NEW
What Trout Want: The Educated Trout and Other Myths by Bob Wyatt. Wyatt challenges
a century's
worth of fishing
convention, presenting
evidence
that trout are not
the suspicious creatures
they've been made out to be.
Trout don't have the ability to learn
and reason, and are governed instead
by instinct. Accordingly, different fly
design and better presentation will
yield better results. A revolutionary approach
to fly fishing. ~
Nate George
Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad by Eric Foner. New York
City was a destination
point for many
blacks escaping from
slavery in the decades
leading up to
the Civil War. This
is the story of the area's underground
railroad, manned by people who, by
refusing to abide by a grossly unjust law,
put their own lives in peril. Accessible,
meticulously researched history that is,
sadly, still topical. ~
Alden Graves
HARDCOVER
I Think You're Totally Wrong by David Shields & Caleb Powell. Two
writers hole up for
days to ostensibly
talk around the fascinating
theme of Life
vs. Art, which they do eloquently, but
they also ooze into the personal, which
makes it a riveting read. ~ Reviewed by
Carol Graser
AUDIOBOOK
Even This I Get to Experience by Norman Lear. At 92, in
his own clear voice,
Lear is with-it and
funny as he tells his
rags-to-riches story,
always crediting his
talented colleagues for their contributions
to his successs. Beyond his
charm, the inside scoop and evolution
of the great, radical TV shows of the
60s is fascinating. I'm in love! ~
Heather Bellanca
GRAPHIC NOVELS
The Sculptor by Scott McCloud. This powerful
graphic novel
deserves a place
between Persepolis
and Habibi. A frustrated
young sculptor
is granted the ability to realize his
artistic visions, but at a terrible price.
McCloud's brilliant, touching illustrations
and deft way with a character
make this a triumph of the highest
order. ~
Charles Bottomley
NEW PAPERBACK
The Age of Earthquakes: A Guide to the Extreme Present
by Douglas Coupland. Everyone can agree
that they've grown
a little too attached
to their electronic devices. Douglas
Coupland and his friends have taken a
magnifying glass to popular culture and
created a uniquely bizarre look at our
tech-addled lives. This is a scattershot
bludgeoning of quotes, quips, and non
sequiturs. ~ Reviewed by
Chris Linendoll
OLD FAVORITE
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. You
haven't read Outliers
yet? Unimaginable.
Gladwell
offers brilliantly
researched insights
into everything
from the roots of Bill Gates' megasuccess
to the unexpected cultural explanations
for airplane crashes and the
role that birthdate plays in a hockey
player's rise to the top. Gladwell's
surprising, yet supremely logical,
findings are enlightening, possibly life
changing. ~ Reviewed by
Jon Fine
DVDs

Whiplash DVD &
Blu-ray. J. K. Simmons delivers a bone-wrenching performance in this movie
about the volatile relationship between a music teacher and the young
drummer in whom he senses a potential for greatness. Fiercely intelligent
filmmaking that mercilessly details the almost superhuman physical
and emotional toll of being the best.
Into The Wooods DVD & Blu-ray. Meryl Streep is delightful
in this lavish adaptation of Stephen
Sondheim's most popular musical.
If the work is a little less enchanting
than it was on stage, it still boasts a
brilliant score. The DVD and Blu
ray editions include
a new song, "She'll
Be Back," written especially
for Streep to
sing in the movie.~ Alden Graves
FICTION
NEW
Early Warning by Jane Smiley. This second
book in a trilogy follows
the Langdons
through the 1960s
and 70s. Ms. Smiley
touches upon some
of the most traumatic
events of those tumultuous years,
reminding us in the process of how
our own lives are molded and shaped
by forces that are often far beyond our
control. ~
Alden Graves
At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen. A story of three
privileged friends
who travel to Scotland
from America,
in search of the
Loch Ness monster
during World War
II. With so many secrets revealed
among the unique backdrop of Scotland
during wartime, I hung onto
every word. A highly recommended
new novel by the author of Water for
Elephants. ~
Jessica Elder
The Devil's Detective by Simon Kurt Unsworth. A
gritty, disturbing,
and raw murder
mystery set against
the backdrop of a
Hell so brutal that
even Hieronymous Bosch would be
unnerved. This is an amazing first
novel that grabs the reader from the
first page. ~ Reviewed by
Sarah Donner
OLD FAVORITE
House Made of Dawn by Natachee Scott Momaday. Episodic story about a
young Native American
who has trouble
assimilating himself
into a racially divided
society after his service in World War
II. The novel is the literary equivalent
of one of John Ford’s Monument Valley
films, summoning up the beauty,
grandeur, and harshness of an unspoiled
landscape in prose that will take your
breath away. ~ Reviewed by
Alden Graves
HARDCOVER
The Jazz Palace by Mary Morris. Step back
into the past, walk
Chicago's South
Side, hear the piano
and brass making
sounds never heard
in the North before.
In this rich novel of interweaving plots,
follow two families through hard years,
stark realities, death, and the birth of a
new world. Lay on some Armstrong and
settle in for a great read! ~ Reviewed by
Leah Moore
Asylum by Jeannette De Beauvoir. The brutally
murdered bodies
of four women
are found posed
on park benches in
Montreal. Fearing a
public relations disaster
for the tourist season the mayor's
PR director is asked to work with a
young detective. They begin to suspect
the women are linked to a cover up by
the Roman Catholic Church which
dates back to the 1950s. ~ Reviewed by
Sarah Knight
The Children's Crusade by Ann Packer. A compassionate
doctor, his
agitated wife, and
their four children
deal with old grudges,
lost opportunities,
and festering jealousies. Spanning 30
years and told from each character's
point of view, your heart will ache as
the family as a whole reaches for happiness. ~ Reviewed by
Jess Hanlon

For meeting schedules, check our
Events page.
For Saratoga Springs groups
contact Jess at
JHanlon@northshire.com
For Manchester groups
contact Erik at
EBarnum@northshire.com
NEW PAPERBACK
Fourth of July Creek
by Smith Henderson. In his
dedication to help
the underprivileged,
a young social
worker in Montana
finds a meaning and
purpose for his own
disjointed life. An unwavering look at
the dark underside of American life
that subtly transforms the reader from
a state of comfortable detachment to
one of painful awareness. An impressive
debut novel. ~ Reviewed by
Alden Graves
The Plover
by Brian Doyle. What
an adventure! This
amazing personal
quest makes for a
delightful read, not
only for the actual
sea journey across
the Pacific, but for
the fascinating trip through the minds
and personal relationships of the
characters. I've never read anything
quite like it and found it remarkable
and enlightening as well as enjoyable. ~ Reviewed by
Karen Frank