Brown Bag Luncheon

Normally, I discuss the quarterly brown bag luncheon I host for library patrons, in which I discuss fifteen books while they have lunch.  Then, the following week, I repeat the program at a brown bag luncheon for library staff from the entire system.  This is fun because we have staff from our Tech Services Dept., Youth Services, and all the branches.  It's a great opportunity to share books.  The other months of the year, we all bring a book or two to a monthly lunch.  Everyone in the system is invited, and attendance varies, depending on schedules.  My next public brown bag luncheon is in February, but the staff one was this week.  I thought I'd give you the list of books I shared with the library staff.

Casey, Kathryn – The Killing Storm. As a hurricane bears down on Houston, Texas Ranger Sarah Armstrong frantically searches for a missing child.

Davidson, Hilary – The Damage Done. Learning of her sister’s death, travel writer Lily Moore returns home to NYC, only to discover the body found in the bathtub was not her sister’s.  While the police want to identify the body, Lily wants to find her missing sister.

DeSilva, Bruce – Rogue Island. An investigative journalist in Rhode Island is helpless when his childhood neighborhood is burning down, building by building. (Just nominated for an Edgar Award for best first mystery.)

Evans, Mary Anna – Strangers. Faye Longchamp’s new archaeological consulting firm gets the job of renovating a B & B in St. Augustine, a house haunted by the past.

 

Gaus, P.L. – Blood of the Prodigal. When a young Amish boy goes missing, his grandfather, the Bishop, turns to a pastor and a professor, instead of the local sheriff.

Genova, Lisa – Still Alice. Alice Howland, a brilliant Harvard professor, learns she has early-onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 50. (I also discussed Genova's new book, Left Neglected, particularly following the shooting of Rep. Giffords.)

Goldberg, Whoopi – Is It Just Me? Or Is It Nuts Out there? Goldberg reflects on a lack of courtesy, respect and responsibility nowadays.

Lackey, Mercedes – Trio of Sorcery.  Three heroines in urban fantasy, three views of the modern world, and magics, ancient and cutting-edge.

Mayes, Casey – A Deadly Row.  Math Whiz and puzzle creator is on hand to help her husband, a retired police chief, when Charlotte, NC calls on him for help when the mayor becomes the target of a killer.

Pohlman, Susan – Halfway to Each Other.  How a year in Italy brought Pohlman’s family back together. (Pohlman will be a guest author for Authors @ The Teague on Saturday, Jan. 22.)

Ritter, Todd – Death Notice. It isn’t often an obituary writer receives a death notice before the victim dies, but it’s happening in a small Pennsylvania town.

Scottoline, Lisa – My Nest Isn’t Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space.  Humorous, and thoughtful newspaper columns about daily life from the mystery writer and her daughter.

Senate, Melissa – The Love Goddess’ Cooking School.  Holly is searching for happiness when she inherits her grandmother’s Maine island house, continues her Italian cooking school, and finds unexpected friendships with the four students who take her class.

Trigiani, Adriana – Don’t Sing at the Table: Life Lessons from My Grandmothers. Stories and lessons from Trigiani’s Italian grandmothers.

Viorst, Judith – Unexpectedly Eighty and Other Adaptations. Light verse from the author, who has turned eighty.

And, I was halfway through Eleanor Brown's debut novel, The Weird Sisters, so I gave an audience of book lovers a preview of that wonderful book.

And, as a final note, I had dental surgery following this program, and told the dentist and his assistant that I had just finished a program in which I talked for an hour.  They couldn't believe it, saying they'd never heard me say much, and I said, oh, I can talk about books for an hour.