Literary Hoaxes: An Eye-Opening History of Famous Frauds by Melissa Katsoulis
The title says it all. This is a fun look at hoaxes throughout history and includes frauds from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, of Native American origins, memoirs and entrapment hoaxes. It explains why hoaxers do what they do and what they hope to accomplish; sometimes money, fame, to get revenge from a perceived wrong, mental instability and just for the fun of it. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
Carol Lloyd, Information Services Librarian, Downtown Reno
Mad Mouse (a John Ceepak mystery) by Chris Grabenstein
Danny and John are still on the job in Sea Haven on the Jersey shore. Danny is hoping that his part time cop gig will become permanent after the Labor Day weekend. Both cop AND victim in this novel, Danny and his friends are being targeted first by a paintball gun, and then real bullets fly. Throw in superhero trading cards and a set of Derek Jeter rookie baseball cards, and the dots are hard to connect. John and Danny have until noon on Labor day to solve this, or the big Barbecue is going to be canceled.
There is almost parental pride in reading about Danny as he strives to be a full time cop, and how John influences his actions. Even as people get seriously hurt, the town mayor attributes everything to a consequence of underage drinking. So far in both of Grabenstein’s novels, a minor plot detail turns into a larger detail, throwing a twist in that you don’t see coming.
Thoroughly enjoyable!
Recommended by Corinne Dickman, Spanish Springs Library
Blood Game (Eve Duncan Forensics Thriller) by Iris Johansen
Like her last Eve Duncan novel, Quicksand, Johansen melds the characters from Pandora’s daughter (physician/psychic Megan Blair) with Eve, Jane and Joe. Coming from the swamp where Megan helped Joe locate missing (buried) children, Eve is still searching for her daughter Bonnie, this time with another murderer who is targeting Eve. Jelak believes himself to be “resurrecting” to a higher form, and requires Eve to complete the ritual. He leaves in his wake a number of murdered women, drawing Joe and Jane into his blood game. While Megan doesn’t figure prominently in the novel, there is a holdover from the previous novel that brings a startling new aspect to the chase for Jelak. Another page turner from Johansen.
Recommended by Corinne Dickman, Spanish Springs Managing Librarian
Tilt-a-Whirl (First in a series: A John Ceepak mystery) by Chris Grabenstein
Sea Haven is a resort town on what might be the Jersey Shore. A local mega-millionaire is gunned down at the tilt-a-whirl ride, causing his daughter to run screaming into the streets of this sleepy tourist town. John Ceepak is a former Military Police officer fresh from Iraq with a high moral code and now serves on the Sea Haven police force. Danny Boyle is a young cop “wannabee” that joined the force to impress girls. The contrast between the two as they investigate the murder and eventual kidnapping of the daughter is striking. John is a by the book kind of guy, Danny comes across as a slacker, and has an internal monologue that makes readers chuckle. There are enough twists and turns and moral dilemma’s to keep you turning pages.
Recommended by Corinne Dickman, Spanish Springs Managing Librarian
Mile-High Fever: Silver Mines, Boom Towns, and Living High on the Comstock Lode
Do we need another book on the Comstock? You bet. This one covers it all. Nevada becoming a state, the Comstock Lode, Virginia City, Mark Twain, the bonanza and the bust. Literary and political figures, miners and Paiutes are all included. Drabelle is a wonderful storyteller and engages from beginning to end. A wonderful book!
Carol Lloyd, Information Services Librarian, Downtown Reno
The Professional by Robert B. Parker
Just about the time I decide I’m not going to read Parker anymore because I know what to expect, he writes one that will keep me coming back for more. Parker writes dialogue very well and, while still predictable, he gives the nod to Janet Evanovich and includes a Steinbeck ending. I liked it.
Carol Lloyd, Information Services Librarian, Downtown Reno
Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer
Pat Tillman lived, and ultimately died, by a strong set of beliefs and ideals. He gave up a multi-million dollar football career to enlist in the Army after 9/11 because he felt a moral obligation to serve his country. He was killed by friendly fire while serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Krakauer builds Tillman’s compelling and heartbreaking story based on the history of the region, the events leading up to the attacks in 2001, Tillman’s diaries, Army records and interviews with people involved. Highly recommended.
Carol Lloyd, Information Services Librarian, Downtown Reno
Tree Spiker- From Earth First! To Lowbagging: My Struggles in Radical Environmental Action by Mike Roselle with Josh Mahan
Roselle recounts the founding of Earth First! as well as how he got started in the environmental movement. He describes putting the crack in the Glen Canyon Dam, gas masking George Washington on Mount Rushmore (going to jail for his trouble) and disrupting a nuclear blast in the Nevada desert. This is a very funny book on a very serious subject. And I learned a new word! Lowbagging.
Carol Lloyd, Information Services Librarian, Downtown Reno Library
A Big Little Life, A Memoir of a Joyful Dog by Dean Koontz
Wonderful stories about pets, especially dogs, just seem to cross my path. This book is a quick read that has a lasting impact. It is the 3rd book that Dean Koontz, popular author of mysteries, has written about his beloved dog, Trixie. Trixie was an assistance dog trained by Canine Companions for Independence (CCI). She retired at the ripe old age of 3 to become the pet of the writer and his wife, Gerda. The gifts that Koontz describes in this delightful book seem immeasurable and if you have been fortunate to have such a pet in your life, you will easily identify with the joyful life of Trixie and the Koontzes.
Especially recommended for all dog lovers, but everyone else, too!
Kathy Berndt, South Valleys Library
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Claire Randall has just finished working as a nurse during World War II and is vacationing in Scotland with her husband. He is doing genealogical research and she is gathering local plants; they have been apart from one another during the war and are enjoying a second honeymoon. But all of that changes when Claire wanders between the stones of a large Stonehenge-like set of ruins and is sent back 200 years in the past.
In 1743 Claire must contend with the violent English soldiers and the rowdy Scottish clansmen, all the while trying to make her way back to the stone formation and try to make it back to her own time. We get to see ancient Scotland through the eyes of a “modern” time-travelling woman and experience Claire’s struggles as she tries to understand what has happened to her. And what will she decide to do about her feelings for the handsome young warrior James Fraser?
Outlander is a thrilling historical romance/adventure story with a great eye for historical detail and enthralling characters.
Recommended by Aurora Partridge, Downtown Reno Library
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