CourtTV’s series Murder By The Book is back! 

In case you missed it last year, the hour-long show is narrated by popular mystery authors who tell true stories of crimes they’ve witnessed or been involved with and that subsequently inspired them to write.  For example, James Ellroy kicked off last season’s series with his chilling tale of the still-unsolved murder of his mother in a suburb of Los Angeles when he was a child, and how it has haunted him throughout his life. 

Other episodes from last season featured a different author each week and included stories from both Faye and Jonathan Kellerman, Lisa Scottoline, and Michael Connelly.  This season, best-selling authors such as Sandra Brown, Harlan Coben, Lee Child, David Baldacci, Elizabeth George, and many others, get to tell their stories.

The show is full of drama and reenactments, documentary footage, and the author’s insights; it will hook you if you’ve ever wanted to get inside the mind of a successful mystery/crime author.  The season kicked off November 5 and will air on CourtTV every Monday evening.  Don’t miss it!

Reservation Road (199

by John Burnham Schwartz

Genre: Fiction

We avid readers know that the book is always better than the movie, right?  Reservation Road hit the theaters this past weekend and looks like it will be a hit, with big names like Mark Ruffalo, Joaquin Phoenix, Jennifer Connelly, and Elle Fanning (Dakota’s little sis).  So, naturally, you will want to read the book before you see the movie. 

The story is a definite tear jearker: One devoted father, Ethan Learner, is returning home from a music recital with his family.  They make a stop at a gas station on Reservation Road.  As they are returning to the car, another car comes out of nowhere; and in a terrible instant, a tragic accident takes the life of Dwight’s son, Lucas. 

Another devoted father, Dwight Arno, is returning home from a baseball game with his own son; as they head down Reservation Road, the fateful encounter with the Learner’s happens so quickly that Dwight’s son doesn’t even notice.  Dwight, however, can’t believe what’s happened as he speeds away.

As the investigation ensues and deepens, both fathers are haunted and obsessed by the tragedy… and both must make some incredibly tough decisions.

Schwartz’ story is tragic and poignant, and filled with unexpected twists.  Reserve your copy today!

The Syringa Tree (2007)

by Pamela Gien

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pamela Gien turned her successful 2001 off-Broadway play of the same name into an impressive and gripping novel.

The story is told by Elizabeth Grace, a privileged white child living in South Africa under apartheid with her Jewish father, a physician working in a black hospital, and her depressed mother.  Elizabeth treasures her close relationship with her Xhosa nanny, Salamina, whose life is torn apart by the laws and oppression faced by those of her race.  Salamina has a baby illegally in the white suburb where the Grace’s reside, and Elizabeth and her parents help her hide the child, Moliseng, from the frequent police raids and Afrikaner neighbors.  Elizabeth becomes as attached to her as she is to her beloved nanny.  Yet eventually, their secret is revealed and Moliseng is taken away to live in the slums with her grandmother.  Moliseng grows to become a freedom fighter, and tragedy strikes, exposing Elizabeth to the realities of apartheid and shattering her innocence. 

The novel’s poetic prose and descriptions of the beautiful landscape of South Africa are sharply contrasted by the cruelty and inhumanity that befell most of the nation’s cultures.  Gien’s Broadway play won the Obie award in 2001, and her book is receiving acclaim as well.

Feed

by M.T. Anderson

Genre: Science Fiction (YA)

Though aimed at young adults, this novel is one that might interest readers of all ages.  M.T. Anderson’s chilling futuristic tale describes a society dominated by consumerism, technology, and subliminal mind control. Titus and his friends are typical teenagers—they shop, attend parties (on other planets, of course), and enjoy music, games and entertainment.  The difference between them and teens of today is that Titus and his friends have the Feed, a chip implanted in their brains that gives them a constant stream of advertisements, gaming, and all other forms of information.  Talking is even optional; they can “chat” with each other in their minds. 

When a hacker attacks their feeds, however, they are forced to go offline for a brief spell.  They’re so dependent on the feed that the silence is pretty traumatic for all of them; it forces them to think for themselves, and they all feel helpless.  They’re all relieved when the glitch is fixed.

Enter Violet—Titus’ new friend and a rebel who gets the feed later in life and resents it.  She fights it by scattering her shopping patterns to confuse the feed, and the corporations later use this to deny the financial assistance she needs to repair the malfunctioning feed that is slowly killing her body. 

Publisher’s Weekly called it a “thought-provoking and scathing indictment of corporate-and media-dominated culture.”

Anderson’s satire about an ultra-consumerist society is not so far-fetched when one considers how dependent we’ve become on technology.  Computer chips are being implanted in our pets, and cookies on Amazon.com and other shopping sites track our shopping habits already.  Could it happen?  You read it, and tell us your thoughts in a comment. 

Rain Village (2006)

by Carolyn Turgeon

Genre: Fiction

Review by Shawna Pershing, Youth Services Librarian

This first novel by Carolyn Turgeon chronicles the life of Tessa Riley.  Last child born to a poor Kansas farmer, Tessa is no more than four feet tall and unable to help with the heavy manual labor that is a part of farm life. The dullness of their lives is irrevocably changed when Mary Finn breezes into town and opens the library. Suddenly, farmers are reading Shakespeare on their tractors while their wives seek out Mary to have their fortunes told and get advice on their futures, lives and loves. 

Tessa’s life is forever changed when she finally meets Mary, learns to read, and eventually, takes a job helping in the library. Mary introduces Tessa to a new world and Tessa learns about the secret life Mary escaped from. A devastating event sets Tessa on a new path and the book chronicles her life and the influence Mary had on it.

Rain Village will take you along Tessa’s journey. Enjoy the ride!