popular fiction | The Cheshire Library Blog

what's trending Wondering which new fiction titles have been trending recently at the Cheshire Library? Here they are!

The Murder House – James Patterson.
Returning to the luxurious Hamptons of her youth to investigate the murders of a Hollywood power broker and his mistress, Detective Jenna Murphy uncovers links between the case and a series of unsolved killings.

Rogue Lawyer – John Grisham .
A nomadic lawyer because of frequent death threats, Sebastian Rudd takes on a case involving a brain-damaged young man accused of murdering two little girls.

X – Sue Grafton.
A serial killer who leaves no trace of his crimes challenges Kinsey Milhone’s skills to solve the case before she becomes his next victim.

Cross Justice – James Patterson.
Returning to his North Carolina hometown to defend a cousin accused of a heinous crime, Alex Cross is drawn into the search for a brutal murderer before his world is shattered by the revelation of a devastating family secret.

The Guilty – David Baldacci.
When his father is charged with murder and refuses to do anything to prove his innocence, Will Robie returns as an outsider to his hometown of Cantrell, Mississippi–where is he is met with distrust–to conduct his own investigation.

Memory Man – David Baldacci.
More than a year after the most tragic event in Amos Decker’s life, a man confesses to murdering his family and Amos, called to help with the investigation, struggles with the memories.

Blueprints – Barbara Delinsky.
The bond between a talented carpenter and her architect daughter is challenged by a career-shifting television network decision, a family death, sudden parenting responsibilities, and changing romantic prospects.

All Dressed in White – Mary Higgins Clark.
Laurie Moran recreates the events surrounding a bride’s disappearance five years earlier and learns that all of the woman’s acquaintances have a theory about why she vanished, including someone who will do anything to keep the truth hidden.

Breakdown – Jonathon Kellerman.
When an actress turns up dead after a public breakdown weeks earlier, Alex Delaware assists lieutenant Milo Sturgis with the case and wonders if there is a connection to the victim’s missing daughter and a second celebrity killing.

Alert – James Patterson.
While pursuing terrorists responsible for two high-tech attacks and an assassination, detective Michael Bennett realizes that the attacks are a prelude to a bigger and more devastating event.

Author Highlight – James Patterson

James Patterson has created more enduring fictional characters than any other novelist writing today with his Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, Women’s Murder Club, Private, NYPD Red, Daniel X, Maximum Ride, and Middle School series. As of January 2016, he has sold over 350 million books worldwide and currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers. In addition to writing the thriller novels for which he is best known, he also writes children’s, middle-grade, and young-adult fiction and is also the first author to have #1 new titles simultaneously on the New York Times adult and children’s bestsellers lists.

For more about James Patterson, here is a link to his official website.

what to read

So we’re into the new year. What did you decide to read? The newest best-seller, older fiction? Or maybe you wanted to give the old brain some stimulation by reading some non-fiction. Let’s see how what you choose to read compares to what’s trending lately at CPL.

Top Five New Fiction

The Murder House – James Patterson -Returning to the luxurious Hamptons of her youth to investigate the murders of a Hollywood power broker and his mistress, Detective Jenna Murphy uncovers links between the case and a series of unsolved killings.

Memory Man – David Baldacci – More than a year after the most tragic event in Amos Decker’s life, a man confesses to murdering his family and Amos, called to help with the investigation, struggles with the memories.

X – Sue Grafton – A serial killer who leaves no trace of his crimes challenges Kinsey Milhone’s skills to solve the case before she becomes his next victim.

Saturn Run – John Sanford – When a Caltech intern notices what seems to be a spaceship decelerating towards Saturn, a new space race begins as governments hurry to get their hands on the technology.

A Banquet of Consequences – Elizabeth George – Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his partner Barbara Havers are drawn from Cambridge to London as they investigate any possible connections between the suicide of a young man who leaped to his death from a Dorset cliff and a murder by poisoning in Cambridge.

Rounding out the top ten – Cross Justice–James Patterson; Scandalous Behavior–Stuart Woods; The Theory of Death–Faye Kellerman; Rogue Lawyer–John Grisham; The Melody Lingers– Mary Higgins Clark

Top Five Fiction

The Litigators–John Grisham – Law firm partners Oscar Finley and Wally Figg see a chance for huge financial gain when they learn of a pending class action lawsuit against the makers of Krayoxx, a popular cholesterol-reducing drug suspected of causing heart attacks.

Daddy’s Gone Hunting – Mary Higgins Clark – When her sister is wrongly implicated in an explosion that has destroyed her family’s priceless antiques business and killed an employee, Hannah struggles to find clues in the ashes and discovers a life-threatening secret from the past.

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

The Runaway Jury – John Grisham – Goes behind the doors of a jury room to reveal what happens among members of a jury in the middle of deliberations as one powerful leader of the jury works to sway the verdict.

Sing You Home – Jodie Picoult – Ten years of infertility issues culminate in the destruction of music therapist Zoe Baxter’s marriage, after which she falls in love with another woman and wants to start a family, but her ex-husband, Max, stands in the way.

Rounding out the top ten – The Goldfinch–Donna Tartt; Top Secret Twenty-one–Janet Evanovich; Winter Street– Erin Hildebrand; The Escape–David Baldacci; Loves Music, Loves To Dance–Mary Higgins Clark

Top Five New Non-Fiction

Dead Wake: the last crossing of the Lusitania – Erik Larson -A chronicle of the sinking of the Lusitania discusses the factors that led to the tragedy and the contributions of such figures as Woodrow Wilson, bookseller Charles Lauriat, and architect Theodate Pope Riddle.

Down The Rabbit Hole – Holly Madison – A former girlfriend of Hugh Hefner describes how her years inside the Playboy Mansion went from a fairytale of A-list celebrity parties to an oppressive regime of strict rules, scheduled sex, and a total loss of identity, so much so that she even contemplated suicide.

Killing Reagan – Bill O’reilly – Recounts President Reagan’s career, discussing his time in Hollywood, the beginning of his political career, and overcoming the trauma of an assassination attempt.

Spark Joy – Marie Kando – Offers an illustrated guide to organizing closets, folding clothes, and minimizing clutter.

The Egg And I – Betty MacDonald – Relates the experiences of a young couple in their attempts to succeed on a run-down chicken farm.

Rounding out the top ten – The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to New York City–Rob Gardner; Fodor’s New York City 2016; $2 A Day: living on almost nothing–Kathryn Edin; Gluten-Free Girl American Classics Reinvented–Shauna James Ahern; The Mission Chinese Food Cookbook–Danny Bowien

Top Five Non-Fiction

Hip Knit Hats: 40 fabulous designs – Offers forty designs for caps, buckets, berets, tams, and felted hats.

The Necklace – Describes how thirteen women combined forces and funds to jointly purchase a diamond necklace that they would share, revealing how a simple agreement to share a piece of jewelry became a study in friendship, adventure, possibility, and the power of giving back.

Scott 2011 Standard Postage Stamp Catalog

The New Prayer Shawl Companion – This book features 34 prayer shawl patterns that will inspire knitters of all skill levels and features designs for moments of celebration and for times of solace and remembrance.

Autobiographies: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas – A new one-volume edition of an American classic offers the complete memoirs of the eloquent escaped slave, who in the nineteenth century shaped the abolitionist movement and became the most influential African-American of his era.