Barrington Public Library
Staff Picks 2
You asked for it, so here
it is! More picks from the Barrington Library staff of their
favorite books. You will find a wide range of books worth
discovering, enjoying, and passing along to others. My
thanks to the Barrington staff who helped compile and
prepare Staff Picks 2. Happy reading!
Debbie Barchi, Library Director
Want to print this list out to take
with you? View the pdf
version [requires the free
acrobat reader program]
Fiction:
Baker,
Kage. Black Projects, White Knights: the Company
Dossiers. Fantasy short stories about immortal
workers laboring for their 24th century “masters”
and the hapless “mortals” they bump into and manipulate
along the way. Intelligent and funny.
Barr, Nevada. Flashback.
This is the latest book in Barr’s excellent mystery series
featuring Park Ranger Anna Pigeon. While stationed in Dry
Tortugas National Park, Pigeon spends her time reading
letters written by her great-great aunt (who lived in the
park during the Civil War), and solving her own mystery.
Beauman, Sally. Rebecca’s Tale.
In the famous novel Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier, the
title character is seen as evil and manipulative. In this
book another side of Rebecca emerges to present a very
different interpretation of the story.
Booth, Stephen. Black Dog.
The first book in a series of gritty crime novels set in the
Peak District of England. It introduces Detective Constable
Ben Cooper and his new partner Dianne Fry, whose style
completely clashes with his own.
Bowen, Rhys. Murphy’s Law.
Molly Murphy, an Irish immigrant in New York City, is a
suspect in a murder she did not commit and is determined to
find the killer herself.
Buchan, Elizabeth. Revenge of the
Middle-Aged Woman. Living well is the best revenge
for a London book review editor who loses both husband and
job to her conniving assistant in this sophisticated and
satisfying novel.
Carr, Caleb. The Alienist.
Set in 1896 New York City, an alienist (psychologist) is
consulted in a serial killer case. The seamy side of New
York City is graphically depicted.
Connell, Evan. Mrs. Bridge.
Mr. Bridge. Companion novels that constitute a
“tour de force” of storytelling. The first tells of a matron
entombed in her role as a Kansas City upper-class matron
between the wars. The second reveals the inmost secrets of
the constrained and cautious man who loves her.
Dallas, Sandra. The Chili Queen.
In the late 1800’s a kindhearted Madame, owner of a thriving
Southwestern brothel, takes in a remarkably naïve young
women and tries to keep her from learning about the
business.
Dew, Robb Forman. Fortunate
Lives. An ordinary family spends a summer getting
ready to send their only remaining child off to college and
must confront and accept its past.
Evanovich, Janet. One for the
Money. New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum
solves a crime surrounded by the zaniest cast of characters
ever to appear in a mystery series. If you think this one is
funny, read the rest of the series!
Farrington, Tim. The Monk
Downstairs. A single mother rents her basement
apartment to a monk who has left his order after serving in
it for 20 years. A tale of friendship, love and starting
over.
Grafton, Sue. A is for Alibi.
California private eye Kinsey Millhone makes her debut in
this mystery novel. The plot revolves around her attempt to
exonerate her client—a convicted murderess.
Greene, Graham. Travels With My
Aunt. Can Graham Greene be funny? Read this book
about a staid middle-aged man who gets caught up in the
crazy affairs of his elderly aunt and her young lover to
find out!
Gunesekera, Romesh. The Reef.
A delicious coming-of-age novel told from the perspective of
a houseboy in 1970’s era Sri Lanka. A Booker Prize nominee.
Harrod Eagles, Cynthia.
Orchestrated Death. A British inspector, struggling
with a deteriorating marriage, tries to solve the murder of
a young woman while developing an attraction to the deceased
woman’s friend. First book in the Inspector Bill Slider
series.
Hartley, L.P. The Go-Between.
The Boer War looms forbiddingly in this tale of an innocent
young boy who unwittingly acts as a messenger for an
aristocratic young woman involved in a steamy affair with a
good looking farmer.
Hearn, Lian. Across the
Nightingale Floor. Book one of “Tales of the Otori”.
This elegant, beautifully written fantasy novel is set in a
world that greatly resembles feudal Japan. The fantasy
element concerns a “tribe” of gifted men and women whose
magical talents place them outside the system, while their
stubborn loyalties call them into it time and time again.
(The other two books in the series are Grass for His
Pillow and a projected third volume, Brilliance of
the Moon.)
Hill, Susan. The Woman in Black.
A chilling tale set on the lonely moors in which a young
lawyer is quite literally haunted by the presence of a
wraithlike, evil woman dressed entirely in black.
Hughes, Langston. The Ways of
White Folks. Open your eyes to the golden age of
Harlem in the Roaring Twenties and to the reality of race
relations in America.
Jiles, Paulette. Enemy Women.
A Missouri family is torn apart by Union soldiers and the
oldest daughter ends up in a women’s prison in St. Louis. A
harrowing tale of love and survival in a very dangerous
time.
Johnston, Wayne. The Colony of
Unrequited Dreams. This novel, based on the life of
an extremely controversial figure in Newfoundland history
will: a) leave you spellbound b) make you want to research
the protagonist and c) go on vacation to Newfoundland!
Kafka, Franz. The Metamorphosis
and Other Stories. The title story only takes a
half hour to read, but may change the way you see other
people and yourself forever.
Mc Call Smith, Alexander. The
No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. In this delightfully
written mystery novel, a young woman who has inherited money
uses it to start a successful detective agency in Botswana.
Mason, A.E.W. The Four Feathers.
When a young soldier in late Victorian England resigns his
commission on the eve of combat, his three friends and his
fiancé send him four white feathers. A moving tale of the
destructive power of self-doubt and the redemptive power of
love and courage.
Mistry, Rohinton. A Fine Balance.
A vast, intricately told tale of India in which four low
caste people throw their lots in together to survive
crushing poverty. Although this novel tells of horrific
poverty and struggle, it ultimately leaves the reader
marveling at the human spirit.
Moon, Elizabeth. The Speed of
Dark. This science fiction novel set in the near
future centers on the hard choice that faces its autistic
hero—should he embrace his unique perceptions, or accept a
neural makeover that will leave him changed in his very
essence? The author knows her territory here. She is an
acclaimed science fiction and fantasy writer whose son is
autistic. Both parts of her life support her in telling this
story with remarkable power and grace.
O' Brien, Tim. In the Lake of the
Woods. This riveting novel, set in Minnesota,
employs an unusual method of chronology, which keeps readers
on their toes. It ends with an unsolved mystery that will
leave the reader wondering about the outcome long after the
book is finished.
O’Connell, Brendan. The Young
Wan. A prequel about the youth of the feisty and
irrepressible Agnes Browne, made famous through O’Connell’s
popular Irish stories.
Ondaatje, Michael. In the Skin of
a Lion. Some of the most beautiful words in the
English language are contained in this work by the author of
The English Patient. The plot is secondary to the lyrical
nature of Ondaatje's prose, but nonetheless totally
compelling.
Potok, Chaim. My Name is Asher
Lev. Potok exposes the closed world of the Hasidic
Jewish community in New York City and the inner world of
Asher Lev, the protagonist. This classic is an absolute must
read.
Price, Reynolds. Roxanna Slade.
A Southern woman looks back over her one hundred year life,
an ordinary life with struggles and triumphs. It is Price's
writing that beguiles us.
Proulx, Annie. The Shipping News.
Set in Newfoundland, this is the tale of hapless Quoyle,
raising his daughters and working as a newspaper columnist
in a small town populated with quirky and generous people.
Pym, Barbara. No Fond Return of
Love. Another delightful confection by Barbara Pym,
who shows that opportunities for love abound even in the
most unlikely places and among the most unlikely people.
Roy, Arundati. God of Small
Things. Magical prose is reason enough to savor
this short novel of a family tragedy in a small village in
India.
Satterthwait, Walter. Escapade.
This ingenious mystery set in the 1920’s on an English
country estate, pits Harry Houdini and his friend Arthur
Conan Doyle against a clever killer in a classic locked room
murder.
Sayers, Dorothy. The Documents
in the Case. A Dorothy Sayers mystery, but without
Lord Peter Whimsey to solve a cold blooded case of poisoning
that throws everyone under suspicion of murder.
Schnitzler, Arthur. Night Games.
Freud believed that Schnitzler was one of the greatest
writers of his generation when it came to exploring the dark
mysteries of the human psyche, and of people who want to do
right but often do not.
Shea, Suzanne Strempek. Lily of
the Valley. A very funny story about a young woman
whose dreams of finding love and of fulfilling herself as an
artist are not quite going according to plan.
Swift, Graham. Last Orders.
A Booker Prize winner, this at once humorous and melancholy
novel tells of a group of World War II comrades who come
together many years later to take the ashes of one of their
group from London to be scattered in the sea.
Von Arnim, Elizabeth. Enchanted
April. Four women of various ages and social
backgrounds travel to a warm and idyllic villa in Italy and
try to solve their problems of loneliness and love.
Vreeland, Susan. The Passion of
Artemisia. A young woman, in an arranged marriage
to an artist, discovers her own artistic talent. This
talent, once found, clashes with her family life and the
morals of the time.
Waugh, Evelyn. Brideshead
Revisited. Neither immense wealth, aristocratic
family connections nor the love of his friends seem to be
able to save a handsome young man bent on self-destruction.
Weisberger, Lauren. The Devil
Wears Prada. This much-hyped book does in fact live
up to its reputation. A lively and engaging work that will
invariably remain a classic beach read for many years.
Winspear, Jacqueline. Maisie
Dobbs. Ten years after serving as a nurse in World
War I, Maisie Dobbs starts her own investigation agency in
London and her first case opens up wounds from the past.
Hopefully this will be the start of new series featuring
Dobbs and her assistant Billy Beale.
Yoshimoto, Banana. Lizard.
This collection of short stories set in Japan serves as an
introduction to the engaging fiction of Yoshimoto, one of
Japan's most popular authors.
Nonfiction:
Baker, Russell. Growing Up.
The genial host of Masterpiece Theater writes of his youth
with the same warmth and charm he demonstrates in front of a
television camera.
Beer, Edith Hahn. The Nazi
Officer's Wife: How One Jewish Woman Survived the Holocaust.
This biography will keep you enraptured from page one. A
must-read for any WWII or Jewish history buff.
Bourdain, Anthony. Kitchen
Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly.
You will love this feisty behind-the-scenes view of the
restaurant biz.
Eire, Carlos. Waiting for Snow
in Havana: Confessions of a Cuban Boy. One of the
best memoirs ever, this narrative has a lovely vigor and
fidelity to boyhood preoccupations that is extremely
refreshing. The underlying drama waiting to cut Eire’s
charmed childhood short is a big and violent one—Castro’s
wholesale takeover of Cuban society.
Howard, Michael Eliot. The First
World War. This little book is an absolute gem.
Howard explains the major parts of WWI concisely, with
fabulous illustrations, maps and text. A great book to brush
up on forgotten high school history, especially if you are
European-vacation bound.
Lauck, Jennifer. Blackbird: A
Childhood Lost and Found. Lauck tells a story of a
childhood going from bad to worse in this affecting memoir.
Yet there is a tremendous satisfaction and inspiration in
watching her beat the odds by sheer grit and determination.
(The sequel, titled Still Waters, is as interesting
and gripping as the first installment.)
Mitchell, Joseph. Up In the Old
Hotel. These wonderful character studies of the
famous, the infamous, and the just plain down and out of New
York City read as smoothly as the best fiction, but with the
added punch of being completely, often very disturbingly,
true.
Nuland, Sherwin. Lost in
America: a Journey with My Father. A physician
stalled by depression is forced to look closely at the
childhood years he spent in close company with his angry,
ill father. In the process he uncovers a closely held family
secret and is able to rediscover his love for his father and
move on.
Roth, Philip. Patrimony.
Not the usual Roth fare, he recounts his father's final
illness with tenderness, wit and vulnerability.
Sobel, Dava. Galileo’s Daughter.
This volume contains the actual letters sent to Galileo from
his daughter, who spent nearly her entire life in a convent.
They are filled with love, intelligence, and compassionate
support for her famous, often-beleaguered father.
Weldon, Fay. Auto da Fay: a
Memoir. Brilliant, witty and sometimes decidedly
perverse English novelist Fay Weldon weaves a spell with
this telling of her life story. Her novels are wonderful;
what a pleasure to get a closer look at the well-spring and
source of them all.
Weller, Sheila. Dancing at
Ciro’s: a Family’s Love, Loss and Scandal On the Sunset
Strip. This page-turner of a memoir gives the
reader a glimpse into the dazzling world of a popular
Hollywood nightclub in the middle decades of the twentieth
century. But public glitz is marred by personal tragedy as
Sheila Weller seamlessly weaves a history of the American
nightclub into the saga of an unforgettable family—her own.
