When author Katherine Howe was studying for her doctoral exams in American and New England Studies at Boston University, a teaching research seminar on New England witchcraft was required. Two of her ancestors included Elizabeth Proctor, who survived the Salem Witch Trials, and Elizabeth Howe, who was hanged on July 19, 1692. As writers are often advised to cover topics they know, Howe’s rich historical family background became the inspiration for her debut novel The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, a story about witches and witchcraft in the late 17th century.

The novel moves between contemporary times and the Salem Witch Trials. Harvard grad Connie Goodwin is spending the summer completing the research for her doctoral thesis. Connie’s studies are interrupted when she is asked to handle the sale of her grandmother’s house near Salem. She discovers a key containing a fragment of parchment with the name Deliverance Dane written upon it. Connie begins her quest to discover the identity of Deliverance Dane and in the process uncovers a rare and powerful artifact.

Toward the end of the book, I think the reader must suspend belief, but true devotees of psychic healing and Wicca may disagree with me. Transitioning well between 1692 and 1991, I thought the novel was well researched, and the blend of mystery, intrigue, romance and history kept me engrossed.

Eve Olsen – Central Library

I was initially bored with the descriptions of stylish clothing worn by the "beautiful girl" sisters — 21-year-old Pearl and 18-year-old May. However, as I persisted listening to the CD of Shanghai Girls by Lisa See, I became totally immersed in the imagery of the sights and sounds of 1930s Shanghai. The sisters were somewhat "modern" Chinese girls, living with traditional parents, while hiding their modeling job for a local commercial artist. The two also enjoyed late night dining and entertainment.

Here is what Pearl said about her relationship with her younger sister May: "Whenever you have two sisters – or siblings of any number or either sex – comparisons are made. May and I were born in Yin Bo Village, less than a half day’s walk from Canton. We’re only three years apart, but we couldn’t be more different. She’s funny; I’m criticized for being too somber. She’s tiny and has an adorable fleshiness to her; I’m tall and thin. May, who just graduated from high school, has no interest in reading anything beyond the gossip columns; I graduated from college five weeks ago. "

When their father’s financial circumstances decline, Pearl and May are shocked and dismayed to learn that he has arranged marriages for them in exchange for monetary assistance. 

With the onslaught of war, the family is torn apart and nothing is ever the same again. Pearl and May discover troubling family secrets, lies, and betrayals as they face the harsh realities of coming-of-age in a war-torn world.  Eventually they both endure the often tedious, humiliating immigration process into the United States via Angel Island — only to face even more difficult challenges in a new country.

The bonds of love, friendship, and sibling rivalry were brilliantly exposed in Shanghai Girls. Share this gem with your sisters! Chock-full of universal themes worth discussing, I would recommend See’s engaging, thought-provoking novel for most book clubs. 

Elaine Johnson – Central Library

Everyone should listen to The Graveyard Book because Neil Gaiman reads it himself. Should that matter? Aside from Gaiman’s amazing voice and entertaining delivery, he wrote the darn thing, so it’s a safe bet that his portrayals are close to the author’s intentions. I’m not advocating that only authors record their works; that’s a horrific thought, since many writers write because they’re socially impaired in some way (too harsh?). But Gaiman has genuine acting talent, and the gleefully wicked humor in the book is as apparent in his voice as a wink.

As for the actual work…darkly delightful! I’m amazed it’s for younger readers — not because kids can’t handle it, but because it is so dark and clever. Believe me, I think kids are entitled to the dark and clever in this world, but publishers seem more interested in adult approval ($$$$).

It’s probably labeled "children’s" because the protagonist is young. Nobody "Bod" Owens is just a toddler when he wanders into a graveyard, unaware that his entire family has been murdered and the killer is looking for him. The graveyard’s residents (noncorporeal) decide to care for Bod. As Bod grows, he wishes he could connect more with his ghostly family since he doesn’t really fit in with the living. In other words, he feels like other adolescents except, with a smattering of supernatural.

Please don’t assume that it’s a typical coming-of-age story, though. Not only did Mr. Gaiman model Bod’s tale on Kipling’s Jungle Book; despite the surreal, the characters are so palpable, you WANT to know them (even the scary ones). I have a small crush on Silas, Bod’s neither living nor dead "godfather" figure. I’m even intrigued by the creepy society of "Every Man Jack" (it has to exist because it’s too wonderfully sinister not to).

I had The Graveyard Book slated for discussion at the Nosy Grown-Ups (formerly Nosy Parents) Book Club meeting in October, but no one attended. I may schedule it again because it is just that good.  Please note that Nosy Grown-Ups books are available at the Central Library Fiction Desk, and the discussions are held in Central’s meeting room at 7:00 pm on the second Thursday of each month.

Sorry for the commercial interruption — now please go read (wonderful illustrations in the book) and/or listen to The Graveyard Book. Or, better yet, do both…I did!

Joanne Sobieck-Lingg – Central Library

Once upon a time she was “The Angel of the World” to her family, but since the tragic death of her beautiful, albeit troubled-to-the-max older sister, Mathilda Savitch, in her hilariously skewed take on life, has become to both her grieving parents, the horrific “Vampire of Questions."

And there are no answers to be found – because nothing is as it was in the little blue house where Mathilda’s happiest memories were born. Her beautiful father can no longer look at her, and Ma has taken to drinking and moving with the speed of a “wooly mammoth trying to pull itself out of a tar pit.”

The whole purpose, Mathilda realizes with acute pain masked in prickly cynicism, is to obliterate her existence right along with the memory of her sister. That’s when fight or flight kicks in, and 14-year-old guerilla warfare, complete with shaved head and jack boots, becomes the order of the day. Mathilda morphs into Lufwa (that’s awful spelled backwards). Her mission: Do every conceivable awful, terrible, horrible thing in her terrorist’s repertoire to wake up her parents.

In Mathilda Savitch, poet Victor Lodato has eloquently created a tender young being in search of a painless universe. Lovely.

Aimee Zuccarini – East Columbia

Newton Starker feels cursed because everyone in the Starker family bloodline has been struck dead…by lightning. They simply attract lightning!  The family has rules, but even his own mother had mistakenly looked at the wrong day on the calendar and had gotten caught in a storm. Newton is the last of the line, except for his great-grandmother, Enid, “a woman as friendly as a pickled wolverine."

Determined to survive, he decides to try something new. He enrolls at the Jerry Potts Academy of Higher Learning and Survival, a boarding school in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, where the motto is survival through fierce intelligence. Newton finds that making friends is as challenging as staying alive, especially when he vies for top marks with a girl named Violet Quon.

NEWTON STARKER’S RULES FOR SURVIVAL
• Do not take a bath during a thunderstorm.
• When thunder roars, go indoors. Fast!
• Beware of cumulonimbus clouds.
• Check the weather before exiting any building.
• Remember not to get angry. Anger has been the downfall of many a Starker.
• If your hair stands on end, you are about to be struck by lightning.
• Lightning travels down telephone wires. Use only cordless phones.
• Check the weather. Recheck the weather. Check it again.

With Jolted, Arthur Slade has written a wonderfully entertaining, brisk and funny read. In spite of his intensity, dogged determination and quirky nature, Newton is a likeable character and his pet Josephine, a truffle-sniffing pig, is a hoot.

Eve Olsen – Central Library

"The more Henry thought about the shabby old knickknacks, forgotten treasures, the more it seemed as if his own broken heart might be found in there, hidden among the unclaimed possessions of another time."

Henry, a widower in his late 50’s, stood outside the Panama Hotel in Seattle as the new owners carted out boxes containing personal items of Japanese families who were evacuated to internment camps during WW II. A beautiful parasol evoked memories of the past he struggled to forget.

Years earlier, Chinese-American Henry was "scholarshipping" — as his father would proudly announce to anyone — in an all-white school when he met Keiko, a Japanese-American girl, who was also helping out in the cafeteria serving lunches. Their friendship, forged in defiance against school bullies and parental pressures, withstood the passing of the years.

Jamie Ford’s first book of fiction The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is the story of Henry and Keiko, both 12, who fall in love against their family wishes at a time when prejudice toward Japanese-Americans was so divisive. It was a dark period in America, full of fears and paranoia.

Ford writes so poignantly not only of the innocence, the purity, the intensity of first love, but of the layers of "bitter and sweet" in our lives.

Cristina Lozare – Central Library

And they lived happily ever after.

That’s how all fairy tales end, but is it really the end of the story? Not according to Jim Hines in The Stepsister Scheme. This novel recounts the adventures a bunch of strong-willed, smart-mouthed princesses have, while rescuing Prince Charming (aka Armand).

Meet Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella as you’ve never seen them before. These are not Disney heroines who burst into song at a moment’s notice; these are real life girls with histories and minds of their own. Snow knows mirror magic and uses it to keep her friends safe. She also is an unapologetic flirt. Talia (who detests her fairy tale name of Sleeping Beauty) is a martial arts expert and has some well-earned anger management issues. She hates fairies and everything to do with them. Think about that one!

Then there’s Danielle Whiteshore…our heroine…who was a maid, but recently married the crown prince of Lorindar. Upon returning from their honeymoon, Danielle is visited — and attacked — by one of her wicked (and strangely magical) stepsisters. Apparently, the steps still think they can have the prince for themselves and have abducted him. Danielle and her friends go after him, encountering trolls, drunken pixies, flying horses, evil queens, and their own worst fears. As they move from one hair-raising escapade to the next, you’re never quite sure how the princesses are going to survive…let alone win.

But, after all, it is a fairy tale and the adventure (and the series) must continue. A second installment furthers these strong women’s friendships and tales of derring-do in The Mermaid’s Madness.  Apparently, Hans Christian Andersen didn’t write the entire story of what happened to the young mermaid who fell in love with a human prince.

By the way: These books actually live up to their fun cover art! If you notice a similarity to a certain set of three girls who worked for someone named Charlie, you might be on to something.

Kristen Blount – Administration Office

Tart-tongued, sassy and smart, 18-year-old Adair Colley may take no prisoners when it comes to dealing with fools and Yankees; but in 1863, the brutal Union Militia certainly does – that is after executing, raping, and beheading countless Missouri civilians including women and children – often for nothing more than sending cookies and warm socks in “care boxes” to their Confederate sons.

When following the savage beating of her father, Adair questions the statutes of martial law, she is banished to an infamous federal detention center in St. Louis for enemy women. There, conflicted Union Major William Neumann, demands Colley’s written confession as a Confederate spy. Adair would rather die of the consumption, already seeping into her lungs. Instead, she chooses to write a fable of her short happy life before General William T. Sherman’s implementation of “total war” and devastation upon innocent Missouri citizens. Neumann is enchanted beyond reason with the provoking, backtalking country girl, and orchestrates her escape.

And still, this is only half of poet-historian Paulette Jiles’ absorbing Civil War narrative. The adrenalin-pumping rest – Adair’s harrowing recovery of her beloved dun gelding Whiskey, her intrepid journey homeward through war-devastated valleys, and Neumann’s parallel quest to find her, despite his own attempt at escape (in this case the surgeon’s saw for a potentially gangrenous bullet wound) — all converge like a thousand violins playing at once.

Writing with grit, gumption, and at times, startling humor, Jiles illuminates readers with some shocking truths about the Civil War — in particular the cultural annihilation of American citizens at the hands of a sometimes less than noble Union force.

Aimee Zuccarini – East Columbia Branch

When the nights get long and chilly, my family loves to huddle together in the dark and watch a scary movie. Finding one that we can all watch together can be tricky, but we recently discovered a gem in Disney’s Escape to Witch Mountain (G), which has just the right mix of mystery and adventure. In it, two orphans possessing extraordinary powers find a home with the wealthy Aristotle Bolt (Ray Milland). Bolt doesn’t have their best interests at heart, however, resulting in a game of cat and mouse as the children flee to Witch Mountain. You’ll be on the edge of your seat as the kids try to find their way home. The DVD is a re-release of the 1975 original, and has bonus features including pop-up fun facts, commentary by director John Hough, and information about the making of the movie.

With the children safely tucked in bed, I recently watched Pan’s Labyrinth (R), directed by Guillermo del Torro. Pan’s Labyrinth is a dark adult fairy tale, in which 12 year-old Ofelia begins a new chapter of life with a pregnant mother, a brutal stepfather, and a nurturing housekeeper. At her "new" home (a creaky abandoned mill), an insect/fairy leads Ofelia to an overgrown labyrinth. The labyrinth is the gateway to an underworld inhabited by a faun who gives Ofelia a mysterious book instructing her to complete three arduous tasks. As she begins to act in defiance to the adults around her, the viewer wonders whether Ofelia is actually experiencing her mystical world or if she has created an incredibly detailed fantasy paralleling the atrocities of her daily life. Only you can decide, which makes this movie so memorable. The dialogue is in Spanish with English subtitles, but you become so engrossed in the story that you won’t even notice.

And saving the best for last, my all-time favorite scary movie is The Shining (R) — a film based on the Stephen King novel — directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall. The other star of the movie is the stately Overlook Hotel, which becomes home to caretaker Jack Torrence and his family during the off-season. However, this hotel is not the place most families would want to spend a long snowy winter, especially after discovering that the former caretaker murdered his family there. Add a son with strange communication abilities and a creepy imaginary friend, Jack’s decent into madness, and an eerie soundtrack, and you have a psychological thriller that makes you wish you left the lights on when you started the DVD.

So, which movies make you jump when things go bump in the night?

Andrea Misner – Administration Office

In his chilling new supernatural novel Blood and Ice, author Robert Masello effectively uses alternating chapters spanning centuries to tell both a love story and an adventure.

Journalist Michael Wilde hopes that an assignment in the South Pole will give him a new lease in life. On a routine dive in the Antarctic Ocean, he discovers a submerged block of ice holding two captive bodies bound in chains. Beside them is a chest filled with a strange, and sinister, cargo. The block of ice begins to melt and everyone assigned to the research station must grapple with what is unleashed. As Michael unravels the mystery of the couple, his search leads from the battles of the Crimean War to the unexplained depths of the Antarctic Ocean.

This book has everything I like in a novel…romance, history, suspense, tangible characters, good pacing and an intriguing setting. I also became quite curious about Antarctica and often referred to a visually gorgeous book entitled Antarctica: Secrets of the Southern Continent "to get the facts".

Eve Olsen – Central Library