STAFF PICKS for November

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

The Rise of Cleopatra Often the subject of legend, literature and movies, Cleopatra is a woman who has fascinated the masses for over 2000 years. In her new biography, Pulitzer Prize winner Stacy Schiff takes on the daunting task of capturing the many facets of Egypt's final queen's daring and dramatic life. In Cleopatra: A Life, Schiff examines Cleopatra as a political strategist, ruler of empire, and legendary lover throughout the course of her brief life. This is a must-read for history buffs as well as those looking for all the juicy details regarding one of history's most enthralling women.

Winter Garden By Hannah, Kristin 2010-02 - St. Martin's Press 9780312364120 Check Our Catalog Can a woman ever really know herself if she doesn't know her mother? From the author of "Firefly Lane" comes a powerful novel that illuminates the intricate mother-daughter bond and explores the enduring links between the present and the past. …More

The Chemistry of Calm: A Powerful, Drug-Free Plan to Quiet Your Fears and Overcome Your Anxiety By Emmons, Henry 2010-10 - Touchstone Books 9781439129067 Check Our Catalog Emmons presents a holistic, drug-free approach to reducing anxiety and balancing brain chemistry using Western neuroscience combined with Eastern medicine. …More

The Other Half of My Heart By Frazier, Sundee Tucker 2010-06 - Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers 9780385734400 Check Our Catalog The close relationship of a pair of biracial twins is tested when their grandmother enters them in a pageant for African-American girls in this new story from Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner Frazier. …More

Girl Parts By Cusick, John 2010-08 - Candlewick Press (MA) 9780763649302 Check Our Catalog What happens when a robot designed to be a boy's ideal companion develops a will of her own? …More

Three Black Swans By Cooney, Caroline B. 2010-08 - Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers 9780385738675 Check Our Catalog In this riveting, heartrending story by thriller author Cooney, the truth changes the lives of three families--as the bonds of blood must withstand the strains of long-hidden secrets that are at last revealed. …More

The Horses of St. Marks: A Story of Triumph in Byzantium, Paris, and Venice By Freeman, Charles 2010-08 - Overlook Press 9781590202678 Check Our Catalog The Horses of St. Mark's in Venice are among art's finest creations-and certainly one with a story like no other. Celebrated historian Charles Freeman, author of the 2009 surprise hit "A.D. 381," explores the mysterious origin of the statues and their turbulent movements through Europe over the centuries: in Constantinople, at both its founding and sacking in the Fourth Crusade; in Venice, at both the height of its greatness and fall in 1797; in the Paris of Napoleon, and the revolutions of 1848; and back in Venice, the most romantic city in the world. In this remarkable new book, Freeman shows how the horses came to stand at the heart of European history time and time again. …More

How Trees Die: The Past, Present, and Future of Our Forests By Gillman, Jeff 2009-07 - Westholme Publishing 9781594160813 Check Our Catalog …More