Great Reads for the New Year

Well, the countdown to the holiday begins in earnest with the wrapping of last minute gifts, decorating and meal planning. At this time of year, we seek with a vengeance a few moments of quiet bliss to erase even a little stress.

So for those who need a mini retreat, the following great reads will help you cope with the fun that’s about to begin in earnest with family and friends.

Philippa Gregory author of “The Other Boleyn Girl” is back with more palace intrigue in “The Lady of the Rivers: A Novel” This new story is set in England amid the growing tensions leading up to the War of the Roses. N.M. Kelby’s “White Truffles in Winter,” takes readers into the world of famous French chef Auguste Escoffier who worked for such restaurants as the Savoy and the Ritz.

In this new novel, our famous chef is in the midst of writing his memoirs when his wife requests that he create a dish and name it after her.

Fans of John Sandford’s hero Virgil Flowers will enjoy the latest novel in the series “Shock Wave.” The powers that be of a large superstore known as PyeMart want to open a new store in a Minnesota river town. The problem, local business owners don’t want the new competitor and the environmentalists are upset as well. When two bombs go off, Virgil Flowers is called in to investigate the reasons for the violence and who’s committing the crimes.

Jennifer Chiaverini has a new addition to her Elm Creek Quilt series with “The Wedding Quilt.” Sarah McClure’s daughter is getting married and as she prepares for the big event, she reflects on the many brides that called the Elm Creek Manor home.

A new futuristic thriller by Marie Lu makes its debut at the library. Her new novel “Legend” is set in what was once known as the United States and now referred to as the Republic in the year 2130AD. While one man fights to save his family, another man seeks revenge. However, they soon discover a conspiracy like nothing they’ve ever imagined.

Every now and then, I like to read a biography or autobiography about those individuals who have impacted our lives in one way or another. In recent years, memoirs have also taken center stage in the literary world and the next two books may be of interest to our readers. He wrote such classics as the “Tale of Two Cities,” “A Christmas Carol” and “David Copperfield,” but the author himself lived an extraordinary life and his story is told in “Charles Dickens: A Life” by Claire Tomalin.

Theresa Weir was a city girl who married into a prominent farming family and shares with readers her life on an apple farm in “The Orchard, a Memoir.”

So there you have it, new reads at the Maricopa Public Library to help you say good-bye to 2011 and welcome in 2012. Stay tuned as more new titles will soon dot the shelves of our popular library and they will no doubt bring you endless hours of reading pleasure.