Wildwood by Colin Meloy
Recommended by librarian Nina Shimmin for children
What’s a sister to do when her baby brother gets abducted by a murder of crows? This is exactly what Prue must figure out when her brother Mac is flown away into the Impassable Wilderness. No one ventures into the Impassable Wilderness and lives to tell the tale, but Prue has no choice. Followed by her classmate Curtis, Prue embarks on a journey that leaves them both entwined in a dangerous adventure in a world that fans of Narnia will not want to miss.
Everything I Was, by Corinne Demas
Recommended by associate librarian Susan Cooper for teens
Irene’s grandfather’s farm in upstate New York is a world away from the Manhattan penthouse she calls home. When her father loses his job, the 13-year-old girl leaves behind lavish vacations and private school for a summer spent helping in the greenhouse, a second-hand bicycle, and a simpler life. As everything blooms around her, so do new friendships, love and the question of whether or not she wants to return to her old life.
The Hypnotist, by Lars Kepler
Recommended by librarian Nina Shimmin for adults
A brutal crime leaves a teenage boy as the only witness to the murder of his family. In critical condition himself, he’s in no position to talk to the police. In an urgent effort to identify the murderer to protect the boy’s remaining sister, detective Joona Linna brings in Dr. Erik Maria Bark, a professional hypnotist. When the session quickly turns the young man from the sole survivor to the primary suspect, Erik must revisit a past he never thought he would have to see again. Joona Linna will likely join the ranks of Kurt Wallander, Harry Hole, and Van Veeteren as a must-read detective.
When Mama Can’t Sleep by Christa Kempter
Recommended by librarian Rose Ryan for children
When Mama can’t sleep, and everyone in the house can’t sleep, they all get up. Even the teddy bear can’t sleep! Taking the worry out of sleeplessness, this simply-told story shows one family’s way of coping with a common problem.
Strings Attached by Judy Blundell
Recommended by librarian Ann Pieri for teens
It’s 1950 and Kit Corrigan, 17, arrives in New York City, determined to launch a career on Broadway. Competition proves tough and Kit ends up only a chorus girl. Almost broke, Kit accepts help from gangster Nate Benedict, the father of her ex-boyfriend, Billy. In exchange for an apartment and good job at the ritzy Lido, Kit must supply information on Billy and customers at the nightclub. Soon, violence and secrets surround her, and Kit is enmeshed in deceptions that jeopardize her life.
The Year We Left Home by Jean Thompson
Recommended by senior librarian Pat Palahniuk for adults
Set in 1983 Iowa, this novel takes us through three decades of a family of Norwegian descent struggling for stability through alcoholism, marital troubles, and a horrible car accident. The characters are both resilient and tragic as they attempt to separate from family to create their own independent lives. –Courtesy of Maple Grove Library
