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Book reviews by library staff and guest contributors

Who is she?

Cover of What We Saw
A review of What We Saw by Mary Downing Hahn

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you saw something suspicious? Best friends, Abbi and Skylar, think they’re having an adventure à la Nancy Drew spying on two strangers meeting under their tree fort. So when a woman is later found dead in the woods, they realize they may hold the key! As much about relationships as it is about solving a crime, this fast-paced thriller is sure to grab the attention of school age through middle school readers. Do they decide to keep a secret? Or expose a life-altering truth?

Jan 6, 2023

Counting on love (sorry couldn't resist)

Cover of Forever and a Duke
A review of Forever and a Duke by Grace Burrowes

Eleanora Hatfield has a knack for numbers that has given her a good, safe, job at one of the most respected banks in London. Respectability is the key as her family history has also given her an expertise in fraud, cons and just about every other rig that could be run. When her boss asks her to assist his friend, Wrexham, Duke of Elsmore, she's reluctant to leave her safe space, but eventually agrees. Wrexham is a Director at another bank and has a stack of family accounts that are in disarray.

Jan 3, 2023

They just don’t make ‘em like they used to

Cover of Killers of a Certain Age
A review of Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

It’s the day that many dream about, the culmination of a job well done:  retirement. It’s no different for the quartet of Billie, Natalie, Mary Alice and Helen, whose employer has generously gifted a Caribbean cruise to bid them adieu after decades of service for The Museum. It’s a lavish gift, and one that might be a trip of a lifetime—or the end of life. But it’s hardly surprising, as this group of sexagenarians are highly trained hit women, and they know it can only be their former employer gunning for them. The Museum, nominally devoted to erasing deserving baddies from the earth, has s

Dec 27, 2022

Get ready for Taste-O-Rama fun

Cover of Kitty Sweet Tooth
A review of Kitty Sweet Tooth by Abby Denson and Utomaru

The only thing Kitty Sweet Tooth loves more than going to the movies is eating delicious desserts. When her Pop-Pop's movie theater falls on hard times, Kitty introduces the concept of a gourmet movie house. Special film screenings paired with custom-made treats created by an enthusiastic scientist and an inspired witch are poised to excite a new generation of movie goers. The ambitious team sets to work cleaning up the theater and dreaming of new ideas for the "Taste-O-Rama." Pop-Pop gives Kitty thirty days to prove that Taste-O-Rama will succeed.

Dec 19, 2022

Un-luckiest?

Cover of The Unhoneymooners
A review of The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Christina Lauren's book is a hilarious story of two enemies who are forced to share a honeymoon package together in Hawaii. Olive Torres is her twin's exact opposite: Ami wins lots of paid contests, including several funding her entire wedding and honeymoon, while Olive is more likely to have disastrously bad luck. When some bad seafood sends practically the entire wedding to the hospital, Olive reluctantly agrees to use Ami's honeymoon package so as not to waste a nice vacation.

Dec 15, 2022

Stunning lyrics, stunning illustrations

Cover of Still This Love Goes On
A review of Still This Love Goes On by Buffy Sainte-Marie

Gorgeous lyrics by Academy Award-winning Cree singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie are accompanied by absolutely stunning illustrations by Cree-Métis author, illustrator, and artist Julie Flett. The book is based on a song of the same name and celebrates nature, changing seasons, and Indigenous traditions. The author and illustrator notes, addressed to "readers and listeners," are also beautiful and full of love, and the sheet music is included at the end of the book so you can sing along. 

Dec 9, 2022

Mind-blowing (but not in the CIA MKUltra kind of way)...

Cover of Chaos: Charles Manson, the
A review of Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA and the Secret History of the Sixties by Tom O'Neill and Dan Piepenbring

I placed a hold on O'Neill's tome because of a mention in a podcast. So really I ordered it on a whim and wasn't even sure I'd read it when it came in and seemed so hefty. Over a long weekend I decided to dip into it, or at least look at the included pictures. I was not seen again by anyone for the next two days as I was immediately sucked into the what if's and maybes and possibles.

Dec 7, 2022

I'd listen any time

Cover of Thank You for Listening:
A review of Thank You for Listening: A Novel by Julia Whelan

Do you wonder about art imitating life when it comes to writers and fiction? Popular audiobook narrator and actress Julia Whelan's new novel is about a famous audiobook narrator and actress named Sewanee Chester whose next project pairs her with another famous audiobook narrator named Brock McNight and all of it feels very real. Things start out with an industry convention in Las Vegas that is almost identical to a library or book industry conference. The author panels, the publisher booths and exhibit hall are exactly the same. I can attest to that.

Dec 6, 2022

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