Friday, June 27, 2014

The Heiresses by Sara Shepard

      Move over Jackie Collins - there's a new kid on the block of glitzy, glamour (trashy?) fiction. Sara Shepard, best known for the teen series Pretty Little Liars, has written her first adult novel, The Heiresses. And I loved it!

Meet the Saybrooks, owners of a diamond empire. They have it all - money, fame, money, style, money, secrets. Oh yes, secrets. Perhaps even a family curse. The story focuses on the Saybrook cousins, each with her own cross to bear. One has pre-wedding jitters, one is in love with her cousin's husband, and one is about to commit suicide. Toss in some unscrupulous parents, siblings & friends, and you have quite the New York scene. Finally, throw in a gossip blog and drop some celebrity names - and you have it all!

Pure fun.

Karen

Read-alike author: Tilly Bagshawe

Saturday, June 21, 2014

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

My mother always told me that if you do not have anything nice to say, do not say anything at all.











The Fault in Our Stars


Karen

Read-alike: Love Story by Erich Segal

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Readers We Love: Part 2

[Photo Credit]

June is Audiobook Month. Whether you're driving to work, cross country, or just across town, audiobooks are great companions. Last week, we featured a few of our favorite readers in Part 1. This week, we've got a few more of our favorites. 


Besides Steve Jobs, Dylan Baker has also read Argo and Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk by David Sedaris.









Michael Beck "is awesome with a variety of southern accents, 
male and female." He has read several John Grisham audiobooks.











Mark Bramhall is another reader who does a great job with southern accents. "I'll listen to anything he reads, but especially novels based in the South."










A staff member said that "Peter Giles' voice really suits the character." He has read several Michael Connelly audiobooks. 










George Guidall has read hundreds of audiobooks for adults and kids. He's won two Audie Awards. 











Dick Hill has had a long career reading audiobooks. He reads both fiction and non-fiction books. 










Jenna Lamia is one my favorite audiobook readers. She is a narrator that I keep going back to over and over again.











 John McDonough has read audiobooks for kids and adults. 











If you've tried books with these narrators, let us know what you think! If you haven't, Audiobook Month is the perfect time to try a new narrator. 

Enjoy!


Carrie

Monday, June 16, 2014

Never Tell by Alafair Burke



Detective Ellie Hatcher steps into the home of a suicide victim, and is convinced that that’s exactly what she’s seeing: a suicide. The mother of the victim has other ideas. Against her better judgment, Hatcher and her partner start to investigate. Hatcher was wrong; the death of Julia Whitmire wasn’t a suicide at all. Julia was involved in a strange case of cyberbullying.

I loved If You Were Here by Alafair Burke, so I was excited to read Never Tell. I didn’t love this one. I almost gave up on it, but it had just enough interesting details to make me want to keep reading. I listened to the audiobook, and I think it may have been the reader that I didn’t like. I also kept comparing Ellie Hatcher to Eve Dallas, J.D. Robb’s famous detective. Ellie wasn’t gutsy enough for me.

Try If You Were Here by Alafair Burke. You won’t be disappointed.


Carrie

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Readers We Love: Part 1

Photo Credit


Did you know that June is Audiobook Month? If you've never listened to an audiobook, why not try one today? They're fun for road trips, long commutes, and also for kids who might want to read along. Here are a few of our favorite audiobook readers. 

Jim Dale received a big resounding vote for favorite reader from our staff. He's the reader the Harry Potter books, as well as The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and many other audiobooks.

Neil Gaiman is also a very popular reader. One librarian said, “He could read me the alphabet.”









MacLeod Andrews has read books for both kids and adults.











Scott Brick has won several awards for his narration, and AudioFile magazine has proclaimed him a "Golden Voice."










Susan Ericksen has read all of the J.D. Robb books. She also reads nonfiction books, and books for kids.









Unfortunately, we only one book that Fred Sanders has read, but it's a good one! Two staff members really enjoyed this book, and Fred's narration.








If you like different accents, Caitriona Keyes does a great job with this book.










Simon Vance is a very well known audiobook reader. He's won several awards, and reads fiction, non-fiction, and books for kids.










We really enjoy these audiobook readers, and we think you will, too. Stay tuned for Readers We Love: Part 2 next week!


Carrie

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Twisted Sisters by Jen Lancaster

Talk about sibling rivalry! Jen Lancaster's novel, Twisted Sisters, brings this to a whole new level.

Reagan Bishop really does have it all. A psychologist with a primo spot on a reality television series, good looks, wonderful education, an awesome brownstone in a great Chicago neighborhood, and a large close-knit family. Well, all that is true, except the close-knit family part. Reagan has never felt like a real part of her family. She is convinced that her parents favor her sisters Mary Mac & Geri, and this is perplexing to her. After all, she is the one that graduated with honors. She is the one on television. Mary Mac is married and her only accomplishment is annoying children. And Geri, well, she is even worse. She lives in her parent's basement and is a hairdresser. That's right - a hairdresser. And yet, through her sister's obvious manipulations, they are the ones that have friends and are happy. Soooo unfair!

When Reagan's career starts to falter and she needs help desperately, she turns to her New Age friend and co-worker Deva, who has a plan. (This is where the novel becomes a bit unrealistic/ridiculous, but just go with it) Reagan begins to inhabit other people's bodies to help them with their phobias. However, one night Reagan decides to try her own bit of magic by inhabiting her sister Geri's body, and learns quite a bit about family, love and forgiving in the process.

Is this a great novel? No, of course not. But it is well written and a fun read as long as you can suspend belief and have a good time with it.

Karen

Read-alikes - read some of Jen Lancaster's non-fiction and you will see what a great writer she really is.

Monday, June 9, 2014

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

Chevalier has again brought to life a time and a place in history, in this case 19th century Dorset, England. The real-life character of Mary Anning is portrayed with sensitivity and honesty and is easy to imagine. Mary was born to working class parents and received a limited education. Struck by lightning as a baby, she is viewed by many as slightly suspect. As her remarkable ability to spot dinosaur fossils in the cliffs near her home leads her into conflict with the scientific community as well as the church fathers, she struggles to make a living and receive the recognition she deserves.


portrays an important period in both scientific and social history. Mary’s treatment personally and professionally reflect the denial by the educated upper class to believe anyone from the lower classes and any woman at all as capable of contributing to the intellectual canon. It is easy to feel Mary’s frustration, anger, and betrayal as her finds and scientific conclusions are attributed to others. This is not, however, simply a story of rage and lack of fairness, it encompasses her life in all its complexity. She finds herself in love with a totally unavailable man, learns to eventually trust and find friendship with fellow fossil hunter, Elizabeth Philpot, and to carve out a life not perfect, but livable.

CAS

Try some of Chevalier's other titles.
Readalike: Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

The Reading Circle by Ashton Lee

Back in April of 2013, I wrote a blog on the first book in this series, The Cherry Cola Book Club. I went back and read that blog, curious to see what I had written. Apparently, I liked it.

Well, not so much with the follow-up, The Reading Circle. While the small town setting and characters is still there, the story line this time is just a little too neat and draws a lot on the premise that everyone has read the first title. Once again, Library Director Maura Beth Mayhew is trying to save the Cherico, Mississippi Library from the big bad politicians. Once again, her new friends rally around her by supporting her book club.

Now, while the male members of the community play a bit more into the plot, it is still pretty much the same. However, once again, if you like small town cozy novels, and in particular love libraries, then you will probably enjoy this.

Karen

Read-alike title: Love Overdue by Pamela Morsi.

Monday, June 2, 2014

The Maid’s Version by Daniel Woodrell

If you’re looking for a simple whodunit, I recommend you go nowhere near Daniel Woodrell’s The Maid’s Version. The sentences twist around like a country back road and the book jumps around between characters in what at times seems like a random manner. However, if you’re looking for a novel with a heavy William Faulkner influence and a panoramic view of small town life, this title just might be up your alley.

The novel centers on a 1929 explosion at a local dance hall in the fictional town of West Table, Missouri that killed 42 people. The novel is narrated by Alek, the grandson of Alma Dunahew. Alma worked as the maid for a prominent citizen in town, and her sister Ruby was one of the many who met their demise in the explosion. The story hints at gypsies, Saint Louis gangsters, a fire and brimstone preacher, and others as the ones responsible for the explosion. Ultimately, finding out who caused the explosion is not really the key to the book. The Maid’s Version succeeds because you feel like you are sitting on the back porch with Alma sipping lemonade and hearing all these secrets about the town of West Table.

John