Meg's Picks: December 2014

I have to say, I love my job. And days like today, I am completely delighted with it. Why? Because I get to share these titles with you, titles which, in some cases, I've been keeping to myself for months, saving them for just this moment. Sharing books I enjoy or books that I think others will enjoy (these often overlap, but not always) is truly one of the greatest joys of being a public librarian. Shall we see what's got me all aflutter? Let's.

The Boston Girl, by Anita Diamant. Diamant is perhaps best known for her 1997 breakout novel, The Red Tent. She's been a favorite author of mine every since, so it it with particular relish that I anticipate her newest novel, The Boston Girl. Addie Baum is the Boston girl, born in 1900 to immigrant parents who were unprepared for and suspicious of America and its effects on their three daughters. At 85, Addie is asked about her life by her granddaughter, and the narrative covers Addie's recollections from her childhood, through a disastrous first love affair, and onward, all with Addie's wicked humor and Diamant's poignant attention to historical detail. This will be a must for readers of all stripes. Book clubs in particular will undoubtedly be reading this in the coming years.

The Rosie Effect, by Graeme Simsion. Simsion's bestselling debut novel, 2013's The Rosie Project, has been a runaway hit with readers everywhere, and a particular favorite of many members of The Trumbull Library's staff, myself included. We recommend it constantly, as it is the quirkiest, most unlikely romantic fiction we've seen in years--funny, sweet without being saccharine, with unique, beautifully rendered characters. This sequel finds the unlikely couple living in New York, and anticipating the arrival of their first child. Don sets about researching fatherhood and child-rearing with his usual methods, and his usual hilariously disastrous results. If it's half as funny and charming as the first book, readers will be in for a treat.

Moriarty, by Anthony Horowitz. Horowitz is an international bestseller, best known for his Alex Rider adventure series. He was sanctioned by the Conan Doyle estate in 2011 to write The House of Silk, much to the delight of Holmes fans everywhere. He returns here to explore what really happened when Sherlock Holmes and his arch nemesis Professor Moriarty tumbled to their doom at the Reichenbach Falls. With this sudden vacuum in the criminal underworld, there is no shortage of candidates to take his place, one particularly fiendish villain in particular catching the attention of Pinkerton detective Chase and Scotland Yard inspector Jones in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game. Horowitz has breathed new life into the long-popular series, gaining a whole new generation of Holmes enthusiasts.