Staff Picks

At our staff meetings we take a few minutes to talk about the books we are reading. This is a list of recent favorites. STAFF PICKS

New Beginnings -- and Endings In the age of Pinterest and Youtube, do we really need another knitting book? If you're talking about Cast On, Bind Off by knitting guru Leslie Ann Bestor, the answer is definitely yes. Divided into categories such as stretchy or decorative, this how-to-guide outlines 33 cast-on and 21 bind-off methods that are sure to become your secret weapons in knitting. Complete with step-by-step instructions and color photographs, this user-friendly guide is handy for beginners and experts alike.

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The Science of Sin: The Psychology of the Seven Deadlies (and Why They Are So Good for You) By Laham, Simon M. 2012-02 - Three Rivers Press (CA) 9780307719348 Check Our Catalog "The Science of Sin" is a simultaneously fun and serious work of pop science in which an award-winning social psychologist uses modern research and historical anecdotes to make a case for living a sinful life. …More

Savvy By Law, Ingrid 2008-05 - Dial Books for Young Readers 9780803733060 Check Our Catalog 2009 Newbery Honor 2008 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a savvy--a supernatural power they acquire at 13. On the eve of Mibs's big day, she finds herself on an unforgettable odyssey that will force her to make sense of growing up. …More

Scumble By Law, Ingrid 2010-08 - Dial Books 9780803733077 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title Nine years after Mib's journey, her cousin Ledge turns 13. But Ledger Kale's savvy is a total dud--all he does is make little things fall apart. However, it's soon revealed that Ledge's savvy is much more powerful than anyone thought. …More

Global Weirdness: Severe Storms, Deadly Heat Waves, Relentless Drought, Rising Seas and the Weather of the Future By Climate Central Inc Author Climate Central 2012-07 - Pantheon Books 9780307907301 Check Our Catalog In clear, accessible prose, a fascinating new book that explains climate change--its implications for the future and what we can and cannot do to avoid further change--to the layperson produced by a highly regarded independent, non-profit journalism and research organization. …More

Boomsday By Buckley, Christopher 2008-05 - Twelve 9780446697972 Check Our Catalog A charismatic 29-year-old blogger incites massive political turmoil when she politely suggests that Baby Boomers be given government incentives to kill themselves by age 75. Her modest proposal catches fire with millions of her outraged peers and an ambitious Senator. …More

Gone Girl By Flynn, Gillian 2012-06 - Crown Publishing Group (NY) 9780307588364 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title Flynn's toxic mix of sharp-edged wit with deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds readers at every turn. When his wife disappears on their anniversary, Nick starts having cringe-worthy daydreams and becomes oddly evasive, eschewing his golden boy past. …More

Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir By Lawson, Jenny 2012-04 - Amy Einhorn Books 9780399159015 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title Internet star Lawson, aka The Bloggess, makes her comedic and pointed debut. Lawson takes readers on a hilarious journey recalling her bizarre upbringing in rural Texas, her devastatingly awkward high school years, and her relationship with her long-suffering husband, Victor. …More

Broken Harbor By French, Tana 2012-07 - Viking Books 9780670023653 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title With her signature blend of police procedural and psychological thriller, French's fourth book of the Dublin murder squad goes full throttle with a heinous crime, creating her most complicated detective character and her best book yet. …More

The Rise of Nine By Lore, Pittacus 2012-08 - HarperCollins 9780061974588 Check Our Catalog In this third installment in the thrilling, action-packed Lorien Legacies series, the stakes are higher than ever as John, Number Six, and Number Seven desperately try to find the rest of the Lorien Nine before it's too late. …More

I Am Number Four: The Lost Files: Six's Legacy By Lore, Pittacus 2011-07 - HarperCollins 9780062109378 Check Our Catalog …More

Divine Justice By Baldacci, David 2009-09 - Grand Central Publishing 9780446544887 Check Our Catalog Oliver Stone and the Camel Club return in Baldacci's most astonishing thriller yet, as the assassinations Stone carries out prompt the highest levels of the government to unleash a massive manhunt. Available in a tall Premium Edition. …More

The Affair By Child, Lee 2011-09 - Delacorte Press 9780385344326 Check Our Catalog Ever wonder why Jack Reacher left the Military Police and became a one-man freelance vigilante squad? Child goes back 14 years to show how it all happened. …More

Henry Ossawa Tanner: His Boyhood Dream Comes True By Ringgold, Faith Illustrator Ringgold, Faith 2011-11 - Bunker Hill Publishing 9781593730925 Check Our Catalog …More

Spin By Vaginsky, Ido 2011-08 - Price Stern Sloan 9780843199246 Check Our Catalog Your head will "spin" when you look at this amazing book. Each page has a unique paper-engineering element that allows you to flip, spin, and even turn the picture to see something completely different. Is that a horse peeking his head above the fence? Turn the disc and "spin" - it's a squirrel! Is that a bird flying in the sky? Pull the tab and "flip" - it's a fish! Kids and parents alike will be amazed by these optical illusions. Be prepared to "flip" over this book! …More

The Mighty Miss Malone By Curtis, Christopher Paul 2012-01 - Wendy Lamb Books 9780385734912 Check Our Catalog A Newbery Honor-winning author ("The Watsons Go to Birmingham") delivers a heart-wrenching, suspenseful novel of one unforgettable family caught up in the turbulent days of the Great Depression. …More

Chocolate Me! By Diggs, Taye Illustrator Evans, Shane 2011-09 - Feiwel & Friends 9780312603267 Check Our Catalog The boy is teased for looking different than the other kids. His skin is darker, his hair curlier. He tells his mother he wishes he could be more like everyone else. And she helps him to see how beautiful he really, truly is. For years before they both achieved acclaim in their respective professions, good friends Taye Diggs and Shane W. Evans wanted to collaborate on "Chocolate Me!, " a book based on experiences of feeling different and trying to fit in as kids. Now, both men are fathers and see more than ever the need for a picture book that encourages all people, especially kids, to love themselves. …More

I Had a Favorite Dress By Ashburn, Boni Illustrator Denos, Julia 2011-08 - Abrams Books for Young Readers 9781419700163 Check Our Catalog Ashburn and Denos deliver a story about growing up and keeping hold of favorite memories. This picture book follows the evolution of a little girl's favorite dress from dress to shirt to tank top to memento. Full color. …More