Thursday, March 12, 2015

Reading Ahead: April 2015, part 3

Okay, so the last two posts were chock-full of thriller and suspense titles. But what if you're not a thriller/suspense reader? Or what if you'd just like something a little different, a little change of pace? Not to worry! The library has you covered there, too! Take a look...




God Help the Child, by Toni Morrison. At the center: a young woman who calls herself Bride, whose stunning blue-black skin is only one element of her beauty, her boldness and confidence, her success in life, but which caused her light-skinned mother to deny her even the simplest forms of love. There is Booker, the man Bride loves, and loses to anger. Rain, the mysterious white child with whom she crosses paths. And finally, Bride’s mother herself, Sweetness, who takes a lifetime to come to understand that “what you do to children matters. And they might never forget.”

Emma: a modern retelling, by Alexander McCall-Smith. McCall-Smith has been delighting readers with his charming and funny No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency novels, among other titles. Now he turns his cozy, old-fashioned sensibilities onto a modern retelling of Jane Austen's meddlesome heroine. The summer after university, Emma Woodhouse returns home to the village of Highbury to prepare for the launch of her interior design business. As she cultivates grand plans for the future, she re-enters the household of her hypochondriac father. Emma also befriends Harriet Smith, the naïve but charming young teacher’s assistant. Harriet is Emma’s inspiration to do the two things she does best: offer guidance to those less wise in the ways of the world and put her matchmaking skills to good use. Happily, this summer presents abundant opportunities for her to do just that, as many friends, both old and new, are drawn into the sphere of Emma’s occasionally injudicious counsel. Entertaining and timeless, this might be one to put on your list of beach-reads, if you can't find the time just now.

Last One Home, by Debbie Macomber. A new stand-alone novel from Macomber, who is best known for her Blossom Street and Cedar Grove series, follows three sisters as they learn the value of each other, the power of forgiveness, and the gift of second chances. Growing up, Cassie Carter and her sisters, Karen and Nichole, were incredibly close—until one fateful event drove them apart. After high school, Cassie ran away from home to marry the wrong man, throwing away a college scholarship and breaking her parents’ hearts. To make matters worse, Cassie had always been their father’s favorite—a sentiment that weighed heavily on her sisters and made Cassie’s actions even harder to bear. Now after more than a decade, Cassie is back, accompanied by her daughter, to try and fix the one thing she's never been able to repair: her relationship with her sisters. Macomber fans have been lining up for this one, and can rejoice! In the fluidity of the publishing world, the date was bumped up for this title, and it was released this past Tuesday! Surprise!

Miracle at Augusta, by James Patterson and Peter de Jonge. A year ago, Travis McKinley, an unknown golfing amateur, shocked the world by winning the PGA Senior Open at Pebble Beach. Now he's famous, he makes his living playing the game he loves, and everything should be perfect. Still Travis can't shake the feeling that he's a fraud, an imposter who doesn't deserve his success - and after a series of disappointments and, to be honest, personal screw-ups, he might just prove himself right. A shot at redemption arrives in an unexpected form: a teenage outcast with troubles of his own - and a natural golf swing. As this unlikely duo sets out to achieve the impossible on the world's most revered golf course, Travis is about to learn that sometimes the greatest miracles of all take place when no one is watching.


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