On Our Shelves: New Romance

April 12, 2014August 28, 2014 / Linda / Leave a comment

New this month – a little historical romance, contemporary romance and western romance. Enjoy!

The Bride Insists by Jane Ashford – Although Clare Greenough has inherited an unexpected fortune, her money is in the hands of a trustee until she marries. She makes a deal with impetuous young James Boleigh, seventh baron Trehearth: they will marry, Clare will get control of her money, and Jamie will get the funds he desperately needs to restore his lands. Jamie agrees, believing Clare will soon become a proper, submissive wife.

Desperately Seeking Suzanna by Elizabeth Michels – Sue Green just wanted one night to be the pretty one. But a few glasses of champagne and one wild disguise later, she’s in some serious trouble. Who knew the devastatingly handsome face of Lord Holden Ellis would get in her way?

Sapphires Are Earl’s Best Friend by Shana Galen – Lily Dawson, dubbed the Countess of Charm by the Prince Regent himself, plays the role of the courtesan flawlessly while her real purpose is spying in the service of the Crown.

Carolina Man by Virginia Kantra – Marine Luke Fletcher is determined to do his duty—first to his country and now to his ten-year-old daughter, the unexpected legacy of a high school girlfriend. But his homecoming to Dare Island in North Carolina’s Outer Banks challenges his plans for the future and forces him to face everything that’s missing in his life.

What A Woman Wants by Judi Fennell – Resort entrepreneur Sean Manley was all set to buy an historic mansion at a great price, making a name for himself while making millions, when the seller and a poker bet change the game. Now he’s in the place as a hunky male maid and there’s one more complication: Livvy Carolla.

Blitzing Emilyby Julie Brannagh – Emily Hamilton doesn’t trust men. She’s much more comfortable playing the romantic lead in front of a packed house onstage than in her own life. So when NFL star and alluring ladies’ man Brandon McKenna acts as her personal white knight, she has no illusions that he’ll stick around. However, a misunderstanding with the press throws them together in a fake engagement that yields unexpected (and breathtaking) benefits.

Four Weddings and a Fireman by Jennifer Bernard – Firefighter Derek “Vader” Brown is one of a kind—six feet of solid muscle with the heart of a born hero. It’s that protective streak that has him pursuing a promotion to Captain to pay for his mother’s home care. And it’s why he intends to figure out why his sometime girlfriend Cherie Harper runs hot as hellfire one minute and pushes him away the next.

Come A Little Bit Closerby Bella Andre – Movie star Smith Sullivan can’t afford any distractions. He’s staking his entire reputation on his new film…but he can’t stop thinking about Valentina Landon and the fire he sees smoldering just beneath the surface of her cool exterior.

A Promise At Bluebell Hill by Emma Cane – From the moment Secret Service agent Travis Beaumont strides into the town and through the door of Monica Shaw’s flower shop, she feels a sizzle of attraction. After years of putting everyone else’s needs first, Monica is ready to grab hold of life. If she can just persuade the ultimate protector to let his own walls down for once .

Close Pursuit by Cindy Dees – Providing medical relief in a war-torn region helps Alex Peters forget his past and focus on the job—delivering babies. Less easy to overlook is his blonde comrade-at-arms, who knows nothing of the trouble he’s running from. Katie McCloud makes the assignment bearable, although her perky innocence proves to be an arousing distraction. Then, as combat explodes around them, their only option is flight.

The Chance by Robyn Carr – Thunder Point is the perfect place for FBI agent Laine Carrington to recuperate from a gunshot wound and contemplate her future. The locals embraced Laine as one of their own after she risked her life to save a young girl from a dangerous cult. Knowing her wounds go beyond the physical, Laine hopes she’ll fit in for a while and find her true self in a town that feels safe. She may even learn to open her heart to others, something an undercover agent has little time to indulge.

A Man to Hold On To by Marilyn Pappano – Therese Matheson doesn’t know if she’ll ever get over losing her husband in Afghanistan. Surviving Paul’s death has been hard, but raising his sullen son and his thirteen-going-on-thirty daughter alone has been even harder. All they need is a fresh start, and Tallgrass, Oklahoma, could be the perfect new beginning . . . especially when Therese meets Sergeant Keegan Logan. The sexy combat medic and single dad soon awakens a desire she’d thought long buried.

The Cottage On Juniper Ridge by Sheila Roberts – Can a book change your life? Yes, when it’s Simplicity, Muriel Sterling’s guide to plain living. In fact, it inspires Jen Heath to leave her stressful, overcommitted life in Seattle and move to Icicle Falls, where she rents a lovely little cottage on Juniper Ridge. And where she can enjoy simple pleasures—like joining the local book club—and complicated ones, like falling in love with her sexy landlord, Garrett Armstrong.

Atonementby B.J. Daniels – Protecting the citizens of Beartooth, Montana, is never an easy job. It’s been one year, and Sheriff Dillon Lawson still feels guilty that he couldn’t save his twin brother, Ethan. But the biggest test of his bravery comes when Tessa Winters arrives, claiming to be pregnant…with Ethan’s baby. At first, Dillon can’t decide if this beautiful woman is a con artist or a victim. If Ethan didn’t die in that car crash, then where is he—and why is he hiding?

Museum Passes at CPL – CT State Parks and Forests Pass

April 10, 2014July 25, 2014 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

Cheshire Library has a collection of museum & state park passes that are available on a first come, first served basis for Cheshire residents to check out. CPL Staff member Lisa continues our series about the museum passes we offer, along with related reading material. This month, CT State Parks and Forests Pass!

Featured Museum Pass: CT State Parks & Forests Pass

This month’s featured museum pass is for the CT State Parks & Forests. This pass can be used to cover the cost of parking at state parks and forests where there is an established parking charge. Parking fees are charged at all four state park beaches on Long Island Sound as well as several inland parks. The pass can also be used to cover the admission fee for two adults and four children at state historical sites and exhibit centers at Dinosaur, Fort Trumbull and Gillette Castle State Parks. It is not valid for groups or vehicles carrying more than 12 passengers. All museum passes are available to Cheshire Residents on a first-come, first-served basis and must be returned by the close of business the next day.

The State Park Pass is part of the No Child Left Inside program established by the CT DEEP. The Connecticut Library Consortium and the CT DEEP have partnered to provide Connecticut State Park Day Passes to public libraries across the state. Launched in 2006, No Child Left Inside^® is a promise to introduce children to the wonder of nature – for their own health and well-being, for the future of environmental conservation, and for the preservation of the beauty, character and communities of the great State of Connecticut. For more information on No Child Left Inside, check out their website at: http://www.ct.gov/ncli/site/default.asp

To celebrate the past, present and future of Connecticut State Parks, the Connecticut State Parks Division, in partnership with the Friends of Connecticut State Parks (FCSP) and the Connecticut Forest and Park Association (CFPA), is planning a year-long Centennial Celebration. Connecticut State Parks have much to offer: hiking, fishing, swimming, camping and picnicking are just some of the things that you can do at the various parks. To locate a park, find out what amenities are offered or learn more about the Centennial Celebration check out the CT DEEP website at http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=325086&deepNav_GID=1650

For a list of state parks and forests and information on parking fees, check out: http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=325082&deepNav_GID=1650

To find out more about camping at Connecticut State Parks and Forests, including fees, amenities, site availability and to reserve a site go to www.reserveamerica.com

If you are interested in visiting Connecticut State Parks, you might be interested in:

Hidden in Plain Sight: A Deep Traveler Explores Connecticut by David K. Leff. In the course of the mundane routines of life, we encounter a variety of landscapes and objects, either ignoring them or looking without interest at what appears to be just a tree, stone, anonymous building, or dirt road. But the “deep traveler,” according to Hartford Courant essayist David K. Leff, doesn’t make this mistake. Instead, the commonplace elements become the most important. By learning to see the magic in the mundane, we not only enrich daily life with a sense of place, we are more likely to protect and make those places better. Over his many years working at the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and writing about the state’s landscape, Leff gained unparalleled intimacy while traveling its byways and back roads. In Hidden in Plain Sight, Leff’s essays and photographs take us on a point-by-point journey, revealing the rich stories behind many of Connecticut’s overlooked landmarks.

Wacky Weather Picture Books to Share

April 8, 2014June 12, 2014 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Even without the snow filled and freezing cold winter we have just had weather is always an interesting topic to discuss with your children. From snow storms and the school free days they often bring to sunny days at the beach weather is always with us and affects our daily lives and activities. Here are some picturebooks about wacky weather than can make children of all ages laugh and start a discussion about nature and weather in your house.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett; drawn by Ron Barrett. Life is delicious in the town of Chewandswallow where it rains soup and juice, snows mashed potatoes, and blows storms of hamburgers–until the weather takes a turn for the worse.

Hello, Sun! by Dayle Ann Dodds; pictures by Sachiko Yoshikawa. A young girl and her cat must change clothes many times as the weather goes from sunny to cloudy to rainy to snowy.

Aunt Minnie and the Twister by Mary Skillings Prigger; illustrated by Betsy Lewin. After a tornado rearranges their Kansas house, Aunt Minnie and the nine nieces and nephews living with her add on a much-needed new room.

Un-brella by Scott E. Franson. In this wordless book, a little girl uses her magic umbrella to give her the weather she wants, regardless of what the conditions really are outside.

Bartholomew and the Oobleck written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss. The King, tired of rain, snow, sun and fog, commands his magicians to make something else come down from the sky, but when oobleck falls, in sticky greenish droplets, Bartholomew Cubbins shames the King and saves the kingdom.

As usual, there are too many great books to limit myself to the size allotted here, so I will offer a few more and invite you to offer more suggestions in the comments. My other suggestions include; Sector 7 by David Wiesner, Miss Mingo Weathers the Storm by Jamie Harper, Sun, Snow, Stars, Sky by Catherine and Laurence Anholt, Mouse & Mole and the All-Weather Train Ride by Doug Cushman, and The Magic School Bus Kicks up a Storm adaptation by Nancy White and illustrated by Art Ruiz.

Linda Reads: Do or Die (Reluctant Heroes) by Suzanne Brockmann

April 6, 2014August 28, 2014 / Linda / Leave a comment

Do or Die (new series, Reluctant Heroes) by Suzanne Brockmann is a heart pounding, non-stop action, suspenseful, character driven, romantic, passionate, emotional, wonderfully written story that, despite it’s long length, you won’t be able to put down.

It is a spin-off of Ms Brockmann’s very popular Troubleshooters series and I must say, she takes this book to a whole new level.

The story centers around a supposedly dishonored Navy SEAL, Ian Dunn, who is in prison under suspicious circumstances, and his feisty lawyer, Phoebe Kruger, who is determined to get him out. It’s a complicated story with multiple sub-plots, but told with clarity through Ms Brockmann’s exquisite writing and a cast of interesting, multi-dimensional characters. The FBI wants Ian to lead a covert operation to rescue some kidnapped children from their ruthless father, but Ian has family issues that cause him to refuse. Phoebe is determined to find out what Ian’s issues are so they can rescue the children. Characters from the Troubleshooters series cross over to add support to this story. There are great surprises when some of the characters’ full stories are finally revealed. There are multiple love stories, but the book is more suspenseful than romantic. It’s infused with humor and the characters are written with such delicious detail, you can imagine yourself inside their heads.

The book is quite lengthy and I was hoping to skip parts here and there, but it was so well written, so entertaining, I just had to read every word! Great characters were introduced in this book that are going to lead to an exciting series!

10 Books We’re Looking Forward to in April

April 5, 2014June 4, 2014 / Louise / Leave a comment

Another month, another list of new books to look forward to!

Every month, librarians from around the country pick the top ten new books they’d most like to share with readers. The results are published on LibraryReads.org. One of the goals of LibraryReads is to highlight the important role public libraries play in building buzz for new books and new authors. Click through to read more about what new and upcoming books librarians consider buzzworthy this month. The top ten titles for April are: