Book and Game Book and Game

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Title:  Lord of the Flies

Author:  William Golding

Review:  During wartime, a group of schoolboys crash land on an island with no surviving adults. In order to survive, they must try to create order among the chaos of a hostile environment. The story that unfolds is one that reveals the stark contrast between morality and the dark side of human nature.
Review by:  Layne

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Emma by Jane Austen

Title:  Emma 

Author:  Jane Austen

Review:  Emma is one of my favorite of Jane Austen’s. It is definitely much more lighthearted and whimsical.  It’s about Emma and her matchmaking abilities or really lacking. It’s a snapshot of her privileged yet lonely life, and all of her friends and the comings and goings of that era. What happens when you meddle when you shouldn’t? The choices are always the individuals. Great classic read.

Review by:  Julie

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Windfall by Wendy Corsi Staub

Title:  Windfall

Author:  Wendy Corsi Staub

Review:  JJ, Molly, and Leila, three college roommates, reunite for a birthday weekend in Las Vegas.  While there, they impulsively buy a lottery ticket.  They win.  A billion dollar windfall.  Unsure of how to handle the win, they turn to Shea Daniels, a "sudden wealth manager".  When Leila disappears, JJ and Molly begin to realize that a lot has changed since college - especially themselves. 

Review by:  Jannelle

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Bridge of Souls by Victoria Schwab

Title:  Bridge of Souls

Author:  Victoria Schwab

Review: Our favorite ghost-hunter and ghost-bff duo are back in this third installment in Schwab's young adult series. Cass and Jacob have barely survived putting ghosts to rest in Paris and Edinburgh. Now they have a new problem: Death is hunting Cass, determined to stop her from crossing the Veil like no mortal should be able to. But how do you hide from Death? 

Review by:  Bethany

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Notes on Complexity by Neil Theise

Title:  Notes on Complexity 

Author:  Neil Theise

Review:  Spanning topics like biology, physics, philosophy, and consciousness, this book is for anyone interested complex things.  Is everything connected to everything else?  Read this to stimulate some deep thinking.

Review by:  Ben

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Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Title:  Frankenstein

Author:  Mary Shelley

Review:  Every bit of this beautifully-written novel is absolutely engrossing— and, in my opinion, fully deserving of all the praise that it has accumulated over time! The characterization of both Victor Frankenstein and the Creature is excellent, and their interactions with one another are heartbreaking in the best possible way. It’s such a profound exploration of grief, isolation, and scientific obsession; and certainly a classic that should be on everyone’s to-read list!

Review by:  Jo

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The Mystery Guest by Nita Prost

Title:  The Mystery Guest

Author:  Nita Prost

Review:  If you read and loved The Maid, you will love The Mystery Guest. Molly is adorable, smart and a pure delight. What is she up to next? I can’t wait to see!

Review by:  Jan

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Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black

Title:   Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale

Author:   Holly Black

Review:  I can’t say enough good things about this book! Holly Black is a master of her craft, and this is particularly evident in Tithe; a story that follows Kaye, a girl who can see faeries and soon finds herself embroiled in a plot between two rival courts. This is one of my favorite books of all time, and you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t read it!

Review by:  Jo

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I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen

Title:  I Want My Hat Back

Author: Jon Klassen

Review:

Bear is missing his hat and must find who took it. With a fun hunt for the hat for kids, and an even funnier ending for the adults, this is one of my favorite board books at the moment!
Review by:  Bethany

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The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verges

Title:  The Covenant of Water

Author: Abraham Verges

Review: Yes, it’s a LARGE book, seemingly overwhelming . Do not let that deter you. This a fabulous experience, crossing generations. It will be over before you know it and will love the entire journey. 

Review by:  Jan

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The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray


Title:  The Murder of Mr. Wickham

Author:  Claudia Gray

Review: This is a wonderful, fun and cozy murder with several of my favorite Jane Austen characters! And Mr. Wickham finally gets what he deserves!! Jonathan, the Darcy’s youngest son, and Ms Juliette Tinley decide it’s up to them to figure out who killed Wickham. With all the murder subjects either being friends and families is a tense situation for the two amateur sleuths.
Review by:  Julie

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Ascension by Nicholas Binge

Title:  Ascension

Author: Nicholas Binge

Review: What happens when a massive mountain suddenly appears in the middle of the Pacific Ocean?  Well, you must explore it, of course.  As the expedition ascends higher, time and reality seem to shift and change.  Confused and disoriented, the team realizes that they aren't alone on this mountain.  Great read!
Review by:  Jannelle

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The Art Thief by Michael Finkel

Title:  The Art Thief 

Author: Michael Finkel

Review: This is a fascinating examination of a prolific art thief who did not steal art for profit, but for personal gratification.  It's a well-researched true crime without the tragedy; just a bizarre tale of hubris and obsession that I found quite interesting. 
 Review by:  Layne
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The Library: A Fragile History by Andrew Pettegree

Title:  The Library: A Fragile History 

Author: Andrew Pettegree

Review:  If the words, book, library, history, preservation, peak your interest, this might be a book for you.  I was surprised how fragile libraries are, and shocked at the way so many have met their demise.

Review by:  Ben

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Love in Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello

Title:  Love in Winter Wonderland 

Author: Abiola Bello

Review:  Trey Anderson's family owns a small bookshop called Wonderland that is struggling to stay afloat. He and Ariel Spencer come up with a plan to use social media to save Wonderland.

Review by:  Kiana

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Sound of Kindness by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

Title:  Sound of Kindness 

Author: Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

Review:

In times of trouble and turmoil, it's so wonderful to have a beautifully written and illustrated book to remind us of what truly matters.

Review by:  Jan

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Filmlandia! by David Schmader

Title:   Filmlandia! 

Author:  David Schmader

Review:

Film and television lovers: this is the book for you. This is a well-researched love letter to the cinema of the Pacific Northwest. The entries are concise, easy to read analyses, and it has some fun artwork to boot!

Review by:  Layne

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Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Title:   Bookshops and Bonedust 

Author:  Travis Baldree

Review:  This return to the world of Legends and Lattes is a delightfully cozy read, and I loved every bit of it! Viv, a young and ambitious mercenary, suffers an injury while dealing with a fearsome necromancer. As a result, she’s left to recover in an idyllic seaside town populated by a cast of memorable characters and a struggling bookshop… though as Viv soon comes to discover, this small town might not be as peaceful as it had initially appeared…

Review by:  Jo

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Secret of Cooking by Bee Wilson

Title:  Secret of Cooking 

Author: Bee Wilson

Review:   

Love this new cookbook!

This cookbook is user-friendly and makes you think of a good friend, and a cup of tea and some lime and spice poundcake.. which is in this cookbook.  But it does push a little bit out of the norm with roasted carrots to winter  mushroom and pearl barley stew(which I will be trying after thanksgiving).  A wonderful gift, or to add to your favorite cookbooks.

Review by:  Julie

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The Mysteries by Bill Watterson

Title:  The Mysteries 

Author: Bill Watterson

Review:   This book is as much about enjoying the art work as the story itself.  Read it slowly, look at the images, and the let the mood surround you. As with many works of art, the viewer/reader is the active participant for the project to find its completion.

Review by:  Ben
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