Fresh reads

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 crimes and search for missing servicemen. Collins has seen his fair share of atrocities during the war, particularly having been a POW at Buchenwald. Yet nothing quite prepares him for the gruesome and ritualistic murder of his first homicide case in the CID. Connell’s suspenseful plotting and realistic characterization make for a page-turning thriller. Collins is extremely likable and readers will root for him to catch the serial killer on the loose in Munich. The next novel in the series, Spoils of Victory, is out now. So, catch up read this book first. You won’t be disappointed.

5 Stars

THIS IS WHERE YOU BELONG: THE ART AND SCIENCE OF LOVING THE PLACE YOU LIVE

By Melody Warnick

“The average American can expect to move 11.7 times before he or she dies,” says author Melody Warnick. Warnick’s non-fiction book examines the reasons many of us pick up and leave. However, it’s more than moving to small and big cities in the United States. Some people move across the world. Living in different locations and homes tends to be a learning and teaching experience. It’s what Warnick calls “the art and science of loving the place you live.” Throughout the book, Warnick asks readers: “Are you happy where you live? How does where you live define your identity? What impact does moving have on you and your family? How can you thrive in the place you call home?” This Is Where You Belong is a fascinating read. Warnick’s narrative voice makes the reader feel as if they are experiencing her world, and her moving experiences. For those who do move quite a bit, the book is enjoyably and relatable.

5 Stars

THE FIREMAN

By Joe Hill

Just like his father, Stephen King, Joe Hill has become a star in the horror genre. His book, The Fireman, takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. A deadly virus is causing people to burst into flames. It starts as a dragon scale-like tattoo somewhere on the body and then people eventually combust. The novel centers around nurse Harper Grayson. She’s happily married, but at the same time trying to help save her patients. When Harper becomes pregnant and her husband discovers the tattoo on her body, his entire personality changes and he’s no longer a loving husband. A mysterious man called the Fireman, who helps those with the virus, eventually saves Harper from her crazed husband. Throughout the novel, Hill raises questions on terrorism, mass hysteria, social media, radio talk shows, the news, and pop culture. If you’re a fan of The Walking Dead this one will be right up your alley.

4 Stars

3 MORE BOOKS TO TRY

Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us)

By Tom Vanderbilt

Based on exhaustive research and interviews with driving experts and traffic officials around the globe, Tom Vanderbilt uncovers the complex web of physical, psychological, and technical factors that explain how traffic works and why we drive the way we do.

Fractured

By Catherine McKenzie

After Julie Prentice and her family move across the country to evade a stalker who’s been terrorizing them ever since the publication of her bestselling novel, The Murder Game, they find that their new neighbors may be out to get them too.

Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History

By Sam Maggs

Read about pioneering female scientists, engineers, mathematicians, adventures, and inventors that have made their mark with passion, smarts, and bravado.