Deb's Picks

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The Christmas Appeal: A Novella By Janice Hallett Cover Image
$21.99
ISBN: 9781668035887
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Atria Books - October 24th, 2023

One might never guess that planning a local holiday play could involve drugs, threats, and murder! Written in Janice Hallett’s usual style using emails, transcripts of phone calls, and, in this case, Christmas letters to tell the story of the goings-on behind the scenes of producing Jack in the Beanstalk to raise money to replace the roof on the church hall. Snarky exchanges, misunderstood messages, and rumormongering make for some hilarious and some not quite as funny circumstances. If you are looking for a short, clever escape from holiday madness, pick up this book.


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Killers of a Certain Age By Deanna Raybourn Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780593200704
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Berkley - August 15th, 2023

A quartet of women working for a mysterious organization suddenly find out that they are ‘being retired.” This happens all the time, right? Except that this particular group of women were recruited forty years ago to be the first female group of assassins for “The Museum”, with a  mission  to make the world a better place. As a parting gift, The Museum sends them on an all expenses paid luxury cruise. When they spot a colleague posing as a crew member, they realize that they are now targets of their own organization. They band together to try and work out who is focusing on them and why. Someone describes this book as “The Golden Girls meet James Bond.” Witty and tons of fun.


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The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics By Daniel James Brown Cover Image
$19.00
ISBN: 9780143125471
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Penguin Books - May 27th, 2014

Against the backdrop of the Great depressiona and the Dust Bowl, this follows nine young men who withstand the brutal physical demands, and develop the laser-like mental focus necessary to produce the poem that is elite rowing. Their accomplishment on winning the National Collegiate Championship sends them to Hitler's 1936 Berlin Olympics. Hitler and company were determined to fabricate an elaborate production designed to convince the world that the Nazis were benign.  His plan to showcase the superiority of his Aryan German athletes was thwarted by the success of Jesse Owens, Glen Cunningham, and these young men in America's Men's Eight. Perfect for fans of Seabiscuit and Unbroken.


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Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI By David Grann Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780307742483
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Vintage - April 3rd, 2018

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

This is the true story of one of those hidden incidents in American history that now is being brought into public consciousness. It is the shocking tale of an attempt to eradicate members of a family of the Osage Nation in order to steal their substantial income from mineral rights in the barren rock-filled property they were relegated to after removing them from their homeland. In the beginning of the 20th century, the Osage were the richest people per capita in the world, and the unscrupulous whites in Oklahoma couldn’t stand that these people they thought were sub-human were rich and they were not. This book is hard  to read, but impossible to put down.


Mother-Daughter Murder Night: A Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick By Nina Simon Cover Image
$30.00
ISBN: 9780063315044
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: William Morrow - September 5th, 2023

A dynamite debut with realistic single mom-daughter relationships, uncommon locale (I love a sense of place in a mystery!), and as cracking good plot. Not to mention one of the best first lines I've read in a long time. I can't wait to read more books with these characters!


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The Black Queen By Jumata Emill Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9780593568545
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Published: Delacorte Press - January 31st, 2023

Racial tensions have been running high at Lovett HIgh School since the other high school was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, funneling the mostly black student body into the formerly mostly white school. This year for the first time the Homecoming Queen will be Black, and not everyone is happy about it. This could have been a run-of-the-mill teen slasher book, but Jumata Emill makes it so much more! Excellent character development, jaw-dropping plot twists, and fresh, sassy dialogue  make this one of the best YA novels I have read in a long time. 
 


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Murder Book: A Novel By Thomas Perry Cover Image
$27.95
ISBN: 9781613163832
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Published: Mysterious Press - January 17th, 2023

You know when you pick up a Thomas Perry book that you will get an unforgettable protagonist, a colorful cast of characters, and an intensity that will not allow you to get any sleep until you finish (and sometimes not even then!) This one has all that as well as a breakneck plot that never slows down. When the winter winds blow and you are sitting snugly in front of a cozy fire, pick up this book to get your heart racing!


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Hazel Hill Is Gonna Win This One By Maggie Horne Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780358664703
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: HarperCollins - October 18th, 2022

A funny, feminist, and queer contemporary middle grade debut that follows quiet, 12-year-old loner Hazel Hill, who after one of her classmates is harassed online, devises a plan to catch the bully--the school's golden boy--in the act.

A deeply relatable, surprisingly humorous, and wonderfully empowering middle grade about friendship, finding your voice, and standing up for what you believe in, sometimes you have to lose in order to win.

 


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The Lindbergh Nanny: A Novel By Mariah Fredericks Cover Image
$29.00
ISBN: 9781250827401
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Published: Minotaur Books - November 15th, 2022

This well-done historical fiction book examines the life of Betty Gow, a Scottish immigrant hired to be the nanny for Charles Lindbergh, Jr., the only child of the famous aviator and his kind, but nervous wife. Due to his worldwide fame, the Lindberghs were extremely cautious about releasing information or photos of their only child, and only the household staff knew his daily schedule. When he was abducted, suspicion fell on all of them, but on Betty in particular. She was harassed so persistently that she had to return to Scotland. Fredericks skillfully blends fact and fiction to flush out the personalities of all involved in this tragic story.


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The Elephant Girl By James Patterson, Ellen Banda-Aaku, Sophia Krevoy (With) Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780316316927
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: jimmy patterson - July 25th, 2022

This remarkable book is based on a true story of Jama, a young Maasai girl who prefers the company of elephants instead of people. She takes refuge near a watering hole and watches the elephants as they come there to drink. One day she sees an elephant being born, and little by little is able to befriend the baby that she names Mbegu. Poachers in the area cause the elephants to stampede the village, and one person and one elephant are killed. Jama and Mbegu are blamed and set upon by the leaders of the community, but they are rescued by some conservationists. This book gives readers a hard look at the battle between those trying to save the species and those motivated by greed. I highly recommend this book.


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Louisiana Longshot (Miss Fortune Mystery #1) By Jana DeLeon Cover Image
$15.99
ISBN: 9781940270074
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: J&r Publishing LLC - April 26th, 2021

Fortune Redding got a little carried away on her last assignment as a CIA assassin, and accidentally blew her cover by killing the brother of her arms dealer target with the heel of her Prada stilettos. The ensuing contract on her head forces her to go deep undercover in the teeny town of Sinful, Louisiana. Her cover as a former beauty queen turned librarian forces her to change her entire no-nonsense persona into someone who wears hair extensions and has a manicure at all times. When a dog comes up with a human bone from the bayou that runs by her backyard, she can’t help, ahem, digging deeper. Throw in a bunch of retirees known as the Geritol Mafia, and you have a real hoot on your hands! 

 


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Attack of the Black Rectangles By A. S. King Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9781338680522
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Scholastic Press - September 6th, 2022

Mac is pretty excited to start sixth grade, but nervous when he finds out that his teacher is Ms. Sett, the self-appointed town watchdog. Everything seems to be going smoothly at first, but when the class is given copies of Jane Yolen’s book The Devil’s Arithmetic for their reading assignment, they find that certain words are blacked out.. The kids are confused; the book is about the Holocaust, so what could be censored? After a trip to the library, Mac finds that the word is “breasts”. The kids take the matter to the principal, who is unresponsive. They escalate the matter, gathering support from many of the adults in their lives. As in real life, book banning is not about protecting kids, it is about control. This is the first middle grade novel for this award-winning YA author, and she hits another one out of the park. Highly recommended!

 


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Finlay Donovan Is Killing It: A Novel (The Finlay Donovan Series #1) By Elle Cosimano Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781250830449
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Minotaur Books - January 4th, 2022

Finlay Donovan is a divorced mom with two small children and a horrible ex. She is also trying to finish her second novel, but she is not going to complete the chapters that she promised her editor. When they meet to discuss her contract over brunch, a woman nearby overhears the conversation, and assumes the contract that Finlay is talking about is a very different kind of contract. Soon Finlay finds that she has inadvertently agreed to murder this woman’s husband. Hilarity ensues. Great light reading for the beach or anytime you need to laugh.


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A Man Named Doll: A Novel (The Doll Series) By Jonathan Ames Cover Image
$16.99
Email info@literatibookstore.com or call for price
ISBN: 9780316241601
Published: Mulholland Books - September 6th, 2022

This is the beginning of a series introducing a hard-boiled detective with the unfortunate name of Happy Doll. His broken childhood (I mean who would name their son that?) not surprisingly leads to a ... colorful adult life. Happy is an ex-cop turned PI who moonlights as a security guard at a Thai massage parlor, protecting the workers from patrons who don't understand the word "no". One night a violent customer nearly kills him before he can take the guy out. In addition, an old friend shows up at this house with a bullet in his gut. If you don't mind graphic violence, but DO love noir and excellent writing, this might be the book for you.


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It All Comes Down to This: A Novel By Therese Anne Fowler Cover Image
$19.00
ISBN: 9781250819482
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: St. Martin's Griffin - May 30th, 2023

Have you ever wondered what it would take to step out of your routine life and take off in a different direction? Is it even possible? That is the dilemma of the three adult Geller sisters in this wonderful novel. The unexpected death of their mother leads them to question their family story and what to do with that information. No one brings families and relationships to life better than Therese Anne Fowler, and she has done so exquisitely here. I fell in love with quite a few of these characters, and I think you will, too. Perfect for fans of Ann Patchett.


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Bloomsbury Girls: A Novel By Natalie Jenner Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9781250889690
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: St. Martin's Griffin - August 1st, 2023

This was the perfect book at the perfect time for me. Set in 1950 in a London Bookshop, the slower pace of those times was a welcome respite from the chaos of my current life. This shop is, and always has been, run by men, and they see no reason to deviate from their draconian rules. The floor staff is female, and they have lots of ideas to update the shop, but they are shut down at every turn. A change in circumstance and a chance encounter give the women a chance to set up an event that is a success in every way except in the eyes of the male powers that be. The real authors as characters  made this booksellers heart sing! Lovely book!


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Swim Team: A Graphic Novel By Johnnie Christmas, Johnnie Christmas (Illustrator) Cover Image
$15.99
ISBN: 9780063056763
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: HarperAlley - May 17th, 2022

After tween Bree and her father move to Florida for his job, Bree is super excited about meeting new classmates and joining the math club. By the time she finishes registration the only elective available is Swim 101. She is terrified of the water and has no interest in learning to swim! After an accident at the pool at her apartment, she is rescued by a neighbor who helps her rise above her fear. She also learns that her ancestors were always swimmers. Segregation created a generation of Black Americans who don’t know how to swim. This is a heartwarming story of persistence and friendship.


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Freezing Order: A True Story of Money Laundering, Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin's Wrath By Bill Browder Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9781982153328
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Simon & Schuster - May 9th, 2023

If you want to know the reason Putin invaded Ukraine, then read this book. As President of Russia, Putin is not allowed to earn more than his $140,000 salary, however he has as much as $200 BILLION socked away in accounts and properties-all in the names of friends. Sergei Magnitsky, Browder's Russian Attorney, discovered a tax fraud scheme that stole $230 million, and traced it back to Putin. After Magnitsky's murder in a Russian jail, Browder made it his life's work to expose Putin's corruption. He also names some US congress people who seem to have a suspiciously close relationships with some people with close ties to Putin. This is a fascinating book.

 


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Rock Paper Scissors: A Novel By Alice Feeney Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9781250266125
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Flatiron Books - June 21st, 2022

If you love mysteries with surprises, then you must pick up this book. Mr. and Mrs. Adam Wright have hit a rocky spot in their marriage. They win a weekend at a B&B in a very remote part of Scotland, and they know this weekend will make or break their union. They arrive to find no B&B, but an abandoned chapel made into a creepy home. Strange things happen (this is a mystery, after all), and then the fun begins. At least one of them is not what they appear to be, no one won the trip, and it looks possible that not everyone will get out alive. The twist happens quickly and will knock you out of your chair!


The Maid: A Novel (Molly the Maid #1) By Nita Prose Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780593356173
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Ballantine Books - January 3rd, 2023

Molly is an excellent maid at a posh boutique hotel. She loves creating a pristine oasis out of a chaotic mess, but she isn’t very good at interpreting social cues. When she finds the body of one of the wealthy hotel regulars, her awkward behavior has the police targeting her as the culprit. Some people that she thinks are her friends are very willing to throw her under the bus to benefit themselves, but her true friends come through for her.This delightful cozy mystery is just what we need right now. Let’s hope we see more of Molly.


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One Great Lie By Deb Caletti Cover Image
$12.99
Email info@literatibookstore.com or call for price
ISBN: 9781534463189
Published: Atheneum Books for Young Readers - May 3rd, 2022

One Great Lie by Deb Caletti

Just turned 18-year-old Charlotte is about to have her dreams come true. She was accepted at a summer writing workshop in Venice with Luca Bruni, an author she idolizes. While there she hopes to investigate a family mystery. One of her ancestors was a Renaissance poet and is perhaps the true author of a famous poem attributed to her lover. Charlotte wants to find out the truth. Caletti links past and present gender politics and the abuse of power structures with a #MeToo narrative and by using chapter heads that give information about female Renaissance poets who were only known through their relationships with men. This is a powerful, entertaining, and enlightening book.


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Dream Girl: A Novel By Laura Lippman Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780062390097
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: William Morrow Paperbacks - June 28th, 2022

Dream Girl mixes a big helping of Stephen King’s Misery with a bit of Rear Window, a hunk of #MeToo, and a smidge of Gaslight to make a complex tale of psychological suspense. Novelist Gerry Anderson is confined to a hospital bed in his apartment, incapacitated by a fall. He has only his assistant and his night nurse for company. He starts to get phones calls, letters, and texts from a woman who claims to be the fictional character in his most successful novel, but nobody believes him. Are they real or are they results of his medication? Is he starting to suffer from dementia? What about the body that turns up in his bedroom? A great mix of suspense and satire.


Nina: A Story of Nina Simone By Traci N. Todd, Christian Robinson (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Traci N. Todd, Christian Robinson (Illustrator)
$18.99
ISBN: 9781524737283
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers - September 28th, 2021

This picture book is a  wonderful way to discover this extraordinary woman. Todd describes Nina’s life as a child and as she worked toward her dream of being a concert pianist. That dream was cut short by racism and sexism, but she developed the signature style that combined jazz, gospel, blues and classical that made her one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.  The vibrant illustrations by Christian Robinson bring to life the remarkable life of this musical genius. This book gave me chills.


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Bluebird, Bluebird (A Highway 59 Novel #1) By Attica Locke Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780316363273
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Mulholland Books - August 28th, 2018

A good mystery must have a well-developed sense of place, and this book exceeds every expectation. It is set in East Texas, a place that has long been considered a law into itself, with its murky bayous and bloodlines, and its only slightly under-the-surface racial tensions that have been simmering for generations. Darrin Matthews, a Black Texas Ranger, currently suspended, is unofficically sent to Lark, a desolate town barely more than a wide spot in the road, to investigate the deaths of a Black lawyer from Chicago and a local white woman whose bodies have washed up on the shores of the bayou. 


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You Should See Me in a Crown By Leah Johnson Cover Image
$10.99
ISBN: 9781338503296
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: PUSH - June 1st, 2021

Liz Lightly has always felt that she could be invisible in her small Indiana town. Too black, too poor, too awkward to be noticed. She has a plan, though. She will win a scholarship to elite Pennington College, play in their world-famous orchestra, and then become a doctor. When the scholarship falls through, Liz's only option is to join the group of super-popular girls vying for Prom Queen and the hefty scholarship that comes with. The only upside is a new girl who joins the group. Mack is quirky and smart, but like Liz, not obvious Prom Queen material. This book is laugh-out-loud funny, deeply touching, and a joy to read. Do yourself a favor, and pick up You Should See Me in a Crown for some light-hearted fun.


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State of Terror: A Novel By Louise Penny, Hillary Rodham Clinton Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9781982173685
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Simon & Schuster/St. Martin’s Press - June 28th, 2022

This political thriller is a roller coaster ride from two excellent and experienced writers. Even if you aren’t a political junky you will enjoy the nonstop action and intrigue. Fans of Former Secretary Clinton will spot her insider’s knowledge and may wonder how much of it is true and how much is fiction, and Louise Penny’s fans will recognize her signature style of adding cliffhangers galore as well as plenty of red herrings. (There are also a couple of Easter Eggs for fans of Three Pines.) As one review said” Don’t try to keep things straight- this is a romp!” Pure entertainment!


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Magic Lessons: Book #1 of the Practical Magic Series By Alice Hoffman Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781982108854
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Atria Books - September 7th, 2021

This is a prequel to one of my favorite books: Practical Magic, but it can also stand alone. The Owens sisters come from a long line of women who are skilled at the “Unnamed Arts”, or as you might call it, witchcraft. The women of this family suffer from a curse cast by the matriarch of the family in the 1600s. Maria Owens followed her love to Salem, Massachusetts just in time for the witch hysteria. She escaped the noose but declared that every man who falls in love with a woman in her family will die. As she lives out her life, she discovers the rules of magic, and the last, most most important lesson: Always love someone who will love you back.


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Legendborn (The Legendborn Cycle #1) By Tracy Deonn Cover Image
$13.99
ISBN: 9781534441613
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Margaret K. McElderry Books - February 1st, 2022

When 16-year-old Bree Matthews enrolls in a residential program for high-schoolers at UNC-Chapel Hill, she witnesses a magical attack on her very first night on campus. Suspecting that this had something to do with her mother's recent death, she infiltrates the secret society whose members fought off the demons. She discovers that the Legendborns are all descendants of the original Knights of the Round Table, and that she has some magic of her own. Should she decide to join them or to suse her magic to take them down?


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Fighting Words By Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9781984815705
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Dial Books - August 10th, 2021

Ten-year-old Dela and her sister sixteen-year-old Suki haven’t ever had much except each other. Not when their mother was arrested for cooking meth and left them with her last boyfriend, and not when that boyfriend did something so terrible that they had to escape right away with only the clothes they were wearing. Now as wards of the state and living in a foster home they can start to have some kind of normal life. Della is a fierce and unforgettable protagonist, careful to let you know when the story is going to get rough. And rough it is.  This is a powerful, important book about sexual abuse, trauma, and the power of speaking up to protect someone you love. Although the subject matter is terrifying, there is warmth and hope in the story as well. Fighting Words has already received many starred reviews, and, no doubt, will continue to gather many more.


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The Jane Austen Society: A Novel By Natalie Jenner Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781250797179
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: St. Martin's Griffin - July 6th, 2021

I have read quite a few of the novels that use Jane Austen and her writings as a plot device.  Some were fine and some were definitely not.  I was skeptical to try another, particularly by a debut author.  My doubts disappeared within the first few pages. The story is set just after WWII in Chawton, the small village where Ms. Austen lived for a few years and where her mother and sister Cassandra are buried. The characters have all been wounded by life (and sometimes family), and the devastation of the war is inescapable. They each find a comfort in Austen’s gentle writing that helps them cope with their tragic loss. I don’t want to give up too much of the plot because I want you to have the joy of that discovery on your own. If you enjoyed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, you will love this charming, wonderful book.


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Conviction By Denise Mina Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9780316528498
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Mulholland Books - April 14th, 2020

Conviction by Denise Mina

STOP! Don’t buy this book unless you are prepared to ignore phones, meals, and all other distractions until you finish it. It starts innocently enough with Anna McDonald, a Scottish housewife up early to drink coffee and listen to a her favorite true-crime podcast before her children and husband wake. As she listens,  Anna is startled to realize that she has a connection to the suspect. Fast forward a couple of hours, and Anna’s husband has left her for her best friend and has taken the friend and Anna’s children on an extended holiday. Pretty tame, yes? Well, get ready for a roller coaster ride featuring Hitchcockian level paranoia, very dark humor, and multiple identities. Perfect for fans of Jo Nesbo, Thomas Harris, and Ruth Ware.

 


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A Good Neighborhood: A Novel By Therese Anne Fowler Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781250237293
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: St. Martin's Griffin - March 2nd, 2021

One of the best books I have read in a long while. If you loved Little Fires Everywhere and Where the Crawdads Sing, this is the book for you.  Be prepared for an intense and powerful read. It is a story of two families who become neighbors in a small neighborhood in North Carolina. It is a story of racism, justice, and power. It is a story of facades, and corruption. It is a story that will rip you in two, then haunt you. I walked around in a daze for almost a week after I finished this book. Read it and you will see.


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Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning By Jason Reynolds, Ibram X. Kendi Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9780316453691
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers - March 10th, 2020

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X Kendie (March 2020)

I don’t know who thought of having Jason Reynolds and Ibram X Kendie collaborate on a young people’s edition of Stamped from the Beginning, but it was genius! Reynolds presents the facts from the adult version in a way that is accessible and interesting for younger adults (or for older adults who feel intimidated by the more intense book.) He cogently explains how western culture in general, and United States culture in particular had racism baked in from the very earliest days. There aren’t many books that change your life, but this one has the power to do so. (March 2020)


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Valentine: A Read with Jenna Pick By Elizabeth Wetmore Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780062913272
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Harper Perennial - March 2nd, 2021

Prepare to be drawn into the violent, racist, misogynistic world of the oil fields in West Texas in the 1970s.This powerful, but lyrical book begins with the brutal rape of Gloria Ramirez, the 14-year-old daughter of an undocumented Mexican immigrant by the white son of a preacher. The reverberations from the attack reveal deep divides in the community between friends, neighbors and families. I usually scoff at comparisons of new authors’ work to my favorite established authors, in this case Barbara Kingsolver, but Valentine lives up to that description.


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Let's Call It a Doomsday By Katie Henry Cover Image
$10.99
Email info@literatibookstore.com or call for price
ISBN: 9780062698919
Published: Katherine Tegen Books - August 11th, 2020

Ellis Kimball is a high school junior who suffers from General Anxiety Disorder, and therefore fearful of so many things.  Like crossing the street (someone could lose control of their car!), getting a driver’s license (SHE could lose control of her car!). Mostly though, she obsesses about the end of the world and the millions of ways she can prepare to save her family and herself. Ellis is a practicing Mormon, and her faith and her family are very important in her life. This is an excellent, funny, complicated book, and Katie Henry is an author to watch.


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Takes One to Know One By Susan Isaacs Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780802149411
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Grove Press - August 18th, 2020

I always enjoy Susan Isaacs’ books because her protagonists are always strong, whip-smart women. In this book Cori Geller left her job working on the Joint Terrorism Task Force for the CIA when she married a widower with a young daughter. Now she freelances reading modern Arabic fiction for some literary agencies. On Wednesdays she has lunch with a group of other freelancers sharing stories and tips. One of the regulars-Pete Delany- is about the most boring, Milquetoast-y person on the planet, but something about him alerts Cori’s Spidey sense. She can’t help checking out his bonifides, but is there really something nefarious, or as her husband suspects, is she just bored with her tame suburban life? Isaacs keeps the plot moving with sappy dialogue, witty characters, and lots of sass. A smart, fun book!


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Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret By Craig Brown Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780374538392
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Farrar, Straus and Giroux - May 21st, 2019

Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret by Craig Brown

For those fans of The Crown who were intrigued by Princess Margaret. This biography is unusual in that it is written in 99 short chapters focusing on anecdotes from friends, acquaintances, and those with no love lost for the Princess. She was definitely a character. Knowing from childhood that she must obey all the restrictions placed on royalty, she had very little chance to live the life she wanted. Some of the selections are hilarious, some are delightfully bitchy (she had an ongoing feud with Elizabeth Taylor), and some are even sad. Interesting look at this unusual woman.


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Women Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing As We Age By Mary Pipher Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781632869616
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Bloomsbury Publishing - March 3rd, 2020

This wise and wonderful book is, as one reviewer says" A GPS for navigating life's later years." She blends information from interviews with women from all over the country and that from her years experiences as a renowned clinical psychologist to give us a practical and inspiring manual to help develop resistance to the challenges life is sure to throw our way. Her suggestions for strategies to help readers take responsibility for our attitudes, and to focus on our strengths and joys are truly uplifting. This is a book that I will keep on my bookshelf to re-read many times


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The Undefeated By Kwame Alexander, Kadir Nelson (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Kwame Alexander, Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)
$17.99
ISBN: 9781328780966
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Versify - April 2nd, 2019

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson

This extraordinary picture book combines a beautiful poem with stunning artwork to tell the story of African Americans that isn’t covered in many history classes. The book begins with a picture of Jesse Owens jumping out of the page and continues to depict the struggles and the unspeakable as well as the triumphs of both famous and ordinary people. Kadir Nelson is one of the most accomplished artists that illustrate children’s books today, and I think that this book is his masterpiece. Prepare to get chills.


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Midsummer's Mayhem By Rajani LaRocca Cover Image
$8.99
Email info@literatibookstore.com or call for price
ISBN: 9781499810646
Published: Yellow Jacket - May 4th, 2021

This is a delightful book! Young Mimi Mackson loves to bake. One summer, after her best friend moves to Australia, Mimi is trying to find somethingthat will help her cope. Wandering in the woods behind her house, she meets a new friend Vik who is just as into baking as she is. At the same time, a new restaurant in their small town announces a baking contest for kids. Mimi and Vik can't wait to experiment with combining all sorts of flavors, some from Mimi's garden and some from her mother's traditional Indian cooking. Some seriously strange things begin to happen. Is it due to Mimi's unique recipes or could it be...magic? Lovely book about family, with a little bit of Shakespeare, faeries, and magic sprinkled about. 


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Heroine By Mindy McGinnis Cover Image
$15.99
ISBN: 9780062847201
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Katherine Tegen Books - February 4th, 2020

Heroine by Mindy McGinnis

McGinnis is one of my favorite YA authors because she doesn’t pull any punches. This book is no exception. Mickey Catalan is living for the upcoming softball season, when her team is ready to reap the benefit of their years of hard work. They have a very good shot at winning the state championship, and being able to parlay that into financial aid for college. Instead, a terrible car accident leaves her with an injury so severe that the doctors can’t be sure if she will walk again, much less be able to play catcher. Her determination to get back in shape pushes her beyond her ability to tolerate the pain, and she secretly starts to up her opioid medication. She soon spirals out of control while putting her relationships with friends and family in jeopardy. The conclusion is devastating, but realistic.


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The Stars Beneath Our Feet By David Barclay Moore Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9781524701277
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Yearling - January 8th, 2019

 

The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore

This heart-warming debut novel introduces 12-year-old Lolly Rachpaul, a young man still reeling from the gang-related death of his beloved older brother. He is desperately searching for a way to deal with his grief, and to avoid the pressure to join a gang. He remembers his love of building with Legos, and starts to design his own city. This leads to an unexpected friendship that helps him find a way past his grief. We see realistic depictions of Lolly’s Harlem neighborhood which can be harrowing, but I is also filled with families that are just trying to do their best for their children.  This wonderful book deserves all the kudos it has received, and more.  A film version will be coming out with Michael B. Jordan at the helm.


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White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism By Dr. Robin DiAngelo, Michael Eric Dyson (Foreword by) Cover Image
$16.00
ISBN: 9780807047415
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Beacon Press - June 26th, 2018

It isn’t often that you read a book that changes your entire perspective on the world. This book did that for me. Written by a white woman for white people who want to do the hard work of looking at themselves to make things better now.
If you have ever said (or thought) I can’t be racist because:

•    I was raised to treat everyone equally
•    I don’t see color
•    I have lots of Black friends
•    I marched in the 60s
•    I voted for Obama
then, please read this book.
 


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Shell Game: A V.I. Warshawski Novel (V.I. Warshawski Novels #20) By Sara Paretsky Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780063000339
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: William Morrow Paperbacks - April 7th, 2020

I was an early fan of Paretsky’s V. I. Warshawski who broke ground as one of mystery’s first female private eyes. After a while I thought the books fell into a rut, so I moved on to other authors. I was delighted to find that they (Paretsky and Warshawski) are back to their very best. This time one of V. I.’s nieces has disappeared while her oldest friend’s nephew is accused of murder. The two stories don’t meet, but they intertwine beautifully. It also looks like V. I. ‘s horrible ex-husband may be involved in something pretty rotten. Will he finally get his comeuppance? Read and find out.


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Hope Never Dies: An Obama Biden Mystery (Obama Biden Mysteries #1) By Andrew Shaffer Cover Image
$14.99
ISBN: 9781683690399
Availability: Backordered
Published: Quirk Books - July 10th, 2018

Part bromance, part mystery thriller, this delightful book will leave you laughing out loud.  Were you wondering how President Obama and VP Joe Biden were filling their time since leaving the White House? Poor uncle Joe is hanging out in his Delaware house, feeling left out as he watches Obama jet skiing with Bono, yachting with Richard Branson, and generally rubbing elbows with the rich and famous. Then the suspicious death of one of Biden’s favorite Amtrak conductors brings them together again to find out what really happened.  Lots of fun, and not a bad mystery. 

 


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Between Shades of Gray By Ruta Sepetys Cover Image
$12.99
ISBN: 9780142420591
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Philomel Books - April 3rd, 2012

A very powerful book that relates the Lithuanian experience under Stalin's regime.  Young Lina and her middle-class family have a happy, comfortable life until the NKVD (Soviet police) invade their home in the middle of the night. They are shipped in cattle cars to Siberia, and the to the Arctic Circle to serve hard labor. This books is particularly important in light of the movement to rewrite Soviet history, eliminating the unpleasant parts.


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Educated: A Memoir By Tara Westover Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9780399590528
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Random House Trade Paperbacks - February 8th, 2022

This astonishing book is the story of a young woman whose violent, anti-government father kept his family isolated on a mountaintop in Idaho. His extremist views kept his family from seeking any medical treatment and led to keeping his younger 4 children from school for fear that the government would brainwash them. Although Ms Westover was not allowed to attend classes, she was a voracious reader and read enough textbooks to do well on the ACT and be admitted to Brigham Young University. Out in the world for the first time was frightening at first, but she threw herself into her studies, and managed to earn a PhD from Cambridge University. Perfect for fans of The Glass Castle.


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A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts By Therese Anne Fowler Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781250095480
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: St. Martin's Griffin - October 1st, 2019

As she did with Zelda Fitzgerald in Z, Fowler goes beyond the historical hype to tell the story of an unconventional woman trapped in a time when women’s roles were incredibly narrow. Alma Smith’s family had impeccable breeding, but her wastrel father had drunk or gambled away all the family’s money. When she captured the attention of William Vanderbilt, she used her social reputation and skills to help them break into the upper echelons of society. After twenty years of a loveless marriage, Alva found that her husband had been carrying on a decades-long affair with her best friend. Against the advice of friends and family, she filed for divorce, and won! She then threw her influence into progressive causes including women’s suffrage. Imagine what she could have achieved in a more enlightened time!


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The Martian: A Novel By Andy Weir Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780553418026
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Ballantine Books - October 28th, 2014

Imagine the movie "Castaway" redone, except this time the portagonist isn't a FedEx guy stranded on a tropical island. He is an astronaut/mechanical engineer stranded on Mars. He has no way to communicate with NASA, who think he is dead anyway. The temperature outside his module is about -55 degrees celcius; any water is frozen or buried in underground caverns. The next mission isn't scheduled for 4 years.


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The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de Luce Mystery By Alan Bradley Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780385343497
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Bantam - January 19th, 2010

Introducing Flavia de Luce, precocious 11-year-old aspiring chemist and sleuth. Ignored by her older sisters and eccentric father, Flavia finds time to investigate all sorts of things in her small English town. Her nosiness comes in handy when a stranger dies mysteriously in her garden.  A great beginning to a wonderful series!


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The Daughter of Time By Josephine Tey Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780684803869
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Scribner - November 29th, 1995

Unquestionably one of the greatest historical novels of all time! Alan Grant is a Scotland Yard detective badly injured in the line of duty and bored out of his mind in his hospital bed. Knowing how Grant loves looking at people to guess whether they are good guys or bad, a friend brings him a portfolio of faces. One portrait in particular strikes him as a sensitive and noble face. To his astonishment, he finds that he is looking at Richard III, one of the world’s most heinous villains.  Was Richard Plantagenet a murderous uncle or was he a victim of a campaign by the Tudor usurpers of the English Throne? Read and find out!

 


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All the Bright Places By Jennifer Niven Cover Image
$10.99
ISBN: 9780385755917
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Ember - September 13th, 2016

This is a very realistic look at high school cliques, labels, mental illness, teen suicide, and survival. Finch and Violet meet at the top of the school bell tower, both comtemplating suicide. Violet is having trouble recovering from her sister's death in a car accident. Finch is a funny, quirky, smart guy who has suffered from an undiagnosed depression (remember that label thing?) As Finch helps, Violet grow stronger, he slips further away. The are not quick-fix happy endings here.  This is an unforgetable, heart-wrenching book.


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The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes: An Easter And Springtime Book For Kids By DuBose Heyward, Marjorie Flack (Illustrator) Cover Image
By DuBose Heyward, Marjorie Flack (Illustrator)
$9.99
ISBN: 9780395185575
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Clarion Books - April 3rd, 1974

My favorite Easter Story!  The Country Bunny is told that she will never be an Easter Bunny because: 1) she is brown, 2) she lives in the country, 3) she is a girl, and 4) she has 21 children.  However, she proves herself to be wise, kind, clever, and the bravest bunny of all.  This book was writeen in 1939, and the art is beautiful.


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Code Name Verity (Anniversary Edition) By Elizabeth Wein Cover Image
$10.99
ISBN: 9780316426312
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers - May 10th, 2022

This book opens with the narrator, a captive spy, writing down everything she knows about the British secret missions for her Nazi captors.  In short order, the reader realizes that everything is not all it seems. A very sophisticated novel that begs to be read at least twice. Perfect for adults as well as YA readers.  It is everything historical fiction should be.


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In a Dark, Dark Wood By Ruth Ware Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781501112331
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Gallery/Scout Press - April 19th, 2016

When Nora awakes in the hospital, covered with blood, she know that she did something horrible, but she can't remember what happened.  Her last memory is of reluctantly attending a bachelorette party for a woman she lost touch with after high school.  In the same vein of Girl on a Train, the mystery is revealed slowly, and the narrator may or may not be unreliable.  A delicious pageturner!


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Redemption Road: A Novel By John Hart Cover Image
$20.00
Email info@literatibookstore.com or call for price
ISBN: 9781250132116
Published: A Thomas Dunne Book for St. Martin's Griffin - May 16th, 2017

It has been 5 years since John Hart's last book, and Redemption Road is worth the wait.  As with all good mysteries, there are several threads that run through the story. One protagonist is a detective, suspended due to her shooting of two men who had kidnapped and were in the process of totruring a teenaged girl. Another is a former cop about to be released from prison for a crime he may or may not have committed.  A third is a teenager, determined to kill the man who killed his mother. All these stories come together in an explosive conclusion.  This is a real barn-burner!


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The Underground Railroad: A Novel By Colson Whitehead Cover Image
$16.95
ISBN: 9780345804327
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Anchor - January 30th, 2018

This book grabs you, settles in your heart and minds, and won't let you go.  The story follows young Cora as she escapes from slavery with help from a physical underground railroad. She is relentlessly pursued by a patroller who is obsessed with recapturing her. Whitehead drew me so deeply into Cora's life that I found myself reacting viscerally to her experiences. I finished this book weeks ago, and I am still haunted by it.

 


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A Great Reckoning: A Novel (Chief Inspector Gamache Novel #12) By Louise Penny Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781250022110
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Minotaur Books - May 2nd, 2017

Louise Penny gets better with every book, and this is a fine addition to the series. During remodeling at the Bistro in Three Pines, a puzzling old map is found. Given to Armand Gamache who, after his retirement from the Quebec provincial police force, has been called back into service as the Headmaster of the training school for the Surete officers.  As he is trying to root out the deep corruption there, one of the suspects is found murdered, a copy of the old map in his possession. It is up to Gamache to follow both trails to find the cnnection, risking both his reputation and his life.


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The Female of the Species By Mindy McGinnis Cover Image
$10.99
ISBN: 9780062320902
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Katherine Tegen Books - April 12th, 2022

This is a stunning, beautifully written novel about a difficut topic. From the first sentence :"This is how I kill someone." you know that this story will be one of darkness and violence.  Three high school seniors are brought together by events in their small Ohio town, setting them on a collision course in the explosive finale. This book is an unflinching look at raoe culture and its consequences.


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Don't Get Caught By Kurt Dinan Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9781492630142
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Sourcebooks Fire - April 1st, 2016

The Hollywood elevator pitch for this book would be "The Breakfast Club" meets "Ocean's Eleven", but actually the book is much better than that. Plain-old Max Cobb and a random few of his classmates think that they have been invited to join the super-secret Chaos Club, a group notorious for playing outrageous pranks at their high school.  In reality, it was all a set-up, and after getting caught, the group decides to band together for revenge against the CC. The pranks get more and more elaborate until it is hard to tell who is pulling the strings. This is a laugh-out-loud book with great characters.  A wonderful debut!


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The Dry: A Novel By Jane Harper Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781250105622
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Flatiron Books - January 2nd, 2018

The Dry by Jane Harper

This is a smashing debut novel, set in a part of Australia that is experiencing the worst drought of the century. When Federal Agent Aaron Falk hears that his best childhood friend Luke has killed his wife, child, and then himself, he, like most of the town, assume it is a result of desperation caused by the drought. Then he opens a letter from Luke’s father with eight words:” Luke lied. You lied. Be at the funeral.”  Aaron returns to his childhood home, twenty years after he and his father fled under a cloud of suspicion, and is convinced to look into the deaths.  As in the best mysteries, things are not what they seem, and there are some great red herrings throughout.  Harper’s descriptions make you feel the searing heat and the stifling atmosphere of the town.   One of the best mysteries I have read this year.

Deb 


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The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story By Douglas Preston Cover Image
$19.99
ISBN: 9781455540013
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Grand Central Publishing - September 5th, 2017

The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story by Douglas Preston

Rumors of a lost city buried under the Nicaraguan jungles have circulated for hundreds of years, even before the arrival of Cortes in the 1500s.  In 2012 new technology allowed archeologists to locate several huge sites in areas that had had no human contact for thousands of years.  Seeing them from an airplane was the easy part; digging through the jungle to find out what they actually found was not. This hair-raising true story reads like wild adventure tale, complete with curse: a flesh-eating bacteria that could have explain why the city had been abandoned so long ago.


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The Marsh King's Daughter By Karen Dionne Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780735213012
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: G.P. Putnam's Sons - April 17th, 2018

The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne

Young wife and mother Helen Pelletier finds out that her father has broken out of prison. This would alarm anyone, nut Helen has more to fear than most because it was her testimony that put him there. Helen spent her youth in a rustic, and I mean rustic! Cabin in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  Until a stranger happened upon them by accident, she has not realized that her father had abducted her mother as a teenager, and had imprisoned them in that remote cabin.  Helen knows that her father is coming for her, and she knows that she is the only one who can find him. This is a delightfully creepy story, but you may have to sleep with the lights on!


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Long Way Down By Jason Reynolds Cover Image
$12.99
ISBN: 9781481438261
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books - April 2nd, 2019

 

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Teenager Will lives in a community where there are certain rules: 1) no crying, 2) no snitching, and 3) always seek revenge.  After his brother Shawn is gunned down, Will retrieves Shawn’s gun, prepared to adhere to rule #3. As he rides down the elevator, he is visited by some people from his past, all victims of gun violence, and ultimately he must make the decision that will change his life.


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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: A Novel By Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780385341004
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Dial Press Trade Paperback - May 5th, 2009

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

This gentle novel is perfect when you need a break from harsh reality. It is set in Britain in 1946, just as the country is beginning to claw its way back to some kind of normalcy after WWII. It is a love story, but it isn’t just a story of romantic love. There is love between friends both new and old, filial love, and, most of all, a love for books.  It isn’t all sweetness and light, though, as much of the book relates the experience of some of the Guernsey islanders during the German occupation. Some were hilarious, most are decidedly less so. You may admire, and maybe fall in love with these lovely people (well, most of them anyway), as I did.


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Whisper Network: A Novel By Chandler Baker Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781250205360
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Flatiron Books - July 7th, 2020

“If only you had listened to us, none of this would have happened.” So begins the book that will be recognized as the rallying cry for millions of women who have their own #me-too moments. In a mega-corporation in Dallas, the CEO dies suddenly. Ames Garrett, the loathsome General Counsel expects to move into the plush corner office, but not everyone is thrilled by that possibility. Rumors of Ames’ “trouble” with women have surfaced over the years, but none of the women involved wants to risk her career by coming forward. At the same time a list of “bad men” circulates among women in Dallas. Totally entertaining and empowering! Don’t be surprised to find yourself standing on your chair and cheering when you finish.


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Jackpot By Nic Stone Cover Image
$10.99
ISBN: 9781984829658
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Ember - September 29th, 2020

This was my first Nic Stone book, and it certainly won’t be my last. Meet Rico Danger (pronounced Don-ger, but seriously one of the best names ever), a mixed-race high-school senior trying to do school and  work as many shifts as possible at the Gas & Go to help out her single mom and younger brother with groceries and rent for their tiny low-rent apartment in a great school district. On Christmas eve, a winning lottery ticket is sold at the Gas & Go, and Rico is sure she knows who bought it. When no one comes forward, Rico feels she needs to contact the little old lady who bought it to let her know that she won. Her plot requires her to approach Zan Macklin, a gorgeous guy she has been looking at all year to help her do so. Zan also happens to be the son of a very rich family who has made their pot of gold in bathroom paper products. This book has some laugh-out-loud moments and invites readers to consider what money can and cannot buy.


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The Field Guide to the North American Teenager By Ben Philippe Cover Image
$11.99
ISBN: 9780062824127
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Balzer + Bray - January 7th, 2020

Imagine if you will a black French-Canadian teenage boy (Norris) who loves (in no particular order) hockey, snow, living in Montreal, and his best pals. Now further imagine that after his dad moves clear across the country with his new family, his mom gets a great job. But it is in Austin. Texas. Where clearly there is no hockey, never any snow, and not even one friend. To make matters worse, he manages to tick off the whole team of cheerleaders in his first few days. Things can only get better, right? This is one of the cleverest books I have read in a long time. Witty dialogue, lots of pop culture references, and believable characters make this one to put at the top of your list


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See You in the Cosmos By Jack Cheng Cover Image
$9.99
ISBN: 9780399186387
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Puffin Books - May 15th, 2018

11-year-old Alex Petroski loves space and rockets, his mom, his brother, and his dog Carl Sagan—named for his hero, the real-life astronomer. All he wants is to launch his golden iPod into space the way Carl Sagan (the man, not the dog) launched his Golden Record on the Voyager spacecraft in 1977. From Colorado to New Mexico, Las Vegas to L.A., Alex records a journey on his iPod to show other lifeforms what life on earth, his earth, is like. But his destination keeps changing. And the funny, lost, remarkable people he meets along the way can only partially prepare him for the secrets he’ll uncover—from the truth about his long-dead dad to the fact that, for a kid with a troubled mom and a mostly not-around brother, he has way more family than he ever knew.
 
One reviewer wrote: “Jack Cheng’s debut is full of joy, optimism, determination, and unbelievable heart. To read the first page is to fall in love with Alex and his view of our big, beautiful, complicated world. To read the last is to know he and his story will stay with you a long, long time.”


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Rick Riordan Presents: Race to the Sun By Rebecca Roanhorse Cover Image
$7.99
ISBN: 9781368024822
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Rick Riordan Presents - January 5th, 2021

Rebecca Roanhorse bases this action-packed adventure in the world of the Dine, or Navajo creation myths. Young Nizhoni Begay is a typical seventh grader. She is trying to find one thing that she can be best at, so she won’t feel like such a loser at school. Lately, though, she has been dealing with something that has been occupying her mind even more: she is able to see monsters. Even when they look human and wear a coat and tie (as Nizhoni says, scales, horns, and claws are for beginners.) When she hears a talking stuffed horned toad telling her that she and her brother are descended from the Hero Twins, sons of First Woman who were known as Monsterslayer and Born for Water, she finds that they must journey to the Sun and complete 4 impossible tasks in order to save the world from the monster she saw.  I enjoyed this book immensely and recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Rick Riordan’s books.


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A Home for Goddesses and Dogs By Leslie Connor Cover Image
$7.99
ISBN: 9780062796790
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Katherine Tegen Books - January 18th, 2022

Thirteen-year-old Lydia has had more experience with loss than most people her age. She has cared for her mother who has a failing heart condition for six years since her father walked out. After her mom's death Lydia is moving in with her Mom's sister Brat and her jovial wife to their farmhouse in rural Connecticut.  This is a lovely story about love, grief, and the world's best bad dog. Great caring characters, and a class of welcoming students help Lydia begin to process her loss and begin to make her way back to a new life.


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The Parker Inheritance (Scholastic Gold) By Varian Johnson Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9780545952781
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Arthur A. Levine Books - June 25th, 2019

I am always looking for middle-grade mysteries, and I am delighted to report that this book is an absolute gem! A compelling puzzle and a pair of smart likeable sleuths would be enough to add PI to your to-be-read pile, but there is much, much more. It is a story of family and friendship, of race and racism, of love and bullying, and of the past and its effect on the present in the history of a Southern town. As the two African American preteen protagonists investigate clues from an old letter, they learn what living in the Jim Crow South was really like.  As one reviewer said “Come for the puzzle. Stay for the biting glimpse of America’s intolerant past.” If you liked The Westing Game, you will love The Parker Inheritance.


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Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen: A Novel By Sarah Bird Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781250193179
Availability: Backordered
Published: St. Martin's Griffin - February 4th, 2020

Although Cathay Williams was born a slave, she never forgot that she had the blood of an African warrior-queen running through her veins.  Sarah Bird takes the few facts that we know about Williams and weaves a page-turner of a story about this strong, brave woman who was the only known female to serve in the Buffalo Soldiers disguised as a man. The danger she faced as a soldier was matched by the danger she faced if she was discovered to be a woman. If you loved The Invention of Wings and Hidden Figures, I guarantee that you will find this book fascinating.


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Insidious Intent (Tony Hill Novels #4) By Val McDermid Cover Image
$16.00
ISBN: 9780802128652
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Grove Press - November 20th, 2018

This is the 10th book in the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan series, but it was easy to follow even if I hadn't read the previous books. Val McDermid is the queen of psychological thrillers, and she does not disappoint here. Young women are being founddead  in burning cars all around Scotland, but there doesn't seem to be any connection betweem them. Carol Jordan, head of the newly formed Regional Major Incident TEam and Dr. Tony Hill, psychological profiler, are challenged to find any clues that would help them prevent the next incident.  This has one of the most surprising endings that I have read in many years.  Be prepared to want to start the series from the beginning!


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Monday's Not Coming By Tiffany D. Jackson Cover Image
$15.99
ISBN: 9780062422682
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Katherine Tegen Books - April 23rd, 2019

How can someone disappear without anyone saying a word?

Claudia is counting down the minutes until school starts so that she and her best bud Monday can hang out again. She spent the summer in Georgia with her Grandmother and as usual, she sent funny drawings and letters back to Monday. But this year, Monday didn't send any back. School starts and Monday isn't there. Her phone has been disconnected and no one has seen her all summer. And no one seems at all concerned.

How can someone disappear without anyone saying a word?

Inspired by actual events, the YA mystery tackles some real world problems: missing young BIPOC women, gentrification, and mental illness.


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The Wicked Sister By Karen Dionne Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780735213043
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: G.P. Putnam's Sons - June 29th, 2021

There is new master of psychological thrillers in town! As she did in The Marsh King’s Daughter, Dionne keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Rachel has been locked away in a mental health facility for 15 years for accidentally killing her mother when she was eleven years old. However, Rachel does not remember that day or anything of the next two weeks when she apparently lost in the woods surrounding her families house. When she was found, she was unable to speak. When a reporter hoping for an interview gives Rachel the file on the murder, she discovers that she couldn’t possibly have killed her mother because she wasn’t tall enough to use the rifle!

She returns to her family home where her older sister and aunt still live, to try and piece together what really happened that day, and who was the real killer. Tension builds on every page until the explosive ending. This riveting thriller probably shouldn't be read at bedtime...


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Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty By Anderson Cooper, Katherine Howe Cover Image
$21.99
ISBN: 9780062964625
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Harper Paperbacks - September 20th, 2022

Commodore Vanderbilt left his heirs what would have been equivalent to $26 billion today, and the later generations did their best to spend every penny. They spent it on the usual pursuits: horses, yachts, top-shelf travel, expensive homes, and parties. Lots of parties. One Vanderbilt wife threw a party for 1200 of her closest and dearest friends just so she could be “received” in New York society. Price tag: $6.4 million in today’s money. There are lots of interesting anecdotes here, and it is well worth a read.


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The Book of Magic: A Novel (The Practical Magic Series #4) By Alice Hoffman Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781982151492
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Atria Books - October 18th, 2022

I fell in love with the women in the Owens family when reading Practical Magic, and my affection has remained unchanged throughout this final chapter in their story. The family has been under the influence of a curse cast by an ancestor over 300 years ago: anyone who falls in love with an Owens female dies. They go through many changes here. Some are ordinary though no less sorrowful for being so, and some definitely extraordinary which does tend to happen when you belong to a family of witches. This is a beautiful and satisfying conclusion to one of my favorite tales.


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Well, That Was Unexpected By Jesse Q. Sutanto Cover Image
$11.99
ISBN: 9780593434000
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Delacorte Press - June 27th, 2023

If you are looking for a book that lifts your spirits, search no further! Two sets of families try to “help” their teenagers find true love by posting for them on a dating site. Their horrified children have no attraction to the profiles written by the parents, but they are forced to carry on the charade. This book was by turns hilarious and poignant. Perfect for adult as well as YA audiences.


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Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide By Rupert Holmes Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9781451648218
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster - February 21st, 2023

Surely most people have entertained, however briefly, a fantasy about how to do away with that boss who is making your life miserable. For those who are interested in going beyond the odd thought, I introduce you to The McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts, a private, very private school in an unknown location whose sole purpose is to help aspiring deletists (murder is such a vulgar word, isn’t it) become proficient in the skills that will enable you accomplish your goal.   Written by Rupert Holmes (yep, the “Pina Colada Song” guy), this book is full of entertaining wordplay and humorous plot twists. If you like a little fun with  your murder, put this one on your list


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Swamp Story: A Novel By Dave Barry Cover Image
$27.99
ISBN: 9781982191337
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Simon & Schuster - May 2nd, 2023

After reading Edna Buchanan, Carl Hiaasen, and John D. MacDonald, you might start to think that there are some pretty crazy people hanging around in Florida. This latest book by one of America’s favorite funnymen will reinforce those suspicions. This time out we have the failing owner of a shop inventing a melon-heading monster running wild through the swamps, hoping to use social media to entice people to come down and chase the critter, and consequently drive people back to his store. (It worked!) A young mother trying to find a way to escape the results of a series of bad decisions that stranded her there stumbles over a stash of gold bars, and some very bad guys know that she found them. Add to this a presidential hopeful planning to launch his campaign. And alligators. Hilarity ensues because…Dave Barry.


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Under Lock & Skeleton Key: A Secret Staircase Mystery (Secret Staircase Mysteries #1) By Gigi Pandian Cover Image
$9.99
ISBN: 9781250805003
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Minotaur Books - February 21st, 2023

Tempest Raj is a very talented magician with her own successful Vegas show at the ripe old age of 26. One night her final illusion goes horribly wrong and she barely escapes with her life. She returns to her California home and her dad’s business, a construction company that creates secret rooms and hidden staircases in people’s homes.  On their newest project her former stage double is discovered dead inside a wall that has been sealed for over 100 years. Fearing that she might have been the intended victim, Tempest jumps in to try and solve the crime. Has  the supposed family curse that supposedly killed her mother and her aunt now come for her?


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A Trace of Poison: A Riveting Historical Mystery Set in the Home of Agatha Christie (A Phyllida Bright Mystery #2) By Colleen Cambridge Cover Image
$26.00
ISBN: 9781496732477
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Kensington - October 25th, 2022

Phyllida Bright is the efficient and wicked smart housekeeper for Agatha Christie and her second husband.. A neighboring village has organized a Murder Fete to benefit a local orphanage. Agatha and her fellow renown authors G. K. Chesterton and Dorothy Sayers have agreed to participate in some charitable events including judging a writing contest for aspiring authors. The prize is an international publishing contract and several local authors are participating, including an obnoxious blowhard who has already had some publishing success. When someone is poisoned by imbibing a cocktail obviously meant for the blowhard, Phyllida has her work cut out for her. With so many experts in murder as suspects,how can she figure out the culprit?


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Slough House By Mick Herron Cover Image
$16.95
ISBN: 9781641293099
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Soho Crime - August 31st, 2021

This book is the basis for the excellent Apple TV+ series starring Gary Oldman and Kristen Scott Thomas.  Slough House is the place that washed up MI5 agents go to while away their lives after they have disgraced themselves in the line of duty.  These “slow horses” committed various mistakes, but they all have one thing in common-they are all desperate to redeem themselves and get back into the action.  The organization gives them mindless tasks, designed to force their resignations and avoid the bad publicity of employee tribunals. When a British subject is kidnapped by a terrorist cell and they threaten to broadcast his public beheading. The group is linked to a disgraced journalist that Slough House is investigating, and they throw themselves into the fray, hoping to prove their worth. Mick Herron has been called "this generation's John LeCarre, and this is his best series.


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The Chaperone By M Hendrix Cover Image
$11.99
ISBN: 9781728260006
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Sourcebooks Fire - June 6th, 2023

In New America there are strict rules for young women. As soon as they become fertile, they must always be accompanied by their chaperone. Stella is lucky that Sister Helen is like a friend. When Sister Helen dies under mysterious circumstances, the Constables (the group of men who rule the colony) assign a new chaperone right away. Sister Laura allows Stella some freedoms that help Stella begin to challenge her beliefs. What if the rules don't really protect girls, and were never meant to keep them safe?  This book is sure to be banned in Florida.


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Mastering the Art of French Murder: A Charming New Parisian Historical Mystery (An American In Paris Mystery #1) By Colleen Cambridge Cover Image
$27.00
ISBN: 9781496739599
Availability: Usually Available in 2-5 Days
Published: Kensington - April 25th, 2023

Ooh la la! If you love Paris and Julia Child, this is the book for you! With an exciting plot, excellent characters, and a setting to die for, this excellent mystery was a great pleasure to read. After a party at the Childs, one of the guests is found stabbed to death with one of Julia’s cooking knives. A young neighbor and friend of Julia’s is determined to clear her name and is drawn into investigating the crime.  Don’t miss this start of what is sure to be an exceptional series.


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Zero Days By Ruth Ware Cover Image
$29.99
ISBN: 9781982155292
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Gallery/Scout Press - June 20th, 2023

Gabe and Jack are a husband and wife team that companies hire to test their physical and cyber security systems. One night Jack is stopped by the company’s own security. She ends up at the police station and is finally released. When she returns home, she finds her husband brutally murdered. When Jack becomes the main suspect, she takes it on the run to investigate on her own. Ruth Ware’s signature twists and red herrings are accompanied by heart-pounding adventure and guarantee that this book should be at the top of your list.