Book Review-Fever 1793

Audio books are a wonderful invention.  You can listen to a book while doing something that may not require your whole attention, like housework or exercising.  I've recenlty started walking during my lunch hours, so naturally I decided to "read" at the same time by listening to an audiobook through our Overdrive collection. I decided to read Fever, 1793 a fictionalized account of the yellow fever outbreak in Philadelphia in 1793.  It is actually a Young Adult novel with a teenaged protaganist.  I thought it was fascinating.  The story is told by Mattie Cook, a 14 year old whose mother runs a coffee house.  The author goes into a lot of detail of how people lived in 1793 Philadelphia, in addition to the yellow fever outbreak itself.  I was interested enough that I looked it up to see how much was actual history vs fiction, and was pleasantly surprised at how much was fact.  It was also interesting to learn that although we now know what causes yellow fever (spread through mosquitios) there is still no cure. This is a great book if you like colonial settings, stories told from a younger person's perspective, stories about how natural disasters affect people, or historical fiction in general.  Because it is a young adult book it is a bit shorter than adult books and is less graphic.  A very enjoyable book.

Fever 1793 By Anderson, Laurie Halse 2002-03 - Aladdin Paperbacks 9780689848919 Check Our Catalog In 1793 the Cook Coffeehouse outside of Philadelphia is a haven for those fleeing from the fever sweeping across the mosquito-infested city. Fourteen-year-old Mattie Cook loses her childhood playmate to the fever and struggles to keep her family and its business alive. HPL patron:  In this book the main character, Mattie, has to grow up and learn how to be a woman at an early age while the Yellow Fever creeps closer to her home.  It is a very good book. …More

Other books by the same author.

Catalyst By Anderson, Laurie Halse 2003-09 - Speak 9780142400012 Check Our Catalog From the author of "Speak" comes a novel that confronts the conundrum of young adult life. Kate manages her life by organizing it as logically as the periodic table. She can handle it all--or so she thinks. Then things dramatically change. …More

Speak By Anderson, Laurie Halse 2011-05 - Square Fish 9780312674397 Check Our Catalog In this powerful novel, a teenage heroine delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. …More

Chains By Anderson, Laurie Halse 2010-01 - Atheneum Books 9781416905868 Check Our Catalog A National Book Award finalist. At the start of the Revolutionary War, Isabelis sold to a cruel loyalist family, even though she has been promised freedomby her former owner. Soon faced with the choice of working for or against theBritish, Isabel chooses to work with anyone who can help her. 5 1/8 x7 5/8. …More

Complimentary Reads

A Doctor Like Papa By Kinsey-Warnock, Natalie Illustrator Bernardin, James 2002-05 - HarperCollins 9780060293192 Check Our Catalog Margaret holds tight to her dream of becoming a doctor just like her papa--a career that is no easy feat for a girl in early 20th-century Vermont. When a terrible virus breaks out, it's suddenly up to her to make the right choice. Illustrations. …More

Graveyard Girl By Myers, Anna 2001-03 - Turtleback Books 9780613359542 Check Our Catalog -- Sequoyah Childrens Book Award, Masterlist -- American Bookseller, "Pick of the Lists", 1995 "A grim historical moment has been effectively used by the author to show the ability of the human spirit to endure, survive, and renew itself". -- SLJ. "A harrowing tale of loss and redemption". -- KR. 1995. …More

Good-Bye Billy Radish By Skurzynski, Gloria 1996-10 - Turtleback Books 9780613004701 Check Our Catalog This is the poignant story of the friendship between two boys, Hank Kerner and Bazyli Radichevych, called Billy Radish, set in the steel town of Canaan, Pennsylvania, in 1917. Thge boys are very different, for while Hank considers himself all-American, Billy is a Ukrainian immigrant straddling two cultures. As World War I rages overseas, both boys are faced with some difficult questions. …More

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.

Rasputin's Shadow By Khoury, Raymond 2013-10 - Dutton Books 9780525953135 Check Our Catalog An ingenious, fast-paced historical thriller from the author of the "New York Times" bestseller "The Last Templar." …More

Doctor Sleep By King, Stephen 2013-09 - Scribner Book Company 9781476727653 Check Our Catalog Stephen King returns to the character and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, "The Shining," in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals. …More

The Widow Waltz By Koslow, Sally 2013-06 - Viking Books 9780670025640 Check Our Catalog The author's warm and witty fourth novel is deftly told through the alternating viewpoints of her three remarkable female protagonists as they find the grit to survive devastating losses and reinvent their lives. …More

The Lowland By Lahiri, Jhumpa 2013-09 - Knopf Publishing Group 9780307265746 Check Our Catalog From the Pulitzer Prize-winning, best-selling author of "The Namesake" comes an extraordinary new novel, set in both India and America, that expands the scope and range of one of our most dazzling storytellers: a tale of two brothers bound by tragedy, a fiercely brilliant woman haunted by her past, a country torn by revolution, and a love that lasts long past death. …More

We Are Water By Lamb, Wally 2013-10 - Harper 9780061941023 Check Our Catalog We Are Water is a disquieting and ultimately uplifting novel about a marriage, a family, and human resilience in the face of tragedy, from Wally Lamb, the "New York Times" bestselling author of The Hour, I First Believed and I Know This Much Is True. …More

Heart of Texas Volume 3: Nell's CowboyLone Star Baby By Macomber, Debbie 2013-08 - Mira Books 9780778314578 Check Our Catalog Promise, a ranching community in the Hill Country, has a mysterious past. Yet it's the kind of place that represents the strength of rural America. Because Promise is built on family, friendship, and, above all, "love." This volume includes "Nell's Cowboys" and "Lone Star Baby." Reissue. …More

Percy Gloom By Malkasian, Cathy 2007-06 - Fantagraphics Books 9781560978459 Check Our Catalog 2008 Eisner Award winner for Most Promising Newcomer: an absurd but hopeful cartoon fable for these strange times we live in. …More

King's Mountain By McCrumb, Sharyn 2013-09 - Thomas Dunne Books 9781250011404 Check Our Catalog John Sevier had not taken much interest in the American Revolution. Homesteading in the Carolina mountains, Sevier was too busy fighting Indians and taming the wilderness to worry much about a far-off war, but when an arrogant British officer sends a message over the mountains, threatening to burn the settlers' farms and kill their families, the war becomes personal. …More

Gotcha! By Michaels, Fern 2013-06 - Zebra Books 9781420121483 Check Our Catalog Julie is convinced her greedy daughter-in-law Darlene had something to do with the mysterious circumstances surrounding her son Larry's death. She desperately wants to get a confession out of Darlene, and to ensure the safety of Larry's daughter, Olivia. As Myra, Annie, and their cohorts dig deeper into Darlene's shady dealings, events unfurl in a way that no one could have predicted, bringing to light the true meaning of loyalty and courage. …More

The Girl You Left Behind By Moyes, Jojo 2013-08 - Pamela Dorman Books 9780670026616 Check Our Catalog From the "New York Times" bestselling author of "Me Before You," a spellbinding love story of two women separated by a century but united in their determination to fight for what they love most. …More

The Time of Your Visitation By Nelson, Edith J. 2011-07 - Xlibris Corporation 9781462870691 Check Our Catalog …More

Doomed By Palahniuk, Chuck 2013-10 - Doubleday Books 9780385533034 Check Our Catalog The continued adventures of Madison, the heroine of DAMNED, who escapes Hell and comes back to Earth. …More

Critical Mass By Paretsky, Sara 2013-10 - Putnam Adult 9780399160561 Check Our Catalog "Vic is at her stubborn, reckless, compassionate best in this complicated page-turner about selfish secrets passed down through generations. Paretsky has been on a roll lately, her long-running, trailblazing series at its most dynamic since the early days." -- Booklist …More

Loss of Innocence By Patterson, Richard North 2013-10 - Quercus 9781623650926 Check Our Catalog From acclaimed author Richard North Patterson comes a sweeping family drama of dark secrets and individual awakenings, set against the backdrop of the tumultuous summer of 1968. …More

Born in Fire By Roberts, Nora 2013-09 - Berkley Publishing Group 9780425266090 Check Our Catalog First in a stunning new trilogy featuring the Concannon sisters of County Clare, Ireland. Maggie, the sister who marches to her own tune, is a gifted glassblower who hides the wounds of her troubled past by perfecting her craft. When she is discovered by a Dublin gallery owner, Maggie finds in him much more than a devoted patron. …More

Storm Front By Sandford, John 2013-10 - Putnam Adult 9780399159305 Check Our Catalog "The best thing about Sandford's writing is that it is still fresh. He writes with enthusiasm and never coasts on his merits or uses any tricks of the trade. "Mad River "is just as refreshing as the first novel he ever wrote." - Huffington Post …More

Let Me Hold You By Schuster, Melanie 2013-09 - Kimani Press 9780373863273 Check Our Catalog …More

Accused: A Rosato & Associates Novel By Scottoline, Lisa 2013-10 - St. Martin's Press 9781250027658 Check Our Catalog "New York Times" bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author Lisa Scottoline revolutionized crime fiction when she introduced her all-female law firm of Rosato & Associates, thrilling readers with her twisty, fast-paced plots and capturing their hearts with her cast of strong and relatable female characters. Now Bennie Rosato, Mary DiNunzio, Judy Carrier, and Anne Murphy are back with all cylinders firing in "Accused." …More

Winners By Steel, Danielle 2013-10 - Delacorte Press 9780385343220 Check Our Catalog Even the most perfect lives can be shattered in an instant. In this moving, emotionally charged novel, Danielle Steel introduces readers to an unforgettable cast of characters striving to overcome tragedy and discover the inner resources and resilience to win at life--once again. …More

The Mountain of Light By Sundaresan, Indu 2013-10 - Washington Square Press 9781451643510 Check Our Catalog …More

Tragic By Tanenbaum, Robert K. 2013-08 - Gallery Books 9781451635553 Check Our Catalog District attorneys Butch Karp and Marlene Ciampi work to expose the corrupt and murderous leader of the longshoremen's union. …More

The Goldfinch By Tartt, Donna 2013-10 - Little Brown and Company 9780316055437 Check Our Catalog "The author of the classic bestsellers The Secret History and The Little Friend returns with a brilliant, highly anticipated new novel. A young boy in New York City, Theo Decker, miraculously survives an accident that takes the life of his mother. Alone and abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by a friend's family and struggles to make sense of his new life. In the years that follow, he becomes entranced by one of the few things that reminds him of his mother: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into the art underworld. Composed with the skills of a master, The Goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through present-day America, and a drama of almost unbearable acuity and power. It is a story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention, and the enormous power of art" …More

A Nantucket Christmas By Thayer, Nancy 2013-10 - Ballantine Books 9780345545350 Check Our Catalog From the lighthouse sporting a huge wreath to the Christmas Stroll along its quaint streets, holidays on Nantucket are always magical. However, while the town might be aglow like a scene from Dickens tale, unfortunately for newly married island newcomer Nicole Somerset, Christmas means a dreaded visit from her step-daughter. Headstrong Kennedy brings with her a family of her own--husband Archer and adorable 3 year old son, Maddox--but Kennedy's yet to get over her parents' divorce. Pregnant and highly emotional, in an attempt to reconcile her father and mother, Kennedy sets in motion a scheme to sabotage Nicole's meticulous holiday preparations. When Kennedy's glamorous mother appears on the Somerset doorstep, Kennedy thinks her devious plan might just work. Holidays may be a perfect time for reconciliation, but they are also known for miracles. Even before the gifts are unwrapped, other visitors will make unexpected appearances and sweet little Maddox gets his most fervent Christmas wish. …More

How you can help Typhoon victims

The U.S. Government is providing $20 million in immediate humanitarian assistance to benefit populations affected by Typhoon Haiyan, including the provision of emergency shelter, food assistance, relief commodities, and water, sanitation, and hygiene support.

How you can help:  USAId

Library Journal's Reader's Shelf

From Library Journal

Telling Stories Through Food

Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France By Nathan, Joan 2010-10 - Knopf Publishing Group 9780307267597 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title What is Jewish cooking in France? That is the question that has haunted Nathan over the years and driven her to unearth the secrets of this hidden cuisine. Now she offers the fruits of her quest in this extraordinary book. …More

Feasting on Asphalt: The River Run By Brown, Alton Photographer Dhien, Jean-Claude 2008-04 - Stewart, Tabori, & Chang 9781584796817 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title This companion to the six-part Food Network series--travel diary, photo journal, and cookbook--covers big-city eateries and small-town chat n' chews, as well as markets, inns, ice cream parlors, museums, barbecue joints, and even an alligator farm. …More

Heart of the Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys By Tanis, David 2010-11 - Artisan Publishers 9781579654078 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title Nobody better embodies the present-day mantra "Eat real food in season" than David Tanis, one of the most original voices in American cooking. Tanis opens this soulful, fun-to-read cookbook with his own private food rituals, then he follows with 20 incomparable menus (five per season) that serve four to six. …More

On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town By Loomis, Susan Herrmann 2002-04 - Broadway Books 9780767904551 Check Our Catalog Susan Loomis arrived in Paris twenty years ago with little more than a student loan and the contents of a suitcase to sustain her. But what began then as an apprenticeship at La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine evolved into a lifelong immersion in French cuisine and culture, culminating in permanent residency in 1994. "On Rue Tatin chronicles her journey to an ancient little street in Louviers, one of Normandy's most picturesque towns. With lyrical prose and wry candor, Loomis recalls the miraculous restoration that she and her husband performed on the dilapidated convent they chose for their new residence. As its ochre and azure floor tiles emerged, challenges outside the dwelling mounted. From squatters to a surly priest next door, along with a close-knit community wary of outsiders, Loomis tackled the social challenges head-on, through persistent dialogue-and baking. "On Rue Tatin includes delicious recipes that evoke the essence of this region, such as Apple and Thyme Tart, Duck Breast with Cider, and Braised Chicken in White Wine and Mustard. Transporting readers to a world where tradition is cherished, "On Rue Tatin provides a touching glimpse of the camaraderie, exquisite food, and simple pleasures of daily life in a truly glorious corner of Normandy. …More

A Southerly Course: Recipes and Stories from Close to Home By Foose, Martha Hall 2011-04 - Clarkson Potter Publishers 9780307464286 Check Our Catalog In the highly anticipated follow-up to her James Beard Award-winning, bestselling "Screen Doors and Sweet Tea," Foose continues her conversation with readers, sharing recipes and stories from even closer to home. …More

Mangoes & Curry Leaves: Culinary Travels Through the Great Subcontinent By Alford, Jeffrey Author Duguid, Naomi 2005-11 - Artisan Publishers 9781579652524 Check Our Catalog From the Tibetan-influenced foods of Nepal to the Southeast Asian tastes of Sri Lanka to the vegetarian cooking of the Hindus of Southern India and clay-oven breads of the northwest frontier, the award-winning authors of "Hot Sour Salty" present a variety of wonderful recipes filled with the eye-opening flavors of the colorful and mysterious Subcontinent. …More