The library is currently open Monday through Friday from 10:00am-5:30pm and Saturday 9:30am-12:30pm. The Children's Room and Archives are open by appointment. Please call for details: 207-582-3312.

New Items ~ November 2020

FICTION

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse.  A powerful priest, an outcast seafarer, and a man born to be the vessel of a god come together.  This novel is inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas and woven into a tale of celestial prophecies, political intrigue, and forbidden magic.

The book of two ways by Jodi Picoult.  A novel about the choice that alter the course of our lives.  Do we make choices – or do our choices make us?  And who would you be if you hadn’t turned out to be the person you are right now?

The brilliant life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons.  A moving and joyous novel about an elderly woman who is ready to embrace death and of the little girl who reminds her what it means to live.

Chaos by Iris Johansen.  CIA agent Alisa Flynn is willing to go rogue if it means catching the most heartless band of criminals she’s ever encountered.

The devil and the dark water by Stuart Turton.  A murder on the high seas.  A remarkable detective duo.  A demon who may or may not exist.  A thriller of supernatural horror, occult suspicion, and paranormal mystery on the high seas.

The evening and the morning by Ken Follett.  In a prequel to “Pillars of the Earth”, a boat builder, a Norman noblewoman, and a monk live in England under attack by the Welsh and the Vikings.

Fifty words for rain by Asha Lemmie.  In 1940s Japan, an 8-year-old child of a married Japanese aristocrat and her African-American lover searches for her place in the world.

The invisible life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab.  France, 1714.  In a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever – and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.  But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, she meets a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

Jack by Marilynne Robinson.  This is the story of the prodigal son of a Presbyterian minister and his romance with a high school teacher who is also the son of a preacher.  Their deeply felt, tormented, star-crossed interracial romance resonates with all the paradoxes of American life then and now.

Just like you by Nick Hornby.  A divorced 41 year old woman meets a 22 year old at a butcher’s counter.  This is about what happens when the person who makes you happiest is someone you never expected.

Leave the world behind by Rumaan Alam.  A magnetic novel about two families, strangers to each other, who are forced together on a long weekend gone terribly wrong.

The lending library by Aliza Fogelson.  This pairs a passionate bibliophile with a handsome construction worker and achieves maximum charm.  A daydreamer gives her town, and herself, an amazing gift:  a lending library in her sunroom.

The lost shtetl by Max Gross.  What if there was a town that history missed?  A small Jewish village in the Polish forest is so secluded no one knows it exists…until now.

Love and other crimes by Sara Paretsky.  A collection of crime and detective stories, many featuring legendary detective V.I. Warshawski.

Magic lessons by Alice Hoffman.  In a prequel to “Practical Magic”, Maria Owens invokes a curse that will haunt her family in Salem, MA.

Only truth by Julie Cameron.  A London painter, whose husband insists on moving to the country realizes that “there’s something not right with this place”.  Talk about an understatement.

The return by Nicholas Sparks.  The story of an injured Navy doctor – and two women whose secrets will change the course of his life.

The searcher by Tana French.  After a divorce, a former Chicago police officer resettles in an Irish village where a boy goes missing.

 The silence by Don DeLillo.  Set in the near future, five people are gathered together in a Manhattan apartment in the midst of a catastrophic event.

A time for mercy by John Grisham.  Court-appointed lawyer Jake Brigance puts his career, his financial security, and the safety of his family on the line to defend a 16 year old suspect who is accused of killing a local deputy and is facing the death penalty.

To sleep in a sea of stars by Christopher Paolini.  Kira Navarez might be the only one who can save the Earth and its colonies from being destroyed.

Until summer comes around by Glenn Rolfe.  A family of vampires terrorizes the seaside town of Old Orchard Beach in this tale of adolescent romance and murder.

Vince Flynn: total power by Kyle Mills.  When America’s power grid is shut down, Mitch Rapp goes after a cyber terrorist.

NEW MUSIC CDs

Bigger love by John Legend

The genius of Ray Charles by Ray Charles

The best of Kansas

NEW DVDs

Fosse/Verdon (2020)  starring Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams

Marriage story (2019) starring Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, and Laura Dern

Casino Royale (2006) starring Daniel Craig

Colewell (2019) starring Karen Allen

NONFICTION:

The boy, the mole, the fox, and the horse by Charlie MacKesy.  A journey for all ages that explores life’s universal lessons, featuring 100 color and black-and-white drawings.

Children of ash and elm by Neil Price.  With clarity and verve, this examines various aspects of Viking society.  An exemplary history that gives a nuanced view of a society long reduced to a few clichés.

Eleanor by David Michaelis.  A break-through portrait of Eleanor Roosevelt, America’s longest-serving First Lady, an avatar of democracy whose ever-expanding agency as diplomat, activist, and humanitarian made her one of the world’s most widely admired and influential women.

The home edit life by Clea Shearer.  This is both for those who love to organize in their free time and those who want to get organized but feel they just can’t make the time.

How to astronaut by Terry Virts.  A former astronaut offers a mixture of science and adventure in this guide to space travel.  Divided into sections on training, launch, orbit, space-walking, deep space, and re-entry.

I will run wild by Thomas Cleaver.  This is a vivid narrative history of the early stages of the Pacific War, as U.S. and Allied forces desperately tried to slow the Japanese onslaught that began with the sudden attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941.

A knock at midnight by Brittany Barnett.  An urgent call to free those buried alive by America’s legal system, and an inspiring true story about unwavering belief in humanity from a young lawyer and important new voice in the movement to transform the system.

Librarian tales by William Ottens.  An insider’s look at one of the most prevalent, yet commonly misunderstood institutions.  Here is the good, the bad, and the ugly of librarian Ottens’ experience working behind the service desks and in the stacks of public libraries.

Loving sports when they don’t love you back by Jessica Luther.  Revealing some of the ugliest truths about professional sports.  An incisive, damning indictment of the world’s most popular past-times.

Modern comfort foods by Ina Garten.  The cook updates some of the comfort foods we grew up with.

The secret lives of planets by Paul Murdin.  A smooth survey of the planets and satellites.  Satisfying popular science, just right for the budding astronomer in the household.

That cheese plate will change your life by Marissa Mullen.  Creative gatherings and self-care with the cheese by numbers method.

Weird Earth by Donald Prothero.  Debunking strange ideas about our planet such as a moon landing hoax, flat earth, hollow earth, Atlantis, dowsing, and more.

New Children’s Books 

PICTURE BOOKS

Bedtime bonnet by Nancy Redd

Bo the brave by Bethan Woollvin

Cozy by Jan Brett

Federico and the wolf by Rebecca Gomez

Hurry up! by Kate Dopirak

A last goodbye by Elin Kelsey

Letters from Bear by Gauthier David

Lift by Minh Le

Madeline Finn and the therapy dog by Lisa Papp

My big family by Yanitzia Canetti

Nasla’s dream by Cecile Roumiguiere

Peter and the tree children by Peter Wohlleben

A quiet girl by Peter Carnavas

Rain Boy by Dylan Glynn

The run by Barroux

Short & sweet by Josh Funk

Sid Hoff’s Danny and the dinosaur ride a bike by Bruce Hale

Southwest sunrise by Nikki Grimes

Ty’s travels : All aboard! by Kelly Lyons

Where happiness begins by Eva Eland

While you’re away by Thodoris Papaioannou

 CHAPTER BOOKS

Percy Jackson’s Greek gods by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson’s Greek heroes by Rick Riordan

Raising Lumie by Joan Bauer

Revenge of the enginerds by Jarrett Lerner

A wish in the dark by Christina Soontornvat

NON-FICTION

It’s a numbers game! Basketball by James Buckley, Jr.

Lost cities by Giles Laroche

The ocean in your bathtub by Seth Fishman

On your mark, get set, gold! by Scott Allen

Play in the wild by Lita Judge

A rainbow of rocks by Kate DePalma

A thousand glass flowers: Marietta Barovier and the invention of the Rosetta bead by Evan Turk

GRAPHIC NOVELS

The battle of the labyrinth by Rick Riordan

The last Olympian by Rick Riordan

The lightning thief by Rick Riordan

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

The Titan’s curse by Rick Riordan

JUVENILE DVDs

Daniel Tiger’s neighborhood: Explore the outdoors (2020) The Fred Rogers Company.

Red shoes and the seven dwarfs (2020) starring Chloe Grace Moretz and Sam Claflin.

The secret garden (2020) starring Colin Firth and Julie Walters.

Trolls world tour (2020) voices of Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake.

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

Are you looking for something to read? 

As many of you know, we are open with limited access.  We are still open with our Pick-Up Window, at the rear of the building, as well.

Many of us (staff as well as patrons) have been keeping lists of items we would like to borrow from the library, or libraries when you include the Minerva lending system.  I know that my list grew rather rapidly, and by the time the items were available for requesting, there were many other folks ahead of me in the queue.

So, that led me to . . . .

What can I find to read/watch/listen to RIGHT NOW!!

As I have worked at the Pick-Up Window over the past weeks, I know that is the same question many others have as well.

As staff brainstormed how to best answer that question for you, our users, we realized several things.

Some people just don’t care what they are reading as long as it has more content than the back of the cereal box.

And . . .

Each of us has an area of “expertise”, so to speak, of what might work for different wants and needs of our Gardiner Library Friends.

On that vein, we have begun creating what we are referring to at “Binge Bags”.  Basically, it is a bag with 3 – 6 items on the same theme.  The items might be all books, though there are movies, music, and audio books included as well.  Some of these bags are items specific to floor – by this I mean Children’s, Young Adult or Adult floor, and some bags have a mix of age ranges.

So, what type of themes am I talking about?  Let’s see, so far, I know there is a bag of items pertaining to the 1970s, a bag of Fall/Autumn items, 2 bags of School items (one Adult and one Children), gentle mysteries, as well as several others.

In the works, there are collections to include Spies ; Humor ; 1920s ; Harry Potter ; Maine ; as well as several others.

If you’re interested in one of our Binge Boxes, check at the Pick-Up Window, or give us a call – 207-582-3312 – and we’ll put together a bag of items for you.

New Items ~ July 2020

FICTION

All adults here by Emma Straub.  A funny and keenly perceptive novel about the life cycle of one family – as the kids become parents, grandchildren become teenagers, and a matriarch confronts the legacy of her mistakes.

The ancestor by Danielle Trussoni.  A bewitching gothic novel of suspense that plunges readers into a world of dark family secrets, the mysteries of human genetics, and the burden of family inheritance.

The astonishing life of August March by Aaron Jackson.  An irrepressibly optimistic oddball orphan is thrust into the wilds of postwar New York City after an extraordinary childhood in a theater.  (Think Candide by way of John Irving, with a hint of Charles Dickens.)

Beach read by Emily Henry.  A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever after.

Big summer by Jennifer Weiner.  A poignant and unputdownable novel about the power of friendship, the lure of frenemies, and the importance of making peace with yourself through life’s ups and downs.

Blindside by James Patterson.  The mayor of New York has a daughter who’s missing and in danger.  Detective Michael Bennett has a son who’s in prison.  The two strike a deal.

The book of V by Anna Solomon.  A kaleidoscopic novel intertwining the lives of three women across 3 centuries as their stories of sex, power, and desire finally converge in the present day.

The business of lovers by Eric Jerome Dickey.  In this road trip across L.A. there are deep conversations, adult situations, and a sweet love story at every turn.

Close up by Amanda Quick.  Welcome to Burning Cove, California where 1930s Hollywood glamour conceals a ruthless killer….

Dance away with me by Susan Phillips.  Two people determined to withdraw from society instead discover the power of human connection in this deeply felt romance.

The goodbye man by Jeffery Deaver.  Reward-seeker Colter Shaw infiltrates a sinister cult after learning that the only way to get somebody out…is to go in.

Guests of August by Gloria Goldreich.  Five families come together for a summer vacation that will change their lives forever in this tale of love, loss, and hope.

The henna artist by Alka Joshi.  In 1950s Jaipur, a young woman who escaped an abusive marriage and started a new life is confronted by her husband.

Hideaway by Nora Roberts.  A family ranch in Big Sur country and a legacy of Hollywood royalty set the stage for this suspense novel.

The house on Fripp Island by Rebecca Kauffman.  When two families – one rich, one not – vacation together off the coast of South Carolina, little do they know that someone won’t be returning home.

How much of these hills is gold by C Pam Zhang.  Set against the twilight of the American gold rush, two siblings are on the run in an unforgiving landscape – trying not to just survive but to find a home.

How to pronounce knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa.  Spare, unsentimental, and distilled to riveting essentials, these stories honor the surreal, funny, often wrenching realities of trying to build a life far from home.

The jetsetters by Amanda Ward.  When Charlotte wins a Mediterranean cruise, she sees it as the perfect opportunity to reconnect with her adult children.  Each character’s dysfunctions run deep, and each plot twist threatens to sink their sanity, resulting in a funny, moving tale of the complications of familial love.

The last trial by Scott Turow.  A brilliant courtroom chess match about a celebrated criminal defense lawyer and the prosecution of his lifelong friend – a doctor accused of murder.

The love story of Missy Carmichael by Beth Morrey.  Here is a love story of the most important kind: that of coming to love oneself through accepting and returning the love of others – be it people or dogs.

Murder at the Mena House by Erica Neubauer.  Well-heeled travelers from around the world flock to the Mena House Hotel – an exotic gem in Cairo where cocktails flow, adventure dispels the aftershocks of World War I, and deadly dangers wait in the shadows.

The murder of twelve by Jessica Fletcher.  Jessica takes on an Agatha Christie-style mystery when she finds herself stranded in a hotel during a blizzard with 12 strangers and a killer in their midst.

Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld.  A compelling what-might-have-been:  what if Hilary Rodham HADN’T married Bill Clinton?

The second home by Christina Clancy.  Told through the eyes of 3 siblings, this title captures the ache of nostalgia for summers past and the powerful draw of the places we return to again and again.  It is about second homes, second families, and second chances.

The shooting at Château Rock by Martin Walker.  When a local’s troubling death is linked to a Russian oligarch and his multinational conglomerate, Chief Bruno faces one of his toughest cases yet, one that brings together a French notary and a rock star – and of course, Bergerac red and white.

The sight of you by Holly Miller. A romantic and page-turning novel that poses a heartbreaking question:  Would you choose love, if you knew how it would end?

A tender thing by Emily Neuberger.  Set under the dazzling lights of late 1950s Broadway where a controversial new musical pushes the boundaries of love, legacy, and art.

Three things I know are true by Betty Culley.  Life changes forever for Liv when her older brother, Jonah, accidentally shoots himself with the gun of his best friend’s father.

A week at the shore by Barbara Delinsky.  This explores how lives and relationships are forever changed when 3 sisters reunite at their family Rhode Island beach house.

NEW DVDs

The lighthouse (2019) starring Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe

Little women (2019) starring Saoirse Ronan and Emma Watson

Doctor Sleep (2019) starring Ewan McGregor and Rebecca Ferguson

Roma (2018) starring Marina de Tavira

Star Wars: the rise of Skywalker (2019) starring Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill

1917 (2019) starring George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman

NEW NONFICTION

The age of Phillis by Honoree Jeffers.  A collection of original poems speaking to the life and times of Phillis Weatley, a Colonial America-era poet brought to Boston as a slave.

Dark mirror by Barton Gellman.  A well-documented account on the far-reaching impact of US domestic surveillance and the resulting intrusions of privacy.

A delayed life by Dita Kraus.  A story of survival that is rare in its coverage of life before and after the Holocaust, addressing the difficult question of what comes after such a tragedy.

Dirt by Bill Buford.  A hilariously self-deprecating, highly obsessive account of the author’s adventures in the world of French haute cuisine, for anyone who has ever found joy in cooking and eating food with their family.

Dress your best life by Dawnn Karen.  How to use fashion psychology to take your look – and your life – to the next level.

Home is a stranger by Parnaz Foroutan.  Unmoored by the death of her father and disenchanted by the American Dream, Foroutan leaves Los Angeles for Iran, 19 years after her family fled the religious police state brought in by the Islamic Theocracy.

In the name of God by Selina O’Grady.  A groundbreaking book on the history of religious tolerance and intolerance that offers an essential narrative to understanding Islam and the West today.

Kooks and degenerates on ice by Thomas Whalen.  Here to celebrate the 50th anniversary – it’s Bobby Orr, the big bad Boston Bruins, and the Stanley Cup championship that transformed hockey.

Rental style by Chelsey Brown.  This doubles as a décor piece and handy design guide and shows readers how to decorate and organize small, rented spaces on a budget.

Sigh, gone by Phuc Tran.  For anyone who has ever felt like they don’t belong, this shares an irreverent, funny, and moving tale of displacement and assimilation woven together with poignant themes from beloved works of classic literature.  The author now lives in Portland, Maine.

24 by Willie Mays.  A memoir by the Baseball Hall of Famer told in 24 chapters to correspond with his well-known uniform number.

Warhol by Blake Gopnik.  The definitive bio of a fascinating and paradoxical figure, one of the most influential artists of his – or any – age.

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