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The Bride's House by Sandra Dallas
General Fiction
F Dallas
Seventeen-year-old Nealie flees an abusive home and starts fresh in a Colorado boomtown in the 1880's. She finds love and heartache, and eventually becomes the mistress of the Bride's House. Nealie's daughter and granddaughter eventually inherit and find love in the magical house through three generations of living. A heartfelt and moving novel of family, love and the triumph of the human spirit.
Submitted by Joni Kohagen 2/12
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The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
Fantasy
F Pratchett
Wizard school dropout Rincewind tries to mind his own business and stay out of dangerous situations, but he gets forcibly recruited to serve as escort and bodyguard for Discworld's first tourist, helpless but enthusiastic Twoflower and his man-eating luggage. Meanwhile the gods gamble with the lives of their chosen heroes, and Death is very put out that Rincewind keeps missing appointments with him. Cracked and hilarious, perfect for fans of Douglas Adams.
Submitted by Sara Weikel 2/12
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Copper Beach by Jayne Ann Krentz
Paranormal Romance
F Krentz
In Copper Beach, Abby Radwell and Sam Coppersmith use their unique talents to find a murderer and preserve her Abby's life and Sam's legacy. Another great Krentz novel with fascinating yet flawed characters and an interesting back story. This is the first in a new trilogy called "Dark Legacy".
Submitted by Trish Hull 2/12
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Ed King by David Guterson
General Fiction
F Guterson
The author of Snow Falling on Cedars gives us a wild bumper-car ride of a story this time. Oedipus/Icarus, Sibyl, Pythia (and Humbert Humbert) incarnate in a Google-ish world. Power, sex and hubris combine for wickedly funny, fast moving entertainment.
Submitted by Lee Alexander 2/12
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A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer
Historical Fiction
F Belfer
Shortly after Pearl Harbor, reporter Clara Shipley finds herself on top of the nation's most important story--the race to discover penicillin. When a researcher dies under suspicious circumstances, Clara puts herself in the center of danger to find the killer. Great character development and historical interest.
Submitted by Lorraine Jeffery 2/12
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The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Young Adult
YF Carson
Elisa is the second daughter born to a small kingdom and the keeper of a sacred Godstone given once every hundred years to a chosen vessel by the gods. But she feels inadequate and unsure of what her divine role is supposed to be. Being forced into an arranged marriage for an alliance is only the beginning of her adventure when she is taken and must fight for her new kingdom. The desert setting is fantastic, and Elisa is a wonderfully vivid character among an equally memorable cast. I love the fact it is not hidden that she is overweight, something truly unique for a fantasy heroine and something I wouldn't mind seeing more of. I also love that her religion plays an integral role without falling to the trope of fanaticism or becoming pedantic. It is a great beginning to a promising trilogy while feeling almost complete on its own.
Submitted by Heather Zundel 2/12
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The Great Train Robbery by Michael Crichton
General Fiction
F Crichton
Edward Pierce easily navigates Victorian London's dual worlds of lavish wealth and appalling poverty. Rich, handsome, and ingenious, he charms the city's VIPs even as he plots the crime of his century, the daring theft of a fortune in gold. Based on remarkable fact, this story is alive with the gripping suspense and surprise; a classic, breathtaking adventure that races along tracks of steel at breakneck speed.
Submitted by Bonnie Bradford 2/12
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The Language of Flowers by
Vanessa Diffenbaugh
General Fiction
F Diffenbaugh
The Victorian language of flowers becomes the language of a modern struggling young woman. Freed from a traumatic life in the foster care system and homeless, Victoria lands a job as a florist because of her raw talent for flower arranging. She discovers friendship, family, love, and a tenuous inner healing and peace through the study and practical application of the language of flowers. The exquisitely told story of her remarkable journey into adulthood is haunting, yet beautiful.
Submitted by Danette Hantla 2/12
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Making Toast: A Family Story by Roger Rosenblatt
Nonfiction
306.874 Ros
A small, exquisite memoir of a reconfigured family struggling with a terrible loss, with grace, dignity and love. Following the sudden death of their adult daughter, journalist and author, Rosenblatt and his wife, Ginny, move in with their son-in-law to help take care of their three young grandchildren. Never sympathy seeking, the author offers sharp insights as he and his wife go through the mundane tasks of their new life: chauffeuring children, reading bedtime stories, and making toast to the exacting standards of an eighteen-month old. A follow-up memoir, Kayak Morning, has just been released.
Submitted by Lee Alexander 2/12
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The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
Young Adult
YF Avo
Winning numerous prestigious awards including a Newbery Honor and the Beehive Award and with a feature film slated for release in 2014, this riveting and swashbuckling tale pulls the reader right into the life of a 13-year-old girl who will be, "...accused of murder, brought to trial and found guilty..." onboard a mutinous transatlantic ship in 1832.
Submitted by James Irwin 2/12
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