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Read It!
APL Reader's Corner
with Tessy & Elizabeth

Welcome to Reader's Corner! This month we're exploring fantasy/science fiction with the book "Gideon the Ninth" by Tamsyn Muir.Available with your library card from our OverDrive & Hoopla collections here.

GIDEON THE NINTH: The Emperor needs necromancers. The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman. Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines and no more time for undead nonsense.
Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service.
Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die. Of course, some things are better left dead.

Discussion Questions
- What did you love about this book?
- Who is your favorite minor character?
- Which of Gideon the Ninth's nine houses would you be assigned to?

Posted by [email protected]  On Oct 23, 2020 at 8:18 AM
  
with Brandon & Elizabeth

Today on Pop Culture Den, Brandon and Elizabeth discuss horror past, present and future. Come join us as we discuss everything from childhood terrors to what makes horror work! 

Do you have a favorite horror movie, TV show or book? Tell us in the comments!
Posted by [email protected]  On Oct 17, 2020 at 9:22 AM
  
Read It!
APL Reader's Corner
with Nicole & Tessy

We're reading dystopians this month with "Moon of the Crusted Snow" by Waubgeshig Rice. Let us know what you think about the book as you read along in this online book club, and then join us for our live discussion on Friday, September 25 at 1 p.m. on Facebook!

Moon of the Crusted Snow

"Moon Of The Crusted Snow" by Waubgeshig Rice
Available instantly as a eBook and digital audiobook via hoopla digital

With winter looming, a small northern Anishinaabe community goes dark.  Panic builds as the food supply dwindles. While the band council and a pocket of community members struggle to maintain order, an unexpected visitor arrives, escaping the crumbling society to the south. Soon after, others follow. Tensions rise and, as the months pass, so does the death toll due to sickness and despair. Frustrated by the building chaos, a group of young friends and their families turn to the land and Anishinaabe tradition in hopes of helping their community thrive again. Blending action and allegory, Moon of the Crusted Snow upends our expectations. Out of catastrophe comes resilience. And as one society collapses, another is reborn.

Discussion Questions
- In dystopian scenarios, the loss of individualism is a reoccurring theme. How important is it for people to have choice?
- What do you think happened to the world outside of the Anishinaabe community? Do you think you would be able to survive an event like this?Who is your community? What stories would you fight to keep alive?
- What was your favorite part about this book?

Leave your thoughts in the comments below and join us on Facebook at 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25 for our live discussion!


Posted by [email protected]  On Sep 15, 2020 at 1:25 PM
  

June New Releases and Best Sellers
Post by Kristin S.

Books that recently premiered on the New York Times Bestseller List:

New Fiction

 

The Fallen by David Baldacci

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

Amos Decker, known as the Memory Man, puts his talents toward solving a string of murders in a Rust Belt town.

 

After Anna by Lisa Scottoline

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

A woman marries a widower and reunites with her teenage daughter who is murdered soon after, and the husband is put on trial for it.

 

Noir by Christopher Moore

Borrow: [Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

In the summer of 1947, a woman and an Air Force general attract the attention of a San Francisco bartender while a suspicious flying object is spotted near the coast.

 

Circe by Madeline Miller

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

Zeus banishes Helios' daughter to an island, where she must choose between living with gods or mortals.

 

I've Got My Eyes on You by Mary Higgins Clark

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

A high school guidance counselor tries to uncover the identity of her sister’s murderer.

 

The Overstory by Richard Powers

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

Nine people drawn to trees for different reasons fight for the last of the remaining acres of virgin forest.

 

The Thief by J. R. Ward

Borrow: [Print] [eAudiobook]

The 16th book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Sola Morte falls for a man who sells weapons to a group of vampire warriors.

 

Shoot First by Stuart Woods

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook]

Stone Barrington searches for the person who plotted to kill the woman behind a cutting-edge software startup.

 

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

Borrow: [Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

Ten years after her daughter disappears, a woman tries to get her life in order but remains haunted by unanswered questions.

 

The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

The relationship between a college freshman and a famous feminist reveals the challenges of intergenerational feminism.

 

The Sixth Day by Catherine Coulter and J. T. Ellison

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook]

The fifth book in the A Brit in the F.B.I. series. After the German vice chancellor dies, special agents investigate one of Dracula’s descendants.

 

Red Alert by James Patterson and Marshall Karp

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

The fifth book in the NYPD Red series. Detectives Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald investigate the death of a documentary filmmaker and an explosion at a charity benefit.

 

The Disappeared by C. J. Box

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook]

A Wyoming game warden teams up with his daughter to find a missing British businesswoman.

 

Varina by Charles Frazier

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

As the Confederacy and her marriage to Jefferson Davis fall apart, a woman flees Richmond with her children.

 

Macbeth by Jo Nesbo

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

In this adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy, police in a 1970s industrial town take on a pair of drug lords.

 

Cave of Bones by Anne Hillerman

Borrow: [Print]

Tribal police officers search the Navajo Nation for a missing instructor and investigate a troubled girl’s story of finding human remains.

 

To Die but Once by Jacqueline Winspear

Borrow: [Print] [eAudiobook]

In 1940, months after Britain declared war on Germany, Maisie Dobbs investigates the disappearance of an apprentice working on a government contract.

 

The Cutting Edge by Jeffery Deaver

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print]

Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs track a killer who targets engaged couples.


New Nonfiction

 

A Higher Loyalty by James Comey

Borrow: [Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

The former F.B.I. director recounts cases and personal events that shaped his outlook on justice, and analyzes the leadership styles of three presidents.

 

Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright

Borrow: [eAudiobook]

The former secretary of state examines the legacy of fascism in the 20th century and its potential revival.

 

Factfulness by Hans Rosling

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

A look at our biases and the argument for why the world is in a better state than we might think.

 

Natural Causes by Barbara Ehrenreich

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]  

A look at aging, the ways people try to control the inevitable and strategies for accepting mortality.

 

God Save Texas by Lawrence Wright

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]  

An exploration of the history, politics and economics of the Lone Star State.

 

This is Me by Chrissy Metz

Borrow: [Print] [eAudiobook]

A star of “This Is Us” describes her journey toward self- acceptance.

 

Dear Madam President by Jennifer Palmieri

Borrow: [Print] [eAudiobook]

The director of communications for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and the Obama White House prescribes a new model of leadership.

 

Make Trouble by Cecile Richards

Borrow: [Print]  [eBook] [eAudiobook]

A memoir by the president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and former labor organizer.

 

Killing the Deep State by Jerome R. Corsi

Borrow: [Print]

The conservative commentator describes a secret conspiracy to undermine the Trump presidency. From the author of "The Obama Nation." 

 

Our 50-State Border Crisis by Howard Buffett

Borrow: [Print]

An Illinois sheriff describes the close connection he sees between national security and the opioid crisis.

 

Tiger Woods by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

A deeper look at the personal and professional triumphs and disasters of the champion golfer.

 

Faith by Jimmy Carter

Borrow: [Print]  [eBook] [eAudiobook]

The former president discusses the broader meaning of faith and its effect on our lives, including its religious aspects.

 

Unified by Tim Scott and Trey Gowdy

Borrow: [Print]

Two Republican lawmakers from South Carolina use their relationship as a model for overcoming differences.

 

Pretty Mess by Erika Jayne

Borrow: [Print]

A memoir by a star of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."

 

 DVDs - New Arrivals:

 

The Greatest Showman

Borrow: [DVD]

Hugh Jackman stars in this bold and original musical - inspired by the ambition and imagination of P.T. Barnum - celebrating the birth of show business and dreams coming to life.

 

Sweet Virginia

Borrow: [DVD]

The Walking Dead's Jon Bernthal stars in this neo-noir crime thriller where hitman and troubled small-town motel owner collide in an unsettling tale of sex and violence.

 

All the Money in the World

Borrow: [DVD]

After the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III, in a race against time, his mother works to convince his wealthy grandfather to pay the ransom. Inspired by historical events. Certain scenes, characters and dialogue have been fictionalized for dramatic purposes.

 

Father Figures

Borrow: [DVD]

Upon learning that their mother has been lying to them for years about their allegedly deceased father, two fraternal twin brothers hit the road in order to find him.

 

Beast of Burden

Borrow: [DVD]

Pilot Sean Haggerty (Daniel Radcliffe) must deliver cocaine across the US-Mexico border for his final run as a smuggler to save his wife

 

Molly's Game

Borrow: [DVD]

The true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game and became an FBI target.

 

The Phantom Thread

Borrow: [DVD]

Set in 1950s London, a renowned designer and dressmaker finds his fastidiously planned life disrupted by the love of a young, strong-willed woman.


DVDs - Coming Soon:
 

 

Black Panther

Borrow: [DVD]*

When young King T'Challa is drawn into conflict with an old foe that puts his homeland Wakanda and the entire world at risk, he must release Black Panther's full power to save them.

 

The Last Movie Star

Borrow: [DVD]*

Burt Reynolds stars as an aging screen icon who gets lured into accepting an award at a rinky-dink film festival in Nashville, launching him on both a hilarious fish-out-of-water adventure and an unexpectedly poignant journey into his past.

 

The Strange Ones

Borrow: [DVD]*

Mysterious events surround two travelers as they make their way across a remote American landscape. On the surface all seems normal, but what appears to be a simple vacation soon gives way to a dark and complex web of secrets.

 

Thoroughbreds

Borrow: [DVD]*

Two upper-class teenage girls rekindle their unlikely friendship after years of growing apart. They hatch a plan to solve both of their problems -- no matter what the cost.

 

The Little Hours

Borrow: [DVD]*

Italy, 1347: Bored, volatile nuns Alessandra (Alison Brie), Fernanda (Aubrey Plaza), and Ginevra (Kate Micucci) live in a monastery under the watchful eye of Father Tommasso (John C. Reilly). The arrival of a handsome new groundskeeper (Dave Franco) - introduced to the sisters as a deaf mute to discourage temptation - soon leads to a frenzy of hormones, substance abuse, and wicked revelry.

 

I Kill Giants

Borrow: [DVD]*

Barbara is the only thing that stands between terrible giants and the destruction of her small town. But as she boldly confronts her fears in increasingly dangerous ways, she begins to question everything shes always believed to be true.

 

Mary and the Witch's Flower

Borrow: [DVD]*

From the director of When Marnie Was There, comes a dazzling new adventure about a young girl who discovers a flower that grants her magical powers - but only for one night.

 

Peter Rabbit

Borrow: [DVD]*

Peter Rabbit and family wreak havoc in hopes to win back the Manor House of Old McGregor and the affections of their neighbor, Bea.

 

Please Stand By

Borrow: [DVD]*

Wendy is an independent and brilliant young woman with autism. To submit her script on-time for a Star Trek screenplay competition she sneaks out of her group home and travels hundreds of miles not letting anything stop her from achieving her goals.

 

Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

Borrow: [DVD]*

Based on Peter Turner's memoir, tells the story of the actor's passionate relationship with aging Gloria Grahame, who finds support in her younger lover when she is diagnosed with breast cancer.

 

In the Fade

Borrow: [DVD]*

Golden Globe® Winner for best foreign language film. Katja's family is killed in a terrorist attack and her life falls apart. The killers are set free and Katja can do nothing else but seek justice.

 

The Insult

Borrow: [DVD]*

In today's Beirut, an insult blown out of proportion finds Toni, a Lebanese Christian, and Yasser, a Palestinian refugee, in court.

 

Red Sparrow

Borrow: [DVD]*

Jennifer Lawrence is Dominika, a former ballerina forced to join Sparrow School, a secret government program that transforms her into an agent who can manipulate, seduce and kill.

 

Braven

Borrow: [DVD]*

Jason Momoa stars in this intense action-thriller about a logger fighting for survival against drug traffickers who have stashed heroin in his hunting cabin.

 

Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds

Borrow: [DVD]*

In the wake of his heroic death, a firefighter experiences the afterlife with the help of three guides.

 

7 Guardians of the Tomb

Borrow: [DVD]*

7 Guardians of the Tomb follows a team of scientists in search of a colleague that disappeared in an ancient cave. To save him, the group must battle a swarm of deadly man-eating spiders and discover the elixir - before it's too late.

 

Fifty Shades Freed

Borrow: [DVD]*

Newlyweds Christian and Ana embrace an inextricable connection and shared life of luxury. However, new threats could jeopardize their happy ending before it even begins.

 

Winchester

Borrow: [DVD]*

Believing her house is haunted, firearms heiress Sarah Winchester decides to keep building onto her home in order to appease the spirits of people killed by the Winchester rifle.

 

The Post

Borrow: [DVD]*

Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep team for the first time in this exhilarating true story about how the Washington Post exposed a massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned three decades.

 

Paddington 2

Borrow: [DVD]*

Paddington, now happily settled with the Brown family, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt's 100th birthday. Hilarity ensues when the gift is stolen.

 

12 Strong

Borrow: [DVD]*

Weeks after 9/11, U.S. Special Forces go to Afghanistan ordered to take the city of Mazar Sharif. To survive, the U.S. must adopt the rudimentary tactics of the Afghan horse soldiers

 

Hostiles

Borrow: [DVD]*

In 1892, a legendary Army captain reluctantly agrees to escort a Cheyenne chief and his family through dangerous territory.

 

Forever My Girl

Borrow: [DVD]*

A country music super-star returns to his hometown after leaving his love behind 8 years ago.

 

The Commuter

Borrow: [DVD]*

Liam Neeson stars as a man who gets caught up in a criminal conspiracy during his daily commute home and works against the clock to stop a deadly attack to save the lives of his fellow train passengers.

 

Maze Runner: The Death Cure

Borrow: [DVD]*

In the epic Maze Runner conclusion, Thomas leads the Gladers on their final mission - they must break into the legendary Last City, which turns out to be the deadliest maze of all!

 

Proud Mary

Borrow: [DVD]*

Mary is a hit woman working for an organized crime family, whose life is turned around when she meets a boy during a professional hit.

 

Den of Thieves

Borrow: [DVD]*

A gritty Los Angeles crime saga which follows the intersecting and often personally connected lives of an elite unit of the LA County Sheriff's Dept. and the state's most successful bank robbery crew as the outlaws plan a seemingly impossible heist on the Federal Reserve Bank of downtown Los Angeles.

 *Caution: Once DVDs are released, the links above may stop working.

Sources: The New York Times, Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon, Goodreads, EarlyWord, Novelist, DVDs Release Date

Posted by [email protected]  On Jun 04, 2018 at 3:47 PM
  

pen-blog.png

Post by Chris G. 

The history of the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction is fairly interesting. The award itself is named after the international association of writers, PEN (which is an acronym for "Poets, Playwrights, Essayists, Editors, and Novelists), and the prolific American author William Faulkner.
Faulkner was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949 "for his powerful and artistically unique contribution to the modern American novel." In 1960, he used his prize money to establish the William Faulkner Foundation, a charitable organization intended to support young writers. Among other things, the Faulkner Foundation gave out an annual literary prize called the William Faulkner Foundation Award, the winners of which include names like John Knowles, Thomas Pynchon, Cormac McCarthy, and Robert Coover. After 10 years, the Faulkner Foundation was dissolved in 1970. The PEN/Faulkner Award was named to honor Faulkner's philanthropy, as well as to continue in the Faulkner Foundation Award's tradition of recognizing works of literary excellence.
The PEN/Faulkner Award was founded in 1980 by Mary Lee Settle, who herself had won the National Book Award in 1978 for her novel "Blood Tie". This resulted from some controversy surrounding the 1979 National Book Award winner, "Going After Cacciato" by Tim O'Brien. Many in the publishing industry believed that year's award should have gone to John Irving for "The World According to Garp", which led to a rift among the panel of judges and ultimately changes to the rules of how the National Book Awards were judged. In protest of these rule changes, PEN voted to boycott the awards, citing them as "too commercial." The following year, the PEN/Faulkner Award was established. Settle's vision was that the "awards would be judged by writers, not by industry insiders, and no favoritism would be granted to bestselling authors."
Now in its 38th year, the PEN/Faulkner Award is among the most prestigious literary honors an author can receive, and continues to fulfill Settle's mission "to create a community of writers, honor excellence in American fiction, and encourage a love of reading."
The 2018 PEN/Faulkner Award winner was announced on Saturday, May 5th. All of this year's nominees, the winner as well as many winners of years past are available to be borrowed from the Aurora Public Library. You can find those titles and the formats in which they are available below.  

  This Year's Nominees


 "In the Distance" by Hernan Diaz

   
 "The Dark Dark" by Samantha Hunt Also available as an eBook.

   
 "The Tower of the Antilles" by Achy Obejas

   
 "Improvement" by Joan Silber


 "Sing, Unburied, Sing" by Jesmyn Ward Also available as an audiobook, eBook, and eAudiobook.


Past Winners

2017

 "Behold the Dreamers" by Imbolo Mbue Also available as an eBook.
2016

 "Delicious Foods" by James Hannaham
   2014

 "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves" by Karen Joy Fowler
2012

 "The Buddha in the Attic" by Julie Otsuka
2010

 "War Dances" by Sherman Alexie Available as an eAudiobook through RBDigital. 
2009

 "Netherland" by Joseph O'Neill Also available in Large Print and as an audiobook.
2007

  "Everyman" by Philip Roth Also available as an audiobook and eAudiobook.
   2006

  "The March" by E.L. Doctorow
   2005

 "War Trash" by Ha Jin
2004

 "The Early Stories, 1953-1975" by John Updike
   2002

 "Bel Canto" by Ann Patchett Also available as an eBook.
2001

  "The Human Stain" by Philip Roth Also available in Large Print.
   2000

  "Waiting" by Ha Jin Also available in Large Print and as an eBook.
   1999

 "The Hours" by Michael Cunningham
   1997

  "Women in their Beds" by Gina Berriault
1996

 "Independence Day" by Richard Ford Available as an eAudiobook through RBDigital.
1995

 "Snow Falling on Cedars" by David Guterson Available as an audiobook, eBook, and eAudiobook.
   1993

 "Postcards" by E. Annie Proulx

And the 2018 winner is...

 "Improvement" by Joan Silber 

 



Sources: The Nobel Prize in Literature 1949 Notes on People; New York Writer Getting PEN/Faulkner Award Novelist Mary Lee Settle; Founded PEN/Faulkner Award PEN/Faulkner PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction PEN International William Faulkner Foundation
Posted by [email protected]  On May 17, 2018 at 2:10 PM
  

April New Releases Banner
Post by Kristin S.

It's the start of April which means it's time for some new releases and bestsellers! Whether you are out in the sunshine enjoying the tulips or huddled inside from a sudden day of snow or rain, spring into a new book or DVD! (pun intended)

Books that recently premiered on the New York Times Bestseller List:

New Fiction

 

Accidental Heroes by Danielle Steel

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook]

Strangers pull together to avert a disaster involving two flights from New York to San Francisco.

 

The Punishment She Deserves by Elizabeth George

Borrow: [Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

Detectives Havers and Lynley investigate the death of a deacon accused of a serious crime in a historic medieval town in England.

 

The Rising Sea by Clive Cussler and Graham Brown

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

A scientific team searches the globe for the threat causing sea levels to rise at an alarming rate.

 

The Bishop's Pawn by Steve Berry

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

Cotton Malone discovers revelations about the day the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.

 

The Escape Artist by Brad Meltzer

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

Nola Brown, a painter and trained soldier, discovers a military secret that traces back to Harry Houdini.

 

The Temptation of Forgiveness by Donna Leon

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

The 27th book in the Commissario Guido Brunetti series.

 

Covert Game by Christine Feehan

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

Gino Mazza must save an artificial intelligence expert who tampered with a crime lord's computer network.

 

Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook]

An incident in her Manhattan neighborhood forces Nora Nolan to reckon with aspects of her life.

 

Fifty Fifty by James Patterson and Candice Fox

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

Detective Harriet Blue tries to clear her brother's name and save a small Australian town from being massacred.

 

The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

After waking up next to a dead man in a hotel room in Dubai, a binge drinker pieces together the previous night's events.

 

Burn Bright by Patricia Briggs

Borrow: [Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

The fifth book in the Alpha and Omega series. Mated werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham answer a call of distress.

 

The Shape of Water by Guillermo del Toro and Daniel Kraus

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

A mute janitor working in an aerospace research center develops a relationship with an amphibious man from the Amazon.

 

Caribbean Rim by Randy Wayne White

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print]

The 25th book in the Doc Ford series. The marine biologist searches for a state agency official and rare Spanish coins.

 

The Kremlin Conspiracy by Joel C. Rosenberg

Borrow: [Print]

A Secret Service agent and a Russian lawyer cross paths as a nuclear war threatens.

 

Raspberry Danish Murder by Joanne Fluke

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook]

After her husband disappears, Hannah Swensen Barton searches for a killer while trying to fulfill holiday baking orders.

 

The Hush by John Hart

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

Johnny Merrimon fights to keep the 6,000 acres of once-sacred land in North Carolina he inherited.

 

Agent in Place by Mark Greaney

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook]

The seventh book in the Gray Man series. Court Gentry gets the chance to end a brutal dictatorship.


New Nonfiction

 

Russian Roulette by Michael Isikoff and David Corn

Borrow: [Print

Details of the 2016 presidential election, with an emphasis on Russia's possible involvement.

 

Secret Empires by Peter Schweizer

Borrow: [Print]

The author of “Clinton Cash” describes what some politicians might do to enrich themselves while in office.

 

In the Shadow of Statues by Mitch Landrieu

Borrow: [Print] [eBook

A memoir by the mayor who called for the removal of four Confederate monuments in New Orleans.

 

The Triumph of Christianity by Bart D. Ehrman

Borrow: [Print]

The religious studies professor explores how a new religion came to influence Western society.

 

I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

Borrow: [Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

The late true-crime journalist's search for the serial murderer and rapist known as "the Golden State Killer."

 

Educated by Tara Westover

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

The daughter of survivalists, who is kept out of school, educates herself enough to leave home for university.

 

The Age of Eisenhower by William I. Hitchcock

Borrow: [Print]

A history of the 34th president of the United States, who faced bitter partisanship.

 

Bachelor Nation by Amy Kaufman

Borrow: [Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

An insider look at the Bachelor franchise and its effect on society.

 

Unmasked by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Borrow: [Print]

A memoir by the musical theater composer and impresario, whose works include “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Cats” and “Evita.”

 

The Future of Humanity by Michio Kaku

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

The physicist describes how humans might develop civilization in outer space and possibly become immortal.

 

Skin in the Game by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

An argument for taking on risk.

 

Time Pieces by John Banville

Borrow: [Print] [eAudiobook]

A memoir based on the author's experiences and imaginings of Dublin.

 

All the Pieces Matter by Jonathan Abrams

Borrow: [Print]

An oral history of the creation and development of the series "The Wire."

   

Common Good by Robert B. Reich

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

A case for strengthening public morality in the United States. 

 DVDs - New Arrivals:

 

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Borrow: [DVD]

The Star Wars saga continues in The Last Jedi as the heroes and galactic legends go on an epic adventure unlocking mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past.

 

The Shape of Water

Borrow: [DVD]

From master storyteller Guillermo del Toro comes an otherworldly fairy tale set in 1960s America where a woman's life is changed forever after she discovers a secret experiment.

 

Justice League

Borrow: [DVD]

Inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne joins forces with his new ally, Diana Prince, and goes to battle with a greater enemy.

 

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Borrow: [DVD]

In this fun comedic adventure, 4 teens get sucked into the video game world of Jumanji and have to finish the dangerous game to escape.

 

I, Tonya

Borrow: [DVD]

Based on the unbelievable but true events, I, Tonya is a dark comedic tale of American figure skater, Tonya Harding, and one of the most sensational scandals in sports history.

 

Ferdinand

Borrow: [DVD]

After he's mistaken as a dangerous beast and torn from his home, a peace-loving bull named Ferdinand rallies a misfit team of friends for an epic adventure to return to his family.

 

Acts of Violence

Borrow: [DVD]

Detective Avery (Bruce Willis) uncovers a human-trafficking syndicate and fights the corrupt bureaucracy that has been protecting it.

 

Downsizing

Borrow: [DVD]

When scientists find a way to shrink humans to five inches tall, Paul and his wife decide to get small and live large in a luxurious downsized community. With endless possibilities in the tiny world, Paul realizes we are meant for something bigger.

 

Pitch Perfect 3

Borrow: [DVD]

Now graduated from college and out in the real world where it takes more than a cappella to get by, all the Bellas return in the final chapter in the beloved series.

 

Small Town Crime

Borrow: [DVD]

John Hawkes leads an all-star cast in this gritty, darkly comic thriller about a disgraced ex-cop taking one last shot at redemption by trying to solve a murder case.

 

DVDs - Coming Soon: 

 

The Greatest Showman

Borrow: [DVD]*

Hugh Jackman stars in this bold and original musical - inspired by the ambition and imagination of P.T. Barnum - celebrating the birth of show business and dreams coming to life.

 

The Post

Borrow: [DVD]*

Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep team for the first time in this exhilarating true story about how the Washington Post exposed a massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned three decades.

 

Paddington 2

Borrow: [DVD]*

Paddington, now happily settled with the Brown family, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt's 100th birthday. Hilarity ensues when the gift is stolen.

 

Sweet Virginia

Borrow: [DVD]*

The Walking Dead's Jon Bernthal stars in this neo-noir crime thriller where hitman and troubled small-town motel owner collide in an unsettling tale of sex and violence.

 

All the Money in the World

Borrow: [DVD]*

After the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III, in a race against time, his mother works to convince his wealthy grandfather to pay the ransom. Inspired by historical events. Certain scenes, characters and dialogue have been fictionalized for dramatic purposes.

 

12 Strong

Borrow: [DVD]*

Weeks after 9/11, U.S. Special Forces go to Afghanistan ordered to take the city of Mazar Sharif. To survive, the U.S. must adopt the rudimentary tactics of the Afghan horse soldiers

 

Hostiles

Borrow: [DVD]*

In 1892, a legendary Army captain reluctantly agrees to escort a Cheyenne chief and his family through dangerous territory.

 

Forever My Girl

Borrow: [DVD]*

A country music super-star returns to his hometown after leaving his love behind 8 years ago.

 

The Commuter

Borrow: [DVD]*

Liam Neeson stars as a man who gets caught up in a criminal conspiracy during his daily commute home and works against the clock to stop a deadly attack to save the lives of his fellow train passengers.

 

Father Figures

Borrow: [DVD]*

Upon learning that their mother has been lying to them for years about their allegedly deceased father, two fraternal twin brothers hit the road in order to find him.

 

Maze Runner: The Death Cure

Borrow: [DVD]*

In the epic Maze Runner conclusion, Thomas leads the Gladers on their final mission - they must break into the legendary Last City, which turns out to be the deadliest maze of all!

 

Proud Mary

Borrow: [DVD]*

Mary is a hit woman working for an organized crime family, whose life is turned around when she meets a boy during a professional hit.

 

Den of Thieves

Borrow: [DVD]*

A gritty Los Angeles crime saga which follows the intersecting and often personally connected lives of an elite unit of the LA County Sheriff's Dept. and the state's most successful bank robbery crew as the outlaws plan a seemingly impossible heist on the Federal Reserve Bank of downtown Los Angeles.

 

Beast of Burden

Borrow: [DVD]*

Pilot Sean Haggerty (Daniel Radcliffe) must deliver cocaine across the US-Mexico border for his final run as a smuggler to save his wife

 *Caution: Once DVDs are released, the links above may stop working. Please visit our catalog at AuroraLibrary.org to find them, if inactive. 

Sources: The New York Times, Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon, Goodreads, EarlyWord, Novelist, DVDs Release Date

Posted by [email protected]  On Apr 04, 2018 at 3:10 PM
  

March new releases banner

Post by Kristin S.

Spring is almost upon us, which means it's time to head outside with a new book to work on that sun tan or hunker down at night during a storm with a great movie. Check out the recent bestsellers and newly released DVDs below. Stop in to your Aurora Public Library to pick up your copy or read and watch online!

Books that recently premiered on the New York Times Bestseller List:

New Fiction

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

A former prisoner of war returns from Vietnam and moves his family to Alaska, where they face tough conditions.

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

A newlywed couple's relationship is tested when the husband is sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Still Me by Jojo Moyes

Borrow: [Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

Louisa Clark moves to New York and is torn between high society and the life she enjoys at a vintage clothing store.

Look for Me by Lisa Gardner

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook]

Sergeant Detective D.D. Warren teams up with a torture survivor to find a missing teenager whose family members were gunned down.

Night Moves by Jonathan Kellerman

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

Homicide detective Milo Sturgis enlists the psychologist Alex Delaware to help solve a John Doe case.

Dark in Death by J. D. Robb

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook]

Lieutenant Eve Dallas must find a killer inspired by police thrillers before another victim is murdered.

Fall from Grace by Danielle Steel

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook]

A widow left out of her husband's will tries to make a new life as a fashion designer.

The Kremlin's Candidate by Jason Matthews

Borrow: [Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

A counterintelligence chief and her lover, who is a C.I.A. agent, learn of Vladimir Putin’s plan to assassinate a United States official.

City of Endless Night by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

A New York City detective and an F.B.I. special agent track down a killer.

The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley

Borrow: [Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

Flavia de Luce, a young British sleuth, gets involved in solving a murder after experiencing a family tragedy.

Need to Know by Karen Cleveland

Borrow: [Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

A C.I.A. analyst's job and family are threatened when she discovers Russian agents in the United States.

Munich by Robert Harris

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

Two former friends who attended Oxford accompany Hitler and Neville Chamberlain to a meeting in 1938 and are forced to make a consequential decision.

Iron Gold by Pierce Brown

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

The fourth book of the Red Rising Saga. A hero of the revolution finds his fate tied up with others as the war continues.


New Nonfiction

Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker

Borrow: [Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

A case for using reason, science and humanism to counter pessimistic views of Western civilization.

All-American Murder by James Patterson and Alex Abramovich with Mike Harvkey

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

The story of Aaron Hernandez, the New England Patriots tight end convicted of first-degree murder.

Everything Happens for a Reason by Kate Bowler

Borrow: [Print]

A divinity school professor examines her tacit beliefs when she learns she has colon cancer.

Directorate S by Steve Coll

Borrow: [Print]

How the United States failed to understand a secret wing of a Pakistani intelligence agency and doomed two wars.

Lost Connections by Johann Hari

Borrow: [Print]

The journalist describes nine causes of depression and anxiety, and offers potential solutions.

How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt

Borrow: [Print]

The decline of democracies in Europe and Latin America and ways to avoid authoritarianism.

Trumpocracy by David Frum

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

A former speechwriter for George W. Bush argues how America might become an illiberal democracy.

The Line Becomes a River by Francisco Cantú

Borrow: [Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

A memoir by a former U.S. Border Patrol agent who is the grandson of a Mexican immigrant.

Rise and Kill First by Ronen Bergman

Borrow: [Print]

A history of Israel’s targeted assassination programs, with accounts from current and former members of the Israeli government.

Brave by Rose McGowan

Borrow: [Print] [eAudiobook]

The Hollywood actress details growing up in a cult and the traumas of the entertainment industry.

The Monk of Mokha by Dave Eggers

Borrow: [Print] [eAudiobook]

A Yemeni-American doorman travels to a civil war-engulfed Yemen in the hopes of restoring a nearly lost art of coffee cultivation.

Jackie, Janet & Lee by J. Randy Taraborrelli

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

A biography of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis; her mother, Janet Lee Auchincloss; and her sister Lee Radziwill.

It's Even Worse Than You Think by David Cay Johnston

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist describes how he believes the scope of the Trump presidency differs from all the others.

Happiness is a Choice you Make by John Leland

Borrow: [Print]

Wisdom and stories from six New Yorkers age 85 and older that challenge notions of aging.

Together We Rise by Women's March Organizers and Conde Nast

Borrow: [Print]

Photographs and profiles of the organizers and participants of the 2017 Women’s March.

The Square and the Tower by Niall Fergusen

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

The historian uses network theory to understand the past and the present.

When They Call You a Terrorist by Patrisse Kahn-Cullors and asha bandele

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

Reflections on love, justice and humanity from a founder of Black Lives Matter.

 

 DVD New Releases (Dec-Jan):

Thor: Ragnarok

Borrow: [DVD]

Thor must race against time to stop Ragnarok - the destruction of his world and the end of Asgardian civilization at the hands of the ruthless Hela.

Daddy's Home 2

Borrow: [DVD]

When it comes to raising their kids, Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) and Brad (Will Ferrell) finally have this co-parenting thing down. That is, until their dads come to town, putting their newfound partnership to the ultimate test in this hilarious comedy.

The Man Who Invented Christmas

Borrow: [DVD]

The Man Who Invented Christmas tells the magical journey that led to the creation of Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim and other classic characters from A Christmas Carol.

Same Kind of Different as Me

Borrow: [DVD]

The inspiring story of an international art dealer who must befriend a dangerous homeless man in order to save his struggling marriage, a woman whose dreams will lead all three of them on the most remarkable journey of their lives.

The Star

Borrow: [DVD]

Bo, a brave donkey, and all his new hilarious animal friends go on the adventure of their dreams filled with lots of laughter.

The Disaster Artist

Borrow: [DVD]

The true-story of aspiring filmmaker and infamous Hollywood outsider Tommy Wiseau (James Franco); a celebration of friendship and dreams pursued against insurmountable odds. Based on the best-selling tell-all about the making of Tommy's cult-classic disasterpiece The Room.

Molly's Game

Borrow: [DVD]

Molly's Game is based on the true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game for a decade before being arrested in the middle of the night by 17 FBI agents wielding automatic weapons. Her players included Hollywood royalty, sports stars, business titans and finally, unbeknownst to her, the Russian mob. Her only ally was her criminal defense lawyer Charlie Jaffey, who learned that there was much more to Molly than the tabloids led us to believe.

The Phantom Thread

Borrow: [DVD]

Set in the glamour of 1950's London, renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) meets Alma and finds his carefully tailored life disrupted by love.

Call Me by Your Name

Borrow: [DVD]

Amid the summer splendor of 1980's Italy, Elio and Oliver discover the heady beauty of awakening desire that will alter their lives forever.

Coco

Borrow: [DVD]

In DisneyPixar's extraordinary adventure, a boy who dreams of becoming a great musician embarks on a journey to uncover the mysteries behind his ancestor's stories and traditions.

Battle of the Sexes

Borrow: [DVD]

The true story of the 1973 tennis match between World number one Billie Jean King and ex-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs.

The Darkest Hour

Borrow: [DVD]

As Hitler's forces near the United Kingdom, it is up to Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) to decide between negotiating peace or fighting against impossible odds.

Lady Bird

Borrow: [DVD]

A warm, affecting comedy about a high school senior (Saoirse Ronan) who must navigate a loving but turbulent relationship with her strong-willed mother over the course of her eventful and poignant senior year of high school.

 

Sources: The New York Times, Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon, Goodreads, EarlyWord, Novelist

Posted by [email protected]  On Mar 13, 2018 at 10:09 AM
  

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Post by Kristin S. 

January New Releases and Bestsellers!

The cold has set in and our resolutions have begun! Those annual goals will undoubtedly include additions to your reading list which is where this post comes in to play. Check out the selections in fiction, non-fiction, DVDs and recommendations below!

Recent New York Times Bestsellers:

New Fiction

The People vs Alex Cross by James Patterson

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

Charged with gunning down followers of his nemesis Gary Soneji in cold blood, Alex Cross is wrongly portrayed as a trigger-happy corrupt cop while he struggles to prove to a skeptical jury and dwindling supporters that his actions were in self defense.

The Whispering Room by Dean Koontz

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook]

Former F.B.I. agent and wanted fugitive Jane Hawk tracks down a group that is brainwashing people into committing suicide.

Year One by Nora Roberts

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook]

When a pandemic strikes and the world spins into chaos, several travelers head west to find a new life.

Tom Clancy Power and Empire by Marc Cameron

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

President Jack Ryan seeks to identify the hidden forces escalating the tensions between China and the United States.

Past Perfect by Danielle Stelle

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [Audiobook] [eBook]

A Manhattan family moves into a mansion in San Francisco and encounters the ghosts of its original inhabitants.

Darker by E L James

Borrow: [eBook]

Christian Grey's tormented and difficult pursuit of Anastasia Steele is told from his perspective.


New Nonfiction

Let Trump Be Trump by Corey R Lewandowski

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

A former campaign manager for Donald Trump's successful 2016 presidential run offers an insider's look at the ups and downs on the campaign trail.

Gold Dust Woman by Steven Davis

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

An in-depth portrait of the classic-rock artist Stevie Nicks covers her role in the stardom of Fleetwood Mac, the affairs that inspired her greatest songs, her struggles with addiction, and her successful solo career.

The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish

Borrow: [Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

From stand-up comedian, actress, and breakout star of Girls Trip, Tiffany Haddish, comes The Last Black Unicorn, a sidesplitting, hysterical, edgy, and unflinching collection of (extremely) personal essays, as fearless as the author herself.

Natural Disaster by Ginger Zee

Borrow: [Print

The ABC News meteorologist discusses her career, relationships and struggles with depression.


DVD New Releases (Dec. - Jan.)

Kingsman: The Golden Circle

Borrow: [DVD]

In this action-filled installment of the Kingsman series, two top-secret spy organizations - one from the UK and one in the US - join forces to defeat a ruthless common enemy.

Home Again

Borrow: [DVD]

Recently separated from her husband, Alice (Reese Witherspoon) finds an unlikely new family and a budding new romance when three young filmmakers move into her guest house. A story of love, friendship, the families we create, Home Again is a modern romantic comedy with one very big life lesson: starting over is not for beginners!

All Saints

Borrow: [DVD]

Based on the true story of salesman-turned-pastor Michael Spurlock, who with a group of Southeast Asian refugees risked everything to save their church and their lives.

The Unknown Girl

Borrow: [DVD]

After a mysterious young woman dies on her doorstep, a guilt-ridden doctor embarks on an obsessive quest to learn the truth about what happened.

Once Upon a Time at Christmas

Borrow: [DVD]

When a serial-killer couple dressed as Santa and Mrs. Claus terrorizes a small town, a teen girl and a young cop must solve the pattern behind the seemingly random homicides.

Despicable Me 3

Borrow: [DVD]

Gru, Lucy, their adorable daughters, and the Minions are back in the comedy blockbuster where one former super-villain will rediscover just how good it feels to be bad.

American Assassin

Borrow: [DVD]

American Assassin follows CIA black ops recruit Mitch Rapp and Cold War veteran Stan Hurley as the pair is enlisted to stop a mysterious operative intent on starting a World War.

Better Watch Out

Borrow: [DVD]

On a quiet suburban street, a babysitter must defend a twelve-year-old boy from intruders, only to discover it's far from a normal home invasion.

The Osiris Child

Borrow: [DVD]

When a dangerous outbreak threatens to destroy everyone living on a newly colonized planet, Lt. Kane Sommerville goes against orders and leaves his station to rescue his young daughter before it's too late.

The Women's Balcony

Borrow: [DVD]

An accident during a bar mitzvah celebration leads to a gender rift in a devout Orthodox community in Jerusalem, in this rousing, good-hearted tale about women speaking truth to patriarchal power.

 

Crown Heights

Borrow: [DVD]

In 1980, a young man named Marvin Grant was gunned down in Flatbush Brooklyn. Clarence Lewis, a fifteen-year-old with a penchant for lying, told the police he saw what happened and was pressured to identify a suspect. This set into motion a series of events that led to the arrest of Colin Warner, an innocent teenager who lived in nearby Crown Heights.

Dunkirk

Borrow: [DVD]

Trapped on the beach with their backs to the sea, British and Allied troops are surrounded by enemy forces facing a fierce battle in World War II.

Stronger

Borrow: [DVD]

Based on real life events, tells the story of a 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing survivor.

Mayhem

Borrow: [DVD]

Just after being fired, Derek's office is put into quarantine for a virus that causes people to act out their wildest impulses. As chaos erupts, he makes his way to the top-floor executives to settle the score once and for all.

It

Borrow: [DVD]

When children in town begin to disappear, a group of young kids is faced with their biggest fears as they square off against evil clown, Pennywise. Based on the Stephen King novel.

Brawl in Cell Block 99

Borrow: [DVD]

When Bradley (Vince Vaughn) is sent to prison, he is forced to commit acts of violence that turn the place into a savage battleground.


Want to settle in for some cozy reading during the cold weather? 

Check out these recommendations:

Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
Series: Miss Marple, book #1
Total books in series: 12

Borrow: [Book]

The Murder at the Vicarage is Agatha Christie's first mystery to feature the beloved investigator Miss Marple—as a dead body in a clergyman's study proves to the indomitable sleuth that no place, holy or otherwise, is a sanctuary from homicide.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
Series: Hannah Swenson, book #1
Total books in series: 22

Borrow: [Audiobook] [eBook]

Take one amateur sleuth. Mix in some eccentric Minnesota locals. Add a generous dollop of crackling suspense, and you've got the recipe for this delicious new mystery series featuring Hannah Swensen, the red-haired, cookie-baking heroine whose gingersnaps are almost as tart as her mouth and whose penchant for solving crime is definitely stirring things up.

The Quilter's Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini
Series: Elm Creek Quilts, book #1
Total books in series: 20

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [Audiobook]

Sarah, struggling to find a job and a sense of place in her new town, finds herself learning how to quilt from a cantankerous old woman who also teaches her about the deep love that can exist between friends.

Still Life by Louise Penny
Series: Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, book #1
Total books in series: 13

Borrow: [Print] [Audiobook] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team of investigators are called in to the scene of a suspicious death in a rural village south of Montreal.

Death of a Gossip by M. C. Beaton
Series: Hamish Macbeth, book #1
Total books in series: 33

Borrow: [eBook]

When society widow and gossip columnist Lady Jane Winters joined the fishing class, she wasted no time in ruffling the feathers-or was it the fins?-of those around her. Among the victims of her sharp tongue and unladylike manner was Lochdubh Constable Hamish Macbeth. Yet not even Hamish thought someone would permanently silence Lady Jane's shrills-until her strangled body is fished out of the river. 

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
Series: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, book #1
Total books in series: 18

Borrow: [Print] [Audiobook] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

Mma "Precious" Ramotswe sets up a detective agency in Botswana on the edge of the Kalahari Desert, making her the only female detective in the country. At first, cases are hard to come by. But eventually, troubled people come to Precious with a variety of concerns.

Catering to Nobody by Diane Mott Davidson
Series: A Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery, book #1
Total books in series: 17

Borrow: [Print] [Audiobook] [eAudiobook]

Goldy Bear, recently divorced, has made a home for herself and her young son in scenic Aspen Valley, Colorado. There, calls for Goldilock's Catering have been steady enough to pay the bills. But when a mourner is felled by rat poison during a funeral buffet Goldy is serving, the police quickly close her business. Now it's up to Goldy to find the rat who has tainted her food and her reputation.

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun
Series: The Cat Who, book #1
Total books in series: 29

Borrow: [Print] [Audiobook] [eBook]

Journalist Jim Qwilleran and his feline companion Koko begin their investigative career when Jim finds murder and mischief while covering the art beat for the Daily Fluxion.

The Hunt for Sonya Dufrette by R. T. Raichev
Series: Country House Crime Mysteries, book #1
Total books in series: 9

Borrow: [Print]

At a house party on the day of the royal wedding in 1981, a little girl named Sonya Dufrette wanders off and is never seen again. Twenty years on, divorcee and librarian Antonia Darcy sets out to solve the mystery.

 

 

At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
Series: The Mitford Years, book #1
Total books in series: 14

Borrow: [Print] [Audiobook] [eBook]

It's easy to feel at home in Mitford. In these high, green hills, the air is pure, the village is charming, and the people are generally lovable. Yet, Father Tim, the bachelor rector, wants something more. Enter a dog the size of a sofa who moves in and won't go away. Add an attractive neighbor who begins wearing a path through the hedge. Now, stir in a lovable but unloved boy, a mystifying jewel theft, and a secret that's sixty years old. Suddenly, Father Tim gets more than he bargained for. And readers get a rich comedy about ordinary people and their ordinary lives.

 

 

The Inn at Rose Harbor by Debbie Macomber
Series: Rose Harbor, book #1
Total books in series: 5

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [Audiobook] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

Set in the Pacific Northwest, in the picturesque small town of Cedar Cove, these heartwarming gentle reads feature the cozy Rose Harbor Inn, its young, widowed proprietor, Jo Marie Rose, and a large cast of lovable secondary characters. The beautiful setting and the wise, understanding protagonist make second chances possible for all of her troubled guests.


Happy New Year! Enjoy these books and movies to start 2018 off right!

Sources: The New York Times, Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon, Goodreads, EarlyWord, Novelist

Posted by [email protected]  On Jan 03, 2018 at 10:34 AM
  

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December New Releases and Bestsellers! 

Blog

Post by Kristin S. 

As we head into the cold, but cozy month of December, take a look at the recent bestsellers, newly released DVDs, and timely series recommendations below! Follow the links in each post to find the item in our catalog for you to check out. Let us know what you think of each book or DVD in the comments section. Enjoy!


Recent New York Times Bestsellers:

Fiction

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

The eagerly awaited sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling Words of Radiance, from epic fantasy author Brandon Sanderson at the top of his game.

Hardcore Twenty-Four by Janet Evanovich

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

Janet Evanovich's #1 New York Times bestselling sensation Stephanie Plum returns in her latest captivating thriller where mutilated corpses litter the streets of New Jersey.

End Game by David Baldacci

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

When their handler takes a rare vacation and disappears, Will Robie and Jessica Reel are sent to investigate, but after arriving in the small town of Grand they encounter a vicious adversary.

The Midnight Line by Lee Child

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

Reacher rides the bus north from Milwaukee. At a comfort stop in Wisconsin dairy country he takes a stroll. Among the cheap junk in a pawn shop window he notices a West Point class ring for sale. It's tiny. A woman cadet's ring. Why would she pawn it? Reacher knows what Serena Sanderson must have gone through to get it. He fights through a biker gang and a South Dakota gangster, following the trail of the ring to the emptiness of Wyoming, in search of Major Sanderson. Is she OK?

The Rooster Bar by John Grisham

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

Three students who have borrowed heavily to attend a third-rate law school realize they have been caught in a scam when they discover that the school's owner also owns a bank specializing in student loans, and plot to expose the scam.

Artemis by Andy Weir

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook]

The bestselling author of The Martian returns with an irresistible new near-future thriller—a heist story set on the moon.

Origin by Dan Brown

Borrow: [Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend the unveiling of a discovery that "will change the face of science forever." 

Two Kinds of Truth by Michael Connelly

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook]

An investigation into the murder of a young pharmacist leads Harry Bosch and San Fernando's detective squad into the big-business world of pill mills and prescription-drug abuse at the same time that an old case from Bosch's days with the LAPD returns to haunt him.

Typhoon Fury by Clive Cussler

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

When they are hired to track down a valuable art collection, Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon find themselves sailing into a perfect storm involving a Filipino insurgency, a Japanese developed super-warrior drug, and a South African mercenary.

Every Breath You Take by Mary Higgins Clark

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

The fifth collaborative novel in the Under Suspicion series by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke, takes place at the Met Gala in New York City.

Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks

Borrow: [Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

A collection of seventeen short stories includes three tales featuring a small-town newspaper column called "Our Town Today with Hank Fiset."

 

Quick & Dirty by Stuart Woods

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

When a beautiful new client seeks out Stone Barrington, he becomes entangled in the rarefied and intricate world of the art business, where mistakes are costly and trouble lurks beneath the exclusive veneer.

Fairytale by Danielle Steel

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

When her life on her family's vineyard is shattered by her mother's death, Camille finds herself at the mercy of a cold-hearted stepfamily at the same time she bonds with her stepmother's mother and a friend from her childhood.

Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich

Borrow: [Normal Print] [Large Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

A tale set in a world of reversing evolution and a growing police state follows pregnant thirty-two-year-old Cedar Hawk Songmaker, who investigates her biological family while awaiting the birth of a child who may emerge as a member of a primitive human species.

Nonfiction

Promise Me, Dad by Joe Biden

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

A deeply moving memoir about the year that would forever change both a family and a country.

Obama: An Intimate Portrait by Pete Souza

Borrow: [Print]

Relive the extraordinary Presidency of Barack Obama through White House photographer Pete Souza's behind-the-scenes images and stories in this #1 New York Times bestseller--with a foreword from the President himself.

Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson

Borrow: [Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

He was history's most creative genius. What secrets can he teach us?
The author of the acclaimed bestsellers Steve Jobs, Einstein, and Benjamin Franklin brings Leonardo da Vinci to life in this exciting new biography.

Bobby Kennedy by Chris Matthews

Borrow: [Print] [eBook] [eAudiobook]

A revealing new portrait of Robert F. Kennedy that gets closer to the man than any book before, by bestselling author Chris Matthews, an esteemed Kennedy expert and anchor of MSNBC's Hardball.

Hacks by Donna Brazille

Borrow: [Print] [eBook]

The former Democratic National Committee chair presents a revealing look at the 2016 election, discussing the Russian hacking of the DNC and the missteps by the Clinton campaign and Obama administration that enabled a Trump victory.

 

Sisters First by Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush

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The fraternal twin daughters of the 43rd U.S. president share personal stories and reflections from their lives within a political dynasty, from their grandfather's presidency through their subsequent upbringing under the eyes of the Secret Service, public, and paparazzi.

 

Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans by Brian Kilmeade

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A portrait of the seventh American president focuses on his formative military prowess during the War of 1812 and his pivotal contributions to the capturing of New Orleans from the British.

Grant by Ron Chernow

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Pulitzer Prize winner Ron Chernow returns with a sweeping and dramatic portrait of one of our most compelling generals and presidents, Ulysses S. Grant.

Killing England by Bill O'Reilly

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The breathtaking latest installment in Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard's mega-bestselling Killing series transports listeners to the most important era in our nation's history, the Revolutionary War.

God, Faith, and Reason by Michael Savage

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The conservative radio host shares his experiences with faith and spirituality, as well as his thoughts on religion and the Judeo-Christian basis of American culture that he has committed himself to preserve.

 

What Unites Us by Dan Rather

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A collection of essays that define the historical changes and essential institutions of America to suggest ways to overcome divisions within the country.

 

Endurance by Scott Kelly

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A memoir by the retired astronaut and former commander of the International Space Station.

 

 DVD New Releases (Nov-Dec):

Dunkirk

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Trapped on the beach with their backs to the sea, British and Allied troops are surrounded by enemy forces facing a fierce battle in World War II.

Stronger

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A victim of the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 helps the police track down the killers while struggling to recover from devastating trauma.

Mayhem

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Just after being fired, Derek's office is put into quarantine for a virus that causes people to act out their wildest impulses. As chaos erupts, he makes his way to the top-floor executives to settle the score once and for all.

Detroit

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A police raid in Detroit in 1967 results in one of the largest citizen uprisings in the United States' history.

The Trip to Spain

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Comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon continue their hit series with a hilarious culinary road trip through Spain, featuring breathtaking locales and to-die-for cuisine.

Brawl in Cell Block 99

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When Bradley (Vince Vaughn) is sent to prison, he is forced to commit acts of violence that turn the place into a savage battleground.

 

Logan Lucky

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Trying to reverse a family curse, brothers Jimmy and Clyde Logan set out to execute an elaborate robbery during the legendary Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

 

Tulip Fever

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An artist falls for a young married woman while he's commissioned to paint her portrait during the Tulip mania of 17th century Amsterdam.

 

Rememory

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When an inventor turns up dead, a mysterious man (Peter Dinklage) steals his latest invention: a device able to extract, record and play a person's memories.

 

M.F.A.

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Francesca Eastwood gives a breakout performance as an art student who is sexually assaulted at a party. After struggling to receive any support from her college to find justice and cope with her trauma, she impulsively confronts her attacker - a decision that has deadly repercussions. As she tracks down fellow rape survivors, an unlikely vigilante is born.

 

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

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A dark force threatens Alpha, a vast metropolis and home to species from a thousand planets. Special operatives Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.

 

The Hitman's Bodyguard

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Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson star in this outrageous action comedy as an elite bodyguard and renowned hitman forced to work together. In order to succeed, they don't just have to avoid getting killed...they have to avoid killing each other.

 

Acts of Vengeance

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A fast-talking lawyer (Antonio Banderas) transforms his body and takes a vow of silence, not to be broken until he finds out who killed his wife and daughter and has his revenge.

 

Good Time

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Robert Pattinson stars in this fast-paced heist thriller about a bank robber who will stop at nothing to free his brother from prison, launching him into a night-long odyssey through New York's dark and dangerous criminal underworld.

 

Birth of the Dragon

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The legend of Bruce Lee begins in 1960s San Francisco, when Lee fights Shaolin monk Wong Jack Man in a battle for the ages.

Beach Rats

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Frankie (Harris Dickinson), a teenager on the edges of Brooklyn, struggles to reconcile his competing sexual desires, leaving him hurtling towards irreparable consequences.

California Typewriter

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Cultural historians, collectors, and various celebrity obsessives, including Tom Hanks and John Mayer, launch us into the bittersweet moment when a beloved-but-dying technology, the typewriter, faces extinction.

 

Want to read the Dark Tower series before you watch the movie? Here are the books:

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King

 

Book 1: The Gunslinger (1982)

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Roland, the world's last gunslinger, tracks an enigmatic Man in Black toward a forbidding dark tower, fighting forces both mortal and other-worldly on his quest.

 

Book 2: The Drawing of the Three (1987)

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The second volume in Stephen King’s #1 bestselling Dark Tower Series, The Drawing of the Three is an “epic in the making” (Kirkus Reviews) about a savage struggle against underworld evil and otherworldly enemies.

 

Book 3: The Waste Lands (1991)

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Roland, the last gunslinger, and his companions--Eddie Dean and Susannah--cross the desert of damnation, drawing ever closer to the Dark Tower, a legion of fiendish foes, and revelations that could alter the world.

 

Book 4: Wizard and Glass (1997)

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Roland, the last gunslinger, and his band of followers escape one world only to slip into the next where Roland reflects upon past adventures and about his one true love.

 

Book 5: Wolves of the Calla (2003)

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Wolves of the Calla continues the adventures of Roland, the Last Gunslinger and survivor of a civilized world that has "moved on." Roland's quest is ka, an inevitable destiny -- to reach and perhaps save the Dark Tower, which stands at the center of everywhere and everywhen.

 

Book 6: Song of Susannah (2004)

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While Jake, Father Callahan, and Oy struggle to free Susannah Dean, whose body is possessed by a demon-mother named Mia, Roland and Eddie find themselves swept by magic to East Stoneham, Maine, in the summer of 1977.

 

Book 7: The Dark Tower (2004)

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The final installment in the epic series completes the quest of Roland Deschain, who works to outmaneuver the increasingly desperate acts of his adversaries and confronts losses within his circle of companions.

 

Book 8: The Wind Through the Keyhole (2012)

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Mid-World's last gunslinger Roland Deschain hunts down a murderous shape-shifter. Finding the site of the creature's latest killing, Roland discovers a single surviving witness--a terrified boy named Bill Streeter--and calms him with a story from the Book of Eld.

 

Sources: The New York Times, Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon, Goodreads, EarlyWord, New DVD Release Dates

Posted by [email protected]  On Dec 04, 2017 at 1:20 PM
  
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