STAFF PICKS

We like to read, and we like to share what we read! This is a list of recent favorites.

Dragonfly in Amber  By Gabaldon, Diana  2001-08 - Delta 9780385335973 Check Our CatalogWith her now-classic novel Outlander, Diana Gabaldon introduced two unforgettable characters -- Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser -- delighting readers with a story of adventure and love that spanned two centuries. Now Gabaldon returns to that extraordinary time and place in this vivid, powerful follow-up to Outlander....  For twenty years Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is …More

Station Eleven  By Mandel, Emily St John  2014-09 - Knopf Publishing Group 9780385353304 Check Our Catalog Awards: ALA Notable Books (2015) National Book Awards (2014)  An audacious, darkly glittering novel set in the eerie days of civilization's collapse, "Station Eleven "tells the spellbinding story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity.  One snowy night Arthur Leander, a famous actor, has a heart attack onstage during a …More

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories  By Irving, Washington  2008-04 - Dover Publications 9780486466583 Check Our CatalogA sage storyteller, Irving created such staples of American fiction as "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." This collection contains dozens of travel essays, tales of romance, and literary musings. Features a new Introduction. Revised reissue. …More

Bryant & May and the Bleeding Heart: A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery  By Fowler, Christopher  2014-12 - Bantam 9780345547651 Check Our CatalogLondon's wiliest detectives, Arthur Bryant and John May, are back on the case in this fiendishly clever new mystery. And when a cemetery becomes the scene of a crime, neither secrets--nor bodies--stay buried.  Romain Curtis sneaks into St. George's Gardens one evening with his date, planning to show her the stars. A centuries-old burial ground, the small, quiet park is the perfect place to be …More

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust  By Bradley, Alan  Author Bradley, C. Alan 2015-01 - Delacorte Press 9780345539939 Check Our Catalog"NEW YORK TIMES" BESTSELLER  Flavia de Luce--"part Harriet the Spy, part Violet Baudelaire from Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events"" ("The New York Times Book Review")--takes her remarkable sleuthing prowess to the unexpectedly unsavory world of Canadian boarding schools in the captivating new mystery from "New York Times "bestselling author Alan Bradley.  "Banished " is how …More

Private  By Patterson, James  Author Paetro, Maxine 2010-06 - Little Brown and Company 9780316096157 Check Our CatalogJack Morgan, a former Marine and CIA agent, inherits his father's renowned security and detective business. Getting to the bottom of an NFL gambling scandal and an unsolved LAPD investigation into 18 school girl slayings would be enough. On top of all that, Morgan takes on solving the horrific murder of his best friend's wife. …More

The Relic  By Preston, Douglas J.  With Child, Lincoln 1996-01 - Tor Books 9780812543261 Check Our Catalog Awards: Garden State Teen Book Award (1998)  Days before a massive exhibition at the New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being murdered. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human. The museum's directors decide to go ahead with the bash in spite of the murders. Now museum researcher Margo Green must find out who or what is doing the killing. Does she have time to stop a massacre? …More

The Harbinger  By Cahn, Jonathan  2012-01 - Frontline 9781616386108 Check Our Catalog Awards: Christian Retailing's Best (2013)  Is it possible...  That there exists an ancient mystery that holds the secret of America's future? That this mystery lies behind everything from 9/11 to the collapse of the global economy? That ancient harbingers of judgment are now manifesting in America? That God is sending America a prophetic message of what is yet to come?  Before its end as a nation, there appeared in ancient …More

What to read while waiting for...

The Buried Giant By Ishiguro, Kazuo 2015-03 - Knopf Publishing Group 9780307271037 Check Our Catalog From the author of "Never Let Me Go "and the Booker Prize-winning "The Remains of the Day" " " The Romans have long since departed and Britain is steadily declining into ruin. But, at least, the wars that once ravaged the country have ceased. Axl and Beatrice, a couple of elderly Britons, decide that now is the time, finally, for them to set off across this troubled land of mist and rain to …More

Are you patiently (or not so patiently) waiting for that best seller?  Here are some suggestions!

Hild By Griffith, Nicola 2014-10 - Picador USA 9781250056092 Check Our Catalog A brilliant, lush, sweeping historical novel about the rise of the most powerful woman of the Middle Ages: Hild …More

The Unconsoled By Ishiguro, Kazuo 1996-10 - Vintage Books 9780679735878 Check Our Catalog The Unconsoled is at once a gripping psychological mystery, a wicked satire of the cult of art, and a poignant character study of a man whose public life has accelerated beyond his control. The setting is a nameless Central European city where Ryder, a renowned pianist, has come to give the most important performance of his life. Instead, he finds himself diverted on a series of cryptic and …More

Beowulf: A New Verse Translation By Heaney, Seamus 2001-02 - W. W. Norton & Company 9780393320978 Check Our Catalog Composed toward the end of the first millennium, "Beowulf" is the classic Northern epic of a hero's triumphs as a young warrior and his fated death as a defender of his people. In his new translation--a national bestseller that is the winner of the Whitbread Award--Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney has produced a work that is both true, line by line, to the original poem and a fundamental expression of …More

Upcoming Events at HPL

MINECRAFT AT THE LIBRARY FOR AGES 6 - 12 2:00 - 4:00 PM, SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2015 THIS PROGRAM WILL BE LOCATED IN THE LIBRARY'S BASEMENT LEVEL MEETING ROOMS. ALL SEATS FOR THE MARCH MINECRAFT PROGRAM ARE RESERVED, AND REGISTRATION IS CLOSED. REGISTRATION FOR THE APRIL MINECRAFT PROGRAM WILL BEGIN AT NOON, MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015.

HPL'S "STORYTIME WITH MS. CASSANDRA" IS ON THE ROAD! STARTING MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015 Hackley Public Library's Youth Services Librarian, Ms. Cassandra, will be bringing her popular storytime program to local preschools and daycare centers! Each event includes stories, songs, action rhymes, and more! TO SCHEDULE MS. CASSANDRA TO COME TO YOUR LOCATION, CALL 231-722-7276, EXT. 230.

REGISTRATION FOR HACKLEY PUBLIC LIBRARY'S MINECRAFT PROGRAM NOON, MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015 Sign up for April Minecraft Program begins. Call 722-7276, ext. 230. Please speak with someone; do not leave a message.

"OFF THE WALL" TEEN POETRY AND ART CONTEST AWARDS CELEBRATION 6:30 PM, MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2015 Winning poets and artists of Hackley Public Library's "Off the Wall" contest will be honored during this event. Readings by the contest winners will be accompanied by coffee, hot chocolate and cookies. The winning entries will be published in the library's "Off the Wall" booklet.

Finances for Lunch 12:00 - 1:00 pm, Wednesday, March 18 Bring your lunch and learn about finances with employees from PNC Bank. This month’s topic is "Pay Yourself First."

Trouble with your Tablet? 1:30 pm, Wednesday, March 18 Having trouble with your tablet? Bring it to HPL on Wednesdays at 1:30 to get tech help. Please register in advance by calling 231-722-7276.

CINDERELLA'S BALL SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2015 Beautiful Cinderella is returning to help us host two more sessions, particularly for those unable to attend before, but anyone can call to register for a session. Each session will include a royal dance, games, crafts, treats, and will be limited to 40 children. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. CALL 231-722-7276, EXT. 230. Morning session: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM Afternoon session: 2:00 – 3:30 PM

Saturday Computer Class-Intro to the Internet 11:00 am, Saturday, March 21 De'ondra Pentecost will teach computer classes on Saturdays at 11 am and 12:15 pm. Registration is required. Call HPL at 231-722-7276 to register. This weeks’ topic--Intro to the Internet. Brought to you through the generosity of the Friends of Hackley Library.

Saturday Computer Class-Intro to the Internet 12:15 pm, Saturday, March 21 De'ondra Pentecost will teach computer classes on Saturdays at 11 am and 12:15 pm. Registration is required. Call HPL at 231-722-7276 to register. This weeks’ topic--Intro to the Internet. Brought to you through the generosity of the Friends of Hackley Library.

Michigan Mysteries and Oddities 6:00 pm, Tuesday, March 24 Join Ron Rademacher as he talks about the back roads of Michigan and the Historic Oddities & Small Towns you can find there. He will present a slideshow that describes road trips to unique destinations. At the end will be a question and answer period and a chance to buy books.

Trouble with your Tablet? 1:30 pm, Wednesday, March 25 Having trouble with your tablet? Bring it to HPL on Wednesdays at 1:30 to get tech help. Please register in advance by calling 231-722-7276.

Tech Wednesday-Word 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm, Wednesday, March 25 Bring your laptop or tablet and follow along while we explain tech topics in an informal setting. Today we will look at Word.

Saturday Computer Class-Intro to Publisher 11:00 am, Saturday, March 28 De'ondra Pentecost will teach computer classes on Saturdays at 11 am and 12:15 pm. Registration is required. Call HPL at 231-722-7276 to register. This weeks’ topic--Intro to Publisher. Brought to you through the generosity of the Friends of Hackley Library.

Saturday Computer Class-Intro to Publisher 12:15 pm, Saturday, March 28 De'ondra Pentecost will teach computer classes on Saturdays at 11 am and 12:15 pm. Registration is required. Call HPL at 231-722-7276 to register. This weeks’ topic--Intro to Publisher. Brought to you through the generosity of the Friends of Hackley Library.

FAMILY LEGO MANIA AT THE LIBRARY 2:00 PM SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015 KIDS! What can YOU build with LEGOs? Bring the whole family out for this family-friendly activity. The most creative builds win a candy prize. We provide the LEGOs; you provide the imagination!

Gardening-Start with a Plan 2:00 - 3:30 pm, Saturday, March 28 Join Community Gardeners to learn the latest on growing productive and attractive gardens. Session 1) March 28: Great gardens start with a great plan. From soil preparation to planting companions, design your garden for maximum benefit. What needs to be planted when? Upcoming sessions: Session 2) April 25: From Seed to Plant. Review planting techniques, watering, herb and flowers that enhance a garden; Compost and mulch options. Session 3) June 6: In the Ground - pest and disease prevention, weed control, watering - too much or too little. Favorite ideas and recipes for produce.

Book Review-Station Eleven

I don't usually read books that are on the best seller list just to read best sellers.  On the other hand, when a book by an author who is not a "big name" has a book on the list for a long time I start to get interested.  I also read a few blogs that review books to keep up with the books that may fly under the radar.
I noticed that Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel had been on the best seller list for a while, and I remembered it had gotten a great review on one of the blogs so I picked it up.  The story takes place 20 years after a virulent flu wipes out about 90% of the world's population, although it opens with the night the flu arrived in Canada.  That night, Jeevan is attending a production of King Lear in which Arthur Leander stars and Kirsten Raymonde, a child of 8, has a small part.  Arthur has a heart attack and Jeevan, an EMT, tries to save him, with no luck.  The flu arrives that night and Jeevan and Kirsten are among the few who survive.  The story then takes up years later.  Kirsten has joined The Symphony, a traveling group of musicians and actors who put on Shakespearean plays and concerts for the survivors of the flu because “Survival is not Enough.”  Traveling is difficult and dangerous.  Survivors have grouped together in small communities, but there are some on the road who are outlaws.  Cars have long been useless, so people have taken the motors out of trucks and use them as wagons with horses to pull them.
The story follows the Symphony in the present, but also jumps back to the past to tell Arthur Leander’s story and the people whose lives touched his, and the ripple effect his life is still having on those that knew him and survived.
I really enjoyed this book.  Mandel has a very good writing style.  I always felt like I was in the story-that I could see what she was describing. Also, unlike other dystopian novels, this one deals more with the survival of art and culture than just mere survival.  The Symphony meant something, not just to the people in it, but to their audiences.  For the survivors, it reminded them of what they once had, for the younger people it pointed to what was possible.  For some, it kept them sane. 

New Books at HPL

Below is a partial list of our new books. To see the full list, download the Excel file for 2015 .  To see new books from other years try: 2014  2013 , 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, or 2006.

Of Irish Blood By Kelly, Mary Pat 2015-02 - Forge 9780765329134 Check Our Catalog It's 1903. Nora Kelly, twenty-four, is talented, outspoken, progressive, and climbing the ladder of opportunity, until she falls for an attractive but dangerous man who sends her running back to the Old World her family had fled. Nora takes on Paris, mixing with couturiers, artists, and "les femmes Americaines" of the Left Bank such as Gertrude Stein and Sylvia Beach. But when she stumbles into …More

You By Kepnes, Caroline 2014-09 - Atria Books 9781476785592 Check Our Catalog " A] beautifully crafted thriller that will give you chills." ("People" magazine) From debut author Caroline Kepnes comes "You," one of "Suspense Magazine"'s Best Books of 2014, and a brilliant and terrifying novel for the social media age. When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name …More

The Fall of the Governor, Part One By Kirkman, Robert Author Bonansinga, Jay 2013-10 - Thomas Dunne Books 9780312548179 Check Our Catalog The Governor's complex story continues in a tour de force of action and horror. Iconic characters from the comic book, including Rick, Michonne and Glenn, finally make their entrance onto this nightmarish stage, and fans of The Walking Dead will see these characters in a whole new light. …More

Hush Hush By Lippman, Laura 2015-02 - William Morrow & Company 9780062083425 Check Our Catalog The award-winning New York Times bestselling author of After I'm Gone, The Most Dangerous Thing, I'd Know You Anywhere, and What the Dead Know brings back private detective Tess Monaghan, introduced in the classic Baltimore Blues, in an absorbing mystery that plunges the new parent into a disturbing case involving murder and a manipulative mother "I'm every woman's worst nightmare. . . . …More

Together Again: The Trouble with CaasiReflections of Yesterday By Macomber, Debbie 2014-12 - Mira Books 9780778315148 Check Our Catalog www.DebbieMacomber.com He's leaving her--or is he? Caasi Crane, CEO of a West Coast hotel chain, has always taken her job seriously--and taken her most important employee for granted. But when Blake Sherrill, her very skillful (and very attractive) general manager resigns, Caasi suddenly realizes she not only needs him, she loves him. So now the question is: How can she convince Blake to …More

Shelter in a Soldier's Arms: Donovan's Child By Mallery, Susan Author Rimmer, Christine 2014-12 - Harlequin 9780373010165 Check Our Catalog A PLACE TO STAY Shelter--it was such a basic need, and one that single mom Ashley Churchill had always been able to provide for her little girl. Until her luck turned, and the only protection she could find was in her stony and taciturn boss, security specialist Jeff Ritter. Jeff warned he was only offering to share his home, not his life, and that suited Ashley just fine. She would make it on …More

Eyes Only By Michaels, Fern 2014-12 - Zebra 9781420135916 Check Our Catalog Lush, exclusive Spyder Island is home to many of the world's billionaires. Years ago, Gretchen Spyder, daughter of the island's namesake, gave her twin babies up for legal adoption. Now Gretchen and her father are trying to get them back. The twins' adoptive parents are a loving but poor couple, completely outgunned by the Spyders' wealth. Their only hope lies with Myra Rutledge and her formidable …More

Echo Lake By Neggers, Carla 2015-01 - Mira Books 9780778317432 Check Our Catalog In snowy Swift River Valley, unexpected romance is just around the corner... Heather Sloan has landed her dream job--the renovation of Vic Scarlatti's stately 1912 country home overlooking the icy waters of Echo Lake in Knights Bridge, Massachusetts. It's the perfect project for the family business, but for once, Heather is in charge. Diplomatic Security Service agent Brody Hancock left …More

Natural Born Liar By Noire 2012-05 - Dafina Books 9780758266088 Check Our Catalog The #1 "Essence" bestselling author returns with her trademark urban erotic style with this first book in a trilogy following the escapades of a New York City hustler pretending to be the long-lost daughter of an oil-rich Texas family. …More

Salem Falls By Picoult, Jodi 2002-08 - Washington Square Press 9780743418713 Check Our Catalog Jack McBride was a beloved teacher and coach at a girl's prep school--until a student's crush sparked an accusation, leaving him with an eight-month jail sentence and no job. Jack resolves to start over. But just when it seems his life is getting back on track, Jack finds himself the object of fresh accusations of rape, brought by a coven of bewitching teenage girls from Salem Falls. …More

The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy By Quinn, Julia 2015-01 - Avon Books 9780062072948 Check Our Catalog Sir Richard Kenworthy has less than a month to find a bride. He knows he can't be too picky, but when he sees Iris Smythe-Smith hiding behind her cello at her family's infamous musicale, he thinks he might have struck gold. She's the type of girl you don't notice until the second--or third--look, but there's something about her, something simmering under the surface, and he knows she's the …More

Obsession in Death By Robb, J. D. 2015-02 - Wheeler Publishing Large Print 9781410475145 Check Our Catalog A crisp winter morning in New York. In a luxury apartment, the body of a woman lies stretched out on a huge bed. On the wall above, the killer has left a message in bold black ink: FOR LIEUTENANT EVE DALLAS, WITH GREAT ADMIRATION AND UNDERSTANDING. Eve Dallas is used to unwanted attention. Famous for her high-profile cases and her marriage to billionaire businessman Roarke, she has learned to deal …More

All at Once: TemptationThe Right Path By Roberts, Nora 2014-12 - Silhouette Books 9780373281862 Check Our Catalog From #1 New York Times bestselling author NORA ROBERTS come two classic stories about love taking you by surprise Temptation Socialite Eden Carlbough knew running a girls' camp wouldn't be easy, but she didn't expect to be run up an apple tree by the little monsters. She was equally surprised to come crashing down into the capable arms of orchard owner Chase Elliot. While her handsome …More

The Last Good Paradise By Soli, Tatjana 2015-02 - St. Martin's Press 9781250043962 Check Our Catalog From Tatjana Soli, the bestselling author of "The Lotus Eaters "and "The Forgetting Tree, "comes a black comedy set on an island resort, where guests attempting to flee their troubles realize they can't escape who they are. On a small, unnamed coral atoll in the South Pacific, a group of troubled dreamers must face the possibility that the hopes they've labored after so single-mindedly might …More

Saving Sierra By Sullivan, Leo Author Divine, Karmel 2014-04 - Createspace 9781499241402 Check Our Catalog Bryson is out to save his daughter by all means. With polices on his tale and money in a duffle bag he's willing to do whatever it takes to get his daughter the new liver she needs. How far will a father go for his daughter? …More

Most Wanted By Turner, Nikki Author Swinson, Kiki 2013-09 - Dafina Books 9780758280251 Check Our Catalog National bestselling authors Kiki Swinson and Nikki Turner turn up the heat with two twisty tales of women on the run and under the gun. …More

Millionaire Mistress Part 3: Chloe's Revenge By Montgomery, Tiphani 2009-10 - Life Changing Books 9781934230725 Check Our Catalog A bad bitch never dies! Chloe is back and in full force! Ride with author, Tiphani as she tells a riveting tale about money, lust, and revenge. Between sexin' any man who can help her achieve her over-the-top goals, and on a crazed path of revenge, Chloe shocks us all with her newfound tricks of the trade. She's come full circle with new ammo, a new mission, and her old mischievous ways. You won't …More

A Fine Summer's Day: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery By Todd, Charles 2015-01 - William Morrow & Company 9780062237125 Check Our Catalog New York Times bestselling author Charles Todd takes readers on a trip to Ian Rutledge's past, with the story of the last case the Scotland Yard detective tackles before he goes off to fight in World War I. New York Times bestselling author Charles Todd takes readers into Scotland Yard detective Ian Rutledge's past-to his perplexing final case before the outbreak of World War I. On a fine …More

The Beige Man By Tursten, Helene Translator Delargy, Marlaine 2015-02 - Soho Crime 9781616954000 Check Our Catalog Goteborg, Sweden: The high-speed chase of a stolen BMW takes a chilling turn when the two police officers involved witness a gruesome hit-and-run. When they finally recover the abandoned vehicle, search dogs are unable to trace the thieves, but they do uncover an entirely different horror: the half-naked corpse of a young girl in a nearby root cellar. As Detective Inspector Irene Huss and her …More

Crazy Love You By Unger, Lisa 2015-02 - Touchstone Books 9781451691207 Check Our Catalog No one writes "good scary fun" ("The Washington Post") better than "New York Times "bestselling master of psychological suspense Lisa Unger. With more than 1.7 million books sold in more than thirty countries, it's clear why "USA TODAY "declared that her thrillers "should be on everyone's to-read list." Falling in love can feel like a dream...or a living nightmare. Darkness has a way of …More

The Marriage Game: A Novel of Queen Elizabeth I By Weir, Alison 2015-02 - Ballantine Books 9780345511911 Check Our Catalog In this compelling novel of Tudor drama and suspense, acclaimed author Alison Weir brings to life one of England's most scandalous royal love affairs: the romance between the "Virgin Queen" Elizabeth I and her courtier Lord Robert Dudley. Only twenty-five and newly crowned, Elizabeth vows to rule the country as both queen and""king. But her counselors continually press her to form an …More

Shadows Over Paradise By Wolff, Isabel 2015-02 - Bantam 9780345533180 Check Our Catalog For readers of Kate Morton and Jamie Ford comes a captivating novel of two very different women, struggling to come to terms with the ghosts from their past--by the internationally bestselling author of "A Vintage Affair" and "The Very Picture of You" " " "Sometimes the only way forward is through the past." " " Jenni Clark is a ghostwriter. She loves to immerse herself in other …More

Dogwood Hill By Woods, Sherryl 2014-12 - Mira Books 9780778317326 Check Our Catalog #1 New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods tests the strength of the beloved O'Briens and proves that love and family can always triumph When former pro football quarterback Aidan Mitchell comes to Chesapeake Shores to take a high school coaching job, he's embraced by the town--especially the O'Briens. But Aidan has a secret that could alter all their lives. For wounded Liz March, …More