December 2023 Newsletter
Susan’s recommendation: Beirut Station, Paul Vidich is a spy novel set in Beirut in the Israel Hezbollah War of 2006. The CIA agent tasked with assassinating a reclusive Hezbollah terrorist is a young Lebanese American woman. The tale is heart-pounding and heart-breaking. Annalise befriends the terrorist’s grandson to get close to the family. The planning and execution of the plot become fraught with uncertainty. Who can she trust in Beirut, in the CIA and in her personal life?
Kathi’s recommendation: Moscow X, David McCloskey’s new spy novel is great. McClosky, a former CIA analyst, brings a whole network of resources with him crafting this story of a CIA plan to cause dissension within the Kremlin thereby upsetting the government. There are heroes on both sides, even a cameo by Vladimir Putin. In the background is Russia’s war with Ukraine making everything feel timely and yet, the forces driving the story are ageless: greed and fear. The novel has all the things needed to keep us engaged, characters worth rooting for, interesting places, and just enough reality to be credible.
Lily’s recommendation: In November I read Rangers Apprentice, book 1 by John Flanagan. The main characters are: Will, a fifteen-year-old apprentice, Halt, an older ranger, and Morgrath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night. The Story setting is Wills school, the Ranger camp and in the woods. Three important events are: 1. When Will is chosen as a ranger 2. when Halt, Will, and other soldiers kill two boars 3. When Will and Halt fight the Kalkara. The main conflict is the war with Will’s kingdom and Morgarth. The resolution of story is when they fight the Kalkara, which Morgarth sent out to kill Will and Halt and the other rangers. The theme of the story is that sometimes what you wish for may not come true but it will still give you a good ending. Irated this book five stars because it involves a lot of adventure and is a very good book. (ages 9-12)
New Fiction:
Connelly, Michael; Resurrection Walk
Crombie, Deborah; To Dwell in Darkness
Enright, Anne; The wren, the wren
French, Nikki, Day of the Dead
Gerritsen, Tess; The Spy Coast
Grisham, John; The Exchange
Kwok, Jean; The Leftover Woman
Mason, Daniel; North Woods
Mathews, Francine; Death on a Winter Stroll
McDermid, Val; Past Lying
McDermott, Alice; Absolution
Nunez, Sigrid; The Vulnerables
Rautiainen, Petra; Land of Snow and Ashes
Slocumb, Brendan; Symphony of Secrets
Vidich, Paul; Beirut Station
Von Rezzori, Gregor; The Snows of Yesteryear
New Non-Fiction:
America’s Test Kitchen; Gatherings
Buck, Rinker; Life on the Mississippi
Chast, Roz; I must be dreaming
Flores, Dan; Coyote America
MacFarlane, Robert; The Lost Spells
Renkl, Margaret; The Comfort of Crows
Rovelli, Carlo, White Holes
Shane, Scott; Flee North
Stanley, Charles; Lost Airmen
New Children:
Blabey, Aaron; Cat on the Run
Brady, Dustin; World’s Worst Time Machine
Brown, Peter; The Wild Robot Protects
Cham, Jorge; Oliver’s Great Big Adventure
Fairbairn, Nathan; Priya puts herself first
Jenkins, Martin; Caterpillar and Bean
Kinney, Jeff; Diary of Wimpy Kid #18
Klassen, Jon; The Skull
Peirce, Lincoln; Great Minds Think Alike
Steinkellner, Emma; Nell of Gumbling
Sutherland, Tui; The Menagerie and the Graphic books of Wings of Fire #2 - #5
