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Meddling Kids

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Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero
Format: eBook, Book
Who it’s for: Adults

In 1977, a group of precocious kid detectives and their dog solved the case of the Sleepy Lake monster. The culprit turned out to be, as was common in their cases, an old man in a mask. He would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for those meddling kids!

Years later the “Blyton Summer Detective Club” are all grown up, but only barely functioning. One committed suicide, one is a college drop out, one has been in and out of jail, and one has been in and out of psychiatric wards. Turns out they’ve all been haunted by the Sleepy Lake monster case. The truth is: they didn’t actually solve it. Yes, there was a masked man in the abandoned mansion on Deboen Isle, but there were also real live monsters that permanently unsettled them, and they’ve had enough. They are reuniting to solve the case once and for all.

When they return to their charming hometown in the Pacific Northwest they find it’s not as idyllic as their childhood memories. Otherworldly horror lurks around every corner, and only they, and their loyal dog (twice removed from their original dog), can stop it.

This book is basically Scooby-Doo meets H.P. Lovecraft meets Twin Peaks and I thought it was great. The writing style is unique, laden with meta references to popular kid detective and classic sci-fi tropes. If you love stories about young detectives, Lovecraftian horror, or small towns where things are not as they seem, you should definitely check this out from the library, or electronically on OverDrive, today!

Care Bears: Unlock the Magic

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Care Bears: Unlock the Magic by Matthew Erman, Nadia Shammas, and Agnes Garbowska
Format: eBook, Book
Who it’s for: Kids (and kids at heart)

The time is ideal for a deep dive into Care Bears lore.

This graphic novel takes us on an adventure with Cheer Bear, Share Bear, Funshine Bear, Good Luck Bear, and Grumpy Bear, as they traverse the Silver Lining of Care-A-Lot in the Cloudseeker! There’s a report of unrest in the Whiffle community, which is bad news, because if the Whiffles are busy arguing with each other, it means they aren’t planting seeds of care!

The Care Bears descend upon the Glass Glaciers and spot the problem immediately: the glaciers, which are supposed to reflect the best versions of ourselves, have been tampered with by the villainous Bluster and his Bad Crowd, and are reflecting instead the worst versions of those looking into them! Our brave Care Bears must confront their worst fears if they are to defeat Bluster, soothe the dissension among the Whiffles, and continue spreading positive vibes throughout the realm!

This cute story is sure to delight fans of the Care Bears young and old, and teach some important lessons about friendship, forgiveness, and self love along the way. If you need a dose of magic in your life stat, then check this book out right away!

Long Road to Mercy

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Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci
Who it’s for: Adults
Format: eBooks, digital audiobook

FBI agent Atlee Pine didn’t mind being in a small office in a small town in Arizona.  She often lifted weights or hiked alone.  She did mind not knowing: not knowing about her twin, Mercy.  After hypnosis, Atlee remembered a man who said, “eeny, meeny, miny, moe,” pointing from Atlee to Mercy.  He had chosen Mercy.  Twenty-nine years later, Atlee only had tattoos to remind her of her twin and of her mission to find out what happened to her sister.   Had convicted serial killer Daniel James Tor kidnapped and murdered Mercy?

Meanwhile, the corpse of a donkey was found in the Grand Canyon.  The animal’s belly was cut and bore the carved initials “JK”.  In addition, a Grand Canyon visitor named Benjamin Priest was missing.  He was last seen on a mule train heading down into the Grand Canyon.  Was there a connection between the killed donkey and the missing man?  And why was an FBI higher-up telling Atlee to watch her back?

If you like a fast-paced thriller, I recommend this story.  It’s the first book in a trilogy by David Baldacci, available on ebook and audiobook on Overdrive/Libby.

 

Talking to Strangers

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Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell
Format: eAudiobook, eBook
Who it’s for: Adults

Talking to Strangers takes a close look at how we interact with each other and what assumptions we make everyday that change the way we communicate, judge, and interact. Gladwell, a #1 New York Times bestselling author dives into what at first appear to be separate and unrelated true stories of human interactions but then lead to his discussion of how many of the tools and strategies we use to make sense of people and their actions actually don’t help us make good judgements or decisions. If we don’t know how to talk to strangers, we are inviting conflict and misunderstanding in ways that have a profound effect on our interactions and relationships.

Gladwell narrates the audiobook and it is highly recommended. Not only do you hear Gladwell, but also interviews of many of the people he discusses. Even the court transcripts are brought to life with actors re-enactments. It is fascinating to learn about famous examples such as Bernie Madoff, Amanda Knox, and Sylvia Plath, hearing directly from many of the people involved in these real-life stories.  

Find it on Libby/Overdrive

A Dangerous Act of Kindness

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A Dangerous Act of Kindness by LP Fergusson
Recommended for: Adults
Format: eBook

The dog bounded across the snowy field during a cold night in Britain.  Trailing behind on horseback, Millie called, “Gyp!  Come back!”   Gyp sniffed the ground and wound his way over to the barn.  Millie entered the shadowy structure.  She stopped short.  A man slumped against a bale, his arm at an odd angle.  With his other hand, he was pointing a gun directly at her.  Was this a German soldier?  Had he escaped the recent plane crash?  Locals had assumed he had died in the fire.  “Let me help you,” implored Millie.  “Help me?” responded her enemy.

Millie’s husband was dead.  She’d found him hanging at the end of a rope six months ago.  She wished she’d helped him before it was too late.

A snow storm was coming.  Could she aid this man without the knowledge of her neighbor, Hugh and her Land Girl, Brigsie?  Snow or not, the cows would need milking in the morning.  Brigsie would be by early to help.  And Hugh often came by too.  He would gladly become more than Millie’s friend if she gave him any encouragement.  Was she over her grief?

A Dangerous Act of Kindness is narrated by Millie, Hugh, and Lukas, the injured German.    The story reveals various perspectives of war, of love, and of forgiveness.  I was moved by the universal themes that cross culture and time.

Find it on OverDrive/Libby!

 

Mr. Churchill’s Secretary

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Mr. Churchill’s Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal
Format: eBook, digital audiobook
Who it’s for: Adults

Maggie was looking forward to graduate studies in math at MIT.  When her grandmother passed, Maggie had to return to the land of her birth: England.  She planned to sell her inheritance: a big old Victorian house. Yet, with the war underway, it was no time to sell. Instead, Maggie welcomed boarders and friends: Irish Chuck (Charlotte), ballerina Sarah, stylish Paige, and the “Ding-bell” twins, Annabelle and Clarabelle.  Slowly, Maggie would fix-up the aged house.

One night, a young woman missed her bus and so walked home. On the way, she was murdered. David, a personal secretary to Churchill, urged his friend Maggie to apply for the dead woman’s job. So, Maggie joined the typing pool in the Prime Minister’s office. She longed for a more mathematical challenge. Yet, soon she had her hands full. Someone set off a bomb in a nearby train station. Was it the IRA? Also, when Maggie found some dots and dashes in the newspaper, she suspected that she had stumbled on more than an ad. Could Maggie break the code? With terrorists and spies underfoot, could Maggie help her friends and homeland before it was too late?

For all who love historical stories of suspense, this is the ticket.  And it’s the first book in a series!

Find it on OverDrive/Libby!