March 2018 Staff Reviews-

MARCH 2018 STAFF READING SUGGESTIONS

TANGERINE
by Christine Mangan
(Releases March 27, 2018)

Alice and Lucy have weathered several trying events while roommates at Bennington College in Vermont and have now drifted apart. Lucy is living in New York City while Alice and her mysterious husband John are living in Tangier, Morocco, a grimy city in turmoil. Unexpectedly, and uninvited, Lucy shows up at Alice and John's apartment for an extended visit. The tension between the women and John runs high as the women relive their college years and their volatile current situation. Each chapter is told from a different point of view, and each woman's perception of past and current tragedies and events is wildly different. I stayed up way too late and woke up bleary eyed to finish this book: it was well worth the few lost hours of sleep!
-Ann Patterson

THE MONK OF MOKHA
by Dave Eggers

Mokhtar Alkhanshali is a 24-year-old Yemeni American working as a doorman when he becomes interested in the history of coffee and Yemen's central role in it. He leaves San Francisco to travel deep into Yemen. When war erupts Mokhtar has to find a way out of Yemen with the future of his coffee enterprise and his life at risk. A fascinating story told by one my favorite writers. Loved it!
-Kathy Petray

THE TASTER

by V. S. Alexander

I know, I know~ another book set during WWII. The Taster by V.S. Alexander (author of The Magdalen Girls) takes place in Germany during the war. It caught my eye because it's about the women who were "tasters" for Hitler. Concerned that people were attempting to poison him, Hitler had women whose roles were to make sure his food was safe to eat. This novel is not too heavy and easy to read.

-Molly Forlow

MY FLORAL AFFAIR

by Rachel Ashwell

Don't miss this new book on floral design by Rachel Ashwell, founder of Shabby Chic. A beautiful pop of Spring!

-Eleanor Thorn

SOMETIMES I LIE

by Alice Feeney

A fast moving thrill ride full of twists and turns. Alice is in a coma, yet she can hear what is going on around her. Through alternating perspectives, we hear the current thoughts of Alice, as she tries to figure out what happened to her. Little by little, events from the week prior to her accident unfold, as well as glimpses into her childhood from diary entries. The underlying loaded question is what do you believe?

-Maxwell Gregory

ALTERNATE SIDE

by Anna Quindlen

(Releases March 20, 2018)

Nora is married and successful, living in a sought after neighborhood in Manhattan. A surprising attack on the street rocks Nora's world revealing deep issues of race and class and cracks in her marriage. No one can look so piercingly into the heart of a middle-aged woman like Anna Quindlen.

-Laura Skinner

THE BEEKEEPER

by Dunya Mikhail

(Releases March 27, 2018)

One person can make a difference. Abdullah, a former Kurdish beekeeper who lost family members to ISIS (Daesh), was a singular force in saving women beaten and raped by ISIS because of their religion. His heroic efforts are told by Dunya Mikhail, an Iraqi poet who left the country to be able to safely tell this story. Brutal and dark, The Beekeeper is difficult to read but a story that is absolutely necessary for us to hear.

-Beth Mynhier

CELINE

by Peter Heller

This has been on my radar since it released in hardback, now on the paperback table! The story of a Wasp-ish private investigator from NYC who is tasked with tracking down a missing National Geographic photographer in Wyoming, gone for 20 years and assumed mauled by a bear. As Celine begins her investigation it is clear that there is much more at stake and many secrets out there. Heller writes so beautifully of the natural world, this is one to savor. LOVED!

-Di Grumhaus

EVERY NOTE PLAYED

by Lisa Genova

(Releases March 20, 2018)

Lisa Genova, author of Still Alice, has written about the devastating effects of ALS. Richard Evans, a celebrated concert pianist must confront his sudden diagnosis and swift decline. His ex-wife, Karina, feels responsible for his medical care. As Karina confronts her bitterness towards the way their marriage unfolded, Richard gains compassion for others as he loses his physical abilities. This story is a touching look at how a terminal illness affects not only the patient but all of those around them.

-Laura Capstick

I'VE BEEN THINKING...REFLECTIONS, PRAYERS AND MEDITATIONS FOR A MEANINGFUL LIFE

by Maria Shriver

Based on Maria's digital newsletter column, this gem of a book is the perfect gift for a friend, relative or yourself. Life wisdom and courage through successes and failures lends for a special place on your nightstand. You will savor every chapter.

-Diana Wettermann

CHLOE FLAVOR: SAUCY, CRISPY, SPICY, VEGAN

by Chloe Coscarelli

A great easy to follow vegan cookbook. Don't miss the breakfast cookies-they were a big hit with my family.

-Maxwell Gregory

THE EIGHT MOUNTAINS

by Paolo Cognetti

(Releases March 20, 2018)

A wonderful coming-of-age story about the friendship and connection two boys share as they spend their summers hiking and exploring in a small town in the Italian Alps. Told in Pietro's voice who comes each summer from Milan and meets up each year with the local boy, Bruno. As time passes and their paths diverge the boys/men learn the true meaning of friendship and loyalty. Told in three distinct sections, the mountains and the beauty of the Alps define the book. Winner of the most prestigious literary prize in Italy, The Strega, as well as The Prix Medici.

-Di Grumhaus