Today’s post, beloved patrons, comes to you from Ames, Iowa, home of Iowa State University, and birthplace of Sara Parestsky, author of the V.I. Warshawski mysteries, and U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser (and also where a historical conference is being held, which is why I am here, but anyways….).
Ames is a major college town situated within the charmingly-named Story County, pretty much at the very center of the state. And, imagine my joy when, while walking down the street near Iowa State University, I saw this Free Little Library, looking well-used and much-loved:
And seeing those books, eagerly awaiting the new friends who would come and take them home, naturally got me to thinking about the new books that have clambered up onto the shelves at our (not so little) Library this week! So feel free to drop by and find a new tale to take with you on your weekend adventure. It’s a season for fiction, so please enjoy this week’s selections!
And The Trees Crept In: Teen literature has become one of the fastest-growing, most progressive in publishing today–and also feature some of the most arresting cover-art to be found anywhere. Dawn Kurtagich’s newest release is no exception, providing a stunning cover, and a thoroughly creepy, novel that can be enjoyed by teen readers and non-teen readers alike. When Silla and Nori arrive at their aunt’s home, it’s immediately clear that the “blood manor” is cursed–and it’s far more than the creaky floors, and ominous, foreboding woods surrounding the estate. It’s the fact that Silla is haunted by visions of a beautiful boy out in the woods; her sister can see a man that no one else can…and the fact that the trees seem to be creeping, inexplicably, ever closer. This thoroughly immersive gothic novel earned a star review from Kirkus, which said that it “Will haunt readers with its raw emotions, palpable pain, and consistent character voices… Frightening and compelling, this gothic will easily sweep fans up into its creeping sense of hysteria.”
Here I Am: Few books have been more highly anticipated than this one–Jonathan Safran Foer’s first novel in over a decade and, by all accounts, well worth the wait. Set in present-day Washington, D.C., the novel traces, on one level, the experiences of Jacob and Julia and their three sons, as they cope with a word growing increasingly frightening and strange. By invoking Abraham’s quote in the Book of Genesis (when God called him to make a sacrifice of his son), Foer explodes the scope of this novel, making it not only about one family, but about the nature of being a father, a son, a Jew, an American–and, ultimately, human, in a book that NPR called “Dazzling . . . A profound novel about the claims of identity, history, family, and the burdens of a broken world.”
Lady Cop Makes Trouble: Amy Stewart’s first Kopp sisters novel was an unexpectedly smash hit, and now the intrepid Constance Kopp has become one of the nation’s first deputy sheriffs, and is at work in New Jersey and New York, on the hunt for a German-speaking con man who not only threatens her dreams for a new life and career, but also the honorable Sheriff Heath. But even as this case grows in danger, Constance knows she has the support of her sisters Norma and Fleurette–that is, when they aren’t training pigeons for the war effort or fanning dreams of a life on the stage. Based on a true story, Stewart’s books are full of terrific historic detail, including a number of real-life (and larger-than-life) personalities, making this a must-read series for mystery and history fans alike! Library Journal gave this book a starred review, saying “Constance and her sisters are every bit as enjoyable in this outing as their first. Stewart deftly combines the rough-and-tumble atmosphere of early 20th-century New York City with the story of three women who want to live life on their own terms. The addition of supporting female characters who are also pushing societal boundaries is a welcome touch to the series.”
Mischling: Here’s another huge release that has been on a number of “Best of” lists recently. Affinity Jones’ novel opens with twin sisters, their mother and grandfather arrive at Auschwitz in 1944. Pearl and Stasha Zagorski find hope in the midst of darkness through the private language and shared games, but it isn’t long before they find themselves a part of Mengele’s Zoo, where horrific experiments are performed on twins to allegedly understand their unique bond. When Pearl disappears at a concert arranges by Mengele, Stasha is devastated, but clings to the possibility that Pearl remains alive. When the camp is liberated by the Red Army, she and her companion Feliks–a boy bent on vengeance for his own lost twin–travel through Poland’s devastation. This epic journey of a novel is harrowing and heartbreaking, yes, but, as Publisher’s Weekly noted in their review, “Konar makes every sentence count; it’s to her credit that the girls never come across as simply victims: they’re flawed, memorable characters trying to stay alive. This is a brutally beautiful book.”
Razor Girl: Carl Hiaasen is back with another darkly comic, rollicking mystery set in the murky work of the Florida Keys. When Lane Coolman’s car is bashed from behind, what appears to be an ordinary accident quickly turns into something much more dangerous. Behind the wheel of the offending car is Merry Mansfield–the titular Razor Girl–so named for her unique, eye-popping addition to what might be an otherwise unexciting scam. But the scam is only the very beginning of a situation that’s going to spiral crazily out of control while gathering in some of the wildest characters Hiaasen has ever set loose on the page. Kirkus gave this latest installment in Hiaasen’s growing cannon a starred review, cheering, “Rejoice, fans of American madness who’ve sought fulfillment in political reportage. South Florida’s master farceur is back to reassure you that fiction is indeed stranger than truth. . . . [Hiaasen’s] plotting is so fine-tuned that preposterous complications that would strain lesser novelists fit right into his antic world. Relax, enjoy, and marvel anew at the power of unbridled fictional invention.”
Until next week, beloved patrons–happy reading!