Featured Read

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
by Bill Bryson, B Bry, CD, LP

Though the subtitle labels this book a memoir, it really is Bryson's stroll down memory lane. He recalls his childhood in Des Moines, Iowa, in the 1950s in his typical, hilarious fashion. The Thunderbolt Kid of the title is Bryson's alter ego and refers to his love of comic book superheroes with powers he covets. His stories of family life and of growing up, told in true Bryson form, will enthrall readers.

Juliet Whitman of The Washington Post says:

"Bill Bryson is erudite, irreverent, funy and exuberant, making the tempation to quote endlessly from The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir hard to resist. Bryson interweaves childhood reminiscences seamlessly with observations about 1950s America, evoking a zeitgeist that will be familiar to almost everyone past middle age."

Other works by Bill Bryson:

Bill Bryson's African Diary [916.762 Bry]
Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words [423.1 BRY]
I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away [973.92 BRY, CAS, CD]
In a Sunburned Country [914.404 BRY, CAS, CD]
Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States [420.973 BRY]
The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way [420.9 BRY]
Notes from a Small Island [914.BRY, CD]
A Short History of Nearly Everything [500 BRY, CD, LP]
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail [420.9 BRY]

Heartwarming Romances

Heaven's Price by Sandra Brown [FIC BRO, CAS]
Recovering from leg injuries, dancer Blair Simpson flees to a small Long Island town. Dreaming of her return to the stage, she meets her handsome landlord and now must make choices that could cost her the love she has long desired.

Finding Ian by Stella Cameron [Pbk F 2417, LP FIC CAM]
Dr. Byron Frazer gave up his newborn son for adoption after his wife died. When he learns that Ian is once again orphaned, he rents a cottage nearby, finding not only his son, but also love.

Crazy for You by Jennifer Crusie [LP FIC CRU]
Quinn McKenzie picks up strays and decides to keep a dog over strenuous objections from her boyfriend. With her relationship on the rocks, Quinn decides it's time to do the things she wants, not what others expect of her.

Three Wishes by Barbara Delinsky [FIC DEL, LP]
Bestselling author Tom Gates arrives in Vermont along with an unexpected October blizzard. Walking home from the diner where she works, Bree Miller meets Tom, transforming their lives forever.

Angel Falls by Hannah Kristin [FIC HAN, LP]
The Campbells appear to have a picture-perfect marriage and family. When a horrible accident leaves Michaela in a coma, Liam searches for a way to stir her memories and awaken her. What he discovers causes him to question the life and love they share.

Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson [FIC PAT, LP]
Katie Wilkinson's boyfriend Matt left a diary on her doorstep. While reading, Katie is pulled into Matt's world, learning of his marriage to Suzanne and the birth of their son, Nicholas.

Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher [FIC PIL, LP]
Elrida Phipps is looking forward to her new life with her faithful dog in a small country village. The shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, becomes a turning point in her life.

Summer Reading Program for Adults and Teens Begins June 1: Just Read Any Four Books!

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(coming soon)
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Fiction Featuring the Office

Exciting reads that will make you grateful for your own workplace:

The Ax by Donald Westlake [FIC WES]
Burke Devore is 52 years old and recently lost his management job at a paper mill. He desperately looks for work as he watches his family disintigrate. When his dream job seems within his grasp, he decides to eliminate the competition.

Company Man by Joseph Finder [FIC FIN]
Nick Conover, the CEO of Michigan's Stratton Corporation, has been told by the company's new owners, located in Boston, to fire half of the funriture company's employees. Nick finds himself the object of a stalker who is writing threatening messages on his walls. This is just the beginning. The twists and turns of this thriller will keep you up late turning pages.

The Dinosaur Club by William Heffernan [FIC HEF]
The fifty-something targets of corporate downsizing are fighting back and so is born the dinosaur club. The young executives of Waters Cable Corporation have decided to get rid of those middle-and upper-management employees aged 50 and over. Jack Fallon decides to fight and so organizes the club. Things get even more complicated when Jack finds himself falling for the female attorney hired by the corporation..

The Firm by John Grisham [FIC GRI, CAS, CD, LP]
Young lawyer Mitch McDeere came from nothing, but, armed with his new Harvard law degree and loving wife, he finds himself recruited by a high-end law firm offering lots of perks. Things seem wonderful until the FBI tries to get Mitch to turn in his Mafia-controlled colleagues.

The Power Broker by Stephen Fry [FIC FRE]
Christian Gillette chairs the largest private equity fund in the country. He has just become the running mate of the man who may be elected this country's first African-American president. However, they face many obstacles, most formidable is the Order, a group of nine white leaders who have been manipulating financial and historical events since the group's beginning. Set aside disbelief and enjoy the ride..

Vertical Run by Joseph Garber [FIC GAR]
Vietnam vet turned businessman David Elliott is enjoying just another day at the office when his boss tries to shoot him. He suddenly finds that his family has turned against him and the FBI is trying to kill him. His Green Beret skills come in handy as he struggles to stay alive long enough to find out why everyone wants him dead..