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MY DARK VANESSA
by Kate Elizabeth Russell
This stunning debut novel creeps under your skin and draws you into the very relevant but uncomfortable reality of sexual abuse. I found my eyes opened to the stealth with which a well respected English teacher grooms his student into submission, making her feel culpable and ultimately protective of him. For 15-year-old Vanessa, this is a love story, not an abuse story, as she does not see herself as a victim. She holds true to this, still devout and under his control, even when another student accuses Jacob Strane of abuse 17 years later. The long-term effects of this relationship on Vanessa are staggering and heartbreaking.
-Maxwell Gregory
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EIGHT PERFECT MURDERS
by Peter Swanson
Truly unique and engaging mystery revolving around a book store owner who once published a list of the most perfect murder mysteries ever written. When it seems someone may actually be committing murders based on his list, he is thrown into a wild hunt for the killer(s). Clever, fun and perfect for fans of well-known mysteries!
-Beth Mynhier
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THE YELLOW BIRD SINGS
by Jennifer Rosen
A novel about the unbreakable bond between mother and child and the triumph of hope in even the darkest circumstances. After the Jews in their town are rounded up, Róza and her daughter, Shira, spend day and night hidden in a farmer's barn. Forbidden from making a sound, only the yellow bird from her mother's stories can sing the melodies Shira composes in her head. Róza does all she can to take care of Shira but the day comes when their haven is no longer safe and Róza must face an impossible choice: whether the best thing she can do for her daughter is keep her close by her side or give her the chance to survive by letting her go.
-Kathy Petray
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A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD
by Therese Anne Fowler
This book takes your breath away. In her timely and heartbreaking novel, Fowler sets the reader up for the drama to come, with neighborhood chatter infiltrating the pages. As two families collide, never foreseeing the life changing results that will ensue, we are faced with both racism and justice and the unexpected way they can upend a life. This is a powerful book that shouldn't be missed.
-Maxwell Gregory
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HANNAH'S WAR
by Jan Eliasberg
(Direct to Paperback)
Physicist Hannah Weiss works in Einstein's original laboratory to develop the atom bomb for Germany. Her brilliance and her Austrian status protect her for a time, but eventually her Jewish heritage forces her to leave and continue her work at Los Alamos. The race to split atoms and create the bomb is on, but someone from Los Alamos is leaking information to the Germans. Hannah is still communicating with her lover in Germany, but what exactly is she telling him? An FBI agent with secrets of his own pursues Hannah to uncover the truth. Based on real life scientist Dr. Lise Meitner, the woman who discovered nuclear fission, whose story has never been told.
-Beth Mynhier
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WRITERS & LOVERS
by Lily King
In Writers & Lovers, King crafts a moving saga of a young woman struggling to make sense of the overwhelming grief from her mother's recent and unexpected death. Drowning in debt, looking for a relationship, aspiring to be a writer, but working as a server, Casey attempts to find her footing, as she navigates her way through life, with humor, empathy and a little bit of snark.
-Maxwell Gregory
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ACTRESS
by Anne Enright
A daughter reveals the interconnected stories of her mother-an "Irish" theatrical legend-and herself in this well-written retrospective of sharing life with a towering but troubled figure. Booker award winner Enright masterfully tells of power and hurt in the glamorous, oppressive worlds of Hollywood and Irish theatre in the 1960s and 1970s, told from the perspective of the 2010s. A starred review from Kirkus and from me as well!
-Kathy Petray
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AND THEY CALLED IT CAMELOT: A NOVEL OF JACQUELINE KENNEDY ONASSIS
by Stephanie Marie Thornton
I have always been interested in the Kennedy family and knew I had to read this one. It is historical fiction but so well-researched and it reads like a memoir. After all the books I've read about them, I still learn new and interesting things about this family that has been blessed, but also cursed. This book gives us all the bright, shiny moments and the darkness as well. Begins with Jackie's introduction to JFK and ends with the dedication of the Presidential Library - covers all the highs and lows in between. Don't miss.
-Diane Grumhaus
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IN FIVE YEARS
by Rebecca Serle
Dannie Kohan has it all; she's on track to become a junior partner in her law firm, has a wonderful boyfriend, and a close relationship with her polar opposite best friend. When asked in an interview "Where do you see yourself in five years?" Dannie's world is upended when she actually sees what her life might be like in five years! She spends the next five years making sure this doesn't happen...but the unexpected occurs and heartbreak ensues. A fast moving love story with lots of heart.
-Beth Mynhier
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| NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK |
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BEAUTIFUL BAD
by Annie Ward
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COURTING MR. LINCOLN
by Louis Bayard
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LET'S PLAY TWO: THE LEGEND OF MR. CUB, THE LIFE OF ERNIE BANKS
by Ron Rapoport
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LOST AUTUMN
by Mary-Rose MacColl
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LOST BOY FOUND
by Kirsten Alexander
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MADAME FOURCADE'S SECRET WAR
by Lynne Olson
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MAMA'S LAST HUG
by Frans De Waal
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MY LOVELY WIFE
by Samantha Downing
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THE GRACE KELLY DRESS
by Brenda Janowitz
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THE HUNTING PARTY
by Lucy Foley
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THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN
by Lisa See
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TOP GUN: AN AMERICAN STORY
by Dan Pedersen
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UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN
by Donna Leon
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| CHILDRENS & YOUNG ADULTS SUGGESTIONS |
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BLACK BROTHER, BLACK BROTHER
by Jewell Parker Rhodes
(For a Middle School Reader)
In Black Brother, Black Brother, Jewel Parker Rhodes tackles another uncomfortable subject head on, with grace and dignity. Donte and Trey are brothers and their family is bi-racial, Donte resembles their black mother, while Trey resembles their white father. While Trey has an easy time navigating their new prep school, Donte is bullied and taunted. He feels all people see is his skin color. With focus and perseverance he works to beat the school bully at his own game - the art of fencing. With the help of his coach, Donte not only forces everyone to see beyond the color of his skin, he gains confidence and learn to believe in himself.
-Maxwell Gregory
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Lake Forest Book Store
662 N. Western Avenue
Lake Forest IL 60045
847-234-4420
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