FEBRUARY 2019 - STAFF READING SUGGESTIONS

FREEFALL
by Jessica Barry

This action packed thriller starts with a plane crash and keeps you turning the pages as the suspense mounts, yet it is also the story of the bond between a mother and daughter. After surviving the plane crash, Allison is determined to survive and find her way back home to her mother in Maine. Maggie can't believe Allison is really dead and starts her own quest to discover what really happened. A compelling and fast paced debut novel.
-Maxwell Gregory
THE LOST GIRLS OF PARIS
by Pam Jenoff

The book opens 1946 in Manhattan where Grace finds a suitcase that is abandoned and discovers photos of women. She searches to find out who these women are and stumbles to find out that they are part of Britain's Special Operations Team, who were trying to send radio transmissions from occupied Paris back to Britain. This fictional account of these operatives brings to life the untold story of their bravery and how they were a part of the invasion of Normandy by the Allied Forces. I enjoyed reading this historical fiction and the roles these women played in WWII.
-Eleanor Thorn
THE AGE OF LIGHT
by Whitney Scharer

Set in the vibrant Parisian art scene of the 1930's and 40's, this fictionalized story of model and photographer Lee Miller is a great read! Miller leaves NYC for Paris where she meets famous photographer Man Ray. She becomes his assistant and lover, learning his techniques and creating her own style. As her story progresses, Miller is sent to the warfront as one of the first women photographers. While there, she finds herself in Hitler's house just after he was driven out. Her colleague takes the famous photo of her sitting in Hitler's tub--a memorable image of a remarkable woman whose story was waiting to be told.
-Beth Mynhier
FINDING DOROTHY
by Elizabeth Letts

Letts (the author of The Perfect Horse) paints a vivd picture of the story behind the making of The Wizard of Oz. Told through the point of view of L. Frank Baum's headstrong wife, Maud, the book is composed of two distinct narratives: Maud's early life as the daughter of a prominent suffragette beginning in 1871, and continuing with her marriage to traveling actor Frank Baum; and 1939 as Maud in her late 70's is summoned to MGM Studios to view the filming of the iconic film. This is a wonderful piece of historical fiction, giving the reader a very personal view of life at the turn of the century, a fanciful examination of the inspiration of a classic children's story and an in-depth look at life in early Hollywood.
-Laura Skinner
AN AMERICAN SUMMER: LOVE AND DEATH IN CHICAGO
by Alex Kotlowitz
(Releases March 5, 2019)

Shocking, heartrending and deeply moving stories from May to September 2013 of love and death in Chicago's most turbulent neighborhoods. This one summer will stay with you and upend what you think you know about gun violence.
-Kathy Petray

THE CURRENT
by Tim Johnston
  

Audrey Sutter, the daughter of the retired sheriff, survives when she and her college friend Caroline plunge into the icy waters of the Black Root River, but it wasn't as accident, their car was pushed. The news awakens long-hidden secrets surrounding the death of another young girl in the same river, whose case was never solved. Audrey's father was the investigating sheriff when Holly Burke drowned and Audrey feels linked to the case and soon begins digging up the past, reviving uncomfortable memories in the town. An atmospheric, page turner that keeps you in suspense until the end.
-Maxwell Gregory


THE LAST ROMANTICS
by Tara Conklin

Beginning in the year 2079 and flashing back to 1981 this book tells the story of the four Skinner children. When their father dies suddenly their mother, consumed by grief and financial stress, enters a period of the kids call the Pause. Renee, Caroline, Joe and Fiona learn to fend for themselves and form a bond that lasts a lifetime. As adults their love is tested when each sibling struggles with personal problems and the lasting effects of grief. I loved this story of familial love.
-Kathy Petray
THE WOMAN INSIDE
by E. G. Scott

This well crafted thrilled keeps you guessing as you weave through it's twists and turns. Rebecca and Paul are both haunted by childhood tragedies, yet they seem like the perfect couple, until you look behind the closed doors. Who is lying and who is telling the truth? Rebecca is a pharmaceutical rep that has indulged in her own samples and is quickly spiraling into a dangerous habit that leaves her questioning her husband and her marriage and wondering if someone is stalking her. Paul is in the midst of an affair that backfires and threatens his marriage. The clues are revealed little by little, baiting the reader up until the shocking conclusion.
-Maxwell Gregory
BOWLAWAY
by Elizabeth McCraken

One of the best books I have read in a long time! Set in Salford, MA, McCraken starts at the turn of the century and introduces an amazing, colorful cast of quirky characters starting with the Truett family-owners of the local candlepin bowling alley. She continues through three generations, giving us a startling array of human drama (love, betrayal and family secrets) recounted with a sardonic sense of humor and a very unique writing style. McCraken is a modern Dickensian storyteller.
-Laura Skinner
THE RED ADDRESS BOOK
by Sofia Lundberg

A beautifully told story about the joys and heartache of memory and the stories we hold deep inside that influence our lives. Doris, a 96-year-old Swedish woman, reflects on the various people who shaped her eventful life as she pages through the address book her father gave her when she was a young girl. As she scans the list of people, many now dead, she begins to write down her story. This book is a gem!
-Maxwell Gregory
THE FAR FIELD
by Madhuri Vijay

I loved this story of a young woman's search for a lost figure from her childhood, a journey that carries her from Southern India to Kashmir. A beautifully written story that examines family, class prejudice and Indian politics through the eyes of an outsider, offering a profound examination of grief, guilt and the limits of compassion.
-Kathy Petray
WHEN YOU READ THIS
by Mary Adkins

Composed entirely of emails, texts and blog entrees, Adkins' debut takes the epistolary novel in a very contemporary direction. Smith and Jade are connected only by the death of Jade's sister; they are both struggling to cope with her loss. Adkins has created a work that cleverly creates full and interesting characters and combines family drama, romance, and dark humor with bits of self-help. A very engaging read.
-Laura Skinner
AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK
BORN A CRIME
by Trevor Noah
EVERY NOTE PLAYED
by Lisa Genova
LITTLE BIG LOVE
by Katy Regan
THE FRIEND
by Sigrid Nunez
YOUNG READERS SELECTIONS
YOUNG ADULTS:

SADIE
by Courtney Summers

Sadie's life falls apart after her little sister is found dead but she is determined to hunt down Mattie's killer and sets off on a road trip to find him. West McCray is a radio personality that picks up on the story and develops a podcast around finding Sadie titled "The Girls". Can he catch up to her before tragedy strikes again? I couldn't turn the pages fast enough; what an engaging way to tell a story!
-Di Grumhaus
MIDDLE SCHOOL:

MERCI SUAREZ CHANGES GEARS
by Meg Medina
(Winner of the 2019 Newbery Award)

Set in Miami, Merci is a sixth grade scholarship student at a private school. As part of her scholarship, Merci must do community service projects. When Edna, one of the popular girls, develops a crush on a new boy who is assigned to be Merci's "buddy", Merci becomes the focus of Edna's intense jealousy. To make matters worse, Merci is also dealing with her beloved grandfather forgetting his way and becoming erratic for no clear reason. Medina has created a pitch perfect coming of age novel, combining many of the stresses that middle school kids experience with humor and compassion.
-Laura Skinner
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