Touch
By Alexi Zentner

Touch is the epic saga of the Boucher family, as well as the story of a remote town in northern British Columbia called Sawgamet, from its founding, boom during a gold rush, and decline as a logging community. The narrator, Stephen Boucher, is a priest who has returned to the town with his family, to minister to the community and look after his dying mother. Through storytelling, folklore, magic and mythology, the reader comes to know the history of the family and the community. Described as "a gem of a book" by the Quill and Quire, Touch will sweep you away with its complex and beautifully told story. Reserve your copy today in print or e-book formats at the Haliburton County Public Library.

April 30 - May 6, 2012

Calico Joe
By John Grisham

In John Grisham's highly anticipated new book Calico Joe, we meet Paul Tracey, the son of mediocre Mets pitcher Warren Tracey. Paul loves the game but instead of worshipping his father, his hero is Joe Castle, an up-and-coming American baseball legend. One day, a horrific injury abruptly ends Joe's baseball career. The world is in an uproar and blames Warren, who was technically at fault. For the next 30 years, Paul thinks about the accident, believing his now estranged father caused it deliberately. When he hears that Warren is dying, however, Paul feels he must reach out. And so he embarks on a quest to help bring peace between his father and Joe, before it is too late. You can reserve Calico Joe in conventional print, large print or talking book formats at your library.

April 23 - 29, 2012

The Lucky One
By Nicholas Sparks

When U.S. Marine Logan Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman half-buried in the dirt in Iraq, his first instinct is to toss it aside but when no one claims it at the base, he finds himself carrying it around in his pocket. Soon Logan experiences a sudden streak of luck-winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat that kills two of his closest comrades. He comes to believe that the photograph is his lucky charm. Back home, Logan can't seem to get the mystery woman out of his mind. Believing that she somehow holds the key to his destiny, he sets out on a journey across the country to find her, never expecting the woman he encounters in Hampton, North Carolina-Elizabeth, a divorced mother with a young son-to be the girl he's been waiting his whole life to meet. Read the book before you see the movie by requesting The Lucky One in print or e-book formats at the Haliburton County Public Library.

April 16 - 22, 2012

The High Road
By Terry Fallis

If you read The Best Laid Plans, you'll be eager to read what comes next for Canada's favourite curmudgeon, Angus McClintock. In The High Road, he is about to fight an uphill battle against "Flamethrower" Fox, a Conservative notorious for his dirty tactics. Angus and his campaign manager Daniel decide to take "The High Road" and manage to turn the election into a hilarious, nail-biting race to the top. HCPL has The High Road available in both print and e-book formats, and we even have an eight-copy book club set available for this title. Author Terry Fallis will be the featured guest at the Friends of the Library's 7th Annual Book Gala this November - so read up in preparation for his visit!

April 9 - 15, 2012

The Juliet Stories
By Carrie Snyder

Juliet Friesen is ten years old when her family moves to Nicaragua. It is 1984, the height of Nicaragua's post-revolutionary war, and the peace-activist Friesens have come to protest American involvement. In the midst of this tumultuous time, Juliet's family lives outside of the boundaries of ordinary life but when Juliet's younger brother develops cancer, their adventure ends abruptly. The Friesens return to Canada only to find that their lives beyond Nicaragua have become the real war zone. They drift from each other, and Juliet grows to adulthood, pulled between her desire to live a free life like the one she remembers in Nicaragua, and her desire to build a life more settled than her parents could provide. The Juliet Stories, a new novel by Waterloo, Ontario author Carrie Snyder, is being heralded as the next big thing in Canadian lit. Reserve your copy today at the Haliburton County Public Library.

April 2 - 8, 2012

Red Means Run
By Brad Smith

When Mickey Dupree, a successful criminal attorney is found murdered in a sand trap at his exclusive country club, the police focus their attention on Virgil Cain. Mickey defended the man accused of killing Virgil's wife - and he was overheard saying that "somebody ought to blow Mickey's head off" - and so our innocent protagonist Virgil is thrown into jail. Now he must escape and convince everyone of his innocence-by finding the killer before he winds up being the next victim. If you enjoy Lee Child's Jack Reacher series then Red Means Run by Canadian author Brad Smith is a must-read.

March 26 - April 1, 2012

The Language of Flowers
By Vanessa Diffenbaugh

After a tumultuous childhood growing up in the foster-care system, Victoria Jones has experienced so much emotional trauma that she has resorted to using the hidden meanings of flowers as her primary means of communication. When a local florist discovers her talents, Victoria realizes she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. She begins to build a meaningful life for herself in floristry, but the discovery of this gift will force her to confront her own painful past, in particular the one life-altering connection she once had with another person. The Language of Flowers is available in print, talking book and e-book formats at the Haliburton County Public Library.

March 19 - 25, 2012

Becoming Marie Antoinette
By Juliet Grey

Raised alongside her many brothers and sisters by the formidable empress of Austria, ten-year-old Maria Antonia knew that her idyllic existence would one day be sacrificed to her mother's political ambitions. Before she can journey from life as she knows it in Vienna to the glitter, glamour, and gossip of Versailles, Antonia must change everything about herself in order to be accepted as dauphine of France and the wife of the awkward teenage boy who will one day be Louis XVI. Filled with smart history, deceitful rivalries, lavish clothes, and sparkling jewels, Becoming Marie Antoinette will "utterly captivate fiction and history lovers alike." You can reserve this new work of historical chick-lit in both print and e-book format at the Haliburton County Public Library.

March 12 - 18, 2012

The Longevity Project
By Howard S. Friedman et. al.

We've been told that to live long we should obsess over what we eat, how much we stress, and how fast we run. Based on the most extensive study of longevity ever conducted, eating your vegetables, relaxation and exercise are important but not the most critical components to long life. Drs. Howard Friedman and Leslie Martin studied 1500 people at Stanford University to find out who lives the longest and why. Their fascinating book The Longevity Project is full of revelations based on compelling and well-substantiated evidence that busts many myths. You can request The Longevity Project in regular print, large print and e-book formats from the Haliburton County Public Library.

March 5 - 11, 2012

A Small Hotel
By Robert Olen Butler

On the official last day of her 20-year marriage, Kelly Hays sits in a New Orleans hotel room alone amid bottles of pills and Scotch while her husband, Michael, checks into a different hotel with a sexy, decades-younger woman. While this sounds like an all-too-common, unhappy ending story, just wait-don't take sides yet. Both husband and wife in A Small Hotel are decent people in agony over their ruined love. This novel, both dark and unflinching, as well as surprisingly romantic, chronicles the couple's relationship from their first chance meeting during a Mardi Gras party gone awry to the events which would directly lead to their demise - or so they thought. Can their relationship be salvaged? Find out by requesting A Small Hotel at the Haliburton County Public Library.

February 27 - March 4, 2012

The Midwife of Venice
By Roberta Rich

Hannah Levi is known throughout sixteenth-century Venice for her skill in midwifery. When a Christian count appears at Hannah's door in the Jewish ghetto imploring her to attend his labouring wife, who is nearing death, Hannah is forced to make a dangerous decision. It is illegal for Jews to render medical treatment to Christians, punishable by death, but Hannah needs the money to release her husband, Isaac, a merchant who was recently taken captive on Malta as a slave. Can she save herself, Isaac, and mother and child, without endangering the lives of everyone in the ghetto? This gripping historical page-turner is available in print and e-book formats at the Haliburton County Public Library.

February 20 - 26, 2012

Bedtime Story
By Robert J. Wiersema

In the 2012 Evergreen Award nominated title Bedtime Story, Christopher Knox begins reading to his son David from an obscure fantasy novel. One night, when young David is reading alone, a seizure leaves him in a mysterious state of unconsciousness. As his seizure recurs every night, his father learns that only one thing will calm it; a bedtime story from his strange new book. Convinced that the secret of David's collapse is within its pages, Chris travels the continent in search of the truth. Meanwhile, David wakes up within the story he has been reading. As his father struggles to free him, David struggles to survive, facing perils beyond belief in a world created to capture the souls of boys like him. Father and son are headed toward a fateful collision of worlds and a showdown with ancient evils, both fictional and real. You can request Bedtime Story in print or e-book format at the Haliburton County Public Library.

February 13 - 19, 2012

A Year of Living Generously
By Lawrence Scanlan

Can one person make a difference? When we write a cheque to a charity, or participate in a fundraising run, or volunteer at a food bank, we're part of the solution, aren't we? Author and journalist Lawrence Scanlan went searching for answers to these questions. He selected twelve different charitable organizations and devoted a month to each. What he discovered during his year-long odyssey was the new face of philanthropy - its players, its politics, its undeniable triumphs and its fundamental perils. Get inspired to change the world by requesting A Year of Living Generously, available in print and e-book formats at the Haliburton County Public Library.

February 6 - 12, 2012

The Guardians
By Andrew Pyper

Trevor, Randy, Ben and Carl grew up together in the small south-western Ontario town of Grimshaw. Twenty-four years later, when Ben commits suicide, the three remaining friends gather once again in their hometown. But going home means returning to haunting memories, and that's not always easy. The three men are forced to confront their recollections of a sinister crime that happened in an abandoned house in their neighbourhood- a crime that has somehow clawed its way into the present, threatening the terrified group until they are forced to confront their eerie past. If you enjoyed Stephen King's short story The Body, which inspired the movie Stand By Me, then try The Guardians, available in print and e-book formats from your library.

January 30 - February 5, 2012

Death Comes To Pemberley
By PD James

The year is 1803, and Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have been married for six years. They now have two handsome sons, Elizabeth's beloved sister Jane and her husband Bingley live nearby and, all in all, the world of Pemberley seems as orderly and blissful as can be. The eve of the annual autumn ball, however, marks an end to this tranquility when Lydia Wickham - Elizabeth's younger, unreliable sister - arrives screaming that her husband has been murdered. If you enjoy the unforgettable characters brought to life by Jane Austen and the heart stopping mysteries created by PD James, then why not try Death Comes To Pemberley? The Haliburton County Public Library has it in both print and e-book formats.

January 23 - January 29, 2012

Unbroken
By Laura Hillenbrand

From the writer who brought you Seabiscuit, Unbroken is a compelling true-story of resilience in WW2. Louie Zamperini, an Olympic track runner (Berlin 1936), joins the Army Air Corps at the outbreak of the war. After his plane plunges into the Pacific Ocean, he survives 47 days on a disintegrating raft, only to spend the rest of the war being starved and tortured in a series of Japanese POW camps. This was one of the most popular non-fiction titles at the Haliburton County Public Library in 2011. If you haven't already read this unforgettable book, reserve it today in print or e-book formats at your library.

January 16 - January 22, 2012

Incredibly Loud and Extremely Close
By Jonathan Safran Foer

Oskar Schell, an unusual nine-year-old, has embarked on an urgent, secret mission that will take him through the five boroughs of New York. His goal is to find the lock that matches a mysterious black key that belonged to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on September 11th. This seemingly impossible task will take Oskar, and the reader, on a bittersweet and often hilarious journey. Be sure to read the book before you see the movie! You can get it in print or e-book formats at the Haliburton County Public Library.

January 9 - January 15, 2012

A Trick of the Light
By Louise Penny

Lillian Dyson, Montreal's most feared art critic, is dead. Found in painter Clara Morrow's garden in Three Pines, shattering the celebrations of Clara's solo show at the famed Musee in Montreal. Chief Inspector Gamache, the head of homicide at the Surete du Quebec, is called to the tiny Quebec village and there he finds the art world gathered - and these artists have tremendous secrets. It wouldn't be difficult for each of them to hold a grudge against Dyson - but which of these characters had reason enough to kill her? Reserve this latest Inspector Gamache mystery in print, large print, talking book or audiobook formats at the Haliburton County Public Library.

January 2 - January 8, 2012

The Accident
By Linwood Barclay

In the wake of an economic recession that is compromising his business, building contractor Glen Barber feels he has enough to worry about; that is, until he learns that his wife, Sheila, was killed in a car accident. Most shocking to Glen is that his always responsible wife was to blame, apparently drunk at the wheel. Desperately searching for answers, he soon discovers that the mother of his young daughter may have been involved in shady black market dealings - and her car crash may not have been an "accidental" after all. You can reserve The Accident in print, e-book and audiobook formats at the Haliburton County Public Library.

December 19 - December 25, 2011

Girl in Translation
By Jean Kwok

Emigrating with her mother from Hong Kong to Brooklyn, Kimberly Chang begins a secret double life as an exceptional schoolgirl during the day and sweatshop worker at night, an existence also marked by her first crush and the pressure to save her family from poverty. Through Kimberly's story, author Jean Kwok, who also emigrated as a girl, brings to the page the lives of countless immigrants who are caught between the pressure to succeed in America, their duty to their family, and their own personal desires. Reserve this book in print, talking book, e-book and audiobook formats at the Haliburton County Public Library.

December 12 - December 18, 2011

Tell It To The Trees
By Anita Rau Badami

One freezing winter morning a dead body is found in the backyard of the Dharma family's house. It's the body of their tenant, Anu Krishnan. Why had she, a stranger to their remote British Columbia town, been foolish enough to go out into the blizzard?
From this gripping opening, the author threads together a story of love and need, and of chilling family secrets never told aloud. Reserve Tell It To The Trees in print or e-book format at the Haliburton County Public Library.

December 5 - December 11, 2011

Three Cups of Deceit
By Jon Krakauer

Five years ago, Greg Mortenson inspired us with his heroic humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan as outlined in his bestselling memoir Three Cups of Tea. Now, Jon Krakauer, a bestselling non-fiction author in his own right, is insisting we take a closer look. Is Mortenson really everything he has claimed to be? Three Cups of Deceit is a "passionately argued plea for the truth, and a tragic tale of good intentions gone very wrong." If you have read Three Cups of Tea, consider this small, 70-page book a truth tune-up.

November 28 - December 4, 2011

Breath
By Tim Winton

Set in 1970s Western-Australia, Breath by Tim Winton follows "Pikelet" and his friend Loonie, both thrill-seeking young teenagers, as they fall under the spell of extreme-surfer Sando, an enigmatic hippie-guru who eventually leads the boys into a world full of high-stake adventures. In their review of Breath, Library Journal stated that Winton, "describes surfing and the sea so thrillingly that even non-swimmers will want to plunge right in". You can reserve Breath at the Haliburton County Public Library.

November 21 - November 27, 2011

Before The Poison
By Peter Robinson

Before the Poison, acclaimed Canadian mystery writer Peter Robinson's latest novel, follows Hollywood score composer Chris Lowndes as he returns to his native England following the death of his wife. He soon finds that the isolated home he purchased to live in was once the site of a high-profile murder. As Chris indulges his curiosity and looks into the trial, he becomes obsessed with finding the truth - was the woman who hung for the crime really responsible for her husband's murder? This is no Inspector Banks novel, but our amateur sleuth protagonist will get to the bottom of the case nonetheless! Get it in print or eBook formats at the Haliburton County Public Library.

November 14 - November 20, 2011

The Virgin Cure
By Ami McKay

Moth is the unforgettable central character of Ami McKay's new novel The Virgin Cure, the long-awaited follow-up to her 2006 debut, The Birth House. The story begins with Moth being sold into service as a lady's maid to a cruel employer but the downward spiral of her life continues as she ends up on the streets and later, in a training home for young prostitutes. As dark as this plot may at once appear, The Virgin Cure is a story of unforgettable characters, fascinating historical references and a protagonist who serves as a reminder of the triumph of the human spirit. The Virgin Cure can be reserved in print or e-book formats at the Haliburton County Public Library.

November 7 - November 13, 2011

Robopocalypse
By Daniel H. Wilson

What would happen if all the dazzling technology that runs our world united and turned against us? Sporadic glitches are noticed by a handful of unconnected humans - a single mother disconcerted by her daughter's menacing "smart" toys, a lonely Japanese bachelor who is victimized by his domestic robot companion, an isolated U.S. soldier who witnesses a 'pacification unit' go haywire - but most are unaware of the growing robot rebellion until it is too late. Before Stephen Spielberg's movie adaptation of this heart-stopping thriller is released, pick up Robopocalypse in print or e-book formats at the Haliburton County Public Library.

October 31 - November 6, 2011

When She Woke
By Hillary Jordan

Set in the near future, When She Woke follows Hannah Payne, a woman who has her life changed forever when she is convicted for the murder of her unborn baby following an affair with a prominent married minister. Science has devised a way to change the colour of people`s skin to signify their crime and so Hannah is sentenced to spend the next 14 years as a "chromed" Red. A perfect mix of The Handmaid`s Tale and The Scarlett Letter, When She Woke is a novel that is bound to get readers talking.

October 24 - October 30, 2011

Half-Blood Blues
By Esi Edugyan

Half-Blood Blues is an electric, heart-breaking story about music, race, love and loyalty, and the sacrifices we ask of ourselves, and demand of others, all in the name of art. In 1939 Berlin, a young, brilliant trumpet-player, Hiero, is arrested in a Paris caf� - and was never heard from again. He was twenty years old. He was a German citizen. And he was black. Fifty years later, Sidney Griffiths, the only witness that day, still refuses to speak of what he saw. When Chip Jones, his friend and fellow band member, comes to visit, recounting the discovery of a strange letter, Sid begins a slow journey towards redemption.

October 17 - October 23, 2011

The Night Strangers
By Chris Bohjalian

After pilot Chip is involved in a plane crash that leaves more than three dozen passengers dead, he is plagued by post-traumatic stress disorder. He and his family need an escape - so they move into a decrepit Victorian mansion in New Hampshire's sleepy White Mountains. Before long, however, this seemingly peaceful house becomes a scene of threatening paranormal visitations and the family is thrust into a realm where uncertainty is the only norm.

October 10 - October 16, 2011

Into The Silence
By Wade Davis

On June 6, 1924, Britain's best mountaineer George Mallory set out to conquer Mount Everest - but he never returned.
In Into The Silence, Wade Davis recreates the attempts made by British climbers, like the ill-fated George Mallory, to scale Everest in the 1920s, showing that how in the wake of the war, these treacherous Everest expeditions strangely became a symbol of national redemption and hope.

October 3 - October 9, 2011

The Sisters Brothers
By Patrick deWitt

With The Sisters Brothers, nominee for both the Giller Prize and the Man Booker Prize, author Patrick deWitt pays homage to the classic Western, transforming it into a shocking and comic tour de force. Filled with a colourful cast of characters and told by a complex and compelling narrator, it is a odyssey through the underworld of the 1850s frontier that beautifully captures the humour, melancholy, and grit of the Old West and two brothers bound by blood, violence, and love.

September 26 - October 2, 2011

Eating Dirt
By Charlotte Gill

Each spring, thousands of young people travel to the remote corners of Canada's vast woodlands in search of money and adventure. In return, they need only a willingness to work hard and the ability to endure countless small miseries. This is the story of tree-planting, a Canadian right of passage. In Eating Dirt, Charlotte Gill provides an engrossing account of not only tree-planting's unique culture, but of the role it plays in the larger industrial enterprise that surrounds it.

September 19 - September 25, 2011

Amphibian
By Carla Gunn

Step into the mind of Phineas, a precocious nine-year-old with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the natural world. Phin is so enthralled by nature that he has developed what psychopathologists have dubbed "eco-anxiety" - a chronic fear of environmental doom. His mother and teachers are exasperated with him, his fellow students put off by his oddities, but Phin is a boy that readers will treasure as one of literature's most authentic and unique narrators since The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

September 12 - September 18, 2011

The Better Mother
By Jen Sookfong Lee

The year is 1982 and Vancouver's gay community is reeling over the sudden emergence of a mysterious and fatal autoimmune disease. Meanwhile, photographer Danny Lim is struggling to come to terms with both his sexual identity and his inability to relate to his traditional Chinese family, especially his dowdy mother. Miss Val, a glitzy burlesque dancer he met once as a young boy, has filled a need in his life for a glamorous role model - and he feels her influence every day - but Miss Val, the reader soon finds, hasn't led such a glamorous life after all.

September 5 - September 11, 2011

Dahanu Road
By Anosh Irani

A 2011 Evergreen Award nominee, Dahanu Road is an exploration of love, dislocation and class tension. This is the dark story of a Persian family, once oppressed in Iran, now living as prosperous landowners in India. When Zairo, a man of the family's youngest generation, falls in love with a woman of a lesser caste, trouble brews and shocking family secrets are revealed. At once an immigration saga, an account of cultural battles and a cautionary tale, Dahanu Road is an epic journey for the "armchair traveller".

August 29 - September 4, 2011

Smilla's Sense of Snow
By Peter Hoeg

When her six-year-old neighbor falls to his death and no one is willing to suspect foul play, Smilla Qaavigaaq Jasperson must take the investigation into her own hands.
Described by BookList as "wonderfully original, elegantly crafted and cryptically clever", Smilla's Sense of Snow, by Denmark's Peter Hoeg, is often compared to Stieg Larsson's Millenium trilogy, and Smilla herself is said to rival the equally feisty Lisbeth Salander.

August 22 - August 28, 2011

Various Positions
By Martha Schabas

Various Positions, a stunning Black Swan-esque debut by Canadian journalist Martha Schabas, follows a socially-awkward and introverted aspiring ballet dancer named Georgia. The wilfully innocent Georgia uses dance as escape from any other connection to her body and its potential for pleasure or male attention - a philosophy which backfires when she becomes intimately involved with the artistic director of her Toronto dance company.

August 15 - August 21, 2011

The End of Everything
By Megan Abbott

Set in 1980s Midwest Suburbia, The End of Everything, a haunting coming-of-age tale, follows Lizzie and her best friend Evie, two thirteen-years-olds so attached at the hip that no secrets could come between them - or so Lizzie thought. One afternoon, Evie mysteriously disappears and panic sweeps through their community. Lizzie is at a loss, constantly revisiting her memories of Evie for clues in the case - but when pieces of the puzzle finally begin to come together, she realizes that her best friend had a dark side that somehow went unnoticed.

August 8 - August 14, 2011

The Last Letter From Your Lover
By Jojo Moyes

More than forty years after a car accident causes Jennifer Stirling to lose her memory on the day she planned to leave her wealthy husband for a mysterious lover, journalist Ellie learns of this story of star-crossed romance and becomes obsessed with seeking the truth in hopes of revitalizing her career, rewriting history, and gaining insight into her own troubled relationship. If you like Mad Men, you'll be sure to enjoy this glamorous, plot-twisting, 1960s-set romance.

August 1 - August 7, 2011

The Guilty Plea
By Robert Rotenberg

When Terrance Wyler, heir to the Wyler Food dynasty, is found stabbed to death on the morning that his high-profile divorce trial was set to begin - and his mysterious ex-wife turns up at her lawyer's office with a bloody knife - it appeared as though this would be an open and shut case. Detective Green soon discovers, however, that everything is not as it seems. The Wyler family has some dark secrets that they are intent on keeping hidden, and they are not the only ones.

July 25 - July 31, 2011

The Glass Harmonica
By Russell Wangersky

When retiree Keith O'Reilly witnesses the murder of his McKay Street neighbour one night during a snowstorm, a unique series of stories begins to unfold. The narrative seamlessly moves from neighbour to neighbour, house to house, as the reader begins to not only understand the circumstances that led to the murder, but the private secrets and personal struggles of the working-class residents that inhabit this colourful St. John's neighbourhood.

July 18 - July 24, 2011

The Dukan Diet
By Pierre Dukan

Curious as to how Kate Middleton slimmed down for the Royal Wedding? Rumour has it that she credits the Dukan Diet, the low-carb eating plan outlined in Dr. Pierre Dukan's European bestseller.
Recently re-released for a North American audience, the Dukan diet is best known for endorsing a once-a-week lean-protein only day that is said to sustain and maintain one's achieved weight-loss once and for all.

July 11 - July 17, 2011

The Bricklayer
By Noah Boyd

The Bricklayer is the first book in a gripping new suspense series written by former FBI agent Noah Boyd (a pseudonym), a man credited with solving some of the Bureau's toughest cases including the 'Green River Killer' case and the 'Highland Park Stranger' case.
This novel follows ex-FBI agent Steve Vail, fired for insubordination, as he is asked to assist in solving a string of murders committed by a shadowy extortion group.

July 4 - July 10, 2011

Between Two Worlds
By Zainab Salbi

'Why did they stay?' is the haunting question that characterizes Between Two Worlds, a fascinating memoir written by a woman who lived her childhood in the shadow of Saddam Hussein. In Bagdad, Salbi grew up the privileged daughter of educated, progressive-thinking parents.
When her father becomes Hussein's private pilot, fear and coercion forces her family to accept the dictator's offerings of friendship, changing their lives forever.

June 27 - July 3, 2011

Joy for Beginners
By Erica Bauermeister

While meeting with her five closest friends to celebrate her recovery from cancer, Kate decides that she is ready to face her fears. She announces that she will go white water rafting - but under one condition: each of her friends must agree to do something that equally terrifies them. This challenge becomes a life-changing experience for the women, resulting in a tattoo, a bread-making endeavour and a long awaited reconciliation.

June 20 - June 26, 2011

Buried Prey
By John Sandford

In John Sandford's latest fast-paced and gritty suspense novel Buried Prey, Lucas Davenport must investigate the discovery of two mummies found in a housing demolition, reopening a case that has been closed since the 1980s. Now Davenport finally has the chance to investigate it all over again - and with a combination of investigative experience and modern technology, it doesn't take him long to realize that the truth was buried alongside the bodies.

June 13 - June 19, 2011

A Visit from the Goon Squad
By Jennifer Egan

Most recent winner of the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, A Visit from the Goon Squad follows former punk-rocker Bennie and kleptomaniac Sacha as they work side-by-side for a record label, hiding illicit secrets from one another and interacting with a motley assortment of equally troubled individuals. This genre-bending novel has been described by Publishers Weekly as a "chronicle of how and why we change, even as the songs stay the same."

June 6 - June 12, 2011

Leaving Van Gogh
By Carol Wallace

Ever wonder what happened to Vincent Van Gogh after he cut off his ear? In Leaving Van Gogh, author Carol Wallace's adult fiction debut, we are provided with the end of the tortured artist's story.
This thoroughly researched novel imagines the career of Van Gogh from the perspective of his friend and psychiatrist Dr. Paul Gache, as he watches Van Gogh's unfortunate but legendary decline from talented genius to suicide victim.

May 30 - June 5, 2011

Alone in the Classroom
By Elizabeth Hay

Alone in the Classroom, Ottawa author Elizabeth Hay's follow up to her Giller Prize winning Late Nights on Air, travels between the years of 1929 and 2007 as narrator Anne Flood explores the life of her Aunt Connie, a bohemian school teacher with an unconventional romantic history.
This poignant story, set in both Saskatchewan and the Ottawa Valley, explores the roots of obsessive love and the startling connections that make us who we are.

May 23 - 29, 2011

The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary
By Andrew Westoll

It is impossible to be unmoved by Andrew Westoll's account of his time spent volunteering at Quebec's Fauna Sanctuary, a refuge for chimpanzees that have been "retired" from biomedical research.
Westoll tells about becoming acquainted with Fauna's thirteen chimps including Tom, the father figure; Binky, the resident practical joker and Sue Ellen, the fashionista - each with an unforgettable story. The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary is a newly released, must-read for those interested in animal rights activism.

May 16 - 22, 2011

The Elegance of the Hedgehog
By Muriel Barbery

An enchanting novel about life, art, literature, philosophy, culture, class, privilege, and power, The Elegance of the Hedgehog provides us the perspectives of two unforgettable characters: Renee Michel, a Parisian luxury apartment concierge adept at hiding her intellectual pursuits, and Paloma, a precocious teen contemplating suicide.
This 2008 English translation has been a bestseller in France since its original release in 2006 and has since captivated readers all around the world.

May 9 - 15, 2011

Snowdrops
By A.D. Miller

An exhilarating psychological drama that unfolds over the course of one Moscow winter, as a young Englishman's moral compass is twisted by the seductive prospects revealed to him by a new Russia: a land of extravagance and desperation, corruption and compassion, debauched nightclubs and quaint country homes; a place where secrets - and dead bodies - come to light only when the deep snow begins to melt.

May 2 - 8, 2011

A Man In Uniform
By Kate Taylor

Nominee for the 2011 Evergreen Award, A Man In Uniform follows bourgeois lawyer Francois Dubon as he tackles the most extraordinary case of his career. When an attractive, charming widow asks him to save a friend's innocent husband, an army captain by the name of Dreyfus who has been convicted of espionage, Dubon cannot deny her request. This page-turning historical spy novel is based upon the notorious real-life Dreyfus affair that shook France to its core in the late 19th century, exposing tyranny within the French government and severe anti-Semitism at all levels of society.

April 25 - May 1, 2011

Irma Voth
By Miriam Toews

Irma Voth is grappling with a troubling question: "how can I live in this world without following the directions of my father, my husband or god?" At only nineteen, she has been abandoned by all three: by God and her father because she married outside her faith and by her husband, Jorge, for failing to be a "good wife".
When the arrival of a film crew in Irma's reclusive Mennonite community sets off a series of unfortunate events, she must flee to nearby Mexico City to evade her father's violence as well as a haunting family secret.

April 18 - 24, 2011

One Day
By David Nicholls

In 1988, on the day after graduation, two college students romantically collide. Their chemistry is as inarguable as their differences, but because of the pride and misplaced optimism of youth, they allow time and distraction to keep them apart. Still, they never lose track of each other.
A modern-day romance, One Day, has been described by People Magazine as "one of the most hilarious and emotionally riveting love stories you'll ever encounter."

April 11 - 17, 2011

The King's Speech
By Mark Logue

Read the book that inspired the film! Written using information gathered through the author's grandfather's personal diaries, The King's Speech is the previously untold story of the extraordinary relationship between a speech therapist named Lionel Logue and the anxious, tongue-tied young man who became King George VI.
Logue wasn't a British aristocrat or even an Englishman - he was a commoner, an Australian, and completely unqualified or accredited to practice. Nevertheless, it was strong-willed Logue who gave the famously nervous Duke of York the courage to become a man capable of being king.

April 4 - 10, 2011

Cool Water
By Dianne Warren

Dianne Warren's prose is described as "simple, yet eloquent and aching". Her first novel is the stories of a dozen inhabitants of the town of Juliet, Saskatchewan. The entire novel takes place over one day. Warren has captured the feel of small town perfectly.
This novel won the Governor General's Literary Award for Fiction, was long listed for the Giller Prize, and is currently on the shortlist for the Amazon.ca First Novel Award to be awarded in April.

March 28 - April 3, 2011

The Lincoln Lawyer
By Michael Connelly

Mickey Haller is a Lincoln Lawyer, a criminal defence attorney who operates out of the back seat of his Lincoln Town Car, traveling between the far-flung courthouses of Los Angeles to defend clients of every kind. Bikers, con artists, drunk drivers, drug dealers - they're all on Mickey Haller's client list.
For him, the law is rarely about guilt or innocence - it's about negotiation and manipulation. Sometimes it's even about justice.

March 21 - 27, 2011

A Cold Night For Alligators
By Nick Crowe

Twenty-six-year-old Jasper hasn't seen or heard from his older brother, Coleman, in over ten years. Jaspers is living what he believes to be a dull and dreary existence - until one day, he gets a strange phone call.
This random call prompts Jasper to follow his brother's trail southward into the Florida Everglades where a family mystery from his childhood may hold the key to his mysterious disappearance. Can Jasper uncover the secrets of the past in order to find his brother?

March 14 - 20, 2011

Water For Elephants
By Sara Gruen

Read the book before you see the movie!
Water for Elephants is the story of Jacob Jankowski, a elderly nursing home patient. The novel is his reminiscence of his life in a depression era circus, detailing his coming-of-age as a man and as a veterinarian. This novel has been described as an "atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of star-crossed lovers". We have book club set that is available for this title.

March 7 - 13, 2011

666 Park Avenue
By Gabriella Pierce
Jane Boyle has just been swept off her feet by wealthy Malcolm Doran. When Malcolm proposes, Jane decides to leave her Paris-based job so they can start their new life together in New York City. She feels like she is living a wonderful fairy tale, that is, until she is introduced to the mysterious Doran clan - one of Manhattan's most feared and revered families. Filled with dark secrets and truly wicked socialites - 666 Park Avenue has been described as "a thrill to the very last page."

February 28 - March 6, 2011

The Best Laid Plans
By Terry Fallis
A distinctly Canadian political satire, The Best Laid Plans follows a crusty, old, engineering professor named Angus McLintock. Angus agrees to run to be a member of parliament - only because he knows he's certain to lose. Fate has a different plan, however, and he is accidentally swept into office. What will happen when a good and honest MP, who doesn't care about being re-elected, tries to be active in Parliament? One thing is for sure: hilarity will ensue.

February 21 - 27, 2011

Wench
By Dolen Perkins-Valdez
In Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, we are introduced to Tawawa House. Located in pre-civil war Ohio, this resort is a luxurious retreat for those looking to escape the humidity of summer in the southern states.
Lizzie, Reenie and Sweet are regulars at Tawawa House, but not by choice. They are slaves there to accompany their masters as their mistresses while on vacation. The resort is situated in free territory but will these women ever try to escape the bonds that bind them?

February 14 - 20, 2011

The Importance of Being Seven
By Alexander McCall Smith
The story of Bertie and his dysfunctional family continues in this sixth instalment of the 44 Scotland Street series. We catch up with the familiar cast of favourites - Big Lou, Domenica, Angus Lordie, Cyril and others - in their daily pursuit of a little happiness.
With customary charm and deftness, No.1 Ladies Detective Agency author Alexander McCall Smith has, yet again, given us a clever, witty and utterly delightful new novel.

February 7 - 13, 2011

The Bone Cage By Angie Abdou
Chosen in the top five of CBC's Canada Reads selection, The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou follows Digger, an 85 kilo wrestler, and Sadie, a 26-year-old speed swimmer, as they stand on the verge of realizing every athlete's dream-winning a gold medal at the Olympics.
Both athletes are nearing the end of their careers, and are forced to confront the question: what happens to them when their bodies are too old and injured to compete?

February 7 - 13, 2011

The Bone Cage By Angie Abdou
Chosen in the top five of CBC's Canada Reads selection, The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou follows Digger, an 85 kilo wrestler, and Sadie, a 26-year-old speed swimmer, as they stand on the verge of realizing every athlete's dream-winning a gold medal at the Olympics.
Both athletes are nearing the end of their careers, and are forced to confront the question: what happens to them when their bodies are too old and injured to compete?

January 31 - February 6, 2011

Testimony By Anita Shreve
A small New England town is shaken to its core when a shocking sex scandal at the well-respected local boarding school is caught on videotape. Told from multiple viewpoints, Shreve vividly depicts the significant destruction that this incident causes, forever impacting the students involved, their families, and the reputation of the school itself.

January 24 - 30, 2011

Lakeland
By Allan Casey
Described as "a celebration of the greatest freshwater territory on the planet" Lakeland is a journey through Canada's three million lakes. In great depth, it explores our relationship with lakes through the eyes of the various Canadians they impact, from boat captains and fishery managers to cottagers and innkeepers.
A winner of the Governor General's Literary Award, Lakeland is sure to help you better appreciate the beauty, purity and simplicity of our local lakes.

January 17 - 23, 2011

Annabel
By Kathleen Winter
Hauntingly set in remote coastal Labrador in 1968, Annabel begins with the birth of a mysterious child. The baby appears to be physically neither fully male nor female, but both at once.
The child's parents make a reluctant decision: to raise the baby as a boy named Wayne. But as Wayne grows to adulthood within the hyper-masculine hunting culture of his father, his shadow-self -- a girl he thinks of as Annabel -- is never entirely extinguished.

January 10 - 16, 2011

Burmese Lessons: A Love Story
By Karen Connelly
When award winning Canadian writer Karen Connelly first travelled to Burma in the 1990s, she found herself immersed in a county that, while ruled by a brutal military dictatorship, still managed to be a place filled with unexpected beauty, generosity and love.
Burmese Lessons is a candid, compelling and enchanting travel memoir about a woman who falls in love "with the people and the language of a troubled nation."

January 3 - 9, 2011

Northern Light By Roy Macgregor
Roy MacGregor's lifelong fascination with Tom Thomson first led him to write Canoe Lake, a novel inspired by a distant relative's affair with the iconic Canadian painter.Now, MacGregor breaks new ground, re-examining the mysteries of Thomson's life, loves and violent death. As Roy MacGregor's richly detailed Northern Light reveals, not much is as it seems when it comes to Tom Thomson.

December 28 2010 - January 2, 2011

Sleepless
By Charlie Huston
Set in a postapocalyptic Los Angeles, a devastating illness renders the afflicted unable to sleep. In about a year, those with the illness deteriorate and die.
Amid the city's rampant violence and lawlessness, LAPD cop Park Haas tries to persuade himself that a future exists for his newborn daughter. The worst of the trouble is that Park's wife is dying from the disease, and he fears that he may have contracted it too.

December 20 - 27, 2010

The Forgotten Garden
By Kate Morton
Beginning with mystery surrounding an abandoned young girl on a ship headed to Australia in 1913, Kate Morton's novel The Forgotten Garden takes the reader on an unforgettable journey through generations and across continents as two women try to uncover their family's past.
A spellbinding tale of mystery and self-discovery, this tale will take hold of your imagination and never let go.

December 13 - 19, 2010

Suite Francaise
By Irene Nemirovsky
Suite Francaise was planned to be a sequence of five novels portraying life in 1940s France, but the author, a writer of Russian Jewish origin, only completed the first two of the series before she was taken to Auschwitz. What remains is a novel of fascinating historical significance.
It provides a detailed account of war but unlike most war centered stories, it covers every day, down-to-earth affairs rather than being dominated by themes of violence, terror, or political intrigue.

December 6 - 12, 2010

Bury Your Dead
By Louise Penny
A man has been brutally murdered in one of the city's oldest buildings - a library where the English citizens of Quebec safeguard their history. The death opens a door into the past, exposing a mystery that has lain dormant for centuries�a mystery Chief Inspector Gamache must solve if he is to apprehend the killer.

November 29 - December 5, 2010

The Color of Water
By James McBride

In this unique and poignant memoir, James McBride tells the story of growing up one of twelve siblings in the all-black housing projects of Brooklyn.
McBride is the son of a black minister and a woman who, much to the embarrassment and worry of her children, would not admit she was white. This narrative is told from two distinct, parallel perspectives: that of the author and that of his unusual, but still deeply devoted mother.

November 22 - 28, 2010

The Finkler Question
By Howard Jacob

Winner of the prestigious 2010 Man Booker Prize, The Finkler Question follows three elderly men, lifelong friends, who meet to look back upon their lives. What ensues is an exploration of identity and the main protagonist's attempt to make sense of his life.
Poignant and witty, this novel has been described by critics as "a scorching story of exclusion and belonging, justice and love, ageing, wisdom and humanity".

November 15 - 21, 2010

Oh No She Didn't
By Clinton Kelly

From Clinton Kelly, media-personality and co-host of What Not to Wear, comes Oh No She Didn't: The Top 100 Style Mistakes Women Make and How to Avoid Them, a cheeky guide to the most common fashion disasters befalling women.
Kelly pokes fun at various style atrocities all the while presenting practical suggestions for overcoming them. Deemed a "delightful mix of hilarious dish and expert fashion advice", Oh No She Didn't is sure to help you put your best foot forward.

November 8 - 14, 2010

The Year of Finding Memory
By Judy Fong Bates
Written by Judy Fong Bates, the guest of honour at the 2010 Friends of Haliburton County Public Library Book Gala that took place last week, The Year of Finding Memory is a heartfelt memoir detailing the author's family's difficult arrival to Canada, and her quest to understand the surprising truths about her parents' past lives in China.
Deemed "elegant and surprising", this story is an engrossing account of Fong Bate's journey of discovery.

November 1 - 7, 2010

Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel
By Diana Gabaldon

The Exile is a retelling of the original Outlander novel using Jamie Fraser's point of view and vivid four-colour artwork, revealing events that were not witnessed during the original story and giving readers another glimpse into the Jamie-Claire relationship.
The story follows Jamie's arrival in Scotland all they way up until the deciding moments when Claire faces trial for witchcraft and must choose whether to return to her own century.

October 25 - 31, 2010

Luck By Joan Barfoot
In Luck, Canadian author Joan Barfoot tells an equally hilarious and suspenseful story of home, family and death.
Furniture designer Philip lives with his sculptor wife Nora, their housekeeper Sophie, and Nora's model-muse, Beth. When Philip dies unexpectedly, the three women must struggle to come to terms with his death, and figure out what is to come next. Luck was shortlisted for the Giller Prize in 2005.

October 18 - 24, 2010

In A Dry Season By Peter Robinson
After the waters of a reservoir are drained to accommodate for a Yorkshire dry season, the remains of a small village are revealed, along with the bones of a young woman presumed murdered at the end of World War II. Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks must grapple with the nearly impossible task of both identifying the victim and unmasking a killer who has evaded detection for over half a century.

October 11 - 17, 2010

A Fine Balance By Rohinton Mistry
A captivating novel of life in India, A Fine Balance is set in 1975, when the Indian government has just declared a State of Emergency. In the chaos that results, four strangers -- a young student, a lively widow, and two tailors who have fled the caste violence of their village -- have been thrust together, sharing a cramped apartment and an unsure future.
An enduring story of human relationships, A Fine Balance reminds us that the human spirit can triumph even in the bleakest of conditions.

October 4 - 10, 2010

North River By Peter Hamill
North River is the story of the middle-aged Dr. James Delaney, a damaged Depression-era physician who makes house calls to whoever needs his assistance. Mentally scarred by the war and the sudden disappearance of his wife, Delaney lives only to care for his patients.
One day, Delaney's absent daughter abandons her 3-year-old son inside his door while he is out. The young boy spurs emotions in the doctor that were long since forgotten. Carefully, with the help of grandson Carlito, the doctor attempts to put his gloomy past behind him so he can begin to live again.