         Staff Picks Mark's
Picks
This novel will slowly take you down a dark path, as Jacob Hansen, preacher, sheriff, and undertaker, tries to keep his small Wisconsin town alive against a diphtheria outbreak. He is also haunted by his recent experiences in the Civil War, which pushed him to the brink of sanity. This book has the feel, and undoubtedly the quality, of Cormac McCarthy's The Road.
The wife of Matt King lies in a coma from a boat racing accident. Meanwhile he must decide on selling off a land inheritance that will affect all his living relatives. The Descendants is both poignant and funny, as Matt wrestles with being the parent-in-charge, carrying out his wife's last wish to be disconnected from life support, and dealing with a surprise or two along the way.
In Cain, Saramago's last novel, the title character wanders through"future presents," witnessing such biblical tales as the towerof Babel, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.This book is a lot of fun to read, especially if you're okay with God beingtaken to task for some of His more impulsive and impetuous decisions.
Mortimer is willing to give an arm and a leg for true love, but his romantic destiny always seems just out of reach. That is until Mabel shows up at the end of Cupid's Ball, just when Mortimer had given up all hope. Suitable for Halloween or Valentine's Day.
The Central Park Five Many of us remember the horrible rape of the Central Park jogger in 1989, and the tabloid-like headlines that accompanied the case. What didn't make the headlines was the fact that the five boys (four under 16) that were tried and convicted of the heinous crime were all exonerated of that crime in 2003. Once the boys were in the system, the system decided to convict them no matter what the facts bore out. Sara Burns does justice to their cases, and reminds us all that our race and class is oft times used against us in a court of law.
Nicholas Carr utilizes the latest research to open our eyes to what our internet browsing habits may be doing to our brain. In The Shallows...wait a minute; I just got a text...Okay. I'm back. You'll really be fascinated by the...Hold it. I need to Google something real quick...What was I talking about again?
Toward You completes Krusoe's trilogy about resurrection. In this tale Bob is trying to build a machine to enable him to communicate with the dead. When his ex-girlfriend's daughter dies from rabies, finishing the Communicator becomes his foremost task.
Forty "what if" scenarios regarding the afterlife. These short tales are funny, quirky, and sure to spark your imagination. I immediately felt the urge to reread my favorite stories and quote them to friends.
The U.S. has its first black president, but race is still a hot topic. Being born white, it's easy to overlook the advantages that society provides for its preferred citizens. White Like Me helps to open our eyes to institutionalized racism in its subtlest of forms.
The Radleys
Last Night at the Lobster
At ninety-one years of age, Ptolemy Grey has a somewhat tenuous grasp on reality. He finds a savior of a caretaker in the guise of Robyn, a friend of the family. With her help, Ptolemy regains some semblance of self-respect and control of his life before the end. A page-turner with a wonderful central character.
The central character is given a year's assignment as a weather official on a seemingly deserted island. The only other human on the island is a crazed Austrian who mans the lighthouse. Quickly we learn that the small island is nightly overrun by amphibious creatures. Cold Skin is compelling, disturbing, and guaranteed to stick with you long after you close the cover on the last page.
This historical novel was based on the actual life of an Oglala Sioux, who went from life on the reservation to traveling Europe with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Charging Elk comes down with a bout of influenza in France, and if left behind by the traveling show. Charging Elk is an eloquent and poignant character, wandering through Marseilles, recalling life in his America before the arrival of the Europeans.
You Were Wrong is a strange family odyssey, told through the eyes of Karl Floor, a sad sack, high school math teacher, who is still mourning the death of his mother five years after the fact. Reading this darkly humorous novel is like watching a car wreck in slow motion . . . a very funny, and extremely well-written car wreck.
Bob Fingerman draws on the rich tradition of zombie lore, and adds his own particular spin. This is a well-written horror thriller that does not skimp on the gore, or gallows humor.
This nightmarish tale of a seagoing adventure gone wrong has stuck with me ever since I read it over five years ago. Just after the Civil War, young Brendan Kane takes a two-year post aboard the mysterious Narthex, in search of a mythical paradise. The men in this adventure are brought to the edge of death and sanity, caused by hunger and a general loss of bearings. You'll appreciate the sunshine and your next meal that much more after reading this novel.
E. L. Doctorow's debut is a short, intense novel of the early frontier. The small town of Hard Times is attacked by outlaws, but the citizens rebuild, always with a wary eye out for the return of the outlaws. Welcome to Hard Times shows us the early promise of Doctorow's award winning career.
This novel is a swiriling miasma of melancholia. In the beginning Jernigan is lying on the floor of a dilapidated trailer with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his hand. In between ingesting large quantities of gun, he recounts how he got to this lowly state.
This post-apocalyptic classic is now back in print. A massive nuclear war has been waged in the northern hemisphere. On the Beach depicts the human fallout, as clouds of radiation make their way south towards Australia. There is a low-level sense of melancholy throughout the novel, as we realize - along with the characters - that the end is drawing near.
Is it high time you polished up your B.S. detector? In The Demon-Haunted
World Sagan provides a skeptic's manual of sorts. Never be fooled again by
wacky conspiracy theories, or mortgage rates that sound too good to be true.
Rilke on Black A blisteringly fast read about a kidnapping that goes horribly awry. Nick, an ex-bouncer, is one of the more sympathetic criminals I've encountered in a while. Irishman Bruen hasn't quite caught on in the U.S. yet,
Invisible Auster is one our most respected writers, but in the last decade he's been a little hit or miss. His fans will be back in the fold with this one. It's an amazing literary psychological thriller that will keep you reading late into the night. Auster's use of technique is one of his traits, and he does not disappoint with this entry. Don't wait for the paperback!
Papillion A rousing tale of adventure that gives the account of the only man ever
to escape from Devil's Island. There has been questions over the years about
the book's authenticity, but -- true of false -- it's perfect escapist fare
(pun intended.)
Winter's Bone Ree Dolly is a sixteen-year-old who has been left in charge of her family after her father skips bail. If he fails to appear in court the family will lose their house. Ree must travel the Ozark countryside, quizzing relatives and various ne'er-do-wells in the hopes of tracking down her meth-cooking father. "Country noir" at its best.
The story of Trelkovsky, a new resident in a building where the previous
tenant had jumped to her death. Soon he is losing his sense of himself, and
taking on the persona of the previous tenant. Is he being driven mad by his
neighbors, or just falling off the deep end?
The story of "The Family" (AKA the Christian Mafia, AKA the Fellowship)
begins in Seattle, where founder Abram Vereide aided wealthy businessmen
in their attempt to break up the dockworker's union. Sharlet has produced
an excellent piece of journalism that exposes the Family's powerful reach
into the halls of congress, and even into foreign dictatorships. Thanks to
the recent affairs of Sen. Ensign and Gov. Sanford, the C Street residence
of the Family has been exposed to the public eye. Jeff Sharlet lived at C
Street for a year an gives us the inside story to this very secretive organization.
Erased Jim Krusoe To call "Erased" quirky would be an understatement. Krusoe writes like an alien with a great attention to detail. Themes contained herein include death, parental relationships, women's civic clubs and fishing. A fun, quick read with an original voice.
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A Prayer for the Dying 
The Descendants
Cain 
Zombie in Love 
The Shallows
Toward You 
Sum : Forty Tales from the Afterlife
White Like Me 
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey
Cold Skin
The Heartsong of Charging Elk
You Were Wrong
The Assault
Pariah
The Rope Eater
Welcome
to Hard Times 
Jernigan 
On
the Beach
The Demon-Haunted World 
The
Tenant 
The
Family 