Blog Post
Staff Picks: Great Two-Player Games
by emjane
During the deepest, darkest days of the pandemic, my partner and I found ourselves desperately missing our Game Nights from the before-times and started a quest to find the best two-player games we could find. Though our gaming options have since broadened again, we still often find ourselves turning to one of these games for a quick after-dinner match!
Patchwork | Request Now
The concept of Patchwork is simple: each player is given a quilt square and needs to fill it by piecing together patches. Players take turns selecting patches (imagine cardboard Tetris pieces), collecting bonuses, and attempting to finish their quilt. Quick to learn and light to carry, Patchwork also seems like a great game to bring on a picnic! Just make sure you have plenty of room on your blanket; the box is small, but a fair amount of space is needed to spread out the patches.
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Staff Picks: Road Trip Audiobooks
by eapearce
August is a great month for road trips, and it can be a challenge to stay entertained during long hours of traveling. One solution is to listen to an audiobook! There are several ways to listen to audiobooks for FREE through AADL. You can check out audiobooks through the Libby app, formerly known as OverDrive, and you can check out physical books on CD to listen to at any of our library locations!
Here are a few of our favorite audiobooks!
Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders | Request Now
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Staff Picks: Grab a Book, See the World!
by eapearce
Reading a book lets you step out of your real life for a little while and enter different worlds—sometimes in small ways and sometimes in vast ones. One of the best things about reading is picturing places we’ve never been or haven’t been to in a long time. Here are some recommendations that will transport you to destinations near and far.
Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon | Request Now
First published in 1982, Blue Highways is the acclaimed memoir of Heat-Moon’s three-month soul-searching travels around the United States in the late 1970s. After experiencing some personal troubles, Heat-Moon, who is of Osage heritage, equipped his van with a bed, portable toilet, and additional storage space and set out on a road trip, sticking only to what he called “blue highways”--the small, out-of-the-way, and sometimes forgotten roads of rural America. He traveled nearly 13,000 miles, stopped in small towns with names that interested him, avoided major cities and thoroughfares, and engaged the variety of people he met in conversation. The stories that emerge from his travels are fascinating, thought-provoking, sometimes uplifting and sometimes sad. The forty years that have elapsed since its publication make Blue Highways no less worth reading!
Blog Post
Staff Picks: Great Books from 2021 You Might Have Missed
by emjane
So many amazing and meaningful books come out EVERY YEAR and it's IMPOSSIBLE to read them all. Maybe you missed hearing about a title. Maybe you peeped at the hold list and thought “another time.” That time is now! Here are four great books that came out in 2021 that are worth circling back for!
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton | Request Now
Opal, a young Black woman in 1970s Detroit is ready to leave her Michigan life behind when she’s discovered by British up-and-coming musician Nev at a nightclub show. The two talents find great success, but reach an explosive end after Opal protests the racist actions of another band on their label. Told from multiple characters’ perspectives, Opal & Nev, unravels the story from the 1970s while also chronicling an attempt to reunite the two for one last performance in the modern day. The use of multiple narrators keeps the book propelling forward – I found myself wanting to set aside all responsibilities and just sit with the book until I made it to the end!
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Fabulous Fiction Firsts #814
by muffy
Alias Emma * * * (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) by Ava Glass (the pseudonym for a best-selling novelist, the first in a planned series) is an “adrenaline-fueled tour of clandestine London.” (Library Journal)
In the last two weeks, 4 Russian scientists defected to the UK have been assassinated, with the efficiency and audacity, hallmark of the Russian military spy agency GRU. Now, Emma Makespeace, a newly-minted MI6 secret agent, has been assigned to protect their next target - Michael Primalov, a London pediatric oncologist and son of high-valued Russian dissidents. Trying to convince Michael that his life is in danger and to accept her protection is no easy task. He is finally convinced when they are attacked on the London street.
But something is wrong. When Emma’s request to bring MIchael in is denied and a cryptic message left by her trusted mentor instructs her to “go dark” since London's famous Ring of Steel has been hacked by the Russian government, the pair must cross the city without being seen by the hundreds of thousands of CCTV cameras. To reach safety, Emma leads Michael through alleys, sewer tunnels, and back channels that don't appear in any guide book.
In this breakneck, race-against-the-clock thriller, readers might want to ask, at some point….Should Michael trust Emma? For nothing about Emma Makepeace is real. Not even her name.
“Intense, cinematic action propels this terrific old-fashioned thriller neatly brought up to date. Glass is off to an impressive start.” (Publishers Weekly)
According to Spyscape "Alias Emma (2022) is already in pre-production at The Ink Factory, the London studio that produced the John le Carré series The Little Drummer Girl and The Night Manager."
* * * = 3 starred reviews
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Fabulous Fiction Firsts #813 - Locked-Room Mysteries
by muffy
Death and the Conjuror: A Joseph Spector Locked-Room Mystery * (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) by Tom Mead, a series launch that features a magician-turned-sleuth in 1936 London, “a valentine to the locked-room puzzles of John Dickson Carr, to whom it is dedicated. “ (Kirkus Reviews)
Renowned psychiatrist Dr. Anselm Rees, a recent arrival from Vienna, has taken up residence at Dollis Hill. On a rainy night, after a secretive visit from a guest, he is discovered dead in his locked study. With no clues, no witnesses, and no murder weapon, George Flint, a stumped Scotland Yard detective calls on retired stage magician-turned-part-time sleuth Joseph Spector for help.
As they interview the colorful cast of suspects among the psychiatrist's patients and household: Floyd Stenhouse, Patient A, a Philharmonic violinist tormented by dreams of snakes; Della Cookson, Patient B, a kleptomaniac actress currently starring in Miss Death, which has just opened at the Pomegranate Theatre; and Claude Weaver, Patient C, a suspense novelist subject to blackouts, they uncover no shortage of dark secrets or motives for murder.
“Mead maintains suspense throughout, creating a creepy atmosphere en route to satisfying reveals. Puzzle mystery fans will eagerly await the sequel.” (Publishers Weekly)
Under Lock & Skeleton Key (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook), the first book in Gigi Pandian’s Secret Staircase mystery series, flawlessly balances magic, misdirection and murder.
26-year-old Tempest Raj, a popular Vegas magician, returns home to Hidden Creek, California, broke and disgraced after a dangerous stunt in her new show goes horribly wrong. Reluctantly, she starts working at Secret Staircase Construction, her father’s business that specializes in bringing magic to their clients homes - secret passageways, sliding bookcases, intricate locks and hidden entrances.
On the site of their latest job, Tempest discovers a body inside a wall that's been sealed for decades - THE body of her former stage double, Cassidy Sparrow who Tempest suspects sabotaged her Vegas show.
“This "Secret Staircase" series starter is a fresh and magical locked-room mystery filled with fascinating and likable characters, incredible settings, and Tempest's grandfather's home cooked Indian meals (recipes included)...Readers will enjoy not only figuring out the mystery but also learning how the magic tricks are done.” (Library Journal)
BONUS FEATURE
The Christie Affair * * * by Nina de Gramont (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) is the “fanciful reimagining of actual events“ (Booklist) in the life of Agatha Christie on the author's mysterious, 11-day disappearance in December 1926, shortly after Christie's husband, Archie, revealed he was having an affair with Nan O'Dea, and wanted a divorce.
Amidst the national manhunt for the celebrated author, Agatha and Nan met up at the fashionable spa town of Harrogate where a series of impossible crimes occurred.
“The author weaves a clever, highly original, mesmerizing tale filled with strange and unexpected turns and concludes it in an unexpected but wholly satisfying manner. With its superb writing, strong characterizations, and wonderfully imaginative plot, this is a must-read for fans of romance, history, or mystery.” (Booklist)
“Devilishly clever, elegantly composed and structured—simply splendid.” (Kirkus Reviews)
The Woman in the Library * * * by Australian author Sulari Gentill (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) opens with four strangers sharing a table at the Boston Public Library. Writer Winifred “Freddie” Kincaid, recipient of a prestigious writers’ residency fellowship, named them "Freud Girl," "Heroic Chin," and "Handsome Man" before she gets to know them as Marigold Anastas, Whit Metters and Cain McLeod when they heard a woman's terrified scream. As they wait for the all-clear from Security, a quick friendship forms. Then they read that a woman’s body had been found in the Library. The subsequent story is Freddie's account of their relationship and her growing awareness that one of them is likely the murderer.
“But Hannah Tignone, a best-selling Australian author, is actually writing the story of Freddie and her new friends. The story within a story alternates Hannah's writing with letters written to her by a wannabe author, Leo…Freddie's account of trying to discover which of her new friends is a killer is an engrossing mystery…Ned Kelly Award winner Gentill presents a complex, riveting story within a story.” (Library Journal)
The Locked Room: A Ruth Galloway Mysteries by Elly Griffiths (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook).
Three years after her mother's death, Ruth is finally sorting through her things when she finds a curious relic: a decades-old photograph of her own Norfolk cottage--before she lived there--with a peculiar inscription on the back. Ruth returns to the cottage to uncover its meaning as Norfolk's first cases of Covid-19 make headlines, leaving her and Kate to shelter in place there. They struggle to stave off isolation by clapping for frontline workers each evening and befriending a kind neighbor, Zoe, from a distance.
Meanwhile, Detective Nelson (and Kate's father) is investigating a series of deaths of women that may or may not be suicide. When he links a case to an archaeological discovery, he breaks curfew to visit Ruth and enlist her help. But the further Nelson investigates the deaths, the closer he gets to Ruth's isolated cottage--until Ruth, Zoe, and Kate all go missing, and Nelson is left scrambling to find them before it's too late.
Readers of locked-room mysteries might also what to check out CrimeReads’ The Great Locked Room Mystery: My Top 10 Impossible Crimes.
* * * = 3 starred reviews
* = Starred review
Blog Post
Staff Picks: Stay Cool With a Beach Read
by eapearce
It’s hot out there! Even if you can’t jet off to a breezy beach, you can still dive into a beach read and escape. Here are a few staff recommendations that will make you feel like you have your toes in the sand!
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren | Request Now
This romantic comedy features the classic enemies-to-lovers storyline, but tells the story in a fun, fresh way. Olive has always felt like the unlucky one compared to her twin, Ami. Fresh off of a layoff, Olive is prepared to grit her teeth through Ami’s sure-to-be-perfect wedding and do her best to spend the day avoiding Ethan, the best man that she’s always hated. Unfortunately, the wedding turns out to be not so perfect after all, when everyone but Olive and Ethan are struck with food poisoning. Too ill to go on their Hawaii honeymoon, Ami and her new husband offer up the trip to the two enemies. Determined to enjoy the paid-for vacation to paradise, Olive and Ethan agree to a temporary truce and to try and make the best of the situation. But as the two enjoy the sparkling beaches of Maui, Olive begins to wonder if perhaps the truce shouldn’t be so temporary after all….
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Staff Picks: Books About Food (and snacks to eat while you read them)
by emjane
Cookbooks are wonderful, but sometimes you just want to READ about food, right? As someone whose two main hobbies are reading and cooking, I found these books to be DELICIOUS! Theme some snacks if you’re feeling ambitious, or just bite into a great culinary read!
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson | Request Now
Byron and his somewhat estranged sister Benny are thrust back together following the death of their mother, Eleanor. Eleanor’s untraditional inheritance includes a frozen piece of black cake, a traditional recipe from their Caribbean heritage, and a recording of Eleanor telling her story to her children. Interweaving Eleanor’s historical story rife with family secrets and Byron & Benny’s present-day challenges reckoning with their grief and each other, Black Cake is a full-flavored story of intrigue, history, and family.
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Fabulous Fiction Firsts #812 - Debut Cozies
by muffy
The Marlow Murder Club * * is a series launch for Robert Thorogood (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook), a screewriter/novelist, and the creator of BBC One murder mystery series Death in Paradise.
77 year-old Judith Potts, a crossword puzzle setter for The Times, lives a contented life in the village of Marlow ever since inheriting a grand mansion from her great-aunt. One evening while out skinny-dipping on the Thames, she heard a gunshot coming from her neighbor Stefan Dunwoody’s garden. When the police found Stephen’s body in the river the next day, they called it a suicide. A suspicious Judith decides to investigate. Soon she is joined by Susie Harris, a no-nonsense dog walker, and Becks Starling, the much put-upon local vicar’s wife. Together they called themselves the Marlow Murder Club. Then more bodies turn up, suggesting a serial killer is on the loose.
“How these women of a certain age unite to solve the crime is as entertaining and intriguing as the fair play mystery itself. The way the characters evolve as their relationships grow sets this light mystery above the pack.” (Publishers Weekly)
Fans of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club will like the amateur sleuths introduced in this puzzle…While avid mystery readers might recognize the twist, the finale and its grand solution are worthy of Agatha Christie. (Library Journal)
If you’ve binge-watched M. C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin series, and BBC’s Hetty Wainthropp Investigates (based on characters from the novel by David Cook) you would find Judith Potts simply irresistible.
A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook)
London, 1923. In this debut and series launch, Saffron Everleigh, the only female research assistant at University College London, hopes to follow in her famous father’s footsteps. Estranged from her family due to her ambition and slighted by her male colleagues at every turn, she finds in Dr. Maxwell, a kind and supportive mentor.
One evening, Saffron attends a dinner party hosted by Sir Edward Leister, the donor supporting the biology department's forthcoming Amazon expedition, when Mrs. Henry, one of the professor’s wives drops to the floor, apparently poisoned by a toxin. As evidence points to Dr. Maxwell who brought back the suspected plant from a previous expedition, Saffron realizes it's up to her to clear Dr. Maxwell's name. Joined by fellow botanist Alexander Ashton, a battle-fatigued WWI veteran, “(t)he duo investigate rancorous academic rivalries, libidinous faculty members, and gardens and greenhouses filled with lethal plants.” (Publishers Weekly)
“An exciting debut with a determined protagonist whose future is sure to contain romance and mystery.” (Kirkus Reviews) Perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Anna Lee Huber.
* * = 2 starred reviews
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Fabulous Fiction Firsts #811 - Romance, By The Book
by muffy
The Roughest Draft * * by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook), is the first book for adults by married YA coauthors.
As soon as Katrina Freeling and Nathan Van Huysen’s mega-bestseller romance hit the literary market three years ago, they went their separate ways. Nathan is now divorced, living in Brooklyn while Katrina, engaged to their agent Chris, calls L.A. home and has given up writing all together. Now personal and professional circumstances force them to return to the Key West beach house, to work on one final book due on contract. “They hole up in Florida and insult each other through drafting their new manuscript--until their true feelings reveal themselves on the page.” (Publishers Weekly)
“In intricate layers, Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka unfurl what went wrong between Katrina and Nathan and how their past anger transmutes into desire and soul-binding love, making for a deeply emotional meditation on the psychological perils of success within a passionate romance.” (Booklist)
“This will-they-or-won’t-they romance is perfect for readers who enjoy friends-to-lovers, or anyone pursuing a passion project professionally. For fans of Emily Henry’s Beach Read, Minnie Darke’s Star-Crossed, and Christina Lauren’s Twice in a Blue Moon.” (Library Journal)
The Dead Romantics,* Ashley Poston’s adult fiction debut (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) is “a refreshing rom-com about love, loss, and hope.” (Publishers Weekly)
Florence Day, ghostwriter for one of the most prolific romance authors in the industry, is struggling to finish the 4th book in her contract, ever since a bitter betrayal broke her heart, and she no longer believes in love. A plea for an extension from her new editor, Benji Andor is denied, and just then, her mother calls to tell her her beloved father had died unexpectedly. So Florence heads home after an absence of 10 years, to help bury her father.
At the Day’s Funeral Parlor where, for generations, the family has tended to the town’s dearly departed, Florence hopes her father’s ghost would appear to say goodbye. Instead, she finds the ghost of the broad and infuriatingly handsome Benji Andor at the front door. Now, Florence must contend with Ben’s confused ghost following her around town, and their unfinished business will have her second-guessing everything she’s ever known about love stories.
“The zippy banter between Florence and nearly everyone she meets keeps things moving at a sprightly clip. Every interaction is a delight, and getting to know the cast of characters in Florence’s orbit adds excitement to the book. The romance takes a bit longer to build, though, and flits in and out of focus. Florence and Ben share such chemistry that it’s a shame readers are often left waiting for them to interact. The ghostly element is fun and fresh, adding slightly higher stakes to Florence and Ben's happily-ever-after. A sweet and sparkling adult debut.” (Kirkus Reviews)
AUDIO PICKS
In Meet Me in the Margins (audiobook, also available in downloadable eBook) by Melissa Ferguson, when the editor-in-chief of the most successful romance imprint requests to see Savannah Cade’s manuscript that she has been working on in secret, she is thrilled, but as an editor in a highbrow publisher of literary fiction, it would have to remain her secret…. until she drops her manuscript during a staff meeting to introduce William Pennington, the new publisher. In a panic, she hides it in the secret turret room of the old Victoria office.
When she has the chance to retrieve it, she’s dismayed to discover that someone has written notes in the margins, and quite critical too. As the deadline for submission draws near, Savannah is forced to seek the help of her secret “editor”, and to be honest, Savannah realizes she is actually falling for him, whoever he is.
Lauren Kate’s first adult Rom-Com By Any Other Name * (audiobook, also available in downloadable eBook) is an enemies-to-lovers romance about an editor, her bestselling author, and one life-changing secret.
Elaine “Lanie” Bloom, romance editor at Peony Press is given the opportunity of a lifetime - to work with renowned but elusive Noa Callaway, who is suffering an impossible writer’s block. Lanie soon discovers that her favorite author with whom she had worked for years via email is in fact, Noah Ross, the attractive mystery man she recently met at a book launch. In the meantime, Lanie is having second thoughts about her fiance, Ryan, a handsome political hopeful with presidential aspirations, who would like nothing more than for her to quit her job to become the next FLOTUS (First Ladies of the United States)-in-training. Suddenly, everything she thought she knew about love, her relationship, and Noah’s novels comes crashing down
“Most readers won’t be surprised to discover the reason Noa is so reclusive, but this doesn’t take away from enjoying the slow burning central relationship. Kate surrounds both Noa and Lanie with well-drawn friends and family who add welcome backstory and create a sense that these are two people with full lives outside of each other meeting in the middle. The result is both smart and adorable.“ (Publishers Weekly)
* * = 2 starred reviews
* = Starred review