Staff Picks

Exadelic

Jon Evans

SCIENCE FICTION Evans Jon
Science Fiction, Adventure

"When an unconventional offshoot of the US military trains an artificial intelligence in the dark arts that humanity calls "black magic," it learns how to hack the fabric of reality itself. It can teleport matter. It can confer immunity to bullets. And it decides that obscure Silicon Valley middle manager Adrian Ross is the primary threat to its existence. Soon Adrian is on the run, wanted by every authority, with no idea how or why he could be a threat. His predicament seems hopeless; his future, nonexistent. But when he investigates the AI and its creators, he discovers his problems are even stranger than they seem...and unearths revelations that will propel him on a journey -- and a love story -- across worlds, eras, and everything, everywhere, all at once." --

A fast paced ride with many unexpected twists and turns. Definitely an engaging and entertaining amalgam of: time travel, AI, evil villains, multiverses, alternate histories, real magick, intimate relationships, and encounters with famous people, I found the book very hard to put down, except when I needed to catch my breath. -Paul

The wren, the wren : a novel

Anne Enright

FICTION Enright Anne
Literary Fiction

"From Booker-prize winning author Anne Enright, an astonishing novel about the love between mother and daughter--sometimes fierce, often painful, but always transcendent. "Carmel had been alone all her life. She had been alone since she was twelve years old. The baby knew all this. They looked at each other; one life into another life, and the baby knew exactly how alone her mother had been." Nell--funny, brave and so much loved--is a young woman with adventure on her mind. As she sets out into the world, she finds her family history hard to escape. For her mother, Carmel, Nell's leaving home opens a space in her heart, where the turmoil of a lifetime begins to churn. And across the generations falls the long shadow of Carmel's famous father, an Irish poet of beautiful words and brutal actions. In this penetrating and beautifully written novel, Anne Enright luminously brings to life the essence of what makes a family survive the vicissitudes of life. The Wren, the Wren is a meditation on love: spiritual, romantic, darkly sexual, or genetic. A generational saga that traces the inheritance not just of trauma but also of wonder, it is a testament to the glorious resilience of women, by one of the greatest living writers of our age"--

While this novel centers around Carmel and her daughter Nell, the elephant in the room for both characters is Phil, Carmel's father and Nell's grandfather--Irish poet and national treasure. It's about the poetry--the beauty and the heartbreak in the meanings behind those words. Carmel tries to reckon with them, while Nell is trying to discover and find connection. What we inherit can be so different. -Anne M

The Square of Sevens

Laura Shepherd-Robinson

OverDrive Audiobook
Fiction, Mystery, Historical Fiction

This "intricately plotted, epic" (The Times, London) international bestseller—in the vein of the vivid novels of Sarah Waters and Sarah Perry—follows an orphaned fortune teller in 18th-century England as she searches for answers about her long-dead mother.Cornwall, 1730: A young girl known only as Red travels with her father making a living predicting fortunes using the ancient Cornish method of the Square of Sevens. Shortly before he dies, her father entrusts Red's care to a gentleman scholar, along with a document containing the secret of the Square of Sevens technique. Raised as a lady amidst the Georgian splendor of Bath, Red's fortune telling delights in high society. But she cannot ignore the questions that gnaw at her soul: who was her mother? How did she die? And who are the mysterious enemies her father was always terrified would find him? The pursuit of these mysteries takes her from Cornwall and Bath to London and Devon, from the rough ribaldry of the Bartholomew Fair to the grand houses of two of the most powerful families in England. And while Red's quest brings her the possibility of great reward, it also leads to grave danger. "Intricate, haunting, and magical by turns, Laura Shepherd-Robinson's tale is an absolute immersive read you won't soon forget" (Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author).

An engrossing account of a young woman finding her way in 17th century England, from plying her trade of reading tarot on the streets and in fair booths, to seeking out the story of her family in the country homes of Bath and Devon. Red (aka Rachel) is at once an intelligent and curious waif, and a cunning teenager who balks at restraints and finds her own strength, as well as her weaknesses, as she grows up. This is a heroine one can root for at the same time they cringe at some of the choices she has to make, or chooses to make. Expertly read, as ever, by Imogen Wilde, who knows how to nail all the voices and dialects. Aimed at adults, but I think older teens would like this as well. -Candice

Paris like a local : by the people who call it home.

914.43604 /Eyewitness
Travel, Nonfiction

A guide to the architecture, museums, theaters, restaurants, hotels and other sights of London.

This is part of a series called "Like a Local" and I recently took the Paris version with me on a trip. In addition to a regular guide, like Fodor's or Frommer's or your preferred travel series, this lends a nice local flavor to your travel research and exploration! It's small and lightweight enough to take with you, and even with the wide world of info on our smartphones, I still prefer to take a guide or two with me--all the info in one place, good maps, and, for me, much easier to read than a screen. The highlight of this guide in my opinion (among the many fun things it pointed out) was the section on stores that carry stationery and writing instruments, and it guided me to a lovely store called L'Ecritoire, where I had a unique and friendly shopping experience. -Candice

Prey

BLU-RAY Prey

The epic Predator legacy continues with this action-thriller set in the Comanche Nation. When Naru, a fierce and highly skilled young warrior, sets out to protect her people, the prey she stalks turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator leading to a vicious and terrifying showdown.

I am a sucker for Sci-Fi action movies of the 80s including Predator. Prey is the perfect example of how to do a prequel--it's an awesome movie with inventive action and visuals that stands on its own, but also has cool callbacks and references to the original films. -Brian

The mountain in the sea

Ray Nayler

SCIENCE FICTION Nayler Ray
Science Fiction

"Following a mysterious murder on an island off the coast of Vietnam, a research team convenes to study an octopus community that seems to be developing its own language and culture. Humans, AIs, and animals are swept up in the machinations of governments and corporations in this near-future thriller about the nature of intelligence"--

This is an incredibly intelligent slow burn, Sci-Fi thriller with interesting and complicated characters. It's going to stick with me for a long time, and I'm definitely going to read everything that Nayler writes in the future. -Brian

Chain Gang All Stars: A Novel

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

OverDrive Audiobook
Diverse Characters, Fiction, LGBTQ+, Dystopian

FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD IN FICTION • A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR • A READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK • NATIONAL BESTELLER • Two top women gladiators fight for their freedom within a depraved private prison system not so far-removed from America’s own in this explosive, hotly-anticipated debut novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Friday Black • LONGLISTED FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE “Like Orwell’s 1984 and Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Adjei-Brenyah’s book presents a dystopian vision so…illuminating that it should permanently shift our understanding of who we are and what we’re capable of doing.” —The Washington Post “This book will change you!...A masterpiece.” —Jenna Bush Hager, The Today Show’s #ReadWithJenna She felt their eyes, all those executioners… Loretta Thurwar and Hamara “Hurricane Staxxx” Stacker are the stars of Chain-Gang All-Stars, the cornerstone of CAPE, or Criminal Action Penal Entertainment, a highly-popular, highly-controversial, profit-raising program in America’s increasingly dominant private prison industry. It’s the return of the gladiators and prisoners are competing for the ultimate prize: their freedom. In CAPE, prisoners travel as Links in Chain-Gangs, competing in death-matches for packed arenas with righteous protestors at the gates. Thurwar and Staxxx, both teammates and lovers, are the fan favorites. And if all goes well, Thurwar will be free in just a few matches, a fact she carries as heavily as her lethal hammer. As she prepares to leave her fellow Links, she considers how she might help preserve their humanity, in defiance of these so-called games, but CAPE’s corporate owners will stop at nothing to protect their status quo and the obstacles they lay in Thurwar’s path have devastating consequences.     Moving from the Links in the field to the protestors to the CAPE employees and beyond, Chain-Gang All-Stars is a kaleidoscopic, excoriating look at the American prison system’s unholy alliance of systemic racism, unchecked capitalism, and mass incarceration, and a clear-eyed reckoning with what freedom in this country really means from a “new and necessary American voice” (Tommy Orange, The New York Times Book Review).

A very informative and gripping dystopian novel that will make you think about the U.S. prison system and how we consume modern-day professional sports. -Annie

The art of talking with children : the simple keys to nurturing kindness, creativity, and confidence in kids

Rebecca Givens Rolland

155.413 /Rolland
Home, Self Help

A Harvard faculty member and oral language specialist provides adults with evidence-based tools and techniques to help them have productive and meaningful conversations with children of all ages.

A really good (and relatively short) read on developing better strategies for engaging kids, both the ones you're raising at home and those you encounter in the community. I got a lot of good pointers from this, and loads of conversation starters for all ages, too! -Amanda

Extremely online : the untold story of fame, influence, and power on the internet

Taylor Lorenz

302.231 /Lorenz
Technology, History

"For over a decade, Taylor Lorenz has been the authority on internet culture, documenting its far-reaching effects on all corners of our lives. Her reporting is serious yet entertaining and illuminates deep truths about ourselves and the lives we create online. In her debut book, Extremely Online, she reveals how online influence came to upend the world, demolishing traditional barriers and creating whole new sectors of the economy. Lorenz shows this phenomenon to be one of the most disruptive changes in modern capitalism. By tracing how the internet has changed what we want and how we go about getting it, Lorenz unearths how social platforms' power users radically altered our expectations of content, connection, purchasing, and power. Lorenz documents how moms who started blogging were among the first to monetize their personal brands online, how bored teens who began posting selfie videos reinvented fame as we know it, and how young creators on TikTok are leveraging opportunities to opt out of the traditional career pipeline. It's the real social history of the internet. Emerging seemingly out of nowhere, these shifts in how we use the internet seem easy to dismiss as fads. However, these social and economic transformations have resulted in a digital dynamic so unappreciated and insurgent that it ultimately created new approaches to work, entertainment, fame, and ambition in the 21st century. Extremely Online is the inside, untold story of what we have done to the internet, and what it has done to us." --Amazon.

This is the kind of book that will be invaluable and useful to future readers interested in the evolution of the internet as we know it. I lived through all of this, and was not fully aware of the players or the context, or even some of the apps that thrust people into the spotlight. It's a fun read now for sure, but I think it will fill a spot in the discourse we need as we develop and innovate more. -Amanda

The first cat in space and the Soup of Doom

Mac Barnett

jGRAPHIC NOVEL Barnett First
Kids, Graphic Novels

Award-winning creators Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris are back with the second volume in the bestselling The First Cat in Space graphic novel series! Secret tales of woe, hilarious new characters, and dangerous plans of sabotage will keep readers delighted and laughing until the thrilling climax. Perfect for fans of Dog Man and InvestiGators. The Moon Queen has been poisoned—by SOUP. With few she can trust in her own royal court, she and First Cat will have to journey alone to find the antidote. If only LOZ 4000 were still with them . . . But our once-heroic toenail clipping robot is on the run, looking for new purpose in this vast universe. Unbeknownst to our trio, secret forces are working against them. In a world of villainous cowboys, high-speed chases, and falling pianos, can our iconic trio find their way back to one another and save the Moon Queen before it’s too late? And who would want to poison her? Is Captain Babybeard, the adorable baby pirate, in this one?

The ridiculously fun sequel is finally here and I am over the moon! I laughed out loud at the adventure that was just as clever, funny, and artistically impressive as the first volume in the series. This is a great family read aloud for the younger kids, and a great book for the independent reader-through 6th grade. Kids will love it and will be eagerly awaiting the third volume! -Angie

Tomfoolery! : Randolph Caldecott and the rambunctious coming-of-age of children's books

Michelle Markel

j741.6092 Caldecott
Kids

Quick! If you don't move fast, you're going to miss him -- there he goes-- Randolph Caldecott, future famous illustrator. His sketchbook is full of hurly-burly; wild weather, frisky animals and people so sprightly they can barely hold on to the pages. But in the 1850s, there are no children's books like that. Not yet. Many are published, but their pictures look still, full of pretty poses and cluttered scenery. No one has imagined how much fun an illustrated book can be ... Because the future hero of children's book illustration is just a lad.

Have you ever wondered about the origin of the Caldecott Medal, awarded annually to the book for children with the best illustrations? Even if you haven't, read this anyway because it's really good! An entertaining, lightly-written biography of Randolph Caldecott, the 1850s children's book illustrator who took children's book art from dull, staid, stiff, formally-posed, purely decorative, and needlessly ornate to a modern, integral part of the story. Caldecott made pictures that were filled with action, humor, movement, joy, and worked to advance the story, so that even a child who couldn't yet read could glean the story by looking at the pictures. A modern understanding of picture books developed due to his work and we continue to recognize his innovations today through the Caldecott medal. -Anne W

Something, someday

Amanda Gorman

jE Gorman
Kids, Picture Books

"Presidential inaugural poet and #1 New York Times bestselling author Amanda Gorman and Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Honor winner Christian Robinson have created a timeless message of hope. Sometimes the world feels broken. And problems seem too big to fix. But somehow, we all have the power to make a difference. With a little faith, and maybe the help of a friend, together we can find beauty and create change. With intimate and inspiring text and powerfully stunning illustrations, Something, Someday reveals how even the smallest gesture can have a lasting impact" --

Inspiring for the young, old, and everyone in between! Beautiful words and equally as beautiful illustrations. I hope this is the first of many collaborations from these two! -Angie

The moth keeper

O'Neill, Kay (Cartoonist), author, illustrator.

jGRAPHIC NOVEL O'Neill
Graphic Novels, Fantasy

Kit is excited to prove her worth as a Moth-Keeper, a protector of the lunar moths that allow the Night-Lily flower to bloom once a year, but she quickly finds that life as a Moth-Keeper is not what she imagined it would be.

Fans of the Tea Dragon Society will love this new title from Kay O'Neill! -Casey

Normal rules don't apply : stories

Kate Atkinson

FICTION Atkinson Kate
Short Story

"A dazzling collection of eleven interconnected stories from the bestselling, award-winning author of Shrines of Gaiety and Life After Life, with everything that readers love about her novels-the inventiveness, the verbal felicity, the sharp observations on human nature, and the deeply satisfying emotional wallop. In this brilliant volume, nothing is quite as it seems. We meet a queen who makes a bargain she cannot keep; a secretary who watches over the life she has just left; a lost man who bets on a horse that may-or may not-have spoken to him. Everything that readers love about the novels of Kate Atkinson is here-the inventiveness, the verbal felicity, the sharp observations on human nature, and the deeply satisfying emotional wallop. Witty and wise, with subtle connections between the stories, Normal Rules Don't Apply is a startling and funny feast for the imagination, stories with the depth and bite to create their own fully-formed worlds"--

Saying that Kate Atkinson's new book is a collection of short stories is a little misleading. While they could all stand on their own, the stories make more sense in how they are connected—how they call back and reference each other. And the connections are surprising and pretty fun. We have Atkinson's crime fiction, but also nods to fantasy and science fiction. As always, Atkinson brings her sardonic wit. -Anne M

Carmilla : the first vampire

Amy Chu

GRAPHIC NOVEL Chu
Diverse Characters, Fantasy, Horror, LGBTQ+, Graphic Novels, Mystery

"Before Dracula, before Nosferatu, there was...CARMILLA. At the height of the Lunar New Year in 1990s New York City, an idealistic social worker turns detective when she discovers young, homeless LGBTQ+ women are being murdered and no one, especially the police, seems to care. A series of clues points her to Carmilla's, a mysterious nightclub in the heart of her neighborhood, Chinatown. There she falls for the next likely target, landing her at the center of a real-life horror story-and face-to-face with illusions about herself, her life, and her hidden past. Inspired by the gothic novel that started a genre and layered with dark Chinese folklore, this queer, feminist murder mystery is a tale of identity, obsession and fateful family secrets"--

A cool reimagining of the 1872 classic "Carmilla" that takes queer vampire murder mystery to a new level by incorporating Chinese folklore in the heart of 1990s New York. Perfect for the dark season! -Annie

Above ground : poems

Clint Smith

811.6 /Smith
Black Lives Matter, Black History, Nonfiction, Poetry, Literary Nonfiction

Clint Smith's vibrant and compelling new collection traverses the vast emotional terrain of fatherhood, and explores how becoming a parent has recalibrated his sense of the world. There are poems that interrogate the ways our lives are shaped by both personal lineages and historical institutions. There are poems that revel in the wonder of discovering the world anew through the eyes of your children, as they discover it for the first time. There are poems that meditate on what it means to raise a family in a world filled with constant social and political tumult. Above Ground wrestles with how we hold wonder and despair in the same hands, how we carry intimate moments of joy and a collective sense of mourning in the same body. Smith's lyrical, narrative poems bring the reader on a journey not only through the early years of his children's lives, but through the changing world in which they are growing up--through the changing world of which we are all a part.

A beautiful and healing collection of poems from Clint Smith (author of "How the Word Is Passed"), reflecting on the ups and downs of parenthood, how it has changed him and other epiphanies that come with it. Sprinkled with both the small happy memories and the bursts of grief that can come with the vicissitudes of life, loss and trauma. -Annie

Flubby will not take a bath

J. E. (Jennifer E.) Morris

jREADER Morris J. E.
Early Readers

Armed with bubbles, shampoo and a cat toy, Kami is determined to give Flubby the fussy feline a bath, even if she has to get creative!

This book and its sequel, Flubby Does Not Like Snow, hilariously depict a chubby cat and their human companion engaging in activities. It's a challenge to craft an entertaining story with such limited language, but this easy reader accomplishes it deftly. This is a very early reader, appropriate for fairly new beginners, with repetitive phrases, picture support, and simple words. Yet it manages to be funny, relatable, and charming! -Anne W

Harvest days : giving thanks around the world

Kate. author DePalma

j394.2 DePalma
Picture Books

Through lyrical, rhyming text and vibrant artwork, young readers can explore twelve cultures around the world, learning all about their harvest festivals, days of thanks, ancient traditions and the activities associated with them.

It’s harvest season! It’s thanksgiving season! This wonderful nonfiction picture book showcased harvest celebrations in 12 countries around the world. Each unique culture follows different festive traditions in different times of the year, while still delivering a unified warm message showing appreciation for the food, the land, and the people who work hard to raise families. I love reading the lyrical, rhyming text as well as gazing at all the mouthwatering food illustrations in this book. -Fang

Snowflakes on our tongues

Mike Ornstein

jE Ornstein
Picture Books

When a farmer is not paying attention, the farm animals romp and play as they try to catch snowflakes on their tongues. Includes back matter with animal facts as well as information on the science of snowflakes.

Winter is here on Pumpernickel Farm.. Snow is coming soon as well. Are animal friends all going to hibernate? Of course not! When the farmer isn't looking, they catch snowflakes on their tongues! You think that is the silliest joke on the farm? Definitely not! If you read through the story to the end, you will laugh out loud to see that when the animals aren't looking, Farmer Pumpernickel is also catching snowflakes on his tongue! This lovely winter book is so sweet and delightful that I just can't wait to share it with all children in our Book to Art Club scheduled on Dec.26. We will be sharing the joy of reading and laughing. We will also try catching snowflakes on our tongues while everybody is looking! Mark your calendar and come join in the fun! -Fang

Our Italian Christmas Eve

Danielle Sedita

j394.2663 Sedita
Picture Books

In a bustling house of relatives, Danielle and Francesco's excitement turns to a mission as they race against time to remember their mother's cheesecake recipe, saving Christmas with a mouthwatering Italian feast. Includes a recipe for cheesecake.

I am not Italian and I firmly believe that the Christmas season should begin the day after Thanksgiving, but this new picture book just arrived and I just can't resist a plug for this delightful celebration of Italian food and family on Christmas Eve. Two siblings describe, in simple language, their childhood traditions of preparing and ingesting a seafood- and dessert-centric holiday feast together with a big extended family. (Right away, when the kids arrive in the afternoon, "Aunt Babe hands us each a coffee mug with a piece of Italian bread inside, covered in tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese" and things proceed from there.) The illustrations are humorous and spirited, and the vibe is festive and cozy. Mangia! -Anne W

Night Watch : a novel

Jayne Anne Phillips

FICTION Phillips Jayne
Historical Fiction

"In 1874, in the wake of the Civil War, eleven-year-old ConaLee and her mother arrive at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in West Virginia. They're delivered to the hospital's entrance by Papa-an abusive veteran who forces himself into their lives-after ConaLee's mother, who hasn't spoken in a year, grows even more withdrawn. Before he departs, Papa assigns them new identities and demands that ConaLee introduce herself as her mother's nurse-not her daughter-so they'll both be admitted and allowed to stay. There, far from family, their beloved neighbor, Dearbhla, and the home they know, ConaLee will care for her mother and try to reclaim their lives. Years earlier, ConaLee's father left for the war before she was born and never returned. After suffering a life-threatening headwound in battle, he couldn't remember his name, his family, or where he came from. Forced to start over, he takes the name of the doctor who gave him a second life, and ventures back into the world looking for work and the truth about his past"--

Longlisted for the National Book Award, Jayne Anne Phillips’ “The Night Watch” is a compelling narrative about one West Virginia family and how the Civil War broke them apart. Phillips lands the reader first in the middle of the foray on a plodding carriage ride to deliver ConaLee and her mother to the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. ConaLee's mother hasn't spoken for years, and the man she calls Papa is done. He hands over the younger children to some neighbors, packs up the house, and commits his wife, demanding ConaLee report as her companion and nurse. Phillips pushes and pulls us through the Civil War, how we got to the asylum door, and then moves us onto the consequences, the truths revealed. There were parts of this story that were immersive; the text made my heart race. It is a great read, albeit brutal. -Anne M

Catside up, catside down : a book of prepositions

Anna Hrachovec

jE Hrachove
Picture Books, Animals

In this charming introduction to prepositions, a collection of cozy, knitted cats find themselves in silly situations and PAW-sitively hilarious positions.

Catside Up, Catside Down, is an adorable picture book featuring knitted cats in hilarious scenes! I'm looking forward to reading this one aloud in Storytime soon. -Casey

The snow man : a true story

Jonah Winter

CATALOGING /
Science, Biographies

"Discover the true story of a man who lived alone in the mountains with a hobby of measuring snowfall that led to groundbreaking data tracking in climate change studies"--

I am obsessed, I tell you, OBSESSED with this new picture book biography of billy barr, who moved alone to a rustic, isolated cabin in the Rocky Mountains and ended up doing some of the earliest and most groundbreaking tracking related to the heating of the planet when he measured snowfall over time. Jonah Winter has penned more than forty picture book biographies related to environmental, social, and racial justice. Jeannette Winter's illustrations in predominately shades of purple and blue are a phenomenal accompaniment. Check it out! -Anne W

Super Mario Bros.. Wonder

VIDEO GAME Switch Super

"Discover the power of Wonder! Wonder flowers transform you... or the world around you! Collect badges. Equip badges to jump higher, swim faster, and more. Astounding power-ups: Elephant Mario, Bubble Mario, Drill Mario"--Container.

This game was well worth the long wait for a new 2D side-scrolling Super Mario Bros. platformer. If you haven't already heard the hype, prepare yourself for a world of new and innovative powerups, more detailed character expressions (compared to previous games) and a storyline that'll certainly have you in wonder... or at least wondering. -Annie

North woods : a novel

Daniel (Daniel Philippe) Mason

FICTION Mason Daniel
Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction

"When a pair of young lovers abscond from a Puritan colony, little do they know that their humble cabin in the woods will become the home of an extraordinary succession of human and nonhuman characters alike. An English soldier, destined for glory, abandons the battlefields of the New World to devote himself to apples. A pair of spinster twins navigate war and famine, envy and desire. A crime reporter unearths a mass grave--only to discover that the ancient trees refuse to give up their secrets. A lovelorn painter, a sinister conman, a stalking panther, a lusty beetle: As each inhabitant confronts the wonder and mystery around them, they begin to realize that the dark, raucous, beautiful past is very much alive"--

I really enjoy Daniel Mason’s writing. I loved The Winter Soldier. (Now that I think of it, I should read that one again. It’s so good!) But Mason really surprised me with this book. It is refreshing, funny, and a little chaotic. It follows the history of a single piece of land in the woods of western Massachusetts from first contact into the future. It’s the story of the land, the animals that live there, and the house that stands on it and how they change with each generation, but also how each generation is influenced by the land and the house. It is full of these beautiful connections woven throughout the generations—sometimes in completely unexpected ways. One of my favorite parts of the novel are the ghostly ballads written by two twin sisters that are used as interludes between chapters. Yes, this novel is ambitious. And Mason succeeds. -Anne M

Everybody Knows: A Novel

Jordan Harper

OverDrive Audiobook
Fiction, Mystery

In this "hardboiled mystery" (Maureen Corrigan) from an Edgar Award winning author, a fearless black-bag publicist exposes the belly of the L.A. beast. Welcome to Mae Pruett's Los Angeles, where "Nobody talks. But everybody whispers." As a "black-bag" publicist tasked not with letting the good news out but keeping the bad news in, Mae works for one of LA's most powerful and sought-after crisis PR firms, at the center of a sprawling web of lawyers, PR flaks, and private security firms she calls "The Beast." They protect the rich and powerful and depraved by any means necessary. After her boss is gunned down in front of the Beverly Hills Hotel in a random attack, Mae takes it upon herself to investigate and runs headfirst into The Beast's lawless machinations and the twisted systems it exists to perpetuate. ... Recommended by New York Times Book Review • NPR/Fresh Air • Wall Street Journal • Washington Post • LA Times •CrimeReads• Alta Online • Lit Hub• Kirkus Reviews• Publishers Weekly• NBC/TODAY and many more! • An ABA January 2023 Indie Next List Pick • A NYTBR Editors' Choice Selection "The book everybody's been waiting for" —Michael Connelly "An absolute tour de force"—S. A. Cosby "The best mystery novel I've read in years" —James Patterson

This was so good! I came across this title on ICPL's 'Featured Collections' scroller on the website (which, by the way, is a great way to find titles you might not be aware of), and I was hooked from the beginning. The story is told in alternating chapters by Mae and Chris, and the first thing of note is that I found both narrators to be unique and excellent, with a nice range of emotion (even hard-on-the-outside Chris). You know when a narrator sounds just like the character you're imagining? This had that going on for me. The story itself is compelling and original, even while having well-known elements that are in the miasma surrounding Hollywood: the big players, the world of dirty secrets perpetrated by those who hold the power, the broken systems, the people who fall through the cracks, and the people who perpetuate all of this in various ways. I found all the characters to be nicely fleshed out, especially Mae and Chris of course, but the side characters are also given unique characteristics and situations that tell their stories. One final note: this is the second book I've read or listened to recently that has a female "cleaner" at the center of it, someone who helps cover up bad situations for powerful people in Hollywood (the other is the Devil's Playground), and it is making for some very interesting post-book thinking. -Candice

Starter villain

John Scalzi

SCIENCE FICTION Scalzi John
Fantasy, Adventure, Suspense, Humor

"Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place. Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan. Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they're coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital. It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyper-intelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good. In a dog-eat-dog world...be a cat"--

More red meat for Scalzi fans, with snappy dialog, constant forward moving action, interesting characters, even more interesting (incredible?) situations, and of course heavy doses of humor. Another one of his that's hard to set down. -Paul

Hidden gem

Linda (Illustrator) Liu

jE Liu
Picture Books

"When a small pebble sees others gathering on the steps of the Museum of Rocks, he grows curious. Once inside the esteemed halls, he is shocked by what he discovers. The only rocks on display are glittering gemstones, geodes, and crystals! These beautiful stones make him wonder: Can he be special, too? Perhaps he'll find an answer in the World's Most Beautiful Gem exhibition . . . or maybe, just maybe, he will find the answer inside himself."--Amazon.

Rocks with cute, cartoony eyes! What's not to love? This is a fun, short book with a good message delivered through the crowd-pleasing medium of rocks. -Anne W

My brother's keeper

Tim Powers

SCIENCE FICTION Powers Tim
Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Horror

"This is a ghost story. It is a story about werewolves, and things that go bump in the night. It is a story of an ill-fated land, the pathless moors of Northern England so well chronicled in Wuthering Heights. And it is the story of a real family whose destiny it is to deal with this darkly glamorous and dangerous world. When young Emily Brontë helps a wounded man she finds at the foot of an ancient pagan shrine in the remote Yorkshire moors, her life becomes contentiously entwined with his. He is Alcuin Curzon, embittered member of a sect working to eradicate the resurgent plague of lycanthropy in Europe and northern England. But Emily's father, curate of the Haworth village church, is responsible for having unwittingly brought a demonic werewolf god to Yorkshire forty years ago-and it is taking possession of Emily's beloved but foolish and dissolute brother. Curzon must regard Emily's family as a dire threat. In spite of being at deadly odds, Emily and Curzon find themselves thrown together in fighting werewolves, confronting pagan gods, even saving each other from the lures of moorland demons. And in a final battle that sweeps from the haunted village of Haworth to a monstrous shrine far out on the moors, the two of them must be reluctant allies against an ancient power that seems likely to take their souls as well as their lives" --

Once again, Powers crafts an engaging, supernatural tale involving well known literary figures, in this case the Bronte sisters. Also thrown into the mix are their father and brother, and the consequences of missteps, misdirection and misdeeds with worldly and other worldly implications. -Paul

American royals

Katharine McGee

YOUNG ADULT FICTION McGee, Katharine
Romance

In an alternate America, princesses Beatrice and Samantha Washington and the two girls wooing their brother, Prince Jeffrey, become embroiled in high drama in the most glorious court in the world.

A fun read. It gives The Crown vibes VERY well with an American flavor I think many of us can appreciate, mixed with teen drama. -Amanda

I am dog!

Peter Bently

jE Bently
Picture Books, Animals, Humor, Poetry

A day in the life of a dog--told from the dog's point of view! A funny rhyming picture book from Peter Bently and Chris Chatterton. Have you ever wondered just what goes on in a dog's head? Now you can find out in this funny rhyming story!

I Am Dog, sure is great. Get this book, don't hesitate! This book rocks! This dog is fun! Share this book with everyone! -Casey

The season : a social history of the debutante

Kristen Richardson

305.409 /Richardson
History

"The world of debutantes opens into a revealing story of women across six centuries, their limited options, and their desires. Digging into the roots of the debutante ritual, with its ballrooms and white dresses, Kristen Richardson- herself descended from a line of debutantes- was fascinated to discover that the debutante ritual places our contemporary ideas about women and marriage in a new light. In this brilliant history of the phenomenon, Richardson shares debutantes' own words-from diaries, letters, and interviews-throughout her vivid telling, beginning in Henry VIII's era, sweeping through Queen Elizabeth I's court, crossing back and forth the Atlantic to colonial Philadelphia, African American communities, Jane Austen's England, and Mrs. Astor's parties, ultimately arriving at the contemporary New York Infirmary and International balls. Whether maligned for its archaic attitude and objectification of women or praised for raising money for charities and providing a necessary coming- of- age ritual, the debutante tradition has more to tell us in this entertaining and illuminating book"--

What a fun social history! My ideas of debutantes is very 1950s America, and I loved getting the deep dive into how the ritual developed in England, then came to the US, and then morphed into something still different today. There's loads of historical gossip and trivia and it's enjoyable to experience the debutante life through the page. -Amanda

The devil's playground : a novel

Craig Russell

FICTION Russell Craig
Fiction, Mystery

"A riveting 1920s Hollywood thriller about the making of the most terrifying silent film ever made, and a deadly search for the single copy rumored still to exist. This is the breakout from Craig Russell, author of The Devil Aspect. 1927: Mary Rourke-a Hollywood studio fixer-is called urgently to the palatial home of Norma Carlton, one of the most recognizable stars in American silent film. Norma has been working on the secret film everyone is openly talking about...a terrifying horror picture called The Devil's Playground that is rumored to have unleashed a curse on everyone involved in the production. Mary finds Norma's cold, dead body, and she wonders for just a moment if these dark rumors could be true. 1967: Paul Conway, a journalist and self-professed film aficionado, is on the trail of a tantalizing rumor. He has heard that a single copy of The Devil's Playground-a Holy Grail for film buffs-may exist. He knows his Hollywood history and he knows the film endured myriad tragedies and ended up lost to time. The Devil's Playground is Craig Russell's tour de force, a richly researched and constructed thriller that weaves through the Golden Age of Hollywood and reveals a blossoming industry built on secrets, invented identities, and a desperate pursuit of image. As Mary Rourke charges headlong through the egos, distractions, and traps that threaten to take her down with the doomed production, she discovers a truth far more sinister than she-or we-would imagine. This is Craig Russell's strongest novel to date, and one that will resonate with American readers"--

This book has it all--a solid crime for someone to solve, interesting characters (including more than one strong, intriguing female), old Hollywood glamour coupled with whip-smart dialogue, and a healthy dose of the kind of supernatural that is just a little too real for comfort or dismissal. Author Craig Russell manages all of this really well, and has a deft hand with vocabulary (this book presented me with one of the few times in recent memory where I had to resort to a dictionary). A perfect read for heading into the spooky season! -Candice

Dim Sum Palace

X. Fang

jE Fang
Picture Books

"A picture book about a girl and her love of food, set in a restaurant."--

Reminiscent of In the Night Kitchen, with fabulous blocky illustrations and a weird, fantastical story, a girl falls asleep at the beginning of the book and is pictured falling through a series of pages featuring mouth-watering dim sum dishes. -Anne W

Ancillary sword

Ann Leckie

SCIENCE FICTION Leckie Ann
Science Fiction

"What if you once had thousands of bodies and near god-like technology at your disposal? And what if all of it were ripped away? The Lord of the Radch has given Breq command of the ship Mercy of Kalr and sent her to the only place she would have agreed to go -- to Athoek Station, where Lieutenant Awn's sister works in Horticulture. Athoek was annexed some six hundred years ago, and by now everyone is fully civilized -- or should be. But everything is not as tranquil as it appears. Old divisions are still troublesome, Athoek Station's AI is unhappy with the situation, and it looks like the alien Presger might have taken an interest in what's going on. With no guarantees that interest is benevolent"--

Breq's story continues as she tries to make up for her sins the only way she knows how. The book also explores the destruction and assimilation of cultures during the creation of empires, and the personhood of AI. I'll say this again--I can't believe that I slept on these books for so long. If you are a Sci-Fi fan, this is a must read. -Brian

Trees : a rooted history

Piotr Socha

j582.16 Socha
Nature, History, Nonfiction

"Part botany, part history, part cultural anthropology--Trees goes beyond the basics to tell readers everything they might want to know about this particular branch of the plant kingdom. Trees explores the important roles trees play in our ecosystem, takes an up-close-and-personal look at the parts of trees (from roots to stumps to leaves), and unpacks the cultural impact of trees from classification systems (like family trees or data trees) to long-standing myths (like the Tree of Life)."--

This book was an expired hold on the bookmobile, so I ended up "leafing" through it during a slower stop, their loss my gain! I was obsessed with the illustrations! The oversized pages offer several wonderful field guides for different types of trees, roots, seeds, endemic species, and more. I enjoyed the concise and gorgeous exploration of the use of trees as building materials throughout history. The book dives deep in the cultural significance to native trees around the world and examines religion and folklore surrounding trees. I loved the book so much I decided to buy a used copy online to enjoy again later. -Mari