The titles and links below will direct you to print copies when available. Click on the title to see all available formats, including recorded versions and eBooks.
You can learn more about using eBooks and eAudiobooks on our blog, and contact us if you need assistance. *Restrictions to using Hoopla apply based on your home address.
Subtitled: The Mitford Sisters and Me. These six English siblings, some famous and some infamous, cut a wide swath at home and abroad from the early 1900s on. The author is obsessed with them, hence this historical exploration which includes high humor and jaw-dropping commentary. Diana and Unity were gripped by fascism; Nancy and Jessica became acclaimed writers; Nancy, an avowed communist, ended up doing good works in Oakland in the ‘50s. Deborah, a duchess, was an art patron. Quiet Pamela embraced the country life. Various partners were bizarre, some legit and others scandalous or sub-rosa. So many nicknames, starting with their progenitors, “Muv” and “Farve.” The graphic format manages to encompass all those complexities with deft wit and scope.
This novel reworks a familiar fairytale with interesting depth. After Ella’s stepmother poisons her and her father, Ella’s ghost becomes inextricably entwined with the house itself. Visible only to her family members, she’s ordered to do all the housework. She’d always kept things tidy, but the unfairness of her servitude stokes increasing resentment. She’s trapped in the house until she discovers a way to escape at night, which is how she gets to the prince’s balls with a fairy’s help. Her sisters are furious that Ella seems to have nixed their chances with the prince, but an incendiary denouement flips the story to give Ella sovereignty so she can use her gifts on a broader scale. Though the pleasures of the flesh that she tasted during those three magic nights when she regained her body are no longer available, she finds ways to connect for satisfaction. A fine feminist twist on happily ever after.
After Tyler is released from prison, a strange reunion takes place. Three decades ago, he was convicted of killing Leo, one of his friends at university in London. Now he asks that the others who were there that fateful night gather so he can profess his innocence. It’s a tense and awkward event, where the wine flows along with tempers, and the catered feast tempts no one’s appetite. Violence erupts with tragic consequences. Of course, Tyler is the obvious suspect, but Maud, a detective inspector, looks deeper into the complex web of relationships despite resistance from all corners including a political higher up. Suspense galore, and a well-drawn example of how women in the police force are considered second class.
Young Devon is an amazing gymnast, despite an accident that damaged her foot when she was very little. Her father Eric goes above and beyond to boost her career in the making, and her mother Katie provides emotional support for her and her younger brother Drew. Devon even has a crack at the Olympics, but bad things start to happen. Like the hit and run that killed Ryan, a handsome young man who was a fixture at the gym where Devon trains. Drew gets scarlet fever. Eric hits the bottle and is often absent. This is a compelling thriller that plumbs the depth of ambition, single-mindedness, and the long way parents will go to launch and protect their children.
Add a comment to: Neshama’s Choices for June 15