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Adult Fiction
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The Fionavar Tapestry- The Summer Tree - Kay, Guy Gavriel
 
- I heard about it on Twitter, because new editions were being released. For the uninitiated, this is the quintessential Canadian Fantasy book. Five University of Toronto students attend a lecture, and when they meet the man giving the lecture, they are convinced to join him on a short trip to the "Other" world he is from, in celebration of the King's anniversary. Things get tricky once they arrive, as war is looming in Finoavar and they are about to discover that they have roles to play. Kay creates a very believable world, filled with myth, magic, unique characters and animals, and enough plot twists to keep you on your toes. Fans of Harry Potter looking for something more mature might well enjoy this, as will adult fans of fantasy. You'll be craving the next book in the trilogy, The Wandering Fire, because the ending is going to leave you breathless.
Recommended by Angela Reynolds, Head of Youth Services |
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The Kitchen House - Kathleen Grissom
- Set in 1791, a seven-year-old Irish girl becomes orphaned while making the treacherous sea journey from Ireland to America. With no memory of her past or her family, she is taken to the ship captain’s tobacco plantation in Virginia, where she is to live as an indentured servant.
Assigned to work with the slaves in the kitchen house and placed in the care of the master’s mulatto daughter, Lavinia bonds with her new slave family. Just as quickly, they come to love her as one of their own.
Yet, as Lavinia grows, she is also accepted into the “big house’’ by the captain’s wife, who battles opium addiction as she struggles to cope with running the plantation in the master’s long absences. Young Lavinia must learn to straddle two worlds, that of master and slave; black and white. In time, she must inevitably confront her torn loyalties, and the decisions she makes will hold irreversible consequences for everyone on the plantation.
Recommended by Emily Keith, Kingston branch
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The Year of the Hare - Arto Paasilinna
- Vatanen is a journalist in Finland, traveling with his co-worker, a photographer. When they hit a hare on the road, Vatanen goes to look for it. He impulsively decides to not return to the car, instead traveling with his hare, looking after it and giving up his life as he has known it. He leaves his job and his wife and walks into one adventure after another, some funny, some frightening, some illegal. You never know what he will encounter next, his faithful hare by his side!
Recommended by Sue Mosher, Outreach Services
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Audiobooks
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Devil's knot [sound recording (MP3 on CD)] : the true story - Mara Leveritt
- This book is about the West Memphis Three Murders that happened in 1993. This was a gruesome crime and shocking because three teenage boys were arrested and charged. These boys were said to be Satanists.
The boys were found guilty and one sentenced to death on circumstantial evidence.
The case attracted a lot of celebrity attention over the years and there was a website and a group who wanted the West Memphis Three freed because the evidence was so tainted and the police so corrupt.
The book has a lot of interesting detail on the background of each witness at the trial and the relatives of the victims. I came to realize there were other suspects in the case. I started reading the book with one opinion and found I had a different view at the end.
Recommended by Sherie Keans, Talking Books
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Kids' Books
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Brothers at bat - Vernick, Audrey
- In a family of sixteen, twelve boys that love baseball is certainly enough to play in the back yard. The Acerra brothers from New Jersey did more than that—in the 1930's the family was a travelling baseball team! Anyone who loves baseball will enjoy this story, but even those who don't wait every year for the first game of the season will find something entertaining about this book. It is not only a story of baseball, but also one of family, community, and history.
Recommended by Angela Reynolds, Head of Youth Services
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Teen Books
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Code Name Verity - Elizabeth Wein
- Simply put, the story is about a pilot and a secret agent during WWII. One has a chance to survive, and the other is doomed. As the book opens, we realize we are reading diary pages from the secret agent, who has been forced to tell her story to her Nazi captors. The story is compelling—a story of intrigue and friendship from a young Special Operations Executive. It is hard to review this book without spoilers, so read it carefully, because everything that happens is integral to the plot and the final outcome. Even the author cautions that this book should be read with a box of Kleenex close at hand, so be warned. This is a story of true friendship and may leave you wondering if you would be as courageous as the two girls in this story must be.
Recommended by Angela Reynolds, Head of Youth Services |
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Legend - Marie Lu
- Day is a wanted criminal – he is an enemy of the state. June is a military prodigy – at age 10, she was the only person to ever get a perfect score on the Trial tests. When Day kills June's brother, she is recruited by one of the military's most revered commanders to find Day and bring him in. Of course, all is not as it seems. The Republic is not as innocent as it appears, and Day is not as bad as he appears. When June accidently makes friends with Day, everything changes for both of them. Told in two different voices (June and Day, of course), this futuristic near-Dystopian novel will resonate with fans of The Hunger Games. Plenty of action, a bit of romance, and a good dose of mystery and intrigue will keep the pages turning. This is the first in the "Legend" series, so if you like it, keep an eye out for more!
Recommended by Angela Reynolds, Head of Youth Services
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