Cheshire Library

On Our (virtual) Shelves: New E-Books

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There are lots of new titles to choose from in our E-Book collection. If you’re a Cheshire Library cardholder, check out our Connect Downloadable Catalog for more ebooks and audiobooks. Here’s a sample of what’s new…

New Fiction

The Hero by Robin Carr. In a moment of desperation, Devon McAllister takes her daughter and flees a place where they should have been safe and secure. She thought she wanted to hide from the world, but in Thunder Point, you find bravery where you least expect it…and sometimes, you find a hero.

Big Brother by Lionel Shriver. From the acclaimed author of the National Book Award finalist So Much for That and the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin comes a striking new novel about siblings, marriage, and obesity.

New Non-Fiction

The Library Book by various authors. From Alan Bennett’s Baffled at a Bookcase, to Lucy Mangan’s Library Rules, famous writers tell us all about how libraries are used and why they’re important.

Between Man and Beast by Monte Reel. The adventure of an unlikely young explorer who emerged from the jungles of Africa with evidence of a mysterious, still mythical beast–the gorilla–only to stumble straight into the center of the biggest debate of the day: Darwin’s theory of evolution.

New for Teens

Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. James Patterson returns to the genre that made him famous with a thrilling teen detective series about the mysterious and magnificently wealthy Angel family . . . and the dark secrets they’re keeping…

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley. Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she’s going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He’s out there somewhere–spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night. and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for…

New for Kids

Oddkins by Dean Koontz. Blockbuster author Dean Koontz’s first novel for young readers, a beautifully illustrated and visually stunning story about a magical band of living toys who learn to overcome the fears we all face in the dark.

My Name is Mina by David Almond. Award-winning author David Almond reintroduces readers to the perceptive, sensitive Mina before the events of Skellig in this lyrical and fantastical work.

Six Picks – Realistic Fiction for Young Adults

/ Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Summer’s over, and life is back to reality!  If you like your fiction with a dose of realism, here’s a list of realistic fiction books for young adults (that adults can enjoy, too!).

The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is a  about Sixteen-year-old Hazel, a stage IV thyroid cancer patient. She has accepted her terminal diagnosis until a chance meeting with a boy at cancer support group forces her to reexamine her perspective on love, loss, and life. (A movie adaptation is currently in production.)

Butter

Butter by Erin Jade Lange is about an obese boy everyone calls “Butter”. He is about to make history by eating himself to death, live on the Internet, and everyone is invited to watch. When he first makes the announcement online he gets  morbid cheerleaders rallying around his plan. As their dark encouragement grows, it begins to feel a lot like popularity. What happens when Butter reaches his suicide deadline? Can he live with the fallout if he doesn’t go through with his plans?

The Miseducation of Cameron Post

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth takes place in the early 1990s. After Cameron Post’s parents die she moves in with her conservative aunt Ruth and her well-intentioned but hopelessly old-fashioned grandmother. She rebels against the norms and her family decides she needs to change her ways, she is sent to a gay conversion therapy center.

Skinny

Skinny by Donna Cooner is about fifteen-year-old Ever Davies. She is obese and has a cruel inner voice that never lets her forget about her weight or how others see her. She undergoes gastric-bypass surgery, a and makes the decision to start participating in high school life, which includes pursuing her dream of becoming a singer.

The Complete History of Why I Hate Her

The Complete History of Why I Hate Her by Jennifer Richard Jacobson is about sixteen year old Nola who wanting a break from being known only for her sister’s cancer. Shae leaves Boston for a waitressing job at a summer resort in Maine, but soon feels as if her new best friend is taking over her life.

Eleanor & Park

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this wonderful debut novel is the story of two star-crossed misfits–smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

If realistic fiction is your favorite genre, or all of these are currently checked out, take a look at just about any book from John Green, Sarah Dessen, or Lurlene McDaniel. You could also look for Wonder by R.J. Palacio,  A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie by Matt Blackstone, Blink & Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones,  or Tangled by Carolyn Mackler. This is far from a complete list, but it just might be the start you need.

Do you have a favorite realistic fiction book or author?

10 Favorite Biographies and Memoirs for Book Clubs

/ Linda / Leave a comment

book clubTen favorite biographies and memoir suggestions for your book club to read and discuss:

  1. Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander
  2. Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl
  3. Born to Run: a hidden tribe, super athletes, and the greatest race the world has ever seen by Christopher McDougall
  4. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling
  5. Tiny Beautiful Things: advice on love and life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed
  6. Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
  7. Kitchen Confidential: adventures in the culinary underbellyby Anthony Bourdain
  8. Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: the lost legacy of Highclere Castleby Countess Fiona Carnarvon
  9. Where Men Win Glory : the odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer
  10. Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder

Jenn Reads: The Turncoat

/ Jenn / Leave a comment

All I have to say first is: Oh my.

I needed a hot shower after reading this book.

If you’ve followed my reviews, you’ll know I typically don’t read bodice busting, Fabio-inspired books. My fare tends to include classics, mysteries, literary fiction, and chick lit. Not historical romance.

The Turncoat by Donna Thorland was a gift from my two cats (yeah, yeah) for my birthday. I had picked it out at Barnes and Noble based on the cover and synopsis on the back jacket. It did allude to some smut, but I thought, “Ehh- it’s a large paperback. It can’t be that bad.”

I chose this book for my turn for my girlfriend’s book club, thinking that it would be a lighter read and easy enough for everyone to get through in the allotted time. I warned them that there would be some smut.

I didn’t realize how much smut.

Now, I’m no prude, and wasn’t offended by the sex that was in this book or the quantity of sex. It wasn’t gratuitous and made sense in the context of the story.

And that’s all I’m saying about the smut.

The Turncoat opens with Quaker Kate Grey hosting a British general and his entourage during the American Revolution. There is an instant connection between Kate

The Turncoat by Donna Thorland

and Peter Tremayne (of course). Kate’s father, Arthur, is on his way with supplies for the rebel army and she hopes to stall Peter so the British do not catch up with him. With Kate is her “Aunt”, a woman she has never met before. Tremayne ends up pilfering a letter Arthur Grey had written that would give away secrets, military strategy, etc. In an effort to retrieve the letter, Kate ends up alone with Peter in her bedroom. She does not get the letter back.

After Peter leaves, Kate and her “Aunt” end up fleeing the Grey house and traveling to see General Washington with news. Turns out “Auntie” is a spy for the rebel army. Kate decides to join Aunt Angela as a spy for the rebels and is placed in Philadelphia close to British General Howe.

There is a lot to this story besides the romance between Kate and Peter. One of the reasons I was drawn to this book was that it takes place during the American Revolution, and historical fiction in the last ten years has largely been ignored. The book, while being about a Quaker spy, is also about the British invasion of Fort Mercer in 1777, the occupation of Philadelphia, and John Andre.

Thorland packs a lot into 400 pages and overall I think you get a good idea of what went on during this period of the American Revolution. A couple of her facts are incorrect- like the number of Jaguers that are killed/wounded/captured during the assault on Fort Mercer, but it’s not enough to distract from the story.

The Turncoat was engrossing, but at about 300 pages, I was ready for the story to end. The last hundred pages could have been made into a sequel, as they deal with the turning of Benedict Arnold, and hint at the future capture and hanging (history spoiler!) of John Andre. Thorland is making this a trilogy, but not with the same characters.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (would have been 4, but it got long)

I’m looking forward to the next one!

See you in the stacks,

Jenn

I Hate Orchestra – Except Maybe This

/ Susan O. / Leave a comment

I’ve tried.  I’ve tried to like pure orchestral music, whether it’s Mozart, the Boston Philharmonic or the soundtrack to Amadeus, but sitting in a chair in what looks like a theater for two hours watching a musician sawing a cello without a movie to keep my brain busy is the fastest way to put me to sleep.  I love Beethoven and Brahms and Bach as background music when I’m thinking, but they are not my main idea of entertainment.

BUT…

            I stumbled upon a truly fabulous CD that chases the ho-hum factor right out the window.   A Classic Case: The London Symphony Orchestra Plays The Music Of Jethro Tull is exciting, dynamic, and I cannot get my car to crank it as loud as I’d like. They nail the flute solos on Bungle in the Jungle (well, they are an orchestra), but bang out the drums and electric guitars on Aqualung in a manner worthy of an Indiana Jones soundtrack. You completely forget you are listening to the stuffy London Philharmonic. Maybe it’s because Tull is one of those bands that can cross the barrier between rock and New Age, and transfers very nicely to the lute, (yes, medieval lute, not just flute) but the London Philharmonic truly knows how to rock!

  If you find orchestral Tull to be tolerable, try these other albums which twist at the roots of “classical” or orchestral music:

David Garrett, Rock Symphonies:  Where else can you get Kashmir, Kurt Cobain, or Metallica blasted from an electric violin?  That’s right – violin, otherwise known as a fiddle. This is another incredible album that will have you headbanging around the room. It is as fabulous and frenzied as the classic originals, and the perfect introduction of “classical” concepts in musical themes for your kids.  They will be amazed. Also check out his new cd, Music.

Rockabye Baby: a wonderful series of hard rock classics – from Pink Floyd to AC/DC and Nirvana, turned into lullabies on unusual instruments such as marimba and harp.  If you want to start your kids on “classic” rock early, or simply prefer to relax to favorites in a calm manner, you’ll want to give these a try (the Pink Floyd is awesome).

            

Not in the library but fully worth pursuing is also Symphonic Pink Floyd – Us and Them, by the London Philharmonic Orchestra.  Yes, Pink Floyd is often heavy on orchestration to start with, but hearing it this way is truly superb. With a little practice – and a lot of familiar instrumental rock – you might just learn to like orchestral music!