Braille Book Review

March-April 2011

Books for Adults

Fiction

New Moon         BR 18147
by Stephenie Meyer
4 volumes
Following Twilight (BR 18146), vampire Edward Cullen and his family leave Bella and her town to prevent themselves from devouring humans. Brokenhearted Bella turns to adventure-seeking Jacob and motorcycles. Meanwhile, a pack of werewolves tries to protect Bella from a vindictive vampire. For senior high readers. 2006.

One Day at a Time         BR 18149
by Danielle Steel
3 volumes
Dogwalker Coco Barrington, the black sheep of her Hollywood family, falls in love with British movie star Leslie Baxter. Although Coco's mother dates a younger man and Coco's sister Jane's partner is pregnant, they disapprove of Coco's relationship. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2009.

Run for Your Life: A Michael Bennett Mystery         BR 18151
by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
2 volumes
NYPD hostage negotiator Michael Bennett is struggling to find a serial killer who calls himself the Teacher and who randomly targets people in the city. While texting with the sociopath, Mike tends to his ten adopted and newly motherless kids, who all have the flu. Violence and strong language. Bestseller. 2009.

Bridesmaids Revisited: An Ellie Haskell Mystery         BR 18152
by Dorothy Cannell
2 volumes
England. Ellie Haskell receives a letter from her grandmother Sophia's friends Rosemary, Thora, and Jane--collectively called the bridesmaids--informing her that Sophia would like to make contact. But Sophia has been dead for years. Ellie travels to Cambridgeshire for an adventure involving séances, a hidden diary, and a long-ago murder. 2000.

To the Lighthouse         BR 18163
by Virginia Woolf
2 volumes
During summer visits to the Scottish coast, members of the Ramsey family reveal their personal challenges and innermost thoughts. Youngest child James must forfeit a yearned-for visit to the lighthouse. Ten years later, James, surviving family members, and former guests complete the long-delayed outing. Includes Eudora Welty's 1981 foreword. 1927.

The Perry Mason Casebook: The Case of the Sulky Girl, The Case of the Careless Kitten, The Case of the Fiery Fingers         BR 18417
by Erle Stanley Gardner
6 volumes
Perry Mason makes his first court appearance in The Case of the Sulky Girl (1933). In The Case of the Careless Kitten (1942) the defendant is Mason's secretary Della Street. The Case of the Fiery Fingers features two trials, including one that hinges on the admissibility of deathbed statements. 1951.

Cold Light: A Charlie Resnick Mystery         BR 18427
by John Harvey
3 volumes
As detective Charlie Resnick deals with the usual Christmas crime wave, a social worker is reported missing. When the evidence points to a psychopathic kidnapper, Resnick is off on a race against time to rescue the victim. Strong language, some violence, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 1994.

The Witches of Eastwick         BR 18429
by John Updike
3 volumes (Reissue)
Eastwick, Rhode Island; 1960s. Thirtysomething divorced witches Alexandra, Jane, and Sukie would eventually like to conjure up new husbands for themselves. But their powers remain largely unfocused until a rich, vulgar, sexy stranger moves to town. Some strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 1984.

A Christmas Grace         BR 18452
by Anne Perry
1 volume
Christmas, 1895. Thomas Pitt's sister-in-law Emily Radley reluctantly leaves her family before the holidays to take care of her dying aunt Susannah on the west coast of Ireland. Emily not only encounters suspicious townsfolk, she also learns about an unsolved village murder and tries to determine the culprit. 2008.

The Lost Symbol         BR 18529
by Dan Brown
5 volumes
Peter Solomon, friend and mentor of professor Robert Langdon, from The Da Vinci Code (BR 17772), invites Langdon to speak at the U.S. Capitol. When Solomon is kidnapped, Langdon races to save him by uncovering the ancient secrets within Washington, D.C. Some violence and some strong language. Bestseller. 2009.

Claudius the God and His Wife Messalina         BR 18531
by Robert Graves
5 volumes
Fictionalized autobiography. Roman emperor Claudius I describes his reign, intrigues, and betrayal. Sequel to I, Claudius (BR 18530). Some violence. 1935.

Dying Bites: The Bloodhound Files, Book 1         BR 18540
by D.D. Barant
3 volumes
David Cassius, NSA agent and vampire, transports confused FBI profiler Jace Valchek into a parallel universe where less than one percent of the population is human. David demands that, before Jace can return home, she must track down a mentally unstable killer. Some violence and some strong language. 2009.

These Thousand Hills         BR 18544
by A.B. Guthrie Jr.
3 volumes
1880s. Lat Evans, a good-hearted cowboy with a restless spirit, sets out on a cattle drive from Oregon to Montana, where he dreams of owning a ranch. Lat gradually learns that life's perils--and human nature--can interfere with the best intentions. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. 1956.

Alive Day         BR 18545
by Tom Sullivan
2 volumes
Blind psychiatrist Brenden McCarthy treats marine corporal Antwone Carver, an Iraq War veteran who is paralyzed from the waist down. Antwone struggles with his disability but finds inspiration with the help of therapy, medication, and Brenden's lovable guide dog, Nelson. Sequel to Together (BR 17900). 2009.

A Touch of Grace         BR 18546
by Linda Goodnight
2 volumes
New Orleans. The Reverend Ian Carpenter runs a mission that caters to runaways and street kids. When a drug addict named Maddy is found dead near the facility, Maddy's sister, reporter Gretchen Barker, investigates Ian's charity. Gretchen regains her faith in God while falling in love. Rita Award. 2007.

The Shimmer         BR 18550
by David Morrell
3 volumes
Police officer Dan Page tracks his missing wife to Rostov, Texas, where a mysterious light phenomenon attracts spectators nightly. When a crazed gunman opens fire on the captivated tourists, Dan investigates the source of the shimmer. Violence and strong language. 2009.

Wed Him before You Bed Him: The School for Heiresses         BR 18551
by Sabrina Jeffries
3 volumes
England, 1824. Charlotte Harris, headmistress and owner of a struggling school for young ladies, relies on a mysterious benefactor called Cousin Michael--who is really David Masters, the viscount Kirkwood, the man she wronged years ago. Love soon complicates David's plan for revenge. Explicit descriptions of sex and some violence. 2009.

Don't Bargain with the Devil: The School for Heiresses         BR 18552
by Sabrina Jeffries
3 volumes
England, 1824. Teacher Lucy Seton tries to save Charlotte Harris's School for Young Ladies from magician Diego Montalvo's plans to build a scandalous pleasure garden next door. But Diego's secret mission is to discover if Lucy is the lost granddaughter of a Spanish nobleman. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2009.

Dakota         BR 18612
by Martha Grimes
3 volumes
Kingdom, North Dakota. Amnesiac drifter Andi Oliver takes a job at Klavan's hog farm where she tries to rescue cruelly treated animals. As she uncovers the operation's dark secrets, a stranger from her past surfaces--as does a killer. Sequel to Biting the Moon (BR 12407). Violence and strong language. 2008.

Miss Julia Delivers the Goods         BR 18614
by Ann B. Ross
3 volumes
After breaking up with J.D. Pickens, Hazel Marie, the former mistress of Miss Julia's late husband, discovers that she is expecting. While Miss Julia scrambles to reconcile Hazel Marie and J.D., someone breaks into the office of Miss Julia's husband, lawyer Sam Murdoch, and steals his files. 2009.

The Sheltering Sky         BR 18617
by Paul Bowles
3 volumes
Three American travelers, Tunner and young couple Kit and Port, are adrift in the deserts and cities of North Africa after World War II. The trio's inability to comprehend the foreign culture mirrors their personal psychological frailty--and ultimately leads to their downfall. Includes 1998 preface by the author. 1949.

Fragile Eternity         BR 18618
by Melissa Marr
3 volumes
Summer Queen Aislinn and her mortal boyfriend Seth, from Wicked Lovely (BR 17597), struggle with their relationship since she's immortal--and the Summer King's partner. Seth must find a way to keep Aislinn for himself. Some strong language. For senior high readers. 2009.

Prayers for Sale         BR 18622
by Sandra Dallas
2 volumes
Depression-era Middle Swan, Colorado; 1936. Elderly Hennie Comfort befriends newcomer Nit Spindle, a newly married seventeen-year-old. Hennie, a natural storyteller, entertains the lonely girl by reminiscing about the seventy years she has spent in the mountains while the menfolk mined for gold. 2009.

Shatter         BR 18624
by Michael Robotham
4 volumes
When a naked woman talking on a cell phone jumps from a bridge to her death, psychologist Joe O'Loughlin, from Suspect (BR 15893), suspects she was coerced over the phone. Joe, who tried to talk her down, investigates. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2008.

Main Street         BR 18625
by Sinclair Lewis
4 volumes
Nobel Prize-winner's novel of small-town America. Carol Milford, an idealistic young librarian from the city of St. Paul, marries country doctor Will Kennicott. They settle in Gopher Prairie, Minnesota, where Carol launches a crusade against the narrow-mindedness of her fellow residents. Includes 2008 introduction. 1920.

Secrets to Happiness         BR 18630
by Sarah Dunn
2 volumes
Manhattan writer Holly Frick listens to her friends complain about their problems as she copes with her unrequited love for her ex-husband and adopts Chester, a shelter dog with a brain tumor. Holly dates a Buddhist and a college student while seeking a cure for Chester. 2009.

Clea: The Alexandria Quartet, Book 4         BR 18691
by Lawrence Durrell
3 volumes
The final volume of the quartet finds the narrator Darley, a retired Irish schoolteacher, back in Egypt some years after his liaisons with Melissa and Justine. Darley becomes involved with Clea, a bisexual painter, adding another layer of complexity to all that went before. Sequel to Mountolive (BR 18690). 1960.

A Princess of Landover: The Magic Kingdom of Landover         BR 18692
by Terry Brooks
3 volumes
Mistaya, daughter of Landover's high lord Ben Holiday, is suspended from school in the natural world after scaring a classmate with magic. Banished to Libris, the royal library, Mistaya discovers an evil magician is threatening Landover. Sequel to Witches' Brew (BR 11451). 2009.

The Right Wedding Gown         BR 18704
by Shirley Hailstock
2 volumes
After living in a dysfunctional family, National Archives employee Samara Scott is adamant that she will never marry--until she falls in love with attorney Justin Beckett. Justin wants to wed but can't convince Samara to take a chance and risk emotional involvement. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2009.

The Rock and the River         BR 18709
by Kekla Magoon
2 volumes
Chicago, 1968. Sam respects the teachings of his peaceful civil-rights activist father. But when Sam and his girlfriend Maxie witness a friend's brutal beating by white police officers, Sam questions waiting versus action. And his brother joins the Black Panther Party. Some violence. For junior and senior high readers. Coretta Scott King Award. 2009.

Marsbound         BR 18802
by Joe Haldeman
2 volumes
Eighteen-year-old Carmen Dula and her family embark on a six-month journey to Mars. After her initial hesitation to leave Earth, Carmen finds normalcy living underground on the red planet until an accident leaves her with a warning message from another life-form. Some strong language. 2008.

A New Kind of Bliss         BR 18813
by Bettye Griffin
3 volumes
After her father's death, divorcée Emily Yancy reluctantly moves home to Euliss, New York, to care for her mother. Emily dates handsome, widowed doctor Aaron Merritt. But as their relationship cools, she finds herself turning to childhood crush Teddy Simms. Some strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2009.



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