Fabulous Fiction Firsts #738

Thu, 05/28/2020 - 12:23pm by muffy

Maestra * *  (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) by art critic/journalist  L.S. Hilton (Oxford) is a timely find, perfect for fans of Killing Eve as the end of Season 3 approaches. The first of a trilogy, this “deliciously Highsmithian thriller,” (Publishers Weekly) introduces a “21st century femme fatale as lethal as Tom Ripley and as seductive as Bacall.” (Vogue)

Conscientious, well-educated, and impeccably groomed, Judith Rashleigh, a junior at a prestigious London art house is barely making ends meet.  With her school loans coming due, she begins moonlighting as a hostess at a champagne bar. When she uncovers a shady scheme that the gallery is trying to pass off a fake Stubbs in an upcoming auction, she is fired. A trip to the French Riviera with a bar patron turns deadly, and Judith is forced to disappear.  Armed with just her wits and a talent for self-invention, she maneuvers her way onto a billion-dollar yacht cruising the Mediterranean, determined to stay ahead of the game and settle the score.

“Delicious...at once glamorous, edgy, decadent, erotic, and irresistible. Judith is just full of surprises. She is ruthless and yet vulnerable...[Maestra] is a gift for readers who delight in vengeful female protagonists...

"Hilton also folds in soupçons of Gone Girl and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The detailed sex scenes will also appeal to fans of the Fifty Shades series… Optioned for film with adaptation by Paula Hawkins [The Girl on the Train].” (Booklist)

Domina * (also available in downloadable audiobook) is the sequel to Maestra. Judith now operates an art gallery in Venice as Elisabeth Teerlinc. When strange things begin happening in her home, Judith suspects someone knows her identity and what she has done. To save her hard-won new life, she must find a lost painting, one that most experts agree never actually existed. 

“[A] shopathon travelogue thriller that has billionaires, art world scheming and a sociopathic heroine who can unfasten belt buckles with her tongue.” (The New York Times)

* * = 2 starred reviews

* =  Starred review

Fabulous Fiction Firsts #737, Spring Chillers

Fri, 05/22/2020 - 11:43am by muffy

The New Girl (also in downloadable eBook) by Harriet Walker, the fashion editor for The Times of London, follows the intertwined lives of three women, and “movingly portrays the fragility of friendship and the corrosive effect of mistrust and recriminations in a wickedly funny psychological thriller that's in turn brutal and tender.” (Publishers Weekly) 

Margot, a fashion editor and her lifelong friend Winnie are both expecting but when Winnie loses her baby, their friendship suffers. Maggie, Margot’s handpicked maternity temp - bright, plucky and ambitious, turns out to be good at her job, and emerges as the darling of the fashion world.  As Margot becomes increasingly jealous and paranoid, Winnie sets her sights on revenge, and Maggie schemes to make her temporary job permanent.  Each woman's alternating narrative offers her own perspective on the unfolding events, from which no one escapes unscathed. 

Ghosts of Harvard * (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) by Frances Serritella, co-author of Chick Wit, a column in The Philadelphia Inquirer (with her mother Lisa Scottoline). This “many-faceted first novel… begins as a thriller and ends as a story of personal growth and redemption.” (Library Journal)

Harvard freshman Cady Archer arrives on campus searching for answers to her brother, Eric, a schizophrenic genius who leapt from his dorm room window the year before. While struggling under the enormous pressure of college, she investigates her brother’s final year, armed only with a blue notebook of Eric’s cryptic notes. As the clues that she unearths grow increasingly sinister, she begins to hear voices - three ghosts from different eras of American history that walked the halls of Harvard.

“Serritella makes keen use of quantum theories about time and simultaneity in this busily plotted, emotionally astute, thoughtfully paranormal, witty, and suspenseful drama involving historical figures, academic ruthlessness, and the tragic riddles of mental illness.” (Booklist) 

The Fire Thief by Debra Bokur, launches a new police procedural series featuring Maui detective Kali Māhoe. When Police Captain Walter Alaka'i discovers the body of a teenage surfer among the lava rocks, he calls in his niece, Detective Kali Māhoe, the granddaughter of one of Hawaii's most respected spiritual leaders, and herself on the transcendent path to becoming a kahu herself. What initially appears to be an accident, Kali suspects a ritual murder. Then another body washes ashore, Kali must draw on her own knowledge of the legends of the Islands to track down the killer.

“Bokur nimbly contrasts the Hawaii of sun and golden beaches with its less well-known underbelly of poverty, discrimination, and crime. Fans of strong female cops will look forward to Kali's further adventures.” (Publishers Weekly)

* = Starred review

Fabulous Fiction Firsts #736

Fri, 05/15/2020 - 9:21am by muffy

“My idea of good company...is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.'  'You are mistaken,' said he gently, 'that is not good company, that is the best.” ~ Jane Austen, Persuasion

The Jane Austen Society by Oakville (ON) bookstore owner Natalie Jenner (Bustle’s Pick and Indie Next Pick for May) is a must-read for fans of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, a “charming and memorable debut, which reminds us of the universal language of literature and the power of books to unite and heal." ~ Pam Jenoff

1945, as England was trying to rebuild after WWII, a disparate group of individuals banded together to attempt something remarkable - to preserve both Jane Austen's home and her legacy.

For decades, tourists and Austen enthusiasts have made pilgrimage to the village of Chawton, to the country cottage on the Knight family estate, where Austen spent the last eight years of her life, and where she penned the last three of her novels. 

As the estate is about to be passed onto an unidentified male heir with the death of old Mr. Knight,  the Jane Austen Society members - a farm laborer, a housemaid, the local doctor, a young widow, the spinster Frances Knight, the Knights' solicitor, a Hollywood movie star and her Sotheby's auctioneer friend must attempt the impossible - to raise enough funds to save the Knight library where Jane certainly would have made extensive use of, and to turn her cottage into a museum.

“Just like a story written by Austen herself, Jenner's first novel is brimming with charming moments, endearing characters, and nuanced relationships, all largely set within and reflecting the often intrusive atmosphere of a small country community.” (Booklist) 

Fabulous Fiction Firsts #735, “He had a confused sense that she must have cost a great deal to make, that a great many dull and ugly people must, in some mysterious way, have been sacrificed to produce her.” ~ Edith Wharton

Fri, 05/08/2020 - 8:48am by muffy

Called “one of the buzziest debuts of the year”(Vogue),  If I Had Your Face *  (in downloadable eBook and audiobook) by Frances Cha (Dartmouth, MFA Columbia), is set in contemporary Seoul, the Plastic Surgery Capital of the World, where four young women in an apartment building, struggle to make their way in a male-dominated society, defined by the impossibly high standards of beauty. 

Beautiful Kyuri, the object of desire and envy, entertains businessmen while they drink at 10%, an exclusive “room salon”. Much sought-after with the rich clientele, she is racking up debts for additional surgeries and beauty treatment to maintain her status.  Her roommate Miho, a talented artist who studied in New York on a scholarship, is trying to exorcise the suicide of a good friend through her work, and to establish a foothold in Seoul’s competitive art market. 

Down the hall lives hairstylist Ara, mute from a brutal attack and bullied at work, is hopelessly infatuated with the star of a K-pop boy band. Her roommate, beauty-obsessed Sujin is counting on extreme plastic surgery to change the course of her life. One floor below is Wonna, a married office worker, desperate for motherhood, though she is not sure how she could afford to raise a child in the cutthroat economy.

When Kyuri’s impulsive blunder with a client threatens her livelihood; Miho’s discovery that her boyfriend - the heir to one of Korea’s biggest companies is less than genuine; and Wonna’s husband leaves her in her darkest hour, it is their friendship, however tentative and mercurial, that may well be their saving grace. 

“(Former travel and culture digital producer for CNN in Seoul) Cha navigates the obstacles of her characters' lives with ease and heartbreaking realism, showing the lengths these women are willing to go to pursue their dreams in a country where they are told they "do not live for tomorrow." This is an insightful, powerful story from a promising new voice.” (Publishers Weekly)  Check out The Washington Post review. 

* = Starred review

Phone Wallpapers: The Ann Arbor District Library

Wed, 05/06/2020 - 11:13am by richretyi

This set of phone wallpapers will let you show your AADL love on all your devices!

Fabulous Fiction Firsts #734

Fri, 05/01/2020 - 1:32pm by muffy

The Coyotes of Carthage by Steven Wright  (in downloadable eBook and audiobook) is a blistering political thriller, (a) “thoughtful, sharp-edged fare for the upcoming election year.”(Library Journal)

Political consultant (An)Dre Ross, instead of the prospect of making junior partner in his DC firm, is being dispatched to the backwoods of South Carolina, with $250,000 of dark money to introduce a ballot initiative on behalf of a mining company, a last ditch effort to save his career after his aggressive tactics in a recent gubernatorial campaign backfired. In 13 weeks, Dre must manipulate the locals into voting to sell their pristine public land to the highest bidder.

In God-fearing, gun-toting, flag-waving Carthage County (SC), Dre, being an African-American outsider, needs a straw man to collect the signatures needed to get on the ballot, so he hires local barkeep Tyler Lee and his pious wife, Chalene. They plan to disguise the land grab as a righteous fight for faith and liberty. In the process, lines are crossed, careers are ruined and lives threatened.

“Pungent with dark humor and cynicism, Wright's nuanced portrait shows how the campaign not only pulls apart the town but threatens to drive a wedge between Dre's career ambitions and his humanity. “ (Publishers Weekly)

“Wright (a clinical associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School, and a trial attorney in the Voting Section of the United States Department of Justice) has created a sharply contemporary Faustian tragicomedy with parallels to the TV series Scandal.” (Booklist)

Phone Wallpapers: The Downtown Library Through the Years

Tue, 04/28/2020 - 2:51pm by richretyi

Enjoy this set of phone wallpapers that celebrate the Downtown Library through history.

Vintage Videoconferencing Backdrops from the AADL Archives!

Fri, 04/17/2020 - 5:31pm by eli

Want to hide the reality of your home office, and show your support for local history at the same time? Well, you're in luck! The AADL Archives Team is proud to deliver to you these zoom-ready virtual backdrops! Choose from stately, serene, kooky, or more! Just download the images of your choice for use with your friendly neighborhood virtual-backdrop-supporting videoconferencing software.  Enjoy, and stay safe!

New York Central "Mercury" in Station, December 1940 | Photo by Eck Stanger, Ann Arbor News

Fabulous Fiction Firsts #733

Fri, 04/17/2020 - 8:15am by muffy

The Mountains Sing, * * * first novel in English by celebrated Vietnamese poet Nguyen Quế Mai Phan (in downloadable eBook and audiobook) is a multigenerational saga of the Trần family. Narrated in tandem by Tran Dieu Lan and her granddaughter, it spans much of the 20th century, through decades of occupations and war. 

Born into one of the wealthiest farming families in Nghệ An Province, Dieu Lan lived through the French Occupation, only to witness her father’s gruesome murder at the hands of a brutal Japanese soldier. Surviving on wild fruits and insects during the Great Famine of 1945, she had to give away her 6 children during the Land Reform, escaping execution only through the kindness of a longtime family retainer, her brother not so lucky. Through humiliating work and ingenuity, she managed to prosper and to reunite her family, only to watch them join the NVA to fight against the South and the US Army.

The novel opens with a harrowing scene of the bombing of Hanoi in 1972, when Dieu Lan was again doing everything possible to keep a loved one alive - this time her 12 year-old granddaughter Huong “fragrance”, and gradually "opened the door of her childhood" with stories - believing “(i)f our stories survive, we will not die.”  

The title of the novel references a hand-carved wooden bird, Huong’s only tangible remembrance of her father. This bird -the son ca “The Mountain Sings", would keep company with the soldiers as they walked into battle. The Vietnamese believe its songs can reach heaven and bring back the souls of the dead. 

“Recalling Min Jin Lee and Lisa See, Nguyen displays a lush and captivating storyteller’s gift as she effortlessly transports readers to another world, leaving them wishing for more.“ (Library Journal)

* * * = 3 starred reviews

Welcome back to Minecraft Ann Arbor!

Thu, 04/16/2020 - 4:10pm by eli

Back many years after its mysterious disappearance, we're pleased to relaunch MINECRAFT ANN ARBOR! On the server, you'll find a huge flat map of the Ann Arbor area, where players have been building their own homes or their favorite buildings! You can connect to it from the most recent version of Minecraft Java Edition using Multiplayer Direct Connect to minecraft.aadl.org . Note: we're sorry, but this server is not compatible with Minecraft Pocket Edition on mobile devices or Minecraft on Game Consoles.

Most of the Downtown Area in Minecraft Ann Arbor was built by local legend Jan Wolter, who put a ton of time into the server. He passed away in 2015, but his work on this server has been preserved so you can still enjoy a bit of Downtown Ann Arbor while socially distancing!

Part of the idea is to make the outsides of buildings as real as possible, but the insides can be whatever you want, whether just like they are, or what you always hoped they would be. A mix between the real and the fantasy worlds is fun for everyone!

Fabulous Fiction Firsts #732, “Here the oppression of women is very subtle... But here it is done psychologically and by education.” ~ Nawal El Saadawi

Fri, 04/10/2020 - 10:15am by muffy

Named one of the most anticipated debuts of 2020, The Illness Lesson * *  by Bard Fiction Prize winner Clare Beams (in downloadable OverDrive eBook and audiobook) is what the New York Times Book Reviewer called “(a)stoundingly original.” 

Ashwell (MA), on the site of a previously failed utopian commune, scholar/philosopher Samuel Hood opened a school for young women, offering a classical education, uncommon in post-Civil War America. Named “Trilling Heart” after a mysterious flock of red birds, Samuel enlisted his daughter Caroline, and David, a return veteran as teachers. 

Among the students was Eliza, whose father, Miles Pearson penned The Darkening Glass, a popular gothic romance rumored to be autobiographical, and involved a beautiful young woman, modeled after Caroline’s mother. When the students, one after another, began to manifest bizarre physical symptoms of rashes, fits and sleepwalking, Caroline suspected Eliza, until she herself fell victim to the illness. Fearing reprisal from the parents, Samuel sent for his friend Dr. Hawkins, whose exploitative and malevolent treatments made Caroline question the judgment and integrity of those she trusted.

“This suspenseful and vividly evocative tale expertly explores women's oppression as well as their sexuality through the eyes of a heroine who is sometimes maddening, at other times sympathetic, and always wholly compelling and beautifully rendered.” (Booklist)

Soon to be released is Catherine House * * by Elisabeth Thomas, (The June Indie Next List), gothic-infused debut of literary suspense, set within a small, highly selective college, and following a dangerously curious, rebellious undergraduate, Ines Murillo who uncovers a shocking secret about an exclusive circle of students . . . and the dark truth beneath her school’s promise of prestige.

“Surreal imagery, spare characterization, and artful, hypnotic prose lend Thomas's tale a delirious air, but at the book's core lies a profound portrait of depression and adolescent turmoil. Fans of Donna Tartt's The Secret History will devour this philosophical fever dream.” (Publishers Weekly)

Readers might also like to explore: The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister (in eBook and audiobook) - a moving and evocative coming-of-age novel about secrets and lies, families lost and found, and how a fragrance conjures memories capable of shaping the course of our lives; and The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert (in eBook and audiobook) is about desire, ambition, and the thirst for knowledge, spanning much of the 18th and 19th centuries. 

* *  = 2 starred reviews

Fabulous Fiction Firsts #731

Fri, 04/03/2020 - 8:22am by muffy

The Lost Book of Adana Moreau * * *   by Michael Zapata (in downloadable OverDrive eBook and audiobook) is the unlikely story of how two strangers are connected by a manuscript destroyed decades ago. This “an enchanting blend of history, science, and fairy tale” (Booklist) is also about the preservation of memory, the resilience of the human spirit, the bind of family, and the power of friendship. 

New Orleans, 1929.  A Dominican immigrant, identified only as Dominicana, married to a pirate, wrote The Lost City, a science fiction masterpiece about alternate realities, but she fell gravely ill before the sequel A Model Earth, could be published. The author instructed her son, 10-year old Maxwell, to burn the only copy of the manuscript upon her death. 

Chicago, 2005. Saul Drower just lost his grandfather Ben, who adopted him after his parents were killed in a terrorist attack when he was just 5. Among Ben’s effects was a package addressed to theoretical physicist Dr. Maxwell Moreau at a university in Chile. When the package returned undeliverable, Saul saw that it was a manuscript to A Model Earth. With the help of his investigative journalist friend Javier Silva, they tracked down Maxwell to New Orleans. Hoping to fulfill his grandfather’s last wish and to unearth Ben’s link to the manuscript, Saul and Javier drove right into a city laid waste by Hurricane Katrina.

“A heady literary and genre-bending novel for fans of Jorge Luis Borges, Carlos Fuentes, and Adolfo Bioy Caseres.” (Library Journal) Check out the reviews in the The New York Times and NPR.

* * * = 3 starred reviews

Fabulous Fiction Firsts #730

Fri, 03/27/2020 - 8:18am by muffy

Oona Out of Order * by Margarita Montimore (in downloadable OverDrive eBook and audiobook) opens on New Year's Eve 1982, when Oona Lockhart is looking forward to turning 19 and the amazing year ahead - whether she chooses to tour with her boyfriend Dale and their rock band, or a year abroad at the London School of Economics. 

But at the stroke of midnight, Oona awakes (she blames it on too much champagne) to find herself in her 51-year-old self in 2015, a bit lumpy, but immensely wealthy. Thanks to her faithful personal assistant Kenzie, a letter left from her earlier self, and her mother Madeleine, Oona learns that she will be bouncing around in time through all the years of her life, hitting each only once.

And so begins Oona Out of Order - from clubbing with a fringe group, traveling the world, being married to a man she does not remember, to losing the love of her life. While she mourns missed opportunities and unfulfilled relationships, Oona is determined to truly live in the moment, and to fully appreciate the love of family. 

“In the end, we must give credit to Oona for finding joy and even humor in her situation and to Montimore for developing a complex narrative held together by simple truths. Read this to get a bit lost, to root for a character with a strong love for herself, and to connect on a deeply human level with the fear of leading an incomplete life… A heartfelt novel that celebrates its implausibility with a unique joie de vivre. “ (Kirkus Reviews)

For fans of The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (in eBook and audiobook).  Readers might also enjoy Overseas by Beatriz Williams (in eBook) (2012),  and Time After Time by Lisa Grunwald (in eBook and audiobook) (2019).

* =Starred review

Need a Library Card? We've Got You Covered!

Fri, 03/20/2020 - 2:54pm by eli

All physical AADL locations are closed, but there are thousands of reasons to still get a library card! Here are a few:

AudioBooks
Get access to libraries full of audiobooks and audio content through OverDrive and AADL-licensed content. All genres—including new releases and classics—including a giant collection of L.A. Theatre Presents performances of plays like August: Osage County, A Room with a View, and more!

Ebooks

Fabulous Fiction Firsts #729, “Baseball is the most perfect of games, solid, true, pure and precious as diamonds. If only life were so simple.” ~ W.P. Kinsella

Fri, 03/20/2020 - 8:15am by muffy

The Cactus League (in downloadable OverDrive eBook) by the editor of the Paris Review, Emily Nemens opens with the 2011 spring training of the Los Angeles Lions at their new state-of-the-art facility in Scottsdale, Ariz. At the center of the novel is their “movie-star handsome, paparazzi famous and spectacularly talented” outfielder Jason Goodyear. This recently divorced Golden Glove winner and American League MVP runner-up seems to be coming apart at the seams. 

In a series of interconnected stories, we come to know the individuals who orbit around Jason: a sportswriter going after a sensational story; a batting coach dealing with a domestic crisis; a fortysomething cleat chaser eager to test her charm; with a big Nike deal on the table, an agent hopes to keep his client out of the tabloids; an owner who allows his personal agenda to shape the season; an ill-paid stadium organist; a young boy at the mercy of his mother’s addiction; and Jason’s fellow players who are willing to do what it takes, just to play. 

“Nemens has... written a novel about baseball and how it shapes the lives of athletes as much as the town that supports it - and a beautiful one at that. Like the best sportswriting, this bighearted, finely observed novel is about far more than the game.” (Kirkus Reviews)

Emily Nemens grew up a Seattle Mariners fan. Her family’s trips to spring training in Arizona informed the setting. In a recent interview with Kirkus, she shared the three baseball books that inspired The Cactus League.

Another baseball book this spring that is definitely not JUST about the game is Gish Jen’s The Resisters. The author needs no introduction.  Her latest is the story, set in a near-future dystopian America, of one family’s struggle to maintain its humanity and normalcy in circumstances that threaten their every value--as well as their very existence.

At the heart is young Gwen, born with a golden arm, she plays in secret in an underground league all of her young life. When her talent is discovered, and is recruited by the university for the privileged, her moral and personal resolve will be severely tested.

AADL Seeks Proposals for Mechanical and Janitorial Contractors

Tue, 03/17/2020 - 4:59pm by eli

AADL is seeking proposals from qualified Janitorial and Mechanical Contractors to provide Janitorial or Mechanical services to all AADL locations. The Request For Proposal Documents are attached here. Responses are due May 8, 2020 by Noon. For questions contact AADL Facilities Manager Len Lemorie at lemoriel@aadl.org .

Janitorial RFP

Mechanical RFP

How to Use Libby, by OverDrive

Mon, 03/16/2020 - 3:08pm by katie-dudek

While the library's physical locations may be closed for now, check out Libby. Libby is a free app offered through AADL that lets you download audiobooks and kindle books straight to your phone. I've created step-by-step instructions for using Libby along with screenshots! You will need your library card to create a Libby account.

Happy Reading!

Installing Libby

Introducing.... THE BUMMER GAME

Mon, 03/16/2020 - 10:22am by eli

New to the Summer Game / Bummer Game? Watch This Video for a walkthrough of the first three badges!

Everything's closed! We're all hunkered down! Everything is canceled! We're all doing our part to FLATTEN THAT CURVE....

And WHAT A BUMMER!

But SURELY, you knew that your very own AADL STAFFERS, once safely ENSCONCED in their own homes, would not be content to just leave you to SIT ON YOUR HANDS for an UNKNOWN NUMBER OF WEEKS.

And so... we are proud to offer to you several new THINGS TO DO, first and foremost of which is a little diversion called THE BUMMER GAME!

Building on our WILDLY SUCCESSFUL Summer Game, each day at Noon we'll release 3 new Badges! WHAT'S A BADGE you ask, an ember of hope catching alight? Well, they're like PUZZLES you can solve online, across the web and through our catalog, and when you find game codes and complete badges, you get POINTS.

BUT WHAT ARE POINTS you ask, as a manifold of new POSSIBILITIES unfolds before you? Well, when you find BUMMER GAME codes and complete BUMMER GAME badges, you'll earn points for the upcoming SUMMER GAME 2020! That's right! ADVANCE BONUS!

BUT WHAT DO I DO WITH POINTS, you wonder, as a vision of yourself after this is all over appears, strutting down Fifth Avenue throwing handfuls of points at passersby with BOTH HANDS. Well, In July, the SUMMER GAME SHOP will open, and you'll be able to SPEND THOSE POINTS on amazing Library Merch!

All you need to do to play is log in to (or create) an aadl.org account, no library card required. Then visit play.aadl.org and you'll see all the badges as we release them, a leaderboard, and more fun opportunities as we go. Starting with our very first BUMMER GAME BADGE DROP Monday 3/16 at Noon!

Got any questions? Don't hesitate to contact us or text us at 734-327-4200.

So, Stay Tuned, Stay Safe, and as always... THANKS FOR PLAYING!

Fabulous Fiction Firsts #728

Sat, 03/14/2020 - 10:26am by muffy

Saint X * by Alexis Schaitkin (in downloadable eBook and audiobook)  On the last night of their family vacation on the Caribbean island of Saint X, college-aged Alison Thomas disappeared, and her body was later discovered in a remote cay. Two local men, employees of the resort, Clive Richardson and Edwin Hastie last seen at a watering hole with Alison were arrested but were released for lack of evidence. 

Eighteen years later, Alison’s younger sister Claire who was only seven at the time of the incident, is now working in Manhattan. One night, she finds herself in Clive Richardson’s cab. Obsessed with learning what happened to Alison, she stalks Clive and embeds herself in his life. As she waits for the slip that will reveal the truth, an unlikely attachment develops between them. 

“As the novel gradually shifts to Clive's point of view, Schaitkin subverts the other characters' assumptions about the lives and intentions of strangers.” (Publishers Weekly)  Most striking of all is Alison’s diary, astonishing in its raw depiction of a beautiful, changeable, provocative girl of eighteen at a turbulent moment of identity formation.

“This killer debut is both a thriller with a vivid setting and an insightful study of race, class, and obsession.” (Kirkus Reviews)  

Check out the EW interview with the author, and the The Washington Post book review. 

For readers of Emma Cline’s The Girls and Lauren Groff’s Fates and Furies. You might also enjoy Mathilda Savitch by Victor Lodato and Sister by Rosamund Lupton.

* = Starred review

All AADL Locations Closed as of 6 PM Friday

Fri, 03/13/2020 - 8:30am by josie

The AADL will close today, Friday March 13, 2020, at 6:00 PM for an indefinite period. This closure is our effort to join in reducing the spread of Covid-19 in our community.

Details about your library account and services follow in this message. We are all sorry about closing the Library, but it is more important for us all to be safe and healthy during this difficult time.

HOLDS

New Meeting Rooms at Pittsfield and Traverwood!

Tue, 03/03/2020 - 9:18am by eli

We're delighted to announce the opening of 4 new meeting rooms you can book yourself with your library card!

• The Emerald Room at Traverwood Branch seats up to 8.
• The Muskrat Room at Pittsfield Branch seats up to 35.
• The Painted Turtle Room at Pittsfield Branch seats up to 8.

Fabulous Fiction Firsts #727

Fri, 02/28/2020 - 8:31am by muffy

NPR Book Reviewer Michael Schaub called The Regrets * * by Amy Bonnaffons, “(a) dazzling debut novel… Wildly inventive and daring, a reflection on the limits of love that's both hilarious and heartbreaking.” 

Due to an institutional error at the Office of the afterlife, 26-year old Thomas Barrett is unable to "cross over"(motorcycle accident that killed his best friend), and must complete a 3-month stint on earth so as to allow the Office to process his eventual arrival. Apart from the detailed report he must submit weekly, there are rules he is encouraged to follow so as not to incur regrets. Chief among them: not to attempt any new relationships, and especially no sexual contact. 

Rachel Starr, a young librarian has rotten luck with men, but she is certain the handsome, golden-haired,  melancholy young man sitting at her Brooklyn bus stop day after day is different. When she finally approaches him, the chemistry between them is undeniable, and their affair, intense and all-consuming. But as Thomas approaches the end of his time on earth, he begins to fade, body part by body part, until he is invisible. Distraught and confused, Rachel turns to Mark, her newly-single college boyfriend for solace. 

“It is a plot that could be - that should be - unbearably twee, oppressively quirky, in love with its own melancholy. Instead, Bonnaffons’ (The Wrong Heaven, 2018) first full-length novel is a rare pleasure: a philosophical rom-com too weird, too bodily, too precise, too fun to get bogged down in trembling sentiment. Deep and deeply funny.” (Kirkus Reviews)

Perfect for fans of Melissa Broder's The Pisces. (Booklist)    

* * = 2 starred reviews

Just released is another rom-com based on a clerical error at the Afterlife Administration: Daisy Cooper's Rules for Living by Tamsin Keily. In this 'Bridget Jones meets "The Good Place" ', a woman whose untimely death sparks the journey of a lifetime.

Daisy Cooper is flying high, just about to move in with her boyfriend.  A slip on an icy patch lands her in the Afterlife - except she is a bit early - by 50 years. Stuck in limbo, prevented from fully passing on while Death sorts out the mistake, she becomes his assistant. Working together, Daisy finds that Death isn't the Grim Reaper she believed him to be.  And as she learns how to survive this strange reality, friendship, hope and love begin to come alive in the most unexpected ways.

"Keily's debut is a witty and clever look at life, love, and grief..." (Booklist)

Fabulous Fiction Firsts #726

Fri, 02/21/2020 - 4:20pm by muffy

The Authenticity Project (in downloadable OverDrive eBook and audiobook) by popular British blogger Clare Pooley, is inspired by her personal story. She discovered that “telling the truth about your life really can work magic and change the lives of many other people for the better.” 

79-year old Julian Jessop was once the darling of the London art world, hobnobbing (and dressed) by the likes of Vivienne Westwood.  Now alone and reclusive, he looks back at a life filled with lies and deceit, and realizes that “everyone lies about their lives”. In a green notebook entitled “The Authenticity Project” which he leaves at his neighborhood cafe, he recounts his story and challenges whoever picks up the notebook to share the truth. 

From a cozy cafe, to a swanky wine bar, to the beaches off the South China Sea and back,  the notebook brings together cafe owner Monica - a former city lawyer who longs for romance and family; Hazard, a high-flying financial trader and an equal-opportunity addict; Riley, a happy-go-lucky Aussie gardener with commitment issues; and Alice, who trades in her glamorous PR job for messy motherhood, but clings to her staged Instagram persona for validation. 

“This is a glossy tale where difficulties and addictions appear and are overcome, where lies are told and then forgiven, where love is sought and found, and where truths, once spoken, can set you free….Secondary characters, including an interracial gay couple appear with their own nuanced parts in the story. The message is strong, urging readers to get off their smartphones and social media and live in the real, authentic world.” (Kirkus Reviews)

For fans of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (2012) by Rachel Joyce.  Readers might also enjoy How Not to Die Alone (2019) by Richard Roper.

Traverwood Branch reopens Monday March 2nd! Plus, Frozen Update!

Tue, 02/18/2020 - 8:26am by eli

Thank you all for your patience while Traverwood has been closed for renovation! While we planned for a 10-week closure, we need just one more week to get the branch ready for business.

Traverwood Branch reopens at 10am on Monday, March 2, and features:

• new carpet

Fabulous Fiction Firsts #725

Fri, 02/14/2020 - 9:17am by muffy

Followers, * * * *  Megan Angelo’s “spectacular debut...masterfully explores the dark side of social media.” (Publishers Weekly). Told in the alternating voices of Orla Cadden in 2015--2016, and Marlow Clipp in 2051, Followers traces the paths they take through time towards each other. 

Instead of writing her novel, Orla is a reporter at Lady-ish, a celeb blog, churning out puff pieces to pay the rent on her Manhattan apartment. Her new roommate Florence (Floss) Natuzzi, a scheming, A-lister wannabe, persuades Orla that the way for them both to get ahead is for Orla to craft stories, any story (“forget about doing the right thing”) that would put Floss before the public eye, with Orla catching the afterglow.

2051. Constellation, California, is a closed community where government-appointed and corporation-sponsored celebrities like Marlow and her husband Ellis live 24/7 on camera, closely watched by their 11.6 million loyal followers, their every thought and action monitored by an implant called “The Device”. No longer enjoying her popularity and prescribed lifestyle, Marlow dreams of fleeing. When she learns that her whole family history is based on a lie, she summons the courage to run in search of the truth, leading her to that fateful day in 2016 when the world as we knew it, was forever changed. 

“Angelo masterfully intertwines the lives of Orla, Floss, and Marlow while reflecting a painfully accurate picture of our current fame-driven, tech-obsessed society and its possible destruction.... Angelo also weaves in a perspective on contemporary political decisions (The Wall, immigration/deportation) and the effect they could have on us all in the not-so-distant future. This is an intricate and brave story of friendship, ambition, and love and the lengths people will go to protect it all.“ (Booklist)

* * * * = 4 starred reviews

Fabulous Fiction Firsts #724

Mon, 02/10/2020 - 7:21pm by muffy

Spitfire * by M. L. Huie launches the Livy Nash historical mystery series, perfect for fans of Susan Elia MacNeal’s Maggie Hope series and Kate Quinn’s The Alice Network.

London, 1946. 2 years after liberation, former British spy Olivia “Livy” Nash worked as a proofreader for a third- rate newspaper by day and devoted her evenings to the company of black-market Polish vodka. When she was sacked and about to be turned out by her landlord, she was approached by the infamous Ian Fleming, offering her the opportunity to return to Paris, posing as a journalist to track down a list of former Nazi spies and collaborators, who could be useful in fighting “the next war”.

But what really sent Livy back to the City of Light, was the chance to confront the traitor among their WWII Resistant unit, who delivered Livy, nicknamed “Spitfire”  and her lover/Commander Peter Scobee into the hands of the Gestapo, thus drawing her back into the dangerous world of spies and counterspies.

“Huie does an excellent job dramatizing events in the early days of the cold war. Vibrant characters, international intrigue, gritty action, and a wittily acerbic Ian Fleming, too—who could ask for more?” (Publishers Weekly)

“Nash is a welcome new protagonist who will be welcomed by fans of Kate Atkinson's Transcription (2018) and Simon Mawer's Tightrope (2015).” (Booklist)

 * = Starred review

Fabulous Fiction Firsts #723

Wed, 01/08/2020 - 2:57pm by muffy

January brings the highly anticipated debut Such a Fun Age* by Kiley Reid. (Check out the New York Times Review and the NPR interview with the author.)  It’s the latest HELLO SUNSHINE (Reese Witherspoon's Book Club) pick. Film rights sold to Lena Waithe.  

25 year-old Temple grad Emira Tucker knows she is good at her job - nannying for Philadelphia newcomer Alix Chamberlain and her 2 young daughters, never mind she is aimless, broke, and a disappointment to her ambitious parents. As a favor to her employer, Emira leaves a party early to babysit the Chamberlains’ toddler Briar. A late-night visit to the local high-end supermarket proves problematic when the store security, seeing a young black woman out late with a white child, accuses Emira of kidnapping. A bystander captures the whole incident on video, and it goes viral. 

While Emira is humiliated, Alix resolves to make things right, unwittingly bringing into their midst Kelley, someone from Alix’s past, with “unintended--as well as willfully unseen--consequences.” (Publishers Weekly).

“Reid illuminates difficult truths about race, society, and power with a fresh, light hand. We're all familiar with the phrases white privilege and race relations, but rarely has a book vivified these terms in such a lucid, absorbing, graceful, forceful, but unforced way.” (Library Journal)

* = Starred review

Fabulous Fiction Firsts #722

Mon, 01/06/2020 - 9:00pm by muffy

Jeffry P. Lindsay of the wildly successful Dexter fame introduces an antihero in a new series that opens with Just Watch Me. * 

In this “brashly retro escapist caper“ (Kirkus Reviews), master thief Riley Wolfe has just stolen a 12-ton statue in broad daylight during its installation ceremony in Downtown Chicago, and dropped the sponsor, a big pharma CEO into the freezing waters of Lake Michigan from a combat helicopter. Next, he sets his sights on stealing the Iranian Crown Jewels, on loan to a small Manhattan private museum. Valued at billions, and protected by a state-of-the-art high tech security system, not to mention the legendary heavily-armed Revolutionary Guards, the true attraction for Riley is one simple fact:  they are absolutely unstealable. And Riley has never shied away from a challenge. 

As Riley’s intricate, audacious (and often ruthless) plan unfolds, he is pursued by a brilliant and relentless Chicago FBI agent Frank Delgado, setting in motion a nail-biting game of cat and mouse. 

For fans of the Ocean's Eleven ,and brings to mind Topkapi, the 1964 film based on Eric Ambler's novel The Light of Day.

* = Starred review

AADL's Most Requested Items of 2019

Tue, 12/31/2019 - 11:59pm by richretyi

Of the millions of items circulated at the Ann Arbor District Library in 2019, here were the most requested, including fiction, non-fiction, movies, music, tools, art prints, and TV & miniseries.

FICTION

AADL New Year Schedule

Tue, 12/24/2019 - 8:58am by richretyi

All AADL locations will close at 6pm on Tuesday (Dec. 31) and all locations will be closed Wednesday (Jan. 1). The AADL will reopen at 9am on Thursday (Jan. 2) with regular hours. Have a safe and happy New Year!