| Staff Reviews and New Releases
Adult Fiction
 This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash
From Kathy: I loved Wiley Cash's first book, A Land More Kind Than Home, so I was anxious to read this second novel. I was not disappointed! Twelve-year-old Easter and her six-year-old sister Ruby are caught in the foster care system in Gastonia, North Carolina. Their father, Wade, is an ex-minor league baseball player who signed away his legal custodial rights, even though he always said he would take care of them. One night he shows up and takes the girls on the run with him. Searching for them are the court appointed guardian, Brady Weller, and a thug named Robert Pruitt, who has an old vendetta to find Wade and claim what he's owed. This is a thriller, but you will want to take your time because the writing is so rich and full of evocative detail. I especially loved the quote by Jess Walters (author of Beautiful Ruins) describing This Dark Road to Mercy as "Harper Lee by way of Elmore Leonard." List price: $25.99. Our price: $20.79
Alena by Rachel Pastan
From Karen: In this haunting novel, reminiscent of Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca, a young art curator accepts a position at a remote Cape Cod museum, replacing her predecessor, Alena, whose mysterious disappearance continues to haunt her enigmatic employer, handsome Bernard Augustin. A great read for those who love art, mystery and the beauty of Cape Cod! List price: $27.95. Our price: $22.36
 Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick
From Vicky: I adored this quirky feel-good love story by the author of the huge bestseller, The Silver Linings Playbook, about a 38 year old man, Bartholomew Neil, who has lived his whole life with his mother until her death. Bartholomew suddenly finds himself alone, grieving and searching for connection. With the aid of a grief counselor, he decides to start with two small goals: to have a drink in a bar with a buddy and go on a date with a girl. The girl he has in mind is the "girlbrarian" at the library where he spends most of his days. The book is told mainly in a series of letters Bartholomew writes to the actor Richard Gere, his mother's favorite actor, after he finds a form letter to "Free Tibet" from Gere in his mother's room. Bartholomew soon gathers around him a whole "flock" of quirky, lovable characters as they embark together on a road trip to Canada. Matthew Quick is such a wonderful author and he makes you fall in love with Bartholomew and the people around him in this heartwarming gem of a book. Exciting news! We have a limited number of signed copies available! List price: $25.99. Our price: $20.79
 I Always Loved You by Robin Oliveira
A novel of Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas's great romance from the bestselling author of My Name Is Mary Sutter. The young Mary Cassatt never thought moving to Paris after the Civil War to be an artist was going to be easy, but when, after a decade of work, her submission to the Paris Salon is rejected, Mary's fierce determination wavers. Her father is begging her to return to Philadelphia to find a husband before it is too late, her sister Lydia is falling mysteriously ill, and worse, Mary is beginning to doubt herself. Then one evening a friend introduces her to Edgar Degas and her life changes forever. Years later she will learn that he had begged for the introduction, but in that moment their meeting seems a miracle. So begins the defining period of her life and the most tempestuous of relationships. List price: $27.95. Our price: $22.36 (Available February 4)
 Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan
Under the Wide and Starry Sky chronicles the unconventional love affair of Scottish literary giant Robert Louis Stevenson, author of classics including Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and American divorcee Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne. They meet in rural France in 1875, when Fanny, having run away from her philandering husband back in California, takes refuge there with her children. Stevenson too is escaping from his life, running from family pressure to become a lawyer. And so begins a turbulent love affair that will last two decades and span the world. List price $26.00 Our price $20.80
North of Boston by Elisabeth Elo
From Elizabeth S.: This fast-paced mystery starts with a lobster boat and ocean freighter colliding and the main character surviving in the frigid Atlantic waters for hours. Protagonist Pirio Kasparov is a legitimately unusual heroine for a thriller. She isn't in law enforcement or a private eye. Instead she's a former bad girl who hasn't quite figured out adulthood yet, waiting to inherit her family business, marking time and being a best friend to her self-destructive trust fund pal, Thomasina, the girlfriend of the lobster boat captain who is killed in the collision.
Great descriptions of the city of Boston make it a fun read for locals and out of towners alike. Fans of Denis Lehane and James Patterson's Women's Murder Mysteries will enjoy this book. List price $27.95. Our price: $22.36
 The Wife the Maid and the Mistress by Areil Lawhon
From Elizabeth S. This captivating mystery is based on the real life disappearance of New York Supreme Court Judge Joseph Crater in 1930. Told by the three women who knew him best, the book is filled with prohibition mobsters, politicians, speakeasies and show girls. There's a jaw dropping ending. I could not put it down! List price: $25.95. Our price: $20.76
 Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quinlen
Quindlen's seventh novel, following Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, is a detailed exploration of creativity and the need for connection. Rebecca Winter is a 60-year-old photographer, who needs a fresh start after her marriage falls apart because her husband trades her in for a younger model. She rents a cabin in the country while subletting her beloved New York City apartment, needing both the money and the space in which to find her creative spark again. Jim Bates, a local roofer who helps her with the challenges of moving into the cottage, becomes a new friend, as does a dog that seems to prefer living with her rather than with its neglectful owner. Rebecca also finds new objects to photograph in the series of homemade wooden crosses she discovers during hikes in the surrounding woods, without realizing their connection to a tragedy in Jim's life. Quindlen has always excelled at capturing telling details in a story, and she does so again in this quiet, powerful novel, showing the charged emotions that teem beneath the surface of daily life. (From Publishers Weekly) List price $26.00. Our price: $20.80.
 The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness
George Duncan is an American living and working in London. At forty-eight, he owns a small print shop, is divorced, and lonelier than he realizes. All of the women with whom he has relationships eventually leave him for being too nice. But one night he is woken by an astonishing sound--a terrific keening, which is coming from somewhere in his garden. When he investigates he finds a great white crane, a bird taller than even himself. It has been shot through the wing with an arrow. Moved more than he can say, George struggles to take out the arrow from the bird's wing, saving its life before it flies away into the night sky.
The next morning, a shaken George tries to go about his daily life, retreating to the back of his store and making cuttings from discarded books--a harmless, personal hobby--when through the front door of the shop a woman walks in. Her name is Kumiko, and she asks George to help her with her own artwork. George is dumbstruck by her beauty and her enigmatic nature, and begins to fall desperately in love with her. She seems to hold the potential to change his entire life, if he could only get her to reveal the secret of who she is and why she has brought her artwork to him. List price $26.95 Our price: $21.56
New in Paperback
 The Son by Philipp Meyer
This is a grand, sweeping Texas family saga you won't be able to put down - or forget! By the author of the bestselling American Rust. Eli McCullough is 12 when he is taken captive by Comanches after they kill his family. He adapts and becomes a fierce warrior, but eventually returns to the white world. He is forced into the Texas Rangers and later fights for the South in the Civil War, eventually founding a huge Texas ranch, which he adds to with the massacre of a distinquished Mexican family, the Garcias. Eli's son Peter rebels against his father after the massacre. In the end, it is Eli's great granddaughter Jeannie who ruthlessly presides over the family ranch and oil and gas wells. This massive novel is filled with fascinating details of life in 19th century Texas, the horrors of war and violence. Historical fiction does not get much better than this! $16.99
 The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan
A perfect light read for Valentine's Day month!! Inside Paris's premiere chocolate shop, sometimes dreams really can come true. It's true that Anna Trent is a supervisor in a chocolate factory...but that doesn't necessarily mean she knows how to make chocolate. And when a fateful accident gives her the opportunity to work at Paris's elite chocolatier Le Chapeau Chocolat, Anna expects to be outed as a fraud. After all, there is a world of difference between chalky, mass-produced English chocolate and the gourmet confections Anna's new boss creates. But with a bit of luck and a lot of patience, Anna might learn that the sweetest things in life are always worth working for. Hopeful, laugh-out-loud funny, and irresistibly addictive, The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris is a novel worth savoring. $14.99
 The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore
This book is delightful, funny, heartwarming and filled with characters you will love! Earl's All-You-Can-Eat diner in Plainview, Indiana is home away from home for Odette, Clarice, and Barbara Jean. Dubbed "The Supremes" by high school pals in the tumultuous 1960s, they've weathered life's storms for over four decades and counseled one another through marriage and children, happiness and the blues. Now, however, they're about to face their most challenging year yet. Proud, talented Clarice is struggling to keep up appearances as she deals with her husband's humiliating infidelities; beautiful Barbara Jean is rocked by the tragic reverberations of a youthful love affair; and fearless Odette is about to embark on the most terrifying battle of her life. $15.00 (Available February 4.)
 Crime of Privilege by Walter Walker
A murder on Cape Cod. A rape in Palm Beach. Both are linked by the presence of one of America's most beloved and influential families - but nobody is asking questions. Not the police. Not the prosecutors. And certainly not George Becket, a young lawyer toiling away in the basement of the Cape & Islands district attorney's office. The investigation brings him deep inside the world of the truly wealthy--and shows him what a perilous place it is. Despite threats at every turn, he is driven to reconstruct the victim's last hours while searching not only for a killer but for his own redemption. A fascinating look into our local justice system! Available February 11th. $15.00
Angelopolis by Danielle Trussoni
In this stunning follow-up to the bestselling novel, Angelology, a decade has passed since Verlaine saw Evangeline alight from the Brooklyn Bridge, the sight of her new wings a betrayal that haunts him still. Now an elite angel hunter for the Society of Angelology, he pursues his mission with single-minded devotion: to capture, imprison, and eliminate her kind. But when Evangeline suddenly appears on a Paris street, Verlaine finds her to be unlike any of the other creatures he so mercilessly pursues, casting him into a spiral of doubt and confusion that only grows when she is abducted before his eyes by a creature who has topped the society's most-wanted list for more than a century. The ensuing chase drives Verlaine and his fellow angelologists from the shadows of the Eiffel Tower to the palaces of St. Petersburg and deep into the provinces of Siberia and the Black Sea coast, where the truth of Evangeline's origins--as well as forces that could restore or annihilate them all--lie in wait. $16.00
 Return to Tradd Street by Karen White
Melanie Middleton is 40, single, and pregnant. She hates old houses, and she hates Jack Trenholm, the father of her baby. She doesn't fit into any of her clothes, and her housekeeper and Jack's teenage daughter, Nola, are conspiring to get her to eat more flax and fiber. The historic house she inherited in Charleston, South Carolina, is haunted, and now some distant relatives of the previous owner have come to contest her right to live there. Then she discovers a 100-year-old infant skeleton in her backyard and a crib in the attic that matches one in Charleston's history museum. Things get weirder from there, but Melanie is used to it; she and her mother have been communing with the dead for years. Madcap paranormal, historical mystery, and small-town romance complete with all the requisite quirky side characters collide. (From Booklist) $15.00
Adult Non-Fiction
 Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala
From Kathy: I first heard about Wave on NPR. The author was calmly reading an excerpt from this book, in which she tells of losing her children, her husband, and her parents in a tsunami on the coast of Sri Lanka. I couldn't imagine how anyone could survive after suffering such a horrible tragedy. This book is so beautifully powerful, I can't recommend it enough. It is devastating, but is also an amazing testament to our ability to endure and continue even in the aftermath of such heart wrenching loss. As Michael Ondaatje called Wave "the most powerful and haunting book I have read in years." $15.00
Magical Journey by Katrina Kenison
From the beloved author of The Gift of an Ordinary Day, this intimate memoir of loss, self-discovery, and growth will resonate deeply with any woman who has ever questioned her own purpose, or wondered, "Do I have what it takes to create something new in my life?" With the candor and warmth, Kenison reflects on the inevitable changes wrought by time: the death of a dear friend, children leaving home, recognition of her own physical vulnerability, and surprising shifts in her marriage. She finds solace in the notion that midlife is also a time of unprecedented opportunity for growth as old roles and responsibilities fall away, and unanticipated possibilities appear on the horizon. $14.00
 Romance is My Day Job: A Memoir of Finding Love at Last by Patience Bloom
A perfect read for Valentine's Day about an unexpected real-life love story. Patience Bloom is an editor at Harlequin Books, the leading publisher of romance novels in the US. She grew up thinking that romance would be like it was in the books she read: That shy guy she had a crush on would sweep her off her feet with witty banter, quiet charm, and a secret life as a rock star. She moved to New York and found her dream job, editing romances for Harlequin. She became an expert on fictional love stories, but she nearly gave up on true love. Then one day a real-life chance at romance made her wonder if what she'd been writing and editing all those years could come true. A message from a high school friend, Sam, sparked a relationship with more promise than she'd had in years. But Sam lived thousands of miles away-they hadn't seen each other in more than twenty years. Was it worth the risk? Would love and romance conquer all? $26.95 Available February 6
 From Elisa: Fresh from the Farm: A Year of Recipes and Stories by Susie Middleton
Fresh from the Farm is part cookbook, part memoir by one of our favorite cookbook authors, Susie Middleton. Susie chronicles a year on her farm on Martha's Vineyard where she grows the inspiration for 125 simple recipes featured in this book. The photographs in the book are sublime and make your mouth water! You'll want to start tilling your garden now just so you can taste these recipes come harvest time. Fresh from the Farm is full of tips for backyard gardeners and contain s four designs to get you started. $28.00
 The Secret Rooms: A True Story of a Haunted Castle, a Plotting Duchess, and a Family Secret by Catherine Bailey
For fans of "Downton Abbey," the enthralling true story of family secrets and aristocratic intrigue in the days before WWI. After the Ninth Duke of Rutland, one of the wealthiest men in Britain, died alone in a cramped room in the servants' quarters of Belvoir Castle on April 21, 1940, his son and heir ordered the room, which contained the Rutland family archives, sealed. Sixty years later, Catherine Bailey became the first historian given access. What she discovered was a mystery: The Duke had painstakingly erased three periods of his life from all family records--but why? As Bailey uncovers the answers, she also provides an intimate portrait of the very top of British society in the turbulent days leading up to World War I. $16.00
Children's Picture Books
We have lots of wonderful children's books for Valentine's Day - picture books, sticker books and activity books. After all, what could be sweeter than sharing a good book with a special child? $1.50-$17.99. And below are some wonderful new releases this month!
 Runaway Hug by Nick Bland and Freya Blackwood
The Runaway Hug is a runaway staff favorite this month!! Highly acclaimed, internationally bestselling picture-book creators Nick Bland and Freya Blackwood collaborate for the first time on this charming story, about a little girl who borrows her mother's last hug and shares it with each member of her family, getting it back each time until her dog, Annie, runs away with it! Will she get it back? Not to worry! A delightful book, beautifully sweetly illustrated. $16.99
 Clara and Davie by Patricia Polacco The true story of Clara Barton. Animals and flowers were Clara's best friends. Whenever Clara talked, her words didn't come out right. As hard as she tried, she could not get over her lisp. Clara's older brother, Davie, understood that his sister was gifted. When folks made fun of Clara's stilted words, Davie was always at her side reminding her that she had a talent for healing creatures. Davie told his sister, "Some day you are going to be a very great lady." And that's exactly what happened. Clara Barton became one of the most famous medical practitioners of all time, and founded the American Red Cross. $17.99  Three Hens and a Peacock by Lester L. Laminack Is there anything funnier than an indignant chicken? Three indigent chickens!! Life on the farm is peaceful until a peacock falls off a truck one day and gets all sorts of attention. When the hardworking hens, tired of being cooped up and ignored, decide to switch jobs with the peacock, nonstop silliness ensues in this laugh-out-loud beautifully illustrated picture book now in paperback. $7.95
Children's Fiction
 Nick and Tesla's Robot Army Rampage: A Mystery with Hoverbots, Bristle Bots, and Other Robots You Can Build Yourself by Bob PflugfelderWhen a rash of robberies hits the town of Half Moon Bay, 11-year-old sleuths Nick and Tesla are determined to catch the criminals--but to do so, they'll have to build a host of new gadgets and gizmos! In this robot-themed follow-up to Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab, the brother-and-sister duo build four different droids out of ordinary household objects--and illustrated instructions are included throughout the story, so you can build them, too! Make bristlebots that buzz, hoverbots that float above the ground, battlebots that duke it out, and more! Can Nick and Tesla catch the criminal mastermind--and foil his army of rampaging robots--before it's too late? Written by "Science Bob" Pflugfelder, an elementary school teacher from Newton, Massachusetts, who has a passion for making science fun and has appeared numerous times on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," "The Dr. Oz Show," "Live with Kelly & Michael." $12.95  Ice Dogs by Terry Lynn Johnson Looking for a really great survival story? This is it! 14 year old Vicky is a dog sledder in Alaska who has been struggling in the year since her father died. . While out with the dogs one day, she comes across an injured young snowmobiler and in her haste to get home, becomes lost as a blizzard approaches. The author is a dog sledder and the book is filled with action, suspense and detailed descriptions of dog sledding. $16.99 Children's Non-Fiction Hippos can't Swim and Other Fun Facts by Laura Lyn Diesiena A wonderful book for young nature lovers! Did you know that hippos can't swim? This hilarious book is full of fun facts about all sorts of animals, from sleepy ants to jellyfish that glow! "Did you know that a zebra's stripes are as unique as a human's fingerprints?" "How about that ants take about 250 naps per day?" "Or that some jellyfish can glow?" Colorful, humorous illustrations accompany tons of cool facts about animals of all shapes, sizes, speeds, and species in this lively book that makes nonfiction fun! And check out Chickens Don't Fly and Other Fun Facts also new by the same author! $17.99 (Available February 4)   Ken Jennings Junior Genius Guides: Maps and Geography and Greek Mythology. Unleash your inner genius and become a master of mythology and geography with these fun, interactive trivia books from "Jeopardy!" champion Ken Jennings.
With great illustrations, cool trivia, and fun quizzes to test your knowledge, these guides will have children on their way to genius status in no time! $7.99  Lucky Dog: Twelve Tales of Rescued Dogs A collection of short stories from favorite authors, all about dogs and the kids who love them. Proceeds will be donated to RedRover, an organization that helps animals in need.
You'll meet Foxtrot, a feisty Pomeranian who can't bear the thought of leaving her best friend. And Beatrice, whose bark is definitely worse than her bite. And then there's Pumpkin, one of the 101 Chihuahuas who turn life at the center upside down. Whether drooling, dueling, or just fooling around, these captivating canines will show you why the dog is kid's best friend! $15.99
This Star Won't Go Out by Esther Earl with Lori and Wayne Earl
Introduction by John Green
Esther Grace Earl wanted to be a writer, but cancer ended her life when she was only 16. Her parents collected this inspiring and poignant collection of her writings from her journals, stories, letters, and sketches. Photographs and essays by family and friends help tell Esther's story along with an introduction by award-winning author John Green, who dedicated his #1 bestselling novel The Fault in Our Stars to Esther.
Wayne and Lori Earl founded the non-profit organization This Star Won't Go Out, whose mission it is to financially assist families struggling through the journey of a child living with cancer. $19.99
 Scar Boys by Len Vlahos
In attempting to describe himself in his college application essay, Harry Jones gives a full account of his life. The first defining moment: the day the neighborhood bullies tied him to a tree during a lightning storm when he was 8 years old. Harry was badly burned and has had to live with physical and emotional scars, reactions from strangers, bullying, and loneliness ever since.
The second defining moment: the day in 8th grade when the handsome, charismatic Johnny rescued him from the bullies and then made the startling suggestion that they start a band together. Harry discovered that playing music transported him out of his nightmare of a world, and he finally had something that compelled people to look beyond his physical appearance. Harry's description of his life in his essay is both humorous and heart-wrenching. $17.99
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Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Pillars of the Earth by Ken
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.
The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher. Family drama at its best! 
Crossing to Safety by
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel
Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough.
Power of One by Bryce Courtenay
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
No Angel 
Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
Book Club
Food and a Book Series
Knitting Club Knitting
Book Talk and Singing with Tracey Bromley Goodwin and Holly Oberacker
