I love mysteries, the quirkier the better. So with that in mind, and Halloween on the horizon, I picked up Ghost a la Mode by Sue Ann Jaffarian. This is the first in a new series by the author starring Granny Apples, famous for her apple pies and believed to have murdered her husband. Imagine her great-great-great-granddaughter, Emma's surprise when Granny begins to appear to her claiming her innocence and demanding that Emma prove it. Nothing gets a person moving then when Emma finds herself craving apple pie and seeing and hearing dead people. As crazy as the premise of this story seems, it was engaging and kept me guessing. Don't wait until next Halloween to check out this ghost story.

Ghost a la Mode: A Ghost of Granny Apples Mystery
By Jaffarian, Sue Ann
2009-09 - Midnight Ink
9780738713809 Check the Library's Catalog

A NEW SERIES DEBUT FROM ODELIA GREY MYSTERY AUTHOR SUE ANN JAFFARIAN

If you like the hilarious adventures of Odelia Grey, then you'll love Sue Ann Jaffarian's spirited new mystery series, Ghost of Granny Apples. Along with a sprinkling of history, these mysteries feature the amateur sleuth team of modern-day divorced mom Emma Whitecastle and the spirit of her pie-baking great-great-great-grandmother, Granny Apples.

Granny was notorious for her award-winning apple pies--and for murdering her husband in the orchard. The only trouble is, Granny didn't kill her husband. She was framed, then murdered. For more than a hundred years, Granny's spirit has been searching for someone to help her see that justice is served.

Together, Emma and Granny Apples solve mysteries of the past--starting with Granny's own unjust murder rap in the final days of the California Gold Rush. …More

Posted by cr at 11:10 AM | 0 comments  
Labels: Colleen's Picks, mystery

Readers who have enjoyed Ender's Game and other award-winning science fiction from Orson Scott Card will be surprised to know that he also has written a wonderful biblical fiction trilogy, Women of Genesis. The author's mastery of plot and setting also infuses these books of strong and intriguing women characters: Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah.

I had forgotten most of the story of Rebekah in the Old Testament, so reading the novel based on her life was really exciting. The psychological development of Rebekah, her husband Isaac, her father-in-law Abraham, and her warring sons, Esau and Jacob, was wonderfully detailed. A great read!

Rebekah: Women of Genesis
By Card, Orson Scott
2001-12 - Shadow Mountain
9781570089954 Check the Library's Catalog

From bestselling author Orson Scott Card comes another riveting novel exploring the relationships, the settings, and the stories of the Old Testament. In this volume, Rebekah leaves her father's house to marry Isaac, the studious young son of the storied Sarah and Abraham, only to find herself caught up in a series of painful rivalries, first between her husband and his brother, Ishmael, and later between her sons, Jacob and Esau. Through it all she finds her own relationship with God and does her best to serve His cause in the lives of those she loves. …More

Posted by sm at 4:31 PM | 0 comments  

Always one to follow trends, I was lucky enough to catch the flu last week. What better way to suffer through a disease than to listen to a book about people suffering through disease! Author Steven Johnson details the life of the earnest and revolutionary Dr. John Snow who determined that an outbreak of cholera in Victorian London was tied to the popular yet filthy Broad Street water pump. While this sounds like a simple discovery; it was actually an important stepping-stone towards the discovery of germs and the creation of modern hygienic standards.

Many of Dr. Snow’s contemporaries were convinced that smell equated disease and Victorian London was a ripe place to live as industry, husbandry and nearly two million people shared thirty square miles of land. With descriptions of filth that would humble Dickens, Johnson paints a broad picture of not only the scourge of disease, but the social and political scene that ultimately fostered such a devastating bout of pestilence.

The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--And How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World
By Johnson, Steven
Read by Sklar, Alan
2006-12 - Tantor Media
1400102987 Check the Library's Catalog

A thrilling historical account of the worst cholera outbreak in Victorian London-and a brilliant exploration of how Dr. John Snow's solution revolutionized the way we think about disease, cities, science, and the modern world. The Ghost Map is an endlessly compelling and utterly gripping account of that London summer of 1854, from the microbial level to the macrourban-theory level-including, most important, the human level. …More

Posted by kn at 2:29 PM | 0 comments  
Labels: History, Katie's Picks, nonfiction

In my never-ending quest to find worthy book discussion titles, I stumbled upon Michelle Wildgen's surprisingly touching and accomplished debut novel, You're Not You (2006). Wildgen just published a second novel - But Not for Long - released just days ago, but it's her freshman effort that has captured my attention.

You're Not You is not your average coming-of-age novel. Like many college students, Bec questions whether her chosen major is even what she wants to do; she just slipped into it. To make life even more complicated, she's been having an affair with a married professor. Almost on a whim, Bec takes a part-time job as a care-giver for Kate, a thirty-something with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). We quickly learn that Kate's marriage is on the rocks.

One of the aspects of the novel I most appreciated was Wildgen's skill at developing Kate and Bec's relationship. The line between professionalism and friendship slowly blurs, resulting in two compelling, believable characters. Some reviewers complained that Wildgen's portrayal of care-giving for an ALS patient was a bit unrealistic. I don't have the experience to contradict that assessment or to verify Wildgen's portrayal; however, I can say that I felt Wildgen's descriptions at least gave me an impression of the difficulties of care-giving. The novel isn't full of closure and happy endings, but it's a satisfying read in same way I felt satisfied after reading Chris Bohjalian's Midwives. If you're like me, you'll be thinking about it for days after you finish the last page.

You're Not You
By Wildgen, Michelle
2006-05 - Thomas Dunne Books
0312352298 Check the Library's Catalog

College student Bec is dangerously adrift. Self-conscious and increasingly uncertain about her long-term plans, she' s studying a major that no longer interests her and is caught up in a bewildering affair with a married professor. In an impulsive attempt to redeem herself, she answers a want ad seeking a caregiver …More

Posted by kh at 11:50 AM | 0 comments  
Labels: contemporary fiction, Karen's Picks, Literary Fiction

James Patterson of the creepy mystery and thriller fame has written a non-fiction book about the murder of King Tut. Theories have abounded for years about Tut's death. The boy king ruled Egypt from 1334 until 1325 BC. He was approximately 18 years old when he died in 1325 BC.

Patterson shifts the narrative between his present day conversations with his agent and the historical data dealing with Tut. The book is very short ( about 200 pages) and an easy read. Not really chocked full of facts, it does present a plausible theory of how Tut died, a question that has been debated in recent years.

A short, fast informative read that gives some new information about Tut's life and death.


The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King - A Nonfiction Thriller
By Patterson, James
Author Dugard, Martin
2009-09 - Little Brown and Company
9780316034043 Check the Library's Catalog

Since 1922, when Howard Carter discovered Tut's 3,000-year-old tomb, most Egyptologists have presumed that the young king died of disease, or perhaps an accident, such as a chariot fall.But what if his fate was actually much more sinister? Now, in THE MURDER OF TUT, James Patterson and Martin Dugard chronicle their epic quest to find out what happened to the boy-king. They comb through the evidence--X-rays, Carter's files, forensic clues--and scavenge for overlooked data to piece together the details of his life and death. The result is a true crime tale of intrigue, betrayal, and usurpation that presents a compelling case that King Tut's death was anything but natural. …More

Posted by emc at 10:27 AM | 0 comments  
Labels: History, Liz's Picks

Hilary Mantel was just awarded the Man Booker Prize for Fiction for her novel Wolf Hall - a work focusing on Thomas Cromwell and the turbulent court of Henry VIII. Additionally, if you didn't catch the news back in May, Canadian short story writer Alice Munro was named winner of the Man Booker International Prize. Unlike the Man Booker Prize for Fiction, the Man Booker International Prize recognizes an author's body of work. Learn more about the Prize and its past winners.

Wolf Hall By Mantel, Hilary 2009-10 - Henry Holt & Company 9780805080681 Check the Library's Catalog 2009 Booker Award Winner In inimitable style, Hilary Mantel presents a picture of a half-made society on the cusp of change, where individuals fight or embrace their fate with passion and courage. With a vast array of characters, overflowing with incident, the novel re-creates an era when the personal and political are separated by a hairbreadth, where success brings unlimited power but a single failure means death. …More

Too Much Happiness: Stories By Munro, Alice 2009-11 - Knopf Publishing Group 9780307269768 Check the Library's Catalog With clarity and ease, Munro once again renders complex, difficult events and emotions into stories that shed light on the unpredictable ways in which men and women accommodate and often transcend what happens in their lives. …More

Posted by kh at 10:12 AM | 0 comments  
Labels: author, Awards, book news

Did you know that October is National Reading Group Month? If you're not yet in a book group, this may be a great time to explore the fun and richness of a shared reading experience. The Morton Grove Public Library sponsors three groups that meet regularly, one of which meets at our local Starbucks. If you're far from Morton Grove, explore readerscircle.org to find a book group near you. Thinking of starting your own book group? Visit the Book Group Support section of our website for a list of helpful links that cover book selection to tips for leading a discussion.

Posted by kh at 3:01 PM | 0 comments  
Labels: book discussion, book news