Book Lovers

The Windup Girl
Paulo Bacigalupi

After a series of fast-mutating agricultural plagues kill off much of the world’s food supply, a new economy builds around the calorie and genetic engineering. A number of interests-government officials, foreign business interests, and even newly-engineered species-fight to survive and profit in this new, post-oil world, but so much greed and so little cooperation these various players are just as likely to destroy the world as to save it. Science fiction fans will find this Nebula Award-winning novel a fascinating read.

May 4, 2012
Anonymous
fathermucker book cover
Fathermucker
Gerg Olear

Fathermucker is the story of Josh Linsky, stay-at-home dad, former screenwriter and journalist for News Corp. Josh and his wife, Stacy, moved from NYC to the suburbs of Jersey after realizing New York wasn't the best place to raise a kid. One of their kids, Roland, has been diagnosed with Asperger's; their daughter, Maude, a precocious three year old, keeps her dad super-busy when Roland isn't. Between playdates, lunches, and numerous compromises with his demanding but sweet kids, Josh hears a rumor that Stacy is cheating on him. Olear is trying to create a new perspective on parenting (specifically, male) and does a great job representing the highs and lows of the gig. Josh, the narrator, can be pretty cheeky, so this is not a "how to" guide, but more a depiction of what's it is like right now being a stay at home dad (Facebook included). Give it a try!

May 1, 2012
Anonymous
The Year of Magical Thinking
Joan Didion

When she awoke on December 29th, 2003, Joan Didion was a scared parent, visiting her only child in the hospital where she was in a medically-induced coma after falling suddenly ill. She had her husband of almost 40 years, John, to help her cope. That night, at the dinner table, John stopped talking, slumped over, and died of a heart attack. By the time she went to sleep that evening, she was still a scared parent, but also a widow. The Year of Magical Thinking marks her efforts to cope with the loss of a spouse and the potential loss of an entire family. A beautifully-written treatise on loneliness, grief and mourning.

May 1, 2012
Anonymous
The Ice Princess
Camilla Lackberg

Erica has returned to her childhood home to take care of some loose ends after her parents' deaths.  She soon discovers the lifeless body of her former best friend.  Who killed Alex and what happened almost 25 years ago that caused their friendship to end?  Erica has help solving these mysteries in the form of police detective Patrik Hedstrom, a former friend who is on the path of becoming much more than that.  Readers may think they have figured things out but there are a few twists and turns to keep the pages turning.

Apr 30, 2012
Susan
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
Helen Simonson

Major Pettigrew, a lovable, if snarky old widower lives in a small English village. Though he is devoted to the old ways of English country life, twenty-first century ideas are encroaching on his town, challenging the Major and his fellow townspeople to decide whether to fight the new ways or change with the times. The Major finds himself having to decide between love for tradition and his growing devotion to Mrs. Ali, an English Pakistani woman who owns a local shop. As Major Pettigrew and Mrs. Ali grow closer they must face the prejudices of the town and grapple with the traditional confines of Mrs. Ali’s Pakistani heritage. Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand is a great read for anyone looking for a charming love story with witty characters and a happy ending.

Apr 29, 2012
Tara
Unwanted
Kristina Ohlsson

A young child is taken from a train with apparently no witnesses to the abduction.  Shortly afterward, a body is found hundreds of miles away with the word "unwanted" painted on the forehead.  Alex Recht and his team of special investigators must hunt down the killer before he/she strikes again.

Apr 12, 2012
Susan
Ready Player One
Ernest Cline

In the not-so-distant future, people spend most of their day (if not all of it) jacked into OASIS, living online lives not possible in the burned out reality of 2044. When the creator of OASIS, James Halliday, dies and leaves his entire fortune up for grabs, millions of players race to solve Halliday’s final puzzle: a complex game based on everything he loved about 80s pop culture. Wade Watts is a dedicated player, but when he becomes the first person to earn a place on the game’s scoreboard, he becomes the target of every player in the system who seeks Halliday’s prize-including some who are willing to kill for it. Ready Player One is a fun read and a real treat for fans of gaming, nerd culture or 80s nostalgia.

Apr 11, 2012
Anonymous
The Mothman Prophecies
John Keel

Fans of UFO legend and the paranormal will enjoy John Keel's  The Mothman Prophecies. Between 1966 and 1967, John Keel investigated the mysterious Mothman phenomenon occurring in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, a quiet town of 6,000 people. Among numerous reports of UFO sightings, residents also claimed they saw a large, winged monster with piercing red eyes. Culminating in the tragic collapse of the Silver Bridge, the Mothman sightings and the other supernatural phenomenon that blanketed the town were said to be an omen of the tragic event to come.

While The Mothman Prophecies of course tells the familiar tale of John Keel's bizarre experiences in Point Pleasant, it also ventures into some of the UFOlogist's intriguing conspiracy theories about the Men in Black and other paranormal events.

Apr 9, 2012
Anonymous
The Knife of Never Letting Go
Patrick Ness

There are no real secrets in Todd’s home town. All his life the thoughts of all men and animals have been transmitted involuntarily, as “Noise.” There are also no women. They all died when the Noise came…or so he had always been told. One day Todd stumbles across a glaring, person-shaped silence on the edge of town, and with no way to hide this new knowledge, Todd leaves the place he has always known and learns the truth about being a man in a world full of Noise. Recommended for mature teens and adults-a great book for readers who enjoyed The Hunger Games.

Apr 6, 2012
Anonymous
Trail of the Spellmans: document #5
Lisa Lutz

If you are a fan of the Spellmans series, the latest offering won’t disappoint. Document #5 continues the zany saga of the Spellmans, a family of private investigators. Although the two eldest “children”, Izzy and David are in their 30’s and the youngest, Rae, is attending college, parents, Albert and Olivia,  maintain a tight rein by using their P.I. skills to keep their family in line. The rest of the Spellmans use their own P.I. skills to muddle through their own lives.

 A few new characters are introduced in this book, each with a unique, albeit, quirky nature, And while the  Spellman children seem to experience what seems to be an emotional growth spurt, it doesn’t last too long before things go haywire, misunderstandings ensue and life, once again, is off-track.

Although this book can be read as a stand alone, (Izzy Spellman provides footnotes throughout the book and a brief description of each character at the end) read the entire series, the laughs will be worth your time.

 

 

Mar 29, 2012
Anonymous

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