NEW BOOKS

JANUARY 2021

The Last of the Moon Girls                         Barbara Davis fiction paperback

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                                                                      A novel of secrets, memory, family, and forgiveness by the                                                                                            bestselling author of When Never Comes.  Lizzy Moon never                                                                                          wanted Moon Girl Farm. Eight years ago, she left the land that                                                                                      nine generations of gifted healers had tended, determined to                                                                                        distance herself from the whispers about her family's strange legacy.                                                                          But when her beloved grandmother Althea dies, Lizzy must return and                                                                        face the tragedy still hanging over the farm's withered lavender fields:                                                                        the unsolved murders of two young girls, and the cruel accusations                                                                            that followed Althea to her grave.  Lizzy wants nothing more than to                                                                            sell the farm and return to her life in New York, until she discovers a                                                                            journal Althea left for her, a Book of Remembrances meant to help                                                                                Lizzy embrace her own special gifts. When she reconnects with                                                                                    Andrew Greyson, one of the few in town who believed in Althea's                                                                                  innocence, she resolves to clear her grandmother's name.  But to do                                                                            so, she'll have to decide if she can accept her legacy and whether to                                                                            follow in the footsteps of all the Moon women who came before her.

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life                    Jane Sherron DeHart bio paperback

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                                                                    In this comprehensive, revelatory biography—fifteen years of                                                                                        interviews and research in the making—historian Jane Sherron De Hart                                                                      explores the central experiences that crucially shaped Ginsburg’s                                                                                passion for justice, her advocacy for gender equality, and her                                                                                        meticulous jurisprudence.

                                                                    At the heart of her story and abiding beliefs is her Jewish background,                                                                        specifically the concept of tikkun olam, the Hebrew injunction to “repair                                                                      the world,” with its profound meaning for a young girl who grew up                                                                              during the Holocaust and World War II.

                                                                   Ruth’s journey begins with her mother, who died tragically young but                                                                           whose intellect inspired her daughter’s feminism. It stretches from                                                                               Ruth’s days as a baton twirler at Brooklyn’s James Madison High                                                                                 School to Cornell University to Harvard and Columbia Law Schools; to                                                                       becoming one of the first female law professors in the country and                                                                               having to fight for equal pay and hide her second pregnancy to avoid                                                                           losing her job; to becoming the director of the ACLU’s Women’s Rights                                                                       

                                                                   Project and arguing momentous anti-sex discrimination cases before                                                                         the U.S. Supreme Court.

                                                                   All this, even before being nominated in 1993 to become the second                                                                             woman on the Court, where her crucial decisions and dissents are still                                                                       making history. Intimately, personably told, this biography offers                                                                                 unprecedented insight into a pioneering life and legal career whose                                                                             profound mark on American jurisprudence, American society, and our                                                                         American character and spirit will reverberate deep into the twenty-first                                                                       century and beyond.

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An Indigenous People’s History of the U.S.    Dunbar-Ortiz, Roxanne YA nonfiction paperback

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                                                                   Going beyond the story of America as a country discovered by a few                                                                           brave men in the New World.  Indigenous human rights advocate                                                                                 Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz reveals the roles that settler colonialism and                                                                             policies of American Indian genocide played in forming our national                                                                             identity.  The original academic text is fully adapted by renowned                                                                                 curriculum experts Debbie Reese and Jean Mendoza, for middle-grade                                                                       and young adult readers to include discussion topics, archival images,                                                                       original maps, recommendations for further reading, and other materials                                                                     to encourage students, teachers, and general readers to think critically                                                                       about their own place in history.

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The Sentinel                                             Lee Child mystery hardcover 

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                                                                  As always, Reacher has no particular place to go, and all the time in the                                                                      world to get there. One morning he ends up in a town near Pleasantville,                                                                    Tennessee.  But there’s nothing pleasant about the place.  In broad                                                                              daylight Reacher spots a hapless soul walking into an ambush.  “It was                                                                      four against one” . . . so Reacher intervenes, with his own trademark                                                                            brand of conflict resolution.

                                                                 The man he saves is Rusty Rutherford, an unassuming IT manager,                                                                             recently fired after a cyberattack locked up the town’s data, records,                                                                           information . . . and secrets. Rutherford wants to stay put, look innocent,                                                                     and clear his name.  Reacher is intrigued.  There’s more to the story. The                                                                   bad guys who jumped Rutherford are part of something serious and                                                                           deadly, involving a conspiracy, a cover-up, and murder—all centered on a                                                                   mousy little guy in a coffee-stained shirt who has no idea what he’s up                                                                       against.

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FEBRUARY 2021

This Is Your Time                                   Ruby Bridges (juvenile)

                                                                 Civil rights icon Ruby Bridges shares her story for children.

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The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop            Fannie Flag (fiction)

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                                                                      Bud Threadgoode returns to his home town of Whistle Stop, home of the 

                                                                      famous "Fried Green Tomatoes."  He makes some new discoveries about                                                                            his town and sets off a series of events that change his life and the life of                                                                          those around him.  The story leads you to wonder: can you go home again?

Wild Flowers of Maine Islands              Mittelhauser, Glen  (non-fiction)

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                                                                  A guide to identifying local wild flowers, researched and written by a                                                                            local author and scientist.  Great photos and descriptions. 

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MARCH 2021

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Caste: The Origins of our Discontent     Isabel Wilkerson (non-fiction)

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                                                              Examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and                                                                    shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human                                                                    divisions.

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The Hidden Life of Trees                    Peter Wohleben (non-fiction)

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                                                              Are trees social beings? The author convincingly makes the case

                                                              that, yes, the forest is indeed a social network.  He draws on                                                                                groundbreaking scientific discoveries to prove his case.

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The Road Back to Sweetgrass          Linda LeGarde Grover (fiction)

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                                                             Set in northern Minnesota, this story follows the lives of three Native                                                                   American women observing their coming of age as they navigate love,

                                                             economic hardship, loss, and changing family dynamics.

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The Vanishing Half                             Brit Bennett (historical fiction)

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                                                             A stunning new novel about twin sisters, inseparable as children, who

                                                             ultimately choose to live in two very different worlds, one black and                                                                     one white.

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Ghetto Cowboy                               Neri, G. Juvenile Fiction

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                                                         From a Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor winner comes a                                                                   street- smart tale about a displaced teen who learns to defend                                                                     what's right & the Cowboy Way. Inspired by the little- known urban                                                             riders of Philly and Brooklyn, this compelling tale of latter- day                                                                   cowboy justice champions a world where your friends always have                                                             your back, especially when the chips are down. 

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The Consequences of Fear          Winspear, Jacqueline Mystery

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                                                        As Europe buckles under Nazi occupation, Maisie Dobbs                                                                              investigates a possible murder that threatens devastating                                                                            repercussions for Britain's war efforts in this latest installment in the                                                          New York Times bestselling mystery series.

                                                        October 1941. While on a delivery, young Freddie Hackett, a                                                                         message runner for a government office, witnesses an argument                                                                that ends in murder. Crouching in the doorway of a bombed-out                                                                  house, Freddie waits until the coast is clear. But when he arrives at                                                            the delivery address, he’s shocked to come face to face with the                                                                  killer.

                                                        Dismissed by the police when he attempts to report the crime,                                                                    Freddie goes in search of a woman he once met when delivering a                                                              message: Maisie Dobbs. While Maisie believes the boy and wants to                                                          help, she must maintain extreme caution: she&;s working secretly                                                              for the Special Operations.

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Dead By Dawn                              Doiron, Paul Mystery 

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                                                       Mike Bowditch is fighting for his life. After being ambushed on a dark                                                         winter road, his Jeep crashes into a frozen river. Trapped beneath the                                                         ice in the middle of nowhere, having lost his gun and any way to                                                                 signal for help, Mike fights his way to the surface. But surviving the                                                           crash is only the first challenge. Whoever set the trap that ran him off                                                         the road is still out there, and they’re coming for him.​

The Four Winds                           Hannah, Christie Fiction

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                                                      The Four Winds seems eerily prescient in 2021 . . . Its message is                                                                galvanizing and hopeful: We are a nation of scrappy survivors. We’ve                                                        been in dire straits before; we will be again. Hold your people                                                                      close.”—The New York Times

Barkskins                                     Proulx, Annie Fiction

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                                                      From the Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Shipping News and                                                              Brokeback Mountain comes the New York Times bestselling epic                                                                about the demise of the world's forests: Barkskins is grand                                                                          entertainment in the tradition of Dickens and Tolstoy, the crowning                                                            achievement of Annie Proulx's distinguished career, but also perhaps                                                        the greatest environmental novel ever written (San Francisco                                                                      Chronicle).
                                                      In the late seventeenth century two young Frenchmen, René Sel and                                                          Charles Duquet, arrive in New France. Bound to a feudal lord for three                                                        years in exchange for land, they become wood-cutters and barkskins.                                                        René suffers extraordinary hardship, oppressed by the forest he is                                                            charged with clearing. He is forced to marry a native woman and their                                                        descendants live trapped between two cultures. But Duquet runs                                                                away, becomes a fur trader, then sets up a timber business. Annie                                                              Proulx tells the stories of the descendants of Sel and Duquet over                                                              three hundred years and their travels across North America, to                                                                    Europe, China, and New Zealand and the revenge of rivals, accidents,                                                        pestilence, Indian attacks, and cultural annihilation. Over and over,                                                            they seize what they can of a presumed infinite resource, leaving the                                                          modern-day characters face to face with possible ecological collapse.
                                                     

                                                      A stunning, bracing, full-tilt ride through three hundred years of US                                                            and Canadian history with the type of full-immersion plot that keeps                                                          you curled in your chair, reluctant to stop reading; (Elle), Barkskins                                                            showcases Proulx's inimitable genius of creating characters who are                                                        so vivid that we follow them with fierce attention.

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                                                      This is Proulx at the height of her powers as an irreplaceable                                                                      American voice. (entertainment Weekly, Grade A), Barkskins is an                                                               awesome monument of a book (Washington Post), the masterpiece                                                            she was meant to write (Boston Globe). As Anthony Doerr says,                                                                 "This magnificent novel possesses the dark humor of  The Shipping                                                             News and social awareness of Brokeback Mountain.

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   MAY 2021

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Elephant in Belfast                      Walsh, Kirk Historical Fiction 

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                                                       Inspired by true events, this vivid and moving story of a young                                                                   woman zookeeper and the elephant she's compelled to protect                                                                   through the German blitz of Belfast during WWll speaks to not only                                                           the tragedy of the times, but also to the ongoing sectarian tensions                                                           that still exist in Northern Ireland today--perfect for readers of                                                                     historical and literary fiction alike.

                                                       In October 1940, twenty-year-old zookeeper Hettie Quin meets Violet,                                                         a three-year-old elephant arriving at the Belfast docks from Ceylon.                                                           Soon, she becomes Violet's dedicated zookeeper at the Bellevue                                                                 Zoo. While she is mourning for the recent loss of her sister and the                                                             abandonment of her father, she finds contentment in her                                                                               relationships with Violet and her fellow zookeepers.

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The Phantom Tollbooth              Juster, Norton Juvenile Fiction

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                                                      Discovering a large toy tollbooth in his room, bored ten-year-old Milo                                                        drives through the tollbooth's gates and begins a memorable journey                                                        to the Kingdom of Wisdom with a watchdog named Tuck. 

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The Plot Korelitz                         Jean Hanff Fiction

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                                                      Hailed as "breathtakingly suspenseful," Jean Hanff Korelitz’s The Plot                                                        is a propulsive read about a story too good not to steal, and the writer                                                        who steals it.

                                                      Jacob Finch Bonner was once a promising young novelist with a                                                                respectably published first book. Today, he’s teaching in a third-rate                                                          MFA program and struggling to maintain what’s left of his self-                                                                    respect; he hasn’t written—let alone published—anything decent in                                                           years. When Evan Parker, his most arrogant student, announces he                                                           doesn’t need Jake’s help because the plot of his book in progress is a                                                       sure thing, Jake is prepared to dismiss the boast as typical amateur                                                           narcissism. But then . . . he hears the plot.

                                                     Jake returns to the downward trajectory of his own career and braces                                                       himself for the supernova publication of Evan Parker’s first novel: but                                                       it never comes. When he discovers that his former student has died,                                                         presumably without ever completing his book, Jake does what any                                                             self-respecting writer would do with a story like that—a story that                                                               absolutely needs to be told.

                                                     In a few short years, all of Evan Parker’s predictions have come true,                                                         but Jake is the author enjoying the wave. He is wealthy, famous,                                                                 praised and read all over the world. But at the height of his glorious                                                           new life, an e-mail arrives, the first salvo in a terrifying, anonymous                                                           campaign: You are a thief, it says.  As Jake struggles to understand                                                           his antagonist and hide the truth from his readers and his publishers,                                                       he begins to learn more about his late student, and what he discovers                                                       both amazes and terrifies him. Who was Evan Parker, and how did he                                                         get the idea for his “sure thing” of a novel? What is the real story                                                               behind the plot, and who stole it from whom?

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On Juneteenth                           Gordon-Reed, Annette History

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                                                    The essential, sweeping story of Juneteenth’s integral importance to                                                          American history, as told by a Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and                                                              Texas native.

On Juneteenth                           Schroder, Mark Juvenile Non-fiction

                                                    Describes how the holiday of Juneteenth began and discusses its                                                              traditions, symbols, how the holiday has changed and and how it is                                                            observed today.

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JUNE 2021

The Personal Librarian            Marie Benedict biographical fiction

                                                   The remarkable, little-known story of Belle da Costa Greene, J. P.                                                               Morgan's personal librarian—who became one of the most powerful                                                           women in New York despite the dangerous secret she kept in order to                                                       make her dreams come true, from New York Times bestselling author                                                         Marie Benedict and acclaimed author Victoria Christopher Murray.
                                                   In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. Pierpont Morgan to                                                     curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his                                                             newly built Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture on the New York                                                           society scene and one of the most powerful people in the art and book                                                       world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for                                                               critical works as she helps build a world-class collection.

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The Other Black Girl                Zakiya Dalila Harris fiction

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                                                   Twenty-six-year-old editorial assistant Nella Rogers is tired of being the                                                     only Black employee at Wagner Books. Fed up with the isolation and                                                         microaggressions, she’s thrilled when Harlem-born and bred Hazel                                                             starts working in the cubicle beside hers. They’ve only just started                                                             comparing natural hair care regimens, though, when a string of                                                                   uncomfortable events elevates Hazel to Office Darling, and Nella is left                                                       in the dust.

                                                   Then the notes begin to appear on Nella’s desk: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW.
                                                   It’s hard to believe Hazel is behind these hostile messages. But as Nella                                                     starts to spiral and obsess over the sinister forces at play, she soon                                                           realizes that there’s a lot more at stake than just her career.

                                                   A whip-smart and dynamic thriller and sly social commentary that is                                                           perfect for anyone who has ever felt manipulated, threatened, or                                                                 overlooked in the workplace, The Other Black Girl will keep you on the                                                       edge of your seat until the very last twist.

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JULY 2021

Hollywood Spy                         MacNeal, Susan Elia mystery (continuing the series)

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                                                   In 1943 Los Angeles, American-born secret agent and British spy                                                               Maggie Hope comes to the aid of her old flame after his fiancé is                                                                 murdered, and soon discovers that things aren’t always the way they                                                         appear in movies.

Exiles Kline                              Christina Baker fiction

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                                                  The author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Orphan Train returns                                                           with an ambitious, emotionally resonant novel about three women                                                             whose lives are bound together in nineteenth-century Australia and the                                                     hardships they weather together as they fight for redemption and                                                               freedom in a new society.

We Begin at the End                Whitaker, Chris fiction

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                                                   Right. Wrong. Life is lived somewhere in between.
                                                   Duchess Day Radley is a thirteen-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw.                                                               Rules are for other people. She is the fierce protector of her five-year-                                                       old brother, Robin, and the parent to her mother, Star, a single mom                                                           incapable of taking care of herself, let alone her two kids.
                                                   Walk has never left the coastal California town where he and Star grew                                                       up. He may have become the chief of police, but he’s still trying to heal                                                     the old wound of having given the testimony that sent his best friend,                                                       Vincent King, to prison decades before. And he's in overdrive                                                                      protecting Duchess and her brother.

                                                   Now, thirty years later, Vincent is being released. And Duchess and                                                             Walk must face the trouble that comes with his return. We Begin at the                                                       End is an extraordinary novel about two kinds of families—the ones we                                                     are born into and the ones we create.

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AUGUST 2021

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The Hill We Climb                       Gorman, Amanda poem 

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                                                      "On January 20, 2021, Amanda Gorman became the sixth and youngest                                                              poet to deliver a poetry reading at a presidential inauguration. Taking the                                                            stage after the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden, Gorman                                                                captivated the nation and brought hope to viewers around the globe.                                                                  Including an enduring foreword by Oprah Winfrey, this keepsake                                                                          celebrates the promise of America and affirms the power of poetry"--

Night Music                                 Moyes, Jojo fiction

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                                                     After her husband dies, leaving her with a mountain of debt, classical                                                                 violinist Isabel Delancey and her children are forced to move to a now-                                                               dilapidated manor she inherited in the English countryside where she fights                                                       to make her house a home as passions and lives collide. .

Downeast: Five Maine Girls and the Story of Rural America        Georges, Gigi social science

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                                                     Nestled in Maine's far northeast corner, Washington County sits an hour's                                                         drive from the heart of famed and bustling Acadia National Park. Yet it's a                                                           world away. For Willow, Vivian, Mckenna, Audrey, and Josie'five teenage                                                             girls caught between tradition and transformation in this remote region'it is                                                       home. Downeast follows their journeys of heartbreak and hope in uncertain                                                       times, creating a nuanced and unique portrait of rural America with women                                                       at its center.

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                                                     Willow lives in the shadow of an abusive, drug-addicted father and                                                                       searches for stability through photography and love. Vivian, a gifted writer,                                                       feels stifled by her church and town, and struggles to break free without                                                             severing family ties. Mckenna is a softball pitching phenom whose passion                                                       is the lobster-fishing she learned at her father's knee. Audrey is a beloved                                                         high school basketball star who earns a coveted college scholarship but                                                           questions her chosen path. Josie, a Yale-bound valedictorian, is determined                                                       to take the world by storm.

                                                     All five girls know the pain and joy of life in a region whose rugged beauty                                                         and stoicism mask dwindling populations, vanishing job opportunities, and                                                       pervasive opioid addiction.  As the girls reach adulthood, they discover that                                                       despite significant challenges, there is much to celebrate in 'the valley of                                                           the overlooked.' Their stories remind us of the value of timeless ideals:                                                               strength of family and community, reverence for nature's rule, dignity in                                                             cracked hands and muddied shoes, and the enduring power of home.                                            

                                                     Revealed through the eyes of Willow, Vivian, Mckenna, Audrey, and                                                                     Josie, Downeast is based on four years of intimate reporting. The result is a                                                       beautifully rendered, emotionally startling, and vital book. Downeast will                                                             break readers' hearts yet offer them hope, providing answers to what the                                                           future may hold for rural America.

Son                                              Lowry, Lois juvenile fiction completes the series

Slow Fire Burning                      Hawkins, Paula hardcover mystery

                                                     Three women unknown to each other are each questioned in connection                                                             with the gruesome murder of a young man found on a London houseboat in                                                       the new novel by the New York Times best-selling author of The Girl on the                                                         Train.

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APRIL 2021