NHCPL Reads discussion

The Downtown Reader's Book Club will be reading "The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle" by Kirsty Wark this month. We'll be discussing it on May 3 at the Main library in Downtown Wilmington.

I started this month reading Under the Harrow: A Novel by Flynn Berry. This debut psychological thriller follows Nora as she works to track down her sister's killer after discovering the body. As she works through the people in her sister's town, secrets are revealed about their past and about her sister's life that Nora did not know. The writing style is a bit hard to read at first but once I got into the book, I wanted to continue reading to find out what happened. Look for this book when it comes out on June 14.

Next I read A Game For All The Family by Sophie Hannah. I have been a fan Sophie Hannah for a while, especially her series. This book is a standalone and I enjoyed it but was a bit disappointed by the ending. Justine and her family move from London to a small town in the country to escape city life. When she finds the first few pages of a class reading assignment written by her daughter, she gets a strange feeling that something is going on. As she discovers her daughter's friendship to a boy in her class recently expelled, she begins to put the pieces together to try and solve what's really going on with her daughter's story and the mysterious boy. This book alternates between the story her daughter wrote and the life of Justine. It kept my attention, as all of her books do, but there's an element of fantasy to the story. It's a book people will either love or hate. It will be published in the United States on May 24.

I am currently reading Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart. This book came out last year and was a hit. I finally was able to get an ebook version from the library to read. Stewart based her book on one of the nation's first female deputy sheriffs and is a historical fiction mystery about Constance Kopp and her search for justice when her and her sisters are run over by a factory owner. I am about halfway through this novel and am enjoying it so far. The second book featuring Constance Kopp will be published in September.

I am reading Winter of the World by Ken Follett. This is the second of the Century trilogy. Excellent historical fiction. I took a break between the first one, Fall of Giants, and this one. I just finished the third of the Into the Wilderness series by Sara Donati titled Lake in the Clouds. Hope I don't get these characters in the wrong plotline!

Since my last post, I have been busy reading. I have read...

Missing, Presumed by Steiner, a thriller about a missing girl and the detectives who are put on the case to find her. Told from multiple perspectives, this is a very character focused book.

True Crime Addict: How I Lost Myself in the Mysterious Disappearance of Maura Murray by Renner talks about Renner's investigation into the disappearance of Maura Murray. It is a great book for true crime fans.

I listened to Good Mourning by Meyer. This book details her experiences working as a funeral planner in an Upper East Side funeral home following the death of her father.

June by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore is a historical fiction novel that tells the story of Cassie and her grandmother June. It switches back and forth between two time periods but is very engaging. With the success of her previous novel Bittersweet, this is an author to watch out for in the coming years.

Currently I am just about done with Before the Fall by Hawley, the creator of the TV show Fargo. This book is being mentioned as the thriller of the summer so I was eager to read it. The book focuses on a plane crash of a private jet with two survivors, telling the tale of the investigation and the lives of those on-board in the search for the truth about what happened. Hawley is a good thriller writer, keeping readers on their toes without giving away too much until the end. I can't wait to finish it and find out what happened because I am stumped.

All these books come out in the next month or two (with the exception of Good Mourning, which is out now) so look for them in our catalog.

Currently reading The Temptation of Elizabeth Tudor: Elizabeth I, Thomas Seymour, and the Making of a Virgin Queen and enjoying it. I gave up temporarily on finishing The Lost Tudor Princess: The Life of Lady Margaret Douglas - it wasn't moving along at a pace to keep my interest right now.

This month I've read:
A Mother's Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy By Sue Klebold. It covers her coming to terms with Columbine.
The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax A light spy novel written in the 60's. The main character a widow looking for a change in life so decides to try to work for the CIA
Backpacking North Carolina: The Definitive Guide to 43 Can't-Miss Trips from Mountains to Sea A really great guide to backpacking trips in NC. The author organizes hiking trips in NC and runs backpacking classes in the Triangle. After reading his book I'm looking forward to joining his hiking group for the summer and trying his backpacking class in the fall.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder A really enjoyable cosy mystery. It reminded me a little of the Stephanie Plum novels but cleaner. I really enjoyed it. Great light reading for camping or vacation.
Backpacking: A Woman's Guide A solid and informative book.
Right now I'm reading Strawberry Shortcake Murder I'm enjoying that as well.

I'm reading Miss Julia Inherits a Mess which is the newest release by Ann B. Ross. I just love Miss Julia and Etta Mae.

I have not read much this month, but I shall do better in May.