The Christmas holiday is upon us! The library will be closed until Tuesday next week, but we’re open until 5:30 today. There are some great titles sitting on the shelves in the new book room, waiting to entertain you during the downtime this weekend. Call us and we’ll put them aside for quick pick up!

The After Party by Anton Discalfani: A novel which immerses the reader in all of the sun-drenched glamour of 1950s Texas, where the potentially scandalous behavior of one woman tests the lengths her closest confidante will go to save her. An immersive romance.

Alice and Oliver by Charles Bock: A tale full of heart and heartbreak told with grace and humor about a strong and beautiful mother of a young family up against the behemoth of cancer and the challenges of the American Health Care system. Based on the author’s own experience.

Cross Talk by Connie Willis: Willis’ soon-to-be-married main characters elect to participate in a procedure that will allow them to communicate emotionally with one another. This being a comedy of errors, invisible wires are crossed and the woman ends up telepathically connected to an irreverent tech genius. A fun, irrepressible near future romance involving the possibilities of technology and how hilarious it can be when it fails.

Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave: Cleave’s moving novel follows four young Londoners at the brink of England’s involvement in World War II. The most engaging of these enters the war effort as a teacher, an experience that transforms her from her privileged upbringing and introduces her to a love that can only emerge from the loss and pain of war.

The Girls by Emma Cline: Slow burning and suspenseful, the novel follows a teenage girl in the 1960s through emotional development, family turmoil and growing involvement with a cult-like group reminiscent of the Manson family.

Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer: Darkly humorous and rich in both biblical allusion and sharp contemporary dialogue, Foer relates the story of three sons watching as their parents’ marriage crumbles at the same time an earthquake hits the Holy Center of the Middle East sparking a Pan-Arab conflict. Foer’s novel aims at the true meaning of family and identity in the midst of crisis and chaos.

Katherine of Aragon, the true queen by Alison Weir: The first in an anticipated six part novel series covering Henry VIII’s six wives. This installment relates the story of the princess of Spain, as she is married to the heir to the English throne, and her struggle as, once he is King, his attentions veer toward her own handmaiden. Royal drama and dense period detail will satisfy Tudor fans.

The Wonder, by Emma Donoghue: Set in 1850s Ireland, a young nurse is called to investigate and help a young girl who refuses to stop a fast that has lasted over four months. As the nurse becomes increasingly sympathetic to the girl’s struggle, and fails to immediately remedy the problem, she witnesses the sad and mysterious strength religious orthodoxy holds over the rural communities. Donoghue composes a tense atmosphere and builds a rich setting reminiscent of her previous novel Room.

Zero K by Don DeLillo: A literary science fiction novel light on action but intensely ruminative and philosophical, in which a Soros-like billionaire builds a cryogenic compound where wealthy citizens on the verge of death can be preserved until advancements in medical technology are able to reawaken them to new lives.