Smoke, Mirrors, and Murder: and other true cases by Ann Rule

Recommended by JoAnn

364.1523 RUL

True-crime writer and former cop, Rule, continues to shock with her collection of seven fascinating cases, all involving domestic abuse. She retells each case based upon her research of the facts during the trials, interviews, and second-hand information. Overwhelmed by the sheer number of abused women, Rule gives her e-mail address in the effort to stem the tide of affected women and children.
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Ponzi's Scheme: the True Story of a Financial Legend by Mitchell Zuckoff

Recommended by JoAnn

B Ponzi

Charles Ponzi, an Italian immigrant in Boston, ran a bogus investment scheme in 1919-1920 involving postal currency. About 20,000 investors spent $8-10 million before he was imprisoned and eventually deported.

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Against Medical Advice by James Patterson with Hal Friedman

Recommended by JoAnn

B Friedman

Stepping outside of his usual genre, best-selling author Patterson teams up with Cory's father, Hal, to tell Cory's story of his battle with Tourette Syndrome and OCD. Diagnosed at age 5, Cory spent the next 13 years at the mercy of doctors as they struggled to find the perfect balance of drugs to achieve a relatively normal life. Supported by his loving family, Cory eventually overcame the downward spiral with shear determination and perserverence. A heartrending story with a triumphant ending.

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Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

Recommended by Jean

FIC Dunant

A romantic novel with political and religious emphasis. The reader really gets a feel for what life was like as a citizen of Florence. It also examines the role of women in that society. A great read.

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The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

Recommended by Jennifer

FIC Diaz

Diaz won the Pulitzer Prize for this book that tells the tale of a young Dominican boy and his family living in Paterson, NJ during the 1980s-1990s. Oscar is an intelligent, but unpopular, quirky kid who struggles through adolescence and the brief years of adulthood to be accepted for who he is and find love. Parts of the story are narrated by Oscar's sister's boyfriend, Yunior, who has a less sympathetic heart than other characters. Diaz does a beautiful job of creating a seamless chronology of Oscar's life from the perspectives of several characters. The book is written in Spanglish, and may be quite a challenge for some readers. It is tragic and triumphant, heart-warming and heart-breaking.
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Annette Vallon: a novel of the French Revolution by James Tipton

Recommended by Danielle

FIC Tipton

Annette Vallon was the mistress of poet William Wordsworth during the French Revolution. William was exiled in England because outsiders were regarded as spies. Annette was left alone to raise their daughter and secretly aide men, women and children who were being unjustly executed. This amazing story is a testament of the bravery and compassion of one of France's heroines during such unsettled times.
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Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman

Recommended by Jo Ann

B Georgiana

An 18th century wealthy and prominent Brit, Georgiana Spencer (Princess Diana was a Spencer) led a life of fashion, gambling, drink, drugs, love affairs and politics. Her biography gives insight into the aristocratic life of the 1700s in Britain and France, and the surprising debauchery that was accepted by society. She was loved by all and died owing $6 million in debts in today's dollars.

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The Shack by William P. Young

Recommended by MaryAnn

FIC Young

This story takes place in the Oregon wilderness where Mac's daughter, Missy, is abducted and brutally murdered while on vacation. Her body was found in an abandoned shack, where four years later, Mac spends a weekend with God. Skeptical? Spiritual? You decide. One of the best books I have ever read - an amazing story about a man's journey with God in the midst of his sorrows.
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Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

Recommended by Donna

FIC Hannah

This is a story of two girls who make a pact to be "friends forever." As the two girls grow and become women, their friendship is strained by a betrayal that puts their friendship to the ultimate test. When you finish this book you will want to pass it on to your best friend. I did!

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Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Recommended by Donna

FIC Gabaldon

Claire is a young nurse on her second honeymoon in Scotland in the 1940s. She happens upon a "Stone Henge" that transports her back to the 1700s. She lands in the middle of a battle between Scotland and England. She is taken captive by the Scots where she meets and falls in love with a young warrior named Jamie. Don't think this is a novel about time travel, this is a love story at its best!

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Lonely Hearts (the series) by John Harvey

Recommended by Irene

FIC Harvey

A chance encounter with an avid mystery reader introduced me to John Harvey, particularly the Charlie Resnick series. Beginning with Lonely Hearts, the series runs for 10 books and then stops when the author moves from Nottingham, the setting for the Resnick novels. Charlie Resnick is a middle-aged, overweight, divorced and disillusioned cop who would rather eat delightfully innovative sandwich combinations and listen to jazz than sully himself with the seamy underworld of local crime. Charlie, himself, evolves as a three dimensional character as we follow him through some of the most originally contrived situations imaginable.

In Lonely Hearts the only obvious connection between the murders of two women is that they used a lonely-hearts column to meet men. Nothing more to go on... John Harvey is a poet first, and it shows in his use of vocabulary. His uplifting words that skillfully describe place and person give the reader so much more than just a story.
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Sofie Metropolis (the series) by Tori Carrington

Recommended by Irene

FIC Carrington

Janet Evanovich fans will enjoy these four entries from the husband and wife team of Lori and Tony Karayianni. Sofie Metropolis lives in a Greek community in Astoria, Queens, NY. She suffers from all the Greek family quirkiness you saw in My Big Fat Greek Wedding with a strong undercurrent of New York savvy, and girl PI antics you've witnessed in Stephanie Plum in Trenton, NJ. Although the similarities are obvious, and sometimes overdone, once you suspend your inclination to compare the two, you just sit back and enjoy these delightful and funny characters.

Sofie has had enough of smothering family after her wedding plans fall apart and determines to stop waitressing in her family's restaurant. After an unsuccessful stint at her aunt's funeral parlor, she finds her place in her uncle's PI firm.
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The Secret Bride: in the Court of Henry VIII by Diane Haeger

Recommended by Danielle

FIC Haeger

Mary Tudor, the sister of King Henry VIII, falls in love with Henry's best friend Charles Brandon. Their love must remain a secret because Henry has her betrothed to another to better the cause for England. This story tells of how Mary obeys her brother and marries King Louis XII, but finds a way to keep her true love as well.
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Lazarus Project by Aleksandar Hemon

Recommended by Barbara

FIC Hemon

The Lazarus Project is based on the true story of the killing of a Jewish immigrant by the chief of the Chicago Police Department in 1908. Hemon, a MacArthur Genius Grant winner, masterfully weaves the past with the present where serious contemporary issues are addrsesed with great wit and humor. This book is a well-deserved finalist for this year's National Book Award. This was an extremely satisfying reading experience.
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The Widows of Eastwick by John Updike

Recommended by Barbara

FIC Updike

I am a huge Updike fan and am always pleasantly surprised by his ability to depict modern relationships and situations in highly original ways using language that is clear, crisp, and amazingly insightful. This story picks up on the adventures of Alexandra, Sukie, and Jane, the Witches of Eastwick, now mature women. It can be read independently from the first book and still be enjoyed.

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Oil by Upton Sinclair

Recommended by Gina

FIC Sinclair

A detailed story about a father and son's journey into the California oil industry beginning in the 1920s. Although fictional, it's based on the Teapot Dome scandal in the Harding administration and corruption in government. The book was written almost a century ago, but elements of this epic novel ring true today.
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Loving Frank: a novel by Nancy Horan

Recommended by Gina

FIC Horan

A historical fictional account about the life of Mamah Borthwick Cheney, the mistress of Frank Lloyd Wright. A very engaging read about their families, the paparazzi, and the unthinkable - divorce - in the early 1900s, as well as Wright's architectural triumphs.

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The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar

Recommended by Gina

Fic Umrigar

A portrait of separation of class in modern day Bombay from the points of view of a servant, Bhima, and Sera, an upper-middle class housewife. Although their lives are separated by wealth, this novel shows how they are connected as women.

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The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

Recommended by Gina

FIC Lahiri

Pulitzer Prize winning author writes about the Ganguli Family and their assimilation from India into American culture. Their son, Gogol, battles with his Indian identity throughout adolescence into adulthood.

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson

Recommended by Gina

917.4044 BRY

After living in the U.K. for 20+ years, the author decides to hike the Appalachian Trail with his former college buddy to reacquaint himself with America. During their journey, Bryson tells funny anecdotes about people and places on the trail as well as gives historical information about how the Appalachian Trail came about. U.S. Department of Interior anecdotes are laugh-out-loud funny.
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Everyday Food: Great Food Fast by Martha Stewart Living Magazine

Recommended by Gina

A staple reference for weeknight cooking if you are a busy mom! All recipes use simple and fresh ingredients for outstanding flavor combinations for a "gourmet" feel. Most recipes take less than 30 minutes to prepare and are kid-friendly.
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America's Best Lost Recipes: 121 kitchen-tested heirloom recipes too good to forget by Editors of Cook's Country Magazine

Recommended by Gina

641.5 AME

This cookbook is the latest in outstanding offerings from the "Consumer Reports" of cooking. A collection of heirloom recipes for classic cooking.
The Chocolate Blackout Cake recipe is a chocoholic's dream come true on a plate! A must have for any cooking enthusiast.
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The Assassin's Accomplice: Mary Surratt and the Plot to Kill Abraham Lincoln by Kate Clifford Larson

Recommended by Jo Ann

973.7092 LAR

Mary Surratt was arrested in 1865 for conspiring with actor John Wilkes Booth, her own son, and other confederate sympathizers in the murder of President Abraham Lincoln. She was the first woman ever to be executed by the federal government, in spite of a petition to President Andrew Johnson. Mary defied 19th century norms of females, and was hung as only men were then. Based on confessions, court testimony and interviews.


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Women of Magdalene by Rosemary Poole-Carter

Recommended by Danielle

Fic Poole-Carter

Set in post-Civil War Louisiana, Dr. Mallory is the new physician at the Magdalene Ladies' Lunatic Asylum. He soon learns of Dr. Kingston's mistreatment of the patients, some of whom are not patients at all but women who have been "disposed of" by their families. Dr. Mallory must prove Dr. Kingston to be a murderer and a swindler before anymore women are injured or killed.
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The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall

Recommended by Donna

Fic Furnivall

The Russian Concubine is the story of a Russian refugee and her young daughter living in China in the 1920s. They struggle to make money but mostly use their wits to survive. The daughter falls in love with a Chinese Communist and they are swept up in a world of secrets and lies that puts their love to the test.
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Legacies by F. Paul Wilson

Recommended by Sue

FIC Wilson

Repairman Jack “fixes” things – fixes situations for
people in trouble, for a fee.  Based in NYC, he lives
on the fringe and operates outside the law. He uses
his quick wits to set up elaborate cons, and if that
fails, well, he has other skills.  In Legacies, he must
draw on all these skills to protect pediatrician Alicia Carter from the
conspirators who want her late father’s secret invention – at any cost.
A masterful thriller in the tradition of Lee Child and Harlan Coben,
this is a gripping page-turner.  Wilson is a medical doctor based in 
Ocean County, NJ.

Reviews From Amazon.com

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shafer and Annie Barrows

Recommended by Irene

FIC SHAFFER

If you like your history in the form of fiction, then
this fills the bill.  Reminiscent of "84 Charing
Cross Road" by Helene Hanff, the story evolves
through a series of letters written right after
World War II in Britain.  The central plot involves a writer who
begins corresponding with the inhabitants of Guernsey, one of
the Channel Islands.

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Leaving Microsoft to change the world, by John Wood

Recommended by Irene
370.9173 WOO

What better place to be reading this book than on
vacation in Silicon Valley!  John Wood left a high
pressure, extremely lucrative career to divert his
boundless energy to bringing books and building
schools for children in Nepal and later in wider
areas of Asia, Latin America and Africa.  
Heart-warming and inspiring.  

Also read, "Three cups of tea", by Greg Mortenson
and "Stand for the best", by Thomas Block

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The monster of Florence, by Douglas Preston

Recommended by JoAnn

363.1523 PRE

American author, Preston, moved to Florence to
write another thriller but was sidetracked with a
true murder mystery, never resolved.  He and an
Italian journalist research the 14 gruesome
murders of lovers but they become targets of
a bizarre police investigation.

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The woman who can't forget: The extraordinary story of living with the most remarkable memory known to science

By Jill Price

Recommended by JoAnn

Since the age of 14 years, Jill had discovered she
had the rare ability to recall dates and events with
incredible accuracy.  Her mind continuously plays
events, like a video camera.  She was studied by
memory researchers for 6 years, as she was unique
at the time, and was written up in a scientific journal.  The onslaught
of memories is both a curse and a blessing:  the good memories are
comforting, but the bad ones are relived in detail.


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Kabul Beauty School: An American woman goes behind the veil

By Deborah Rodriguez

Recommended by Jo Ann
305.4869 ROD

As part of a humanitarian effort to aid Afghans after the fall of the Taliban in 2001, a Michigan hairdresser eventually finds her strength in teaching and befriending women in her beauty school.

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Unaccustomed earth, by Jhumpa Lahiri

FIC LAHIRI

Recommended by Jean

I enjoyed every story in this book. Beautifully written, the stories draw you in immediately and none of them is predictable. I look forward to her next book.

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The girl with no shadow, by Joanne Harris

FIC HARRIS

Recommended by Jean

The sequel to Chocolat, this is one of those books I could not put down. I loved it every bit as much as Chocolat if not more. Harris is so expressive and writes so beautifully and I loved the ending!

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Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

Recommended by Irene

FIC Horan

In the early 1900s Frank Lloyd Wright left his wife and six children,scandalizing society by "eloping" to Europe with Mamah Borthwick Cheney. Mamah left her two small children behind as well. This fictionalized account of Mamah's struggle to justify her clandestine love affair and resolve her overwhelming guilt at leaving her children grabs the reader and doesn't let go. An engrossing account of real life people who followed their hearts as they hurt so many harmless people in the process.

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Standing Tall: a memoir of tragedy and triumph, by

Recommended by Jo Ann

B Stringer

Rutgers sports fans will especially enjoy this
biography of the RU women's basketball coach's
life, to fame; her personal challenges and
tragedies, as well as those of her teams. 
An inspiring story of the value of teamwork, faith, and inner strength.

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Resistance, by Owen Sheers

Recommended by Irene

FIC Sheers

What would have happened if D-Day failed and Nazi
Germany invaded Great Britain?  In a remote Welsh
border valley a German patrol arrives on a secret
mission and discovers that all the men are gone and
the women have banded together to keep their farms
running.  Couple this with a particularly cruel and
severe winter forcing the two groups together for
mutual survival.  Owen Sheers is an award winning
Welsh poet; which is obvious by the richness of
language.  This is his first novel.

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True Evil, by Greg Iles

Recommended by Jo Ann

FIC ILES

A fast-paced psychological thriller matching FBI agent Alex Morse against a serial killer. Her sister dies under the same strange circumstances that others have fallen victim to, after their wealthy spouses visit local attorney Andrew Rusk. Morse hopes the next potential victim, Dr. Shephard, will help her discover the killer.



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Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures, by Lam Vincent

Recommended by Irene

SS LAM

Winner of Canada's Giller Prize, Vincent Lam presents an evocative view of doctors and hospitals in his debut story collection about doctors in the making. What makes this book unique and gripping is that Lam, and emergency room physician, looks beyond blood and guts to examine the conflicted hearts and minds of the four medical students sleepwalking their way through required tests, dissections and all-night emergency room shifts.  The stories' quiet strength lies not in the doctors' education but in Lam's portrayal of the flawed humans behind surgical masks.  Even those who are not "short story readers" will be unable to put this down.

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