| Staff Picks February 2011 | |
| The February 2011 Staff Picks can also be viewed or printed as a PDF Staff Picks February 2011 (412KB) |
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| February FEATURE | |
 Old Filth by Jane GardamOur favorite! The life of Barrister Edward Feathers, nicknamed Old Filth (definition on page 1) is a pleasure to read – a complex, absorbing, intelligent, droll novel. ~ Louise Jones Get out your "Whigs"! This is a beautiful happy/sad tale full of personality and humanity. Funny and desperate at times, it is also life affirming and smart. I loved it! ~ Karen Frank |
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 Frozen Assets by Quentin BatesBates, a Brit who's lived in Iceland, sets his atmospheric thriller just before the 2008 banking collapse. No-nonsense cop Gunna Gisladottir realizes that several murders — rare in her small country — are linked to financial and political intrigue. First-rate first of a new series ~ Louise Jones |
 The Matchmaker of Kenmare by Frank DelaneyIn this novel, Mr. Delaney builds on our love of his historical fiction about Ireland and teases us further into the Irish-American experience at the end of WWII. The complex character of Ben MacCarthy from Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show engages the friendship of a young village matchmaker and their stories begin to intertwine,... ~ Karen Frank |
 Shadow Tag by Louise ErdrichShadow Tag tells the brutal, tragic, and compelling story of destructive marital love. Day by day the artist husband and writer wife slowly twist into a vortex where one consumes the other. Erdrich has again taken a complex and very dark theme, writing so that the sharp edges are so much easier to bare, the story lines remarkably vivid and radiant. ~ Nancy Scheemaker |
 The October Killings by Wessel EbersohnSet in South Africa. Abigail Bakula, a prominent lawyer, receives a visit from a man who fifteen years ago saved her life during a raid in which her father and others were massacred. The men who participated in the raid have been systematically murdered yearly on the anniversary of the raid... ~ Sarah Knight |
 Red Jade by Henry ChangThird in the Detective Jack Yu series, Red Jade, is set in gritty underbelly of New York and Seattle's Chinatowns. As Yu investigates a murder/suicide he discovers connections to a previous unsolved triad murder. Yu's nemesis,the elusive Mona, also returns in this very entertaining noir mystery ~ Sarah Knight |
 Union Atlantic by Adam HaslettHaslett's previous book, Pulitzer Prize-finalist You Are Not a Stranger Here, ranks with the works of Tobias Wolff and Jhumpa Lahiri for my favorite short story collections. Union Atlantic, Haslett's first novel, is set in the Boston area in 2002 and brilliantly foretells our current financial crisis while intertwining the lives of some of the most interesting characters I have read recently. ~ Stan Hynds |
 The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo HigashinoA subtle exploration into a puzzling murder, this duel of wits between an enigmatic suspect and his former academic colleague is by one of Japan's most popular and esteemed writers. ~ Louise Jones |
 Annabel by Kathleen WinterThis stunning debut novel treats the issue of a true mixed gender child as its core, but the author delves into so much more. The delicate and poignant detail of the lives of her characters reveal a philosophy and a humanity which is bone deep and envelops the reader, not only with compassion and hope, but recognition and truth about ourselves. ~ Karen Frank |
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OLD FAVORITES
 The Big Sleep by Raymond ChandlerThe peerless private eye novel, despite its contemporary political incorrectness. Although the classic movie ($19.98 dvd) replicates many of the scenes and dialogue exactly, the book's complicated plot differs — just read the splendid first paragraph: Bogart never wore a powder blue suit! ~ Louise Jones |
OLD FAVORITES
 Stories of D'J Pancake by Breece PancakeOne of America's best writers of short fiction, Pancake taps into the suspense of everyday life. "Fox Hunters" and James Alan McPherson's touching forward are alone worth the price, but each of these twelve tales is essential. Savor them; they constitute the entirety of his output. ~ Emilia B. |
 The Postmistress by Sarah BlakeWorld War II, a small Cape Cod town, three very different women, love, fate, chance meetings are the ingredients that make this a book to savor! It is a deeply emotional story that you will not want to put down. ~ Liz Barnum |
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 Radio Shangri-La by Lisa NapoliNapoli took time off from her job at NPR to help the isolated Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan set up a radio station. This touching memoir is full of moving and humorous people and situations as Napoli navigates a total cultural divide and a personal turning point ~ Louise Jones |
 Keep The Change by Steve DublanicaMost people have worked for tips at some point and know the importance of a "good" tip, but depending on your profession the amount varies. Dublanica interviews waitstaff, strippers, car wash attendants and a host of others to find out what is considered a decent tip. The answers will surprise you. ~ Sarah Teunissen |
 Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth GodinA great, passionate exhortation about how and why to excel at work — no matter what you do. It is about making your work also your art. Highly recommended. ~ Chris Morrow |
 Inventing George Washington by Edward G. LengelThe next time you hear a politician, media talking head, or religious spokesperson quote Washington or describe something he did: be skeptical. Better yet, consult this little book to learn from a distinguished scholar the ways in which Americans have had a field day in distorting the truth for over two centuries...and why it will continue. ~ Bill Lewis |
 Our Man In Tehran by Robert WrightThe 1979-81 Iran hostage crisis through the eyes of Canadian Ambassador Kenneth Taylor, who protected six Americans not at the embassy the day of the takeover. Outstanding historical and political analysis wrapped in a dangerous exploit, based on recently declassified documents and interviews. ~ Louise Jones |
NEW PAPERBACKS
 Year of Our Lord by T. R. PearsonT. R. Pearson's new book focuses on a young man named Lucas McCarty whose life, according to Pearson, is "often difficult, always determined" because he has cerebral palsy. Now in his early twenties, Lucas spent the first part of his life as an Episcopalian. Dissatisfied with the tame nature of that brand of worship he became involved with an African-American congregation in Moorhead, Mississippi called the Trinity House of Prayer Holiness Church where he was embraced without so much as a raised eyebrow... ~ Stan Hynds |
 The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook by America's Test KitchenFrom Christopher Kimball's popular PBS television cooking show, this book lightens more than 800 favorite dishes without sacrificing flavor. Profusely illustrated with pictures, graphs and informative sidebars. Excellent ~ Louise Jones |
 American Rose by Karen AbbottGypsy Rose Lee shed a lot more than her clothes in her rise from playing second banana to her younger sister, June, on the vaudeville circuit to status as an international celebrity. American Rose is something more than just another rags to riches show biz story. It relates the personal triumph of a timid and painfully self-conscious young woman... ~ Alden Graves |
 The Last Empress by Hannah PakulaEducated in the US, Soong Mei-ling, daughter of a wealthy and powerful Chinese banking family, wife of General Chiang Kai-shek, influenced American Chinese political and cultural policy for decades. An engaging, thoroughly researched book about a brilliant and determined woman. ~ Louise Jones |
 Red Brethren: The Brothertown and Stockbridge Indians and the Problem of Race in Early America by David J. SilvermanBrilliantly written study of several groups of Northeastern Indians who did everything they were asked but still were relentlessly driven from every place they settled. A sobering explanation of why there are Pequots, Narragansetts, Oneidas, and other former neighbors of our New England ancestors living in Wisconsin. A memorable read. ~ Bill Lewis |
OLD FAVORITES
 The Worst Hard Time by Timothy EganJohn Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath described the settlers of the "dust bowl" who left. This is the heroic story of those who remained. A beautifully written and intensely researched book about the settlement and disaster of America's high plains. ~ Louise Jones |
OLD FAVORITES
 Ways of Seeing by John BergerOne of the best introductions to appreciating and looking at art that I've ever read. Trips to the museum will never be the same. ~ Charles Bottomley |