Booktalk January 25, 2019

Booktalk January 25, 2019
Mayleen’s Title Picks

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield “As the novel opens, a small girl is rescued from a wintry river that
winds through a village older than memory, a river that is central to the lives and imaginations of the
people who live on its banks. Though initially thought dead, she miraculously begins to breathe again.
What happened to her? Who is she? Everyone in this novel has a story, and the border between truth
and fantasy, eternity and the now, is more porous than we would ever think and crossed as swiftly as the
river itself.”

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker “One night in an isolated college town in the hills of Southern
California, a first-year student stumbles into her dorm room, falls asleep, and doesn't wake up. She
sleeps through the morning, into the evening. Her roommate, Mei, cannot rouse her. Neither can the
paramedics, nor the perplexed doctors at the hospital. When a second girl falls asleep, and then a third,
Mei finds herself thrust together with an eccentric classmate as panic takes hold of the college and
spreads to the town. A young couple tries to protect their newborn baby as the once-quiet streets
descend into chaos. Two sisters turn to each other for comfort as their survivalist father prepares for
disaster. Those affected by the illness, doctors discover, are displaying unusual levels of brain activity,
higher than has ever been recorded before. They are dreaming heightened dreams, but of what?
Written in luminous prose, The Dreamers is a breathtaking and beautiful novel, startling and provocative,
about the possibilities contained within a human life, if only we are awakened to them.”

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni “Born with ocular albinism, small-town eye doctor Sam
Hill must finally face a past tragedy that caused him to turn his back on his friends, his hometown, and
the life he'd always known--a journey that makes him realize what truly matters.”

The Red Address Book by Sofia Lundberg “For fans of The Little Paris Bookshop and The 100-Year-Old Man
Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared comes a heartwarming debut about 96-year-old Doris,
who writes down the memories of her eventful life as she pages through her decades-old address book.
But the most profound moment of her life is still to come . . . Meet Doris, a 96-year-old woman living
alone in her Stockholm apartment. She has few visitors, but her weekly Skype calls with Jenny--her
American grandniece, and her only relative--give her great joy and remind her of her own youth. When
Doris was a girl, she was given an address book by her father, and ever since she has carefully
documented everyone she met and loved throughout the years. Looking through the little book now,
Doris sees the many crossed-out names of people long gone and is struck by the urge to put pen to
paper. In writing down the stories of her colorful past--working as a maid in Sweden, modelling in Paris
during the 30s, fleeing to Manhattan at the dawn of the Second World War--can shehelp Jenny, haunted
by a difficult childhood, unlock the secrets of their family and finally look to the future? And whatever
became of Allan, the love of Doris's life? A charming novel that prompts reflection on the stories we all

should carry to the next generation, and the surprises in life that can await even the oldest among us,
The Red Address Book introduces Sofia Lundberg as a wise--and irresistible--storyteller.”

Extinctions by Josephine Wilson “Professor Frederick Lothian, retired engineer, has quarantined himself in
a place he hates: a retirement village. His headstrong wife Martha, adored by all, is dead. His adopted
daughter Caroline has cut ties, and his son Callum is lost to him in his own way. And though Frederick
knows, logically, that a structural engineer can devise a bridge for any situation, somehow his own
troubled family--fractured by years of secrets and lies--is always just out of his reach. When a series of
unfortunate incidents brings him and his spirited next-door neighbor Jan together, Frederick gets a
chance to build something new in the life he has left. At the age of 69, he has to confront his most
complex emotional relationships and the haunting questions he's avoided all his life. Unbeknownst to
him, Caroline--on her own journey of cultural reckoning--is doing the same. As father and daughter fight
in their own ways to save what's lost, they might finally find a way toward each other. A masterful portrait
of a man caught by history, and a sweeping meditation on the meaning of family, love, survival, and
identity, Extinctions asks an urgent question: can we find the courage to change?”

Heavy: a Memoir by Kiese Laymon "Laymon writes eloquently and honestly about the physical
manifestations of violence, grief, trauma, and abuse on his own body. He writes of his own eating
disorder and gambling addiction as well as similar issues that run throughout his family. Through self-
exploration, storytelling, and honest conversation with family and friends, Heavy seeks to bring what has
been hidden into the light and to reckon with all of its myriad sources, from the most intimate--a mother-
child relationship--to the most universal--a society that has undervalued and abused black bodies for
centuries.”

The Latecomers by Helen Klein Ross “Forced to give up her baby for adoption after the death of her
husband in 1908, an Irish teen takes a maid's job at a sprawling New England estate before a mysterious
death reveals a five-generation secret.”

Self Portrait with Boy by Rachel Lyon “Brooklyn photographer Lu Rile is struggling to make ends meet,
responsible for her aging father, and worrying that the crumbling warehouse she lives in is being sold to
developers. Then, in the background of a self-portrait, Lu accidentally captures on film a boy falling past
her window to his death. It's the best work of art she's ever made; it could change her life-- if she lets it.
But the boy is her neighbors' son, and the tragedy brings all the building's residents together. Lu forges
a bond with Kate, the boy's mother, based on sympathy, loneliness, and budding attraction. She is torn
between using the photograph to advance her career, and protecting a woman she has come to love.”

A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne “Maurice Swift is handsome, charming, and hungry for fame. The one
thing he doesn’t have is talent – but he’s not about to let a detail like that stand in his way. After all, a
would-be writer can find stories anywhere. They don’t need to be his own. Working as a waiter in a West
Berlin hotel in 1988, Maurice engineers the perfect opportunity: a chance encounter with celebrated
novelist Erich Ackermann. He quickly ingratiates himself with the powerful – but desperately lonely –
older man, teasing out of Erich a terrible, long-held secret about his activities during the war. Perfect
material for Maurice’s first novel. Once Maurice has had a taste of literary fame, he knows he can stop at
nothing in pursuit of that high. Moving from the Amalfi Coast, where he matches wits with Gore Vidal, to
Manhattan and London, Maurice hones his talent for deceit and manipulation, preying on the talented
and vulnerable in his cold-blooded climb to the top. But the higher he climbs, the further he has to fall…
Sweeping across the late twentieth century, A Ladder to the Sky is a fascinating portrait of a relentlessly

immoral man, a tour de force of storytelling, and the next great novel from an acclaimed literary
virtuoso.”

The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner “It's 2003 and Romy Hall is at the start of two consecutive life sentences
at Stanville Women's Correctional Facility, deep in California's Central Valley. Outside is the world from
which she has been severed, the San Francisco of her youth and her young son, Jackson. Inside is a new
reality, thousands of women hustling for the bare essentials needed to survive. The bluffing and
pageantry and casual acts of violence by guards and prisoners alike. The deadpan absurdities of
institutional living, which Kushner evokes with great humor and precision.”

Kristina’s Title Picks

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware “When Harriet "Hal" Westaway receives a letter bequeathing
her a substantial inheritance, she realizes very quickly that the letter was sent to the wrong person. But
the cold-reading skills she's honed as a tarot card reader might help her claim the money. Soon, Hal
finds herself at the funeral of the deceased, where she discovers that there is something very, very wrong
about this strange situation-- and the inheritance at the center of it.”

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty "Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to
lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can't even admit to
themselves. Amid all the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these ten
days might involve some real work. But none of them could imagine just how challenging the next ten
days are going to be. Frances Welty, the formerly bestselling romantic novelist, arrives at Tranquillum
House nursing a bad back, a broken heart, and an exquisitely painful paper cut. She's immediately
intrigued by her fellow guests. Most of them don't look to be in need of a health resort at all. But the
person who intrigues her most is the strange and charismatic owner/director of Tranquillum House.
Could this person really have the answers Frances didn't even know she was seeking? Should Frances
put aside her doubts and immerse herself in everything Tranquillum House has to offer -- or should she
run while she still can? It's not long before every guest at Tranquillum House is asking exactly the same
question."

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult "In late morning, a desperate and distraught gunman bursts into a center of
a women's reproductive health services clinic and opens fire, taking all inside hostage. After rushing to
the scene, Hugh McElroy, a police hostage negotiator, sets up a perimeter and begins making a plan to
communicate with the gunman. As his phone vibrates with incoming text messages he glances at it and,
to his horror, finds out that his fifteen-year-old daughter, Wren, is inside the clinic..."

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine "Amber Patterson is fed up. She's tired of being a nobody: a plain,
invisible woman who blends into the background. She deserves more -- a life of money and power, like
the one blond-haired, blue-eyed goddess Daphne Parrish takes for granted. To everyone in the exclusive
town of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut, Daphne -- a socialite and philanthropist -- and her real-estate
mogul husband, Jackson, are a couple straight out of a fairy tale. Amber's envy could eat her alive ... if
she didn't have a plan. Amber uses Daphne's compassion to insinuate herself into the family's life -- the
first step in a meticulous scheme to undermine her. Before long, Amber is Daphne's closest confidante,
traveling to Europe with the Parrishes and their lovely young daughters, and growing closer to Jackson.
But a skeleton from her past may destroy everything that Amber has worked toward, and if it is
discovered, her well-laid plan may fall to pieces."

By Invitation Only by Dorothea Benton Frank "The low country of South Carolina, at a barbecue thrown by
Diane English Stiftel, her brother Floyd, and her parents to celebrate her son's engagement, is where By
Invitation Only begins. On this gorgeous, magical night, the bride's father, Alejandro Cambria, a wealthy
power broker whose unbelievably successful career in private equity made him one of Chicago's
celebrated elite, discovers the limits and possibilities of cell phone range. Meanwhile, the mother of the
bride, Susan Kennedy Cambria, a volunteer fund-raiser who believes herself deserving of every square
inch of her multimilliondollar penthouse and imaginary Carrara marble pedestal, learns about moonshine
and dangerous liaisons. Soon By Invitation Only zooms to Chicago, where the unraveling accelerates.
Nearly a thousand miles away from her comfortable, familiar world, Diane is the antithesis of the bright
lights and super-sophisticated guests attending her son Fred's second engagement party. Why a second
party? Maybe it had been assumed that the first one wouldn't be up to snuff? Fred is marrying Shelby
Cambria, also an only child. The Cambrias' dearest wish is for their daughter to be happy. If Shelby
wants to marry Frederick, aka Fred, they will not stand in her way -- although Susan does hope her
friends won't think her daughter is marrying more than a few degrees beneath her socially. At the same
time, Diane worries that her son will be lost to her forever. By Invitation Only is a tale of two families, one
struggling to do well, one well-to-do, and one young couple -- the privileged daughter of Chicago's
creme de la creme and the son of hardworking southern peach farmers. "

The Other Woman by Sandie Jones "The most twisty, addictive and unputdownable debut thriller you'll
read this year. HE LOVES YOU: Adam adores Emily. Emily thinks Adam's perfect, the man she thought
she'd never meet. BUT SHE LOVES YOU NOT: Lurking in the shadows is a rival, a woman who shares a
deep bond with the man she loves. AND SHE'LL STOP AT NOTHING: Emily chose Adam, but she didn't
choose his mother Pammie. There's nothing a mother wouldn't do for her son, and now Emily is about to
find out just how far Pammie will go to get what she wants: Emily gone forever. THE OTHER WOMAN
will have you questioning her on every page.”

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman “Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously
unique. From the start Susanna sets down rules for her children: No walking in the moonlight, no red
shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic. And most importantly,
never, ever, fall in love. But when her children visit their Aunt Isabelle, in the small Massachusetts town
where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family
secrets and begin to understand the truth of who they are. Back in New York City each begins a risky
journey as they try to escape the family curse.”

The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony “When Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a rogue herd
of elephants in his reserve in South Africa, it was the last chance for these elephants. If Anthony didn t
take them, they would be shot. But he had no experience with elephants at all. What was he to do? Take
them on, of course!”

The Wife by Alfair Burke "When Angela met Jason Powell while catering a dinner party in East Hampton,
she assumed their romance would be a short-lived fling, like so many relationships between locals and
summer visitors. To her surprise, Jason, a brilliant economics professor at NYU, had other plans, and
they married the following summer. For Angela, the marriage turned out to be a chance to reboot her
life. She and her son were finally able to move out of her mother's home to Manhattan, where no one
knew about her tragic past. Six years later, thanks to a bestselling book and a growing media career,
Jason has become a cultural lightning rod, placing Angela near the spotlight she worked so carefully to
avoid. When a college intern accuses Jason of inappropriate behavior, and another woman, Kerry Lynch,

comes forward with an even more troubling allegation, their perfect life begins to unravel. Jason insists
he is innocent, and Angela believes him. But when Kerry disappears, Angela is forced to take a closer
look at both the man she married and the women she chose not to believe."

The Library Book by Susan Orlean “Weaving her life-long love of books and reading with the fascinating
history of libraries and the sometimes-eccentric characters who run them, award-winning journalist and
New York Times bestselling author Susan Orlean presents a mesmerizing and uniquely compelling story
as only she can. With her signature wit, insight, compassion, and talent for deep research, she
investigates the legendary Los Angeles Public Library fire to showcase the larger, crucial role that
libraries play in our lives. To truly understand what happens behind the stacks, Orlean visits the different
departments of the LAPL, encountering an engaging cast of employees and patrons and experiencing
alongside them the victories and struggles they face in today’s climate. She also delves into the
evolution of libraries across the country and around the world, from a metropolitan charitable initiative to
a cornerstone of national identity. She reflects on her childhood experiences in libraries; studies arson
and the long history of library fires; attempts to burn a copy of a book herself; and she re-examines the
case of Harry Peak, the blond-haired actor long suspected of setting fire to the library over thirty years
ago. Along the way, she reveals how these buildings provide much more than just books—and that they
are needed now more than ever.”