Reading Lists

Broken Harbor

By Tana French
Murder Squad detective Mick Kennedy has a big case to solve - the brutal beating death of a husband, the murder of his two children, and the beating of the wife who survived. Mick's professional life is complicated by a rookie partner, and his family life is disturbed by the emotional drama of his sister, who has been traumatized by a family tragedy that took place not too far from this crime scene. So who did it? A strange intruder? The husband? The wife? The grief stricken sister? You will keep the pages turning until you find out. Check Our Catalog

The Cost of Hope: The Story of a Marriage, a Family and the Quest for Life

By Amanda Bennett
A Pulitzer Prize winning journalist uses her skills to write a memoir about what happened to her and her husband of 20 years after he is diagnosed with cancer. Bennett and her husband have good insurance coverage and have the intelligence to research all the options, but they still are not prepared for the myriad of choices that his illness forces on them. Bennett also looks back at the financial cost-not to herself, but to society. Not a depressing book, this book, nevertheless, has lots of questions about health care, the choices we make, and the financial cost as well. Check Our Catalog

Death at Seaworld

By David Kirby
Investigative reporter David Kirby turns his sights on three deaths at Sea World, the most recent being in February, 2010. Tilikum, a 12,000 pound male orca is responsible for all three. Why? Kirby continues to add information to the issue about whether it is ethical to capture these mammals, change their environments, and force them to perform. This is a fast paced book that will open your eyes to the concerns of animal lovers which was brought to the forefront by the death of Dawn Branchea at Sea World. Check Our Catalog

How to be an American Housewife

By Margaret Dilloway
Shoko, a Japanese wife and mother, has spent her life trying to fit in as an American housewife. She has a strained relationship with her two American born children, who know nothing of the secrets in her past. When Shoko's daughter takes her own daughter back to Japan to meet Shoko's family, who have not been in touch with her in years, Shoko's American family begins to understand and appreciate her. This is a story about how hard it is to communicate and how current lives are shaped by secrets of the past. It is a story of lost loves and reconciliation. Check Our Catalog

The Lost Wife

By Alyson Richman
This work of fiction is based on real life experiences which the author has fictionalized. Lenka and Josef meet at the wedding of their grandchildren, and to their shock and surprise, they discover that they had once been husband and wife before the Second Wold War-and thus, the story starts. Married a short time, and separated by the horrors of World War II, each has believed the other dead. The book details how Lenka survived life in the camps, and how each of them moved on in their lives, starting new lives with others. The author has done extensive research to be sure that her depiction of life at that time is as accurate as possible. Check Our Catalog

Moloka'i

By Alan Brennert
At age 7, Rachel is sent to the island of Moloka'i, the Hawaiian island that served as a leper colony. Anyone in Hawaii found to be suffering from leprosy would be sent there, where they would have a life in exile. The colony's members find ways to keep life going. Moloka'i is the actual place where Father Damien did his work. But the story is told through Rachel's eyes, as she grows up, falls in love, marries, has a healthy child who is sent to live elsewhere, and comes to terms with the hand life has dealt her. The story continues when Rachel is allowed to leave the island and finds the child she has given up. Through it all, Rachel takes her life into her own hands, and along with the other "outcasts," forges a full life for herself. Check Our Catalog

Open: An Autobiography

By Andre Agassi
Agassi's book is less a story about his life, and more a psychological study of how one man could triumph over his past. Agassi, a gifted and talented tennis play, hated playing tennis. Agassi was forced to play by an abusive and obsessive father. How Agassi, who has a remarkable memory, triumphs in both his personal and professional life is mesmerizing. Check Our Catalog

The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving

By Jonathan Evison
Ben has lost his job, his family and his wife. He starts over by taking a course in care-giving and finds a job where he is matched up with Trevor, a frustrated 19 year old with advanced muscular dystrophy. Ben and Trev take a road trip to meet Trevor's father-and this novel talks about what ensues and how if affects the lives of both Ben and his charge. Check Our Catalog

Seating Arrangements

By Maggie Shipstead
A debut novel, Shipstead takes us to a wedding on a New England island with a 7 months pregnant bride, a middle aged father-of-the-bride lusting after a bridesmaid, a troubled maid of honor and a harried mother-of-the-bride who somehow keeps it together. What happens over a week-end brings lots of changes to everyone. Check Our Catalog

The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Passage of Power V.4

By Robert A. Caro
This fourth volume by Johnson's masterful biographer covers the years 1958-1964, when Johnson goes from a respected Senate Majority Leader to an undervalued Vice-President. He is then elevated by tragedy to be a President who masterfully passes legislation which most likely would never have been passed had Kennedy lived. Johnson knows how to move a stagnant Congress. This is Johnson at his best-powerful, capable, and a strong leader. Check Our Catalog