new titles

FICTION:

All the castles burned by Michael Nye.  The story of Owen Webb, a basketball player on scholarship at a private boys’ school, and his relationship with two enigmatic men: his father – whose secrets neither Owen nor this mother suspect – and Carson, an older teen.

Daphne by Will Boast.  This turns the myth of Daphne and Apollo into a modern love story about social anxiety and physical debilitation.  It is at once tragic and enchanting.

Death by chocolate cherry cheesecake by Sarah Graves.  While Jacobia Tiptree has moved on from fixing up houses, she still can’t resist the urge to snoop into the occasional murder in Eastport, Maine.

Eternal life by Dara Horn.  What would it really mean to live forever?  This is both a heady time travel novel and a thoughtful meditation on the meaning of life.

Forty dead men by Donis Casey.  Here is a compassionate look at PTSD after World War I.

The great alone by Kristin Hannah.  Alaska, 1974.  Untamed.  Unpredictable.  And for a family in crisis, the ultimate test of the human spirit.

How to stop time by Matt Haig.  A love story across the ages – and for the ages – about a man lost in time, the woman who could save him, and the lifetime it can take to learn how to live.

Munich by Robert Harris.  Two former friends who attended Oxford accompany Hitler and Neville Chamberlain to a meeting in 1938 and are forced to make a consequential decision.

Murder in an English village by Jessica Ellicott.  As friends, the boisterous and brash American Beryl couldn’t be less alike than the prim and proper British Edwina.  But as sleuths in an England recovering from the Great War, they’re the perfect match.

 Need to know by Karen Cleveland.  In pursuit of a Russian sleeper cell on American soil, a CIA analyst uncovers a dangerous secret that will test her loyalty to the agency – and to her family.

New York fantastic edited by Paula Guran.  Fantasy spreads across the five boroughs in this new anthology series collecting fantastic and extraordinary stories set in a specific urban local.

A natural by Ross Raisin.  A transporting and acutely observed novel about a gay British soccer player, this captures both the world of professional soccer and the stifling pressure on the hero and his lover to hide their relationship.

The overneath by Peter Beagle.  Beagle chronicles the lives of unicorns, trolls, and magicians in 13 poignant stories many of which caution readers about magic gone awry and temperamental creatures.

The plea by Steve Cavanagh.  An innocent client.  A wife in jeopardy.  Who will take the plea?  This is perfect for anyone who likes a locked-room mystery wrapped inside a legal thriller on steroids.

Red clocks by Leni Zumas.  Abortion is once again illegal in America, in-vitro fertilization is banned, and the Personhood Amendment grants rights to every embryo.  In a small Oregon fishing town, five very different women navigate these new barriers alongside age-old questions surrounding motherhood, identity, and freedom.

Sadness is a white bird by Moriel Rothman-Zecher.  A young Israeli soldier whose best friends are Palestinian twins is driven to the breaking point by conflicting loyalties.

Self-portrait with boy by Rachel Lyon.  An ambitious young female artist accidentally photographs a boy falling to his death – an image that could jumpstart her career but would also devastate her most intimate friendship.

Semiosis by Sue Burke.  Human survival hinges on a bizarre alliance in this character driven science fiction about first contact.

Seven dead by J. Jefferson Farjeon.  In this classic English mystery, an amateur thief has chosen an isolated house for his first robbery.  But it is no ordinary country home.  While hunting for silverware to steal, he stumbles upon a locked room containing seven dead bodies.

Still me by Jojo Moyes.  Louisa Clark moves to New York and is torn between high society and the life she enjoys at a vintage clothing store.

The storm king by Brendan Duffy.  Haunted by dark secrets and an unsolved mystery, a young doctor returns to his isolated Adirondacks hometown in a tense novel in the vein of Harlan Coben.

Surprise me by Sophie Kinsella.  This delves into the heart of a marriage and shows how those we love and think we know best can sometimes surprise us the most.

The taster by V.S. Alexander.  Amid the turbulence of World War II, a young German woman finds a precarious haven closer to the source of danger than she ever imagined – one that will propel her through the extremes of privilege and terror under Hitler’s dictatorship.

A treacherous curse by Deanna Raybourn.  Members of an Egyptian expedition fall victim to an ancient mummy’s curse.

NEW DVDs:

Get out (2017) starring Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams

The Crown (2017) starring Claire Foy and John Lithgow

The two Mrs. Grenvilles (1987) starring Ann-Margret and Claudette Colbert

Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971) starring Peter Finch and Glenda Jackson

They shoot horses, don’t they? (1969) starring Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, and Gig Young

NEW MUSIC CDs:

NOW that’s what I call music, Vol. 65

Man of the woods – Justin Timberlake

Always ascending – Franz Ferdinand

Mania – Fall Out Boy

We came here to love by Sebastien Izambard

NONFICTION:

The adventures of the mountain men by Stephen Brennan.  True tales of hunting, trapping, fighting, adventure, and survival in the early to mid-1800s in the Rocky Mountains.

All-American murder by James Patterson.  The story of Aaron Hernandez, the New England Patriots tight end convicted of first degree murder.

Armed in America by Patrick Charles.  A history of gun rights from Colonial militias to concealed carry.

Berlin, 1936 by Oliver Hilmes.  This takes the reader through the 16 days of the Olympiad, describing the events in the German capital through the eyes of a select cast of characters – Nazi leaders and foreign diplomats, sportsmen and journalists, writers and socialites, nightclub owners and jazz musicians.

Bliss more by Light Watkins.  How to succeed at meditation without really trying.

Everything you need to know about social media by Greta Van Susteren.  Step-by-step guide to help readers understand the major social platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram and Snapschat, addressing important moral and behavioral issues.

Fire and fury by Michael Wolff.  With extraordinary access to the Trump White House, Wolff tells the inside story of the most controversial presidency of our time.

A good man with a dog by Roger Guay.  A game warden’s journey from the woods of Maine to the swamps of New Orleans.

I am, I am, I am by Maggie O’Farrell.  An extraordinary memoir told entirely in near-death experiences from one of Britain’s best-selling novelists.

Let’s talk about sleep by Daniel Barone.  A guide to understanding and improving your slumber.

Norwich by Karen Crouse.  The story of the small Vermont town that has likely produced more Olympians per capita than any other place in the country – and whose citizens provide a model for achieving excellence while leading well-rounded lives.

Young China by Zak Dychtwald.  How the restless generation born after 1990 will change their country and the world.

FICTION – Picture Books:

Bad mood and the stick by Lemony Snicket

Bear and Chicken by Jannie Ho

Big book of Paw Patrol by Mary Tillworth

Big umbrella by Amy June Bates

Chewie and the Porgs by Kevin Shinick

Dear girl by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Don’t forget Dexter! by Lindsay Ward

If my moon was your sun by Andreas Steinhofel

Kate, who tamed the wind by Liz Garton Scanlon

Little Mouse’s big breakfast by Christine Pym

New LiBEARian by Alison Donald

Pete the Cat: big Easter adventure by James Dean

Runaway baby brother by Katy Hudson

Surprise! by Mike Henson

This is the chick by Wendy Hartmann

Very very very long dog by Julia Patton

JUVENILE CHAPTER BOOKS

Heart and mind of Frances Pauley by April Stevens

Lost rainforest : Mez’s magic by Eliot Schrefer

Love sugar magic: a dash of trouble by Anna Meriano

Wishmakers by Tyler Whitesides

JUVENILE NON-FICTION

Can I touch your hair? : poems of race, mistakes, and friendship by Irene Latham

Girl who drew butterflies : how Maria Merian’s art changed science by Joyce Sidman

Hidden figures : the true story of four black women and the space race by Margot Lee Shetterly

Impact! asteroids and the science of saving the world by Elizabeth Rusch

Life on Surtsey : Iceland’s upstart island by Loree Griffin Burns

Made for each other : why dogs and people are perfect partners by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent

Muddy boots : outdoor activities for children by Liza Gardner Walsh

My book of rocks and minerals by Devin Dennie

Out of the box by Jemma Westing

Snowy owl invasion! : tracking an unusual migration by Sandra Markle

Spiders! strange and wonderful by Laurence Pringle

Juvenile Graphic Novels

5 worlds : the sand warrior by Mark Siegel

Aphrodite : goddess of love by George O’Connor

Ares : bringer of war by George O’Connor

Brave by Svetlana Chmakova

The Mutts spring diaries by Patrick McDonnell

Poseidon : earth shaker by George O’Connor

JUVENILE DVDs

Dinosaur train : dinosaurs are different (2015) PBS Kids

The Jetsons & WWE : Robo-Wrestlemania (2017) starring Jeff Bergman and Trevor Devall

The nut job (2014) starring Will Arnett and Katherine Heigl

The stray : a true story (2018) starring Sarah Lancaster and Michael Cassidy

We’re going on a bear hunt (2018) Norton Herrick, film producer and Joanna Harrison, film director.

Wonder (2018) starring Julia Roberts and Jacob Tremblay

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

 

FICTION:

City of endless night by Douglas Preston.  One of the best in the Pendergast series – tense and tightly wound, with death relentlessly circling, stalking, lurking behind every shadow.  A New York City detective and an F.B.I. special agent track down a killer who decapitates numerous victims.

Cry your way home by Damien Walters.  This collection of subversive short horror pieces focuses on the ways girls and women, particularly mothers and daughters, intentionally or inadvertently harm one another.

Death below stairs by Jennifer Ashley.  Victorian class lines are crossed when cook Kat Holloway is drawn into a murder that reaches all the way to the throne.

Elmet by Fiona Mozley.  A not-always-gentle giant and his two children live peacefully in the woods, but the push and pull of old forces will eventually find them, and the results will be explosive.

Fools and mortals by Bernard Cornwell.  In this delightful departure from his popular military historicals, Cornwell conducts a boisterous behind-the-scenes romp through the often sordid world of the Elizabethan stage.

Forest dark by Nicole Krauss.  This follows the strange journeys of two American Jews in Israel who experience mysterious transformations while wandering in the desert.

The girls in the picture by Melanie Benjamin.  A fascinating novel of the friendship and creative partnership between two of Hollywood’s earliest female legends – screenwriter Frances Marion and superstar Mary Pickford.

Glory days by Melissa Fraterrigo.  Here is a stark portrait of the painful transitions of 21 century small-town America.

Green by Sam Graham-Felsen.  A novel race and privilege in America that you haven’t seen before:  a coming-of-age story about a life-changing friendship, propelled by an exuberant, unforgettable voice.

Halsey Street by Naima Coster.  A family saga set against the landscape of gentrifying Brooklyn.

Heart Spring Mountain by Robin MacArthur.  A young woman returns to her rural Vermont hometown in the wake of a devastating storm to search for her missing mother and to unravel a powerful family secret.

The immortalists by Chloe Benjamin.  This is a family saga that investigates the question:  If you knew the date of your death, how would you live your life?

The music shop by Rachel Joyce.  This deceptively simple love story is a magical winner that explores the idea that the perfect song can transform one’s life.

The night market by Jonathan Moore.  A sharp and scary near-future thriller that delivers a dark message about society’s love affair with technology.

Now that you mention it by Kristan Higgins.  When a fateful moment requires Nora to return home to Maine after having made a life for herself in Boston, she must decide whether staying is worth sticking around to hear some hard truths.

Operator Down by Brad Taylor.  Pike Logan’s search for a Mossad agent and ally puts him on a collision course with a ruthless military coup in Africa – and tests his loyalties to the Task Force.

Peculiar ground by Lucy Hughes-Hallett.  This is a great English country house novel, spanning three centuries, that explores surprisingly timely themes of immigration and exclusion.

Red sky at noon by Simon Sebag Montefiore.  This novel is set during the epic cavalry ride across the hot grasslands outside Stalingrad during the darkest times of World War II.

Robicheaux by James Lee Burke.  A bereaved detective confronts his past and works to clear his name when he becomes a suspect during the investigation into the murder of a man who killed his wife.

Say my name by Allegra Huston.  A middle aged woman has an extramarital affair with a much younger man.

Sing, unburied, sing by Jesmyn Ward.  A 13 year old boy comes of age in Mississippi while his black mother takes him and his toddler sister to pick up their white father, who is getting released from the state penitentiary.

The wanted by Robert Crais.  A single mother hires Elvis Cole to investigate her teenage son who is on the run after a deadly crime spree.

The woman in the window by A.J. Finn.  A twisty, powerful Hitchcockian thriller about an agoraphobic woman who believes she witnessed a crime in a neighboring house.

NEW MUSIC CDs:

2018 Grammy Nominees

Songs of Experience by U2

Lust For Life by Lana Del Rey

The Rest of Our Life by Tim McGraw & Faith Hill

NEW DVDs:

It   (2017) starring Bill Skarsgard

A Late Quartet   (2012) starring Christopher Walken, Catherine Keener, and Philip Seymour Hoffman

Dunkirk   (2017) directed by Christopher Nolan

Strictly Ballroom   (1993) directed by Baz Luhrmann

Weeds: Season one and two starring Mary-Louise Parker

Nurse Jackie: Season 1 starring Edie Falco

Scavenger Hunt    (1979) starring Richard Benjamin, James Coco, and Ruth Gordon

NONFICTION:

The boy who really, really wanted to have sex by John McNally.  Subtitled “The memoir of a fat kid”, this gives readers an honest and often mischievous look at the author’s working-class childhood in Midwestern America.

The Dogist puppies by Elias Friedman.  An endearing look at puppies.

50 things to do in Maine before you die by Nancy Griffin.  The ultimate to-do list for Mainers and visitors alike.

How Maine changed the world by Nancy Griffin.  This reflects upon the contributions Maine has made that have had significant cultural and historical impacts on both the US and the world.

The joy of acrylic painting by Annie Gonzales.  Expressive painting techniques for beginners.

Maine: life in a day by Susan Conley.  Gathering the work of 50 photographers, this captures the day to day lives of ordinary Mainers.

Remodelista by Julie Carlson.  Simple, stylish storage ideas for all over the organized home.

So you want to talk about race by Ijeoma Oluo. The author explores the complex reality of today’s racial landscape – from white privilege and police brutality to systemic discrimination and the Black Lives Matter movement – offering clarity that readers need to contribute to the dismantling of the racial divide.

Stop here, this is the place by Susan Conley.  Through Susan’s recollections of moments from her childhood and the ongoing lives of her children, we’re reminded of our own childhoods, and of the necessity to stop and pay attention, to hold on.

Tell me more by Kelly Corrigan.  Stories about the 12 hardest things we have to learn to say such as “I was wrong,” “I know,” and “I love you”.

Treating people well by Lea Berman.  The extraordinary power of civility at work and in life.

The truth matters by Bruce Bartlett. A citizen’s guide to separating facts from lies and stopping fake news in its tracks.

The ultimate instant pot pressure cooker cookbook by Ella Sanders.  200 easy foolproof recipes.

Women and power by Mary Beard.  A look at the roots of misogyny and its manifestations today.

You need a budget by Jesse Mecham.  A proven system for breaking the paycheck to paycheck cycle, getting out of debt, and living the life you want.

New Children’s Books for February 2018

FICTION

Click, clack, moo! I love you by Doreen Cronin

Come home already! by Jory John

Dreadful tale of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken

How to find and elephant by Kate Banks

Journey under the sea by R.A. Montgomery

Library book by Tom Chapin

Love by Matt de la Pena

Magic for sale by Carrie Clickard

Real McCoys by Matthew Swanson

Secret of the ninja by Jay Leibold

Space and beyond by R.A. Montgomery

Surf monkeys by Jay Leibold

Survivor diaries: avalanche! by Terry Lynn Johnson

Valensteins by Ethan Long

NON-FICTION

Lindsey Vonn by Eric Braun

Many: the diversity of life on earth by Nicola Davies

Michael Phelps by Grace Hansen

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: the case of R.B.G. vs. Inequality by Jonah Winter

Simone Biles by Grace Hansen

Strongest man in the world: the legend of Louis Cyr by Lucie Papineau

Super Bowl: chasing football immortality by Matt Doeden

You wouldn’t want to live without bacteria by Roger Canavan

You wouldn’t want to live without boogers by Alex Woolf

You wouldn’t want to live without clocks and calendars! by Fiona Macdonald

You wouldn’t want to live without dentists! by Fiona Macdonald

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