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Staff Favorites 2014
This is an exceptional story of France during the Nazi occupation, seen through the eyes of a young blind girl. With superb plotting and compelling characters, this is hands down my favorite read for 2014.
~ Susan, Tim, John
Innovative, engrossing, and a great story, this is one of the finest science fiction novels I've read in years. ~ Tim
When my fellow bookseller, Andrew, told me to read this book, I was a little skeptical at first. I don't usually read about pirates, but I do love to read about food and this turned out to be a winner! Full of action and romance and unusual food! ~ Alison (also recommended by Andrew)
This is the first volume of a mystery trilogy taking place in Belfast during The Troubles. The central character—a Catholic, college-educated Detective Inspector in the Royal Ulster Constabulary—is an enigma to his colleagues. His first big case is a highly political string of murders that rattles the Ulster mafia and challenges the prevailing religious and social morés of both Ian Paisley and the Pope. A compelling, provocative read! ~ Susan
Carol Cassella has done it again! I could not put down this taut medical mystery with bittersweet love stories at the core. When a Jane Doe hit-and-run victim, found by the side of the road on the Olympic Peninsula, is flown to a Seattle hospital after suffering a stroke in surgery, ICU physician Charlotte tries to figure out what went wrong, and why no one has come forward to claim the gravely injured woman. Her efforts are twinned with the back story, having a twist, on how the woman ended up there. The resolution, both sad and hopeful, felt just right. Bravo! ~ Victoria
Jonasson, who delighted us with The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, gives us another glorious romp. It’s a gallop through the life of Nombeko Mayeki—a fourteen-year-old latrine cleaner in Soweto, South Africa—who, because of her intelligence and her agile wit, ends up in Sweden with an unregistered nuclear missile, a twin who doesn’t officially exist, his brother, an idiot, and a sampling of weird and incompetent characters. As with its predecessor, this novel is wickedly absurd. ~ Ann
As this brilliant, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel opens, young Theo survives a New York City terrorist attack that kills his mother and leaves him tormented. In the next few years he journeys from the upper echelons of New York society to the suburbs of Las Vegas, and finally to Amsterdam. As he tries to adapt to each new situation, all the while shielding a secret from the day of the attack, the plot centers on his trauma, longing and regret. A frantic and tense climax creates a path of redemption for Theo. Unforgettable characters, great attention to detail, exquisite writing, and a grand scope combine to make this a rare literary treat. ~ Jane
In this old-fashioned mystery set in a creaky old house at the top of a steep hill, Milo and his family are settling in for a quiet Christmas when unexpected guests start arriving at their smuggler’s inn. Milo solves the puzzle with the help of his new friend, Meddy, and her role-playing game which lets him use detective skills he didn’t even know he had. Perfect for fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society! Ages 10-13. ~ Alison
This is the first book in a magnificent fantasy series, which takes place during the Napoleonic Wars, with the key exception that dragons have been a part of society for a long time. A British Naval captain accidentally captures a dragon egg. Once born, the dragon will accept no one else, and from there a grand adventure begins. Novik has captured the feel of 19th century literature without the denseness, and the sheer amount of thought she’s put into her altered history is both evident and amazing. It’s a thoroughly researched and wholly entertaining series. ~ Jo
The incredible, sometimes heartbreaking story of Noah and Jude, who are twins, is told in alternating voices with powerful, emotional language and multiple plot twists and turns. This one will stay with me for a long time. Amazing! Ages 14 & up. ~ Alison (Also recommended by Victoria)
Winner of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award, this is an utterly absorbing, heartbreaking, and beautiful novel. ~ Tim
ruin the story. Ove is a curmudgeon and a grump whose life is suddenly interrupted by boisterous new neighbors: Pregnant Parveneh and her husband Patrick who, Ove notes, can’t even back up a trailer successfully. Ove is cantankerous. He has no patience with imperfection. He snaps at pleasantries. He rages against those who ignore the rules. And he’s an absolute delight. This is my favorite novel so far this year. ~ Ann
The first Mars landing has been aborted and all but one person has made it off the planet. Mark Watney is alone on Mars. It’s dark, cold, airless, and chances are he will die long before anyone even thinks to look for him. But the human spirit is strong, even on Mars, and Mark won’t give up easily. This sci-fi novel is funny and smart and full of great science. ~ René
Set in early 20th century New York City, this dazzling novel involves a charlatan who collects human deformities and animal wonders for his Coney Island museum. His daughter, born with webbed hands and incredible swimming skills, is used to attract museum-goers. Far from being a monster, she has a kind, compassionate nature. Fearful of her father and self-conscious of her deformity, she longs for a normal life, especially after falling in love. Between the suspenseful storyline, colorful characters, a magical backdrop, and rich history of New York, this novel ponders what it is that makes us human. It is a gem. ~ Jane
This novel is nothing less than a stubborn, joyful, life-saving journey from the author of the fabulous Mink River. (The protagonist here, Declan, was glimpsed in that novel). I did not want to leave this book at the last page. Magical realism with characters that sing to your heart! ~ Victoria
Plunging into this ambitious, amazingly researched novel, I was not of this century but part of the great age of discovery and debate. In 1800s America, plain Alma Whittaker becomes a scientist by absorbing vast quantities of knowledge through her father's gardens, greenhouses, and collections of botanical art and scientific journals. She creates a fulfilling career for herself while studying the wonders of life, and her character grows in depth with her profound knowledge. Gilbert touches on the themes of a deeper spirituality and psycho-sexuality, creationism versus evolution, and the revelations of Darwin's Origin of the Species. This is a grand read, an adventure into a more innocent era and a thought-provoking experience that I enjoyed immensely. ~ Julie (Also recommended by Jane)
You don't need a ticket to Peru to enjoy this refreshingly candid, humorous yet very informative account of exploration in the land of the Inca. The author, a city creature, keeps us smiling as he struggles in the footsteps of Hiram Bingham, the original “discoverer” of Machu Picchu in 1911. Along the way we get a vivid feel for life on the trail in cloud forest and jungle, along breathtaking peaks and ridges, and among the ruins themselves. Adams leavens the narrative with history, politics, customs and culture, making for a very balanced and fascinating introduction to this magical part of the world. ~ John
This is a book full of scenarios that illustrate science in the best possible way. Munroe picks weird and impractical questions from an assortment of submissions and thinks them through logically, applying science to both informative and hilarious effect. Whether you have an hour or ten minutes, there’s something here to entertain. The science is thorough, the questions absurd, and the stick-figure illustrations whimsical. The combination is absolutely worth picking up. ~ Jo
This book recounts the six months in 2011 when the author, a journalist masquerading as a missionary, was employed as an English teacher to 270 privileged young men at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology in North Korea. Each day she was exposed to the unceasing propaganda of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il’s miraculous accomplishments, which her students believed without question. She learned to love these students, but the ease with which they were able to distort the truth and glibly lie, plus their stubborn opposition to new ideas, became suffocating after a while. While this is a fascinating account, it makes one despair that change is possible in North Korea. ~ Ann
