November Reading Brings a Drop in Participation

As a district our numbers are:

12 people
44 books
12,051 pages

How did it break down you ask?

FV- 4 people, 17 books, 5412 pages

HP- 2 people, 8 books, 1770 pages

MC- 6 people, 19 books, 4869 pages.


Books we read:

The Winter King by Alys Clare
A Rumpole Christmas by John Mortimer
Friendly Game of Murder by J J Murphy
Buckingham Palace Gardens by Anne Perry
Defend or Betray by Anne Perry
The Hyde Park Headsman by Anne Perry
Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco
Six Degrees of Separation by John Guare
The Return by Hakan Nesser
The Target by David Baldacci
Eye to Eye: The Photographs of Vivian Maier
The Long Way Home by Louise Penny
Shifting Shadows by Mercy Thompson
The Walking Dead vol. 21 by Robert Kirkham
Stolen by Kelly Armstrong
The Walking Dead vol. 22 by Robert Kirkham
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J K Rowling
Shadow Traffic by Richard Burgin
Killer by Johnathon Kellerman
Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
Fox Tracks by Rita Mae Brown
The Garden Party by Katherine Manfield
A New York Christmas by Anne Perry
The Anatomy Lesson by Nina Siegal
Gilead by Marilyn Robinson
Eleven Pipers Piping by C C Benison
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Monogram Murders by Agatha Christie
The Handsome Man's Deluxe Cafe by Alexander McCall Smith
The Christmas Wedding Ring by Susan Mallery
Ho-Ho-Homicide by Kaitlyn Dunnett
Murder and Moonshine by Carol Miller
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche
China Dolls by Lisa See
In Praise of Doubt by Peter Berger
Degrees of Allegiance by Petra DeWitt
J S Bach's Johanine Theology by Eric Chafe
The Manger is Empty by Walter Wangerin
Questions of Faith by Peter Berger
Documentation by Robert Hauptman
Michaelangelo: A Life in Six Masterpieces by Miles Unger
Pegasus Descending by James L Burke
Some Luck by Jane Smiley
No Place to Hide by Glen Greenwald

China Dolls by Lisa See

I picked up China Dolls because I had enjoyed Lisa See's breathtaking novel Snow Flower and the Secret Fan set in the exotic world of traditional nineteenth-century China, and the more recent Shanghai Girls and Dreams of Joy, which chronicle the lives of two sisters caught up in China's perilous leap to modernity. In China Dolls, three women of Asian descent but very different backgrounds become friends as they struggle to work as nightclub and stage performers in San Francisco in the years just before and during World War II. Personally, although the book was interesting as light reading material, I didn't find it to be as richly detailed or emotionally satisfying as the other novels.

Miriam’s Way by Cissy Lacks

This is the story of 13 year-old Miriam Kornitsky’s courageous five-year survival in the forests of White Russia. The year is 1941 and her father insists that she and her older cousin Sonia hide in the forest from the advancing German soldiers. He warns her to trust no one. Her cousin is shot and killed when they ventured out of the forest to find food and water. Now on her own, Miriam relies on the survival lessons her father taught her as a young child. During the summers she survives on berries, weeds and tubers. In the winter she ventures out to find molasses cubes in barns outside the forest never staying long enough to get caught.  At first she finds plenty of clothing from the dead who did not escape the repeated firing from German soldiers on the ground and from above. 

After five years in the forest Miriam discovers that the war is over. She is befriended by a young Russian girl whose family nurses her back to health. Few people who escaped into the Polish and Russian forests survived but Miriam did.  Her determination to live is a wonderful testament to the human spirit.  This is a heartwarming story for both teens and adults.  In the late 1950’s Miriam and her husband settled in St. Louis where she lives today.

Martha Henderson/Meramec

How to Read a Book

     For over two decades this book has sat on my shelf with a bookmark sticking out the top. I got about a third of the way through. I was too busy--reading.  Adler and van Doren's book is a true classic. It first appeared in 1940 and continues in print, with subsequent revised editions. I'm sure there is sage advice here. After all, these were the guys who came out with The Great Books of the Western World series. Topics such as "Levels of Reading," "How to Be a Demanding Reader," and "How to Read Philosophy" are covered.



  



                                                                                                    HumHuHHFF

Human nature being what it is, though, we all have our own ways of doing things and too often we think our way is superior. (Maybe that's why I didn't finish Adler and van Doren?) So, I offer here my own "How to Read a Book."  (Don't feel bad if you don't finish reading this blog post.) Disclaimer: I have FDD--Fiction Deficit Disorder, so this method is skewed toward non-fiction.

1) Consume caffeine steadily while reading; it aids comprehension. Coffee or tea for non-fiction, Coke for literary fiction, Mountain Dew for all other fiction. Save wine for your book group.

2) Sit comfortably.

3) Sit beneath good lighting.

4) Use three bookmarks: one for your place, one for your place in the Endnotes, and one for your place in the Bibliography.  No Endnotes and Bibliography? Choose a different book.

5) Read the Introduction. (Have you skipped an Introduction at some point in your life? Then, if Catholic or Eastern Orthodox, read five long Introductions for penance; if Episcopalian or Lutheran, tell your best friend you once skipped an Introduction and move on. All other Protestants: try not to wallow in guilt. If Jewish, this is a non-issue; you always read Introductions--as do Unitarians, Agnostics, and Atheists.  All other world religions: just try to get in the habit.)

6) Read the Bibliography. If you own the book, place a checkmark by those items you have already read. Place a line by those you would like to read. Don't forget to refer to this two years later when you are in a dry spell and can't find a good book to read.

7) Minimize background noise, although either the Chopin Nocturnes or John Rutter's Requiem are suitable for evening reading. Slow jazz is a distraction--especially for non-literary fiction.

8) If you own the book, underline salient points or quotable material. Then note the page number in the back of the book with a word or phrase to jog your memory a decade later.

9) If you do not own the book, take notes on either college rule notebook paper (wide rule is unacceptable; it makes you look elementary, my dear Watson) or on cheap printer paper. Save your 100% cotton rag for serious letters or people you want to impress.

10) If consuming food while reading, use a book weight. This allows you to read "hands free"--at least for a couple pages, avoiding accidents. The book weight is to reading what the blow dryer is to hair styling.

11) If you thoroughly enjoyed the book, send the author a "thank you" note. Sometimes they will write back. Two notes tucked in their books I particularly appreciated were from Joseph Epstein and Fritz Stern. (If you're really lucky, when the author passes on, you can auction the note at Sotheby's and retire early. Note: this should not be your sole or even main motive for expressing gratitude.)

12) If it is a truly outstanding tome, look for the author's e-mail address, either in the book or online and send an e-mail of gratitude. You will have made someone's day brighter and often will receive a reply. Here is an example:

 

Thanks  for the compliment, and may all of  the books you read be golden.  S0

From: Brazeal, Jana S. [mailto:JBrazeal@stlcc.edu]
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2012 10:20 AM
To: Ozment, Steven
Subject: Thank you

Dear Prof. Ozment,

Thank you very much for your excellent and accessible scholarship. I have read, with pleasure, about five of your books over the years—beginning with Age of Reform. I am currently reading A Mighty Fortress and I’m looking forward to reading your book about Luther and Cranach.

You have given the gift of intellectual enjoyment to a Reference Librarian in St. Louis, MO.

Vielen Dank!

Jana Proske Brazeal

  

The above method does not pretend to be comprehensive nor "The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading" ala Adler and van Doren, but it is a lot shorter than their 419-pages of How to Read a Book.  May all the books you read be feasts for the mind and soul.



Girl in Hyacinth Blue

The novel Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland traces a fictional 17th century Dutch painting from its present owner, the schoolteacher son of an SS functionary who looted it from a Jewish home, back to its genesis in the brushstrokes of the offspring-laden Vermeer. I am spoiling this for you, dear reader, in so many ways, but I myself came into the novel unaware of this structure. Imagine my confusion as the third chapter began, but I quickly caught on. It was still delightfully disconcerting at the beginning of every chapter to be transported back a period and then brought up in time to where the previous chapter had begun. Along the way, Vreeland explores the history and landscape of the Netherlands through the various voices of her characters.

I picked this book up because someone chose it for my monthly book/wine club. That is probably why I was unaware of what it was about and how it was constructed when I began reading. I finished it to preserve my honor in book club and because I almost always finish a book that I start. However, it wasn’t a chore. It was a lovely read, particularly as an interlude between the textbooks I’m reading this month. I have already recommended the book to my walking/reading co-worker Monica! I hope she reads the book before she reads this review.

The image I’m sharing here is NOT the painting in the novel, which, as I mentioned, is fictional (as far as I can determine). I chose it because of the color blue that figures throughout the novel. Image credit: akg-images / Universal Images Group. Vermeer / Woman in blue / c.1663/1664 Vermeer, Jan (Johannes), called Vermeer van Delft, 1632-1675. 'Woman in blue reading a letter', c.1663/1664. Oil on canvas, 56.6 x 39.1cm. Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum.

Our September Numbers Have Been Reported and Tallied...

The Numbers for the District Look Like This...

 

 

15 People

72 Books

18,326 Pages

 

 

 

 

Let me break it down for you, shall I?

 

FV                    HP                    MC

 

4                       4                         7               people

 

18                     18                       36             books

 

5902                 4922                  7502          pages

 

 

For those that like to see what is being read.....

 

The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman

Bonk! The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

Son of Bitch by Elliot Erwitt

The Storied Life of A J Fickry by Gabrielle Zevin

Personal by Lee Child

Stieg Larson's The Girl Who Played with Fire, graphic novel adapted by Denise Mina

The Hilton's: The True Story of an American Dynasty by J Randy Tanaborelli

A Dangerous Mourning by Anne Perry

Dark Assassin by Anne Perry

Funeral in Blue by Anne Perry

Pentecost Alley by Anne Perry

The Shifting Tide by Anne Perry

The Silent Cry by Anne Perry

Traitor's Gate by Anne Perry

Weighed in the Balance by Anne Perry

The Kept by James Scott

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Joni: The Creative Odyssey of Joni Mitchell by Katherine Monk

Light of the World by James Lee Burke

Is Water H2O? by Hasok Chang

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

How to Live, or A Life of Montaigne by Sarah Bakewell

Blues Mandolin Man: The Life and Music of Yank Rachell by Richard Congress

Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich

Do Not Sell at Any Price: The Wild, Obsessive Hunt for the World's Rarest 78RPM Records by Amanda Petrusich

Wild Tales: A Rock and Roll Life by Graham Nash

Night Film by Marisha Pessl

An Event in Autum by Henning Mankell

Death Comes to Pemberly by P D James

The Girl in the Road by Monica Byrne

The Devil in the White City by Eric Larson

Ruby: A Novel by Cynthia Bond

Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser

Rogue with a Brogue by Suzanne Enoch

How the Scoundrel Seduces by Sabrina Jeffries

Soldier's Heart by Leslie Lynn

Suitor by Mary Balogh

Stormy Persuasion by Johanna Lindsey

Miss Miranda's Marriage by Claire Lorel

Rake's Redemption by Leslie Lynn

Loving Rose by Stephanie Lauren

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

The Great Green Heist by Varian Johnson

Statute of Limitations by Tamar Myers

A Week at the Airport by Alain de Botton

Dreams of the Reiki Shaman by Jim Pathfinder

Hopscotch by Brian Garfield

The Cat Whisperer by Mieshelle Nagelschneider

Just Tell Me What to Eat by Timothy S Harlan

Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Book of Common Prayer

Caring and Curing: Health and Medicine in Western Religious Traditions

The Manger is Empty by Walter Wangerin

Prague Panoramas by Cynthia Paces

I Saw Heaven Opened by Michael Wilcock

Warring Maidens, Captive Wives and Hussite Queens by John M Klassen

Rosie's Project by Graeme Simsion

Mirian's Way by Cissy Lacks

 

 



Paw and Order

Paw and Order by Spencer Quinn

It’s so much fun to read the Chet and Bernie series, which started with Dog On It, mainly because we get to see things from the point of view of a big, loveable, easily-distracted dog. Paw and Order is the seventh in the series about Bernie Little, private detective, and his partner Chet the dog. Chet’s internal dialogue is believable and full of humor. He sometimes picks up clues that others miss, but he leaves the thinking to Bernie, who is – in Chet’s opinion –always the smartest person in the room. In Paw and Order, the duo head to Washington, DC to patch things up with Bernie’s reporter girlfriend Suzie and wind up investigating the murder of one of her sources. The book stands alone, so if you haven’t read the others, don’t let that stop you from enjoying this one.
~jhovis

AUGUST NUMBERS ARE FINALLY IN

Alright gang, I'm just going to lay out the numbers this time around.  If anyone wants a list of books read, contact me and I'll get that out to you. 

18 PEOPLE READ

61 BOOKS, FOR A TOTAL OF

20,121 PAGES

FV                                  HP                                 MC                                 WW

5 people                         4 people                         8 people                       1 person

17 books                       13 books                        26 books                        5 books

7341 pages                   3641 pages                   7376 pages                    1763 pages

No Abby this time around. 

JULY NUMBERS HVE FINALLY ARRIVED

Well, it took a while, but I finally have our numbers for the month of July.  In the district we had: 

14 people 

54 books

16320 pages

The break down by campus:

 FV

4 people, 11 books, 3267 pages

HP

4 people, 16 books, 5281 pages

MC

5 people, 22 books, 6009 pages

W

1 person, 5 books, 1763 pages

Books read:

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

Lucky Us by Amy Bloom

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

The Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor Part 2 by Robert Kirkman

Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J K Rowling

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

Quest for Reality by Merton B Osborn

Espresso Tales by Alexander McCall Smith

The Bees by Laline Paul

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

The Dark Side by Jane Mayer

The Gravedigger's Daughter by Joyce Carol Oates

Kindred by Octavia E Butler

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

Another Time, Another Life: The Story of a Crime by Leif GW Perrson

Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich

Harper's (June 2014)

Gay Nineties Melodramas by Lawrence M Brings

Black Lies, Red Blood by Kjell Erikson

Eleven on Top by Janet Evanovich

The Whole Enchilada by Diane Mott Davidson

When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago

The Little Girls by Elizabeth Brown

The Quick by Lauren Owen

The Arsonist by Sue Miller

The Silent Wife by A.S.A Harrison

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

Slaves in the Family by Edward Ball

Nonpareil by Dawn Lindsey

Treasured by Candace Camp

Proper Proposal by Dawn Lindsey

Impromptu Charade by Isobel Linton

Margaret Truman's Undiplomatic Murder by Donald Baur

Escape by Mary Balogh

The Arrangement by Mary Balogh

Tuesday the Rabbi Saw Red by Harry Kemelman

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

Cat Sitter's Nine Lives by John clement

Waverly by Sir Walter Scott

Emma by Jane Austen

Being Dead is no Excuse

Jeeves and the Wedding Bells by Sebastian Faulks

O Pioneers by Willa Cather

Badenheim, 1939 by Aharon Appelfeld

The Preached God by Gerhard Forde

Marriages and Infidelities by Joyce Carol Oates

Redeemer: The Life of Jimmy Carter by Randall Balmer

Accidental Species by Henry Gee

Plover by Brian Doyle

June Numbers Are Here

Well, our numbers for the month of June aren't as cute as the baby on the left, but it's what we're stuck with.  Actually the numbers look pretty good, especially when you consider some of our participation numbers are a bit down.  I was noticing at one of the campuses we only have one full time employee participating regularly.  It would be nice if that were to change once the Fall semester begins.  Okay, here's where we stand as a district...

16 people
85 books
23,413 pages

That's a mighty nice page count we got there.  Think what we could do if everyone jumped on board!


Numbers by campus are as follows:

FV:
4 people
21 books
6821 pages

HP:
4 people
19 books
4119 pages

MC:
7 people
40 books
10929 pages

WW:
1 person
5 books
1544 pages


Books we read:

Let's Just Say it Wasn't Pretty by Diane Keaton
Accused by Lisa Scottoline
King & Maxwell by David Baldacci
Where Nobody Knows Your Name: Life in the Minor Leagus of Baseball by John Feinstein
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
The First Phone Call From Heaven by Mitch Albom
The Complete Short Novels by Anton Chekhov
The Spanish Queen by Carolly Erickson
Mythology & History in the Great Paintings of the Prado by Rosa Lopez Torrijos
Bluegate Fields by Anne Perry
Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry
Rutland Place by Anne Perry
A Day in the Life of Spain by Rick Smolan and David Cohen
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
River Marked by Patricia Briggs
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J K Rowling
The Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor Part 1 by Robert Kirkman
The Walking Dead Vol. 20: All Out War, Part 1 by Robert Kirkman
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Mudwoman by Joyce Carol Oates
Seven Up by Janet Evanovich
Free Falling as if in a Dream by Leif G W Persson
Kill or Cure: An Illustrated History of Medicine by Steve Parker
Harper's (May 2014)
Why We Left: Untold Stories and Songs of America's First Immigrants by Joanna Brooks
The Sun (March 2013)
Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich
Ravens in the Storm: A Personal History of the 1960s Antiwar Movement by Carl Oglesby
Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler
A Fair Maiden by Joyce Carol Oates
Dust by Patricia Cornwell
To the Nines by Janet Evanovich
A Colony of the World: The United States Today by Eugene J McCarthy
Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit
Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
A Dark and Twisted Tide by Sharon Bolton
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Masterful Mr. Montague by Stephanie Laurens
Scandalous Adventures of the Sister of the Bride by Victoria Alexander
Otherwise Engaged by Amanda Quick
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
Sarah Gives Thanks by Barbara Walsh
Notorious Lady by Dawn Lindsey
Accidental Duchess by Madeline Hunter
Spider Woman's Daughter by Anne Hillerman
The Circle by Dave Eggers
Magnificent Yankee by Emmet Lavery
Not Quite a Wife by Mary Jo Putney
Delicious by Ruth Reichl
Educate Your Brain by Kathy Brown
Yarn Over Murder by Maggie Sefton
History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor
By Its Cover by Donna Leon
Art Made From Books by Laura Heyenga
Traveling Through Illinois by LuAnn Cadden
Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn
The Devil You Know by Liz Carlyle
Gilt Trip by Laura Childs
Ghost Gone Wild by Carolyn Hart
The Director by David Ignatius
Newman's Own Cookbook by Paul Newman
Rain Gods by James Lee Burke
Idiot America: How Stupidity Became a Virtue in the Land of the Free by Charles P Pierce
Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly Whittemore
The Paid Companion by Amanda Quick
Dark Aemilia: A Novel of Shakespeare's Dark Lady by Sally O'Reilly
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

THE MAY TOTALS ARE IN

The Summer semester has started and we may lose some readers.  Those that don't get to take the summer off are jealous of those that do.  At least I am.  LOL  Hopefully they will all come back to us with long lists of books read. 


As a district we had:     17 people reading
                                      68 books, for a total of
                                      21,365  pages read  

FV:  5 people, 19 books, 7237 pages
HP:  4 people, 11 books, 3711 pages
MC:  7 people, 33 books, 8459 pages
W:    1 person, 5 books, 1958 pages

Wanna know what your colleagues read?  Here ya go:

A Dance with Dragons by George R R Martin
Kinslayer by Jay Kristoff
Bye, Bye, Kitty! By David Elliott
Without Remorse by Tom Clancy
Heat Rises by Richard Castle
Frozen Heat by Richard Castle
Diamond Solitaire by Peter Lovesey
The One I Left Behind by Jennifer McMahon
Deadly Heat by Richard Castle
The Everything Store by Brad Stone
Chalk Girl by Carol O’Connell
Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
Acceptable Loss by Anne Perry
Blind Justice by Anne Perry
Resurrection Row by Anne Perry
A Sunless Sea by Anne Perry
Treason at Lisson Grove by Anne Perry
The Whitechapel Conspiracy by Anne Perry
Death’s Dark Shadow by Sally Spencer
The Kill Room by Jeffrey Deaver
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Hot Six by Janet Evanovich
The Son by Jo Nesbo
The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh
The Sun (Feb. 2013)
Canada by Robert Ford
Affliction by Lauren K Hamilton
Skinny Legs and All by Tom Robbins
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Gone by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
Seven Up by Janet Evanovich
Aunt Dimitry and the Wishing Well by Nancy Atherton
Otley Forever by Martin Waddell
Rake’s Wager by Miranda Jarrett
Embarking on Murder by Sue Wright
Here Comes the Bride by Pamela Morsi
Roy G Biv by Jude Stewart
On Looking by Alexandra Horowitz
Miss Julia’s Marvelous Makeover by Ann Ross
Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett
Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen
Knitting Yarns by Ann Hood
Journey to Topaz by Yoshiko Uchida
Flashpoint by Suzanne Brockmann
The Director by David Ignatius
Devil You Know by Liz Carlyle
Not Quite a Wife by Mary Jo Putney
After I’m Gone by Laura Lippman
Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick
Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O’Nan
If You Were Here by Alafair Burke
Dead Water by Ann Cleeves
In Paradise by Peter Matthiessen
Laws of Our Fathers by Scott Turrow
Lutheran spirituality by Robert Baker
Living the Resurrection by Eugene Peterson
The Mill and the Cross by Francis Gibson
The Lost German East by Andrew Demshuk
Between the Flowers by Harriette Simpson Arnow
Just What Kind of Mother Are You by Paula Daly
The Secret Rooms by Catherine Bailey
Fallen by Karin Slaughter
The Fountain Overflows by Rebecca West

April Showers Brought Out Some Readers

More rainy days ahead.  Makes for good reading weather.  So, here are our numbers for the month of March...

20 people
90 books
24833 pages

Not bad for a bunch of college librarians at the end of the semester.  :-)

Wanna know what your colleagues are reading?  Well, I'll tell you....




Are You There Alone: The Unspeakable Crime of Andrea Yates by Suzanne O'Malley
The Liar's Club by Mary Karr
In Too Deep by Jayne Ann Krentz
Fired Up by Jayne Ann Krentz
Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey
Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey
Skinwalker by Faith Hunter
Bio-Spirituality: Focusing on a Way to Grow by Peter A Campbell and Edwin M McMahon
The Good Lord Bird by James McBride
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Three Can Keep a Secret by Archer Mayer
The Secret Man by Bob Woodward
Sycamore Row by Joh Grisham
The Son by Philip Meyer
What's So Funny by Tim Conway
Force of Nature by C J Box
Apathy for the Devil: A Seventies Memoir by Nick Kent
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs
Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs
Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs
All Over Creation by Ruth Ozeki
He Who Kills the Dragon by Leif G Persson
The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh
Midnight at Marble Arch by Anne Perry
The Stranger by Albert Camus
High Five by Janet Evanovich
City of Scoundrels by Gary Krist
Critical Mass by Sara Paretsky

Rise of the Warrior Cop by Radley Balko
Love and Terror on the Howling Plains of Nowhere: A Memoir by Poe Ballantine
Tenth of December by George Saunders
Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro
Christmas Party by Russell Banks
Calling Me Home: Graham Parsons and the Roots of Country Rock by Bob Kealing
The Kill Room by Jeffery Deaver
Norwegian By Night by Derek Miller
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe
Saints of the Shadow Bible by Ian Rankin
Permanent Member of the Family by Russell Banks
Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare
Surrender of a Siren by Tessa Dare
Lady of Persuasion by Tessa Dare
After I'm Gone by Laura Lippman
The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis
Frog Music by Emma Donohue
Glass Rainbow by James Lee Burke
Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor
The Question that Never Goes Away by Philip Yancey
Lutheran Spirituality by Robert Baker
Living the Resurrection by Eugene Peterson
Born to Darkness by Suzanne Brockmann
Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews
Resonate by Nancy Duarte
The Returned by Jason Mott
Department of Speculation
Days of Wine Roquefort by Avery Aames
Murder for Christmas by Thomas Godfrey
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie by Liz Wolfe
Sound Book by Trevor Cox
Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R L LaFevers
Murder is no Mitzvah by Abigail Browning
City of Darkness and Light by Rhys Bowen
Death of a Policeman by M C Beaton
Blackberry Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
Taming of Ryder Cavanaugh by Stephanie Laurens
The Dead in Their Vaulted Archers Alan Bradley
In the Woods by Tana French
The Ninth Life of Louis Drax by Liz Jensen
Sarah Canary by Karen Joy Fowler
Destroyer Angel by Nevada Barr
Goiants in the Earth by O E Rolvaag
The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon
The Child Thief by Dan Smith