Devil Darling Spy by Matt Killeen
Title: Devil Darling Spy
Author: Matt Killeen
Review:
What would happen to you if you were Jewish orphan Nazi Germany? More than likely you would be sent to a concentration camp and killed. Not Sarah. She became a spy, part of a resistance that was trying to hunt down a crazed German doctor. A doctor who was bent on creating the perfect germ warfare. Through Sarah’s quest to find him, she and her companions must go through central Africa where she sees the horrors of colonization that the allies and the Nazi brought upon the people and the land. This was a page turner that chilled me to the bone.
Review by: Julie
How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan
Title: How to Change Your Mind
Author: Michael Pollan
Review:
If you haven’t seen what’s changed with the subject of psychedelics since the 1960’s, then take a look at this book for an update to the field. There is promising research being done on the therapeutic benefits of many plants and compounds once only thought of in terms of hippies and counter culture. Times have changed. Pollan takes us on his quest to understand each one both scientifically and personally.
Review by: Ben
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
Title: A Curse So Dark and Lonely
Author:
Review: Calling all fairy tale lovers! Following the traditional story line of the old-timey folktale “Beauty and the Beast”, we follow Rhen and Harper as they embark on the romantic journey we as kids learned to love. When Harper is kidnapped and taken to a world where cell phones don’t work, kings and queens still rule the land of Emberfall, and an evil monster lurks, she thinks she must be dreaming. But when Emberfall falls in danger, Harper must decide whose side she’s on and whether Rhen is worth risking her life over. This book is impossibly perfect and it exceeded my expectations one hundred times over. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.
Review by: Jodie
Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
Title: Dear Edward
Author: Ann Napolitano
Review:
Twelve year old Edward and his family board a plane headed to Los Angeles. The plane crashes and Edward is the sole survivor. We follow Edward as he copes with the aftermath of losing his entire family and deals with the fame of being the only survivor of the 184 passengers aboard the plane. Alternately, the details of the plane and the stories of the other passengers reveal what happened on that day. This is a wonderful story of human resilience after tragedy.
Review by: Jannelle
Where She Fell by Kaitlin Ward
Title: Where She Fell
Author: Kaitlin Ward
Review:
Eliza, an aspiring geologist, has grown up hearing about people being swallowed by sinkholes near her home. Legend has it that those people fall into a vast cave system and join an underground society, but Eliza knows you simply couldn't survive in such a situation. That is until she finds herself in that very predicament. Determined to make it home to her family, Eliza finds herself battling creatures, forming friendships, and drawing on every geographical fact she's ever learned in order to escape.
Review by: Bethany
Me by Elton John
Title: Me
Author: Elton John
Review:
Elton John's story is one that could only be told by Elton John himself. His life is laid out in every last poignant, dramatic, and comedic detail. His trademark personality and one-of-a-kind style oozes through the pages in this rollercoaster of an autobiography.
Review by: Devon
Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton
Title: Hollow Kingdom
Author: Kira Jane Buxton
Review:
Everything was great until his eyeball fell out.
Big Jim and his raven, S.T., live a humble life in Seattle when one summer's day Big Jim is suddenly afflicted by some disease.
S.T., being a resourceful bird, sets out on a mission to cure Big Jim before it's too late to save him; however he soon finds out Big Jim's not the only one affected.
How's a domesticated crow supposed to survive in world where humans are suddenly replaced by something far worse?
Review by: Chandler
Rustic Joyful Food by Danielle Kartes
Title: Rustic Joyful Food
Author: Danielle Kartes
Review:
This cookbook is so much more than just a cookbook! Stories, insights and back stories make this a book you will want to read before you even try a recipe. But once you do you’ll have a hard time deciding which one to try these are all simple plain language that anyone can understand and follow and they are so creative that your family will love to help you in the kitchen! So get one for the cook in your family. Even if that cook is you!
Review by: Julie
Stay Sexy and Don't get Murdered
Title: Stay Sexy and Don't get Murdered
Author: Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff
Review:
From the hit podcast, "My Favorite Murder" comes a book filled with Georgia and Karen's best advice when it comes to life and not getting murdered. With both humor and personal experiences, they walk through their most popular catchphrases from the podcast and show us how it can change lives. Through their expert advice I have learned that it's never a good idea to go in the forest and that murderinos need to stick together even if everyone else thinks we're crazy. If you're interested in true crime and you love a good laugh, not only do I recommend their podcast, but I highly suggest picking up this book.
Review by: Jodie
Breaking Ground by Jan Hall
Title: Breaking Ground
Author: Jan Hall
Review:
Architecture has an effect on us all, even if we don’t realize it. What good architects do many times is to show us how the built environment can be full of unique possibilities.
This book features women architects who have given us visions of the possible and structures that inspire.
Review by: Ben
Today We Go Home by Kelli Estes
Title: Today We Go Home
Author: Kelli Estes
Review: After tragedy strikes her unit in Afghanistan, Larkin Bennet returns to her home in Washington to recover from the experience and the loss of her best friend and fellow soldier, Sarah.
Among Sarah’s possessions she discovers a diary belonging to an ancestor, Emily, who disguised as a man, fought as a soldier in the Civil War.
The story draws travels between the war Emily fought in and the experiences Larkin endured as a soldier in Afghanistan.
An interesting read from the standpoint of history as well as the female perspective on a life of the soldier.
Review by: Dianne
Hungry College Student Cookbook
Title: Hungry College Student Cookbook
Review:
Do you have a limited budget? Cooking skills that could use some improvement? This cookbook has recipes for everyone and is particularly useful for those of us in college. With a wide variety of foods to choose from and easy-to-follow instructions, this is my favorite cookbook to use. The roasted potatoes on page 109 and the chicken with peanut sauce on page 117 are two of my favorite recipes!
Review by: Bethany
The Grip of It by Jac Jemc
Title: The Grip of It
Author: Jac Jemc
Review:
A young couple moves out of the city, trying to escape their former vices, and they end up unknowingly purchasing a haunted house. This book isn't terrifying in a conventional way - it maintains a constant level of tension and suspense without easing up. This book is a wonderfully unsettling page turner for fans of psychological horror.
Review by: Devon
After the Flood by Kassandra Montag
Title: After the Flood
Author: Kassandra Montag
Review:
The world is flooding. As the waters rise, people must migrate to higher ground. During the last great surge of waters, Myra’s husband, Jacob, kidnaps their 5 year old daughter, Row, and leaves. Myra, 7 months pregnant, is left behind with her father. This story follows the quest of a mother in search of her daughter in a new, increasingly hostile world. Fans of The Road and The Handmaid’s Tale will love this debut novel.
Review by: Jannelle
I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day
Title: I Can Make This Promise
Author: Christine Day
Review:
Based in the Pacific North West, this story is loosely based on the author’s own life. All Edith knows about her Native culture and family history was that her mother was adopted. But one day she finds an old box on her attic containing old letters and photographs of a women also named Edith. Could these letters and photographs give Edith the answers she’s looking for?
This book is targeted for young readers and touches on the impact that the government has had on Native American family and communities.
Review by: Rubi
Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America
Title: Kaufman Field Guide to Birds of North America
Author: Kenn Kaufman
Review:
What I like most about this bird guide is that the map is opposite the bird on each page. The colored backgrounds help orient you as well as make it easy on the eyes, especially in bright sun.
A perfect size to take to the field, this is the one I always grab when I go out birding.
Review by: Ben
The Warehouse by Rob Hart
Title: The Warehouse
Author: Rob Hart
Review: Paxton and Zinnia meet on their first day of training at Cloud, a giant tech company that has taken over the American economy. What they don’t realize is that they are both there for very different reasons. Paxton has run out of options outside and has finally traded in his entrepreneur visions for the bland security of working for Cloud. Zinnia has been hired to infiltrate Cloud to find any weaknesses that may bring down the giant corporation. What will happen when they both discover the truth behind Cloud is bigger than they could have imagined. This is a near future thriller that is too easy to envision in our own future.
Review by: Jannelle
Twenty One Days by Anne Perry
Title: Twenty One Days
Author: Anne Perry
Review:
For fans of the Thomas Pitt series, this will be good news. The author has carried us into the next generation with the same excellent writing.
Introducing Daniel Pitt, Attorney, and son of Charlotte and Thomas Pitt. With some surprising and disturbing information regarding well known characters, Daniel Pitt attempts to clear the names of trusted and loved family friends. At the same time, he is striving to prove himself as a new attorney amongst the established barristers.
Review by: Dianne
City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab
Title: City of Ghosts
Author: Victoria Schwab
Review:
Cassidy Blake experiences the world differently than everyone else in her life. Since being revived after drowning, she can see ghosts. In fact, her best friend is a ghost. Though she's learned to cope with seeing the dead, she is all but thrilled when her parents take her to Edinburgh to film a documentary on haunted places. Cass learns very quickly that her ability comes with great risks. The first book in an exciting new series, City of Bones was a fun and adventurous book that I couldn't put down.
Review by: Bethany
Cilka's Journey by Heather Morris
Title: Cilka's Journey
Author: Heather Morris
Review:
"Cilka's Journey" by Heather Morris is about a young, Jewish woman who has just been released from Auschwitz, where she was set apart from the other women in the camp for her beauty. The reader enters the story when she is being sentenced 15 years of hard labor by the Russians for sleeping with the enemy. While this story is filled with the trials and sorrow that surrounded Cilka, Morris also does a great job at capturing the deeply touching moments that Cilka gets to be a part of despite the unfairness of her situation. "Cilka's Journey" was an inspiration to me and it goes to show that even in death and destruction, we can always find a little friendship, love, and hope wherever we go.
Review by: Jodie