Book Buzz
Looking for a good book? Ask at the Reference Desk for a suggestion or two. Whether you are a
reader who likes romance, mystery, fantasy, science fiction or historical books, our librarians can assist you in finding that next great read.
Got the Downton Abbey fever? Can’t get enough of this compelling story and world? Give these titles a try…
FICTION
Fellowes, Julian. creator/writer of Downton Abbey & Gosford Park–also wrote: Snobs (2005). Preparing to marry heir Charles Broughton, attractive accountant’s daughter Edith Lavery makes humorous and astute observations about contemporary England’s class system.
Forster, E.M. Howard’s End. (1910) Howards End, an English country house, passes to the moneyed, the cultured, and then to the lower class.
Galsworthy, John. The Forsyte Saga (1920). The classic portrait of upper-middle-class life in Victorian England contains three novels–The Man of Property, In Chancery, and To Let–and their interconnecting interludes. Also an ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theatre production on DVD.
Ishiguro, Kazuo. The Remains of the Day (1988). Also a stunning film–Stevens, an elderly butler, hopes to rise to the top of his profession, and he remains stoic and unemotional at his father’s death and neglects the opportunity to pursue a relationship with a former housekeeper.
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Need Holiday Gift suggestions? Wrap Up Books!
Beebe librarians have created lists of suggestions for gift ideas for every reader (young and old) and for every taste. Continue »
This list emphasizes fiction that centers on everyday women and their lives… often featuring eccentric characters. They range in style, time period, and setting. Some dwell on race relations—others are more geared toward women’s friendships.
Berg, Elizabeth. We Are All Welcome Here. (2006) ISBN: 9780812971002 $15.00 pbk
Set in Tupelo, Mississippi during the summer of 1964, 13-year-old Diana butts heads with an African-American caregiver helping her to look after her mother, who has been paralyzed since she contracted polio shortly before Diana was born.
Blake, Sarah. The Postmistress. (2010) ISBN: 9780425238691 $15.00 pbk
The stories of a small Cape Cod postmistress and an American radio reporter stationed in London collide on the eve of the US’s entrance into WWII, a meeting that is shaped by a broken promise to deliver a letter. Also appeals to fans of Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society.
Cook, Claire. The Wildwater Walking Club. (2009) ISBN: 1401341233 $13.99 pbk
This is a character-driven and witty novel in which friendship is a main topic. Three women who are neighbors share their struggles with unfaithful men, rebellious children, and parental expectations while taking long walks near their homes on Wildwater Way.
Devoto, Pat C. The Summer We Got Saved. (2005) ISBN: 9780446697156 $21.99 pbk
While Tab Rutland secretly learns about the Civil Rights movement from her aunt, her African American friend Maude helps her Alabama neighbors prepare for voter registration, and her father considers going against his fellow farmers and voting against George Wallace in the upcoming election.
Feldman, Ellen. Next to Love. (2011) ISBN: 9780812992717 $25.00 HC
Follows the stories of three young couples whose lives are irrevocably changed in the years following World War II, a period during which they struggle with difficult losses and witness profound transformations in American culture.
Jordan, Hillary. Mudbound. (2008) ISBN: 9781565126770 $13.99 pbk
Laura McAllan, a white woman and her family move to a Mississippi farm after WWII to endure a life of privation made worse when her racist father-in-law moves in with them. When Laura’s nephew, a veteran, befriends another veteran – a black man – tragedy ensues.
Marshall, Bev. Right as Rain. (2004) ISBN: 9780345468420 $13.95 pbk
A book that explores issues arising from racial and class boundaries in the South from the 1940s to the 1960s, using interracial friendships to portray challenges to the white-dominated class structure. This is fast-paced, moving Literary or Domestic fiction set in the mid-twentieth century American South. The author also uses strong female characters to explore issues of race, class, and gender within communities undergoing profound societal changes.
Mayhew, Anna Jean. The Dry Grass of August. (2011) ISBN: 9780758254092 $15.00 pbk
A white teenage girl discovers the effects of racism on black women in the mid-1950s South.
Naslund, Sena Jeter. Four Spirits. (2003) ISBN: 006093669X $14.95 pbk
In the wake of racial tensions in 1960s Alabama, sheltered white college student Stella participates in her first freedom movement and finds her life changed in several ways when she develops friendships with local African Americans.
Nicholas, Denise. Freshwater Road. (2005) ISBN: 9781416571230 $7.99 pbk
Celeste Tyree, a black 19-year-old college student, travels to Mississippi to take part in the 1964 summer campaign to register disenfranchised African American voters.
Smith, Lee. The Last Girls. (2002) ISBN: 9780345464958 $15.00 pbk
Smith builds this absolutely inviting, completely compelling novel around the idea that “whatever you’re like in your youth, you’re only more so with age.” Thirty-five years after a trip down the Mississippi on a raft with their classmates, four women are reunited to cruise the river once again where they plan to release the ashes of a fellow rafter, Margaret “Baby” Ballou.
Stefaniak, Mary Helen. The Califfs of Baghdad, Georgia. (2010) ISBN: 9780393341133 $15.95 pbk
In this inventive and comic story, eleven-year-old Gladys Califf and her Depression-era community are turned upside down when a worldly teacher, who is fascinated with all things Arabian, moves into the small town. Though set a generation earlier and in a different sociological stratum, this novel should appeal to fans of The Help.
Umrigar, Thrity. The Space Between Us. (2006) ISBN: 9780062067890 $16.99 pbk
In contemporary India, housewife Sara and her maid Bhima see each other through the ups and downs of marriage and motherhood, until a secret is exposed and they can no longer ignore the class line drawn between them.
If you liked The Other Boleyn Girl…A brilliant blend of fact and fiction woven into a captivating story, with a lively writing style and fascinating characters then try…
Agnello Hornby, Simonetta. The Marchesa. (2008) ISBN: 0312427476 $16.00 pbk
Charming and engaging version of the Sicilian Baroness Costanza’s privileged and challenging life in 19th C. Italy
Cullen, Lynn. Reign of Madness (2011) ISBN: 9780399157097 $25.95 HC
A fictionalized account of Spanish queen Juana de Castile traces her succession to the throne after the reign of Queen Isabel, her marriage to Philippe the Handsome, and the accusations of insanity that prompted her half-century tower imprisonment.
Donnelly, Jennifer. The Wild Rose (2011) Trilogy; bk.3 ISBN: 9781401301040 $25.99 HC
In 1914, with World War I approaching, polar explorer Seamus Finnegan tries to forget Willa, a passionate mountain climber, as he marries a beautiful young woman back home in England.
—The Tea Rose (2002) bk.1 ISBN: 9780312378028 $15.99 pbk
—The Winter Rose (2008) bk.2 ISBN: 9781401307462 $15.99 pbk
Donoghue, Emma. Life Mask. (2005) ISBN: 9780156032643 $14.95 pbk
In late 18th-century England, three celebrated Londoners strike up a controversial triangular relationship
Dunn, Suzannah. The Queen of Subtleties (2005) ISBN: 0060591587 $13.95 pbk
Another look at the triumphant rise and tragic downfall of Anne Boleyn.
Dunnett, Dorothy. The Game of Kings, Lymond series, bk.1 (1997) ISBN: 9780679777434 $17.00 pbk
Passionate, panoramic 16th C. Scotland story has adventure, intrigue, and an array of colorful characters
Goodwin, Daisy. The American Heiress (2011) ISBN: 9780312658656 $25.99 HC
Cora’s story marks the debut of a glorious storyteller who brings a fresh new spirit to the world of Edith Wharton and Henry James. “For daughters of the new American billionaires of the 19th century, it was the ultimate deal: marriage to a cash-strapped British Aristocrat in return for a title and social status. But money didn’t always buy them happiness.”
Gulland, Sandra. Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. (1999) ISBN: 9780684856063 $16.00 pbk
Skillfully re-creates the turbulence and romance of Josephine Bonaparte’s life.
Kearsley, Susanna. The Winter Sea. (2010) ISBN: 9781402241376 $16.99 pbk
Carrie settles into the shadow of Slains Castle in Scotland, creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors, and starts to write about the Jacobite invasion of 1708. When she can no longer tell the difference between today and centuries ago, is she dealing with an ancestral memory– a memory that might destroy her?
Koen, Karleen. Before Versailles (2011) ISBN: 9780307716576 $26.00 HC
Assuming the responsibilities of governing France after the death of his prime minister, Louis XIV embarks on a love affair with his sister-in-law, Henriette, triggering a scandal that is complicated by a finance minister’s growing power and a mysterious boy with an iron mask.
Pullinger, Kate. The Mistress of Nothing (2011) ISBN: 143919386X $24.00 HC
When her mistress departs from Victorian London society to seek relief from tuberculosis symptoms in Egypt, maid Sally throws herself into their new culture and comes to know freedoms she has never experienced before she is harshly reminded of her humble station in life
Santiago, Esmeralda. Conquistadora (2011) ISBN: 9780307268327 $27.50 HC
Drawn to the exotic island of Puerto Rico by the diaries of an ancestor who traveled there with Ponce de Leon, Ana Cubillas becomes involved with enamored twin brothers Ramon and Inocente before convincing them to claim a sugar plantation they have inherited.
Stevenson, Jane. The Winter Queen (2003) ISBN: 0618382674 $20.95 pbk
17th C. royal–in-exile Elizabeth of Bohemia and former African Prince
Urbach, Linda. Madame Bovary’s Daughter (2011) ISBN: 9780385343879 $15.00 pbk
A continuation of Flaubert’s classic finds 12-year-old Berthe cast off by society in the aftermath of her mother’s suicide and sent to live with her impoverished grandmother, from where she eventually rises through the ranks of Charles Worth’s famed fashion empire.
Weir, Alison. Innocent Traitor. (2007) ISBN: 9780345495341 $15.00 pbk
In alternating voices, Lady Jane Grey and others involved in her fate, tell their sides of the story in this vivid and astute novel.
Nice Stories
Ahern, Cecelia. The Gift. ISBN 0061706264 $19.99 HC
A winning tale of magic and redemption. Despite job stress and a crumbling home life, workaholic businessman Lou Suffern gives Gabe, a homeless man, a job in his company’s mail room; but the mysterious Gabe seems be in two places at once and he’s meddling in Lou’s private affairs.
Carlson, Melody. The Christmas Shoppe. ISBN 9780800719265 $15.99 HC
The small town of Parrish Springs is not quite ready for Matilda Honeycutt. A strange woman with scraggly hair and jewelry that jangles as she walks, When rumors start to fly about what might be going on behind the papered-up windows and the locked door, the image-conscious residents start looking for a way to get this woman and her wares out of their town before Christmas. But Matilda Honeycutt has a little something for each one of them sitting on those cluttered shelves, just waiting to be discovered.
Keller, Cynthia. A Plain & Fancy Christmas. ISBN 9780345528759 $16.00 HC
Manhattan businesswoman Ellie Lawrence and Amish widow Rachel Yoder learn that they were accidentally switched at birth. The tight Pennsylvania community where Ellie’s Amish birth family lives introduces her to a stability and sense of belonging she has never known. An extended stay in New York to allow Rachel and her daughter to get to know their new family proves less rewarding.
Roberts, Sheila. The Nine Lives of Christmas. ISBN 9780312594497 $14.99 HC
A humorous, heartwarming Christmas novel about a matchmaking cat who brings a couple together just in time for the holidays.
Sparks, Nicholas. The Best of Me. (2011) ISBN 9780446547659 $25.99 HC
Two former high school sweethearts return to their hometown for the funeral of a mentor and confront the choices they have made since they last met.
VanLiere, Donna. The Christmas Shoes. (2002) Christmas Hope Series; bk.1 ISBN 9780312289515 $14.95 HC
In these heartwarming and poignant stories, families and characters struggle with difficult situations, but they are able to face these challenges and gain new perspectives as they find faith, love, and generosity during the Christmas season.
The Christmas Note (2011) bk.7 ISBN 9780312658960 $14.99 HC
Romances
Basso, Adrienne. Tis the Season to Be Sinful. ISBN 9781420111910 $6.99 pbk
After their marriage of convenience turns into something more, sending her new husband running for cover, Juliet Wentworth, when Christmas time celebrations bring him back to their country manor, will stop at nothing to win over his heart, night after night.
Dailey, Janet. To Santa with Love. ISBN 9781420120738 $6.99 pbk
The holidays are coming. . .and free-spirited Jacquie Grey plans to head west and start a whole new life. Her solo road trip is going great–until she collides with rancher Choya Barnett in Arizona. Good thing that no one’s hurt. But she can’t afford to fix her car until he proposes hiring her to take care of his little boy and his house.
Duarte, Judy. Christmas on Nutcracker Court. Mulbury Park series; bk.4 ISBN 9780758238955 $15.00 pbk.
For fans of Debbie Macomber: The fourth entry in Duarte’s subtle Christian fiction series focuses on single mom Carly Westbrook and bachelor writer Max Tolliver. While Carly tries to make ends meet on her hairdresser’s income, the ladies in Tolliver’s upscale Nutracker Court neighborhood are encouraged by a mysterious house sitter to count their blessings as Christmas draws near.
Graham, Heather. An Angel for Christmas. ISBN 9780778312796 $16.95 HC
When two strangers appear during the annual MacDougal family Christmas celebration in the Blue Ridge Mountains, siblings Shayne, Morwenna, and Bobbie must band together to fend off the growing danger and figure out whom they can trust.
Gray, Shelley. Christmas in Sugarcreek. Seasons of Sugarcreek series; bk. 4 ISBN 9780062089762 $16.99 HC
As the holidays approach, Judith Graber, feeling overwhelmed, overworked, and underappreciated, is attracted to her father’s new employee, Ben Knox, Sugarcreek’s own bad boy, but refuses to be another one of his conquests.
Knight, India. Comfort and Joy. (2011) ISBN 9780143119814 $14.00 pbk
If Bridget Jones had two ex-husbands, three children, and invited her entire extended family over for Christmas… in this very British and funny story…Clara Dunphy, a twice-divorced mother of three spends frenzied days preparing for sixteen Christmas guests, including in-laws, out-laws, and assorted ex-family members.
Macomber, Debbie. 1225 Christmas Tree Lane. ISBN 9780778312697 $16.95 HC
Beth Morehouse expects this Christmas to be one of her best. Her small Christmas-tree farm is prospering, her daughters and her dogs are happy and well, and her new relationship with local vet Ted Reynolds is showing plenty of romantic promise. But her daughters have invited their dad, Beth’s ex-husband, Kent, to Cedar Cove for Christmas!
Patterson, James and Richard DiLallo. The Christmas Wedding. ISBN 9780316097390 $25.99 HC
Relates the story of Gaby Summerhill, a widow planning a holiday wedding to a groom whose identity remains a surprise to her four children.
Woods, Sherryl. An O’Brien Family Christmas. Chesapeake Shore series; bk.8 ISBN 9780778312703 $16.95 HC When a relationship with noted ladies’ man Matthew O’Brien ruins her career, Laila Riley impulsively breaks things off, but neither expects to end up going to Ireland for Christmas with the entire O’Brien clan.
Historical Romances
Burrowes, Grace. Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish. ISBN 9781402261541 $7.99 pbk
Lady Sophie Windham has maneuvered a few days to herself at the ducal mansion in London before she must join her family for Christmas in Kent. Suddenly trapped by a London snowstorm, she finds herself with an abandoned baby and only the assistance of a kind, handsome stranger standing between her and complete disaster.
Harte, Amanda. Dancing in the Rain. ISBN 9780803496064 $23.95 HC
Determined to prove that there is more to her than her pretty appearance, Carolyn Wentworth leaves her small Texas hometown to volunteer as a nurse’s aide in France, where she discovers the terrible costs of World War I.
Romain, Theresa. Season for Temptation. ISBN 9781420118957 $6.99 pbk
James, the new Viscount Matheson, believes that Louisa, a kind, intelligent beauty, will make a suitable bride until he meets her impetuous stepsister Julia, and, torn between two women, James has no idea what to do until fate intervenes during the holidays.
Mysteries
Duncan, Elizabeth. A Killer’s Christmas in Wales. Penny Brannigan series; bk.3 ISBN 9780312622831 $24.99 HC
For fans of Nancy Atherton, M. C. Beaton, and Dorothy Cannell…In a Welsh village outing, the Canadian ex-pat and new spa owner is asked to don her amateur sleuthing cap when the rogue who swindled her neighbor is murdered. Cozy fans will enjoy this light, quick read. The Cold Light of Mourning (2009) bk.1 ISBN 0312533454 $7.99 pbk & A Brush with Death (2010) bk.2 ISBN 9780312534271 $7.99 pbk
Michaels Fern. Christmas at Timberwoods. ISBN 9780821775875 $7.99 pbk
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…and for Heather Andrews, security manager at Timberwoods Mall, undoubtedly the busiest. But this Christmas, Heather has more to contend with than frazzled parents and disgruntled Santas. Angela Steinhart, a young woman who designed the mall’s spectacular holiday displays, has had a premonition that tragedy will strike on Christmas Eve. And Angela’s visions have a habit of coming true.
Perry, Anne. A Christmas Homecoming . Christmas Mysteries; bk.9 ISBN 9780345524638 $18.00 HC Traveling up the Yorkshire coast with her husband and his acting troupe, Caroline anticipates their arrival at the famed fishing village landing sight of Count Dracula and develops an awareness about inviting and disallowing evil. A Christmas Journey (2003) bk.1 Not in print.
Todd, Charles. Bitter Truth. (2011) Bess Crawford Mysteries; bk.3 ISBN 9780062015709 $24.99 HC
Bess finds herself back in London, on leave from her nursing duties on the World War I battlefields of France. Upon arriving at her London, she finds a battered woman in her doorway and takes her to her home in Sussex. On arrival there, Bess finds herself in the midst of a family devastated by untimely death and hiding poisonous secrets. Recommended for all British wartime mystery aficionados who like plucky investigators similar to Maisie Dobbs.
A Duty to the Dead (2009) bk.1 ISBN 9780061791772 $14.99 pbk & An Impartial Witness (2010) bk.2 ISBN 978-0061791796 $14.99 pbk
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