What’s Trending at Cheshire Public Library

August 6, 2016July 13, 2016 / Linda / Leave a comment

what's trending

It’s not only the newest titles that are popular among our patrons. Here are the top ten older fiction books trending at the library.

The God of Small Things – Arundhati Roy.
In 1969 in Kerala, India, Rahel and her twin brother, Estha, struggle to forge a childhood for themselves amid the destruction of their family life, as they discover that the entire world can be transformed in a single moment.

The Goldfinch – Donna Tartt.
Taken in by a wealthy family friend after surviving an accident that killed his mother, thirteen-year-old Theo Decker tries to adjust to life on Park Avenue.

Orphan Train -Christina Baker Kline.
Close to aging out of the foster care system, Molly Ayer takes a position helping an elderly woman named Vivian and discovers that they are more alike than different as she helps Vivian solve a mystery from her past.

Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn.
When a woman goes missing on her fifth wedding anniversary, her diary reveals hidden turmoil in her marriage, while her husband, desperate to clear himself of suspicion, realizes that something more disturbing than murder may have occurred.

The Girl On The Train – Paula Hawkins.
Obsessively watching a breakfasting couple every day to escape the pain of her losses, Rachel witnesses a shocking event that inextricably entangles her in the lives of strangers.

The Kitchen House – Kathleen Grissom.
Working as an indentured servant alongside slaves on a tobacco plantation, Lavinia, a seven-year-old Irish orphan with no memory of her past, finds her light skin and situation placing her between two very different worlds that test her loyalties.

Big Little Lies – Laine Moriarty.
Follows three mothers, each at a crossroads, and their potential involvement in a riot at a school trivia night that leaves one parent dead in what appears to be a tragic accident, but the evidence shows it might have been premeditated.

The Invention of Wings – Sue Monk Kidd.
Traces more than three decades in the lives of a wealthy Charleston debutante who longs to break free from the strictures of her household and pursue a meaningful life, and the urban slave, Handful, who is placed in her charge as a child before finding courage and a sense of self.

One Plus One – JoJo Moyes.
A single mom trying to raise a bullied stepson and a mathlete daughter finds an unexpected rescue in the form of an obnoxious tech millionaire named Geeky Ed.

Winter Garden – Kristin Hannah.
Reunited when their beloved father falls ill, sisters Meredith and Nina find themselves under the shadow of their disapproving mother, whose painful history is hidden behind her rendition of a Russian fairy tale told to the sisters in childhood.

Looking For Some Hot Romance to Read?

August 3, 2016June 28, 2016 / Linda / 1 Comment

hearts 2

We’re into the hot and steamy summer. Here’s a new author with a hot romance series to help you feel the burn.

Chanel Cleeton is the author of the new series Wild Aces. It’s about a group of F-16 fighter pilots who fly fast, love hard, and live dangerously. The stories are sexy, funny, emotional, and heart wrenching. These are the very realistic portrayals of relationships between military and non-military couples – touching on the struggles and triumphs of loving a military person.

The first book in the series is Fly With Me. While partying in Las Vegas, clothing boutique owner Jordan Callahan takes a gamble on U.S. Air Force fighter pilot Noah Miller, but when the dangers of his job become all too real, she must decide whether or not she is ready to risk everything for love.

Having the story told from both Jordan’s and Noah’s point of view in vivid detail was an added bonus. The author nailed the dynamics between them – the reader feels their frustration, their happiness, their love, their wild ride of emotions. The characters are in their 30’s or older, so there is a bit of maturity about the story. The secondary characters prove to be just as interesting as the main couple and you’ll be eager to read about them in upcoming books.

Being in love is hard. Being in the military adds a whole other dimension to it. This is a beautifully written story that let’s you inside the emotional journey.

Book two is Into the Blue . Eric Jansen—call sign Thor—loves nothing more than pushing his F-16 to the limit. Returning home to South Carolina after a tragic loss, he hopes to fix the mistake he made long ago, when he chose the Air Force over his fiancée. Becca Madison isn’t quick to welcome Thor back. She can’t forget how he shattered her heart. But Thor won’t give up once he’s set his sights on what he wants—and he wants Becca. Thor shows Becca that he’s no longer the impulsive boy he used to be, and Becca finds herself irresistibly drawn to him. But will Thor be able to walk away from his dream of flying the F-16 for their love or does his heart belong to the sky?

About The Author

chanel Originally a Florida girl, Chanel moved to London where she received a bachelor’s degree from Richmond, The American International University in London and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Chanel fell in love with London and planned to stay there forever, until fate intervened on a Caribbean cruise and a fighter pilot with smooth dance moves swept her off her feet. Now, a happily ever after later, Chanel is living her next adventure. She started out with publishing e-books and has now graduated to paperback novels.

Caution: This series may be too sexually explicit for some readers. (But you can do what I do, skip over the explicit parts. These books are too good to pass up!)

Unsung Heroes: The Soundtracks of Your World

August 1, 2016June 28, 2016 / Susan O. / 2 Comments

Think of your favorite movie or television program. Now think about watching it with the sound turned off. It’s just not the same, is it?

Every film, starting with the advent of the movie theater, has some sort of background music that adds to the drama of the moment. You know many of these tunes without even thinking, like Chopin’s Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor. Say what? You might know it better as the iconic Funeral March, parodied in umpteen cartoons and shows. Even if you’ve never seen the films, you can probably recognize the theme from Rocky, or Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, or Purple Rain. Remember the hits Ghost Busters, Saturday Night Fever, or 9 to 5? Those all began as movie songs. Think of na-na’ing with Batman or to Jaws, Hawaii Five-O, or Bad Boys, the theme from the white-T-shirt-promoting TV show Cops. Soundtrack songs stick in your head, sometimes without you wanting them there.

Sometimes a soundtrack can introduce you to music you wouldn’t normally listen to. My chances of cranking Mozart in my car are close to zero, but I’ll watch the film Amadeus over and over, reveling in “Salieri’s” moving descriptions of Mozart’s music, and I’ll feel every note of its beauty. I’m not too much into old-timey twangy folk, but the soundtrack to the 30’s-era epic Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? adds an earthy realism to the film. Stand By Me is chock full of pop hits from the early ’60’s. Ditto for Forrest Gump, whose soundtrack is pretty much a history of modern American music. Sometimes the music seems to have nothing to do with the movie but we love it anyway, such as Simon and Garfunkel’s top hits from The Graduate. The folky acapella track of Katniss singing “Hanging Tree” in Mockingjay hit number one on the charts in England. Philadelphia has a nice variety of music, from Oscar-winning pop hits to opera. The old British comedy series Young Ones used to spotlight different songs, and got me hooked on the group Madness.

There are times, however, that the orchestral music in the background of a film or TV series is so beautiful it can distract you from the film itself. The soundtrack to Thor did that to me; the movie was engaging, but the music drew your ear away. Pirates of the Caribbean is another – what is Jack Sparrow without his sneaky tiptoe music? Like Star Wars, the music themes give away what’s coming next. The soundtrack to The Lord of the Rings is majestic, speckled with sung tracks by Bjork, Annie Lennox, and the vastly underrated voice of Billy Boyd – Pippin himself. If you want to find a good one fast, John Williams is probably the undisputed King of Soundtrack music, but also look for Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, Howard Shore, and the late James Horner. Every one of them makes soundtrack music look effortless. You may not like “classical” music, but these orchestral arrangements – “modern classical” – can put a different voice to the genre.

Soundtrack music can make or break a film or TV show. I’ve never seen 1981’s Chariots of Fire, but that darned theme is still stuck in my head. Whether or not you liked the shows, the title themes from The Brady Bunch, Gilligan’s Island, The Addams Family, and The Mickey Mouse Club remain cultural icons, still widely recognized decades later. It was a song in the middle of the movie version of M*A*S*H* that later became the opening theme for the television series. Forty years later we still know the theme song to Scooby Doo, a show that originally ended in 1976, or The Flintstones (ended in 1966), but no one remembers the theme from Holmes and Yoyo, Dharma and Greg, Eureka, or even Monk. Half of Malcolm in the Middle’s charm was the catchy theme by There Might Be Giants.

Having a “soundtrack” album isn’t just for Hollywood musicals – those are a class by themselves – but for every film or TV series, and most of them, good or bad, have released one, though some may be hard to find (took me years to find the soundtrack to Ladyhawke, a poorly filmed but underrated movie). Check out the film, then check out the soundtrack. You may be delightfully surprised.

What movie or TV music rocks your world?

New Cozy Mysteries For Summer Reading

July 25, 2016July 13, 2016 / Linda / Leave a comment

cozy

The latest selection of cozy mysteries are ready for your summer reading!

Murder at Fontainebleau (An Elizabethan Mystery) – Amanda Carmack. Sent by Queen Elizabeth to the court of Mary Queen of Scots as a spy, Kate Haywood must navigate the unfamiliar French court where glittering balls and banquets disguise poisonous ambition and murder.

The Black Cat Knocks On Wood (A Bad Luck Cat Mystery) – Kay Finch.
When a local business owner is found dead right after a black cat was seen in her office, mystery novelist Sabrina Tate and her cat, Hitchcock, while dealing with her Aunt Rowe who has signed up for the upcoming Texas Hill Country Senior Pro Rodeo, must rope in a killer before he strikes again.

Dead End Street (A Museum Mystery) – Sheila Connolly.
When a member of a neighborhood rescue program is killed while showing her an abandoned row house in a rundown area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Antiquarian Society president Nell Pratt is determined to find the truth before she herself becomes history.

Diva Serves High Tea (A Domestic Diva Mystery) – Krista Davis.
After the new owner of the antique store is poisoned after attending a literacy fundraiser at the new tea shop, domestic diva Sophie Winston gets into hot water when she decides to investigate the crime on her own.

Elcair And Present Danger (An Emergency Dessert Squad Murder) – Laura Bradford.
When her elderly neighbor, a widower named Bart, is found dead, smothered by a pillow, bakery owner Winnie Johnson, while comforting her frightened and grieving neighbors with baked goods, decides to stir things up to catch a killer who preys on the helpless.

The Calamity Cafe (A Down South Cafe Mystery) – Gayle Leeson.
When Lou Lou, her former employer—and bully of a boss—is found dead, Amy Flowers, who was about to purchase the restaurant from Lou Lou and open the café of her dreams, must clear her name of the crime by serving up the real killer.

Wedding Bel Blues (A Belfast McGrath Mystery) – Maggie McConnon.
When her cousin Caleigh’s last one-night stand before her wedding plunges to his death during the reception, Belfast McGrath, thinking that this was no accident, teams up with Detective Kevin Hanson, her long-ago love, to find the truth while avoiding a cold-hearted killer.

A Premonition of Murder (A Dream Club Mystery) – Mary Kennedy.
When Abigail Marchand, a reclusive heiress who had come to them about a dream foretelling her death, meets her demise down a flight of stairs, the Dream Club, along with Detective Sam Stiles, must catch a killer before another victim is laid to rest.

Grace Sees Red (A Manor House Mystery) – Julie Hyzy – When her assistant, Frances, is accused of murdering an elderly resident of an upscale assisted-living facility, Grace Wheaton, curator and manager of Marshfield Manor, must clear her name and find the real killer before another resident checks out before their time.

Cracked to Death (A Webb’s Glass Shop Mystery) – Cheryl Hollon – When a treasure hunt leads to deadly plunder, it’s up to glass shop owner Savannah Webb and her trusty investigative posse to map out the true motives of a killer.

Somethings’ Knot Kosher (A Quilting Mystery) – Mary Marks – Funerals can be patchy affairs for Martha Rose and her close-knit circle of friends–especially in the case of a missing body.

Final Fondue (A Five-Ingredient Mystery) – Maya Corrigan – Val Deniston certainly has her plate full running a café, dabbling with recipes, and helping her grandfather prepare for the town’s upcoming tri-centennial celebration, but she’s grown fond of her new life in the Chesapeake Bay town of Bayport.

Engaged in Death (A Wedding Planner Mystery) – Stephanie Blackmoore –
All appears peaceful in sleepy Port Quincy, Pennsylvania–but in this small town, old grudges die hard.

Take the Monkey and Run (Call of the Wilde Mystery) – Laura Morrigan – On her first “real” case, animal telepath Grace Wilde arrives in New Orleans, where she, while attempting to communicate with her client’s cat, gets distracted by a mysterious monkey who warns her that her client isn’t what she seems, forcing her to separate fact from fiction to find the truth.

Read to Death (Read ‘Em and Eat Mystery) – Terrie Farley Moran – When driver Oscar Frieland, who is known for his colorful stories and his love of their café’s fruit tartlets, is found dead in his van after taking their book club on a day trip, best friends Sassy and Bridgy must solve this puzzling crime before one of their members gets the book thrown at her.

Toasting Up Trouble (A Dinner Club Mystery) – Linda Wiken – When the hotshot caterer for the Italian princess party she is organizing for the 21-year-old daughter of a high-tech millionaire is murdered—and she becomes a suspect—event planner Jennifer Tanner must turn the tables on the real killer with the help of her Culinary Capers Dinner Club.

Gone With The Wool (A Yarn Retreat Mystery) – Betty Hechtman – During the annual butterfly festival at California’s Monterey Peninsula, Casey Feldstein, while setting up a yarn retreat, baking and helping out, must unravel the clues to catch a killer when a former butterfly queen is found with a knife in her back.

Dressed to Kilt (A Scottish Highlands Mystery) – Hannah Reed – When her date with Leith Cameron in Scotland takes a deadly turn, resulting in the discovery of a dead woman floating in a vat of alcohol, aspiring romance author Eden Elliott steps in as a Special Constable to help solve the case, only to discover that the killer could be connected to her own Scottish heritage.

A Toxic Trousseau (A Witchcraft Mystery) – Juliet Blackwell – When rival clothier Autumn Jennings, the woman whom her potbellied pig Oscar head-butted, winds up dead, Lily searches for a way to clear her name and discovers a cursed trousseau with a treacherous past among Autumn’s recently acquired inventory.

Taming Information Overload

July 20, 2016June 27, 2016 / Mary / Leave a comment

Ironically, here’s some more information for your information-overloaded life that is actually about coping with all the information that bombards us each day. Fortunately, you can relax and quickly browse this easy-to-read post. There’s no need for long descriptions. The titles say it all.

The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less by Barry Schwartz