Fiction
Hokuloa Road
Elizabeth Hand
MYSTERY Hand Elizabet
Fiction, Mystery
"On a whim, Grady Kendall applies to work as a live-in caretaker for a luxury property in Hawai'i, as far from his small-town Maine life as he can imagine. Within days he's flying out to an estate on remote Hokuloa Road, where he quickly uncovers a dark side to the island's idyllic reputation: It has long been a place where people vanish without a trace. When a young woman named Jessie from his flight becomes the next to disappear, Grady is determined - and soon desperate - to figure out what happened to her, and to all those staring out of the island's 'missing' posters. But working with Raina, Jessie's fiercely protective best friend, to uncover the truth is anything but easy, and with an inexplicable and sinister presence stalking his every step, Grady can only hope he'll find the answer before it's too late." -- From jacket flap.
Welcome to Samantha's world, 1904 : growing up in America's new century
Catherine Gourley
j973.91 Gourley
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Kids, Nonfiction, History
An in-depth look at life for girls and women in America in 1904, discussing city and town life, social reform, new inventions, amusements, and more.
If you're like me and grew up with American Girl, you know that this book was a highly sought after item! I, myself, am a Samantha, and was absolutely thrilled to find that ICPL had a copy of Welcome to Samantha's World in the collection! I'd never had the privilege of looking through this book before, but always dreamed about it when I was younger. Catherine Gourley provides a wider historical context for the Samantha books that illustrate what life what like for young girls at the turn of the century. I would definitely recommend for any fans of American Girl! -Violette
How high we go in the dark : a novel
Sequoia Nagamatsu
SCIENCE FICTION Nagamatsu, Sequoia
Fiction, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Short Story
"For fans of Cloud Atlas and Station Eleven, a spellbinding and profoundly prescient debut that follows a cast of intricately linked characters over hundreds of years as humanity struggles to rebuild itself in the aftermath of a climate plague-a daring and deeply heartfelt work of mind-bending imagination from a singular new voice. Beginning in 2030, a grieving archeologist arrives in the Arctic Circle to continue the work of his recently deceased daughter at the Batagaika crater, where researchers are studying long-buried secrets now revealed in melting permafrost, including the perfectly preserved remains of a girl who appears to have died of an ancient virus. Once unleashed, the Arctic Plague will reshape life on earth for generations to come, quickly traversing the globe, forcing humanity to devise a myriad of moving and inventive ways to embrace possibility in the face of tragedy. In a theme park designed for terminally ill children, a cynical employee falls in love with a mother desperate to hold on to her infected son. A heartbroken scientist searching for a cure finds a second chance at fatherhood when one of his test subjects-a pig-develops the capacity for human speech. A widowed painter and her teenaged granddaughter embark on a cosmic quest to locate a new home planet. From funerary skyscrapers to hotels for the dead to interstellar starships, Sequoia Nagamatsu takes readers on a wildly original and compassionate journey, spanning continents, centuries, and even celestial bodies to tell a story about the resiliency of the human spirit, our infinite capacity to dream, and the connective threads that tie us all together in the universe"--
Sequoia Nagamatsu's How High We Go in the Dark consists of several fascinating short stories that feature characters whose lives are inextricably linked, even if not directly. If you're like me, this book will remain in the back of your mind for a long time. -Violette
Old enough : a novel
Haley Jakobson
FICTION Jakobson Haley
Diverse Characters, Fiction, LGBTQ+, Romance, Young Adult
"Savannah 'Sav' Henry is almost the person she wants to be, or at least she's getting closer. It's the second semester of her sophomore year. She's finally come out as bisexual, is making friends with the other queers in her dorm, and has just about recovered from her disastrous first queer 'situationship.' She is cautiously optimistic that her life is about the begin. But when she learns that Izzie, her best friend from childhood, has gotten engaged, Sav faces a crisis of confidence. Things with Izzie haven't been the same since what happened between Sav and Izzie's brother when Sav was sixteen. Now, with the wedding around the corner, Sav is forced to reckon with trauma she thought she could put behind her. On top of it all, Sav can't stop thinking about Wes from her Gender Studies class--sweet, funny Wes, with their long eyelashes and green backpack. There's something different here--with Wes and her new friends; it feels, terrifyingly, like they might truly see her. With a singulary funny, heartfelt voice, Old Enough explores queer love, community, and what it means to be a survivor in a post #MeToo world. Haley Jakobson has written a love letter to friendship and an honest depiction of what it means to find your people"--
I love this book because it illustrates what it's like to be a young queer woman navigating the world through self discovery. I would recommend Old Enough to anyone who is questioning their identity, as Haley Jakobson shows the power of finding your community and loving yourself just as you are. -Violette
The fellowship of the ring : being the first part of The Lord of the Rings
J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel) Tolkien
SCIENCE FICTION Tolkien, J. R. R.
Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy
After discovering the true nature of the one ring, Bilbo Baggins entrusts it to the care of his young cousin, Frodo, who is charged with bringing about its destruction and thus foiling the plans of the Dark Lord.
My favorite book in the LOTR trilogy! I could read this series over and over again and never tire of Frodo and Sam's adventures. -Violette
Malibu rising : a novel
Taylor Jenkins Reid
FICTION Reid Taylor
Diverse Characters, Fiction
August 1983. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their baby sister, Kit. The siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over-- especially as the offspring of legendary singer Mick Riva. It's the day of Nina's annual end-of-summer party, and she's the only person not looking forward to it after being abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Hud needs to confess something to the brother from whom he's been inseparable since birth. Jay is counting the minutes until the girl he can't stop thinking about promised she'll be there. And Kit has a couple secrets of her own. The alcohol will flow, the music will play... and by morning the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. -- adapted from jacket
I love all of Taylor Jenkins Reid's books, but this one is my favorite! The family dynamics are written incredibly well in this novel, and I would certainly recommend it as a summer read! -Violette
Lessons in chemistry : a novel
Bonnie Garmus
FICTION Garmus, Bonnie
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Science
"Set in 1960s California, this blockbuster debut is the hilarious, idiosyncratic and uplifting story of a female scientist whose career is constantly derailed by the idea that a woman's place is in the home, only to find herself starring as the host of America's most beloved TV cooking show. Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it's the 1960s and despite the fact that she is a scientist, her peers are very unscientific when it comes to equality. The only good thing to happen to her on the road to professional fulfillment is a run-in with her super-star colleague Calvin Evans (well, she stole his beakers.) The only man who ever treated her-and her ideas-as equal, Calvin is already a legend and Nobel nominee. He's also awkward, kind and tenacious. Theirs is true chemistry. But as events are never as predictable as chemical reactions, three years later Elizabeth Zott is an unwed, single mother (did we mention it's the early 60s??) and the star of America's most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth's singular approach to cooking ('take one pint of H2O and add a pinch of sodium chloride') and independent example are proving revolutionary. Because Elizabeth isn't just teaching women how to cook, she's teaching them how to change the status quo. Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist"--
Bonnie Garmus' Lessons in Chemistry is my favorite read of this year! Readers will love Elizabeth Zott's incredible strength and sharp wit in this novel, as she perseveres against a 1960s male-dominated world that doesn't believe in her abilities. She'll prove them wrong. -Violette
The cliffs : a novel
J. Courtney Sullivan
FICTION Sullivan, J. Courtney
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Suspense, Paranormal
A Harvard archivist, returning to Maine after a terrible mistake, Jane is hired to research the history of a Victorian house and the women who lived there, uncovering a story of lost lovers, romantic longing, shattering loss and the long shadow of colonialism that is even older than Maine itself.
This book was actually a very appropriate read for Spooky Season, with the plot revolving around a house on the cliffs that is haunted by it's past. I quite enjoyed this book for the variety of story lines intertwining a house and its occupants over the years, from the past and the present and across cultures including the Shakers, Indigenous People who lived in the northern portion of Maine, and a women healing from family trauma and struggling with alcoholism. The research done by the author for this book was very satisfying for me, and the story is driven by a mystery rooted in the history which is solved through mysticism, spiritualism, and research and an acknowledgement that the future is affected by the heritage of its people and the land they occupy. -Mari
The Hotel Balzaar
Kate DiCamillo
jFICTION Dicamill Kate
Fiction, Mystery, Kids, Early Chapter Books, Picture Books, Short Story
At the Hotel Balzaar, Marta's mother rises before the sun, puts on her uniform, and instructs Marta to roam as she will but quietly, invisibly like a little mouse. One day, a mysterious countess with a parrot checks in, promising a story--in fact, seven stories in all, each to be told in its proper order. As the stories unfold, Marta begins to wonder: could the secret to her father's disappearance lie in the countess's tales? --
I am beyond excited for another Júlia Sardà illustrated title! I cannot wait to read this collaboration with incredible storyteller, Kate DiCamillo. -Casey
Mexican Gothic
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
FICTION Moreno-Garcia, Silvia
Fiction, Horror
After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemi Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She's not sure what she will find--her cousin's husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemi knows little about the region. Noemi is also an unlikely rescuer: She's a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she's also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin's new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemi; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi's dreams with visions of blood and doom. Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family's youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemi, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family's past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family's once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemi digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
This book absolutely nails the gothic vibe. It's a great read for the start of spooky season! -Chelsea
Elizabeth Hand consistently writes interesting mysteries that have an uncanny weirdness to them, and in Hokuloa Road you get that plus the beautiful setting of Hawaii, with flora, fauna, customs, and lore. Our protagonist, Grady, is a laid-back good guy who gets the job of a lifetime, but soon finds himself enmeshed in a situation that seems to defy explanation, but requires him to keep sleuthing. There are many likable characters here, as well as a satisfying ending. -Candice