Book Review-The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Having read Coraline and The Graveyard Book, I was excited to see that Neil Gaimen had written an adult novel, The Ocean at the End of the Lane.  Needless to say, when I got it from the library I dropped everything else to read it. It grabbed me right from the beginning.  The narrator is grown up and is recounting the events that happened when he was a small boy.  He has returned to the area of his boyhood home, which is no longer there.  The house at the end of the lane, with its small pond, is still there and he is drawn to it.  He sits at the edge of the pond and tells the story of how his parents took in a lodger who stole their car so he could commit suicide.  This violent act unleashes otherwordly creatures that try to take over the boy's family.  The women who live in the house at the end of the lane set out to help.  This basic outline does nothing to convey the sense of dread and eeriness that Gaiman infuses into his books.  His storytelling is magical and riveting.  Somehow, he is able to use the magical and othewordly to better describe the everyday.  If you've read Neil Gaiman before you'll love this one.  If you haven't read Neil Gaiman before you're in for a treat.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane By Gaiman, Neil 2013-06 - William Morrow & Company 9780062255655 Check Our Catalog The author's first new novel for adults since his #1 "New York Times" bestseller "Anansi Boys" is a bewitching and harrowing tale of mystery, survival, memory and magic that makes the impossible all too real. …More

Other books by the same author.

The Graveyard Book By Gaiman, Neil Illustrator McKean, Dave 2010-09 - HarperCollins 9780060530945 Check Our Catalog In his Newbery Medal-winning novel, Gaiman introduces Bod, a boy who is the only living resident of a graveyard. Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead? Illustrations. …More

American Gods By Gaiman, Neil 2002-04 - HarperTorch 9780380789030 Check Our Catalog Shadow is a man with a past and wants nothing more now than to live a quiet life with his wife. When his wife is killed in a terrible accident, Shadow flies home for the funeral. As a raging storm rocks the plane, the strange man in the seat next to Shadow introduces himself as Mr. Wednesday. He knows more about Shadow than is possible--and he warns Shadow an even bigger storm is coming. …More

Neverwhere By Gaiman, Neil 1998-11 - Avon Books 9780380789016 Check Our Catalog Richard Mayhew is a plain man with a good heart -- and an ordinary life that is changed forever on a day he stops to help a girl he finds bleeding on a London sidewalk. From that moment forward he is propelled into a world he never dreamed existed -- a dark subculture flourishing in abandoned subway stations and sewer tunnels below the city -- a world far stranger and more dangerous than the only one he has ever known... …More

Coraline: Deluxe Modern Classic By Gaiman, Neil Illustrator McKean, Dave Illustrator Gaiman, Neil 2002-07 - HarperCollins 9780380977789 Check Our Catalog 2003 Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award Winner CCBC Choices - 2003 From the author of "American Gods" and "Stardust" comes a fantastical tale. When Coraline steps through the locked doors in her family's new flat, she finds a world which caters to her every whim. But when she wants to leave, things turn unpleasant. To save other trapped children, her parents, and herself, Coraline must fight with all her wits and courage. …More

Stardust By Gaiman, Neil 2008-12 - Harper Teen 9780061689246 Check Our Catalog In the sleepy English countryside of decades past, a lovelorn young man stepsthrough a gap in a high stone wall, and into the most unforgettable adventureof his life. …More

The Sandman, Volume 1: Preludes & Nocturnes By Gaiman, Neil 2010-10 - Vertigo 9781401225759 Check Our Catalog "New York Times"-bestselling author Gaiman's transcendent series, Sandman, offers an unforgettable tale of the forces that exist beyond life and death by weaving ancient mythology, folklore, and fairy tales with his own distinct narrative vision. …More

Complimentary Reads

The Night Circus By Morgenstern, Erin 2011-09 - Doubleday Books 9780385534635 Check Our Catalog 2012 Alex Award Winner To enter the black-and-white-striped tents of Le Cirque des Reves is to enter a world where objects really do turn into birds and people really do disappear. Even though visitors believe the performances are all illusion, they are obsessively drawn to this extraordinary night circus. Those who run and perform in the circus are its lifeblood. Marco Alisdair runs the operation from London as assistant to the eccentric proprietor. Celia Bowen holds it all together from her role as illusionist. As magicians, Marco and Celia are bound to each other in a deadly competition of powers, creating ever more fantastical venues for circus goers to marvel at. But falling in love was never part of the game, and the players struggle to extricate themselves from this contest while keeping the circus afloat. …More

The Book of Lost Things By Connolly, John 2007-10 - Washington Square Press 9780743298902 Check Our Catalog The bestselling author of "The Black Angel" offers a creative coming-of-age story about one boys journey into adulthood, combining dramatic themes with edge-of-your-seat suspense and a fantastical imagination. …More

Want to see all the staff picks?  In Encore (our catalog) search for HPL Staff Picks. To sign up for this, or any of our newsletters, check out our Newsletter sign up page.

Upcoming events at HPL

PUMPKIN CARVING 2:00 PM Saturday, October 26 Get ready for Halloween! Bring in your own pumpkin and we will supply the stencils so you can create the perfect Jack-o-Lantern just in time for Halloween.

AFTER SCHOOL ART TUESDAY Tuesday, October 29 Join us anytime between 3:30 - 6:00 pm after school to enjoy some art. There will be several self-led craft projects to try with supplies available, so you can let your creative ideas flow.

Spirits and Wine 6:00 pm, Tuesday, October 29: Spirits and Wine Join Susan Newhof at the Lakeshore Museum Center, 430 West Clay Ave, as she tells about spending 12 years writing a mystery with a ghost in it, inspired by things that were happening in her own home. Her book, Spirits and Wine, was published by the University of Michigan Press in 2011. "A graceful, elegantly told ghost story that is at times frightening, at times heartwarming, often quite funny, and always an engrossing and fascinating read." ---Rodney Vaccaro, Emmy Award–winning Hollywood screenwriter and producer "I started Friday night and got up Saturday morning with a desire to get back to it to finish. In my experience, if I wake up and the first thing on my mind is getting back to a book, it's a good book." ---Bryan Uecker, co-owner of The Book Nook & Java Shop, Montague, Michigan "Scare up a good glass of wine and settle in for a great read! Susan Newhof's Spirits & Wine takes the reader on an unforgettably haunting journey." —Catherine Behrendt, Host, Take Five & Company, WZZM 13, Grand Rapids, Michigan Jocelyn Shaw, the librarian at Hackley Public Library who schedules programs said, “We like to support local authors (Susan is from Montague), and are very excited to have her this close to Halloween.” Susan encourages audience members to share their ghost stories after the program. Due to ongoing construction at Hackley Public Library, the Lakeshore Museum Center has graciously allowed us to hold the program in their building. For more information call Hackley Public Library at 231-722-7276.

AFTER SCHOOL LEGO WEDNESDAY 3:30 - 4:30 PM, Wednesday, October 30 Join us to relax and build fun LEGO creations after a hard day at school. Remember the Library closes at 5 pm on Wednesdays.

HPL YOUTH SERVICES FALL STORYTIME FOR AGES 3 - 7 PLEASE NOTE NEW DAY AND TIME: 1:00 PM Saturday, November 2 Registration is required. To signup, call 722-7276, ext. 230 Storytelling, picture books, fingerplays, holiday tales, and special fun. Each session ends with a craft project.

KID'S BEGINNING CROCHET--PART I 2:00 PM Saturday, November 2 Kids--want to learn to crochet? Join us for an afternoon of learnng to crochet with Miss Emma. Beginners ages 8 and up are invited to learn basic crochet skills and make a simple craft. Supplies will be available.

KID'S BEGINNING CROCHET--PART II 2:00 PM Saturday, November 9 Kids--join us for another afternoon of learnng to crochet with Miss Emma. Beginners ages 8 and up are invited to learn basic crochet skills and make a simple craft. Supplies will be available.

Book Review-Instructions for a Heatwave

Long time readers of my reviews may, perhaps, remember that one of my favorite authors is Maggie O'Farrell. She wrote The Hand that First Held Mine  and The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox.  She has a new book out, Instructions for a Heatwave, which I've been looking forward to reading. O'Farrell's books look at relationships between parents and children or between siblings, so it is no surprise that her latest involves a family.  Gretta and Bob Riordan have three grown children, Michael Francis, Monica, and Aoife.  Gretta and Bob are Irish, but met and fell in love in England, and have raised their children near London.  One day,during the 1976 heatwave, Bob tells Gretta he is going out for a paper, but doesn't return.  After a while, Gretta starts to wonder about his disappearance and calls Monica and Michael Francis (Aoife is in New York City and not easy to get in touch with.)  Gretta has a history of blowing things out of proportion, so Michaal Francis and Monica try to blow her off, but eventually realize that something serious is going on.  Of course, they have their own troubles as well, Michael Francis is having marital problems and Monica is finding it hard to fit into life as a step parent in the country.  Michael Francis is able to find Aoife (who is having some life issues of her own), so all three return home to help their mother.  Everyone has their own secret that they are keeping from the others, but until they can work through these they aren't able to solve the mystery of their dad's disappearence. I enjoyed this book quite a bit, although the big plot twist was not as shocking as the twists in her previous books.  The characters were well drawn and the sibling interactions felt right.  If this had been the first Maggie O'Farrell book I'd read it would have been great, but I was expecting something a bit more from it.  Still and all, a good book.

Instructions for a Heatwave By O'Farrell, Maggie 2013-06 - Knopf Publishing Group 9780385349406 Check Our Catalog A sweeping family drama set in London during the summer of 1976. The disappearance of a family patriarch forces three adult siblings to gather together to find him and to confront what they really know about their father and themselves. …More

Other books by the same author.

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox By O'Farrell, Maggie 2008-06 - Harvest Books 9780156033671 Check Our Catalog A "Wall Street Journal "Bestseller A "Washington Post Book World" Best Book of the Year "I found this actually unputdownable, written with a gripping dramatic insidiousness reminiscent of classic writers like Rebecca West and Daphne Du Maurier." --Ali Smith, author of "The Accidental" Esme Lennox is a dreamy child, an odd, bookish young woman, the kind of girl who stares and listens and won't flirt with boys at dances. And then, in the space of a moment, Esme Lennox is gone. Years later, a stunning phone call breaks the silence at Iris Lockhart's vintage clothing shop: Her great-aunt Esme, whom she never knew existed, is being released from Cauldstone Hospital after more than sixty years. Iris's grandmother Kitty always claimed to be an only child. But Esme's papers prove she is Kitty's sister, and Iris can see the shadow of her dead father in Esme's face. But she's still basically a stranger, a family member never mentioned by the family, sure to bring life-altering secrets when she leaves the ward. If Iris takes her in, what dangerous truths might she inherit? "Haunting. O'Farrell is a feminist avenging angel who wields the modern Gothic like a gleaming sword." - "The Boston Globe " "Think Kate Chopin's "The Awakening," Charlotte Gilman's 'The Yellow Wallpaper' or Jean Rhys's "Wide Sargasso Sea" . . . It's a breathtaking, heart-breaking creation . . . In O'Farrell's fierce, engrossing novel, the crimes of the past rear up with surprising vengeance." - "The" "Washington Post Book World" Maggie O'Farrell is the author of three previous novels, including her acclaimed debut, "After You'd Gone." Born in Northern Ireland in 1972, Maggie grew up in Wales and Scotland. She now lives in Edinburgh. Visit www.HarcourtBooks.com/EsmeLennox. Discussion guide available at www.HarcourtBooks.com. …More

The Hand That First Held Mine By O'Farrell, Maggie 2010-04 - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) 9780547330792 Check Our Catalog 2010 Costa Novel Award Winner A stunning portrait of motherhood and the artist's life in all their terror and glory, O'Farrell's newest novel is a gorgeous inquiry into the ways in which even the most accidental legacies often connect people. …More

After You'd Gone By O'Farrell, Maggie 2002-02 - Penguin Books 9780142000328 Check Our Catalog Alice Raikes lies in a coma in Scotland after an accident that may or may not have been a suicide attempt. With her life hanging in the balance, Alice's family gathers. As they wait, argue, and remember, long-buried tensions rise. Alice, meanwhile, slides between different levels of consciousness, recalling her past and a recent love affair. …More

My Lover's Lover By O'Farrell, Maggie 2004-08 - Penguin Books 9780142004616 Check Our Catalog …More

The Distance Between Us By O'Farrell, Maggie 2004-01 - Review 9780755302659 Check Our Catalog …More

Complimentary Reads

Someone By McDermott, Alice 2013-09 - Farrar Straus Giroux 9780374281090 Check Our Catalog A fully realized portrait of one woman's life in all its complexity, by the National Book Award-winning author. …More

Fin & Lady By Schine, Cathleen 2013-07 - Sarah Crichton Books 9780374154905 Check Our Catalog From the author of "The Three Weissmanns of Westport," a wise, clever story of New York in the '60s. …More

Want to see all the staff picks?  In Encore (our catalog) search for HPL Staff Picks. To sign up for this, or any of our newsletters, check out our Newsletter sign up page.

HPL's New Books

Below is a partial list of our new books. To see the full list, download the Excel file for: 2013.  To see new books from other years try:  2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, or 2006.

Want to see all the staff picks?  In Encore (our catalog) search for HPL Staff Picks. To sign up for this, or any of our newsletters, check out our Newsletter sign up page.

Who Asked You? By McMillan, Terry 2013-09 - Viking Books 9780670785698 Check Our Catalog Who Asked You? opens as Trinetta leaves her two young sons with her mother, Betty Jean, and promptly disappears. BJ, a trademark McMillan heroine, already has her hands full dealing with her other adult children, two opinionated sisters, an ill husband, and her own postponed dreams--all while holding down a job delivering room service at a hotel. Her son Dexter is about to be paroled from prison; Quentin, the family success, can't be bothered to lend a hand; and taking care of two lively grandsons is the last thing BJ thinks she needs. …More

Never Enough By Miasha 2008-07 - Touchstone Books 9781416553380 Check Our Catalog "Essence"-bestselling author Miasha brings back her popular heroine Celess, one of the most controversial and dynamic characters in urban-lit fiction. …More

The Fountain of St. James Court; Or, Portrait of the Artist as an Old Woman By Naslund, Sena Jeter 2013-09 - William Morrow & Company 9780061579325 Check Our Catalog "[A] lively and pointed variation on James Joyce's "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man"...this is an incisive and keenly pleasurable novel about women artists overcoming adversity to create "joyful work" that celebrates life's beauty and wonder."--Booklist on THE FOUNTAIN OF ST JAMES COURT …More

Mistress By Patterson, James Author Ellis, David 2013-08 - Little Brown and Company 9780316211079 Check Our Catalog Ben isn't like most people. Unable to control his racing thoughts, he's a man consumed by his obsessions: movies, motorcycles, presidential trivia-and Diana Hotchkiss, a beautiful woman Ben knows he can never have. When Diana is found dead outside her apartment, Ben's infatuation drives him on a hunt to find out what happened to the love of his life. …More

How the Light Gets in: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel By Penny, Louise 2013-08 - Minotaur Books 9780312655471 Check Our Catalog In Three Pines, Chief Inspector Gamache investigates the disappearance of a woman who was once one of the most famous people in the world, but now goes unrecognized by virtually everyone except town eccentric Ruth Zardo. …More

The Best American Short Stories By Perrotta, Tom Editor Pitlor, Heidi 2012-10 - Mariner Books 9780547242101 Check Our Catalog "The Best American Short Stories" is the premier annual showcase for the country's finest short fiction. The 2012 edition is guest edited by Tom Perrotta. …More

Bones of the Lost By Reichs, Kathy 2013-08 - Scribner Book Company 9781439102459 Check Our Catalog The latest from Kathy Reichs finds Tempe Brennan investigating the connections between a long-dead business man, the smuggling of mummified dogs from Peru, and the death of a teenage girl killed in a hit and run. When she discovers a human trafficking enterprise at the center of it all, the scope of the case extends from South America to Afghanistan. And Tempe's soon-to-be ex might have connections that run to the very heart of the trafficking ring. …More

Single with Benefits By Aaron, Relentless 2008-10 - St. Martin's Griffin 9780312359379 Check Our Catalog From one of the leaders of a hip-hop literature' revolution ("Daily News") comes another juicy story about the joy and pain of having friends with perks. …More

Thankless in Death By Robb, J. D. 2013-09 - G. P. Putnam's Sons 9780399164422 Check Our Catalog In the latest suspense thriller in the #1 "New York Times" bestselling series, the year 2060 is drawing to a close in New York City and loved ones are coming together for Thanksgiving. But sometimes the deepest hatreds seethe within the closest relationships, and blood flows faster than water. …More

Forever By Roberts, Nora 2009-07 - Silhouette Books 9780373285792 Check Our Catalog Two classic tales of stubborn wills and impassioned hearts by #1 "New York Times"-bestselling author Roberts are bound together in this two-in-one volume. Includes "Rules of the Game" and "The Heart's Victory." Reissue. …More

Little Ghetto Girl By Santiago, Danielle 2007-02 - Atria Books 9780743297479 Check Our Catalog From self-published street lit superstar Santiago comes a hot novel about a Harlem girl who gets caught up in the dangerous game of drugs, and her struggle to escape the gangsta life. …More

Checkmate - The Baddest Chick By Santiago, Nisa 2012-07 - Melodrama Publishing 9781934157510 Check Our Catalog Apple, gone but not forgotten while trapped in a Mexican hellhole, is still the most hated chick in New York. With revenge in her heart and murder on her mind, Apple attempts to overcome her situation just in time to reclaim her title as The Baddest Chick in the world. …More

The Longest Ride By Sparks, Nicholas 2013-09 - Grand Central Publishing 9781455520657 Check Our Catalog Ira Levinson is in trouble. At ninety-one years old, in poor health and alone in the world, he finds himself stranded on an isolated embankment after a car crash. Suffering multiple injuries, he struggles to retain consciousness until a blurry image materializes and comes into focus beside him: his beloved wife Ruth, who passed away nine years ago. Urging him to hang on, she forces him to remain alert by recounting the stories of their lifetime together - how they met, the precious paintings they collected together, the dark days of WWII and its effect on them and their families. Ira knows that Ruth can't possibly be in the car with him, but he clings to her words and his memories, reliving the sorrows and everyday joys that defined their marriage. …More

The Notebook By Sparks, Nicholas 1998-02 - Warner Books 9780446605236 Check Our Catalog A man picks up a faded, well-worn notebook and begins reading to a frail elderly woman, his voice recalling the heartbreaking story of two star-crossed lovers and their poignant, bittersweet journey to happiness. So begins this touching novel that is a dual tale of love lost and found, and of a man's gentle battle to reach an aging woman who cannot remember the most cherished moments of her life. New Line Cinema is developing a screenplay from the novel. …More

The Daughter of Time By Tey, Josephine Introduction by Barnard, Robert 1995-11 - Touchstone Books 9780684803869 Check Our Catalog In one of Tey's bestselling mystery novels ever, Scotland Yard Inspector Alan Grant is intrigued by a portrait of Richard III. Could such a sensitive face actually belong to one of history's most heinous villains--a king who killed his brother's children to secure his crown? Grant determines to find out once and for all what kind of man Richard was and who in fact killed the princes in the tower. …More

Hidden Order: A Thriller By Thor, Brad 2013-07 - Atria Books 9781476717098 Check Our Catalog The most secretive organization in America operates without any accountability to the American people. Hiding in the shadows, pretending to be part of the United States government, its power is beyond measure. Control of this organization has just been lost and the future of the nation thrust into peril. …More

Thug-A-Licious: An Urban Erotic Tale By Noire 2006-08 - One World 9780345486912 Check Our Catalog Combining erotica and street lit, #1 "Essence" bestselling author Noire has crafted an urban, erotic masterpiece--a sexy, authentic tale of the price to be paid for unchecked ambition. (Erotica) HPL patron:  Didn't really like this book but it was sad.  Don't really like the author. …More

A Question of Honor: A Bess Crawford Mystery By Todd, Charles 2013-08 - William Morrow & Company 9780062237156 Check Our Catalog Ten years after an army officer apparently killed five people, deserted his regiment and died in Afghanistan, he's back to bedevil nursing sister Bess Crawford, and vice versa. …More

Riding Dirty on I-95 By Turner, Nikki 2006-04 - One World 9780345476845 Check Our Catalog Turner delivers another juicy treat with this high-speed story of a feisty young woman's search for passion, love, and understanding while she hustles for survival. …More

Deceived By White, Randy Wayne 2013-09 - G. P. Putnam's Sons 9780399162077 Check Our Catalog Hannah Smith returns in the stunning new adventure in the New York Times-bestselling series from the author of the Doc Ford novels. …More

The Maid's Version By Woodrell, Daniel 2013-09 - Little Brown and Company 9780316205856 Check Our Catalog Alma DeGeer Dunahew, the mother of three young boys, works as the maid for a prominent citizen and his family in West Table, Missouri. Her husband is mostly absent, and, in 1929, her scandalous, beloved younger sister is one of the 42 killed in an explosion at the local dance hall. Who is to blame? Mobsters from St. Louis? The embittered local gypsies? The preacher who railed against the loose morals of the waltzing couples? Or could it have been a colossal accident? …More

Gettin' Buck Wild: Sex Chronicles II By Zane 2003-10 - Atria Books 9780743457026 Check Our Catalog Smart, witty, and extremely sexy, "Gettin' Buck Wild" is tailored to women but perfect for lovers to share. …More

Nervous By Zane 2004-06 - Atria Books 9780743476249 Check Our Catalog The captivating new novel from the "New York Times" bestselling author of "Gettin' Buck Wild: Sex Chronicles 2" and "Addicted!" Zane returns to heat up the summer with a spellbinding story of a woman battling with a split personality--one side repressed, the other sexually voracious. …More