What We're Reading Now

We're always on the lookout for wonderful new books, from picture books to adult, from light to literary. Take a look at some of our current favorites, featured on the What We're Reading table this month.

The Snow Child (Hardcover)

By Eowyn Ivey

$24.99

ISBN-13: 9780316175678
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Reagan Arthur Books, 2/2012

Other Editions of this Title

Childless couple Jack and Mabel move to Alaska where they eke out a hard lonely isolated existence until one day in a fit of whimsy they build a snow child outside their door. The next day the snow child is gone but they catch glimpses of a girl who slowly but elusively works her way into their lives and becomes their daughter. Part fairy tale, part magical realism, Jack and Mabel aren't sure at first if Faina even exists, but then are delighted as their lives are changed. A beautiful sense of place, characters that are so well developped, and an engaging dialogue all work together to capture the reader and envelop her into a lovely, ethereal tale -- my first favorite for 2012 – Martha

Julia's Child (Paperback)

By Sarah Pinneo

$15.00

ISBN-13: 9780452297319
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Plume, 1/2012

When NYC mom Julia can’t find delicious, organic, healthy food for her toddler sons, she decides to leave her accounting job to start a small company, Julia’s Child, that sells her homemade “muffets” locally. When Whole Foods considers picking up her line, Julia and her business partner, Marta (who is the darling star of the book – love her!) have to kick it into high gear, borrow heavily from their personal accounts, and rely heavily on family and friends to get their products on the shelves. There’s a funny scene when Julia is stalking customers at Whole Foods who are considering buying her “muffets”. Using her own life as an example, Sarah Pinneo describes the agonies of every self-employed entrepreneur who wants to give her best to her family, stay true to her convictions but still wants to turn a profit. A happy quick read that will have you cheering, wincing, commiserating, high fiving Julia and Marta (and most of all Marta). – Martha (who wants to be like Marta!)

A Wrinkle in Time: 50th Anniversary Commemorative Edition (Hardcover)

By Madeleine L'Engle

$24.99

ISBN-13: 9780374386160
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1/2012

Other Editions of this Title

It's hard to believe that this groundbreaking novel is 50 years old. Many of us read it as children or read it aloud to our own children and it remains just as fresh today as it was back then. It's the story of Meg, a girl searching for herself in a family of brilliant scientists, and the journey she must take to find her missing father. During the month of February, we will blog about our own personal Wrinkle in Time memories and encourage you to share yours as well. This classic is one for all to enjoy! For grades 4 and up. – Cathy

The Underside of Joy (Hardcover)

By Sere Prince Halverson

$25.95

ISBN-13: 9780525952596
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Dutton Adult, 1/2012

When Ella Beene's husband dies suddenly, her whole world is turned upside down. She is dealing with his death and with his more than struggling family store. The mother of their 2 children has come back into the picture for the first time in 3 years. Through a whirlwind of heartbreak, depression and, finally, reconciliation, Ella comes to realize her strength lies in more than herself, but also through she family she has come to know and cherish. Underside of Joy is a wonderful novel of hope and endurance. – Jordan

Plant a Kiss (Hardcover)

By Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Peter H. Reynolds

$14.99

ISBN-13: 9780061986758
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: HarperCollins, 12/2011

Other Editions of this Title

In Amy Krouse Rosenthal's beautifully simple style, Plant a Kiss is simply beautiful; perfect for the young child and the young at heart. What could be more warm and fuzzy than planting your kiss, watching it grow and then giving it away? A great read aloud, just in time for Valentine’s Day. – Janet

The House at Tyneford (Paperback)

By Natasha Solomons

$15.00

ISBN-13: 9780452297647
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Plume, 12/2011

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This is a beautifully written story of life, loss and most of all love - expected and unexpected. Elise Landau, a young Jewish women, is no longer safe in Vienna during the Second World War, and she is sent by her family to seek domestic service in England at the estate of Tyneford House. We follow Elise through her life at Tyneford as she adjusts to her new surroundings and her new lot in life. We see how this place, so foreign in the beginning, becomes her true home. The author paints such a beautiful picture of the English countryside that you feel as if you are really right there in the meadow or on the cliff overlooking the sea. I loved this book! – Julia

The One and Only Ivan (Hardcover)

By Katherine Applegate, Patricia Castelao

$16.99

ISBN-13: 9780061992254
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: HarperCollins, 1/2012

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Silverback gorilla Ivan lives at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade with aging elephant Stella and cranky dog Bob. The owner is always looking for something to draw more people, so he brings in Ruby, a curious baby elephant. Ivan’s goal is to help Ruby escape to a better life and as he plots, Applegate shows us courage, loyalty and honor that we hope to recognize in those around us – both human and animal. Though I read this book almost a year ago, Ivan remains in my heart. For grades 4 and up. – Cathy

The Orphan Master's Son (Hardcover)

By Adam Johnson

$26.00

ISBN-13: 9780812992793
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Random House, 1/2012

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A young boy, raised in an orphanage (his father is the "orphan master") in North Korea, goes on to a life of surreal adventure. Like a puppet on a string, which must be the way many North Koreans feel about themselves -- at least in this novel, he is plucked from a job as a tunnel digger to become a part of a team that kidnaps people in Japan, a secret radio operator on a fishing boat, an envoy to Texas (!), a kind of double agent, and, eventually, a General who rubs shoulders with the Dear Leader, Kim Jong Il. Johnson presents a very plausible picture of North Korea (we know so little about the country) and the nature of its totalitarian regime. At times the absurdity of situations is laugh-outloud funny; the rest of the time we can only marvel at how our hero can maintain his sanity. Readers who enjoyed the complexity of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas and The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet will enjoy this complex and compelling novel. Recommended. – Alice

Fracture (Hardcover)

By Megan Miranda

$17.99

ISBN-13: 9780802723093
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Walker Childrens, 1/2012

Delany Maxwell fell through a fracture in the ice and technically died for 11 minutes before being revived by her best friend Decker. When she wakes up everything seems normal, but she knows that something is different, something that she cannot explain. Fracture is a fantastic debut novel from Megan Miranda about friendship, love and a beautiful tale of life and death. – Jordan

One Cool Friend (Hardcover)

By Toni Buzzeo, David Small

$16.99

ISBN-13: 9780803734135
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Dial, 1/2012

Elliot was a very proper young man. So when his father suggests an outing to Family Fun Day at the aquarium, Elliot fears masses of noisy kids. When he asks his distracted father for a penguin, hilarity ensues. With Caldecott winner David Small's entertaining illustrations, everyone from the youngest child to the curmudgeonly senior will be laughing at the sublime wordplay in my first favorite picture book of 2012. – Valerie

The Magic Room: A Story About the Love We Wish for Our Daughters (Hardcover)

By Jeffrey Zaslow

$27.00

ISBN-13: 9781592406616
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Gotham, 12/2011

Other Editions of this Title

The Magic Room is a behind the veil, in-depth look at the four generations of Becker women and the brides for whom they make dreams come true at Becker's, a bridal shop found in rural Michigan. Upon finding the "perfect dress", brides are escorted into the Magic Room, a former bank vault now lined with floor to ceiling mirrors and illuminated with soft lighting where the staff can tell by the first gasp if this dress is "the one". In his narrative non-fiction, Jeffrey Zaslow weaves heartfelt stories of eight brides along with the ups and downs of running a retail business and the ever changing expectations of love and marriage. Like a piece of wedding cake, The Magic Room is a delicious slice of the wedding experience that makes us fall in love again with romance, brides, and the magic of that special day. – Martha