New Fiction Coming Soon! May/June 2016

new fiction

Want a little heads up on when your favorite author is publishing a new book?  Here are some of the new fiction hardcover books coming out in May and June.  Clicking on the title will bring you to our catalog where you can place a hold if you’d like.

MAY

aunt dimityAtherton, NancyAunt Dimity and the Buried Treasure Discovering a beautiful garnet bracelet belonging to Aunt Dimity, Lori learns the story of a doomed love affair from Dimity’s youth and is asked to return the bracelet to a long-ago suitor, an endeavor that is complicated by discovery that the bracelet could be part of a lost national treasure.

boar islandBarr, NevadaBoar Island – When her paraplegic friend’s adopted daughter attempts suicide in the face of cyber-bullying and stalking, National Park Service Ranger Anna Pigeon investigates the person behind the increasingly violent harassment, who follows the troubled teen when Anna tries to move her to a safe haven.

tall tailBrown, Rita MaeTall TailWhen a confidante to the former governor of Virginia dies under suspicious circumstances, Harry and her furry detective cohorts look for answers in the eighteenth century, where they discover a secret ancestry that originated in brutality and silence.

 

dominionConnolly, JohnDominion – Emerging from the mysterious Derith wormhole to discover that years have passed in their universe, Syl and Paul are confronted by an Illyri civil war, Earth’s occupation by Others and the dark plans of a new Sisterhood leader.

 

emperor's revengeCussler, CliveThe Emperor’s Revenge – Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon join forces with a former CIA colleague to track down a rogue hacker and a ruthless former Ukrainian naval officer who are behind a violent bank heist that occurred during the Monaco Grand Prix.

girl from summer hillDeveraux, Jude The Girl From Summer Hill – Clashing with a gorgeous Hollywood star who is playing Darcy in a local production of Pride & Prejudice, Casey, a chef who puts her career first and who believes the actor’s brother-in-law’s damning claims, finds herself becoming attracted to him in spite of herself.

haunted destinyGraham, HeatherHaunted Destiny – Assigned to investigate a mysterious serial killer who leaves his victims in churches with saint medallions on their necks, paranormal investigator Jackson Crow and New Orleans agent Jude McCoy team up with piano player Alexi on a haunted cruise ship when the ghost of a victim appears to them.

rock a bye bonesHaines, Carolyn Rock-a-bye BonesCoping with a broken heart and the attack on Scott Hampton’s blues club, Sarah Booth Delaney discovers a baby in a basket on her porch and bloody footsteps leading to her driveway, a situation that places her in the same danger as a troubled mother running for her life.

nightshiftHarris, Charlaine Night Shift – When weapons obtained from Midnight’s local pawn shop are used in a series of dramatic suicides at the main crossroads in town, the vampire Lemuel makes astonishing discoveries about why the community has attracted so many paranormal residents, who must work together to stop the violence.

troublemakerHoward, LindaTroublemaker – Sent to a remote location in a small West Virginian mountain town to lay low after almost being killed in an ambush, Morgan Yancy finds his attraction to part-time police chief and housemate Isabeau Maran adds an unexpected complication to his life.

marrying winterboneKleypas, LisaMarrying Winterborne – Achieving wealth and success through his savage ambitions, tycoon Rhys Winterborne resolves to marry shy, aristocratic Lady Helen Ravenel, who in spite of her gentle upbringing responds to Rhys’s seductions with her own unexpected passions.

blood flagMartini, Steve Blood Flag – Defending a client accused of mercy-killing her father, attorney Paul Madriani is drawn into a treacherous conspiracy involving the victim’s former unit from World War II and a feared Nazi relic. By the best-selling author of The Enemy Inside.

 

prayers the devilMccrumb, SharynPrayers the Devil Answers – Appointed to serve out her late husband’s term as sheriff of their Depression-era Tennessee mountain town, Ellie struggles to reconcile her responsibilities with societal expectations for women and forges unexpected ties with a condemned killer she is scheduled to execute.

15thPatterson, James15th Affair – When an alluring blonde with links to the CIA disappears from the scene of a brutal murder at a luxury hotel, detective Lindsay Boxer is forced to uncover difficult truths about her husband’s secret life.

 

miller's valleyQuindlen, Anna Miller’s Valley – Living in a 1960s farming community in eastern Pennsylvania, Mimi struggles with the family secrets she unearths.

 

everybody's foolRusso, Richard Everybody’s Fool – Returns to the setting of “Nobody’s Fool” to find Sully confronting a daunting health prognosis, which he hides from his loved ones, including his longtime mistress, an increasingly distant best friend, and an obsessive chief of police.

the apartmentSteel, DanielleThe Apartment – Four friends sharing a beautiful loft apartment in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen revel in the glamour of city life before new relationships, job opportunities, and surprising circumstances test the strength of their bond.

 

the island houseThayer, NancyThe Island House – Having spent every summer of her adult life in Nantucket, Kansas City university professor Courtney finds herself caught between two lifestyles and two men before settling into the glamorous life she associates with the seaside and questioning her choice in the face of an unexpected turn.

JUNE

charmersAdler, ElizabethThe Charmers – Inheriting a family villa in the South of France after her aunt’s sudden and mysterious death, Mirabella has a close call with a motorcycle on her way to her new home and realizes that she is being targeted by dangerous people from her aunt’s past.

 

cavedonBradford, Barbara TaylorThe Cavendon Luck Picks up nine years after the events of Cavendon Women, in an epic tale that finds Cecily and Miles drawing on the collective strength of the whole family to protect Cavendon Hall and its clan from the challenges of World War II.

 

melody of murderCameron, StellaMelody of Murder – The arrival of a talented, ambitious and unusual new family leads to mayhem and murder in the peaceful Cotswold village of Folly-on-Weir.

 

liberty'sCoonts, StephenLiberty’s Last StandIn the wake of an assassination attempt by a decorated sniper on the eve of a presidential election, Jake Grafton and Tommy Carmellini risk everything to uncover a massive conspiracy while helping a new resistance movement rise up against a new enemy.

pursuitEvanovich, JanetThe Pursuit – After rookie lawyer Jessica Monaghan meets with the First Lady, the VIP is killed in a car accident in which Jessica manages to survive. When she suspects the accident was something else and she becomes the next target, she and experienced FBI agent Mark Ryan team up to uncover the plot behind the First Lady’s murder.

guilty mindsFinder, JosephGuilty Minds – Summoned to investigate potentially explosive charges of corruption levied by a gossip website against the chief justice of the Supreme Court, private intelligence operative Nick Heller is given 48 hours to prove that the story is baseless.

 

first comes loveGiffin, Emily  – First Comes LoveWhile Meredith becomes increasingly unsure about the strength of her bond with her seemingly perfect husband and daughter, her once-happily single sister, Josie, frantically dates and considers her options in her desperation to have a baby.

here's to usHilderbrand, Elin Here’s To Us Gathering at a ramshackle Nantucket cottage, a late celebrity chef’s wives and children confront the sources of their bitter rivalries and slowly let go of resentments as they remember positive times and share long-held secrets.

 

born of legendKenyon, SherrilynBorn of Legend – Rescuing a teen boy from a violent mob, a fugitive royal becomes an unlikely ally to the boy’s mother, a rare Andarion Fyreblood whose people are being hunted to extinction by assassins from The League.

 

end of watchKing, StephenEnd of Watch – A conclusion to the best-selling trilogy that also includes the Edgar Award-winningMr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers finds mental patient Brady Hartsfield manifesting powers to commit deadly acts without leaving his hospital room, while retired detective Bill Hodges and his partner investigate a suicide with ties to the Mercedes Massacre.

daredevil snaredLaurens, StephanieThe Daredevil Snared – Hoping to prove himself by taking up his brothers’ covert mission in Freetown and protecting escaped captives in the jungle, hedonistic youngest son Caleb Frobisher falls in love with captive governess Katherine Fortescue, who is being targeted by a sadistic mercenary.

 

tea with jamMyers, Tamar Tea with Jam and Dread – While trying to welcome British royalty to her PennDutch inn and acquaint them with traditional American culture, Magdalena Yoder embarrassingly discovers a mummified corpse in the elevator shaft.

 

defenderPalmer, DianaDefender – Investigating a stalking case involving a Texas millionaire’s daughter-turned-assistant district attorney whose heart he broke three years earlier, FBI agent Paul Fiore struggles to regain her trust after discovering the truth about her nightmarish youth and the damage he caused by leaving her. 

vinegarTyler, Anne Vinegar Girl – A modern retelling of The Taming of the Shrew follows the experiences of a preschool teacher who alienates others by speaking her mind and who manages her family’s home before she is expected by her eccentric father to marry his assistant to prevent the young man’s deportation.

dishonorable Woods, Stuart Dishonorable Intentions – A latest adventure by the Edgar Award-winning author of Chiefs finds New York City cop-turned-rainmaker for a top Manhattan law firm Stone Barrington and his associates confronting a new threat that tests the limits of their collective skills.

International Authors for Children and Young Adults

I am not sure how many people are aware of the number of fantastic international authors available in the children’s room. Many such authors are already popular, but the fact that the books were originally published in another language or overseas is simply not part of the cover art or publicity that the books receive. inkheart

For instance, Cornelia Funke, best known for her Inkheart series which is popular in book and movie format, is German. Although she lives in California now, the majority of her works were originally written in German and published in Germany well before being translated and published in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Some of the books in our collection that are translations might surprise you. Particularly some of the classic picture books. This is a small sampling of the picture books, children’s chapter books, and young adult books that have been translated from other languages. There are many more great ones, if I missed one of your favorites, please mention it in the translate3comments for everyone to enjoy.

Picturebooks:
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister; translated from German by J. Alison James.  The most beautiful fish in the entire ocean discovers the real value of personal beauty and friendship.

Press Here and Mix it up! by Hervé Tullet; translated from French by Christopher Franceschelli. Instructs the reader on how to interact with the illustrations to create imaginative images.
translate4
My Heart is Laughing by Rose Lagercrantz; translated from Swedish by Julia Marshall. Dani’s been trying her best to stay happy ever since her best friend Ella moved away.

Big Wolf & Little Wolf by Nadine Brun-Cosme; translated from French by Claudia Bedrick. Big Wolf has always lived alone, so when a little wolf suddenly arrives one day, he does not know what to think.

Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann; translated by Ralph Manheim. After hearing how her toy nutcracker got his ugly face, a little girl helps break the spell.

Puss in Boots by Charles Perrault; translated by Malcolm Arthur. A clever cat wins his master a fortune and the hand of a princess. translate2

Children’s Chapter Books:
Ring of Fire by Pierdomenico Baccalario ; translated by Leah D. Janeczko. Four seemingly unrelated children discover they are destined to become involved in an ancient mystery.

Igraine the Brave, Dragon Rider, and many more by Cornelia Funke; translated from the German by Anthea Bell. The daughter of two magicians, twelve-year-old Igraine wants nothing more than to be a knight.

Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye and the original books from the Geronimo Stilton pseudonym were translated from translate5Italian by Lidia Tramontozzi. Geronimo’s sister, Thea, discovers an old, mysterious map showing a secret treasure hidden on a faraway island.

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren; translated from Swedish by Tiina NunnallyRing of Fire by Pierdomenico Baccalario ; translated by Leah D. JaneczkoRing of Fire by Pierdomenico Baccalario ; translated by Leah D. Janeczko. Escapades of a lucky little girl who lives with a horse and a monkey–but without any parents.

Princess Pistachio by Marie-Louise Gay; translated from French by Jacob Homel. Pistachio knew all along that she was a princess, but her ‘real’ parents, the king and queen of Papua, have sent her a message at last.
translate1

Young Adult:
Ruby Red and more by Kerstin Gier; translated from the German by Anthea Bell. Sixteen-year-old Gwyneth discovers that she, rather than her well-prepared cousin, carries a time-travel gene.

The Dragons of Darkness and Tiger Moon by Antonia Michaelis; translated by Anthea Bell. Two boys from very different backgrounds are thrown together by magic, mayhem, as they battle deadly dragons.

Reckless by Cornelia Funke; translated by Oliver Latsch. Jacob and Will Reckless have looked out for each other ever since their father disappeared, but when Jacob discovers a magical mirror that transports him to a  world populated by witches, giants, and ogres, he keeps it to himself. 
translate6
Why We Took the Car by Wolfgang Herrndorf; translated by Tim Mohr. Mike Klingenberg is a troubled fourteen-year-old who thinks of himself as boring, until a Russian juvenile delinquent includes Mike in his criminal activities.

My Family for the War by Anne C. Voorhoeve; translated by Tammi Reichel. Ten-year-old Ziska Mangold is taken out of Nazi Germany on one of the Kindertransport trains, to live in London with a Jewish family.

The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón; translated by Lucia Graves. Thirteen-year-old Max Carver and sister, fifteen-year-old Alicia, with new friend Roland, face off against an evil magician who is striving to complete a bargain made before he died.

The Prophecy of the Stones by Flavia Bujor; translated by Linda Coverdale. Three girls, known as the Stones of Prophecy, are drawn to a land called Fairytale, where they and seek a magical creature who explains their role in a battle between Good and Evil.

The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis; translated by Miriam Debbage. Seventeen-year-old Anna begins to fall in love with her classmate, Abel, a drug dealer from the wrong side of town, when she hears him tell a story to his six-year-old sister.

Get up to Speed on Graphic Novels

Graphic novels are often put down or considered less than traditional books. However, the artistry and creative storytelling that is included in quality graphic novels is simply amazing.

I have to say that I have always loved graphic novels, and both the quality and quantity of available works seems to be increasing. Classic works, popular fiction, and new ideas are all being made into graphic novels at a pace I simply cannot keep up with. Here are some of the best, new, graphic novels available in our adult and young adult collections bestgn1that I would recommend. Keep in mind that if you do not see the titles you are hoping for in our physical collection we have even more available digitally. You could join my husband in reading through a variety of great graphic novels available through Hoopla!

Ms. Marvel. 1, No Normal by G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona
Kamala Khan, a Pakistani-American girl from Jersey City who lives bestgn3a conservative Muslim lifestyle with her family, suddenly acquires superhuman powers and, despite the pressures of school and home, tries to use her abilities to help her community.

March. Book One and March. Book Two by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell
A first-hand account of the author’s lifelong struggle for civil and bestgn5human rights spans his youth in rural Alabama, his life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., and the birth of the Nashville Student Movement.

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Lord Blackheart, a villain with a vendetta, and his sidekick, Nimona, an impulsive young shapeshifter, must prove to the kingdom that Sir Goldenloin and the Institution of Law bestgn4Enforcement and Heroics aren’t the heroes everyone thinks they are.

Lumberjanes. Volume one, Beware the Kitten Holy written by Noelle Stevenson & Grace Ellis
Best friends Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley spend a fun summer at Lumberjane scout camp where they encounter yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falcons while solving a mystery that holds the fate of the world in the bestgn6balance.

The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua
Presents an alternate history in which Charles Babbage and Ada, Countess of Lovelace, build the “Difference Engine” and use it to explore the wilder realms of mathematics and fight crime for the sake of both London and science.

bestgnbottomMore graphic novels that are must reads for anyone remotely interested include: The Sandman: Overture by Neil Gaiman, J.H. Williams III, Dave Stewart, Todd Klein,  The Sculptor by Scott McCloud, Rat Queens. Volume One, Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebet, Roc Upchurch, Black Science. Volume 1, How to Fall Forever by Rick Remender, Matteo Scalera, Pretty Deadly. Volume One, The Shrike by Kelly Sue Deconnick, Emma Rios, The Wake by Scott Snyder, Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction, Chip Zdarsky, Becka Kinzie, Christopher Sebela, Attack on Titan. 1, The bestgn2Desperate battle Begins! by Hajime Isayama, translated and adapted by Sheldon Drzka, and Saga. Volume 1  by Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples.

They’re Not What They Seem…

Can you figure out what these women have in common?

AlanaAlanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce “I did this because I wanted to become a knight.”

 

 

Jacket.aspxShadowbridge by Gregory Frost “I did this because I needed to protect myself.”

 

 

Jacket.aspxThe Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted “I did this because I wanted an education.”

 

 

jacketA Soldier’s Secret: The Incredible True Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero by Marissa Moss “I did this because I wanted to escape from my previous life and fight for a cause.”

 

 

Jacket.aspxTwelfth Night by William Shakespeare “I did this because I needed a way to live.”

 

 

Jacket.aspxDisney’s Mulan “I did this because I needed to protect my family.”

 

 

Jacket.aspxBloody Jack by L.A. Meyer. “I did this because I wanted to sail around the world.”

 

 

Jacket.aspxSelf-Made Man by Norah Vincent “I did this because I wanted to learn about how men live.”

 

 

Jacket.aspxRowan Hood: Outlaw Girl of Sherwood Forest by Nancy Springer “I did this because I was searching for my father.”

 

Ouran

Ouran High School Host Club by Bisco Hatori “I did this because I was in debt.”

 

 

Did you guess? Women disguised as men. They were disguised so they could fight for themselves or their families, protect themselves when they were all alone in a man’s world, and earn an education, which they would have been denied otherwise. Each and every one of these is absolutely fascinating. Do yourself a favor and work your way through this list!

Do you have any favorite books/movies/plays with this subject that did not make this list?

Exploring The Science of Science Fiction

Are you a science fiction fan curious to see how close scientists have come to understanding or recreating the theories or gadgets of your favorite book or movie? Do you think much of the gadgetry and action of science fiction stories are completely impossible and want to see what we really can do, and what we might be able to do in the future? Here are some books that will help you understand how realistic some time1ideas like time travel really are, and how theories and realities surrounding our universe and the possibilities have changed in recent years.

Time Travel and Warp Drives: a Scientific Guide to Shortcuts Through Time and Space by Allen Everett and Thomas Roman
Lays out what humans really know about time and space and how to bend it to our will, and explains just how close we are to some of the ideas of science fiction novels.time2

Physics of the Impossible: a Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel by Michio Kaku
Looks at the scientific principles behind the technology of the future, examining the theoretical basis, as well as limitations, of the laws of physics to discuss how seemingly impossible devices could become commonplace in the future.time3

Spooky Action at a Distance: the Phenomenon that Reimagines Space and Time and What it Means for Black Holes, the Big Bang, and Theories of Everything by George Musser
Presents a tour of modern physics that examines the new understanding of nonlocality–the ability of particles to affect each other across the vastness of space.

time4Walking Zero: Discovering Cosmic Space and time Along the Prime Meridian by Chet Raymo
A noted science writer and author of The Path offers an illuminating study of the interconnections among science, faith, psychology, and the arts in terms of the evolution of the human understanding of space and time as he walks along the Prime Meridian, the line of zero longitude and the standard for world maps and clocks, from Brighton to the North Sea.

time6What is Relativity?: an Intuitive Introduction to Einstein’s Ideas, and Why They Matter by Jeffrey Bennett
An astrophysicist offers an entertaining introduction to Einstein’s theories, explaining how well they have held up to rigorous testing over the years, and even describing the amazing phenomena readers would actually experience if they took a trip through a black hole.

Once you figure out hoe time travel works, or somehow or other gain a little extra time, you might want to explore further with: The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality by Brian Greene, A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes by Stephen W. Hawking, Endless Universe: Beyond the Big Bang by Paul J. Steinhardt and Neil Turok, Cosmos by Carl Sagan, The Science of Star Wars by Jeanne Cavelos, The Physics of Star Trek by Lawrence M. Krauss, or Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and our Daily Lives by the Year 2100 by Michio Kaku.