Best Mystery fiction of the year

May is mystery month and Booklist magazine has published their list of the year’s best crime novels.

Here’s their top ten in alphabetical order.

Angelmaker  by Nick Harkaway

Joe Spork, a mild-mannered clockmaker in contemporary London, is trying to live down the legacy of his Mob-boss father when he finds himself forced to rebuild and then disarm a doomsday machine of unimagined power. (This is advertised as a funny action adventure with espionage and clock repair. What an interesting combination. )

Bleed for Me  by Michael Robotham

Psychologist Joe O’Loughlin finds a blood-soaked neighbor on his doorstep in Bath, England, and, attempting to help her, lands in a criminal investigation. Beautiful but understated prose; bright, funny, and touching characters; plotting that is both clever and well thought out—this one has it all. (Robotham is the pseudonymous author of 10 best-selling non-fiction titles, involving prominent figures in the military, the arts, sport, and science. Hmm. That’s a mystery in itself. )

Blotto, Twinks and the Dead Dowager Duchess  by Simon Brett

The privileged 1920s sibling pair of Blotto and his sister, Twinks, once again embarks on solving a mystery that drops into their laps. Brett is a devastating social critic and master of equally devastating physical characterization. This is the kind of book you’ll have to put down frequently, as you roar with laughter.   (The is number 2 of Brett’s Blotto series.  Let me know if you want to read the others and I’ll help  you find them.)

The Devil She Knows  by Bill Loehfelm

Tough, street-smart, but vulnerable cocktail waitress Maureen sees a politician in a compromising position and finds her life in danger. One of the most compelling characters to appear in crime fiction this year, Maureen drives a novel that is both suspenseful and remarkably textured.  (This is Loehfelm’s third novel, but he hasn’t got that much attention. Maybe an up and coming guy you might want to watch. )

Iron House by John Hart

Michael, a New York hit man who spent his early years in an orphanage, returns to North Carolina to settle scores. The present-time plot—Michael trying to carve a new life without endangering those he loves—makes a superb thriller on its own, but it’s what Hart does with the backstory that gives the novel its beyond-genre depth.

“When I said ‘til death do us part, I had no idea it was going to take this long.”

“Sooner or later, there comes a moment in all relationships when you lie in bed, roll over, look at the person next to you and think it’s all a mistake.  That is the first day your real marriage.”  So says Boston family therapist Terrence Real. It can happen a few months to a few years into the marriage.

So what now? How do you make this best and worst relationship of your life work? It never hurts have some solid advice and knowledge tucked away. Or maybe, just a book that sees marriage as it really is, hard, hard, hard and wonderful and very funny.  Check out these books from the library.

If It Was Easy, They’d Call the Whole Damn Thing a Honeymoon: Living with and Loving the TV-Addicted, Sex-Obsessed, Not-So-Handy Man You Married by Jenna McCarthy

Jenna collected the responses she received on her blog to the question: “What does your husband-whom you still love- do that drives your nuts?” to make this funny book. She adds her own personal confessions about her less than perfect, but good enough, marriage. This is a marriage advice book that tells it like it is. So, if you are happily married and the thought ever crossed your mind, “Oh my god, I hate him,” try this book.  Chock full of comments from women about the disgusting, infuriating, asinine behavior of their husbands. You can have a laugh and then gaze lovingly at your husband say, at least I am not married to that guy.

Real Marriage:  The Truth About Sex, Friendship & Life Together by Mark and Grace Driscoll

Pastor Mark Driscoll, named one of the 25 Most Influential Pastors of the Past 25 Years,  and his wife, Grace, have a marriage advice book that focuses on the sexual relationship within a marriage. Most of the information about sex inside the church is inadequate, they write, and most the information about it outside the church is perverted. Realistic and sympathetic, honest and direct, the Driscolls describe God’s plan for marriage, all within a gospel perspective. You’ll find the answers to some of the sex-related questions that you just can’t ask your own pastor.

No Cheating, No Dying. I Had a Good Marriage. Then I Tried to Make it Better by Elizabeth Weil

“I had a good marriage before I spent a year improving it, and I have a good marriage now. In fact, my marriage is better, truly better.” Elizabeth takes an honest look at marriage and the issues of real life that we all deal with: sex, money, religion, in-laws, children, disastrous dinners and the ever so delightful pre-colonoscopy enema. She seeks advice from financial planners, sex therapists, psychoanalysts, marriage coaches and rabbis. The result is this little book that ends with the chapter, “How Good is Good Enough?” An engaging, illuminating read, a profound meditation on love.

A fun video

Okay, okay, I know this isn’t really anything about books here at Basehor, but it is too cute to not share with you all.  Here is:

The Joy of Books

“This is a most excellent book!”

I found this comment on a post-it note on a book in the book drop. I love it when I hear from our patrons about what they like (or don’t like).   I thought I might share with you the “most excellent” book and maybe another along the same lines.  See what you think.

The Soldier’s Wife by Margaret Leroy

Vivienne de la Mare is living on Guernsey island during World War II.  Her husband has left to fight with the English army leaving her the sole support of her daughters and ailing mother-in-law.  Next door a group of German soldiers have taken up residence as part of the German occupation of the island. Vivienne falls in love with one of the German soldiers, putting her and her family in very real jeopardy.  As the hardships on the islanders  increases and Vivienne becomes aware of the brutality of the German occupation, she must decided if she is willing to risk her personal happiness for the life a stranger.  A tale of forbidden love, hope and sacrifice.

The Guernsey Potato Peel Pie and Literary Society

Set in 1946, just after the end of World War II, this charming novel is told in letters between Juliet Ashton, a London writer, and at first her pen pals and then true friends, some of the  residents of Guernsey Island.  When Guernsey farmer Dawsey Adams finds Juliet’s name in a used book, he invites articulate—and not-so-articulate—neighbors to write Juliet with their stories. The Guernsey inhabitants share their stories with Julie, their experiences during the occupation  telling of moments of unbelievable courage and love. The novel is a mix of humor and poignancy and has a wonderfully satisfying end.

New DVDs for you

We’ve added several new DVD titles to the collection this week. (Beyond the popular titles you have come to expect on our shelves.)  Check out these new and old favorites.

• Cave of Forgotten Dreams

• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

• The Man Who Would Be King, 

• Pee Wee’s Big Adventure & The Pee Wee Herman Show on Broadway

• Magic Beyond Words-The J.K. Rowling Story

• Scarface starring Al Pacino

• Prime Suspect – the Complete Series

• Homeless for the Holidays

• Finding a Family

Seriously scary

As if life isn’t scary enough.  Mortgages underwater. Long-term unemployment.  The flu season just around the corner.  And horrors! 11 months of presidential campaign ads coming at us!

Well, if all this doesn’t chill you, may I suggest a creepy book or movie?

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger  -  a haunting tale about the complications of love, identity, sibling rivalry and ghosts.

The Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill – An aging rocker buys a ghost, online, and gets much more than his money’s worth.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters – A spooky old house, eccentric (mad?) inhabitants, weird noises upstairs,  an unnatural fire. Definitely creepy.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs – Jacob formed a special bond with his grandfather over his bizarre tales and photos of levitating girls and invisible boys.  Years later he finds the children from the photographs–alive and well–despite the fact everyone says that all were killed decades ago.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson – This is the author who gave us the seriously disturbing short story, The Lottery. Haunting is fine psychological horror. Intense, literary, and harrowing.

The Eyes of Mothman – November 15, 1968 four young adults traveling through the backwoods of West Virginia come across something unnatural… No, this isn’t a horror flick you missed at the theater. This is a documentary about Mothman, a 7 foot tall man with red eyes and wings. Before Mothman disappeared 46 people would die and hundreds more would be emotionally scarred.

You might want to leave the light on.

Does my Kindle look fat to you?

I know this question has been weighing (Ha!) on your mind. Do e-readers get heavier as you load on thousands of books?  Well – yes, but not much.

The Weight of Memory

Now if we humans could figure out how to carry only the memory of all those meals and snacks!