Dark Matter

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch Published by Random House Audio on Jul. 26, 2016 Genre(s): Fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Format: Audiobook / Kindle Time: 10:18:00 Goodreads synopsis:  “Are you happy with your life?” Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.” In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible. Is...

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Leaving Time

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult Published by Ballantine Books on Oct. 14, 2014 Genre(s): Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery Format: Audiobook / Paperback Pages: 398 Goodreads synopsis:  For over a decade, Jenna Metcalf obsesses on her vanished mom Alice. Jenna searches online, rereads journals of the scientist who studied grief among elephants. Two unlikely allies are Serenity Jones, psychic for missing people who doubts her gift, and Virgil Stanhope, jaded PI who originally investigated cases of Alice and her colleague. Hard questions and answers. The first book I ever read by Picoult was My Sister's Keeper. I liked the book, but I remember having trouble getting through it. i could chalk it up to my young age, inexperience reading long and dense novels, or...

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Wonder

Wonder by R. J. Palacio Published by Knopf on Feb. 14, 2012 Genre(s): Fiction, Young Adult, Family, Contemporary Format: Kindle / Audiobook Pages: 316 Goodreads synopsis:  I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse. August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances? R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping...

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The Alchemist

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Published by Harper Torch in 1988 Genre(s): Fiction, Classics, Fantasy, Philosophy Format: Kindle/Audiobook Pages: 197 Goodreads synopsis:  Paulo Coelho's enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its powerful simplicity and inspiring wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way. But what starts out as a journey...

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milk and honey

milk and honey by Rupi Kaur Published by Create Space on Nov. 4, 2014 Genre(s): Nonfiction, Poetry, Feminism Format: Paperback Pages: 204 Goodreads synopsis:  milk and honey is a collection of poetry and prose about survival. It is about the experience of violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity. It is split into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose, deals with a different pain, heals a different heartache. milk and honey takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look. I read some of the reviews on goodreads and felt disappointed that people would dismiss this woman's work so quickly because they didn't personally...

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Kitchens of the Great Midwest

Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal Published by Viking on July 28, 2015 Genre(s): Fiction, Food, Adult, Contemporary Format: Paperback Pages: 310 Goodreads synopsis:  When Lars Thorvald's wife, Cynthia, falls in love with wine--and a dashing sommelier--he's left to raise their baby, Eva, on his own. He's determined to pass on his love of food to his daughter--starting with puréed pork shoulder. As Eva grows, she finds her solace and salvation in the flavors of her native Minnesota. From Scandinavian lutefisk to hydroponic chocolate habaneros, each ingredient represents one part of Eva's journey as she becomes the star chef behind a legendary and secretive pop-up supper club, culminating in an opulent and emotional feast that's a testament to...

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Into The Water

Into The Water by Paula Hawkins Published by Riverhead on May 2, 2017 Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Suspense, Adult, Contemporary Format: Audiobook Pages: 388 Goodreads synopsis:  A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged. Left behind is a lonely fifteen-year-old girl. Parentless and friendless, she now finds herself in the care of her mother's sister, a fearful stranger who has been dragged back to the place she deliberately ran from—a place to which she vowed she'd never return. With the same...

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The Good Girl

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica Published by Harlequin MIRA on Jul. 29, 2014 Genre(s): Fiction, Suspense, Mystery, Thriller Format: Audiobook/Kindle Pages: 352  Goodreads synopsis:  I've been following her for the past few days. I know where she buys her groceries, where she works. I don't know the color of her eyes or what they look like when she's scared. But I will. One night, Mia Dennett enters a bar to meet her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when he doesn't show, she unwisely leaves with an enigmatic stranger. At first Colin Thatcher seems like a safe one-night stand. But following Colin home will turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia's life. When Colin decides to hide Mia in a secluded cabin in rural Minnesota instead of delivering her to his employers,...

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The Night Circus

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern Published by Doubleday in Sep. 13, 2011 Genre(s): Historical, Romance, Fantasy, Fiction Format: Audiobook/Kindle Pages: 400 Goodreads synopsis:  The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices plastered on lampposts and billboards. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within these nocturnal black-and-white striped tents awaits an utterly unique, a feast for the senses, where one can get lost in a maze of clouds, meander through a lush garden made of ice, stare in wonderment as the tattooed contortionist folds herself into a small glass box, and become deliciously tipsy from the scents of caramel and cinnamon that waft through the air. Welcome to Le Cirque des Rêves. Beyond...

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South and West by Joan Didion

South and West by Joan Didion Published by Knopf Publishing Group on Mar. 7, 2017 Genre(s): Nonfiction, Essays, Memoir, Travel Format: Kindle Pages: 160 Goodreads synopsis:  From the best-selling author of the National Book Award-winning The Year of Magical Thinking two extended excerpts from her never-before-seen notebooks--writings that offer an illuminating glimpse into the mind and process of a legendary writer. Joan Didion has always kept notebooks: of overheard dialogue, observations, interviews, drafts of essays and articles--and here is one such draft that traces a road trip she took with her husband, John Gregory Dunne, in June 1970, through Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. She interviews prominent local figures, describes motels,...

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Born A Crime

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah Published by Doubleday on Nov. 15, 2016 Genre(s): Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Cultural, Adult, Humor, Historical Format: a href="Audiobook Pages: 304 Goodreads synopsis:  The compelling, inspiring, and comically sublime story of one man's coming-of-age, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed.  Trevor Noah's unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents' indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the...

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We Should All Be Feminists

We Should All Be Feminists by Ngozi Chimamanda Adichie Published by Vintage on Jul. 29, 2014 Genre(s): , Nonfiction, , Feminism, Essays Format: Paperback Pages: 49 Goodreads synopsis:  What does “feminism” mean today? That is the question at the heart of We Should All Be Feminists, a personal, eloquently-argued essay—adapted from her much-viewed TEDx talk of the same name—by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the award-winning author of Americanah and Half of a Yellow Sun.  With humor and levity, here Adichie offers readers a unique definition of feminism for the twenty-first century—one rooted in inclusion and awareness. She shines a light not only on blatant discrimination, but also the more insidious, institutional behaviors that marginalize...

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Thirteen Reasons Why

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher Published by Razorbill on Oct. 18, 2007 Genre(s): , Young Adult, , Fiction, Teen Format: Paperback/Audiobook Pages: 288 Goodreads synopsis:  You can't stop the future. You can't rewind the past. The only way to learn the secret. . . is to press play. Clay Jensen doesn't want anything to do with the tapes Hannah Baker made. Hannah is dead. Her secrets should be buried with her. Then Hannah's voice tells Clay that his name is on her tapes-- and that he is, in some way, responsible for her death. All through the night, Clay keeps listening. He follows Hannah's recorded words throughout his small town. . . . . .and what he discovers changes his life forever. I heard about the Netflix show coming out, so as a sucker...

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Silence

Silence by Shūsaku Endō Published by Taplinger in 1966 Genre(s): , Fiction, , Historical, Cultural, Religion, Classics Format: Paperback Pages: 201 Goodreads synopsis:  Father Rodrigues is an idealistic Portuguese Jesuit priest who, in the 1640s, sets sail for Japan on a determined mission to help the brutally oppressed Japanese Christians and to discover the truth behind unthinkable rumours that his famous teacher Ferreira has renounced his faith. Once faced with the realities of religious persecution Rodrigues himself is forced to make an impossible choice: whether to abandon his flock or his God. Winner of the 1966 Tanizaki Prize, Silence is Shusaku Endo's most highly acclaimed novel and a classic of its genre. It caused major controversy in...

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Truly Madly Guilty

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty Published by Flatiron on Jul. 26, 2016 Genre(s): , Fiction, , Contemporary Format: Paperback ARC/Audiobook Pages: 415 Goodreads synopsis:  Six responsible adults. Three cute kids. One small dog. It’s just a normal weekend. What could possibly go wrong? Sam and Clementine have a wonderful, albeit, busy life: they have two little girls, Sam has just started a new dream job, and Clementine, a cellist, is busy preparing for the audition of a lifetime. If there’s anything they can count on, it’s each other. Clementine and Erika are each other’s oldest friends. A single look between them can convey an entire conversation. But theirs is a complicated relationship, so when Erika mentions a last minute invitation to a barbecue...

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Small Great Things

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult Published by Ballantine on Oct. 11, 2016 Genre(s): Fiction, Social Issues, Contemporary, Adult, Drama, Race Format: Audiobook Pages: 470 Goodreads synopsis: Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years' experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she's been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don't want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene? Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a...

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The Girl on the Train

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins Published by Riverhead on Jan. 13, 2015 Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Suspense, Format: Paperback/Audiobook Pages: 325 Goodreads synopsis:  The #1 New York Times Bestseller, USA Today Book of the Year, now a major motion picture starring Emily Blunt. Don't miss Paula Hawkins' new novel, Into the Water, coming May 2017. EVERY DAY THE SAME Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not...

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