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Strange the Dreamer

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In this beautifully written book, Laini Taylor introduces us to Lazlo Strange, a war orphan with an enormous imagination. Cared for as a child by abbots, Lazlo has become captivated by the stories of the Lost city of Weep. His love of reading only grows as he does and he becomes a junior librarian but he fears his dreams of discovering the Lost City will never come true.

When an unexpected opportunity presents itself, Lazlo surprises everyone and even himself by seizing the chance to follow his dream. Along his journey, he makes friends and enemies both as he unravels the mysteries of Weep and even encounters a blue skinned goddess.

There are stories within stories, brimming with lore and myth that make the world of Lazlo Strange full, rich and one you’ll want to stay in after you’ve finished reading the book.

Find it on the catalog

Merry and Bright

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Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Adults

Merry Smith has family obligations to her brother with Down Syndrome, aging parents and her brother’s golden retriever.  She struggles to keep up with her job with a consulting firm at the Boeing Company.  She has no time for a social life but her mother and brother create a profile on an online dating service and she starts to accumulate many matches.  When Merry begins chatting with a stranger online she discovers that they have similar interests.  The chats soon become the best part of her day but she is reluctant to meet her mystery man.  This holiday story will be the perfect way to brighten your spirits.

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The Book of Books

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The Book of Books by Jessica Allen
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Adults

The Book of Books is the companion volume to the highly acclaimed PBS series, the Great American Read.

It is a visually stunning book with two full pages devoted to each title.  One page displays the cover of the first edition of the book, the author’s picture, and pages from the book or other interesting details.  The next page explains what inspired the author to write the book, what it is about, and biographical information about the author.

This is an absorbing book, a trip down memory lane, and a wonderful tribute to America’s greatest 100 novels.

Find it in the catalog.

White Hot

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White Hot by Ilona Andrews
Format: CD Audio Book #2
Who It’s For: Adults

In this Hidden Legacy Series book, best-selling authors Ilona Andrews a pseudonym for a husband and wife writing team, have put out another magical detective story.

Nevada Baylor is the lead in a family owned detective agency. She possesses a unique secret magic skill –she knows when people are lying.

She has used this skill and good old-fashioned hard work to solve cases, which has built her family business up and kept it afloat. Her magic skill is a secret, in a time when magic users are the norm.

Conner Rogan is a billionaire prime, one of the highest-ranking magic users. They are working together to solve a mystery that has them pitted against powerful magic possessors. The sparks between Nevada and Rogan are undeniable but Nevada refuses to see them. As Nevada hones her magic skills, she and Rogan will soon discover that ice can burn.

Find it in the catalog.

Killers of the Flower Moon. The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

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Killers of the Flower Moon. The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI  by David Grann
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Adults

The Osage Native American tribe was living the good life in the 1920s thanks to the oil fields lying under their reservation in Oklahoma.  Living the good life, that is, until their members start dying at an alarming rate under suspicious circumstances.  When tribe members are found blatantly murdered, an investigation is launched by J. Edgar Hoover who is desperately trying to make a name for himself and his budding Federal Bureau of Investigation. Newly appointed FBI Agent Tom White assembles an undercover team to infiltrate the close knit and increasingly dangerous Osage community and risks his own life in order to discover who is behind the heinous crimes.

David Grann is an award winning journalist from The New Yorker who weaves this true tale of mystery, conspiracy, and racial injustice. Grann reexamines this case through his investigation and manages to tie up the loose ends that the FBI was unable to resolve almost one hundred years ago.
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The Music Shop

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The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Adults

Frank loves music.  Frank loves vinyl.   He can look at his customers and “hear” exactly the record they need for the events occurring in their lives.

It’s 1988 and CD’s are the newest thing.  One music shop on a run-down, dead end street refuses to sell anything but vinyl.  Frank, the music shop owner, has created a family around his shop with the shopkeepers and residents on his street.   As shopkeepers on the street struggle to stay open, many begin to sell out to a local development company.  As the street empties, those that are left are inspired by the sudden appearance of a young, beautiful and mysterious woman who’s fainting spell outside the shop ignites questions and excitement on their block.

As the story alternates from Frank’s present in 1988 and his past with his enigmatic mother, he struggles with his desire to love this mysterious woman and his fear of becoming close with anyone.

Joyce has done her research on the music pieces that she weaves into the story.  It’s just as interesting to learn about the background of the music as it is to follow Frank through his present and past life.  This story taps in to the power of music to speak to a person and touch their feelings like nothing else can.

If you loved The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, you will love this book.

You can find it here!