Brown Bag Luncheon

Today is my favorite day of the month! It's the day I do a book talk for the library staff. So, here are the books I'm going to talk about today.  (You saw them before the staff.) 

Allbritten, Esri – Chihuahua of the Baskervilles - Tripping Magazine, devoted to travel stories for believers in the paranormal, sends a team to Manitou Springs to check out the appearance of the ghost of a Chihuahua.

Bass, Elizabeth – Wherever Grace is Needed -  Grace Oliver goes to Austin, TX to help her father after a fall, only to find the neighbors need her assistance as well.

Blackwell, Juliet – Hexes and Hemlines - San Francisco witch Lily Ivory is asked by the police to give her opinion on a strange death, when the man is surrounded by items of superstition.

Dewey, Laurel – Revelations - Sgt. Det. Jane Perry finds the entire town of Midas, Colorado to be odd when she arrives on the case of a missing fifteen-year-old boy whose family doesn’t seem concerned.

Fairstein, Linda – Silent Mercy - Manhattan Assistant DA Alexandra Cooper investigates murders at churches.

Gustainis, Justin – Hard Spell – In Scranton, PA, a member of the Occult Crimes Unit Investigation has to deal with a valuable stolen item and deaths of a number of vampires.

Hearne, Kevin – Hounded - Introduces Atticus O’Sullivan, an ancient Druid living in Tempe with his Irish Wolfhound, Oberon, as they battle figures from mythology in the first in The Iron Druid Chronicles.

Hyzy, Julie – Grace Interrupted - Grace Wheaton deals with the death of an actor during a Civil War reenactment, when the groundskeeper at Marshfield Manor is the suspect.

Macomber, Debbie – A Turn in the Road -Three generations of women in a family hit the road, driving from Washington to Florida, looking for answers to questions in their lives.

Ozma, Alice – The Reading Promise - The story of the relationship of Alice and her librarian father, as she grows up with her father reading to her nightly.

Richards, Emilie – Sunset Bridge - Five women who live in a group of cottages in Florida find their friendship gets them tough times.

Scalzi, John – Fuzzy Nation - Humorous science fiction of an independent contractor who discovers a valuable substance, and an unknown species, on the planet Zarathustra.

Slaughter, Karin – Fallen - When a GBI Agent finds her mother’s door open, a bloody handprint, and her mother, an ex-cop, missing, the GBI and local police team up to investigate.

Stewart, Mariah – Almost Home - Can the owner of an ice cream parlor trust the man she always loved, when he returns to St. Dennis with a little boy?

Watson, S.J. – Before I Go to Sleep - Psychological thriller in which a woman wakes up every morning, not knowing who she is, or who the man beside her is.

Weiss, Jan Merete – These Dark Things - While Captain Natalia Monte investigates the murder of a young woman whose body is found in the catacombs of Naples, the crime families go to war over garbage contracts.

Zuckoff, Mitchell – Lost in Shangri-La - True story of a crash, survival, and rescue in the waning years of WWII.

Staff Brown Bag Luncheon

I did my brown bag luncheon for the library staff yesterday. As always, it was fun. I love to get the chance to share books. And, the comments from staff are always interesting. Here are the books I discussed this time.

Allen, Sarah Addison – The Peach Keeper. In Walls of Water, North Carolina, two young women who seem to have nothing in common, share a history filled with secrets.

Ball, Donna – Keys to the Castle. Sara Graves’ poet husband died only 3 weeks after their wedding, so she’s shocked to discover she inherited a crumbling castle in France, along with problems.

Cleland, Jane K. – Deadly Threads. Josie Prescott’s latest venture, a workshop on building a vintage clothing collection, doesn’t work out when the teacher is found dead under a table.

Coonts, Deborah – Lucky Stiff. Lucky O’Toole, head of Customer Relations for Las Vegas’ Babylon, has plenty on her plate with bumblebees on the loose, the D.A. hiding naked in a laundry room, and an oddsmaker found dead in a shark tank.

Dorsey, Tim – Electric Barracuda. Florida authorities think they’ve finally tracked down Serge Storms, while his Internet travel-advice website shows people how to experience the state through the eyes of a fugitive.

Ephron, Hallie – Come and Find Me. Computer security expert Diana Highsmith has not left her house since her husband’s death, but she’s forced to take action when her sister disappears.

Hannah, Kristin – Night Road. Jude Farraday does everything she can for her twins, but a friendship ruins the life she had planned.

Hoffman, Alice – The Red Garden. A series of interwoven stories tells the story of the town and people of Blackwell, Massachusetts, from its founding through 300 years of history.

Lemmon, Gayle Tzemach – The Dressmaker of Khair Khana. The true story of a young woman who found a way to survive under the Taliban in Kabul, while sewing, and teaching other young women to sew.

McHenry, Jael – The Kitchen Daughter. A young woman with Asperger’s Syndrome has to cope when her parents die. She uses cooking, but her recipes attract ghosts who have a warning.

Palmer, Michael – A Heartbeat Away. When a deadly virus is let loose in the Capitol on the night of the State of the Union Address, only a man in solitary confinement in a federal prison might be able to help.

Rice, Luanne – The Silver Boat. After their mother’s death, three sisters travel to Ireland, looking for the truth behind their father’s voyage there years earlier.

Spencer-Fleming, Julia – One Was a Soldier. Three years after the last book in this series, Clare Fergusson returns to Millers Keep, where Sheriff Russ Van Alstyne hopes to marry her, but he doesn’t know the demons she brings back from the war in Iraq.

Vowell, Sarah – Unfamiliar Fishes. In her own unique voice, Vowell tells the story of Hawaii’s history and involvement with New England missionaries.

Whittle, Tina – The Dangerous Edge of Things. Tai Randolph just moved to Atlanta as heir to a gun shop, but wasn’t prepared to deal with the body in her brother’s driveway.

Wiggs, Susan – The Goodbye Quilt. Linda Davis’ whole life had been devoted to raising her daughter, so she makes the trip across country to take her to college.

Quarterly Brown Bag Luncheon

It's a toss-up whether I enjoy presenting the quarterly brown bag luncheon more or Authors @ The Teague.  They're both special programs.  This week I held the brown bag luncheon.  It's my chance to share interesting or new books with library patrons.  I love talking about books!

So, here are the titles from this quarter.

Brown Bag Luncheon – Feb. 2011


Divakaruni, Chitra Banerjee – One Amazing Thing (Adult Fiction) – When an earthquake hits, nine survivors are trapped, and tell stories to keep themselves together.

Evison, Jonathan – West of Here (Adult Fiction) An epic story of Washington’s Olympic peninsula, the people who built Port Bonita, and their descendents.

Ferraris, Zoё – Finding Nouf (Adult/Teen Fiction) In Saudia Arabia, a desert guide and a lab technician investigate when a teen goes missing, and, upon finding her body, they learn she drowned in the desert.

Fforde, Katie – Love Letters (Adult Fiction) Laura Horsely finds herself unemployed when the bookshop where she works closes, so she agrees to help with a literary festival. But, she’s sent to Ireland to recruit a reclusive author.

Fiffer, Sharon – Backstage Stuff (Adult Fiction) Jane Wheel returns to her hometown to assist her best friend in putting on a play, and preparing a house for an estate sale, only to find mysteries and murder.

Grennan, Conor – Little Princes (Adult Nonfiction) One man’s attempt to bring home the lost children of Nepal.

Genova, Lisa – Left Neglected (Adult Fiction) Following a car accident, a wife and mother suffers from left neglect, a disability that affects her body.

Hoag, Tami – Secrets to the Grave (Adult Fiction) When a woman is murdered, her young daughter is the only surviving witness. Child advocate Anne Leone takes the child in, and works with the police to find the killer.

Lippman, Laura – The Girl in the Green Raincoat (Adult Fiction) Since she is on bedrest for a difficult pregnancy, private detective Tess Monaghan amuses herself by watching a dog park, until one day, a dog shows up without its owner. Tess, along with her employee and friends, try to solve the mystery.

Rodriguez, Deborah – A Cup of Friendship (Adult Fiction) The story of a coffee shop in Kabul, Afghanistan, and the women at the heart of it.

Rubenfeld, Jed – The Death Instinct (Adult Fiction) Manhattan became the site of the most massive terrorist attack ever to occur on U.S. soil. It was 1920, and that event brought three people together in the investigation.

Scottoline, Lisa – My Next Isn’t Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space (Adult Nonfiction) More humorous or touching essays from Scottoline and her daughter.

Senate, Melissa – The Love Goddess’ Cooking School (Adult Fiction) When she inherits her grandmother’s Maine home, Holly Maguire plans to become an Italian cooking teacher like her grandmother. But her four students are searching for life, not just cooking techniques.

Trigiani, Adriana – Don’t Sing at the Table (Adult Nonfiction) Lessons Trigiani learned from her Italian grandmothers.

Walsh, Jill Paton – The Attenbury Emeralds (Adult Fiction) Thirty years after his original case, Lord Peter Wimsey, and his wife, Harriet Vane, are asked to investigate the Attenbury emeralds again.

And, a preview –

Palmer, Michael – A Heartbeat Away (Adult Fiction) – When almost all the elected officials in the federal government, from the President on down, are quarantined in the Capitol following a deadly virus attack, it’s up to one man, imprisoned for terrorism, to find the cure.

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.

Quarterly Brown Bag Luncheon

I just love hosting the quarterly brown bag luncheons for library patrons.  And, some of my patrons enjoy it so much that they've shown up a day, or even a week early!  (And, I know they're not coming just for the cookies.)  The November luncheon is my last chance to talk about holiday books, so I always include a number of them in the list, so they know about some of the new holiday titles.

Here's what I talked about at this week's brown bag luncheon.

Carlson, Melody – Christmas at Harrington’s - When Lena Markham is released from prison after 8 years, she hopes to make a fresh start in New Haven, Minnesota.  Her promised job at Harrington's Department Store didn't work out.  Instead, she became the store's Mrs. Santa.

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

Crusie, Jennifer – Maybe This Time - Andie Miller is ready to move on with her life, but her ex-husband hires her to take care of two difficult children living in a house of horrors.

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.

Kleypas, Lisa – Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor - Three lonely people, a child, a bachelor and a widow, need a Christmas miracle.

Larsen, K.J. – Liar, Liar - Cat DeLuca is the owner of Pants on Fire Detective Agency, catching liars and cheats. But, when one of her clients turns up dead, and the client’s so-called husband keeps popping up, Cat’s job gets a little interesting.

Lehane, Dennis – Gone Baby Gone -  Patrick Kenzie & Angie Gennaro take on a case that lives on with consequences, that of a missing four-year-old. Lehane’s new Moonlight Mile is set twelve years later.

Macomber, Debbie – Call Me Mrs. Miracle - Emily Merkle’s (Mrs. Miracle) boss in the toy department at Finley’s Department Store is Jake Finley, a man who lost Christmas after a family tragedy.  Can she bring him together with a woman who needs a little Christmas magic?

McManus, Patrick F. – The Huckleberry Murders - Sheriff Bo Tully investigates the worst murder in Blight County, Idaho history, that of three men picking huckleberries.

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.

Roberts, Sheila – The Snow Globe - Three needy young women find miracles in an antique snow globe.

Spann Craig, Elizabeth – Pretty Is as Pretty Dies - When there's a murder in town, retired schoolteacher Myrtle Clover thinks solving the crime would prove to her son, the police chief, that she’s not ready to put out to pasture.

Stewart, Mariah – Home Again - Dallas MacGregor is a Hollywood superstar, but the collapse of her marriage takes her back to the only home she loved, in Maryland, where she finds her beloved aunt and a high school sweetheart.

Viorst, Judith – Unexpectedly Eighty and Other Adaptations - Light verse about being in your eighties.

Woods, Sherryl – A Chesapeake Shores Christmas - There’s problems in the O’Brien family at holiday time, when Mick & Megan plan to remarry, and one son objects.

Sunday Salon - Quarterly Brown Bag Luncheon

Once a quarter, I get to host a brown bag luncheon in my office.  Wednesday, I had a full house.  Patrons bring lunch, and I provide coffee and cookies.  Then, I talk about fifteen books.  It's one of my favorite days.  (The other is the day we have the staff brown bag luncheon, and we talk about books.)

So, here are the books I shared this month.

Aames, Avery – The Long Quiche Goodbye – It’s the grand re-opening of Providence, Ohio’s Cheese Shop, but the body stabbed to death outside the shop disrupts the festivities.

Fister, Barbara – Through the Cracks  – When a man’s conviction is overturned, the victim hires Chicago P.I. Anni Koskinen to find her actual rapist.

Fitzpatrick, Ellen – Letters to Jackie: Condolences from a Grieving Nation - Jackie Kennedy received over 1.5 million letters after JFK’s death. It's a poignant collection of letters.

Hale, Shannon – Austenland  – What happens when women become obsessed with Jane Austen’s books? They get to go to Austenland, a resort catering to Austen-obsessed women, including Jane Hayes.

Johnson, Craig – The Cold Dish  – Wyoming Sheriff Walt Longmire investigates the death of a young man who once raped a Cheyenne girl, stirring up troubles again between the white and Native American communities.

Kendrick, Beth – Second Time Around  – Ten years after their college graduation, four women who were English majors are given the chance to reinvent their lives.

The Lineup – ed. By Otto Penzler –  Lee Child, Faye Kellerman, and Alexander McCall Smith are just some of the crime writers who tell the inside story of their detectives.

Mackenzie, Jassy – Random Violence - Jade de Jong returns to South Africa after a ten year absence and her father’s death, to find a violent country, and a police officer friend who needs assistance.

Malliet, G.M. – Death of a Cozy Writer – In the style of Agatha Christie, an award-winning mystery involving an English estate, an isolated family, a police team, and murder.

Rosenblatt, Robert – Making Toast – A memoir. As a result of his daughter’s death, Rosenblatt & his wife move in with their son-in-law, to help care for the children.

Shaffer, Louise – Looking for a Love Story – When her marriage falls apart, a former bestselling author turns to writing for hire.

Sharp, Zoë – Killer Instinct – The novel that introduces Charlie Fox tells of her life after her discharge from the army, before she does close security.

Underwood, Deborah – The Quiet Book - A charming picture book about the types of quiet.

Verdon, John – Think of a Number - A former homicide detective is invited to become involved when a college acquaintance receives threatening notes. Debut thriller.

Wallace, Carey – The Blind Contessa’s New Machine - A tragic story, based on the true story of the woman who inspired the invention of the typewriter.