Library Journal's Reader's Shelf

First-Rate Genre Reads:  The Best of the Short List

The Neighbor By Gardner, Lisa 2009-06 - Bantam 9780553807233 Check Our Catalog When a young wife and mother disappears from her suburban home, it's not long before the cops have their first suspect: the missing woman's husband, whose behavior is distinctly suspicious. …More

Warbreaker By Sanderson, Brandon 2009-06 - Tor Books 9780765320308 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title Epic fantasy heavyweight Sanderson pens a powerful stand-alone tale . . . Sanderson melds complex, believable characters, a marvelous world and thoughtful, ironic humor into an extraordinary and highly entertaining story.--"Publishers Weekly," starred review. …More

Cleopatra's Daughter By Moran, Michelle 2009-09 - Crown Publishing Group (NY) 9780307409126 Check Our Catalog From the author of the national bestseller "Nefertiti" comes the incredible, untold story of Queen Cleopatra and Marc Antony's orphaned children, who were taken to Rome to be raised as hostages in the palace of their father's greatest rival. …More

The House of Lost Souls By Cottam, F. G. 2009-07 - Thomas Dunne Books 9780312544324 Check Our Catalog Just weeks after four students cross the threshold of the derelict Fischer House, one of them has committed suicide and the other three are descending into madness. Nick Mason's sister is one of them. To save her, Nick must join ranks with Paul Seaton--the only person to have visited the house and survive. But Paul is a troubled man, haunted by otherworldly visions that even now threaten his sanity. Desperate, Nick forces Paul to go back into the past, to the secret journal of beautiful photographer Pandora Gibson-Hoare and a debauched gathering in the 1920s, and to the dark legacy of Klaus Fischer--master of the unspeakable crime and demonic proceedings that have haunted the mansion for decades. Because now, the Fischer House is beckoning, and some old friends have gathered to welcome Paul back. . . . …More

The Brutal Telling By Penny, Louise 2009-09 - Minotaur Books 9780312377038 Check Our Catalog 2009 Agatha Award Winner-Best Novel The peace of Three Pines is shattered when a stranger is found murdered in the village bistro and antiques store. Once again, Chief Inspector Gamache and his team are called in to strip back layers of lies, exposing long-buried secrets. …More

Chemistry for Beginners By Strong, Anthony 2009-09 - Touchstone Books 9781439108475 Check Our Catalog A shy chemist studying orgasms falls for his most incurable test subject, discovering that love is more than a simple solution to a chemical equation. …More

The Empress of Mars By Baker, Kage 2009-05 - Tor Books 9780765318909 Check Our Catalog Based on the Hugo-nominated novella of the same name, this is a rollicking novel of action, planetary romance, and high adventure. …More

Prayers for Sale By Dallas, Sandra 2009-04 - St. Martin's Press 9780312385187 Check Our Catalog Dallas has created an unforgettable tale of a friendship between two women, one with surprising twists and turns, and one that is ultimately a revelation of the finest parts of the human spirit. …More