New Cozy Mysteries For Spring

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Just in time for Spring, a fresh batch of cozy mysteries.  Pick your favorite series, or start a new one!

cincoCinco de Mayhem (A Sante Fe Cafe Mystery) – Ann Myers – When the local restaurateur who attempted to take over all of the food carts in town  winds up dead under her friend Linda’s famous tamale truck, Rita—a chef preparing for Cinco de Mayo in Sante Fe, New Mexico—must turn up the heat on the real killer before her friend gets burned for the crime.

peachRest In Peach (A Georgia Peach Mystery) – Susan Furlong -When the much-despised mother of the spoiled teenage Peach Queen is found murdered, Nola Mae Harper, who is coordinating both the cotillion dinner and the grand opening of her new shop, must prove that her friend, Ginny, is innocent of the crime by drawing out the real killer.

readingReading Up A Storm (A Lighthouse Library Mystery) – Eva Gates -The librarian at Bodie Island’s Lighthouse Library, Lucy Richardson, after a shipwrecked seafarer dies a few days after washing ashore, is once again roped into a murder investigation and must navigate a sea of suspects, all of whom had motives to kill the deceased.

vanillaVanilla Beaned (A Cupcake Bakery Mystery) – Jenn McKinlay – When they arrive in Las Vegas to open their first franchise of the Fairy Tale Cupcakes Bakery, Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura aren’t sure about turning their recipes over to brash former showgirl Holly Harzmark until a saboteur with a sweet tooth and a penchant for murder brings out a side of Holly that they both can relate to.

unhappyAn Unhappy Medium (A Family Fortune Mystery) – Dawn Eastman – When one of the runners in the Zombie Fun Run is found murdered and her estranged sister, Grace, disappears, Clyde and her police-detective boyfriend must clear Grace’s name in the crime while becoming trapped in a tangled web of family secrets, grudges and stolen diamonds.

crimeCrime and Poetry (A Magical Bookshop Mystery) – Amanda Flower – Returning home to Cascade Springs, New York to help her Grandmother Daisy run her magical store, Charming Books, where the books literally fly off the shelves, Violet Waverly must clear Daisy’s name when the body of a dead man is found clutching a book from her shop.

mossMoss Hysteria (A Flower Shop Mystery) – Kate Collins – When their idyllic new community is suddenly uprooted by murder, flower shop owner Abby Knight and her new husband, Marco, must weed through the suspects to catch a killer who is one bad seed.

 

needleNeedle and Dread (Southern Sewing Circle) – Elizabeth Lynn Casey – To make her new sewing shop a success, Rose sponsors a series of do-it-yourself weekends for sewing enthusiasts, but her plan is unraveled by the murder of an argumentative guest and it is up to Tori and the gang to piece together the clues before Rose’s life is ripped apart at the seams.

breachBreach of Crust (A Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery) – Ellery Adams – When she finds the body of Beatrice Burbank, the president of the high-society Camellia Club, floating in Lake Havenwood during their annual retreat, baker Ella Mae, who was hired to teach the members the tasty tricks of her trade, wonders what she’s gotten herself mixed up in.

clueA Clue in the Stew (A Soup Lover’s Mystery) – Connie Archer – When she hosts an event with a famous author, small-town soup shop owner Lucky Jamieson is unprepared for the trouble that boils over when a colorful cast of characters descend on the town resulting in a murder that is linked to another recent unsolved crime.

 

bossBossa Novas, Bikinis, and Bad Ends (A Happy Hoofers Mystery) – Mary McHugh –  Kicking off Carnival by entertaining the patrons at the most elegant hotel in Rio de Janeiro, the Happy Hoofers trade-in their dancing shoes and become samba-loving sleuths when their exotic Brazilian companion is found dead in her room, without a clue as to what killed her.

brakingBraking for Bodies (A Cycle Path Mystery) – Duffy Brown – Starting a new life in Mackinac Island where she works at the local bike shop, Los Angeles transplant Evie Bloomfield finds herself cycling through her past when, after an old friend comes to the island, her former editor of a sleazy rag, who arrived unexpectedly, is found dead.

newly wedNewlywed Dead (A Perfect Proposals Mystery) – Nancy J. Parra – When a bartender at her sister’s wedding drops dead from a lethal nightcap, Pepper Pomeroy, determined to discover who would want to kill a virtual stranger at a county club wedding reception, must outsmart a clever killer who is wedded to the idea of murder.

irishIrish Stewed (An Ethnic Eats Mystery) – Kylie Logan – To save her aunt’s run-down greasy spoon in Hubbard, Ohio, Laurel Inwood cooks up a plan involving daily specials featuring ethnic cuisine, but must first solve the murder of a local reporter who was found slumped over a table with a receipt spike in his back. Includes recipes.

gone withGone With The Witch (A Wishcraft Mystery) – Heather Blake – Hired to keep an eye out for a saboteur at the Pawsitively Enchanted pet contest, Darcy, along with her dog Missy, is thrown off the scent when her lead suspect is found dead and someone begins stealing prize-winning pets, forcing her to sniff out both a killer and a thief.

catchCatch As Cat Can (A Sunny & Shadow Mystery) – Claire Donally – Former reporter Sunny Coolidge, with the help of her boyfriend, Chief Investigator Will Price, must get seafood shop owner Neil Garret off the hook when he is accused of murder before the case goes belly up.

 

berryBerry the Hatchet (A Cranberry Cove Mystery) – Peg Cochran – When the mayor turns up dead during the Winter Walk grand opening ceremony, cranberry farm owner Monica Albertson and her stepmother become the prime suspects in the case when it is discovered that he was dating both of them.

seamsSeams Like Murder (A Crochet Mystery) – Betty Hechtman – When the discovery of a dead body interferes with the opening of a series of crafting classes called Yarn University, Molly, along with the Tarzana Hookers, must unravel the clues to solve this mystery. Includes recipes and crochet patterns.

againstAgainst The Paw (Paw Enforcement) – While trying to find a convicted burglar who has broken his parole, rookie cop Megan Luz, along with Sergeant Brigit, her K-9 partner, must stop a Neighborhood Watch group on Peeping Tom patrol before they take the law into their own hands.

Here are the 2017 Nutmeg Nominees!

NUTMEG-LOGOThe Nutmeg Children’s Book Award is the “Children’s Choice” Award for Connecticut. The goal of the committee is to encourage children in grades two through twelve to read quality literature. Here is a listing of the nominees, divided by the four grade based categories. The library has purchased and cataloged multiple copies of each book. There might be a waiting list for the book(s) you are interested in most, but if you place a hold on the item we will contact you when it is your turn.

The links that I have included for each title are for searches that include all formats of the material that we own, including the print copy, audiobooks, and digital formats. How many have you already read? Are there any that you loved, hated, or are surprised by?

High School (Grades 9-12)
Mosquitoland by David Arnold
The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta
A Death-Struck Year by Makiia Lucier
How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon
I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero
Jackaby by William Ritter
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
Sway by Kat Spears

Teen (Grades 7-8)
The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier
Turn Left at the Cow by Lisa Bullard
The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare
Swagger by Carl Deuker
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks
Sure Signs of Crazy by Karen Harrington
The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson
Far Far Away by Tom McNeal
Endangered by Eliot Schrefer
A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman

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Intermediate (Grades 4-6)
Gaby, Lost and Found by Angela Cervantes
Red Berries, White Clouds, Blue Sky by Sandra Dallas
Space Case by Stuart Gibbs
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
Masterminds by Gordon Korman
The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy
A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd
The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel
Eddie Red Undercover: Mystery on Museum Mile by Marcia Wells

Elementary (Grades 2-4)
Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Kathryn Gibbs Davis & Gilbert Ford
Phineas L. MacGuire Gets Cooking by Frances O’Roark Dowell & Preston McDaniels
Skateboard Party (The Carver Chronicles) by Karen English & Laura Freeman
Queen of the Diamond: The Lizzie Murphy Story by Emily Arnold McCully
Grandma in Blue with Red Hat by Scott Menchin & Harry Bliss
Ranger in Time: Rescue on the Oregon Trail by Kate Messner
One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul & Elizabeth Zunon
Quinny and Hopper by Adriana Brad Schanen & Greg Swearingen
Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman and Rick Allen
Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos by Stephanie Roth Sisson
Hana Hashimoto, Sixth VIolin by Chieri Uegaki & Qin Leng
In a Village By the Sea by Muon Van & April Chu
Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible by Ursula Vernon
Lulu’s Mysterious Mission by Judith Viorst & Kevin Cornell
Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth by Judd Winick

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Who do you think will win?

RT Book Reviews Magazine’s Author Career Achievement Awards 2015

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Each year, the editors of RT Book Review Magazine and 50 reviewers work together to narrow down a long list of nominees to find the one author who has made a great contribution in his or her genre.   Below are the 2015 winners.  Is your favorite author a winner?

Contemporary Romance – Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 100 historical and contemporary novels, most of which reflect her love of the West.

Paranormal Romance – Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of over 40 published novels, including five series; Leopard series, Dark series, Ghostwalker series, Drake Sisters series, & the Sisters of the Heart series.

Historical Romance – Julia Quinn is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of only sixteen members of Romance Writers of America’s Hall of Fame.

Erotic Romance – Maya Banks is the #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today and international bestselling author of over 50 novels.

Romantic Suspense – Carla Neggers is a New York Times bestselling author of more than 60 novels, with translations in 24 languages.

Historical Mystery – Rhys Bowen is the New York Times Bestselling author of the Royal Spyness series, Molly Murphy Mysteries, and Constable Evans. She has won the Agatha Best Novel Award and has been nominated for the Edgar Best Novel.

Mystery – Janet Evanovich is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series, the Lizzy and Diesel series, twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels and Troublemaker graphic novel, How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author, as well as the Fox and O’Hare series with co-author Lee Goldberg.

Urban Fantasy – Laurell K. Hamilton is an American fantasy and romance writer. She is best known as the author of two series of stories, the New York Times-bestselling Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series and the Merry Gentry series.

Inspirational – Irene Hannon is the author of 50 romantic suspense and contemporary romance/women’s fiction novels. She is a seven-time finalist for and three-time winner of the RITA award—the “Oscar” of romance fiction—and a member of the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame.

Mainstream – NancyThayer is the author of twenty-three novels about the mysteries and romance of families and relationships: marriage and friendships, divorce and love, custody and step parenting, family secrets and private self-affirmation, the quest for independence and the normal human hunger for personal connections.

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.

Book Recommendations from Beyond

No, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke.  New Books Alerts brought a surprise to my inbox recently.

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Did you catch it? Not the book itself, although I did rush out to the shelves to see if it was there. The review. It is 2016 and a New Book Alert showed up with a review by none other than the great (and very late)  Dorothy L. Sayers, author of the beloved Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries.

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Now those who are not devotees of British crime fiction may never have heard of Miss Sayers, but to me her name was as eye-catching as a five-star review. She wrote the Lord Peter series between 1923-1937, twelve books in all. (If you are interested, author Jill Paton Walsh added four more titles to the series, bringing the Lord Peter tales to sixteen.)

JacketBy the way, the book, Death of an Airman by Christopher St. John Sprigg, was on the shelf, so now I have a new story to read, recommended by an author, long gone but yet, still very much here. And that is one of the things I love about books. Old friends, both authors and characters, never completely leave us.