Movies

FICTION

The awakening by Nora Roberts.  This launches a fantasy trilogy with a heartwarming story of a woman finding her true self across parallel worlds.

Bone harvest by James Brogden.  A dark and haunting tale of an ancient cult wreaking havoc on the modern world.

The children of Red Peak by Craig DiLouie.  With this chilling story of cult abuse, the author proves his mastery of the slow slide from psychological drama into supernatural horror.

Daylight by David Baldacci.  FBI agent Atlee Pine’s search for her twin sister overlaps with a military investigator’s hunt for someone involved in a global conspiracy.

Fortune and glory by Janet Evanovich.  Stephanie Plum deals with a soldier of fortune from Little Havana.

A good marriage by Kimberly McCreight.  A woman’s murder reveals the perilous compromises some couples make – and the secrets they keep – in order to stay together.

Hidden in plain sight by Jeffrey Archer.  William Warwick has been promoted to Detective Sergeant, but his promotion means that he, along with the rest of his team, have been reassigned to the Drugs Squad and tasked to catch a notorious drug dealer.

The housekeeper by Natalie Barelli.  When Hannah Wilson hires Claire as her new housekeeper, she has no idea they share a past.  But I’s not just Claire who has secrets.  Everyone in that house seems to have something to hide.

How to fail at flirting by Denise Williams.  One daring to-do list and a crash course in flirtation turn a Type A overachiever’s world upside down.

The law of innocence by Michael Connelly.  Lincoln lawyer Mickey Haller must defend himself against murder charges.

Lord the one you love is sick by Kasey Thornton.  A compulsively readable book about how easily tight-knit communities can unravel.  It may make you think again about what lies beneath the surface of your own community.

Love your life by Sophie Kinsella.  A delightful novel about a woman who ditches her dating app for a writer’s retreat in Italy – to find that real love comes with its own filters.

Miss Benson’s beetle by Rachel Joyce.   Two women are on a life-changing adventure where they must risk everything, break all the rules, and discover their best selves – together.

Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley.  Brilliantly imaginative story of three extraordinary animals – and a young boy – whose lives intersect in Paris.

Reviving the Hawthorn sisters by Emily Carpenter.  The plot of this novel deals with uncovering a faith healer’s elusive and haunted past.

Shadow sands  by Robert Bryndza.  The moors are a perfect place to hide for a serial killer.  And a chilling return to the past for nascent private investigator Kate Marshall.

The star-crossed sisters of Tuscany by Lori Spielman.  A trio of second-born daughters sets out on a whirlwind journey through the lush Italian countryside to break the family curse that says they’ll never find love.

Surviving the fatherland by Annette Oppenlander.  A raw, history-based tale that pays homage to the war children who bore witness while struggling to survive.

Tiny nightmares edited by Lincoln Michel.  Very short stories of horror.

Tomorrow will be better by Betty Smith.  This is the story of Margy Shannon – shy, eager, fully optimistic – and her search for something better than the hard misery of poverty in which she lives.

The vanishing sky by L. Annette Binder.  This follows Etta and Josef Huber and their sons in rural Germany during World War II and provides a fresh take on the madness of war.

We hear voices by Evie Green.  An eerie debut about a little boy who recovers from a mysterious pandemic and inherits an imaginary friend who makes him do violent things.

NEW DVDs

The Irishman (2020) Starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino

North and South (1985) starring Patrick Swayze and David Carradine

Diary of a mad housewife (1970) starring Carrie Snodgress and Richard Benjamin

A view to a kill (1985) starring Roger Moore

The farmer’s daughter (1947) starring Loretta Young and Joseph Cotton

Tarantula (1955) starring John Agar

NONFICTION

The American crisis by The Atlantic.  Some of America’s best reporters and thinkers offer an urgent look at a country in chaos in this collection of timely, often prophetic articles.

The best of me by David Sedaris.  A collection of the humorist’s essays.

The bird way by Jennifer Ackerman.  A new look at how birds talk, work, play, parent, and think.

Braiding sweetgrass by Robin Kimmerer.  Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the teachings of plants. The woven essays that construct this book bring people back into conversation with all that is green and growing; a universe that never stopped speaking to us, even when we forgot how to listen

Chicago’s great fire by Carl Smith.  The full and authoritative story of one of the most iconic disasters in American history, told through the vivid memories of those who experienced it.

Clanlands by Sam Heughan.  The stars of “Outlander” use various means of travel to explore Scotland.

Conditional citizens by Laila Lalami.  This profound inquiry into the American immigrant experience deserves to be widely read as the author argues that becoming a U.S. citizen does not necessarily mean becoming an equal member of the American family.

Foolproof fish by America’s Test Kitchen.  Recipes that accommodate multiple kinds of fish and plenty of fish facts will inspire you to dive into seafood cookery with confidence.

Golem girl by Riva Lehrer.  The vividly told, gloriously illustrated memoir of an artist born with disabilities who searches for freedom and connection in a society afraid of strange bodies.

Help yourself by Lindsay Hunt.  A guide to gut health for people who love delicious food.

How to hunt ghosts by Joshua Warren.   A paranormal researcher teaches the novice hunter the basics, which above all include treating the paranormal as any other scientific field: one requiring well-documented research and hard evidence.

Nobody ever asked me about the girls by Lisa Robinson.  An intimate look at the lives of our most celebrated female musicians – and their challenges with fame.

A promised land by Barack Obama.  Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world.

7 ways by Jamie Oliver.  Easy ideas for cooking every day of the week.

Notes from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Library Journal, and New York Times Book Review.

FICTION

After all I’ve done by Mina Hardy.  An expert nightmare, one of those rare thrillers whose answers are even more scarifying than its mysteries.

The cold millions by Jess Walter.  Two brothers are swept up in the turbulent class warfare of the early 20^th century.

Dead man dancing by John Galligan.  Sheriff Heidi Kick is investigating an illicit cage fighting ring with ties to white nationalism when her husband suddenly goes missing.

Death comes as the end by Agatha Christie.  Egypt in 2000 B.C.  A priest’s daughter, investigating a suspicious death, uncovers an asp’s nest of jealousy, betrayal, and serial murder.

The dirty south by John Connolly.  A chilling blend of police procedural and gothic horror tale…perfect for fireside reading on cold, rainy nights.

Fortune favors the dead by Stephen Spotswood.  A sprightly period debut in the noir vein – a provocative gender-flipping of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin.

Hidden Salem by Kay Hooper.  A town shrouded in the occult.  An evil that lurks in the dark.  The S.C.U. returns because what actually hides in the shadows and secrets of Salem is unlike anything the agents have ever encountered.

I saw him die by Andrew Wilson.  In a classic who-dun-it filled with red herrings and double-crosses, Agatha Christie investigates a mysterious death in the Scottish highlands.

Inheritors by Asako Serizawa.  A beautiful and brutal exploration of lives fragmented by the Pacific side of World War II.

Jane in love by Rachel Givney.  Jane Austen, heralded author, ends up time-traveling almost 200 years into the future.  There she finds the love she’s written about and the destiny she’s dreamed of…but is it worth her legacy?

Jingle all the way by Debbie Macomber.  Love can transform even the best-laid plans in this heartfelt Christmas novel.

The last great road bum by Hector Tobar.  A would-be writer leaves a comfortable existence in Urbana, Illinois, in order to travel the world in search of material for a great American novel.  Instead, he finds romance, danger, and the dark heart of the mid-20^th century.

Memorial by Bryan Washington.  Benson and Mike, a mixed-race couple in Houston, search for the truth about themselves, each other, and their families.  It’s a subtle and moving exploration of love, family, race, and the long, frustrating search for home.

The missing sister by Elle Marr.  This follows a medical student to, around, and ultimately beneath Paris in search of the twin sister she’d been drifting away from.  Notable for its exploration of the uncanny bonds twins share and the killer’s memorable macabre motive.

Not my Romeo by Ilsa Madden-Mills.  A smart and sexy contemporary romance about a smoking-hot professional football player and the small-town girl he can’t resist.

On borrowed crime by Kate Young.  The Jane Doe book club enjoys guessing whodunit, but when murder happens in their midst, they discover solving crimes isn’t fun and games.

One more for Christmas by Sarah Morgan.  As the snowflakes fall on their first family celebration in years, the Mitchell women must learn that sometimes facing up to the past is all you need to heal your heart.

Plain bad heroines by Emily Danforth.  A horror-comedy centered around a New England boarding school for girls.

Ring shout by P. Djeli Clark.  A dark fantasy historical novel that gives a supernatural twist to the Ku Klux Klan’s reign of terror.

The secret lives of church ladies by Deesha Philyaw.  These 9 stories feature four generations of Black women grappling with who they want to be in the world, caught as they are between the church’s double standards and their own needs and passions.

The sentinel by Lee Child.  Jack Reacher is in Nashville and a voice in his head is telling him to walk away.  Of course, he doesn’t.

Sweet sorrow by David Nicholls.  A bittersweet yet funny coming-of-age tale about the heart-stopping thrill of first love – and how just one summer can forever change a life.

The switch by Beth O’Leary.  A grieving British woman and her grandmother switch homes and lives in an attempt to shake things up.  The result is a cozy hopeful escapade that will make readers laugh, cry, and feel inspired.

The wonder boy of Whistle Stop by Fannie Flagg.  A heartwarming novel about secrets of youth rediscovered, hometown memories, and the magical moment in ordinary lives.

 NEW DVDs

The Crown: the complete third season (2020) starring Olivia Colman

Gallipoli (1981) starring Mel Gibson and Mark Lee

The informer (1935) starring Victor McLaglen

Quantum of Solace (2009) starring Daniel Craig

NONFICTION

The Bible with and without Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine.  The author shows how and why Jews and Christians read many of the same biblical texts differently.  Exploring and explaining these diverse perspectives, she reveals more clearly Scripture’s beauty and power.

Blue Sky Kingdom by Bruce Kirkby.  As it explores an ancient – and dying – Tibetan Buddhist culture, this delightful book also tells a timely, heartwarming story of a family’s search for peace away from the din of modern culture.

The bottom line for baby by Tina Bryson.  From sleep training to screens, thumb sucking to tummy time – what science says about it all.

Catching the wind by Neil Gabler.  The epic, definitive bio of Ted Kennedy – an immersive journey through the life of a complicated man and a sweeping history of the fall of liberalism and the collapse of political morality.

Celeste Holm Syndrome by David Lazar.  Fans of Hollywood’s Golden Age will delight in this affecting look at what makes actors truly memorable, even if they’re not in the spotlight.

The dead are arising by Les Payne.  An epic biography of Malcolm X.

Inside game by Keith Law.  Bad calls, strange moves, and what baseball behavior teaches us about ourselves.

Making work human by Eric Mosley.  How human centered companies are changing the future of work and the world.  How do you keep your employees engaged, creative, innovative, and productive?  Simple:  Work human!

Philip and Alexander by Adrian Goldsworthy.  This definitive bio of one of history’s most influential father/son duos tells the story of two rulers who gripped the world – and their rise and fall from power in ancient Greece.

Right place, right time by Bob Gruen.  An action-packed memoir that takes readers on the road with rock’s hardest-working photographer.  And the stories he tells….

Singular sensation by Michael Riedel.  The story of a transformative decade on Broadway, featuring gripping behind-the-scenes accounts of shows such as Rent, Angels in America, Chicago, The Lion King and The Producers – shows that changed the history of the American theater.

West Side Story by Richard Barrios.  While remaining always respectful to the movie and the people who made it, the author lays bare the behind-the-scenes tumult, elevating the book from a typical making-of story to something really special: a no-hold-bared chronicle of what it really takes to get a great movie made.

World wild vet by Evan Antin.  From the star of Animal Planet’s Evan Goes Wild comes a wild look at our natural world that is perfect for fans of Steve Irwin, James Herriot, and Bear Grylls.

Notes from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Library Journal, and New York Times Book Review.