The fall of 2011 has been very good to some first-time novelists. Already well-received–Chad Harbach’s The Art of Fielding is about a baseball star at a small college near Lake Michigan who launches a routine throw that goes disastrously off course and inadvertently changes the lives of five people. Library Journal hails this title as a “highly enjoyable and intelligent novel [that] offers several coming-of-age tales set against the background of an exciting and convincing baseball drama. Continue »

Here are a few new mysteries that you may not have heard about that you may want to consider for your reading pleasure.

M.L. Longworth’s Death at the Château Bremont is the first novel in a projected series set in Aix-en-Provence. Booklist compares Longworth’s voice to “ a rich concoction of sparkling Dorothy Sayers and grounded Donna Leon.” The novel introduces readers to Antoine Verlaque, the handsome and seductive chief magistrate of Aix, and his on-again, off-again love interest, law professor Marine Bonnet. When local nobleman Etienne de Bremont falls to his death from the family chateau, the town is abuzz with rumors. Verlaque suspects foul play and must turn to Marine for help when he discovers that she had been a close friend of the Bremonts. This is a lively whodunit steeped in the rich, enticing, and romantic atmosphere of southern France. Continue »

Click on the titles below to search the catalog

Abbott, Jeff. Adrenaline. [SUSPENSE]
When his pregnant wife is kidnapped and he discovers that he has been set up as a traitor, brilliant CIA agent Sam Capra begins a desperate hunt for the unknown enemy who he believes has targeted the wrong man.

Abbott, Megan E. The end of everything. [MYSTERY]
Thirteen-year old Lizzie Hood thought that she and her best friend Evie Verver shared everything, but when Evie disappears from their suburban Midwestern community, Lizzie’s search uncovers secrets and lies that make her wonder if she knew her friend at all.
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1958 Wakefield High School grad; Author of “Affliction”
When novelist Russell Banks speaks at Beebe Library tonight at 7 p.m., it will be more than just a homecoming.
A 1958 Wakefield High School graduate, Russell Banks grew up in a working-class world that played a major role in informing and shaping his writing. Since leaving Wakefield, Banks has become one of America’s most prolific and acclaimed novelists. Two of his books, Affliction and The Sweet Hereafter were adapted into major Hollywood motion pictures.
Russell Banks’ appearance at Beebe Library is part of “Stories for a Safer Wakefield,” a month-long community inquiry during March intended to provoke thought and discussion about violence and its deterrence. His novel, “Affliction” explores the connection between alcohol and domestic violence. Continue »

Historical Fiction readers may have different tastes and favorite time periods, but they all usually agree that getting the details right will make or break an historical tale.
In Susan Fletcher’s”“Corrag,” thirty-eight members of the MacDonald clan are killed by soldiers who had previously enjoyed the clan’s hospitality in 1692 Scotland. Many more die from exposure. Corrag’s story is one of passion, courage, love, and the magic of the natural world. Continue »

When looking for a great read or a terrific suggestion for a gift for someone who has read everything–first authors can provide the reader with a fresh and dynamic voice and reading experience. If a contemporary look at another culture interests you, try this first novel by a Massachusetts author. According to “Booklist,” Roberta Gately’s absorbing debut, Lipstick in Afghanistan, transports readers to the small Afghan village of Bamiyan in the months after 9/11. A volunteer for a French relief organization, Elsa Murphy, a young nurse, has left her tragic life behind in Boston in the hopes of finding a purpose by providing aid and medical care in Afghanistan. Continue »

Discussion begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Lecture Hall
The next gathering of Beebe Library’s book discussion group, Books By the Lake, is on November 17, 2010 in the Lecture Hall at 7:30 p.m. for the discussion of the title: Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin.
This book discussion group combines the enjoyment of reading a single title and the desire to share insights, observations, and feelings about that one book with others who have read it. So many novels create a need in some readers to share their reactions about the book with others, as well as an opportunity to personally grow from the discussions of related themes and common experiences.