Readers’ Advisory Committee
S TAFF
Libraries
PI C K S
MAY 2017
To find on the web go to www.nccde.org/libraries and click on “What Do I Read Next”
FICTION
BLUE LIGHT YOKOHAMA BY NICHOLAS OBREGON
(PICKED BY SLS)
Newly reinstated to the Homicide Division and transferred to a precinct in Tokyo, Inspector
Iwata is facing superiors who don’t want him there and is assigned a partner who’d rather work
with anyone else. After the previous detective working the case killed himself, Iwata and Sakai
are assigned to investigate the slaughter of an entire family, a brutal murder with no clear
motive or killer. At the crime scene, they find puzzling ritualistic details: black smudges, a
strange incense smell and a large black sun. As he tries to track down the history of the black
sun symbol, puzzle out the motive for the crime, and connect this to other murders, Iwata finds
himself racing another clock—the superiors who are trying to have him removed for
good. Haunted by his own past, his inability to sleep, and a song, ‘Blue Light Yokohama’, Iwata
is at the center of a compelling, brilliantly moody, layered novel. (416 pages)
THE SHROUD CONSPIRACY BY JOHN HEUBUSCH
(PICKED BY SLH)
Throughout his career, forensic anthropologist and outspoken atheist Dr. Jon Bondurant has
investigated many religious artifacts said to be real, but he knows better. So when he is invited
by the Vatican to examine the Shroud of Turin, said to be the burial cloth that covered the body
of Christ, he is delighted for the opportunity to prove that the Shroud is a fake. But when he
meets Domenika Josef, the beautiful and devout Vatican representative who finds him arrogant
and self-important, he realizes his task will not be as straightforward as he once imagined. As
Bondurant and his team examine every element of the Shroud, he and Domenika begin to see
each other in a whole new light. And as the evidence about the origin of this highly contested
piece of fabric starts to pile up, he begins to realize that he’s been seeing a lot of things
incorrectly. But when a sample of the blood from the Shroud vanishes, he realizes his problems
are just beginning. When Domenika vanishes too, Bondurant is caught in a globe-spanning
chase to rescue the woman he loves—and stop the evil forces that have their own motives for
bringing on the Second Coming. (416 pages)
THE LOST ORDER BY STEVE BERRY
(PICKED BY SLH )
The Knights of the Golden Circle, founded in 1854, was the largest, most dangerous clandestine
organization in American history. It formulated grand plans—to expand the United States, change the
constitutional landscape, and forge a Southern empire, enslaving a ‘golden circle’ spanning two
continents. To finance its goals, the Order amassed an amazing trove of stolen gold and silver, which
they buried in hidden caches across the United States. Treasure hunters have searched for decades,
but have never found any of the Order’s major hoards. Now, 160 years later, the knights still exist.
Two factions within the Order want the treasure—one to spend it, the other to preserve it. Thrust into
that civil war is former Justice Department agent Cotton Malone. Starting with a hunt for clues inside
the Smithsonian Institute, Malone discovers that an ancestor within his own family may hold the key
to everything. Complicating matters further are the political ambitions of a ruthless Speaker of the
House and the widow of a United States Senator, who have plans that conflict in every way with the
Order. (493 pages)
A TWIST OF THE KNIFE BY BECKY MASTERMAN
(PICKED BY SH)
Ex-FBI agent Brigid Quinn, now settled in Tucson, doesn’t go back to visit her family in Florida
much. But her former partner Laura Coleman is living there now. When Laura calls about a case
that is not going well, Brigid doesn’t hesitate to get on a plane. On leave from the Bureau, Laura
has been volunteering for a legal group that is trying to prove the innocence of a man who is on
death row for killing his family. Laura is firmly convinced that he didn’t do it, while Brigid isn’t so
sure—but the date for his execution is coming up so quickly that she shares Laura’s fear that
any evidence absolving him from the crime may come too late. (336 pages)
New Castle County Libraries | Department of Community Services | Matthew Meyer , County Executive
STAFF PICKS
FICTION
THE FORTUNATE ONES BY ELLEN UMANSKY
(PICKED BY SM)
It is 1939 in Vienna, and as the specter of war darkens Europe, Rose Zimmer’s parents are
unable to get out of Austria, but they manage to secure passage for their young daughter on a
kindertransport, and send her to live with strangers in England. Six years later, the war finally
over, a grief-stricken Rose attempts to build a life for herself. She cannot help but try to search
out one piece of her childhood: the Chaim Soutine painting her mother had cherished. Many
years later, the painting finds its way to America. In modern-day Los Angeles, Lizzie Goldstein
has returned home for her father’s funeral. Newly single and unsure of her path, she also carries
a burden of guilt that cannot be displaced. Years ago, as a teenager, Lizzie threw a party at her
father’s house during which the Soutine painting that she loved was stolen, and has never been
recovered. This painting will bring Lizzie and Rose together and ignite an unexpected friendship,
eventually revealing long-held secrets that hold painful truths. (324 pages)
LIVING IN THE WEATHER OF THE WORLD BY RICHARD BAUSCH (PICKED BY SM)
In thirteen unforgettable tales, Bausch plumbs the depths of familial and marital estrangement,
the violence of suicide and despair, the gulfs between friends and lovers, the complexities of
divorce and infidelity, the fragility and impermanence of love. The “weather of the world” refers
to the aspects of life that are out of our control, and the stories examine how we choose to
make our peace with them. Wherever he casts his gaze, he illuminates the darkest corners of
human experience with the bright light of wisdom and compassion, finding grace and
redemption amidst sorrow and regret. (256 pages)
SISTERS ONE, TWO, THREE BY NANCY STAR
(PICKED BY SM)
After a tragic accident on Martha’s Vineyard, keeping secrets becomes a way of life for the
Tangle family. With memories locked away, the sisters take divergent paths. Callie disappears,
Mimi keeps so busy she has no time to think, and Ginger develops a lifelong aversion to risk
that threatens the relationships she holds most dear. When a whispered comment overheard by
her rebellious teenage daughter forces Ginger to reveal a long-held family secret, the Tangles’
carefully constructed web of lies begins to unravel. Upon the death of Glory, the family’s
colorful matriarch, and the return of long-estranged Callie, Ginger resolves to return to
Martha’s Vineyard and piece together what really happened on that calamitous day when a
shadow fell over four sun-kissed siblings playing at the shore. Along with Ginger’s newfound
understanding come the keys to reconciliation: with her mother, with her sisters, and with her
daughter. (342 pages)
PAPERWEIGHT BY MEG HASTON [TEEN]
(PICKED BY TW)
Seventeen-year-old Stevie is trapped - in her life - and now in an eating-disorder treatment
center on the dusty outskirts of the New Mexico desert. Life in the center is regimented and
intrusive, a nightmare come true. Nurses and therapists watch Stevie at mealtime, accompany
her to the bathroom, and challenge her to eat the foods she’s worked so hard to avoid. Her dad
has signed her up for sixty days of treatment. But what no one knows is that Stevie doesn't plan
to stay that long. There are only twenty-seven days until the anniversary of her brother Josh’s
death—the death she caused. And if Stevie gets her way, there are only twenty-seven days until
she too will end her life. (304 pages)
STRANGE THE DREAMER BY LAINI TAYLOR [TEEN]
(PICKED BY KT)
The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and
junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s
been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to
cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a
hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or
lose his dream forever. What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest
of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the
mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving? The answers await in Weep, but so do more
mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he
dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?
(533 pages)
S TAFF
PI C K S
MAY 2017
Libraries
NONNON-FICTION
THE GATEKEEPERS BY CHRIS WHIPPLE
(PICKED BY SMC)
The chiefs of staff, often referred to as "the gatekeepers," wield tremendous power in
Washington and beyond; they decide who is allowed to see the president, negotiate with
Congress to push POTUS's agenda, and--most crucially--enjoy unparalleled access to the leader
of the free world. Each chief can make or break an administration, and each president reveals
himself by the chief he picks. Through extensive, intimate interviews with all seventeen living
chiefs and two former presidents, Chris Whipple pulls back the curtain on this unique
fraternity. In doing so, he revises our understanding of presidential history, showing us how
James Baker's expert managing of the White House, the press, and Capitol Hill paved the way
for the Reagan Revolution--and, conversely, how Watergate, the Iraq War, and even the
bungled Obamacare rollout might have been prevented by a more effective chief. Filled with
shrewd analysis and never-before-reported details, The Gatekeepers offers an essential
portrait of the toughest job in Washington. (384 pages)
BORN TO RUN BY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN [BIOGRAPHY]
(PICKED BY SLS)
Over the past seven years, Bruce Springsteen has privately devoted himself to writing the
story of his life, bringing to these pages the same honesty, humor, and originality found in his
songs. He describes growing up Catholic in Freehold, New Jersey, amid the poetry, danger,
and darkness that fueled his imagination, leading up to the moment he refers to as “The Big
Bang”: seeing Elvis Presley’s debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. He vividly recounts his relentless
drive to become a musician, his early days as a bar band king in Asbury Park, and the rise of
the E Street Band. With disarming candor, he also tells for the first time the story of the
personal struggles that inspired his best work and shows us why the song “Born to Run”
reveals more than we previously realized. Like many of his songs, Springsteen’s
autobiography is written with the lyricism of a singular songwriter and the wisdom of a man
who has thought deeply about his experiences. (528 pages)
SOLITUDE BY MICHAEL HARRIS
(PICKED BY SM)
Solitude is a rapidly vanishing experience. Our society now embraces sharing like never
before: time alone is being forced out of our lives by the constant pings of smartphones and
prods of social media. Michael Harris examines why being alone matters now more than ever
before. He reflects on the paradoxical feeling of isolation that emerges from being constantly
connected – and on how learning the beauty of solitude can help us escape it. After all, it is
when we are alone that we realize the greatest truths about ourselves. Being alone – really
alone – could be the only antidote to the frenzy of our digital age. Rich with stories about the
transformative power of solitude, and drawing on the research of the world's leading
neuroscientists and behavioral psychologists, Solitude offers a timely and profound
exploration of how to be alone – and why it matters for us all. (272 pages)
PERFECT STRANGERS BY ROSEANN SDOIA
(PICKED BY SMC)
As Roseann Sdoia waited to watch her friend cross the finish line of the Boston Marathon in
2013, she had no idea her life was about to change-that in a matter of minutes she would look up
from the sidewalk, burned and deaf, staring at her detached foot, screaming for help amid the
smoke and blood. In the chaos of the minutes that followed, three people would enter Roseann's
life and change it forever. The first was Shores Salter, a college student who found Roseann lying
on the sidewalk and, using a belt as a tourniquet, literally saved her life that day. Boston police
officer Shana Cottone began screaming desperately at passing ambulances, all full, before finally
commandeering an empty paddy wagon. Just then a giant appeared, in the form of Boston firefighter Mike Materia, who carefully lifted her into the fetid paddy wagon. Since that day, he hasn't
left her side, and today they are planning their life together. Perfect Strangers is about recovery,
about choosing joy and human connection over anger and resentment, and most of all, it's about
an unlikely but enduring friendship that grew out of the tragedy of Boston's worst day. (256 pages)
New Castle County Libraries | Department of Community Services | Matthew Meyer, County Executive
STAFF PICKS
NONNON-FICTION
OCEAN GREENS BY LISETTE KREISCHER
(PICKED BY SM)
On the cutting edge of food and sustainability, seaweed and sea vegetables are good both for
you and—with the potential to drastically reduce our carbon footprint—for the planet.
Now, Ocean Greens is the all-in-one guide to the most kitchen-ready varieties of this remarkable
superfood (overflowing with nutrients!)—wakame, kombu, agar, samphire, nori, and many others.
Seaweed visionaries Lisette Kreischer and Marcel Schuttelaar share insights on the nutrition,
taste, and harvesting of each—as well as 50 irresistible vegan recipes that will have readers
exclaiming, “I can’t believe it’s seaweed!” (192 pages)
PRINTER’S ERROR BY J.P. ROMNEY
(PICKED BY SLH)
Since the Gutenberg Bible first went on sale in 1455, printing has been viewed as one of the
highest achievements of human innovation. But the march of progress hasn’t been smooth;
downright bizarre is more like it. Printer’s Error chronicles some of the strangest and most
humorous episodes in the history of Western printing, and makes clear that we’ve succeeded
despite ourselves. Rare-book expert Rebecca Romney and author J. P. Romney take us from
monasteries and museums to auction houses and libraries to introduce curious episodes in the
history of print that have had a profound impact on our world. (384 pages)
AMERICAN HOOKUP BY LISA WADE
(PICKED BY KT)
The hookup is now part of college life. Yet the drunken encounters we always hear about tells
only a fraction of the story. Rising above misinformation and moralizing, Lisa Wade offers the
definitive account of this new sexual culture and demonstrates that the truth is both more
heartening and more harrowing than we thought. Offering invaluable insights for parents,
educators, and students, Wade situates hookup culture within the history of sexuality, the
evolution of higher education, and the unfinished feminist revolution. Using new research, she
maps out a punishing emotional landscape marked by unequal pleasures, competition for
status, and sexual violence. She discovers that the most privileged students tend to like hookup
culture the most, and she considers its effects on racial and sexual minorities, students who
“opt out,” and those who participate ambivalently. Accessible and open-minded, compassionate
and brutally honest, American Hookup explains where we are and how we got here, asking not
“How do we go back?” but “Where do we go from here?” (304 pages)
PRINCE CHARLES BY SALLY BEDELL SMITH
(PICKED BY SH)
Sally Bedell Smith gives us a new look at Prince Charles, the oldest heir to the throne in more
than three hundred years. This vivid biography is the first authoritative treatment of Charles's
life that sheds light on the death of Diana, his marriage to Camilla, and his preparations to take
the throne one day. Prince Charles brings to life the real man, with all of his ambitions,
insecurities, and convictions. It begins with his lonely childhood, follows him through difficult
years at school, his early love affairs, his intellectual quests, his entrepreneurial pursuits, and
his intense search for spiritual meaning. It tells of the tragedy of his marriage to Diana, his
eventual reunion with his true love, Camilla, and his relationships with William, Kate, Harry, and
his grandchildren. Smith shows how Prince Charles possesses a fiercely independent spirit and
yet has spent more than six decades waiting for his destined role, living a life dictated by
protocols he often struggles to obey. With keen insight and the discovery of unexpected new
details, Smith lays bare the contradictions of a man who is more complicated, tragic, and
compelling than we knew, until now. (624 pages)
THE ZOO BY ISOBEL CHARMAN
(PICKED BY SLH)
The founding of a zoo in Georgian London is a story of jaw-dropping audacity in the Age of
Empire. It is the story of diplomats, traders, scientists, and aristocratic amateur naturalists
charged by Sir Stamford Raffles with collecting amazing creatures from all four corners of the
globe. It is the story of the first zoo in history, a weird and wonderful oasis in the heart of the
filthy, swirling city of Dickensian London, and of the incredible characters, both human and
animal, that populated it—from Charles Darwin and Queen Victoria to Obaysch the celebrity
hippo, the first that anyone in Britain had ever seen. This is a story of Victorian grandeur, of
science and empire, and of adventurers and charlatans. (368 pages)
Reviews excerpted from amazon.com and goodreads.com