Death for Beginners: your no-nonsense, money-saving guide to planning for the inevitable, by Karen Jones

This is probably the most practical self-help book ever written. After all, each and every human being will need this book at some point. It’s not something that anyone wants to dwell upon, but sooner or later you’ve got to face the issue. It is difficult enough to lose a loved one, and the time [...]

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The Last Detective, by Peter Lovesey

Meet Peter Diamond – the “last detective.” Suspicious of technology, he is irritated at the forensic and computer science taking over his profession. He prefers interrogating witnesses and psyching out suspects. Fat, clumsy, bald, and irascible, he does not immediately impress in this first title in a series. He eschews fine literature, music and poetry, [...]

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Why My Third Husband Will be a Dog, by Lisa Scottoline

This is a change of pace for readers who enjoy Lisa Scottoline’s legal mysteries — or her latest standalone novel, Save Me.  Why My Third Husband Will be a Dog is a compilation of her “Chick Wit” columns in the Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper. In the introduction , Scottoline shares Eleanor Roosevelt’s quote, “A woman [...]

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Finding Mr. Right, by Emily Carmichael

Emily Carmichael is an award-winning romance writer.  In this series of contemporary romances, starting with Finding Mr. Right, she mixes a love of dogs (Corgis in particular) with a touch of mystery to make an entertaining story. Lydia Keane is a beautiful, self-centered woman who is killed during what appears to be a car theft—while [...]

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First Grave on the Right, by Darynda Jones

My friend Penelope thought I would enjoy this new paranormal suspense by Darynda Jones.  She really nailed it; this is a great start to a new series! It is fast-paced and immediately engaging. Charley Davidson is a part-time investigator as well as the grim reaper.  Yes, the Grim Reaper—but without the dark cloak and scythe. Charley [...]

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The Fast and the Furriest, by Andy Behrens

One of  WRL’s Youth Services librarians recommended this book to me.  Charlotte said that the story was charming, especially if you like dogs.  It is appropriate for ages 8-12, but I enjoyed it at… well, much older than twelve. Kevin is the not-so-athletic son of a former professional football player.  He is good at playing [...]

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The Walk, by Richard Paul Evans

Author Richard Paul Evans, known for sentimental, inspirational stories like The Christmas Box, The Locket, and The Last Promise, once again pulls the heartstrings in The Walk. Alan Christoffersen is a successful advertising executive.  He and his wife, his longtime best friend McKale, are living the American dream.  Successful careers, high-priced home and cars, and [...]

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Only You

Ceilidh from Administrative Services ends the week with a delightfully entertaining movie: They just don’t make rom-coms like they used to. If you’re not a teenage boy obsessed with fast cars and explosions, or a teen girl obsessed with vampires and werewolves, there’s not much out there. It seems the days of Sleepless in Seattle, [...]

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The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating, by Elisabeth Tova Bailey

Connie from Outreach Services adds this review. The title of this slim book caught my eye and I thought snails make sounds? I had never noticed. I leafed through the opening prologue and was captivated. The author describes coming down with a flu-like illness while on vacation, which progressed into semi-paralysis with life threatening complications. She relates this [...]

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Nine Queens

Mandy from Circulation Services shares a review. For Juan and Marcos, it seemed like a simple, but potentially lucrative, con: sell a sheet of counterfeit stamps to a wealthy stamp collector, then split the profit. However, nothing–and no one–are what they appear to be in Nine Queens, an excellent suspense thriller from Argentina, written and directed by [...]

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Crunch, by Leslie Connor

Nancy from Circulation Services provides today’s review. Even with gas prices soaring, there still seems to be an abundance if not an outright overload of vehicles on the road, all in a hurry to get to their destination, conduct their business, and hurriedly join the masses in returning from whence they came.  Leslie Connor dares to [...]

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What Angels Fear, by C.S. Harris

AnnMarie from Circulation Services starts off the week with this Sebastian St. Cyr mystery. A horrific murder, an interesting protagonist, political intrigue and even a little romance combine to make What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris a terrific read for historical mystery enthusiasts.  The mystery is the first in a series that features Sebastian St. [...]

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Midnight Riot, by Ben Aaronovitch

A gruesome beheading in Covent Garden might be just another night on the beat for Probationary Constable Peter Grant, until the witness he’s interviewing turns out to be… less than alive. (Because Grant is a good, if not a great, cop, his next question is “can you prove you’re dead?”) Grant’s newfound ability to see [...]

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Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, by Barry Deutsch

As far as I’m concerned, every reason to read this graphic novel is right there in the tagline on the cover: troll-fighting 11-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl. But then, I have a thing for girls with swords. Mirka Hirschberg, a middle daughter in a large family, aspires to dragon-fighting, but until she can earn a sword, [...]

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White Cat, by Holly Black

“Here’s the essential truth about me: I killed a girl when I was fourteen. Her name was Lila, she was my best friend, and I loved her. I killed her anyway.” This noir fantasy for teenagers, first in an ongoing series, has a great mafia-with-a-twist setup. Curse workers can change your emotions, alter your memories, [...]

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Omega, by Jack McDevitt

Jack McDevitt is one of my favorite science fiction authors. I discovered him by searching for award-winning books on our NoveList database, and found his novel The Seeker won the prestigious Nebula award for 2006. I thoroughly enjoyed that book and the other books in the series, which features antiquities dealer Alex Benedict and his [...]

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Where Am I Wearing?: A Global Tour to the Countries, Factories, and People that Make Our Clothes, by Kelsey Timmerman

Just a regular guy, raised in the American Midwest, Kelsey Timmerman journeys through four countries to discover where his favorite pieces of clothing were manufactured. His first venture is into Honduras to find the factory where his t-shirt was made.  Unfortunately, the trip is fruitless. Without any contacts, he is obviously denied access to the [...]

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Broadway Musicals: The Biggest Hit and the Biggest Flop of the Season, 1959 to 2009, by Peter Filichia

Peter Filichia uses a simple conceit to tell the story of Broadway over the last 50 years, examining two musicals from each year, the show that was the biggest hit, and the season’s biggest flop. I loved this book for all of the stories behind the story, the sure things that misfire and the little [...]

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