Staff Picks for May

STAFF PICKS for May

A Fateful Year This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, and with the sesquicentennial has come renewed debate about the factors that drove the nation to war. In 1861: The Civil War Awakening, author Adam Goodheart offers a fresh perspective on the war's beginnings and portrays some of the little-known figures who played important roles during that fateful year. Among those profiled are an acrobatic militia colonel, an explorer's wife, a regiment of New York City firemen, a close-knit band of German immigrants and a young college professor, James J. Garfield, who would later become president. Goodheart's vivid writing and unique approach gives readers new insight on the beginnings of the long struggle that nearly destroyed the Union.

The Choice By Sparks, Nicholas 2007-09 - Grand Central Publishing 9780446579926 Check Our Catalog Set amid the austere beauty of the North Carolina coast, "The Choice" tells the story of Travis Parker, a small-town veterinarian, who avoids romantic entanglements until new neighbor Gabby Holland enters his life. …More

I'll Walk Alone By Clark, Mary Higgins 2011-04 - Simon & Schuster 9781439180969 Check Our Catalog The #1 bestselling Queen of Suspense Mary Higgins Clark presents her latest captivating thriller. …More

A Visit from the Goon Squad By Egan, Jennifer 2010-06 - Knopf Publishing Group 9780307592835 Check Our Catalog 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction Winner BookPage Notable Title From one of today's boldest writers comes a sly, surprising, and exhilarating novel about time, survival, and the electrifying sparks ignited at the seams of our lives by colliding destinies. …More

I Am Ozzy By Osbourne, Ozzy With Ayres, Chris 2010-01 - Grand Central Publishing 9780446569897 Check Our Catalog Osbourne freely admits that his dizzying life of excess should have killed him. People ask me how come I'm still alive, and I don't know what to say. . . . But here I am: ready to tell my story, in my own words, for the first time. …More

The Land of Painted Caves By Auel, Jean M. 2011-03 - Crown Publishing Group (NY) 9780517580516 Check Our Catalog The highly anticipated sixth book of Auel's Earth's Children series, "The Land of the Painted Caves" is the culmination fans have been waiting for. Continuing the story of Ayla and Jondalar, Auel combines her brilliant narrative skills and appealing characters with a remarkable re-creation of the way life was lived more than 25,000 years ago. …More

Kat, Incorrigible By Burgis, Stephanie 2011-04 - Atheneum Books 9781416994473 Check Our Catalog In 19th-century England, 12-year-old Kat Stephenson knows she was born to be a magical Guardian and protector of Society--if she can find true acceptance in the secret order that expelled her mother. She's ready to upend the rigid Order of the Guardians, whether the older members like it or not. …More

Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography By Jacobson, Sid Author Colon, Ernie 2010-09 - Hill & Wang 9780809026852 Check Our Catalog Drawing on the unique historical sites, archives, expertise, and unquestioned authority of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, "New York Times"-bestselling authors Jacobson and Coln have created the first authorized and exhaustive graphic biography of Anne Frank. …More

Close to the Wind: The Beaufort Scale By Malone, Peter 2007-05 - Putnam Publishing Group 9780399243998 Check Our Catalog In 1810, a British naval officer and surveyor named Francis Beaufort developed a scale to give sailors a common language for describing the wind. From 0 (calm) to 12 (hurricane), stunning artwork and jaunty prose show what life at sea must have been like for a young boy serving as a midshipman in the 1800s. As William sails from Naples to the Caribbean, we learn intriguing historical information and nautical terminology, and witness how the wind affected day-to-day life on a ship. Detailed illustrations show the wind at work, and readers will be engrossed and fascinated as they watch the storm develop in magnificent full-color paintings. …More

Camille McPhee Fell Under the Bus By Tracy, Kristen 2010-10 - Yearling Books 9780375845468 Check Our Catalog Imagine being Camille McPhee. She has low blood sugar, so she carries extra food in a cooler. Would you want to do that? Didn't think so. And you wouldn't want to fall under the school bus. That happened to Camille too! Her cat, Checkers, is lost. And her best friend, Sally, moved to Japan. It would be hard to stay optimistic, right? But Camille is what her mom calls HOPEFUL. Because really? There are plenty of things to be positive about: gifted reading a nonsqueaky mattress eating banned foods the big blue butterfly Even making a new friend. Imagine that! …More

Clover Twig and the Magical Cottage By Umansky, Kaye Illustrator Wright, Johanna 2009-08 - Roaring Brook Press 9781596435070 Check Our Catalog When the sensible, reliable, and always tidy Clover Twig goes to work for a messy witch, she discovers that the witch's cottage has quite a few secrets hiding inside of it. Illustrations. …More

Solomon Snow and the Silver Spoon By Umansky, Kaye 2007-02 - Candlewick Press (MA) 9780763632182 Check Our Catalog Readers will laugh out loud at these daft and clever accounts of a foundling who sets out in search of his destiny, only to encounter some woeful misadventures along the way. Now available in hardcover editions with new cover art. Illustrations. …More

Mister Wonderful: A Love Story By Clowes, Daniel 2011-04 - Pantheon Books 9780307378132 Check Our Catalog Clowes's fan-favorite Eisner Award-winning story, originally serialized in "The New York Times Magazine," is now collected and includes 40 pages of new material. …More

Once Upon a Time, There Was You By Berg, Elizabeth 2011-04 - Random House 9781400068654 Check Our Catalog A beautiful story about the power of love and family, this new novel by the beloved, bestselling author of "The Last Time I Saw You" follows the journey of a couple who meet again after their divorce. …More

The Mindfulness Solution: Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems By Siegel, Ronald D. 2010-01 - Guilford Publications 9781606232941 Check Our Catalog From a trusted therapist and mindfulness expert, this book blends psychological savvy with powerful tools for attaining a more balanced life. A wealth of exercises help readers understand and master time-tested techniques for fostering insight, awareness, and acceptance. …More

The Bards of Bone Plain By McKillip, Patricia A. 2010-12 - Ace Books 9780441019571 Check Our Catalog In her newest novel, the World Fantasy Award-winning author of "The Bell at Sealey Head" invites readers to discover a place that may only exist in the mystical wisdom of poetry and music. …More

A Gate at the Stairs By Moore, Lorrie 2009-09 - Knopf Publishing Group 9780375409288 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title Set just after the events of September 2001, Moore's deft, lyrical novel brings readers up against the heart of racism, the shock of war, and the carelessness perpetrated against others in the name of love. …More

This Side of Paradise By Fitzgerald, F. Scott Editor West, James L. W., III Afterword by Bruccoli, Matthew J. 1998-07 - Scribner Book Company 9780684843780 Check Our Catalog This classic novel, first published in 1920, tells the story of Amory Blaine's moral education and sexual awakening, brilliantly capturing the rhythms of postwar America and the spirit of a generation dedicated to the pursuit of excitement, sophistication, and success. …More

In the Woods By French, Tana 2007-05 - Viking Books 9780670038602 Check Our Catalog 2008 Edgar Award Winner - Best First Novel By An American Author 2008 Anthony Award Winner for Best First Novel For readers who like their hard-boiled police procedurals with an international flare ("USA Today"), this thriller marks the debut of an astonishing new voice in psychological suspense. …More

A Discovery of Witches By Harkness, Deborah 2011-02 - Viking Books 9780670022410 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title Debut novelist Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense--a richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together. …More