Atwood, Margaret
The Penelopiad
A modern retelling of the myth of Penelope, faithful wife of Odysseus,
this time from the perspective of Penelope and her twelve murdered maids.
Banks, Melissa
The Wonder Spot
A series of inter-connected stories follow Sophie Appelbaum from Hebrew
School to college and beyond as she learns who she is and what she wants
from her life.
Beinhart, Larry
The Librarian
Librarian David Goldberg takes on the job of cataloging the papers of
ultraconservative Augustus Winthrop Scott for a few extra dollars but
finds thrown into a dangerous political plot.
Carr, Caleb
The Italian Secretary
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson investigate the murderous happenings
at Holyrood House, castle of Mary Queen of Scots at the request of Sherlock’s
brother Mycroft, in the service of Queen Victoria.
Connelly, Michael
The Lincoln Lawyer
Mickey Haller practices criminal law from the back seat of his Lincoln
Town Car knowing that guilt or innocence are irrelevant to his defense
or the real game of making money. Taking on Louis Ross Roulet challenges
his notions, and leads him to re-examine his own actions.
DeMille, Nelson
Night Fall
Was the crash of Flight 800 off Long Island the result of a missile
attack? Five years later, John Corey and his wife Kate Mayfield investigate
the crash, leading them to question if ‘mechanical failure’
was the cause.
Erdrich, Louise
The Painted Drum
Asked to appraise the belongings of a reservation agent, Faye Travers
finds and steals a painted drum that calls to her in an unusual way.
Tracking down the history of the piece brings to light the unusual stories
of those who owned it before and brings Faye to a better understanding
of herself and her own heritage.
Gregory, Philippa
The Constant Princess
Raised to be Queen of England, the loss of husband Arthur just months
after her marriage jeopardizes Katharine of Aragon’s future. Gregory
postulates a deathbed promise to Arthur that Katharine will lie about
the consummation of the marriage, freeing the way to a marriage to younger
brother Harry (Henry VIII).
Hambly, Barbara
The Emancipator’s Wife
A skillful examination of a woman harshly judged by history. Hambly
vividly captures Mary Todd Lincoln and her times.
Hoffman, Alice
The Ice Queen
Since she was eight, the narrator has believed herself responsible for
her mother’s death until a lightning strike helps her to heal,
understand, and find love.
Kidd, Sue Monk
The Mermaid Chair
Her mother’s destructive and eccentric behavior brings Jessie
Sullivan back to the South Carolina island, home to a monastery, where
she was raised. Jessie embarks upon an affair with one of the monks
and is led to confront her own illusions about her father and her husband.
McEwan, Ian
Saturday
Henry Perowne is a successful middle aged neurosurgeon, happy in his
own abilities, his family, and his life. One Saturday, everything changes.
Miller, Sue
Lost in the Forest
When Daisy’s stepfather is killed in a tragic accident, Daisy
struggles to cope with the loss with an affair with a much older man.
The family dynamic, the examination of Daisy’s relationship, and
Daisy’s personal journey mark this superior effort from Sue Miller.
Ray, Jeanne
Julie and Romeo Get Lucky
The senior lovers from Julie and Romeo are back with a major back injury,
a winning lottery ticket, and a full plate of family issues.
Russell, Mary Doria
A Thread of Grace
Italian citizens saved more than 40,000 Jews at the end of World War
II, and many characters form this beautifully written novel reaffirming
life in the face of death.
Smith, Zadie
On Beauty
Set in the academic world of a New England college, Smith’s novel
examines the lives of two different families, uncovering secrets and
lies and leading some to find their authentic voices.
Tan, Amy
Saving Fish from Drowning
A mismatched group of travelers touring China and Burma is kidnapped
by a renegade tribe. A tale told from the grave is humorous at times
but serious about underlying political issues.
Walsh, Marcie (Malone, Michael)
The Killing Club
When former classmates start to become murder victims, police detective
Jamie Ferrara’s investigation turns very personal, soon making
the link to a group of friends and a notebook for murder.
Winston, Lolly
Good Grief
Widowed at 30, Sophie Stanton copes with her grief and major changes
in her life in this funny and poignant novel.
Cadwalladr, Carole
The Family Tree
Nature or nuture? Rebecca Monroe attempts to study her own upbringing
through pop culture while her scientist husband attributes all to genetics,
leading Rebecca to her own conclusions about herself and her family.
Robinson, Elisabeth
The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters
Weaving together the high powered Hollywood life of Olivia Hunt with
the health issues of her sister Maddie paints a portrait of life---juggling
professional and personal crises with the need to ‘be there’
for her critically ill sister.
Jackson, Joshilyn
Gods in Alabama
Arlene has cut a deal with God—no fornicating, no lying and no
going back to Alabama as long as the secret of what happened to football
star Jim Beverly is kept. When questions land right on her doorstep,
Arlene travels back to Posset, Alabama where she learns that things
are not always what they seem.
Sittenfeld, Curtis
Prep
Lee Fiori, scholarship student at a New England prep school, recounts
her experiences as an outsider in a world she wants to join.
Willig, Lauren
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
Graduate student Eloise Kelly is researching the identity of the ‘Pink
Carnation” (think Scarlet Pimpernel) a British spy working in
France during the Napoleonic Wars through the papers of an old noble
family, bringing the reader into the swashbuckling times of spies and
counterspies in this ‘book within a book’ with a nice counterpoint
with a modern romance for Eloise.
Burke, James Lee
Crusader’s Cross
Burke’s latest Dave Robicheaux novel takes him back to an encounter
with a prostitute who disappears, or was killed, leading him once more
to the rich, powerful, and corrupt in Louisiana society.
Grafton, Sue
S is for Silence
Kinsey Milhone investigates the disappearance of Violet Sullivan, 35
years after the fact. Kinsey’s contemporary investigation alternates
with chapters told from the voices of those involved 35 years ago and
unearths dangerous secrets.
King, Laurie
Locked Rooms
Told in alternating voices from Mary Russell and her husband Sherlock
Holmes, the latest installment in the series examines Mary’s own
family history and what really happened to cause the death of her parents
and brother.
Parker, Robert
School Days
Hired by the grandmother of a boy who has confessed to a school shooting
who is convinced of his innocence, Spencer enters the world of a private
high school but his case leads to more familiar, and sinister, ties.
Paretsky, Sara
Fire Sale
This could be her best yet. VI Warshawski fills in as basketball coach
in her old neighborhood—complete with a dilapidated gym, single
mother players, and no equipment. Approaching Buy Smart for a donation,
VI lands in a world of corporate greed and the working poor.
Rowling, JK
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Under Dumbledore’s tutelage, Harry pieces together Voldemort’s
personal history for ammunition to fight the evil now unleashed in the
world. Treachery abounds and more deaths lead Harry to the realization
of the work that lies before him.
