Classic mystery fans will recognize Agatha Christie as the whodunit author that crafts mysteries where everyone has a motive and readers have to wait until the last chapter for all the pieces to fall into place. The Mysterious Affair at Styles is the first book where Christie introduces readers to the eccentric detective, Hercule Poirot, and his friend, Arthur Hastings. While visiting a sprawling country house, a family friend is murdered and Hastings and Poirot set out to solve the mystery surrounding the death. Poirot follows clues and interviews guests while Hastings tries to help the readers put the clues together. Readers who enjoy classic English mysteries will love the series and can continue the enjoyment to several film and television adaptions of Christie’ famed Hercule Poirot.
This title is available in print, audiobook and in digital formats on Libby & hoopla!

A raucous behind-the-scenes look at the life of the dictionary. Readers who never thought they would read that sentence will be entertainingly enlightened by Kory Stamper’s Word by Word: the Secret Life of Dictionaries. It’s a light-hearted yet sincere look at a job most people give little thought to. To many, the dictionary is a hallowed tome “of truth and wisdom as infallible as God.” To others, it’s something they have because adults should own a dictionary. Most people don’t realize that the dictionary is an organic document, constantly being reviewed, revised, and updated by “actual, living, awkward people.”
We are taught that language is a science, rigidly classifiable, when in fact it is an art, and a messy one at that: “Two lexicographers,” Stamper writes, “with the same training can look at the same sentence, refer to the same grammars, tear out the same amount of hair,” yet place a word in two different parts of speech. Modern English grammar, it turns out, is based on rules for Latin, another (ancient) language altogether. As a result, schoolchildren learn to grudge grammar because teachers insist that English be shoehorned into grammatical rules that don’t apply to it.
Stamper’s language isn’t nearly as bemusingly perplexing as the culture she describes. Her writing flourishes with an easy air, yet it’s candid and down to earth. Her anecdotes about language history and the process of defining words are educational and, perhaps as importantly, quite a bit of fun.
A dangerous book for schoolchildren, and should not be read by those who won’t end sentences with prepositions.

Not just about King’s killer, this thoughtful read revisits important moments in King’s life, beginning with the time he was stabbed in the chest with a letter opener at a book signing, and the choice he made to stay a public figure instead of focusing on his own safety. A little simplistic in its telling, but still emotionally moving.

While it appears a hefty book, approximately one third is notes and supplemental information, and interspersed throughout the story are excellently chosen historical images. Short chapters make this a quick read. A great book for both adults and young adults.

As one of the lieutenants that rode with Hinton to the county jail explained, “I can give you five reasons why they are going to convict you. Do you want to know what they are… Number one, you’re black. Number two, a white man gonna say you shot him. Number three, you’re gonna have a white district attorney. Number four, you’re gonna have a white judge. And number five, you’re gonna have an all-white jury.”

Making friends with a former KKK member. Watching a woman walk to the death chamber. Smelling the burning flesh of those friends you’ve made by chance on death row. Hinton also shines a light on what a “right to an attorney” actually gets you if you are poor. As his defense attorney so eloquently told him, “‘They’re only paying me $1,000 for this, and hell, I eat $1,000 for breakfast.’ He laughed.” This was Hinton’s life for 30 years. And somehow he survives.

Anthony Ray Hinton tells his story in a thought-provoking and heart-wrenching way. The reader will experience the emotions of Hinton throughout – from despair to exaltation to anxiety. Definitely worth a read.

With her children preparing to leave the nest, and her beloved running pal, Lucy, passed away, Cara Achterberg decides to take on a new challenge: foster dog mom. Fluctuating between humor and heartbreak, the reader may find herself cheering for a “foster fail.” (Meaning that the dog is kept by the author.) There is also quite a bit to learn about fostering animals, and the author occasionally references what makes a good rescue group.

Dog lovers are sure to enjoy this story about puppy antics! A center section includes a variety of color pictures from the many foster dogs that have stayed at the Achterberg home.

Every new mom wants to be perfect. It’s even harder when you surround yourself with other seemingly perfect moms every week. The May Mothers is a group of women whose babies were born in the same month. The new moms think they know each other- but do they really? What is supposed to be a much-needed girls’ night out turns into a media circus that exposes secrets and challenges these new friendships.

The Perfect Mother is a fast-paced thriller that keeps the reader guessing until the very end.

This book is also available in ebook and eaudiobook.

Beautifully written, with an easy rhythm, this non-fiction picture book is great for reading aloud. The story takes the reader through the life of Dr. Patricia Bath, the inventor of the Laserphaco Probe, which is used in cataract treatment. As a woman of color, Dr. Bath broke through many barriers to become a doctor and was the first African American to complete a residency in ophthalmology. All of this information is written in fun, kid-friendly, and easy-to-understand language.

“I will live to leave this place. I will walk out a free man. If there is a hell, I will see these murderers burn in it.” Such are the thoughts of Lale, the titular character.

Lale leaves his family behind, with the hopes that by proactively volunteering to work for the German government as requested, that the rest of his family would be left alone. Unfortunately, the reader knows that is not how history unfolded in the 1940s.
The bulk of the story takes place during Lale’s time in the Auschwitz-Birkenau camps. His care-taking, risk-taking, potentially deadly choices rushes the reader through the story. The reader sees through Lale’s account the heartbreaking sights that are burned into his memory. And yet, a romance begins.
A fictional tale based on the true life of Lale Sokolov, this story was originally written as a screenplay. The author, Heather Morris, wonderfully handles the incongruences between the atrocities committed and the love that bloomed between Lale and Gita.

Inspired by a letter to Professor P.V. Glob author of the book "The Bog People" from a group of school girls. "Meet Me at the Museum" is the story of the correspondence of one of the girls, written to Professor Glob many years later  and the reply from the current museum curator.  The story, written in letter form is the "meeting" and growing friendship between English farm wife, Tina and the Danish museum curator, Anders.  Both Tina and Anders are fascinated by the Tollund Man, the subject of the book, "The Bog People" by professor Glob.  Both are dealing with grief and loss and find that they have more in common than expected.  By sharing their thoughts and feelings, joys and heartbreak they become close friends although they have never met.  This meditative and inspiring book looks at choices people make and hope renewed through friendship.

Not too much in the way of romance for this book stamped with a romance label. I’ll Be Your Blue Sky by Marisa de los Santos is a contemporary fiction novel that is part mystery with a hint of romance.

The alternating narrators, Clare and Edith, are revealing their stories piece by piece, each from their own lifetime. Edith is based mostly in the 1950s, while Clare, who mentions texting and Facebooking, is clearly present day.

As with many fiction selections, oftentimes the reader knows exactly where the story leads, hence why the term “foreshadow” exists. However, in I’ll Be Your Blue Sky, there are a few surprises in store that the reader won’t see until right in the moment that it happens.

The third book in the Sullivan's Crossing series introduces Dakota Jones who after spending years in the military is deciding what he will do with the rest of his life.  He comes to Sullivan's Crossing to reconnect with his brother and sister who have found a home and happiness in the small town in the Colorado mountains.  After arriving in town he is pursued by two beautiful women but is only interested the one woman he meets who isn't chasing after him.  The Jones family has an uncoventional family history and learning to  accept the past and move on is a part of their story.  If you like romance and family drama with likeable characters and set in wonderful small towns you won't be dissapointed. 

Sometimes considered a taboo topic, race discussions are often swept under the rug. But not with this book. The author, Ijeoma Oluo, does not shy away from sensitive topics, with chapter titles such as "What is racism?," "How can I talk about affirmative action?" and "I just got called racist, what do I do now?"

Oluo provides excellent talking points and examples in each of her chapters often drawing on her own experiences and biases. The story of the basketball men visiting her group’s picnic shows she does not exclude or excuse herself for bias and insists we should all be so introspective.

This is an excellent read for any individual who wants explore the topic of race or to have open discussions with other willing community members.

Bestselling author Nora Roberts takes on a plot that is all too realistic in our current lives-a mass shooting incident. Shelter in Place begins with a typical Friday night in the 90s with teenagers and families at a shopping mall. Simone and her friends are at the movies when a man steps into the theater and begins shooting.  Meanwhile, Reed is a waiter at a restaurant in the mall, and while on break he witnesses another man enters the mall in a well-planned attack. Not everyone survives that night and the survivors have to learn to live with the events that happened. Years later, the survivors and rescuers are targeted by an unknown assailant. Can Simone and Reed stay alive while trying to catch the murder?

As an avid reader of the Romance genre, this book might be my favorite Nora Roberts book in her vast catalog of stories. Roberts does not hold back and her story is horrifyingly realistic. It is a spectacular physiological thriller that readers will not want to put down.

Shelter in Place is available at VCPL in Regular Print, Large Print, Audiobook, eBook and eAudiobook.

Sometimes you come across a book written so poetically that you get wrapped up in the language not matter what the story is.  Sometimes the story is what compels you to keep reading.  This book, “Mink River” by Brian Doyle is a combination of both.  It is like reading very descriptive poetry combined with both amazing storytelling and everyday minutia.  Author describes the details of everyday life where emotion and nature are combined in this fascinating story of life in a small town.  You read about love, tragedy, adventure, and hope as seen through the eyes of various members of the town. 

This book would be a good choice for book clubs.

"On the day I turn seventeen, there is a meeting to decide whether I should have the baby." Essie is not included in the meeting where her three options are discussed: a PR-nightmare abortion, an "adoption," or a ratings inducing wedding. She is the youngest child of the ultra-conservative Hicks family; originally famous for the father's televised church services, now a long-running family-oriented show called Six for Hicks.

While the matriarch of the family is usually the one calling the shots, Essie has been learning to play the game. As Essie gets closer to her goal, she finds she has even more questions: Who can she trust? Why hasn't she heard from her older sister? What is she willing to lose to gain her freedom? As the reader climbs further into the story, she will have her own questions: Why is Essie pregnant? What is it about this infamous journalist named Liberty Bell?

Covering a topic that may not sit well with some, this novel by Meghan MacLean Weir is hard to put down. This contemporary fiction selection is part drama, part suspense, and part unconventional romance, with quite a bit of subtly witty barbs thrown between characters. Often the reader can predict the direction of the story, but occasionally there are surprises.

The Girl Who Smiled Beads is a well-written non-fiction selection that reads like a heartbreaking and, though the author may not like this description, inspiring novel. Alternating between her time as a refugee and her life after moving to America, the author, Clemantine Wamariya expertly compares and contrasts the two time periods. At one point Wamariya writes, "It was all so arbitrary: You should be killed, you should stand in line for food for seven hours, you should be fabulously educated and heaped with praise." How can there be such extremes in one individual’s life?

The reader will both adore and judge the foster families throughout the book: first the reader will feel respect for those helping the children caught in the system; then judgement because they are obviously stifling the teenagers; then excitement: adoption! Then more heartbreak.

Not all of the stories end in heartbreak, but this also isn’t a fairytale. Many children age out of the system each year, and before that, they are bounced around between many strangers’ houses. The author interviewed the children in care as well as the families who were caring for them, and often kept in touch after the child was no longer with the initial family. In some cases, it appeared as if the author was more concerned about the child’s welfare than either the foster family or the case workers.

To The End of June is an in-depth look at foster care, mainly focused on New York, as the author follows a handful of families over the course of a few years. Interspersed in the family narratives are discussions and thoughts from those who are, or were, employed within the foster care system, as well as the author’s own judgements and ideas about what is wrong and what could be done to help fix the care system.

This contemporary novel is the story of two sisters, Lucia, the younger sister, and Miranda, eight years older. After their mother's death and Lucia’s newly discovered mental illness, they are at odds for what they think is the best course of action to keep Lucia safe and “healthy” as Miranda always says. Lucia is a wanderer and traveler, and Miranda, the worrier, tries to fix everything.

The sisters’ lives take different paths, evermore widening the gap that’s come between them. Will they be able to come to an understanding? Or will their choices keep pushing each other apart?

Told in alternating narrators, the author writes the characters with such depth that the reader feels a certain empathy for all of them, even through their faults.

From the Publisher: 

“They told you you need to be thin and beautiful. They told you to wear longer skirts, avoid going out late at night and move in groups - never accept drinks from a stranger, and wear shoes you can run in more easily than heels. They told you to wear just enough make-up to look presentable but not enough to be a slut; to dress to flatter your apple, pear, hourglass figure, but not to be too tarty. They warned you that if you try to be strong, or take control, you'll be shrill, bossy, a ballbreaker. Of course it's fine for the boys, but you should know your place. They told you 'that's not for girls' - 'take it as a compliment' - 'don't rock the boat' - 'that'll go straight to your hips'. They told you 'beauty is on the inside', but you knew they didn't really mean it. Well I'm here to tell you something different.”

This book is a survival guide for young women in today’s society. Girl Up addresses a wide variety of social issues such as sexism, feminism, social media and body image. Laura Bates explores these topics in a way that educates these women about the science behind the female body and explores how public image twists how women feel about their own self. This book is transparent, easy to read and the perfect way to learn how to stand up for yourself in a crucial phase of your life. VCPL has this title available for checkout as a print book. 

Aiden Shaughnessy runs a busy and successful construction company. Since the death of his mother, he has strived to make his father proud while helping to raise his five siblings. Now his father is worried that Aiden is missing out on living his own life. Along comes interior designer Zoe Dalton who is hired on to help finish his custom built homes. Readers will enjoy finding out how Zoe’s heart and Aiden’s strength lead them to a happy ending. This title and the rest of The Shaughnessy Brothers’ series are available as an eBook on Hoopla Digital. Ask at the Reference Desk for assistance downloading this delightful romance novel. 

This non-fiction account of a young life spent in and out of homes in foster care is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. Ashley Rhodes-Courter’s memoir details the angst of missing her biological mother, the wrath, love, or indifference of various foster parents, and the internal struggles she faces in regards to her brother’s well-being.

Her story, where one can “see” the internal dialogue of a young child forced into the foster system, provides a voice in a realm where frequently those voices are ignored. Rhodes-Courter makes a way for herself where others often cannot.

The audiobook version, read by the author, is highly recommended.

When Maddy is found after an apparent suicide at the bottom of the library where she loved to volunteer, her husband and daughter are left to pick up the pieces. How come they didn’t see the signs? Will reading Maddy’s diary provide insight? Both family members blame themselves, wondering how they missed so much about the woman they thought they knew.

This contemporary fiction selection provides just a bit of fantasy as the three main characters, Maddy, her husband, Brady, and daughter, Eve, all rotate as narrators, with Maddy trying to influence her family from the other side.

This book is comprised of a collection of essays by those who serve or love our National Parks.  It is an easy book to enjoy because each essay is no more than five pages, and the reader can peruse different chapters without missing a specific plot point.  The essays provide a different perspective on the National Parks and the value they have to different people.  These stories highlight National Parks that one may not typically think about. 

The essay entitled, "I still see her," is a particularly moving piece found in Chapter 3's People to Remember.

It’s a true crime novel with a twist. The author, James Renner, has inserted himself near the center of this missing persons mystery. Maura Murray disappeared in 2004 after wrecking her car in the middle of nowhere New Hampshire. Renner, an investigative journalist, can’t get this story off of his mind, and thus, obsessively tracks down every lead he can find. With the help of good connections, some online forums and “arm chair sleuths,” he’s able to piece together Murray’s past and form his own conclusions. Strangely, Murray’s family doesn’t appear to want to assist Renner with his investigation.

Intermixed with the Maura Murray story are bits and pieces about Renner’s family and current life, as well as snippets of his past that may or may not have led to him becoming an investigative journalist.

With short chapters and an interesting storyline, this book is a very quick read.