Brunonia Barry

The Lace Reader
“What better setting for a book combining aspects of clairvoyance, “witchcraft,” and mental illness than Salem Massachusetts? Brunonia Barry includes lots of local color, along with characters who aren’t always what they seem, to produce a novel that may surprise you. It surprised me!”
–Mary, Reference

Dave Isay

Listening Is An Act of Love
“The StoryCorps Project is an impressive effort to get the thoughts, histories and/or feelings of ordinary – and sometimes extraordinary-Americans on record. These edited excerpts provide proof of its worth. They are funny, poignant, sad and revealing … and they could be memories of your family, friends and neighbors.”
–DB/Reference Emerita

Charlotte Moore

George & Sam: Two Boys, One Family, and Autism
“Brilliant – the first book about autism I’ve read that I’d recommend to people who wanted to know what it was like,” states Nick Hornby in his introduction to this book, a moving and insightful picture of the author’s life with her three boys, two of them autistic, but each of them his own unique and special person.
–Lani, Reference

George R. R. Martin

Fevre Dream
“The year 1857 was the heyday of steamboating on the Mississippi River, and in this book you can almost feel the thump of the paddles churning and hear the blasts of the whistles blowing, so vividly and accurately is that world brought to life. But something sinister lurks unseen during the bright days, emerging only to prey during the darkness of night. Part great history part spine-chilling horror, altogether fascinating!”
–Lani/Reference

Gioia Diliberto

The Collection
“Isabelle Varlet is a very young but talented seamstress, who leaves her French village to work in Paris. With a letter of introduction, she is hired by Couturier Coco Chanel. Chanel recognizes Isabelle’s skills, but her approval of any excellent work is short-lived as she demands more and more from everyone in her salon. This novel makes plain the huge contrast between the lives of the poorly paid, hardworking haute couture workers and those of the wealthy designers and their clients.”
–Sharon/Systems

Edward Rutherfurd

The Forest: a novel
“These are historical tales from the New Forest of England, describing how the natives of the forest adjusted to the social and political changes of the second millennium from 1099 to 2000. Rutherfurd follows the fortunes of several New Forest families whose colorful characters ran the gamut from penniless peasants to wealthy nobles, all of whom respected the forest that was their home.
–Sharon/Systems

Jodi Picoult

Handle with Care
Admittedly, the book was getting a bit lengthy so I skipped to the end. Still I followed through and read the rest. The twist at the end was just pure irony. Meanwhile, it gets you thinking what you would do and who do you agree with. Excellent characters; I simply fell in love with Willow.
–Debbie / Reference