Cathedral of the Sea is set in Barcelona during the 14th century and tells the story of the construction of the Santa Maria del Mar Cathedral over a sixty year period.  Sound familiar?  Yes, this novel which has been a bestseller in Europe is very similar to Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth. The story's main protagonist is young Arnau, son of a peasant who has been greatly wronged by his lord and master.  Arnau's path from serf to nobleman is a harrowing journey, as he and the people of Barcelona struggle with the plague, food shortages, war and the Inquisition.  A big, fascinating page turner for fans of historical fiction. Reviewed by Martha Bayley, Collection Management Manager, Fiction Selector [January 2008]

Chopping Spree, Diana Mott Davidson.

Do not read this book on an empty stomach or before heading to the grocery store!  As a caterer for upscale events the main character, Goldy Schulz, is constantly making yummy treats (truffles anyone?).  Well, not constantly, since she is interrupted quite often by crime and a grouchy teenage son.  The drama unfolds at a jewelry leasing party in the mall and continues through twists and turns to the revelation of the murderer.   A satisfying mystery with great recipes included.

Reviewed by Denise Richards, Technical Services & Collection Management, Kitsap Regional Library, May 2009.

Circus of the Damned, by Laurell K. Hamilton. Meet Anita Blake. She’s 24 years old and just a tad over five feet tall with dark, curly hair and a petite frame. Don’t be deceived by looks though. Anita is also an animator which means she raises the dead. That’s right, folks…zombies. If that’s not enough, her resume goes on to include vampire hunter. Circus of the Damned, the third book in Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series, brings us new challenges for Anita. This time unknown vampires are stalking the city and planning to kill the current Master Vampire in order to become the new leaders. We are introduced to unique monsters and invited back to the conflict Anita has over her mixed emotions concerning the current Master Vampire. Will she give in to becoming a ‘human servant’ or betray those who trust her? This book is full of nail-biting moments and non-stop action. It’s hard to put down once you start! Reviewed by Kelli Becker, Acquisitions Specialist [1/14/2008]

When a hedonistic playboy is horribly burned in a car accident, a mysterious sculptress of gargoyles, Marianne Engel, arrives at his bedside and tells him stories of her eternal love for him, which she believes has survived many reincarnations—in medieval Germany, Italy, Iceland, Japan, and Victorian England. Are Marianne’s stories real or the product of chemical imbalance? A dyed-in-the-wool cynic, our protagonist—now a hideously mutilated gargoyle himself—ponders this question, and finds himself returning from his private hell to life and, for the first time, love. Marianne’s interwoven tales of undying love are beautiful, poignant, and sometimes surprising—each a little pearl of its own—and the novel’s philosophical questions are well-handled. Reviewed by Constance O'Shea, Interlibrary Loan, Sept. 30, 2008

Last Bite, by Nancy Verde Barr.

Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes on a TV cooking show? If so, then Last Bite is the book for you. An executive chef for Julia Child for eight years, Nancy Verde Barr provides fascinating insight into what it really takes to make these shows run smoothly. While there is a romantic side to the story, the food takes center stage, and a side trip to Italy gives added entertainment value. Fun, sweet, and informative.

Reviewed by Tish Hodge, Collection Management Assistant, March 2009

The Last Child, by John Hart. 

Only a year ago, Johnny's twin sister disappeared and the 13-year-old's life has been changed for the worst. With his father gone, his mother in a black hole of drugs and abuse, Johnny is determined to find his sister, as is Clyde Hunt, the detective still obsessed with the case. Separately, these two uncover mysteries that have haunted their North Carolina town for years. Readers will be turning pages and gasping as surprises come one after another.

Reviewed by Michelle Will, Assistant Collection Manager, Kitsap Regional Library, June 2009.

The Miracles of Prato, by Laurie Albanese and Laura Morowitz. If you like historical fiction or you are especially fond of Renaissance Italy, this book will appeal to you.  It’s based on the true story of a love affair between a monk-painter by the name of Filippo Lippi and a young, beautiful novitiate who became his model, mother of his children, and possibly his wife.  Their son Filippino Lippi followed his father into painting and became even more famous and successful.  The writers reveal much about artistic inspiration, the artist’s dependence on patrons and the tenuous nature of existence for craftsmen in this period.  Readers also learn about life among religious folk of the time—parts of it good and caring and other parts corrupt and self-serving.  Considering that not much more than the basic outlines of this love story are known, the authors have created a tale that richly evokes life during Renaissance Italy.  For readers who enjoyed The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant and Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier.  Reviewed by Gail Goodrick, Non-Fiction Selector, Kitsap Regional Library, March 2009

Nameless Night, by G.M. Ford. Some of you may recognize G. M. Ford as the creator of such great mystery characters as Leo Waterman and Frank Corso. Nameless Night uses neither. Instead he gives us a completely new character. Unfortunately, due to amnesia, even he doesn’t know who he is. Paul Hardy was found injured in a boxcar a few years ago and has been living in a group home in Seattle ever since. He’s hit by a car while trying to save a fellow resident and after surgery he begins to remember bits and pieces from his past. This prompts him to discover his true identity. Unfortunately there are forces that would prefer to let sleeping dogs lay. Ford incorporates his usual themes; good versus evil, David against Goliath, conspiracy and corruption in the government, public servants with their own agenda, etc. Granted this isn’t Ford’s best effort. It’s somewhat predictable and he asks the reader to make a leap of faith on more than occasion. However, Ford spins an interesting tail that is sure to please many of his fans. Reviewed by John Fossett, Media Librarian [4/28/2008] 

Nefertiti, by Michelle Moran. Sun! Sand! And palace politics? In the midst of it all, a young woman is groomed to marry one prince, yet prepared to marry his younger brother,  an unstable young man willing to commit fratricide and patricide to become pharaoh of Egypt.  This is the story of Nefertiti - ambitious, beautiful, and beloved of her people - and her sister Mutnodjmet, a healer content with her herbs, whose only ambition is to marry and have a family of her own.  Her family’s closeness to the Horus Throne makes Mutnodjmet witness to that chaotic period when the temples of Egypt were closed,  the minor deity of the Aten became Egypt’s only god,  and Amunhotep IV took the name Akhenaten, creating a new Egyptian capitol far away from Thebes and Memphis.  If you enjoy this book, Michelle Moran also wrote another Egyptian historial, The Heretic Queen. Reviewed by Lisa Schureman, Collection Management, Jan. 2009

Somebody in Boots (1935), by Nelson Algren. Written in 1935, Somebody in Boots is the timeless story of Cass Mckay, a young man growing up in Texas during the American Great Depression. The novel tells of Cass’s escape from the poverty, desperation, and violence of his home, only to find more of the same riding the rails through the South and Midwest. A gentle soul of a youth who is illiterate but kind and sometimes easily led astray, Cass’s world is one of starvation, brutality, uncertainty and the quest for survival. He also ends up in many dire situations, including a robbery spree that eventually lands him in jail with a cast of other “undesirables.” Throughout the story Cass encounters various authority figures, and those that wield that authority are the ones in boots. This title is currently out-of-print but available through Interlibrary Loan. Reviewed by Lisa Tyler, Collection Management Specialist/ILL, Kitsap Regional Libary [3/4/2008]

Stealing Athena by Karen Essex tells the story of the Elgin marbles--the famous sculptures that were taken from the Parthenon at the beginning of the 19^th century and now reside in the British Museum in London.  The book centers around Lady Elgin, born Mary Hamilton Nisbet, the daughter of a wealthy Scottish family.  Married to a dashing Scottish noble, Mary took up her life as the wife of the British ambassador to the Turkish court.  Evidently early ambassadors were expected to fund their households and activities while abroad so Mary’s family wealth came in handy.  She was also intelligent and charming and was quite an asset for the British cause.  At this time, the British were vying with the French under Napoleon for control of the East and the Mediterranean.  The real gist of the story is Lord Elgin’s obsession with obtaining any classical works of art which the Turks did not care about before Napoleon beat him to it.  While the project had a more limited scope to start with (making drawings and casts of the sculptures), it soon became a great salvage effort as the Turks were grinding up the sculptures to reclaim the materials.  Again, it was Mary’s money which funded Elgin’s efforts.  Interspersed with the Mary's story is the parallel story, set during the building of the Parthenon, of Aspasia, a Greek woman known for her wisdom and provocative behavior.  While in classical Greece women usually remained secluded and uneducated, Aspasia was educated and, though unmarried, lived publicly with Perikles the leader of Athens and supporter of the building and decoration of the Parthenon. Reviewed by Gail Goodrick, Non-fiction Selector, 8/11/2008.

A Stopover in Venice, by Kathryn Walker

A young American woman strikes out for independence from her famous musician husband when she abruptly leaves him in a train station in Italy. What starts off as an impulsive act of defiance turns into an adventure (and a mystery) when she finds herself marooned and on her own in Venice. For lovers of art history - it will appeal to fans of Tracy Chevalier.

Reviewed by Martha Bayley, Collection Manager, Kitsap Regional Library, Nov. 2008

Terra Incognita, by Ruth Downie. In this sequel to Medicus, Gaius Petreius Ruso, a doctor attached to the Roman army in second century Britain finds himself once again playing the role of reluctant sleuth after a soldier is found beheaded at a northern outpost.  Adding to the mystery is the confession to the murder by a local medicus, who is obviously mad as a hatter.  On top of this, the locals are saying that the soldier was actually killed by their antlered god, Cernunnos.  The novel is saved from bleak grittiness by the wry and witty humor of the protagonist, who is charming, self-deprecating and smart as a whip.   This series is definitely for fans of Steven Saylor, Rosemary Rowe and Lindsey Davis. Reviewed by Martha Bayley, Collection Management Manager, Fiction Selector, [June 9, 2008]

Set in a large but quickly shrinking advertising agency during the last big downturn, Joshua Ferris’s Then We Came to the End is a dark comedy about relationships at work. The forced intimacy of the workplace creates a dynamic of knowing every behavior and private detail of co-workers’ lives, while not necessarily knowing them at all. This debut novel explores the politics and relationships of petty office grudges, as well as the tragedies shared by those colleagues. Ferris allows us to be amused by the idiosyncrasies of his characters while treating them with honesty and respect. If you see yourself or your co-workers amongst the cubicles, you will more likely roll your eyes than be hurt. In the current economic environment it may seem hard to enjoy a book full of layoffs, business failure and personal losses, but sometimes it’s best to laugh in the face of fear and hope everything will turn out despite the hard times… it usually does, eventually.  Reviewed by Rainbow Greenwood, Collection Management & Technical Services [July 28, 2008]

White Rose Rebel is the beautifully written, very readable story of Anne Farquharson, the Lady McIntosh, daughter of John, Chief of Clan Farquharson of Invercauld, a staunch Jacobite.  She was married to Aeneas McIntosh, Chief of Clans McIntosh and Chattan, who in Scotland’s 1745 Jacobite Rebellion came out on the side of the government while Lady Anne raised her clan and the majority of her husband’s clan for Bonnie Prince Charlie.   During the course of the “45” Lady Anne would earn Colonel Anne for staying with her men and encouraging them. Paisley introduces as a supporting character the wife of an English officer who meets Lady Anne and becomes her friend.  The freedom (and lack thereof) between these two women's cultures is deftly handled and makes a vivid comparison. Lady Anne has been called the female Braveheart; however, she would survive the 1745 rebellion to dance with the Duke of Cumberland, the Crown’s commander at Culloden, and the second set would be to her tune. Reviewed by Lisa Schureman, Sept. 2008

You Suck by Christopher Moore.

You Suck was my first Christopher Moore book, and it was such a fun ride! Two recently turned vampires try to adapt to their new lifestyles, while being hunted by cops and an older, more powerful vampire. The journey is hilarious and the jabs at goth culture had me laughing out loud. I'm off to check out another of his stories.