Booklist's Reading List: Best Genre Adult Fiction, 2012

--Booklist Feature (First published in the March 1, 2012 issue of Booklist)

Established in 2007 by the CODES section of RUSA, the Reading List Council, consisting of librarians who are experts in readers’ advisory and collection development, selects an annual list of outstanding genre fiction. This list is made up of one title in eight different categories: Adrenaline (encompassing thrillers, suspense, and action/adventure); Fantasy; Historical Fiction; Horror; Mystery; Romance; Science Fiction; and Women’s Fiction. All titles were published in 2011.

Adrenaline

Before I Go To Sleep. By S. J. Watson, HarperCollins, $25.99 (9780062060556).

Each morning, Christine wakes with no memory. From the clues she left herself, she tries to piece together her identity and sort lies from the truth. This novel’s unrelenting pace thrusts the reader into the confusion of a waking nightmare, in which revelations from Christine’s past lead to a frantic crescendo. Read-alikes: Tanya French’s The Likeness, Dennis Lehane’s Shutter Island, and Memento (Summit Entertainment, 2000).

Shortlist: Now You See Me, by S. J. Bolton (St. Martin’s); Spiral, by Paul McEuen (Dial); The Woodcutter, by Reginald Hill (HarperCollins); and You’re Next, by Gregg Hurwitz (St. Martin’s).

Fantasy

The Night Circus. By Erin Morgenstern. Doubleday, $26.95 (9780385534635).

Le Cirque des Rêves is utterly unique, disappearing at dawn in one town only to mysteriously reappear in another. At the heart of the circus are two young magicians involved in a competition neither completely understands. The dreamlike atmosphere and vivid imagery make this fantasy unforgettable. Read-alikes: Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s Shadow of the Wind, and The Prestige (Touchstone Pictures, 2006).

Shortlist: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor (Little, Brown); The Magician King, by Lev Grossman (Viking); The Wise Man’s Fear, by Patrick Rothfuss (DAW); and Zoo City, by Lauren Beukes (Angry Robot).

Historical Fiction

Doc. By Mary Doria Russell. Random, $26 (9781400068043).

In the early days of Dodge City, a genteel, tubercular southern dentist forges a friendship with the infamous Earp brothers. Combining historical details and lyrical language, this gritty psychological portrait of gunslinger Doc Holliday reveals how the man became the legend. Read-alikes: Pete Dexter’s Deadwood, Gerald Kolpan’s Etta, and Robert B. Parker’s Gunman’s Rhapsody.

Shortlist: Bright and Distant Shores, by Dominic Smith (Pocket); Lionheart, by Sharon Kay Penman (Putnam); Rules of Civility, by Amor Towles (Viking); and The Sea Captain’s Wife, by Beth Powning (Penguin).

Horror

The Ridge. By Michael Koryta. Little, Brown, $24.99 (9780316053662).

The unexplained death of an eccentric lighthouse keeper in the isolated Kentucky woods, followed by a mysterious threat to a large nearby cat sanctuary, prompts an investigation by a journalist and the local sheriff. Palpable evil and a sense of dread drive this chilling tale. Read-alikes: Stephen Irwin’s Dead Path, Christopher Buehlman’s Those across the River, and John Ajvide Lindqvist’s Harbor.

Shortlist: The Last Werewolf, by Glen Duncan (Knopf); The Night Strangers, by Chris Bohjalian (Crown); Raising Stony Mayhall, by Daryl Gregory (Del Rey); and The White Devil, by Justin Evans (HarperCollins).

Mystery

The Devotion of Suspect X. By Keigo Higashino. Minotaur, $24.99 (9780312375065).

An introverted mathematician matches wits with a brilliant former colleague to protect the neighbor he secretly adores from a murder charge. Although the reader knows the murderer’s identity from the beginning, this unconventional Japanese mystery remains a taut psychological puzzle. Read-alikes: Natsuo Kirino’s Out, John Verdon’s Think of a Number, and Sherlock (BBC, 2010–12).

Shortlist: Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead, by Sara Gran (Houghton); Killed at the Whim of a Hat, by Colin Cotterill (Minotaur); The Snowman, by Jo Nesbo (Knopf); and A Trick of the Light, by Louise Penny (Minotaur).

Romance

Silk Is for Seduction. By Loretta Chase. Avon, paper, $7.99 (9780061632686).

Ambitious dressmaker Marcelline Noirot will do almost anything to secure the patronage of the Duke of Clevendon’s intended bride. Neither her calculated business plan nor his campaign of seduction can withstand the force of their mutual attraction. Witty banter and strong-willed characters make this a memorable tale. Read-alikes: Madeline Hunter’s Dangerous in Diamonds, Elizabeth Hoyt’s The Raven Prince, and Judith Ivory’s Untie My Heart.

Shortlist: Dragon Bound, by Thea Harrison (Berkley); A Lady’s Lesson in Scandal, by Meredith Duran (Pocket); My One and Only, by Kristin Higgins (Harlequin); and When Beauty Tamed the Beast, by Eloisa James (Avon).

Science Fiction

Leviathan Wakes. By James S. A. Corey. Orbit, paper $15.99 (9780316129084).

The missions of a jaded cop and a dedicated officer collide as the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. A mystery adds a noir touch to this space opera featuring deeply flawed yet heroic characters, nonstop action, and Earth versus Mars politics. Read-alikes: M. J. Locke’s Up against It, Peter Hamilton’s Pandora’s Star, and Paul J. McAuley’s The Quiet War.

Shortlist: Embassytown, by China Miéville (Del Rey); The Quantum Thief, by Hannu Rajaniemi (Tor); Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline (Crown); and When She Woke, by Hillary Jordan (Algonquin).

Women’s Fiction

The Language of Flowers. By Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Ballantine, $25 (9780345525543).

A former foster child struggles to overcome a past filled with abuse, neglect, and anger. Communicating through the Victorian language of flowers allows her to discover hope, redemption, and a capacity for love. Damaged, authentic characters create emotional tension in this profoundly moving story. Read-alikes: Paula McLain’s Like Family (nonfiction); Helen Humphreys’ The Lost Garden, Janet Fitch’s White Oleander.

Shortlist: Deep Down True, by Juliette Fay (Penguin); Joy for Beginners, by Erica Bauermeister (Putnam); The Weird Sisters, by Eleanor Brown (Putnam); and What Alice Forgot, by Liane Moriarty (Penguin).

Over 100 New Titles Added to Collections

--CQL Acquisitions

The following items were added to the Copper Queen Library's collections this past month:

ADULT COLLECTION

Adult Fiction (General)

Anaya, Rudolfo A. Randy Lopez goes home

Baldacci, David. Zero day

Brockmann, Suzanne. Force of nature

Foenkinos, David. Delicacy

Freveletti, Jamie. The ninth day

Froderberg, Susan. Old Border Road

Genova, Lisa. Left neglected

George, Alex. A good American

Gerritsen, Tess. The silent girl

Ivey, Eowyn. The snow child

Jhabvala, Ruth Prawer. Shards of memory

Koontz, Dean R. 77 Shadow Street

Krentz, Jayne Ann. Copper beach

Livesey, Margot. The flight of Gemma Hardy

Penney, Stef. The invisible ones

Rice, Anne. The wolf gift

Robards, Karen. Sleepwalker

Savage, Michael. Abuse of power

Urrea, Luis Alberto. Queen of America

Wolitzer, Hilma. An available man

Adult Fiction (Fantasy)

Hobb, Robin. City of dragons

Hobb, Robin. Dragon keeper

Martin, George R. R. A storm of swords

Martin, George R. R. A dance with dragons

Adult Fiction (Mystery)

Barr, Nevada. The rope

Clark, M. J. B. The look of love

Gardner, Lisa. Catch me

Grimes, Martha. The black cat: a Richard Jury mystery

Jance, Judith A. Left for dead

Johansen, Iris. Eve

Kaminsky, Stuart M. People who walk in darkness

Kellerman, Faye. Gun games

McCall Smith, Alexander. The Saturday big tent wedding party

O'Connell, Carol. The chalk girl

Patterson, James. Private: #1 suspect

Sallis, James. The killer is dying

Stabenow, Dana. Restless in the grave

Vachss, Andrew H. That's how I roll

Adult – Non-Fiction (All Subjects)

Ackerman, Diane. One hundred names for love: a stroke, a marriage, and the language of healing

Ashenburg, Katherine. The dirt on clean: an unsanitized history

Boo, Katherine. Behind the beautiful forevers

Brewer, Janice K. Scorpions for breakfast: my fight against special interests, liberal media, and cynical politicos to secure America's border

Cain, Susan. Quiet: the power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking

Davis, Kate. Raptors of the West: captured in photographs

Davis, Wade. Into the silence: the Great War, Mallory, and the conquest of Everest

Estabrook, Barry. Tomatoland: how modern industrial agriculture destroyed our most alluring fruit

Foster, Thomas C. Twenty-five books that shaped America: how white whales, green lights, and restless spirits forged our national identity

Mad Coyote Joe. The Sonoran grill

Mueller, Tom. Extra virginity: the sublime and scandalous world of olive oil

Radford, Benjamin. Tracking the chupacabra: the vampire beast in fact, fiction, and folklore

Ross, Andrew. Bird on fire: lessons from the world's least sustainable city

Schenone, Laura. A thousand years over a hot stove: a history of American women told through food, recipes, and remembrances

Steiger, Brad. Real monsters, gruesome critters, and beasts from the darkside

Twain, Mark. Who is Mark Twain?

Willes, Margaret. Reading matters: five centuries of discovering books

Wolman, David. The end of money: counterfeiters, preachers, techies, dreamers-and the coming cashless society

Zalasiewicz, J. A. The planet in a pebble: a journey into Earth's deep history

Adult – Non-Fiction (Biography/Autobiography)

Bartok, Mira. The memory palace

Harrison, Olivia. George Harrison: living in the material world

Havens, Charnell. Quincy Tahoma: the life and legacy of a Navajo artist

Hendrickson, Paul. Hemingway's boat: everything he loved in life, and lost, 1934-1961

Iyer, Pico. The man within my head

Merrill, C. S. Weekends with O'Keeffe

Poppa, Terrence E. Druglord: the life and death of a Mexican kingpin

Rodriguez, Luis J. It calls you back: an odyssey through love, addictions, revolution, and healing

Rutter, Michael. Bedside book of bad girls: outlaw women of the Old West

Adult – Non-Fiction (Southwest Collection)

Bogener, Steve. Llano Estacado: an island in the sky

Cleere, Jan. Levi's & lace: Arizona women who made history

DeBuys, William Eno. A great aridness: climate change and the future of the American southwest

DeWitt, Dave. The southwest table: traditional cuisine from Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona

Griffith, James S. A border runs through it: journeys in regional history and folklore

Heidinger, Lisa Schnebly. Arizona: 100 years grand

Lamberton, Ken. Dry river: stories of life, death, and redemption on the Santa Cruz

Maril, Robert Lee. The fence: national security, public safety, and illegal immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border

Mullaly, Katie. Scare-izona: a travel guide to Arizona's spookiest spots

Niethammer, Carolyn J. Cooking the wild Southwest: delicious recipes for desert plants

Adult Non-Fiction (Southwest Collection: Biography)

Connors, Philip. Fire season: field notes from a wilderness lookout

Hayden, Julian D. Field man: life as a desert archaeologist

Kristofic, Jim. Navajos wear Nikes: a reservation life

CHILDREN’S MATERIALS

Children’s – Easy

Diesen, Deborah. The pout-pout fish

Diesen, Deborah. The pout-pout fish in the big-big dark

Willems, Mo. Naked mole rat gets dressed

Juvenile – Fiction

DiTerlizzi, Tony. A giant problem

DiTerlizzi, Tony. The wyrm king

Hunter, Erin. Island of shadows

Hunter, Erin. The forgotten warrior

Lai, Thanhha. Inside out & back again

Lasky, Kathryn. Frost wolf

Ness, Patrick. A monster calls

Riordan, Rick. The red pyramid

Juvenile – Non-Fiction (All Subjects)

Boritzer, Etan. What is a family?

Exley, Lynda. Arizona, way out west & witty: awesome activities, humorous history, and fun facts

Young Adult – Fiction

Whaley, John Corey. Where things come back

MEDIA MATERIALS

Audiobooks – Fiction

Box, C. J. Force of nature

Cook, Robin. Death benefit

Crawford, Dean. Covenant

Crombie, Deborah. No mark upon her

Duenas, Maria. The time in between

Eco, Umberto. The Prague cemetery

Fforde, Jasper. The well of lost plots

Fluke, Joanne. Cinnamon roll murder

George, Elizabeth. Believing the lie

Jance, Judith A. Left for dead

Jin, Ha. Nanjing requiem

Kay, Guy Gavriel. The darkest road

McCall Smith, Alexander. The forgotten affairs of youth

O'Connell, Carol. The chalk girl

O'Nan, Stewart. The odds

Penney, Stef. The invisible ones

Shteyngart, Gary. The Russian debutante's handbook

Audiobooks – Non-Fiction

Dawkins, Richard. The magic of reality: how we know what's really true

Giffords, Gabrielle D. Gabby: a story of courage and hope

Movies (DVD) – Documentaries

Big cats collection

The dark ages

Jane Goodall's return to Gombe

Manufactured landscapes

The real dirt on Farmer John

Revenge of the electric car

Spirits of the jaguar

Movies (DVD) – Fiction

Beginners

A better life

The big year

Bobby

Bridesmaids

Children of a lesser god

Crazy, stupid, love

The descendants

Drive

Hugo

The ides of March

J. Edgar

Love in the afternoon

Margin call

Midnight in Paris

Moneyball

My week with Marilyn

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the lightning thief

Pixote: a lei do mais fraco = Pixote: the survival of the weakest

The adventures of Tintin

Undocumented

Warrior

Water for elephants

Twilight: Breaking dawn (Part 1)

Travel Roundup: Spring Travel Guides, 2012

--by Brad Hooper (first published in Booklist, April 1, 2012)

Evidence, both anecdotal and statistical, leads us to believe that only the direst of circumstances will discourage travelers from traveling. And that is as it should be. May every horizon continue to open up for us. With that sentiment in mind, we offer our annual spring roundup of recommended titles that have appeared over the past six months. —Brad Hooper

DK Eyewitness Travel Guides (DK, paper).

• Family Guide: London. $25 (9780756689544).
• Family Guide: New York City. $25 (9780756689551).
• Family Guide: Paris. $25 (9780756689568).
• Family Guide: Washington, D.C. $25 (9780756689575).

These guides bring DK’s usual visual and informational superiority to bear on how to give kids the best time in these fabulous cities.

Frommer’s Guides (Wiley, paper).

• Australia. 18th ed. $26.99 (9781118065068).
• Boston. $19.99 (9781118017210).
• Honduras. 2d ed. $21.99 (9781118072752).
• New York City. $19.99 (9781118027400).
• Poland. 2d ed. $21.99 (9780470681602).
• Seoul Day by Day. $13.99 (9780470931448).

Turn to a Frommer’s guide and you can rest assured you will find reliable information and guidance, all presented with good spirit.

A Grand Tour of Gardens: Traveling in Beauty through Western Europe and the United States. By Annie Sinkler Whaley LeClercq. Univ. of South Carolina, $29.95 (9781611170689).

Very stylish two- to three-page essays on historic gardens of particular note in the U.S. and Europe make up this lovely guide.

Great British Pubs. By Adrian Tierney-Jones. IPG, paper, $23.95 (9781852492656).

One of the things Britain is synonymous with in the traveler’s mind is pubs, and more than 200 of those hallowed institutions for socializing are profiled in this comprehensive guide.

Guide to Contemporary New York City Architecture. By John Hill. Norton, paper, $29.95 (9780393733266).

The Big Apple is an architectural heaven, and visitors and natives alike will appreciate this very nicely illustrated and quite comprehensive guide to architectural gems big and small throughout the five-borough area.

Hidden Gardens of Paris: A Guide to the Parks, Squares, and Woodlands of the City of Light. St. Martin’s/Griffin, paper, $19.99 (9780312673338).

The gardens of Paris offer an additional level of delight when visiting the French capital, and this hospitable guide takes you to places you might not have found on your own.

Interlink Guides (Interlink, paper).

• Cadogan Guide: Bilboa and the Basque Lands. 5th ed. $21.95 (9781566568807).
• Cadogan Guide: Marrakesh, Fez, and Rabat. 2d ed. $21.95 (9781566568203).
• Café Life: London. $20 (9781566568852).
• Cambridge: A Cultural and Literary History. $15 (9781566565417).
• Jewish London. $17.95 (9781566569002).
• The Roman Provence Guide. $20 (9781566568968).
• The Rome Guide: Step by Step through the Art, Culture, and History of the Eternal City. $25 (9781566568364).
• A Traveller’s History of Oxford. $14.95 (9781566564670).
• A Traveller’s History of Poland. $14.96 (9781566566551).

This series of travel guides continues to exhibit flair of presentation, width of geographical and activity coverage, and general high-level informativeness.

Lobster Shacks: A Road-Trip Guide to New England’s Best Lobster Joints. By Mike Urban. Countryman, paper, $18.95 (9780881509991).

The book’s subtitle pretty much says it all: 75 three-page profiles of the best places that serve lobster, with each entry enticingly illustrated.

Museyon Guides (Museyon, paper).

• Chronicles of Old Boston. $19.95 (9780984633401).
• Chronicles of Old Las Vegas. $18.95 (9780984633418).
• Chronicles of Old Paris. $19.95 (9780984633425).

Through the personal stories of many individuals who had strong affiliations with these three cities, the colorful history of each place is evoked.

National Geographic Guides (National Geographic, paper).

• Guide to National Parks of the United States. 7th ed. $26 ((78142620869).
• The 10 Best of Everything. 3d ed. $21.95 (9781426208676).
• Walking London. $14.95 (9781426208706).
• Walking New York. $14.95 (978142620873).
• Walking Paris. $14.95 (978142620873).
• Walking Rome. $14.95 (9781426208720).

Nat Geo guides are known for their exquiste illustrations, and these new entries in the line-up are no exceptions. The walking guides are portable and easy to follow and gorgeous to look at; the national parks guide is indispensable for pre-trip planning; and the 10-best book (international in scope) is a greatly informative and enjoyable guide to such things as best hamburgers, shopping avenues, cathedrals, and literary tours.

Oddball Illinois: A Guide to 450 Really Strange Places. 2d ed. Chicago Review, paper, $16.95 (9781613740323).

Does Illinois strike you as a rather bland state? Prepare to be disabused of that notion when you investigate the pages of this fun guide to all kinds of quirky places to see in the Prairie State, from a Superman statue to a two-story outhouse.

A People’s Guide to Los Angeles. By Laura Pulido and others. Univ. of California, paper, $27.95 (9780520270817).

This is not your usual roundup of traditional tourist sites in L.A. but, instead, a unique and vastly informative guide to places of interest and importance in the struggles of race, labor, gender, and the environment.

Places of Faith: A Road Trip across America’s Religious Landscape. By Christopher P. Scheitle and Roger Finke. Oxford, $27.95 (9780199791521).

Handsomely formatted, this guide takes readers on a cross-country tour of churches, synagogues, Islamic centers, and other places of faith in small towns and rural areas.

A Route 66 Companion. Ed. by David King Dunaway. Univ. of Texas, paper, $19.95 (9780292726604).

What a fun book for pre- or post-trip reading: an anthology of fiction, poetry, memoir, and oral history about legendary Route 66, written by a great selection of outstanding writers, including Joan Didion, John Steinbeck, and Henry Miller.

Sterling Guides (Sterling/Anova).

• The Cathedrals of England. $24.95 (9781849940290).
• The Spirit of London. $24.95 (9781849940283).

These are two very special books: facsimiles of titles originally published in the 1930s and considered classics of travel literature, they may be used quite successfully as pre- or post-trip pleasure reading; after all, England’s capital city and cathedrals throughout the land have endured and will continue to do so!

Volunteer Vacations: Short-Term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others. By Bill McMillon and others. 11th ed. Chicago Review, paper, $18.95 (9781569768419).

If you want to take a trip that is more than just a self-indulgence and want to do some good for people other than yourself, consult this comprehensive guide to organizations and outfits that cater to travelers’ interests in helping others.

The World’s Most Haunted Places. By Jeff Belanger. 2d ed. New Page, paper, $15.99 (9781601631930).

The supernatural in all its manifestations is increasingly popular, and to make a vacation out of taking in particularly haunted sites from all over the world, including the White House and the great ocean liner Queen Mary, can only be fun.

Library Offers Online Historical Newspapers

--by Peg White

The Copper Queen Library is pleased to announce the immediate availability of our new digital newspaper collection. Titled America’s Historical Newspapers and providing access to over 1,000 newspapers from 1690-1922, this collection is provided free to CQL patrons.

America’s Historical Newspapers is the most comprehensive digital newspaper resource available. Created through partnerships with the American Antiquarian Society, the Library of Congress, the Wisconsin Historical Society and more than 90 other institutions, it offers searchable digital facsimiles of thousands of titles from all 50 states, including Arizona. With eyewitness reporting, editorials, letters, advertisements, and obituaries and more, this collection uniquely chronicles the evolution of American culture and daily life from 1690 to the recent past.

The America’s Historical Newspapers database enables library patrons to easily search and browse archived news articles, editorials, reviews, birth and marriage announcements, obituaries, and a variety of special sections. Patrons can use this resource for general reference or to research local and national issues, events, people, government, education, arts, business, sports, real estate, and much more.

As the first draft of history, American newspapers have preserved essential records and detailed accounts of the people, issues and events that shaped the nation for hundreds of years. In the 1800s, American newspapers were often published by small-town printers and reflected the interests and values of the communities they served. But as the country grew and changed, so too did its newspapers. In the 19th century, the number of titles published rose dramatically, and newspapers were transformed by an increasing emphasis on society, industry, scientific advances, investigative journalism, and human-interest stories. By the early 20th century, nearly every town in the United States had its own newspaper – and many of the stories from those local newspapers were picked up regionally or even nationally (as a search of “Bisbee, Arizona” will show, for example: “Explosion at the Denn Mine: Eight Thousand Pounds of Dynamite Go off No One Killed;” Duluth News-Tribune, January 6, 1907, page 7).

With America’s Historical Newspapers, national and local history truly come alive. Search for “George Washington” or “Paul Revere” or “witchcraft,” “Spanish influenza” or “prohibition” or “Bisbee stage robbery” and see stories as they actually appeared in newspapers around the country (and all the other stories and ads that appeared on the same page!).

America’s Historical Newspapers can be searched on library workstations or on home computers by Dates & Eras, Article Types, Languages, Places of Publication, and/or Newspaper Titles. To get started, visit the library’s web page and click the America’s Historical Newspapers button (home users will be asked to sign in with their library barcode).

For more information, please contact the Copper Queen Library at 432-4232.