BPL Blog
Posted by JGranatino on Wed, Mar 08
Insurance investigator, Ryan Monahan is on the job again. This time he is looking for a reason not to pay on the 5 million dollar double indemnity life insurance policy Ana Bacon took out on herself. Ana was married to Tom Bacon, who was working as a stock trader when he made a horrible mistake that cost him his job. Her administrative assistant position was not pulling in enough money for them to maintain their lifestyle. And yet somehow, they are on a cruise to the Bahamas and Ana falls...
Posted by JGranatino on Tue, Mar 07
Globetrotting author Christine Toomey traveled 60,000 miles in the course of two years, from San Francisco to Kathmandu, in order to interview women who have chosen to be Buddhist nuns. Though they have adopted different forms of Buddhist practice and may live either in monastic settings or in the wider community, they are united in their dedication to pursuing enlightenment for themselves and all beings. In telling the inspiring journeys of these women from widely-varying backgrounds and...
Posted by JGranatino on Tue, Mar 07
In 1971, an arranged marriage brought Sabeeha Rehman from Pakistan to New York City. From her charming descriptions of Pakistani marriage customs and traditional family life to her lively -- and often funny -- tales of her adjustment to American life, her memoir is a page turner. Rehman’s timely account highlights the difficulties immigrant families face in trying to remain faithful to their most cherished cultural and religious values while integrating successfully into their adopted land. At...
Posted by JGranatino on Mon, Mar 06
Zeba lived the ordinary life of a housewife in Afghanistan, cooking and caring for her four surviving children and husband. One day everything changed. Her children came home from school to the smell of dinner burning on an untended stove, and her son ran out to the backyard to find his mother nearly catatonic and his father dead with a bloody axe nearby. Afghani justice is harsh and soon Zeba finds herself awaiting trial in prison, her children sent to an aunt's home. Despite the best efforts...
Posted by JGranatino on Mon, Mar 06
Four women on a girls’ trip fend for their lives after a white water rafting adventure goes awry. Suddenly they are without their raft, supplies and their guide. To make matters worse, they now find themselves alone in the Maine wilderness at least 25 miles from civilization. Left to struggle with the elements and a menacing presence that is threatening their lives. the women must keep their wits to figure out if they can escape to safety. If you enjoy thrill seeking adventure stories, this...
Posted by JGranatino on Mon, Feb 27
Jenny Offill has created a unique story of a marriage through brief anecdotes over several years. Starting off with a young woman beginning a career, boyfriends, marriage, the birth of a daughter and a betrayal, Offill allows the reader to feel the character's emotions as her thought processes from colicky babies>sleep deprivation>studies on cats with sleep deprivation who went crazy. The title comes from a series of letters postmarked "Dept of Speculation" from wife to husband, a code...
Posted by JGranatino on Mon, Feb 06
Annalee, devoted wife and mother of two, is missing. When a swatch of fabric from her nightgown is found snagged on a branch overhanging the river, her family fears the worst. Lianna, taking leave from college, blames herself - after all, her mother was a known sleepwalker and Lianna was supposed to monitor her mother while her father was away at a conference. As she delves into her mother's last weeks, Lianna uncovers family secrets that may even suggest murder. Plot twists and reveals keep...
Posted by JGranatino on Sun, Feb 05
Eight Flavors follows the exploration by Sarah Lohman into the history of cuisine in the United States. It’s a fascinating look on how eight flavors: garlic, Sriracha, black pepper, MSG, curry powder, chili powder, vanilla, and soy sauce have influenced American cooking in the past and present and will continue to in the future. The American palate has been defined not only by chefs but merchants, botanists, writers, farmers, and explorers from...
Posted by JGranatino on Wed, Feb 01
Shari Lapena’s debut suspense novel, The Couple Next Door, pulls you in from the first page and takes you on a fast paced ride through so many plot twists and turns it is difficult to put the book down. Anne and Marco Conti are going through a parent’s worst nightmare. Their six month old daughter, Cora has been kidnapped while they were at a dinner hosted by the couple next door. And to make matters worse, Anne and Marco have done the unforgiven; they left their baby home alone while dining...
Posted by JGranatino on Wed, Feb 01
Bill Hodges, a hardened "Det Ret" or retired detective, has too much time on his hands. Time to think about the sacrifices made because of his job, time to think about the hours of nothing to do stretching ahead of him, time to think about unsolved cases such as the Mercedes Killer. But Brady Hartsfeld, who orchestrated the massacre, is ready to strike again and this time, he wants Bill. King has created a memorable cast of characters and twisted plots as Hodges is pulled back into solving the...
