Fiction
By Anne Tyler
This best-selling author has long delighted readers with her fine writing, quirky characters, and stories of families and relationships. In this novel, mother-of-the-bride Gail Baines loses her job as assistant to the headmistress of a school the day before the wedding, then arrives home to find her ex-husband expecting to stay with her for the big event along with a cat “in mourning” he’s brought along. Told in first person, this tale will delight readers with its Tyleresque humor and warmth.
Botany
By Amy Stewart
It is a jungle out there. There are plants ready to kill, maim, or blind you. Many are in your backyard—even in your home. This book looks at the botanical minefield in everyday places. It covers the usual suspects: poison oak, ivy, sumac; and the exotic, like the manchineel tree. It also contains real surprises. Philodendron and dieffenbachia, common household plants, are deadly when consumed. The work is entertaining, engrossing, and accompanied by gorgeous black-and-white illustrations.
Biography
By Eric L. Clements
The story of Sir Arthur Henry Rostron is a story of duty and compassion. Clements take us through the Golden Era of ocean liners as witnessed through the eyes of one of the era’s most famous captains. His fame soared, however, during the lowest point of this Golden Era: the tragedy of the RMS Titanic. His ship at the time, the Carpathia, was the one that rescued 700 survivors from the sinking Titanic. This story also explores his time serving during World War I. The story of a hero worth knowing.
War Thriller
By Max Hennessy
It’s 1915. World War I is in full swing. Geoffrey Falconer is a veteran, wounded in action. To escape the trenches, he volunteers for the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). His younger brother, Martin, and Martin’s friend, Frank Griffiths, are schoolboys. They want to join the scrap before it ends. Inspired by Geoffrey and unaware it isn’t a game, they, too, join the RFC. This book follows the three as they become aviators and fight in the war. This is the first of five books originally written in the 1970s.
Classics
By Joseph Plumb Martin
While we have accounts from military and political leaders who founded America, this one comes from the pen of a private soldier. New England-born and bred, Martin entered the ranks of the Continental Army early in the war as a teenager and remained until 1783. He fought in major battles, starved and froze, lost friends to death, and wrote these memoirs in old age. He provides not only an insider’s chronicle of war and army life, but an excellent look into the society and customs of his time.
For Kids
By Jill Barklem
The beloved Brambly Hedge series is a must-have in any children’s library. “Winter Story” features the familiar, adorable mice of the hedge, who make the most of the snowy, winter weather by celebrating with a Snow Ball. From their cozy and creative preparations to the festive enjoyment of the characters gathering together, it’s a winter delight.
