Midnight in Europe by Alan Furst  

A suspenseful, romantic novel of spies and secret operatives in Paris and New York, Warsaw and Odessa, on the eve of World War II. Cristián Ferrar, a brilliant and handsome Spanish émigré, is a lawyer in the Paris office of a prestigious international law firm. Ferrar is approached by the embassy of the Spanish Republic and asked to help a clandestine agency trying desperately to supply weapons to the Republic's army - putting his life at risk!
From shady Paris nightclubs to white-shoe New York law firms, from brothels in Istanbul to the dockyards of Poland, Ferrar and his allies battle the secret agents of Hitler and Franco. And what allies! There's Max de Lyon, a former arms merchant now hunted by the Gestapo; the Marquesa Maria Cristina, a beautiful aristocrat with a taste for danger; and the Macedonian Stavros, who grew up "fighting Bulgarian bandits. After that, being a gangster was easy." Then there is Eileen Moore, the American woman Ferrar could never forget.

Another smart spy thriller from a reliably good author!  Reg. price $27.00, our price $21.60

 Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique  

This is a family saga set in the Virgin Islands, chronicling three generations of a St. Thomas family from 1916 to the 1970's.
In the early 1900s, the Virgin Islands are transferred from Danish to American rule, and an important ship sinks into the Caribbean Sea. Orphaned by the shipwreck are two sisters and their half brother, now faced with an uncertain identity and future. Each of them is unusually beautiful, and each is in possession of a particular magic that will either sink or save them.
With echoes of Toni Morrison, Gabriel García Márquez, and the author's own Caribbean family history, the story is told in a language and rhythm that evokes the Caribbean way of life.  Perfect to read on any beach!  Reg. price $27.95, our price $22.36

Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon 

For fans of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, the wait is over! Gabaldon's eighth installment  has just been released - following a five-year wait since her seventh book, An Echo in the Bone, which ended on quite the cliffhanger!  Written in My Own Heart's Blood continues the story of Jamie and Claire and the other Outlander characters, following them through revolutionary Philadelphia and onto the battlefields. Jamie makes a dramatic return to Claire's side, a new army sweeps the city, and romance and violence brew. This new chapter carries us through betrayal and redemption, death and danger, and the waves of a family's loves and loyalties. We don't think this is the last in the series, however, so stay tuned for more!!  Reg. price $35.00, our price $28.00

The Quick by Lauren Owen 

Part gothic mystery, part Victorian romance, this book will appeal to fans of Anne Rice, The Historian, and The Night Circus! In 1892, a shy poet arrives in London from Oxford and rooms with a charming young aristocrat. His new friend introduces him to high society, where he unexpectedly falls in love. Suddenly, he vanishes without a trace. Alarmed, his sister sets out from their crumbling country estate determined to find him. In her search, she uncovers a dark underside to London, filled with odd characters: a female rope walker turned vigilante, a street urchin with a deadly secret, and the chilling "Doctor Knife." But the answer to her brother's disappearance ultimately lies within the exclusive, secretive Aegolius Club, whose members include the most ambitious, and "bloodthirsty" men in England. This (vampire?!) novel will give you chills on a sunny summer day!! Reg. price $27.00, our price $21.60

 New in Paperback:

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

Just in time for summer, Elizabeth Gilbert's wonderful new historical novel is available in paperback!  We follow the life of brilliant Alma Whittaker as she comes into her own as a botanist. Alma falls in love with an artist who paints gorgeous pictures of orchids. Alma is a clear-minded scientist; Ambrose is a Utopian artist. But they are united in their obsession with the natural world. The Signature of All Things is a big novel; it soars across the globe-from London, to Peru, to Philadelphia, to Tahiti, to Amsterdam and beyond.  A marvelous story of exploration and desire, with a strong woman at the center!  $17.00

Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat 

On her seventh birthday, a girl wakes up in a shack by the sea. She has no mother; her father, a fisherman, is considering giving her away. Interconnected secrets are revealed in this evocative portrayal of life in small-town Haiti. Spellbinding! $15.00

 Longbourn by Jo Baker  

If you are a Jane Austen fan, you will love Jo baker's ingenious Longbourn! This is the imagined "downstairs" life of Pride and Prejudice. Here, the servants take the starring roles.  Sarah, the orphaned housemaid, spends her days scrubbing the laundry, polishing the floors, and emptying the chamber pots for the Bennet household. As we all know, there is just as much romance, heartbreak, and intrigue downstairs at Longbourn as there is upstairs. When a mysterious new footman arrives, the orderly realm of the servants' hall threatens to be completely upended. 

$15.95 

Children of the Jacranda Tree by Sahar Delijani

This novel has been sold in 70 countries around the world, translated into 25 languages, and hailed by Khaled Hosseini, author of And the Mountains Echoed and The Kite Runner, as "a celebration of the human heart's eternal yearning for freedom."
Set in post-revolutionary Iran from 1983 to 2011, Children of the Jacaranda Tree follows a group of mothers, fathers, children, and lovers whose lives are forever changed by the Iranian Revolution and its aftermath.  $15.00   

 Quiet Dell by Jayne Anne Phillips

 Author Jayne Anne Phillips was haunted for more than forty years by the true story of a murderous con man who preyed on widows in the Chicago area in the 1930s. This is a  riveting novel based on those events.
In Chicago in 1931, Asta Eicher, mother of three, is lonely and despairing, pressed for money after the sudden death of her husband. She begins to receive seductive letters from an elegant man named Harry Powers, who promises to cherish and protect her, ultimately to marry her and to care for her and her children. Weeks later, all four Eichers are dead.
Emily Thornhill, one of the few women journalists in the Chicago press, becomes deeply invested in understanding what happened to this family. She goes to West Virginia to cover the murder trial and will stop at nothing to ensure that Powers is convicted. Mesmerizing and deeply moving, Quiet Dell is a tragedy, a love story, and a tale of obsession.   $16.00   

Nonfiction

 

A Spy Among Friends by Ben Macintyre

From Eldon Ziegler (Fran's husband):

A Spy Among Friends is the true story of Englishman Kim Philby, a British intelligence officer, who betrayed friends and family, along with his country, as he spied for the Soviet Union.  Philby was one of the "Cambridge Five" who passed information to the Soviets from their positions within the British government during WWII and into the Cold War. They compromised not only the British but also American intelligence activities.

 

This very readable nonfiction book with its descriptions of Philby's relationships with fellow MI6 agent Nicholas Elliot and James Angleton of the U.S. OSS and CIA should appeal to aficionados of spycraft and the history of that period, even to those who know the Philby story. The apparent ease with which these educated men betrayed their country for many years before being detected leaves one to wonder if we have been told the whole story even now. $27.00

 

 

The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra  by Helen Rappaport

They were the Princess Dianas of their day--perhaps the most photographed and talked about young royals of the early twentieth century. The four Russian Grand Duchesses--Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia Romanov--were much admired for their looks, the clothes they wore and their privileged lifestyle.
Having access to a treasure of previously unpublished diaries and letters, Helen Rappaport paints the grand duchesses as intelligent, sensitive and perceptive witnesses to the turmoil within their immediate family as well as the ominous approach of the Russian Revolution; an event that would sweep their world away, and them along with it.  $27.99   

The bestselling author of Four Fish looks to New York oysters, Gulf shrimp, and Alaskan salmon to tell the surprising story of why Americans no longer eat from local waters. A passionate call to action, Greenberg proposes a way to return American catch back to American eaters. Especially relevant for Cape Codders. $26.95   

Rescue of the Bounty by Michael Tougias

from Carolyn M. Turkstra: 

In his newest book about incredible sea rescue efforts by the U.S. Coast Guard, author Michael Tougias, writing with Douglas A. Campbell, takes his readers on a fateful ocean voyage on the replica tall ship "Bounty." Against all forecasters' warnings, and believing he can circumvent the storm, "Bounty" Captain Robin Walbridge decides to head south with his crew as Hurricane Sandy begins its vicious, destructive path up the northeast coast. In typical fashion with author Tougias, the reader is drawn into the ship's ultimately fatal battle with the monster storm, feeling the timbers creak and the winds scream while the Coast Guard prepares to rescue survivors under unimaginable circumstances.   $24.00    

The Late Starters Orchestra 

by Ari L. Goldman

Ari Goldman hadn't played in twenty-five years, but he decided to give the cello one last chance. He wasn't that good, but that wasn't the point. Knowing he wasn't good enough to play solo, he obtained a seat in his eleven-year-old son's youth orchestra. And then he felt ready for the big time - the Late Starters Orchestra of New York City! The LSO is an actual chamber orchestra for beginning or recently returning adult players. Their motto is "If you think you can play, you can." Goldman is assisted by the ghost of his first cello teacher, Mr. J, who inspired him about music and more. This charming mid-life story reminds us that no matter what your age, if you put your mind to it, anything is possible. You may be inspired to pick up that instrument you started in your youth! $23.95

Cocktails for Book Lovers by Tessa Smith-McGovern

Words and wine, punch and prose: Book clubs regularly discuss literature over cocktails. This clever book pairs the two, offering 50 original and classic cocktail recipes based on works by famous authors. It includes bios, photos, excerpts, and book club suggestions. So dip in, pick the most enticing entry and take a sip, or start at the beginning and work your way through. Authors include: Jane Austen, Flannery O'Connor, Virginia Woolf, Maya Angelou, Patti Smith, and many more!  Sounds like fun to us! $11.99  

Think Like a Freak: The Authors of Freakonomics Offer to Retrain Your Brain  by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner 

Some of the steps toward thinking like a Freak: First, put away your moral compass--because it's hard to see a problem clearly if you've already decided what to do about it. Learn to say "I don't know"--for until you can admit what you don't yet know, it's virtually impossible to learn what you need to. Think like a child--because you'll come up with better ideas and ask better questions. Take a master class in incentives--because for better or worse, incentives rule our world. Learn to persuade people who don't want to be persuaded--because being right is rarely enough to carry the day. Learn to appreciate the upside of quitting--because you can't solve tomorrow's problem if you aren't willing to abandon today's dud.

Levitt and Dubner plainly see the world like no one else. Now we can too. So provocative - and so much fun to read! $28.99

Tibetan Peach Pie: A True Account of an Imaginative Life   

by Tom Robbins

Novelist and American icon Tom Robbins delivers a tale of his wild life and times.

Tom Robbins' wonderfully weird novels -including Still Life With Woodpecker and Jitterbug Perfume - provide a glimpse into his unique imagination. Madcap but sincere, his irreverent novels have introduced some of us lucky readers to characters like natural born hitchhiking cowgirls, born-again monkeys, a philosophizing can of beans, exiled royalty, and problematic redheads.

In Tibetan Peach Pie, Robbins turns inward, with stories of his unconventional life - from his Appalachian childhood to his globe-trotting adventures - told in his unique voice - sweet and sly, spiritual and earthy. The grandchild of Baptist preachers, Robbins led a life as unlikely as those of his characters. He tells stories of Appalachia during the Great Depression, the West Coast during the psychedelic Sixties, takes us roving around the world, and behind the scenes of New York publishing.  Written with the generous comedy and absurdity for which he is known, Tibetan Peach Pie is a fascinating look into the private world of a hip literary legend. $27.99

What's really happening to the girls at St. Joan's? It's senior year and school is a pressure cooker. College applications, the battle for valedictorian, deciphering boys' texts: Through it all, Colleen Rowley and her friends are expected to keep it together. Until they can't. The girls start experiencing strange tics, seizures, hair loss, and violent coughing fits. The symptoms quickly spread to more students.  St. Joan's buzzes with rumor, which blossoms into full-blown panic.
Soon the media descends on Danvers, Massachusetts, as everyone scrambles to find something, or someone, to blame. Pollution? Stress? Or are the girls faking? Only Colleen--who's been reading The Crucible for extra credit--comes to realize what nobody else has: Danvers was once Salem Village, where another group of girls suffered from a similarly bizarre epidemic three centuries ago . . .
Inspired by true events--from seventeenth-century colonial life to the halls of a modern-day high school-Conversion is exciting and suspenseful! ages 12 and up $18.99 

The Glass Sentence by S.E.Grove
In the world of The Glass Sentence, we learn that at the end of the 18th century there was a dramatic interruption of the space-time continuum. People call it the Great Disruption, as it shifted the world's historical periods.  Some regions plunged into prehistory, some were vaulted into the distant future, and still others were left with past, present and future mixing together in a confusing reality.  In this page-turner, we meet Sophia Tims. Sophia comes from a family of explorers and cartologers who have been traveling and mapping the New World. Eight years ago, her parents left her with her uncle Shadrack, the foremost cartologer in Boston, and went on an urgent mission. They never returned. Then Shadrack is kidnapped. Sophia is the only one who can search for him. Together with Theo, a refugee from the West, she travels over rough terrain and uncharted ocean, encounters pirates and traders, and relies on a combination of Shadrack's maps and common sense.  As Sophia and Theo try to save Shadrack's life, they are in danger of losing their own!  This is the first book in The Mapmaker's Trilogy. $17.99

This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
From Vicky: This amazing new graphic novel captures perfectly one summer vacation through they eyes of 12 year old Rose, who is on the cusp of young adulthood.   She spends her days with her summer friend Windy, who is a typical 10 year old.  But things aren't as simple as they used to be for Rose.  Her parents are arguing and the girls become aware that the boy at the local convenience store (whom Rose is beginning to have a crush on) has gotten his girlfriend pregnant. The book captures perfectly in word and image the passage from the relatively simple joys of childhood to the more complex teenage world.  Poignant, funny, and completely unforgettable.  $17.99  (Ages 13 up)

  
Four: A Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth
Complete your Divergent library with Four! This is a companion volume that includes four pre-Divergent stories plus three additional scenes from Divergent, all told from Tobias's point of view. Readers first encountered Tobias as "Four" in Divergent; his voice is an integral part of Allegiant.  The first three pieces in this volume follow Tobias's transfer from Abnegation to Dauntless, his Dauntless initiation, and the first clues that a foul plan is brewing in the leadership of two factions. The fourth story runs parallel with the events of Divergent, giving readers a glimpse into the decisions of loyalty and love that Tobias makes in the weeks after he meets Tris Prior. Includes three exclusive scenes! $17.99  (Available July 8)