Preview Shelf by Janice Clauser

Library News and Notable New Books

Here are some of the new Christmas books on the shelves. Debbie Macomber's "1225 Christmas Tree Lane" is a Cedar Cove novel where the holiday is marred by several little matters, but surprises bring about a happy ending. In James Patterson’s “The Christmas Wedding” a bride invites her children to visit without identifying the groom until “the day”. “Lost December” by Richard Evans is the author’s modern day version of the biblical story about the Prodigal Son. “Bring Me Home for Christmas” about “reuniting with the one person you just can’t forget” is a Virgin River novel by Robyn Carr. Sherryl Woods’ “An O’Brien Family Christmas” is a Chesapeake Shores story set in Dublin. In Heather Graham’s “An Angel for Christmas” two strangers arrive at a strained family’s Blue Ridge Mountain home; one can’t be trusted, the other might bring Christmas back into their hearts. Linda Miller’s “A Lawman’s Christmas” is a McKettricks of Texas romance developing the relationship possibilities between the young widow of the town marshal and his replacement.

"Toward the Gleam" by T.M. Doran takes us on a fantastic adventure with a man who uncovers a manuscript from a long-lost civilization; he sets out to uncover its meaning and origins, unleashing questions about the modern era. Janet Evanovich offers "Wicked Appetite" a title that refers to the Seven Deadly Sins; the site for this adventure is Salem, Massachusetts. Jason Wright's "The Seventeen Second Miracle" unfolds small kindnesses that sometimes have life-altering consequences. Historian, language expert, and song writer Josh Ritter’s first novel is "Bright's Passage" about a veteran of World War I returning to West Virginia to care for his son, lament his wife's passing, and cleanse himself of his war memories. "The Postmistress" by Sarah Blake jumps from mass devastation in Europe in 1940 to the intimate heartaches of Franklin, Massachusetts; it is a tale of two worlds, one shattered by violence, the other willfully naïve. "Wildflowers of Terezin" by Robert Elmer takes place in 1943 when Copenhagen is placed under martial law and Denmark's Jews face deportation to the Nazi prison camp in Czechoslovakia.

And now, we move on to nonfiction. James Reeves' "The Road to Somewhere" is a clever memoir about visiting different places in the United States and about what can be learned; he dedicated his book to his mother, who told him to “go out into the world and look around”. "Hell on Two Wheels" by Amy Snyder describes the famous bicycle Race Across America, yielding those who complete the 3,000 miles a simple medal without prize money but with surprising emotional and spiritual rewards. "The Great American Awakening" by Jim Demint tells about two years that changed America, from the presidential election of 2008 through the mid-term elections of 2010; Demint champions the American people who feel a powerful stirring in their hearts emphasize the freedom we have in America. "Troublemaker" by Christine O'Donnell is also a personal commentary: "Let's do what it takes to make America great again”.