters of Holden and Miller compliment each other as the plot unravels into a compelling who-done-it. What makes this science fiction book so memorable is that while the plot will appeal to heavy handed sci-fi readers, the writing is not so recondite to scare away everyone else. Mystery, thriller, horror and fiction readers alike should find Corey's book appealing, engaging and enthralling. Those not familiar with the genre will find Leviathan Wakes a great introduction!

-EWML Librarian

What You Will Be Reading in 2013

It's never too soon to start putting together your next reading list. What's going to be hot coming January? Take a look at the book review links from Kirkus below to gather ideas for your next trip to the library!

THRILLERS! & Mystery/Crime

Fiction & Literature


Nonfiction

Science Fiction and Fantasy


Love,
Your Library

The Gift of a Book!

Every holiday season, we try to post either the best books for 2012, or the most popular books of 2012-so that you have an idea of what to get that veracious reader in your life. This year is no different. Whether it's in hardcover, softcover, audio or electronic format, the gift of a great book often satisfies the most relucant of readers. Here's to a happy, stress-free shopping experience! Happy Holidays.

Amazon's Best Books of 2012

Barnes and Noble Best Books of 2012

New York Times Best Seller List

Good Reads Choice Awards 2012

2012 Man Booker Prize Winner: Bring Up the Bodies, by Hilary Mantel

2012 Man Booker Prize winner, Hilary Mantel is the first author ever to win the prize twice with her novel Bring Up the Bodies.  Wolf Hall, the book for which Bring Up the Bodies is the sequel, won the 2009 Man Booker Prize.  Mantel is currently working on The Mirror and the Light, the final title in the trilogy.

"When last we saw Thomas Cromwell, hero of Mantel's 2009 Man Booker Prize-winning Wolf Hall, he'd successfully moved emperors, queens, courtiers, the pope, and Thomas More to secure a divorce and a new, younger queen for his patron, Henry the VIII. Now, in the second book of a planned trilogy, Cromwell, older, tired, with more titles and power, has to get Henry out of another heirless marriage. The historical facts are known: this is not about what happens, but about how. And armed with street smarts, vast experience and connections, a ferociously good memory, and a patient taste for revenge, Mantel's Cromwell is a master of how. Like its predecessor, the book is written in the present tense, rare for a historical novel. But the choice makes the events unfold before us: one wrong move and all could be lost. Also repeated is Mantel's idiosyncratic use of "he:" regardless of the rules of grammar, rest assured "he" is always Cromwell. By this second volume, however, Mantel has taught us how to read her, and seeing Cromwell manipulate and outsmart the nobles who look down on him, while moving between his well-managed domestic arrangements and the murky world of accusations and counteraccusations is pure pleasure. Cromwell may, as we learn in the first volume, look "like a murderer," but he's mighty good company." - Publishers Weekly (June)

Pure by Julianna Baggot

Dystopian novels are all the rage right now-and some of them are less than note worthy. But, this adult novel will satisfy even the most discerning of apocalyptic tastes. Set in the future, the world as we know it has been destroyed by bombs. But, a dome built before these bombs were activated contains some of the privledged  few of society. Those that survived the bombs outside of the dome have been horribly mutated and refer to those in the dome as "Pure". When a young man from inside the dome escapes into the outter world to find a mother he believes is still alive, a string of events that will forever change the course of humanity are set into action. -Edith Wheeler Memorial Library

"What lifts PURE from the glut of blood-spattered young adult fiction is not the story Baggott tells but the exquisite precision of her prose...discomfiting and unforgettable." (The New York Times Sunday Book Review )

"Baggott's highly anticipated postapocalyptic horror novel...is a fascinating mix of stark, oppressive authoritarianism and grotesque anarchy...Baggott mixes brutality, occasional wry humor, and strong dialogue into an exemplar of the subgenre." (Publisher's Weekly (STARRED review) )

"A great gorgeous whirlwind of a novel, boundless in its imagination. You will be swept away." (Justin Cronin, New York Times bestselling author of The Passage )

A Book that Really Cooks...and Eat Your Veggies!

Ah, the disappointing life of the cookbook reader. Well, that means me. I love to cook-and I love to browse through the stacks of the library cookbook section-to find new recipes, ideas and inspirations. Being a mom of a 20 month old, finds me constantly trying new ways to prepare vegetables-and I need all the help I can get. Frequently, I find myself drawn in by devastatingly scrumptious looking photographs-only to be less than impressed when I cook the real item at home. I'm not sure how cookbook publishers are able to pack so much deliciousness into a picture, but it sure works and fools me almost every time. Darn those food stylists!

Well, when I came across the book Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld in our Library Parenting Section, I was apprehensive. Sure, Jerry Seinfeld is funny-but can his wife really cook? Additionally, these recipes were all about "masking" vegetable goodness & vitamins, in regular everyday foods. Butternut squash in mac n'cheese, beets in pancakes, cauliflower in scrambled eggs were a few of the recipe ideas. Not the most adventurous cooking-I'll admit-but much needed in my house. Of course, as always, the pictures sold me. So, I borrowed it and gave it a shot.

That is why I'm writing this dear reader-because I was impressed-and so was my family. Not only does this book give the cook of the house great ideas about getting in extra nutrition into every bite-but the recipes are actually good-and accurate to the pictures. Our favorite right now is the Peanut Butter and Jelly muffins made with carrots and yogurt. I almost dropped over in happiness when I ate one this morning! Our daughter-who for the most part cannot be easily fooled by hidden veg-has found these recipes to be favorites as well. For the time being-while she's refusing to eat vegetables in their true form, this book has proven to be a life saver.

So I'm shouting it from the library treetops: Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. A winning cookbook and one that doesn't disappoint. Check it out today!

Adult Services Librarian Recent Read: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

In her charming debut novel, Simonson tells the tale of Maj. Ernest Pettigrew, an honor-bound Englishman and widower, and the very embodiment of duty and pride. As the novel opens, the major is mourning the loss of his younger brother, Bertie, and attempting to get his hands on Bertie's antique Churchill shotgun—part of a set that the boys' father split between them, but which Bertie's widow doesn't want to hand over. While the major is eager to reunite the pair for tradition's sake, his son, Roger, has plans to sell the heirloom set to a collector for a tidy sum. As he frets over the guns, the major's friendship with Jasmina Ali—the Pakistani widow of the local food shop owner—takes a turn unexpected by the major (but not by readers). The author's dense, descriptive prose wraps around the reader like a comforting cloak, eventually taking on true page-turner urgency as Simonson nudges the major and Jasmina further along and dangles possibilities about the fate of the major's beloved firearms. This is a vastly enjoyable traipse through the English countryside and the long-held traditions of the British aristocracy. (Publisher's Weekly, Reviewed on 1/4/2010)

Book Review: The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock

A compelling and eerie novel, The Devil All the Time follows a demented cast of characters throughout their lives in rural Ohio, during the 1960s. At the center of this story is Arvin Russell, a young boy who watches his father slowly seep into insanity. Arvin subsequently grows to become a dangerous but righteous man himself. Surrounding Arvin's sprial from boyhood to adult are a menage of crazy characters including: crooked Sheriff Bodecker who is more of a villian than a protector, Carl and Sandy Henderson who spend their "vacations" serial killing, and an evangelical preaching duo, Roy and Theodore, who sink to the very pith of blackness they foreworn against. As the story progresses, the character's lives twist and intertwine into one another, creating a dark wreath of sin that circles in on itself and leaves the reader with a most satisfying ending.

See if this book is in at EWML!

Books to Movies 2012

If you are like me, you like to read the book BEFORE you see the movie. For many readers, the book is almost always better than the film. If I see previews for an coming movie that intrigues me-I usually try to find the book that it came from, so I can read that first. Sure, it spoils the movie for me. But, Hollywood really never can seem to get the big screen version to match up to the absolutely wonderful version I dreamed up in my own head anyway. So, in the event that you are looking to do the same for 2012, here's a list of upcoming book to movies for 2012-so you can get ahead of the game yourself. Enjoy!

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
Woman in Black, A Ghost Story by Susan Hill
Big Miracle by Tom Rose
John Carter of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Abrahm Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahm Smith
Borne Legacy by Eric Von Lustbader
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Life of Pi by Yann Martel

GoodReads Book Awards

GoodReads, is the largest website for readers and book recommendations around the world. The membership is over 6,500,000! Members use the website to track what they are reading, share recommendations and find others who have similar tastes. An excellent site for book discussions and chatting too. Since it's conception in 2007, it continues to grow each year and instituted it's own "book awards" in 2009. GoodReads 3rd Annual Book Award Winners have been annouced, and can be found here!

We know you'll find something new and interesting to read!

-EWML Reference Department

And the Winner Is...

The National Book Awards annouced their winners last week. The results are in and as follows:

FICTION: Jesmyn Ward, Salvage the Bones (Bloomsbury USA)

NONFICTION: Stephen Greenblatt, The Swerve: How the World Became Modern
(W. W. Norton & Company)

POETRY: Nikky Finney, Head Off & Split
(TriQuarterly, an imprint of Northwestern University Press)

YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE: Thanhha Lai, Inside Out & Back Again
(Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers)

To check our catalog for these titles, click here!

Give the Gift of Books this Holiday Season!

The holidays are just around the corner, and what better gift to give (and we think, receive) than a book? From coffee table eye candy to the latest thriller, or a decadent compliation of recipes for the favorite cook in your life-books offer the one option that most other gifts cannot. There is truly a book for every reader-something for everybody.

But, before you make that trip to the big book store or your local hometown bookseller, (you can almost smell the steaming lattes right now, we're guessing...) check out some of these links that sport the latest and the greatest in holiday book giving!

Books Are Great Gifts

New York Times Best Seller List

Trending Books from Barnes and Noble

RJ Julia Holiday Book List

Local Monroe Children's Bookstore Linda's Storytime Staff Picks

And don't forget, you can always visit EWML for a sneak preview of something BEFORE you buy!

2011 National Book Awards, The National Book Foundation

Established in 1950, the National Book Foundation, is an organization of publishers, editors, writers and critics who recognize literary excellence in the form of yearly book awards in four categories: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry and Young People's Literature. If you are looking for something new to read, or perhaps even as a gift for the holidays, try one of these National Book Award Finalists:

2011 National Book Awards, The National Book Foundation

Book Discussion with Movie Tie-In

On Thursday, December 2nd the Library kicks off a new morning book discussion series. Read and discuss the book one week, then come watch the movie and compare the two the next week. The book Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates will be discussed on December 2nd from 10:30AM to 12:00 PM and the movie will be shown on the following Thursday, December 9th at 10:30AM. No registration is necessary. Books are available at the library.

Watch in January for a book/movie discussion on Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Book Review - What is Left the Daughter by Howard Norman

This short novel unfolds in the form of a letter which the narrator, Wyatt Hillyer, writes to his 21-year old daughter, Marlais, about the circumstances surrounding her birth. The poignant tale he tells takes place in Nova Scotia during World War II and the plot revolves around historical events that took place in the waters off Newfoundland in 1942. The award-winning author, Howard Norman, introduces the reader to lesser known war atrocities which killed civilians and occurred less than 40 miles off the coast of North American. More than historical fiction, this novel is a character study of young Wyatt. Writing in a spare style, Norman successfully portrays Wyatt as a modern tragic hero.

Summer Reading Book Review: For a Few Demons More, by Kim Harrison

I found this book to be slow reading at first, but it finally picked up with some action near the end. For a Few Demons More revolves around the life of Rachel Morgan. Rachel is a witch and deals with earth magic as well as some dark, demon magic. In this story Rachel must juggle her friendship with vampire Ivy, her vampire boyfriend Kisten, a pixy, elves, demons, and werewolves in her hometown of Cincinnati. Her life seems to always be a small step ahead of the danger that lurks around her, but when murders start occurring in the neighborhood, danger seems to be on her front door step. Overall I liked this story, but was confused about some of the characters and references to past events as this book seems to be part of a series (One of the reviews on the back cover indicated this was a new series, but I believe this book is a follow up to A Fistful of Charms.)

Reviewed by Kristen Rowinsky

Summer Reading Book Review - The Walk by Richard Paul Evans

As evidenced in his best selling novels, once again Richard Paul Evans demonstrates his skill as an exemplary storyteller. In the first of this series, he introduces us to Alan Christoffersen, a man on a desperate search for hope. In this story, Alan has lost everything most important to him - his wife, his business and his home all within a very short period of time. Finding life unbearable, he is tempted to end his own, but instead, haunted by his wife's plea to live, he decides instead to take a walk, heading for the farthest point on his map. On his journey he encounters many people and lessons that have a profound impact on his life and provide inspiration and hope for his future. A memorable read that has left me looking forward to book 2 of The Walk series coming in April 2011.

Submitted by Lori Candela

Summer Reading Review: On Agate Hill, by Lee Smith

This is a haunting story of a young girl , Molly Petree, who lives at Agate Hill, an old family home in post Civil War North Carolina. She doesn't quite feel at home with the others living there but identifies more with her dead family. She considers herself a refugee girl and proceeds to write of her life in a diar, both the good and the evil that befalls her. A mysterious benefactor enters her life and changes its course, which leads to both great joy and great tragedy.

On Agate Hill was a memorable work of fiction that will touch your heart and linger there long after you turn the last page.

Reviewed by Patricia Brisch

Summer Reading Book Review: The Last Time I Saw You, by Elizabeth Berg

Like many avid readers, I have my favorite authors and look forward to their latest book's publication. Elizabeth Berg is one of those writers whose work resonates with me. I like her insights into adult female characters, especially around their roles as mothers and wives. However, there are some authors who start to disappoint me once they reach their seventh or so book. I almost feel like the book editors are pushing them to come up with an idea and then quickly finish the novel, even though it's barely developed in their mind, perhaps.

This was the case with Berg's latest book. It's shorter than some of her others, and that works fine. However, the characters are not very likeable and not very well developed. And, the plot, which centers around four protagonists preparing to attend their 40th high school reunion, is thin. I think the author was trying to discuss how the characters changed since their glory days, or not so happy days, in high school but the reader isn't privy to any of the events that contributed to who they are today. Therefore, I wasn't particularly sympathetic, even to the one character--the former Homecoming Queen--when she is diagnosed with cancer. The "mean girl," Dorothy, repulsed me because she clearly had not changed at all. In fact, I was apalled by how some of the characters thoughts and actions were more reminiscent of an adolescent than a 58-year old. I was embarrassed for them!!

I also think that the author was trying to show how the characters' lives were changed by attending the reunion but, again. The reader is supposed to "get" this in about two chapters worth of abrupt summary at the end of the book.

I read the book until the end because I kept waiting for something exciting to happen. It never did.

Reviewed by Karen Dydzuhn