Bayard, Louis
The School of Night (2010)
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Henry Cavendish’s best friend has committed suicide, shortly after stealing a 400-year-old letter from Bernard Styles. Styles persuades Henry to find the letter and return it to him. Henry must find the letter and its meaning—it seems to reference both Shakespeare and alchemy—before others lose their lives. Mystery |
Black, Cara
Murder in Passy (2011)
Aimée Leduc Series |
Computer security expert by day, inadvertent private investigator by night, Aimée Leduc has her hands full! A wealthy woman with a murky past has been murdered in the well-to-do Passy area of Paris, and Aimee’s beloved godfather, Inspector Morbier, is the suspect. Can she find the real killer, and their motive, before it’s too late? Mystery |
| Box, C.J.
Cold Wind (2011)
Joe Pickett Series |
Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett must defend his mother-in-law (Missy) who is accused of killing husband #5 (Earl Alden). Joe found Earl hanging him from a million-dollar wind turbine and realizes many people think he ended up where he belonged. All C.J. Box books are recommended. Mystery |
| Bradley, Alan
Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Flavia de Luce Series |
Step aside Nancy Drew and Harriet the Spy, eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce is on the case! It’s 1950 and Flavia is living in an old English estate with her father and two sisters. Watch for more Flavia mysteries including The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag and A Red Herring Without Mustard. Mystery |
| Clayton, Meg Waite
Wednesday Sisters
2009 |
A group of women learn about life, love, friendship and loyalty in a “coming of age” novel set against a backdrop of the 1960s, Women’s Movement, and Vietnam War protests. Fiction. |
| Dallas, Sandra
The Bride’s House
2011 |
Sandra Dallas’ new book follows three generations of women who live in The Bride’s House in Georgetown Colorado. Dallas’ books are known for good character development and sense of place. Fiction |
Erickson, Lori
Iowa: Off the Beaten Path (2007) |
Get out and explore some different places in Iowa! This travel book focuses on destinations and attractions that are unique and sometimes a little out-of-the-way, but well worth a visit. Highlights many areas and sights near Iowa City. Great for family daytrips or weekends when you have visitors who are new to Iowa! Nonfiction |
| Fey, Tina
Bossypants
2011 |
Fey’s thesis is that you are no one until someone calls you, “bossy.” Fey learned to work effectively in a male-dominated profession, juggles many responsibilities as a working mom, and is able to keep her sense of humor. Nonfiction. |
| Fortier, Anne
Juliet
2011 |
Julie Jacobs is heartbroken when her Aunt Rose dies and more devastated when she learns that Aunt Rose left her estate to Julie’s twin sister, Janice, except for a key to a mysterious lock box in Sienna, Italy and a cryptic story about family treasures. Fiction. |
Frommer’s
500… Series (2009 & 2010) |
This series of travel guides are great if you’re looking for somewhere to go, but you just don’t have any idea of where that is, or what you want to do once you get there. Different titles in the series cater to foodies, families, adventure travelers, those looking to volunteer while vacationing, and those who live for the beach. Nonfiction |
| Glass, Julia
The Widower’s Tale
2010 |
Enjoying an active but lonely rural life, seventy-year-old Percy allows a progressive preschool to move into his barn and transform his quiet home into a lively, youthful community. All Julia Glass books are recommended. Fiction |
| Green, Jane
Promises to Keep
2010 |
Green’s newest book is the story of families, friendship, and discovering the life you want to live. Other recommended Jane Green books include Dune Road and The Beach House. Fiction |
| Kallos, Stephanie
Sing Them Home
2011 All Iowa Reads |
In the Welsh community of Emlyn Springs, NE everyone knows the Jones family because their matriarch, Hope, was carried away by a tornado never to be seen again. The story develops around Hope’s family. Fiction |
Leon, Donna
Drawing Conclusions (2011)
Commissario Guido Brunetti Series |
Brunetti investigates the death of a 60-year-old woman; the coroner says heart attack, but several clues indicate something unnatural. This is the 20th book in the series, and Brunetti is as interesting as ever; his relationships with his co-workers and family are part of the attraction here. As always, Leon’s books provide commentary on current issues, this time the treatment of women and the elderly. Mystery |
Lewis, Chad
The Iowa Road Guide to Haunted Locations (2007) |
A delightful little guide if you’re interested in learning about some local lore from different places across the state! Every town has its haunted houses and ghost stories, and Lewis and Fisk not only recorded and collected them, but also visited each place to investigate and review. Great as a local history read or travel guide. Nonfiction |
Lowe, Rob
Stories I Only Tell My Friends (2011) |
A well-balanced and candid autobiography from 80s actor Lowe, a member of the ‘Brat Pack’ of young, somewhat wild film stars from that time. He recounts his work in several well-known movies and his years of growing up in the industry, as well as his battle with alcohol and problems arising from other bad-boy behavior. Nonfiction |
Mankell, Henning
The Troubled Man (2011)
Kurt Wallander Series |
Kurt Wallander is aging, increasingly forgetful, and very lonely. This sets the tone for the 10th book in the series that has proven itself to be one of the most thoughtful and well-plotted, but thoroughly somber, of the Scandinavian mystery titles out today. Wallander investigates the disappearance of the parents of his daughter’s partner, and how it is tied to long-buried Cold War happenings. Mystery |
| McClain, Paula
The Paris Wife
2011 |
The Paris Wife is the historical fiction story of Ernest Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley Richardson. After a whirlwind courtship the couple marries and moves to Paris so Ernest can pursue his writing career. Historical Fiction. |
Price, Catherine
101 Places Not To See Before You Die (2010) |
The title says it all! If you want a guide book that’s different than the rest, this is it. All kinds of places, sights, events and experiences get the review here—and the thumbs down—including some you might be familiar with (Mount Rushmore, anyone? Times Square on New Year’s Eve?) and others you might not (how about a body farm? The Tupperware Museum?) Good reviews, good humor, great fun! Nonfiction |
Reichs, Kathy
Spider Bones (2010)
Dr. Temperance Brennan Series |
Brennan jets off to Hawaii, but it’s no vacation. It begins when Brennan ID’s a corpse in Quebec, but the name that comes up belongs to someone who already died—in Vietnam, in 1968—and has long been buried in North Carolina. Brennan sets off to find the answer, with help from POW/MIA scientists. Reichs is a smart writer, with an intriguing sense of humor as well. The TV show Bones is based on this series. Mystery |
Todd, Charles
A Lonely Death (2011)
Inspector Ian Rutledge Series |
Rutledge is sent to investigate the deaths of three men who fought in WW I, now brutally murdered and left with military id tags in their mouths. He struggles to find what brought them to such an end, and at the same time battles with his own memories of the war. Todd—actually a mother-son writing team—uses fine detail to create a world of torment and upheaval, but also strength and perseverance. Mystery |
| Tyler, Anne
Noah’s Compass, 2010 |
61-year-old Liam Pennywell is forced to retire from his job teaching fifth graders. On the first day of retirement he wakes up in a hospital and sets out to rediscover his life. Fiction |
| Vreeland, Susan
Clara and Mr. Tiffany
2011 |
A wonderful fictionalized story of Clara Driscoll and the years she worked with Louis Comfort Tiffany at his New York studio. Clara Driscoll was the head of the Tiffany Women’s Division and possibly the person who conceived the idea for the iconic Tiffany stained glass lamps. Historical Fiction. |
| Winspear, Jacqueline
A Lesson in Secrets (2011)
Maisie Dobbs Series |
Maisie Dobbs books offer a delightful mix of mystery, war story and romance set in post WWI–era England. After completing her degree at University Maisie serves as a wartime nurse. After the war she begins working as a private investigator. Historical Mystery |
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