A dark and twisty story with an unusual and unforgettable police chief in Hazel Micallef.

--Recommended by Haley

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--Recommended by Connie. Check our catalog: http://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Skilling+in+the+hills+keller__Orightresult__U1?lang=eng&suite=pearl

Shapiro offers a story for lovers of art and intrigue and personalities. Part romance, part mystery, part art history lesson, The Art Forger works best as the tale of art and artists, collectors and forgers. I suspect this is my prejudice; the "Gahndah" is one of my most favorite museums. I love the idiosyncrasy and individuality of the place; it is the most personal of collections. I am fascinated by benefactors who wisely and carefully amass collections and then share their treasures with the world. Featuring some of the most generous and the most selfish art collectors, The Art Forger takes the true tale of a heist and imbeds it in the fictional story of a beautifulyoung painter who makes questionable career and romantic choices in the contemporary art world. I struggled with some of the flowery language, but that could have been a result of listening to the audiobook, rather than reading the text. It can be hard to make romantic, sexual scenes sound less than ridiculous, IMHO. I found the ended a bit too tidy, as well. But these are minor flaws in an otherwise entertaining -- and informational filled -- novel.

- Reviewed by Melissa

What happens when you witness a member of one of America's most prominent families commit a rape? Do you go to the police? Or keep quiet? The main character in Crime of Privilege faces just this dilemma ... and his decision has an unbelievable impact on the rest of his life. The intersection between power and corruption is pretty wide, and the plot stretches the bounds of plausibility just far enough that you wonder, could this really happen? Are some people in our country powerful enough to manipulate so many lives? This is a first-rate thriller. I couldn't put it down.

I received this book as an advance readers' copy from Random House. Publication date is June 2013.

- Reviewed by Andrea

A clever combination of fantasy/science fiction and real life friendship with a little romance and mystery. The plot is so deceptively simple (or maybe it's simply complex) that I enjoyed reading it THREE times!

--Recommended by Melissa, Children's Department

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Four strangers meet on a train from Edinbourgh to London, sharing delicious stories about their lives. This slight, standalone book is a delightful little read, and I enjoyed it while traveling by plane and train. I wish I met strangers such as McCall Smith's characters on my journeys. It certainly would make the trips go by faster!

--Reviewed by Jo

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"These Things Happen" has its flaws; all novels do. I found them increasingly easy to dismiss -- and ultimately no longer notice -- as I was drawn along by compelling characters and sparkling dialogue. It's no surprise that author Richard Kramer made his career as writer and director of family dramas "thirty something" and "My So-Called Life."

In his novel, Kramer presents another family drama, of teen boys, divorced parents, new partners, as they encounter school, work, and life drama. It's a little exotic to this suburban Midwestern -- one character is a noted activist, both boys attend a progressive private school, and all are somewhat sophisticated Manhattanites. Yet each character is an individual, interesting and realistic, unusual and approachable.

We meet good guys who are flawed and bad guys who do try to do the right thing, but fail. I have my favorites: Wesley and George broke my heart a bit. The boys are still kids, but they live in a world that expects them to behave even better than the adults around them.Mostly because the adults realize that they haven't gotten it right. So much is expected of the characters, all the time. Every day is a test for which they haven't been fully prepared. And they better ace it.

In addition to the characters, the dialogue is a treat. The characters speak and write as an art form, to advocate, to entertain. I've included here one of my favorite exchanges, between Wesley and his mom, who wants to know why he is so focused on his friend, Theo.

Enjoy.

"You mean Jake Greenspan. Who got bit by a tick, in Quogue, who's near death."
"Oh my God, how awful..."
"It might not be so awful," Wesley says, "It might help at Yale. Death is a plus at Yale."
"Wesley!"
"We hear stuff like that every minute. Like you open your locker, a voice says, 'Be interesting! Be varied!' And I talk about Theo because he actually is. He's like avid, about everything there is in life. Not so he could say, 'I'm avid,' on applications but because he actually is. It's who he is. And it's how I'd like to be , and when we hang out I even am, a little. And you don't have to say any supportive stuff, or anything, because I have self-esteem." (p 153-154)

--Reviewed by Melissa

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I am a big Steven King fan. That being said, this is the first Stephen King book I have read since the mid 1970's (Carrie, natch). My admiration for Mr. King arises from his support for libraries, independent bookstores, smaller publishers, poetry -- basically, the underdogs of the book world.

And now, I can say how much I admire his writing. The description of Joyland intrigued me, and I was more than satisfied. The story of lost love, lost lives, and a lost way of life. King introduces us to the world of big carnival / small amusement park through the eyes of a temporarily transplanted Maine college student. The story of a ghost, a second sight (real and side show), summer friendships that last a lifetime are combined in fast-paced narrative.

Joyland is a perfect first, second, or fiftieth SK novel, the rare combination of an expertly crafted work of fiction with mass appeal. I won't let another 30some years go by before reading my next SK book.

--Reviewed by Melissa

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I’ve been on a Jeannette Walls reading kick this month. I started with her brilliant memoir, The Glass Castle, which unflinchingly tells her story about growing up dirt poor, sometimes homeless, with two creative but irresponsible parents. I followed Glass Castle with the fascinating true-life novel about Walls’ grandmother, Lily Casey Smith, in Half Broke Horses.

In Walls’ moving new novel, The Silver Star, all the characters come from her imagination. Yet it is clear she draws from her personal experiences about how tough and resilient children can be in the face of neglectful or abusive adults. Sisters Jean “Bean’’ and Liz Holladay learn at a young age how to fend for themselves when their mother Charlotte starts leaving them on their own while she pursues her dreams of becoming a musician and composer.

In 1970, when Charlotte takes off yet again and doesn’t return, 15-year-old Liz and12-year-old Bean decide to embark on a bus journey from their shack in the California desert to their Uncle Tinsley’s home in Virginia. Tinsley grudgingly welcomes them into his rundown house, which once had been a stately mansion and the entertainment heart of the mill town. Bean quickly embraces her new life, and learns more about the father who died before she was born. Her older sister Liz has difficulty adjusting to her new surroundings, and becomes more isolated. When tragedy strikes Liz, the sisters once again face having to overcome adversity.

I really enjoyed The Silver Star, and read it in one day. Jeannette Walls is exemplary at writing from a child’s point of view and telling an entertaining story. I highly recommend this coming-of-age tale about love, family, and strength.

--Reviewed by Jo

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