Joe Gould's Teeth by Jill Lepore. Gould insisted he was writing the greatest
history book of all time and for a while friends
like ee cummings, Ezra Pound, and Joseph
Mitchell believed him. Jill Lepore tells of
her search for evidence of the existence of
at least some of his writings and traces his
sad life in and out of mental institutions, his
obsessions, and his secrets. A fascinating read! ~
Liz Barnum
Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Everything you could possibly want to know
about the "once in a generation" Broadway
phenomenon. This handsome book includes
the complete libretto from the Pulitzer Prizewinning
show that interweaves hip-hop
music into the story of one of America's Founding Fathers.
Lavishly illustrated with production photos. The next best
thing to a front row seat. ~
Alden Graves
Find Me Unafraid: Love, Loss, and Hope in an African Slum by Kennedy Odede & Jessica Posner. A truly inspirational story of how an
American young woman and a charismatic young
Kenyan came together to dedicate themselves
to transform a Kenyan slum by first targeting
its most vulnerable and promising population:
pre-school girls. A searing look into despair and
hope, and the power of love and perseverance. ~
Barbara Morrow
But What If We're Wrong?: Thinking about the Present as If It Were the Past by Chuck Klosterman. (
No, this cover is not printed upside
down here.) Are there fundamental laws of the
universe that will have been replaced by new
scientific knowledge in 100 years? Will anybody
remember the Beatles in 500 years? Chuck
Klosterman asks a lot of questions that seem pretty
out there until you realize how wrong we often are and have been
about almost everything. This is a perfect blend of entertainment
and enlightenment from a wildly talented writer. ~
Stan Hynds
YOUNG ADULT
The Borden Murders: Lizzie Borden & the Trial of the Century by Sarah Elizabeth Miller. We all know the story and the infamous child rhyme, "Lizzie Borden took an axe.” That is not the whole story. In this young adult crossover creative non-fiction book, Miller hopes to show a balanced portrait of a human and not "just a murderess" with her interpretations of the photographs, newspaper articles, and court documentations still available to the public (some included in the book). A slice of history comes to life through events we all think we know. ~ Jeanette
PAPERBACK
Brewing Classic Styles: 80 Winning Recipes Anyone Can Brew by Jamil Zainasheff & John J. Palmer. An excellent companion to any "how to brew" instructional book. Well organized, clear explanations of defining characteristics of all beer styles recognized by the Beer Judge Certification Program. At least one recipe is included for each style. The second book any home brewer should own. ~
Nate George
Parent Hacks: 134 Genius Shortcuts for Life with Kids by Asha Dornfest. From the creator of Parenthacks.com, here
is a collection of ingenious, down to earth
solutions for everyday parenting problems.
From using puppy training pads to protect
car seats to cleaning up glitter with play
dough, this book will make you smile.
It’s the perfect baby shower gift. Illustrated by Craighton
Berman. ~
Adriana Gómez Piccolo
One Man Against the World: The Tragedy of Richard Nixon by Tim Weiner. There is probably no
greater testimony to the resiliency of
the United States than the fact that it
survived the Nixon administration. This
is a terrifying, unstinting look at Richard
Nixon, a man beset by personal demons
and overwhelmed by a war that was tearing
the country apart. ~
Alden Graves
FICTION
The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes. The author crafts a complex, meditative, and compelling por-trait of Dmitri Shostakovich, the most celebrated composer of Soviet Russia. Following his life from the fear-ridden days of Stalin's regime to the no less psyche-crushing rule of Kruschev, Barnes explores the ways power can warp and constrain your soul. The result is a deft consideration of the nature of courage and cowardice, tragedy and farce, and the book's central question: to whom does art belong? ~
Cathy Taylor
The Mirror Thief by Martin Seay. Kaleidoscopic
and utterly unique,
this book defies any
attempt at a brief
synopsis. The main
characters, each
of them from different
time periods, are all pursuing
something elusive -- and all, at some
point, are being pursued. This rich
and ambitious first novel brims with
danger and atmosphere and will undoubtedly
be one of the literary events
of 2016. ~
Stan Hynds
Lost and Gone Forever by Alex Grecian. The fifth installment
in the author's
popular Murder
Squad series finds
Inspector Walter Day
slowly recovering his
memory after being
held prisoner by Jack the Ripper for a
year. Day's former partner at the Yard
has started his own detective agency
and is involved in the hunt for a pair of
merciless hired killers. Taut, suspenseful,
and atmospheric.
~
Alden Graves
The Summer Guest by Alison Anderson. This splendid
story within a story
within another story
follows a gentle arc of
personality and provides
a strong sense of
time and place. The ultimate message
is revealed about why we tell and write
stories. It also becomes apparent how
important fiction is to human nature
and what a critical role the art and
soul of a great translator plays in the
complex communication of thoughts
and feelings. Chekhov would approve. ~
Karen Frank
Anatomy of a Soldier by Harry Parker. This breathtaking
debut novel about the pointless carnage of war is told through
the voices of ordinary objects (a thirty-liter day-sac, a handbag, a
bicycle) connected in some way to Captain Tom Barnes, a British
soldier. He was left a double amputee after he stepped upon an
explosive device. This is a visceral work that plunges the reader into
the immediacy and horror of war from the boots up.
~
Amy Palmer
Roses and Rot by Kat Howard. This
modern fairy tale is not the sweet, happy ending
kind, but the darker sort where the fae folk are not so friendly. The
novel follows two talented sisters after they are both accepted to
an elite artist’s retreat. But it would seem this prestigious program
has secrets that may ultimately pit the sisters against each other,
and will definitely change their lives. Beautifully written and hard
to put down.
~
Becky Doherty
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick. How
well do we really know ourselves or those closest to us? Arthur Pepper,
recently widowed, discovers a charm bracelet hidden in one of
his deceased wife’s shoes. When he sets off on a journey to trace the
origins of the charms, he discovers much more than he anticipated
about his himself, his wife and his family. An utterly charming read,
touching and gently humorous. ~
Jen Canfield
Wintering by Peter Geye. Timeless themes
of man against nature, man against man, and man against self play
out in this complex novel that spans generations in a small town
adjoining the Minnesota wilderness. Brutally beautiful and emotionally
powerful, each character reveals a bit of the story until the
tendrils of this small piece of history finally tighten
and resolve.
~
Karen Frank
The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith. A deft
and vivid novel of women, history, and the art of forgery. One
of the best books on the topic since The Girl with a Pearl Earring.
The plot revolves around a mysterious, lost painting by the 17th
century Dutch artist, Sara De Vos. Lucid hues permeate this tale
of love, loss and grief.
~
Maeve Noonan
PAPERBACK
Freeze/Thaw by Chris Bucholz. The author set the bar
high with his first book and Freeze/Thaw jumped that bar and
then some. It is set in a post-apocalyptic, ice-age future where
scavenging for data and electronics is a common occupation.
Bucholz's humor masks the darker issues at play, particularly
the lengths that humans will go to protect themselves. Highly
recommended both as a post-apocalyptic adventure and as a
science fiction piece that could make you think about the limits
and drawbacks of technology. ~
Sam Williams
Eleven Hours by Pamela Erens. The story of two mothersto-
be. One a nurse just realizing her pregnancy. The other in labor
facing single motherhood. Spanning the eleven hours of labor
with flashbacks to how the women came to be in this moment
together, this is a vivid telling of the beauty, fear, and strength of
childbirth.
~
Jess Elder
Andersonville
by MacKinlay Kantor. Brilliant and unforgettable novel about
a hell-on-earth Confederate prisoner-ofwar
camp in Georgia. Kantor is unsparing in his depiction
of the capacity for raw brutality that mankind is capable of
demonstrating. One of the great books about the Civil War
and, certainly, the most harrowing. ~
Alden Graves