Cave Creek’s public libraries offer an oasis of events year-round By Lauren Wise   As fortresses of history, knowledge and escapes to worlds beyond imagination, libraries have been sanctuaries for both the written word and people for hundreds of years. A library is the heart of a community, often run by volunteers, frequented by people looking to enrich their lives. Or maybe they’re just looking for so ...

What to Read in July  By Julie Carlson   THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW By A.J. Finn The Woman in the Window is a first-rate psychological thriller from debut author A.J. Finn. The protagonist, Anna Fox, is a former child psychologist who suffers from agoraphobia. She fears leaving her house and going outside. Anna spends most of her time watching film noir and Hitchcock films. Her boredom has led to drinking copi ...

What’s Your Number? Local releases book that shares the stories behind retired Arizona high school jersey numbers. By Alison Bailin Batz Do you know anyone who’s had their high school number retired? Does your high school have retired numbers? Do you ever wonder why? If so, What’s Your Number? has all the answers. The book, the second from Arizona native and 30-year high school football and baseball officia ...

Check out these fresh reads for June By Julie Carlson   Wonder By R.J. Palacio R.J. Palacio’s book Wonder has won awards and captured readers’ hearts around the globe. Told from six viewpoints, the story surrounds the life of August "Auggie" Pullman. He’s never attended school because of a craniofacial malformation known as Treacher Collins syndrome and a cleft palate. For a majority of his life, Auggi ...

What to Read in March  By Julie Carlson   THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD By Colson Whitehead Throughout history there have been countless stories about the Underground Railroad, from the real-life legacy of Harriet Tubman to WGN's TV series, Underground. Author Colson Whitehead, whose previous work includes the bestselling novel Zone One, which focused on a post-apocalyptic world of zombies, brings us the st ...

  Fresh Reads By Julie Carlson   RUINS OF WAR By John A. Connell Nominated for the 2016 Barry Award for Best First Mystery, Connell's story is set after World War II in American-occupied Germany in 1945. Protagonist Mason Collins is an intelligent, sharp, and charismatic detective. Having survived the war, the former Chicago cop enters the Criminal Investigation Department of the military to solve ...

By Julie Carlson THE ROYAL WE By Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan make their adult fiction debut with the delightfully charming The Royal We. The two authors are also well known for their super popular fashion blog, Go Fug Yourself. Fans of the British monarchy and British aristocracy will get a kick out the friendship and romance between Rebecca Porter and Prince Nicholas, ...

Fresh book selections  By Julie Carlson   THE GOOD NEIGHBOR  By A.J. Banner The Good Neighbor is a page turner. The main character, Sarah Phoenix, is likable but extremely naive. She lives in Washington’s quaint and lush Shadow Cove with her husband, Johnny McDonald, a successful dermatologist. They have a happy and loving marriage, or so Sarah thinks. But when a tragic incident occurs one evening, Sar ...

Books to read   By Julie Carlson   WOLF BY WOLF By Ryan Graudin   Known for creating fantastical worlds, Ryan Graudin offers an alternative version of World War II in Wolf by Wolf, the first in a new series of books. Wolf by Wolf takes place in Europe in 1956 when the Axis powers of Germany and Japan have won the war, not the Allies. At the heart of this story is Yael, a child of the Holocaus ...

Fresh Reads By Julie Carlson Luckiest Girl Alive By Jessica Knoll Jessica Knoll’s debut novel, Luckiest Girl Alive, is making waves in Hollywood. Reese Witherspoon and the Lionsgate producers behind the Gone Girl movie have already optioned film rights to this best-selling novel. Novels like Luckiest Girl Alive are difficult to review because you don’t want to spoil things and give too much away. After a sh ...

North Valley Magazine––What to read in June & July By Julie Carlson THE CONSPIRACY OF US By Maggie Hall Young adults may find this debut novel intriguing. Main character Avery West continually moves from place to place with her mother. Avery wants to lay down roots, date, and make lifelong friends. It bothers her that she hasn’t been able to do so, especially when she meets Jack. But when her mother onc ...

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN By Paula Hawkins Are you a fan of thrillers like Gone Girl? If so, then you need to check out The Girl on the Train. Hawkins debut novel is filled with twists and turns that will have you riveted to your seat. The novel is told from the perspective of two women from the same London neighborhood. While riding the train every day to and from work, Rachel imagines the lives of the residen ...