Staff Picks - Mystery/Suspense

I covet a good night's sleep, so when I get a hold of a novel so intense, so all-consuming I stay up way too late reading, I have to share.  All three mystery/psychological suspense titles weave intricate plots, feature very troubled characters, and throw in a good dose of secrets, red herrings and twists for good measure. Be prepared to be blindsided!

The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh

In the Blood by Lisa Unger

Until You're Mine by Samantha Hayes






Beth Moore
Information Specialist

Staff Picks

Y, The Last Man by Brian Vaughan

When a mysterious plague kills every living thing with a Y-chromosome, it seems the fate of humanity and the world is doomed. Or so it would be, if it weren’t for Yorick, an amateur escape artist, and his pet monkey Ampersand, the only males to survive the plague. Now it is up to Yorick to discover why he was able to escape death and find a way to save the human race, all while trying to find his girlfriend, who had been studying abroad. In order to find answers, Yorick and his companions, a mysterious government agent and a brilliant geneticist, have to face opposition from the newly formed government run by angry extremists, a dangerous group of Amazon wannabes that includes his own sister, Israeli militia, and everyone else who would seek to destroy, trap, study, or use Yorick for their own purposes.

This graphic novel is a great series that gives an imaginative glimpse of what life would be like for “the last man on Earth.” It’s a very exciting read with memorable characters and a gripping storyline that will make it hard to put the book down!

Vikki Doerr
Information Specialist

Staff Picks

Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead is one of the most satisfying novels I've read in the past year.  It's about a ballet dancer named Joan who helps a Baryshnikov-like ballet star defect from the Soviet Union in 1975.  And that's just the beginning of the story.

Continuing with the dance theme, I next read Fosse by Sam Wasson.  I have a weakness for big biographies of artists who led lives of great creativity and excess, and this book about Bob Fosse, the director and choreographer of films and stage shows such as Cabaret, Chicago, and All That Jazz, did not disappoint at all.


Stephen Kight
Assistant Director for Public Services

Coffee Talk Book Discussion

The Lost City of Z by David Grann

If you are in the mood for an adventure tale full of history and suspense, this one should fit the bill.   Colonel Percy Fawcett was just one of many explorers intent on both exploring the Amazon river and the surrounding jungles.  He is also one of many of such explorers who disappeared within the Amazonian jungles in search of the elusive Lost City of Z (aka El Dorado).  Follow this journalist as he retraces Fawcett’s explorations and see how little and how much has changed since then.

If you are a fan of Indiana Jones, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, or TinTin, you may be intrigued to find a connection with Colonel Percy Fawcett.  Join us for the Coffee Talk Book Discussion at the Cumming branch on Tuesday, June 10th at 1:30 p.m. to hear more.

Joan Dudzinski
Collection Support Supervisor

Staff Picks

"Does your woolly mammoth need a bath?"

The first sentence of How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth by Michelle Robinson prepares you for the silliness to come.  Did you know that washing a woolly mammoth involves ten steps?  Children will giggle their way through each comically ridiculous illustration, especially the double-page spread showing how to add the mammoth to the tub.   This is an entertaining, quick read-aloud for a young child.

Staff Pick

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

A 2014 Georgia Peach Award nominee - Eleanor and Park is a captivating, brave look at first love. If only more couples had the honesty and earnestness of this couple. I really enjoyed the audio book version, and the two narrators did a fantastic job of bringing the two perspectives together into a cohesive story. The Sheridans are also very understanding and cool parents! I loved the 1980s mix tape musical references.

Meredith Bowermeister
Information Services Supervisor
Sharon Forks Library

Staff Pick - Juvenile

The Miniature World of Marvin & James by Elise Broach

James and his family are going away to the beach.  Everyone is excited except for James's best friend Marvin who feels left behind.  This situation happens all the time with friends except for this friendship is special.  Marvin is a beetle!  While James is gone, Marvin and his sister have some adventures with an electric pencil sharpener. When you're a beetle, many ordinary household items can be playgrounds.  If your child has just transitioned to chapter books, this is an excellent choice for them.  Every page has an engaging illustration which fills half the page, so the five chapters will not seem insurmountable.  Based on the award winning juvenile novel Masterpiece, this first book in The Masterpiece Adventures chapter book series introduces emerging readers to the antics of Marvin and James.

Kim Ottesen
Information Specialist, Youth Services

Staff Pick

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

Sarah Addison Allen has done it again - she engages readers in a wonderful Southern setting full of unique characters. Throughout the story, Allen threads snippets of back story for four of the older women - Eby and Lisette, Selma and Bulahdeen - that I want to know more about.  As with all of her books, the story and characters linger with you as you think about what may happen next in their lives and it had me crying at the end - very poignant. I enjoyed both the print and audio book versions.

Meredith Bowermeister
Information Services Supervisor
Sharon Forks Library

Staff Picks - Juvenile

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne






What do Peter Pan, Harry Potter, and Phileas Fogg all have in common?  They are all characters in Audiobooks that are read by Jim Dale.  If you enjoy listening to books on CD, Jim Dale does an awesome job reading stories with expression and a wide variety of voices.  His versions sound like multiple people are reading, his voices are so distinct!  Type “Jim Dale” in the search box of our catalog to find several titles that he has recorded.  I guarantee you will enjoy him!

Julie Boyd
Youth Services Supervisor
Cumming Library

Book Sleuths

How to be Lost by Amanda Eyre Ward

Caroline, Madeline and Ellie Winters have no idea why their parents seem so miserable and distant; they only know that their lives are vastly different from those of their friends.   Led by fifteen-year-old Caroline, the girls plot an escape from the affluent but unhappy home.

But the fantasy turns tragic when five-year-old Ellie doesn't show up at the rendezvous and is never seen again.

Sixteen years later Caroline and her mother still scan crowds and photographs in desperate hope while Madeline demands closure.  Their rift widens when another photo bearing a striking resemblance to Ellie comes to light.

As Caroline’s facade of a life starts to fall apart, she embarks on a cross-country mission to track down the latest Ellie look-a-like.

Multiple points of view and deft, witty writing reveal the family secrets that explain Ellie’s disappearance.  Our Book Sleuths Book Club will discuss all the twists in this fascinating story on Tuesday, May 27th at 2 p.m. at the Post Road Library.

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist

Staff Pick

This title is misleading because it is a lot more than a story of a happy marriage. It is a collection of essays from Ann Patchett written between 1996 and 2012. She began her career as a writer of fiction and non-fiction short stories for magazines and newspapers.  At that point in her career she learned a lot about the writing process and shares her lessons throughout the essays. In addition, she talks about how she wrote her first novel while working as a waitress. Don’t try to convince Patchett there is such a thing as writer's block.  She will change your mind. But there is much more to this collection. You will learn a lot about the author from her stories about Divorce and Dogs. Have you ever considered taking a cross country trip in a Winnebago? Patchett did and has a lot to say on the subject. Do you know any police officers? Read her essay on trying out for the LAPD. You will learn what it takes to be an officer and be impressed with her perseverance.  Hearing about the author’s grandmother, teachers, failed marriage and puppy love makes me want to take a trip to Nashville to visit her bookstore. Yes, this author, dog and book lover co-owns an independent bookstore Parnassus in Nashville, Tennessee. Check out This is the Story of a Happy Marriage.

Colleen Serletti

Information Specialist

Staff Picks - Juvenile

Children are never too young to learn about the great works of art in our world.  Stone Giant by Jane Sutcliffe is about the Italian city of Florence and their frustrating 40 year ordeal to get a finished marble statue of David.  For an elementary student, this basic history of the statue and Michelangelo, the artist who finished it, will serve as an interesting art appreciation story that may interest them in learning more about art.  The illustrations are colorful and expressive.  The statue of David is portrayed accurately.  The scope of the work involved to complete the artwork may impress your child.

Kim Ottesen
Information Specialist - Youth Services