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Adult Fiction
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People of the Book - Geraldine Brooks
 
- Australian book expert Hanna Heath is hired to analyze and conserve the Sarajevo Haggadah, a priceless Jewish artifact miraculously saved from the shelling of Sarajevo’s libraries. Through the discovery of miniscule artifacts in various locations in the book – a cat hair, a butterfly wing fragment, wine and blood stains, a trace of salt – Hannah is able to track the book’s amazing journey from its origins in Seville in 1480 all the way to present-day Bosnia.
As each new discovery is revealed, the story leaves Hanna for the moment and whisks us into the past –a new setting, new characters and a new situation that Hannah can’t possibly know about but that the author generously reveals to us. To me, these back and forth segues were not at all jarring; I fell into each new segment instantly, always pleased, at the end, to return again to Hanna’s own story and the revelations she uncovers within herself as she unravels the secrets of the Haggadah.
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This is a book that kept me happily reading through a couple of sleepless nights, and I was sorry to come to the end. I’m definitely going to seek out other novels by this talented and very smart writer.
Recommended by Connie Jodrey, Bridgetown Branch Manager
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Pure - Julianna Baggott
- If you loved The Hunger Games, this is for you. Edgier, darker, and filled with imagery that stretches the imagination, Pure is The Hunger Games meets The Road.
Everything changed after the Detonations, including the way people looked. Those outside the Dome were altered forever. Those fortunate enough to be inside the Dome, live privileged lives, with safe food and water. Or at least that is what those outside believe. Patridge, one of the Pure, lives inside the Dome, where nothing is how it seems, and he wants out. Pressia, mutated by the Detonations, scrapes by outside, avoiding mandatory military duty, dreaming of days before the change. All her problems would be solved, if she could get into the Dome. Both of them are on the run. Nothing will be the same when they meet up.
Recommended by Sue Denton, Middleton Branch.
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State of Wonder - Ann Patchett
- Dr. Marina Singh is in for some big changes in her life. Her mentor, Dr. Annick Swenson, is working in the rainforests of Brazil and not contacting anyone. Her co-worker, Anders Eckman, has been sent to check up on Dr. Swenson. When word is received of Anders' death, Marina is sent by her boss (and lover) to find out what's going on. What she finds is a completely different world than what she is used to, one that captivates her. Ann Patchett has a way of drawing you into her stories and making you care about her characters and she does it again in this absorbing novel.
Recommended by Sue Mosher, Outreach Services |
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The garden of happy endings : a novel - Barbara O'Neal
- A lovely, heartfelt book for those who have gone through life-changing events and come through them stronger and happier. Helping start up a community garden in a very poor neighbourhood helps Elsa Montgomery come to terms with a horrific tragedy that makes Elsa question everything she has believed and wanted all her life. Her sister, Tamsin, is going through her own tragedy and the two join together to find peace and hope. Filled with beautiful imagery and phrases that stay with you long after the book is done.
Recommended by Sue Denton, Middleton Branch.
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The Red House - Mark Haddon
- Behind everything there is a house. Brother and sister, Richard and Angela, decide to go on holiday with their respective families for a week by renting a house in the Welsh countryside. They haven't been close siblings, but after the death of their mother they decide it would be a good idea to get to know each other again and develop a stronger relationship between their families. Told in the narrative of the eight family members, old grudges and family secrets emerge. A lot can happen in a week when you are stuck with your family!
Recommended by Frances Newman, Regional Librarian |
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Adult Non-Fiction
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The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook: - Cheryl Day
- This is a wonderful new cookbook with some old kitchen appeal. The recipes use the real thing, butter, old fashioned rolled oats...
It is a bakery cookbook, so there are very few savoury items within the covers. Those that are there are amazing, with obtainable ingredients, for most recipes. I'm always on the search for a really good chocolate chip cookie recipe. This one is now at the top of my list as my favourite recipe. The Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp is incredible and will be one that is made over and over in our house, during the spring season. This is certainly worth a look.
Recommended by Charlotte Janes, Head of Systems and Administration
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The secret life of cows - Rosamund Young
- As Jane Goodall did for chimpanzees in the wild, drawing conclusions as to their individuality and their kinship bonds, so does Rosamund Young for a much more familiar animal, the domesticated cow. (You'll never look at cows the same way again.) This is a charming book relating anecdotes from Rosamund Young's decades of cow husbandry on her farm in England, including cow altruism, mother-daughter bonding, and bovine grieving. Written in an approachable if sometimes uneven style, it is sweet and easy to read, but also calls into question the modern factory farm, where individuality, self-care and social bonds are not permitted to exist.>br>
recommended by Brogan Anderson, Wolfville Branch
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Audiobooks
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Muchacho - Louanne Johnson
- This heartbreaking story of Mexican American teenagers caught in a world of drugs and violence in New Mexico is told by Eddie, one of those teens. Fortunately for him, he meets Lupe, a smart, outspoken girl who helps him to see how much more he can get out of life than he ever thought possible. I enjoyed learning some of the history behind the situation in New Mexico and seeing life from the teens' point of view. The reader, Ozzie Rodriguez, is wonderful and very believable as the voice of Eddie.
Recommended by Sue Mosher, Outreach Services
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Tales from the Dad Side - Steve Doocy
- This is a fun look at dads in general and this dad in particular, the co-host of Fox & Friends on the Fox News Channel. He recounts the growing up years of his own children as well as telling stories of his own childhood and of his relationship with his father more recently. Very enjoyable.
Recommended by Sue Mosher, Outreach Services |
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