November 6, 2009

Death Comes As Epiphany : A Catherine LeVendeur Mystery by Sharan Newman

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This is the first book in this series featuring Catherine LeVendeur, a very unlikely detective. She serves as a nun at the Convent of the Paraclete. Sharan Newman, the author, writes a thoroughly researched novel about 12th century religion, politics and everyday life. Along with that she weaves in a complicated mystery and the love story of Abelard and Heloise. Catherine's story is not for someone looking for a light read. This book weighs heavily with historical facts which may turn out to be overwhelming if the reader is not prepared. Having said that, as someone who has an interest in medieval Europe, I enjoyed reading this well written historical mystery.

Check the catalog for availability.

- Submitted by Paula @ Central

Posted by Paula N. on November 6, 2009 2:00 PM | | Comments (0)

November 4, 2009

Essex County Trilogy by Jeff Lemire

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Essex County Trilogy by Jeff Lemire (c2007 & 2008)
Canadian graphic novelist Jeff Lemire has received numerous awards and accolades for his Essex County series, and with good reason as this trilogy has an equal appeal to both teens and adults. The main story line moves back and forth between several generations of the rural Canadian farming and hockey playing Lebeuf family. The characters are immediately likeable and the overall mood is sentimental without ever being cloying. Themes of coming-of-age, growing old, isolation and family obligation abound. Both well-written and well-drawn... if you've never read a graphic novel before, this might be a fine place to start. Check catalog for availability.

- submitted by Tom @ MPL Central

Posted by Tom S. on November 4, 2009 9:00 AM | | Comments (0)

November 2, 2009

Blame by Michelle Huneven

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Patsy MacLemoore wakes up in the drunk tank with no recollection of how she got there. Finally, a police officer starts reading the homicide report to her; Patsy killed two Jehovah's Witnesses while driving drunk and turning into her own driveway.

Prison time is served and Patsy finds sobriety while embracing her guilt. Once released she returns home, but things are different now, she intends to do good things and go to AA meetings, but it turns out that the blame that's hardest to live with is the blame she's assigned to herself.

I read this book quickly because I was gripped by the story. It could so easily have come off as preachy, but it didn't to me. Instead it was more philosophical and I also liked that the dialog was written without punctuation, it gave Patsy's story more clarity. This is the first novel I've read by Ms. Huneven and I look forward to reading her other work. Check catalog for availability.

Submitted by Jacki @ MPL Central

Posted by Jacki on November 2, 2009 8:41 AM | | Comments (0)

October 30, 2009

New World Monkeys by Nancy Mauro

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Duncan and Lily's marriage is straining and they decide to try to revitalize it by spending the summer in upstate New York. Lily has an old family home there, a collapsing Victorian with plenty of quirks. But those quirks are nothing compared to their run-in with a wild boar (involving a tire iron), the discovery of human bones in the backyard (involving a poodle) and a peeping Tom (involving laughing gas). At times, I wondered where we were going with all these story lines, but they tie together remarkably well and the story took me on a very fun and wild ride! Check catalog for availability.

Submitted by Jacki @ MPL Central

Posted by Jacki on October 30, 2009 9:05 AM | | Comments (0)

October 28, 2009

Sex, Thugs, and Rock & Roll Edited by Todd Robinson

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I found this stunning collection of neo-noir short stories to be tasteless, brutal and entirely mesmerizing! I wish this book was twice as long! From the opening story, Double Down, that involves a double-dealing and double-crossing private eye, to Customer Service, a story involving a hit-man with scruples, this hard hitting collection of "not so nice" short stories is sure to please fans of hard-boiled mysteries.
If you liked "Pulp Fiction," chances are you'd also enjoy this book.

Check catalog availability

Submitted by Dan@Central

Posted by Dan K. on October 28, 2009 9:10 AM | | Comments (0)

October 26, 2009

South of Broad by Pat Conroy

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Leopold Bloom King, so named by his mother because she is a Joycean expert, abhors his name and all the rituals that his mother assigns to it. Given that, he is perhaps the most interesting character I have come across in a long time. The story begins when Leo is in high school, undergoing therapy and on probation for an attempted suicide and possession of drugs. As part of the payback for the grief he has put his mother through, she makes him caretaker of seven other individuals his age, all from very different walks of life, including two whose father is a serial killer. As he helps these seven fit into the school, they begin a lifelong friendship that takes them all through many experiences, good and bad. I loved this book, all the while feeling that I was a part of their friendship. Conroy is a master at the element of surprise. Check catalog for availability.

Submitted by Mary S. @ MPL Central

Posted by Jacki on October 26, 2009 8:22 AM | | Comments (0)

October 23, 2009

Chinatown Beat by Henry Chang

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Chinatown Beat by Henry Chang (c2006)

Police detective Jack Yu is an American-born Chinese assigned to the Chinatown streets of his youth where the local residents have no trust in the mostly non-Chinese NYPD. When a crime takes place the locals go mum and it falls on Yu to piece together any clues he can gather. In Chinatown Beat, which is Chang's first installment of the Detective Jack Yu Investigation series, Yu is investigating both a serial rapist targeting juvenile Asian girls and the murder of a Chinese mob boss. Chang delivers the story in compact chapters with noirish undertones, while deftly intertwining the point of view between different key characters. The writing is such that one can easily visualize the action taking place in a pleasing movie-like fashion. It all makes for an excellent debut novel. Check catalog for availability.

- submitted by Tom @ MPL Central

Posted by Tom S. on October 23, 2009 9:35 AM | | Comments (0)

October 21, 2009

A Certain Slant Of Light by Laura Whitcomb

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Helen and James are a kind of "ghost" that is trapped on earth for the cliché reason of unresolved issues. However, this novel is nothing like the cliché. The eerie story flashes back and forth to Helen's life and her unusual ghost life. The manner in which Helen and James find each other and figure out how to pass beyond earth to the next phase of their "life" mesmerizes the reader. Check catalog for availability.

Submitted by Paula @ MPL Central

Posted by Paula N. on October 21, 2009 9:26 AM | | Comments (0)

October 18, 2009

The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer

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Published in 1948, The Naked and the Dead was the first novel penned by future two time Pulitzer Prize winning author Norman Mailer. Based on his own experiences as a soldier in the Pacific Theatre during WWII, The Naked and the Dead is widely considered to be one of the finest novels written about WWII and is listed by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels.
The gripping tale revolves around an army platoon fighting the Japanese on a fictional island named Anopopei. The coarse language and journalistic style of writing are as brutal, tenacious and dirty as the battles and experiences they describe and add to the overall realism of the story.

Check catalog availability

Posted by Dan@ Central

Posted by Dan K. on October 18, 2009 3:30 PM | | Comments (0)

October 16, 2009

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

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Do you believe in ghosts? Lara Lington knows she has a vivid imagination, but when the spirit of her great aunt Sadie starts talking to her on the day of her funeral, she doesn't know what to think. Sadie has a mission for Lara--find a missing necklace that Sadie had for over 75 years, as Sadie cannot rest without it.

Between declaring Sadie was murdered to halt the funeral proceedings, keeping her floundering head-hunting company running and dealing with being dumped by her perfect boyfriend, Lara has a lot on her plate. But, as the search for the missing necklace ensues there is a hilarious tension between the two girls as they learn some surprising truths about themselves. Check catalog for availability.

Submitted by Jacki @ MPL Central

Posted by Jacki on October 16, 2009 9:25 AM | | Comments (0)

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