The Library is closed today, dear readers, but we’ll be open tomorrow to help you with all your literary, audio, visual, and technological-related needs before the long weekend (hooray!).  There’s been a bumper-crop of new books being released into the wild over the past few weeks, so let’s lose no time in savoring all the lovely books that have waltzed their way onto our shelves this week!

And whatever you celebrate, from Easter to Passover, to gardening, to sunshine, to staying in bed for a few extra minutes/hours, we wish you a very peaceful and fulfilling weekend!

Long Black Veil: Jennifer Finney Boylan’s newest book has been drawing a number of comparisons to Megan Abbott, Donna Tartt, and, most impressively, Shirley Jackson.  On a warm August night in 1980, six college students sneak into the dilapidated ruins of Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary, looking for a thrill. With a pianist, a painter and a teacher among them, the friends are full of potential. But it’s not long before they realize they are locked in—and not alone. When the friends get lost and separated, the terrifying night ends in tragedy, and the unexpected, far-reaching consequences reverberate through the survivors’ lives. As they go their separate ways, trying to move on, it becomes clear that their dark night in the prison has changed them all. Decades later, new evidence is found, and the dogged detective investigating the cold case charges one of them—celebrity chef Jon Casey— with murder. Only Casey’s old friend Judith Carrigan can testify to his innocence.  But Judith is hiding secrets of her own–secrets that could destroy the life she’s built since that haunting night.  Boylan’s first foray into fiction is winning praise from readers and reviewers alike, with Publisher’s Weekly  calling it a “madcap thriller full of hidden identities…And embedded in the whodunit is a heartwarming midlife love story, in which hard-won candor, tenacity, and a generous sense of humor are the most saving of graces.”

No One Is Coming to Save Us: And speaking of impressive comparisons, Stephanie Powell Watts’ debut has been drawing comparisons to The Great Gatsby, and that is no mean feat.  In this story, JJ Ferguson has returned to his roots in Pinewood, North Carolina, to build his dream house and to pursue his high school sweetheart, Ava.  But with the furniture factories of his childhood in decline, and the area’s latent racism becoming increasingly visible and unsettling, Ferguson begins to wonder if he can ever find the place he left behind.  JJ’s return—and his plans to build a huge mansion overlooking Pinewood and woo Ava—not only unsettles their family, but stirs up the entire town. The ostentatious wealth that JJ has attained forces everyone to consider the cards they’ve been dealt, what more they want and deserve, and how they might go about getting it.   This is a book that captures the hope, heartbreak, and beautiful humanity, nestled in a part of America that is bleakly believable and hauntingly real.  Kirkus Reviews gave this book a starred review, saying “Watts spins a compelling tale of obsessive love and dashed dreams…Watts’ gently told story, like Fitzgerald’s, is only superficially about money but more acutely about the urgent, inexplicable needs that shape a life.”

The Ashes of London: Andrew Taylor is a master of twisty, controversial mysteries, and his ability to create a historic setting is pretty darned impressive.  Now, he turns those powers to creating London in September 1666, during The Great Fire that destroyed, and, eventually, revolutionized the city.  Amidst this horror, where even the impregnable cathedral of St. Paul’s is engulfed in flames, stands Richard Marwood, son of a disgraced printer, and reluctant government informer. In the aftermath of the fire, a semi-mummified body is discovered in the ashes of St. Paul’s, in a tomb that should have been empty. The man’s body has been mutilated and his thumbs have been tied behind his back – the sign of a Regicide, one of those who signed Charles I’s death warrant during the English Civil War some two decades earlier. Under orders from the government, Marwood is tasked with hunting down the killer across the devastated city. But at a time of dangerous internal dissent and the threat of foreign invasion, Marwood finds his investigation leads him into treacherous waters – and across the path of a determined, beautiful and vengeful young woman.   British reviewers loved Taylor’s newest book, with the Financial Times saying that he “presents a breathtakingly ambitious picture of an era … the multiple narrative strands are drawn together in a brilliantly orchestrated finale”, and readers on this side of the proverbial pond are sure to love it, as well!

The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple: It’s a tricky thing to talk about a book that talks about a cult leader, especially one as notorious as Jim Jones, but Jeff Guinn’s book is so thoroughly researched, and has been getting such high praise from so many diverse quarters, that is seems worth bringing up here.  In the 1950s, a young Indianapolis minister named Jim Jones preached a curious blend of the gospel and Marxism. His congregation was racially integrated, and he was a much-lauded leader in the contemporary civil rights movement. Eventually, Jones moved his church, Peoples Temple, to northern California. He became involved in electoral politics, and soon was a prominent Bay Area leader.  But there was another side to Jones, and a darker tale of drug addiction, extramarital affairs, and fraud that would culminate in the decision to move his followers to the jungles of Guyana, South America, and, finally, the death of over 900 people who were forced to swallow a cyanide-laced beverage.  Guinn brought all his investigative skills to bear on this book, examining thousands of pages of FBI files on the case, traveling to Jones’s Indiana hometown, as well as to the Jonestown site, and working with Jonestown survivors.  The result is a book that is troubling, insightful, and already being hailed as the definitive book on Jonestown, with Publisher’s Weekly calling it “Magisterial. . . . Guinn’s exhaustive research, shrewd analysis, and engaging prose illuminate a monstrous yet tragic figure–and the motives of those who lost their souls to him.”

The Lowells of Massachusetts: An American Family: Think fast–what’s the address of the West Branch?  That’s right…it’s the street named after the Lowells of Massachusetts, a family that settled in “the New World” in the 1600s, and were instrumental in shaping the new nation that emerged in the 1700s.  Their prosperity grew as the family became merchants and manufacturers, building prosperity in the 1800s, and scientists and artists flourishing in the 1900s. For the first time, Nina Sankovitch tells the story of this fascinating and powerful dynasty that has left its stamp on American history, Massachusetts state history, and the history of our own city, as well!  Sankovitch’s well-researched and fascinating story is epic in its scope, engaging not only with the history of one family, but with the Industrial Revolution, the Civil War, the history of American arts and letters, and some of the biggest personalities that touched each of these moments in time.  Library Journal recognized this achievement, noting “Sankovitch’s use of interpretative passages breathe color into descriptions of the home life and various Lowells, adding an artistic dimension to the account. Her ability to switch focus among family members while keeping readers fully engaged in the narrative is a significant achievement.”

Until next week, beloved patrons–happy reading!

And welcome, dear readers, to another Friday!

Technology seems to be conspiring against us today at the Library, so in the interest of sharing these great titles with you, let’s get right to the books that have galloped up onto our shelves this week–come on in and check them out soon!

The Spaceman of Bohemia: There are some books that happen along that, quite literally, defy description. Jaroslav Kalfar’s debut novel is one of them.  But I would argue it makes for a more entertaining and thought-provoking read, when you quite literally have no idea what is going to happen next.  Orphaned as a boy, raised in the Czech countryside by his doting grandparents, Jakub Procházka has risen from small-time scientist to become the country’s first astronaut. When a dangerous solo mission to Venus offers him both the chance at heroism he’s dreamt of, and a way to atone for his father’s sins as a Communist informer, he ventures boldly into the vast unknown.  Alone in Deep Space, Jakub discovers a possibly imaginary giant alien spider, who becomes his unlikely companion. Over philosophical conversations about the nature of love, life and death, and the deliciousness of bacon, the pair form an intense and emotional bond.  For all that this might seem like a highly theoretical book, it’s actually really charming, surprisingly light, funny, and empathetic, and clever, and a definite must-read for anyone who thinks there is nothing new under the Sun (or near Venus).  RT Book Reviews agreed, having given this book a Top Pick status and saying in their review, “Kalfar’s novel is a work of beautiful contradictions: Though simple in its structure and gently playful in its narrative, Kalfar manages some remarkably complex connections with searing insight and disarming honesty…Remarkably, all of these contradictions combine into a surprising, thought-provoking whole that is wry, poignant and wholly unique.”

The Lawrence Browne Affair: Late last year, Avon Books became the first major publisher to put out a male-male romance…and a male-male historical romance, at that.  Now, Cat Sebastian returns with her second book about two heroes defying conventions (and the law) in their quest for true love.  Lawrence Browne, the Earl of Radnor, is mad. At least, that’s what he and most of the village believes. A brilliant scientist, he hides himself away in his family’s crumbling estate, unwilling to venture into the outside world. When an annoyingly handsome man arrives at Penkellis, claiming to be Lawrence’s new secretary, his carefully planned world is turned upside down.  Georgie Turner is a swindler and con man who has fled to the wilds of Cornwall for his own safety. Pretending to be a secretary should be easy, but he doesn’t expect that the only madness he finds is the one he has for the gorgeous earl.  Sebastian’s love stories are just plain good romances, with believable characters (with real problems, not just, you know, issues), and sensational chemistry.  Library Journal agrees, giving this book a starred review and cheering “Sebasitan has crafted an epic romance in which Lawrence and Georgie share incredible chemistry. Profoundly romantic and highly recommended.”

Enduring Vietnam: An American Generation and Its War:  James Wright is a history professor as well as a veterans’ rights advocate, and in this book, he puts those two identities together to create a timely and engaging story about a conflict that changed the way the American public thought about violence, service, duty, and its place in the world.  The Vietnam War is largely recalled as a mistake, either in the decision to engage there or in the nature of the engagement. Or both. Veterans of the war remain largely anonymous figures, accomplices in the mistake. Critically recounting the steps that led to the war, James Wright’s book does not excuse the mistakes, but it details the experiences of those who served, and recounts the experiences of the families who grieved those who did not return.  The work has received praise from military officials, veterans, and critics alike, with Publisher’s Weekly praising “Wright’s worthy effort is a tribute to Americans who saw the worst that the Vietnam War offered, combined with a broad look at the domestic and geopolitical factors that led to the U.S. getting involved in the long, controversial conflict.”

Mister Mystery: Looking to get away from things for a little while?  How about an escape to Paris at the end of the 19th century?  This sensational mystery is the perfect get-away for armchair adventurers and time-travelers alike!  In Paris in the year 1899, Marcel Després is arrested for the murder of his wife and transferred to the famous Salpetriere Asylum. And there the story might have stopped.  But the doctor assigned to his care soon realizes this is no ordinary patient: Marcel Després is a man who cannot forget. And the policeman assigned to his case soon realizes that something else is at stake: For why else would the criminal have been hurried off to hospital, and why are his superiors so keen for the whole affair to be closed?  This crime involves something bigger and stranger than a lovers’ fight, something with links to the highest and lowest establishments in France—but the answers lie inside Marcel’s head. And how can he tell what is significant when he remembers every detail of every moment of his entire life?  This is not only a fascinating mystery, but a really interesting study of 19th-century psychology, criminology, and society overall.  Publisher’s Weekly loved this book, too, giving it a starred review and saying “Fin de siècle Paris provides the backdrop for this outstanding thriller…Sedgwick thoughtfully explores fundamental questions about the relationship of memory and identity.”

Border Child: Michel Stone’s beautifully crafted novel is both an insightful tale of family and an unflinching consideration of the perils of immigration in today’s current political climate.  Young lovers Héctor and Lilia dreamed of a brighter future for their family in the United States. Héctor left Mexico first, to secure work and housing, but when Lilia, desperate to be with Héctor, impetuously crossed the border with their infant daughter, Alejandra, mother and child were separated. Alejandra disappeared. Now, four years later, the family has a chance to reunite in Mexico, where they try to reclaim a semblance of normal life, with a toddler son and another baby on the way. Then they receive an unexpected tip that might lead them to Alejandra, and both agree they must seize this chance, whatever the cost.  This tale doesn’t look at politics or grand scale issues, but rather focuses on a small group of finely-wrought characters in whom readers can utterly empathize.  The result is a story that Kirkus Review calls “A gripping and politically savvy look at the human impact of current immigration policy and an honest examination of the perils facing desperate immigrants as they travel north.”

Until next week, beloved patrons, happy reading!