Recommend by Ashley

Uncross the Stars

This self-healing story is about Troy Harper, who is suffering after the tragic death of his wife. Her last request for him is to Arizona to build a porch for his Aunt Hilda. While staying with his aunt, Troy meets her gruff neighbor, Bobby Walden and wise-cracking group of elderly women who help him discover the special, surprising meaning behind his wife's mysterious wish that he "uncross the stars."

 

Alice in Zombieland

Alice is your typical teen, for the most part she is happy and loves her family, especially her little sister. Even though her father is disturbed and paranoid and doesn't allow the family to do certain things because of it, she seems to handle it well... most of the time. But after a tragic car accident Alice realizes that her father was right. Monsters are real! To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must trust the Cole Holland, who has a few secrets of his own.

Recommend by Carol

Animal Vegetable Miracle

Author Barbara Kingsolver and her family abandoned the industrial-food pipeline to live a rural life—vowing that, for one year, they’d only buy food raised in their own neighborhood, grow it themselves, or learn to live without it. Part memoir, part journalistic investigation, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is an enthralling narrative that will open your eyes in a hundred new ways to an old truth: You are what you eat. This is a must read. It is very captivating and I have learned a lot that I didn’t know before!!

The Storyteller

Sage Singer is a baker. She works through the night, preparing the day’s breads and pastries, trying to escape a reality of loneliness, bad memories, and the shadow of her mother’s death. When Josef Weber, an elderly man in Sage’s grief support group, begins stopping by the bakery, they strike up an unlikely friendship. Despite their differences, they see in each other the hidden scars that others can’t, and they become companions. Everything changes on the day that Josef confesses a long-buried and shameful secret—one that nobody else in town would ever suspect—and asks Sage for an extraordinary favor. This story follows in Picoult’s tradition of making you think and discuss your feelings on topics where there may be a lot of differences. This one deals with forgiveness in an extraordinary way. Picoult does not disappoint in this newest read!

Angelology

This was an enthralling read and I could not put it down!  Angelology is a brilliant novel that tells the story of an awesome adventure and timeless mystery from the distant past to a troubled present. Set in a modern setting much akin to our own in which readers are slowly introduced to a realm of existence that is both, tangible and ephemeral, physical and metaphysical, light and dark, good and evil, beautiful and terrifying. Angelology is the quest of two individuals, one an avid scholar of New York City's social elite and the other a nun born into a heritage both, blessed & cursed privileged & obligated. Together they will unlock the secrets of Angelology.  Our story is told through the eyes of Verlaine, Evangeline, and Percival Grigori III. Verlaine is a teacher at NYU studying the famous Abigail Rockefeller funded by a private eccentric, a one Percival Grigori, willing to fund his research for his own personal ends. Our main character is Evangeline, a nun in her twenties who resides at St. Rose Convent in New York State's Hudson River Valley. She is an honest and humble woman of exceptional beauty born simply from her own individuality in which resides a spirit both virtuous and magnanimous. The enigmatic Percival Grigori is the executor of an ancient legacy whose secrets are kept in payments of blood and gold. He will stop at nothing, kill without remorse or care in his quest to reclaim his once prodigious status and power among his peers. No price is too high and no life indispensable in order for Grigori to achieve his goals. Anyone in his way or discovers his secret will be plowed under his trail of blood and tears.

Recommend by Christina

Tuesdays With Morrie

Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it. For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago. Tuesdays with Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie's lasting gift with the world.

Skeletons in the Closet

Based on his work with Dr. Cohle, true-crime writer Tobin T. Buhk recounts twenty-one riveting, real-life stories. One is about a Michigan State police sergeant detective, Robert Golm, stationed out of Wayland. Each story has a unique forensic twist. Offering a glimpse into the strange sights, sounds, and smells of the county morgue, these tales of intrigue, deception, and murder will fascinate true-crime buffs, fans of CSI, and readers of mystery and detective stories.

Max Your Memory

"Max Your Memory (DK) by Pascale Michelon contains dozens of exercises and tips for remembering things like faces and keys and…what was it, again, that we were looking for?" – The Wall Street Journal

Recommend by Lynn

Exit Plan

After completing exercises off the coast of Pakistan, Jerry Mitchell’s submarine Michigan is ordered to just off the coast of Iran, where a SEAL team is to complete the extraction of two Iranian  nationals who have been supplying intelligence about Iran’s nuclear program.  The team deploys in Michigan’s mini sub, which suffers a catastrophic battery fire, killing one crew member and causing the sub to be scuttled.  Thus begins a series of tactics thwarted by the Iranians as the team tries again and again to exit the country successfully and prevent a horrible war in the Middle East.

When the Killing's Done

A story of the National Parks Service at the Channel Islands off of Santa Barbara, where they are trying to restore the island of Santa Cruz to its original flora and fauna by eliminating the wild pigs, and their nemesis, a local animal rights activist.  Working at cross purposes the warring parties escalate their attempts to see their own wills done.  Tragedy occurs and the struggle plays itself out to a satisfying conclusion.  Nice historical account of the preceding years when the island was used to ranch cattle and sheep.  Thought-provoking with regards to animal rights and environmental concerns.

Remarkable Creatures

 

A wonderful piece of historical fiction.  Mary Anning was struck by lightning when she was a baby, and from that moment on she was decidedly different.  Born poor and uneducated, Mary has an incredible interest in the fossils she discovers on the windswept beaches of the English coast.  Mary finds an unusual creature in the cliffs near her home, she sets the religious community on edge, the townspeople to gossiping, and the scientific world afire.  Mary has an unlikely champion in Elizabeth Philpot, a spinster who shares Mary’s passion for fossil hunting.  Their friendship is tested when Mary falls for an older gentleman in whom Elizabeth is also interested.  The role of women in 18^th century England makes for a compelling backdrop to the story.  Highly recommended.

 

Recommend by Rhonda

The Good Dream

Ivorie is a 30-year-old spinster living in rural Tennessee in the 1950s.  She has spent years rebuffing the advances of imperfect, yet eligible bachelors from her small town.  She considers her mother her best friend, but the recent death of her mother leaves her bereft.  Her life changes when she discovers a feral, filthy boy sneaking onto her land to steal from her garden.  Even though he runs back into the hills as quickly as he arrives, she's determined to find out who he is because something about the young boy haunts her. But what she can't imagine is what the boy faces, each day and night, in the filthy lean-to hut miles up in the hills. Who is he and how did he come to live in the hills? What can she do to help him? As Ivorie steps out of her comfort zone to uncover the answers, she unleashes a firestorm in the town-a community that would rather let secrets stay that way.

 

Backache Strees and Tension

Back pain afflicts more than sixty-five million Americans and more that 80 percent of lower back pain is the result of tension or weak muscles, not a problem with the spine.  Instead of needing surgery, most people can relieve their pain with a simple regimen of daily stretches and exercises.  This text first came out in the 1960s is still very relevant today.   Dr. Kraus was a world renowned specialist and private doctor to President John F. Kennedy.  In this book he explains the causes of back pain and what you can do to prevent and alleviate it.

Salt Sugar Fat

After reading this book you will never look at processed food items on the grocery shelves the same again.  Most of what we eat today was not available before the 1950s. Food companies tap into our need for convenience and our biological bent toward foods with salt, sugar and fat to keep us purchasing their products.  Studies are done trying to find that magic “bliss point” for adding salt, sugar and fat to foods.  Their goal is to increase their profit, the result is a rise in obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other health concerns.

Recommend by Vicki

The Sky is Everywhere

An amazing first novel about grief, relationships, and growing up. Unique scribbling’s throughout the book by the main character, are used to bring the story to a nice ending.

Monument 14

Enjoyed this very much-not hard to do when "dystopian" teen fiction is my favorite genre. The characters matured much within the 12 days of this book's time frame. Reminds me slightly of the "Fire-us" trilogy from a few years ago. Kind of creepy that a meteor exploded over Russia yesterday, injuring many people and buildings when reading this story. Will there be a second book?

Cinder

The cover first drew me to the book.  It’s a great representation of what the story line is.  The book is a futuristic look loosely based upon the story of Cinderella.  But it so much more!  Cinder is a strong female character with the author drawing you every moment of her life.  This book has romance, fantasy, and science fiction aspects.  I am sure you will enjoy it!