Great reads at the Maricopa Public Library

The Summer Reading Program is winding down, and yours truly reached a literary milestone. No, I haven’t finished my first novel, but I’ve read more than thirty hours, and that is reason enough for a mini-celebration. For some, that may be no big deal, but finding the time to read with my schedule can be difficult for me; still one must go to great lengths when hoping to win the Barnes and Noble gift card.

Many new books dot our library’s shelves so let’s get started, shall we?

Remember Rusty Sabich who was on trial in Scott Turow’s bestseller, “Presumed Innocent,” for murdering a female colleague? This time, he’s on trial again for murdering his wife in Turow’s “Innocent,” the long awaited sequel. David Gregory’s “The Last Christian” takes readers to the year 2088AD with our society so technologically advanced that it has turned its back on God. Abigail Caldwell’s calling is to reintroduce society back to God in this new religious fiction release.
 
A well-respected Boston psychotherapist, in the midst of a successful career and personal life, has her world turned upside down when a patient commits suicide and she begins caring for her ill father in Brunonia Barry’s “The Map of True Places.” My favorite sport is football, and, for all fans of the game, this book may be of interest to you. Cole Logan is the sole survivor of a bus crash that killed his team. The championship game has to be played, and who helps this bad boy quarterback in his time of need? His dead teammates just happen to come back as zombies in Ryan Brown’s “Play Dead.”

Marriage, a topic talked about, written about and one that will probably never be fully understood, is at the heart of Jane Smiley’s “Private Life.” This is the story of the marriage between Captain Andrew Jackson Jefferson Early and Margaret Mayfield.  Alma is a lonely, bitter widow and her children have gone on with their lives.  When a group of women who wear red hats enter her life, things begin to change for Alma in Damon Wayans’ “Red Hats.”

Hazie Coogan worked for Hollywood star Katherine “Miss Kathie” Kenton for many years. When a gentleman caller worms his way into Miss Kathie’s life, Hazie takes matters into her own hands to save her employer in Chuck Palahniuk’s “Tell All.”  Patrick McLanahan is back in Dale Brown’s “Executive Intent,” book sixteen in the series. This time, the control of the oceans and space pit the United States against superpowers China and Russia.

Authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child deliver book ten in the Pendergast series with “Fever Dream.” Special Agent Pendergast is still grieving for his wife, who was mauled by a lion while they were big game hunting in Africa.  However, he soon realizes someone wanted his wife dead, and he begins unlocking the secrets of his wife’s past.

In Emily Giffin’s “Heart of the Matter,” the lives of two women become intertwined after a tragic accident leads them to reevaluate their lives. Jack Reacher is on the move, but a terrible snowstorm causes the crash of a tour bus landing him in Bolton, North Dakota, to a woman fighting against evil forces and assassins in Lee Child’s “61 Hours,” book number fourteen in the series. 

Lucas Davenport’s wife, who just happens to be a surgeon, witnesses three men exiting the hospital after they robbed the pharmacy on a cold Minnesota morning in John Sandford’s “Storm Prey.” For fans of this series, this marks book twenty in the Lucas Davenport adventures. 

Lauren Weisberger took the publishing world by storm with her look at the world of fashion; many wondered if famed Vogue editor Anna Wintour was the model for the evil editor-in-chief in “The Devil Wears Prada.”  This time around the author tackles success, marriage and a reevaluation of life in “Last Night at Chateau Marmont.”

The third book in the bestselling series by the late Stieg Larsson is out:  “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.” The story of Salander comes to a close with our heroine seeking revenge on those who have made her life hell. Nicholas Flamel is back in a new underworld adventure, book number four in Michael Scott’s “The Necromancer.”  Closing out new fiction are two new titles for school age readers featuring bestselling authors John Grisham and Rick Riordan.

Grisham targets the young adult audience with “Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer,” a thirteen-year-old amateur attorney becomes embroiled in a high profile murder case.  Riordan, best known for his Percy Jackson series, is out with something new, “The Red Pyramid: Kane Chronicles Number One.” Brother and sister, Carter and Sadie, are reunited with their father Dr. Julius Kane, who just happens to be an Egyptologist working on “research experiment” at the British Museum. While there Dr. Kane unleashes an Egyptian god, sending Carter and Sadie on an incredible adventure.

For those who prefer the “real thing” when it comes to reading, here are a few titles that may interest you.

Mireille Giuliano is back with a new book of recipes in “French Women Don’t Get Fat Cookbook,” a follow up to her bestseller “French Women Don’t Get Fat.” One of my favorite Molly Ringwald movies was “Sixteen Candles;” in her new book she reflects on what matters most in “Getting the Pretty Back.” She covers such topics as family, relationships and the one trait most women should possess—confidence.

Ella Mae Johnson attended the inauguration of President Barack Obama at the tender age of 105. Her story aired on NPR and piqued the interest of a book editor, and, as they say, the rest is history.  Her story is now told in “It is Well With My Soul-The Extraordinary Life of a 106-Year- Old Woman,” detailing her eyewitness account of African American history. 

When we think of farming, we envision wide-open spaces, lush green lawns, rows of growing vegetation with houses and barns dotting the landscape. However, Manny Howard did the unthinkable; he turned his 800 square foot backyard into a farm right in the heart of Flatbush Brooklyn. He shares his story in his memoir, “My Empire of Dirt.” 

Two men share the same name, but their destinies each take a different turn. One is in jail for murder, while the other became a Rhodes Scholar and successful businessman. Their stories are told in “The Other Wes Moore” by Wes Moore, who was a White House fellow and a decorated combat veteran. British historian and journalist Max Hastings profiles Winston Churchill, showcasing the man, the politician and the statesman in “Winston’s War: Churchill 1940-1945.”

Humorist Dave Barry entertained many with his essays during his years with the Miami Herald, earning him a Pulitzer Prize. He’s back this time sharing his views of adulthood in “I’ll Mature When I’m Dead.” Nathaniel Philbrick’s the “Mayflower” provided readers with a fascinating account of our Thanksgiving holiday and the Pilgrims who sacrificed everything to start anew. In “The Last Stand” he chronicles the lives of Custer, Sitting Bull and the conflict that people still find fascinating, the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

The world of real estate as seen through the eyes of a woman looking for the perfect house takes center stage in Meghan Daum’s “Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived in That House.” Former First Lady Laura Bush writes about life in Texas and the political world of Washington in her memoir “Spoken from the Heart.” Biology is the subject; the second edition is available for those passionate about living things in “Biology for Dummies” by Rene Kratz. 

Rounding out the newest in non-fiction is Lisa Lillien. Her first book gave women guilt-free recipes so they could enjoy delicious food without worrying about weight gain in “Hungry Girl 1-2-3.”  Now she has a new book, sharing her recipes for those ever popular cocktails and party foods that dominate parties in “Hungry Girl Happy Hour.” 

There you have the newest books at the Maricopa Public Library. Rest assured the gods of the publishing world possess the good sense to make sure all of us voracious readers have plenty of material to dominate what little time we have to read a good book. 

In the meantime, fellow bibliophiles, stay tuned; more titles to come. Happy reading!

Roberta Cianciosi, an avid reader and a published writer, will be offering information on new books available at the library each month.

Photo by Joyce Hollis

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