“She couldn’t help noticing everything about her existence seemed to be defined by someone who wasn’t her.”
― Robert Thorogood, The Marlow Murder Club
The Marlow Murder Clubis the first book in the series of the same name by Robert Thorogood. The tag line really sets up the whole book: ‘To solve an impossible murder, you need an impossible hero…’. This book has a whole cast of impossible heroes: the main one being Judith Potts, a seventy-seven year old woman who lives on her own in a mansion, drinking whiskey and setting crosswords for The Times newspaper. She recruits a mismatched group of women to help her solve a mystery.
One evening, Judith is out swimming in the Thames when she witnesses a murder. Well, she hears yelling and a gunshot. Desperate for answers, Judith talks to the police. They don’t believe her story however, so she decides to investigate for herself. In the midst of her digging, Judith recruits Suzie, a local dog walker, and Becks, the prim and proper wife of the local Vicar. The three women form the Marlow Murder Club. Unsure of what their sleuthing will bring about, they are shocked when another person dies. Thinking that there may be a serial killer running around Marlow, they realize that this puzzle they are trying to solve may instead be a trap with deadly implications for the Marlow Murder Club.
This book is also available in the following format:
Want the hottest new release from your favorite author? Want to stay current with a celebrity book club? Love nonfiction and fiction? You should join Simply Held. Choose any author, celebrity pick, nonfiction and/or fiction pick and the Davenport Public Library will put the latest title on hold for you automatically. Select as many as you want! If you still have questions, please check out our list of FAQs.
New month means new highlighted authors from Simply Held. February’s authors are Dan Brown for fiction and Maya Banks for romance.
Our February fiction author is Dan Brown. Dan primarily writes thrillers, though his latest book is a picture book! He has written numerous bestselling novels. His most popular title is The Da Vinci Code, which has also sparked debate all over the world. Brown’s novels have been published in 56 languages and over 200 million copies are in print today! He initially taught English at his alma mater before he decided to before a full-time writer.
Fun fact: Dan Brown was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by TIME Magazine in 2005. Editors said he is credited with ‘“keeping the publishing industry afloat; renewed interest in Leonardo da Vinci and early Christian history; spiking tourism to Paris and Rome; a growing membership in secret societies; the ire of Cardinals in Rome; eight books denying the claims of the novel and seven guides to read along with it; a flood of historical thrillers; and a major motion picture franchise.”’
Brown’s newest book Origin, book five in the Robert Langdon series. This book was published in 2017. (Brown also published a picture book called Wild Symphony that was published in 2020.)
Curious what this book is about? Check out the following description provided by the author:
Bilbao, Spain Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the ultramodern Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend a major announcement—the unveiling of a discovery that “will change the face of science forever.” The evening’s host is Edmond Kirsch, a forty-year-old billionaire and futurist whose dazzling high-tech inventions and audacious predictions have made him a renowned global figure. Kirsch, who was one of Langdon’s first students at Harvard two decades earlier, is about to reveal an astonishing breakthrough . . . one that will answer two of the fundamental questions of human existence.
As the event begins, Langdon and several hundred guests find themselves captivated by an utterly original presentation, which Langdon realizes will be far more controversial than he ever imagined. But the meticulously orchestrated evening suddenly erupts into chaos, and Kirsch’s precious discovery teeters on the brink of being lost forever. Reeling and facing an imminent threat, Langdon is forced into a desperate bid to escape Bilbao. With him is Ambra Vidal, the elegant museum director who worked with Kirsch to stage the provocative event. Together they flee to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch’s secret.
Navigating the dark corridors of hidden history and extreme religion, Langdon and Vidal must evade a tormented enemy whose all-knowing power seems to emanate from Spain’s Royal Palace itself . . . and who will stop at nothing to silence Edmond Kirsch. On a trail marked by modern art and enigmatic symbols, Langdon and Vidal uncover clues that ultimately bring them face-to-face with Kirsch’s shocking discovery . . . and the breathtaking truth that has long eluded us.
Origin is Dan Brown’s most brilliant and entertaining novel to date.
This book is also available in the following formats:
Our February romance author is Maya Banks. Banks is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She has written more than sixty novels across many genres: erotic, contemporary, historical, and paranormal. All of her novels have a happily ever after.
Maya Banks is actually the pen name for Sharon Long. As Sharon Long, she writes historical novels and contemporary romantic suspense. As Maya Banks, she writes erotic southern romance. She currently lives in Texas with her husband and children, as well as a wide variety of pets.
Banks’s newest book is Just One Touch, book five in the Slow Burn series. This book was released in May 2017.
Curious what this book is about? Below is a description provided by the author.
Raised in a strict religious cult since she was a young girl, Jenna has no connection to the outside world beyond vague flashes of memory that seem to be from another life. Memories she clings to when the cult leaders discover her extraordinary ability to heal—and punish her. Years held captive and forced to do the cult’s bidding have turned Jenna into a meek, timid woman…or so they think. In truth, she is merely biding her time, waiting for the perfect moment to escape.
When a terrified young woman tries to steal the SUV of Devereaux Security’s toughest recruit, Isaac’s anger quickly turns to a strange sort of protectiveness for the beautiful, bruised stranger. But when they are caught in a firestorm of bullets and Isaac is hit in the chest, he’s sure the end is near, until Jenna touches him and heals his wounds. As he tries to bring Jenna to safety, she refuses to tell him what danger haunts her or how she managed to cure him, but Isaac vows to do whatever it takes to gain her trust…and her heart. Because with just one touch, Isaac knows he wants Jenna to be his—forever.
This title is also available in the following format:
Welcome back to exploring different therapeutic approaches to figure out the best way to support YOUR mental health. (See our first post on this topic here.) Short version: taking care of your mind is vital, but there are so many ways to do it, it’s hard to know where to start. This time our titles delve into lesser-known styles including my favorite: nature therapy. Try any combination of the titles below to support your mental health and improve your thinking patterns.
“Our minds are hardwired to expect the worst, and these negative thinking habits can keep us feeling trapped and unable to experience true joy. In this friendly guide, life coach Amy Johnson outlines a no-willpower approach informed by ancient wisdom and modern neuroscience to help readers break the cycle of negative thinking, make peace with their inner critic, and experience more self-confidence and freedom.”
“The only self-help book you’ll ever need, from a psychiatrist who will help you put aside your unrealistic wishes, stop trying to change things you can’t change, and do the best with what you can control–the first steps to solving all of life’s impossible problems.”
“Thegarden has always been a place of peace and perseverance, of nurture and reward. Using contemporary neuroscience, psychoanalysis, and compelling real-life stories, TheWell–GardenedMind investigates the remarkable effects of nature on our health and well-being.”
“An investigation into the restorative benefits of nature draws on cutting-edge research and the author’s explorations with international nature therapy programs to examine the relationship between nature and human cognition, mood, and creativity.”
“As a society, we suffer from nature deficit disorder, but studies have shown that spending mindful, intentional time around trees–what the Japanese call shinrin-yoku, or forestbathing–can promote health and happiness. In this beautiful book–featuring more than 100 color photographs from forests around the world, including the forest therapy trails that criss-cross Japan–Dr. Qing Li, the world’s foremost expert in forest medicine, shows how forestbathing can reduce your stress levels and blood pressure, strengthen your immune and cardiovascular systems, boost your energy, mood, creativity, and concentration, and even help you lose weight and live longer. ”
See also our Mental Health Guide for more information and local resources – and never hesitate to ask for help!
“Don’t let yourself get caught up in what-ifs. That way madness lies.”
― Ruth Ware, The It Girl
Ruth Ware has crafted another page-turning mystery thriller in her latest novel, The It Girl. This book follows a young woman’s search for answers a decade after her friend’s murder.
Hannah Jones was elated when she got into Oxford. Discovering she had a roommate was a shock, but April Clarke-Cliveden was incredibly bright and vivacious. She could also be vindictive and vicious, but her status as an It Girl pulled people into her orbit whether they wanted to be there or not. April quickly pulls Hannah, Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily close. By the end of their first term, they are inseparable and quick friends. By the end of their first year, April will be dead.
Flash forward a decade and Hannah is trying to move on. She and Will are married and are expecting their first child together. Her world is rocked when she learns that the man convicted of killing April has died in prison. Hannah feels both relief at the news of his death, but that soon changes to anxiety when a journalist pops into her life with evidence that the man convicted of April’s murder may in fact have been innocent. This is troublesome as Hannah’s testimony was critical to putting away the convicted murderer. In order to get closure, Hannah starts reconnecting with her old friends and examining the mystery surrounding April’s death. As Hannah begins to talk to them, she realizes that her friends are hiding secrets possibly related to the murder. Increasingly concerned, Hannah keeps pressing for answers, unwittingly putting herself right in the killer’s path.
This book is also available in the following formats:
Black History Month. African American History. Celebrated annual. In February in United States and Canada.
While I’m a strong believer in reading authors of multiple ethnic/religious/lifestyle backgrounds at any time, Black History Month is a great motivator to discover and read authors of African descent. Here are some recommendations from our Reference Librarians for great books
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. After witnessing her friend’s death at the hands of a police officer, Starr Carter’s life is complicated when the police and a local drug lord try to intimidate her in an effort to learn what happened the night Kahlil died.
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds. As Will, fifteen, sets out to avenge his brother Shawn’s fatal shooting, seven ghosts who knew Shawn board the elevator and reveal truths Will needs to know.
My Sister is a Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. Satire meets slasher in this short, darkly funny hand grenade of a novel about a Nigerian woman whose younger sister has a very inconvenient habit of killing her boyfriends.
Seven Days in June by Tia Williams. When Shane and Eva meet unexpectedly at a literary event, sparks fly, raising not only their past buried traumas, but the eyebrows of New York’s Black literati.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. Two half sisters, Effia and Esi, unknown to each other, are born into different tribal villages in 18th century Ghana. Effia will be married off to an English colonial, and will live in comfort. Her sister will be imprisoned and sent to America where she will be sold into slavery. Their lives and the lives of their descendants create a snapshot of the complicated history of our nation.
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. The founder of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama recounts his experiences as a lawyer working to assist those desperately in need, reflecting on his pursuit of the ideal of compassion in American justice.
Also, be sure to check out the displays at Main and Fairmount that highlight romances with African American characters and authors.
And, don’t forget to sign up for the Black History Month Reading Challenge on Beanstack! Running February 1 through March 4, you’ll learn more about Black history, celebrate Black authors and illustrators, and explore events in your community honoring the Black experience. Log your reading and activities throughout the month to earn badges and chances for prizes. Download the Beanstack app for free from your app store.
“Everyone has secrets, Lou,” she says. “Everyone should be allowed their secrets. You can never know everything about a person. You’d go mad trying to.”
― Sarah Pinborough, Behind Her Eyes
Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough had an ending that I did not see coming, one that I had never read before. That automatically makes this book at least one star better than I would have given a similar book.
Louise is stuck in a rut. A divorced mom of one working as a secretary for a local psychiatrist, Louise’s life trudges by the same every single day. Everything changes when she decides to go out for the night and meets a mysterious handsome man at the local pub. Sparks fly, the two kiss, he leaves, and Louise is finally happy.
The following Monday, Louise shows up to work to meet her new boss, David. Her heart drops when she realizes that he is the same man that she met at the bar. He’s very much married. David and Louise talk where he tells her that their kiss was a mistake. His eyes say a different tale though – he can’t stop watching her.
After this talk, Lousie happens to bump into Adele. She’s a lonely housewife who is new in town, desperate for friends. The two develop a quick friendship. Louise has always suffered from night terrors. Adele has a way to help her cope with those. They start working out together, helping Louise to shed her extra weight and get in shape. One slight complication: Adele is David’s wife. Louise is living a double life: forming a friendship with Adele, while also continuing her affair with David. The longer she carries on with both, the more cracks begin to appear. Louise starts to wonder what exactly is happening in David and Adele’s marriage. Her curiosty is piqued. The more she digs, the more she realizes that she is unable to extricate herself from David and Adele. They are hiding something, but she’s not sure what. They will do anything to protect their marriage’s secrets.
This book is also available in the following formats:
So in the last year I finally read The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy (see my love letter to Mackenzi Lee here). Aside from being an exciting adventure and a story of feminism and determination, it’s also a remarkable book because of the main character’s complete lack of interest in romantic relationships. She’s focused instead on her ambitions, her family, and her desire for true friends.
What that captures (that most other books don’t) is something called ‘aromanticism’, which is the lack of romantic attraction to anyone. It’s not extremely common, but it does exist, and is often lumped in with asexuality, the lack of sexual attraction to anyone. For a nonfiction treatment of this broader topic, try the excellent book Aceby Angela Chen.
There are some really great books featuring asexuality, including Let’s Talk About Love, Tash Hearts Tolstoy, and Beyond the Black Door, but in all these cases the main character still experiences romantic attraction. For similar characters who don’t have romantic attractions and/or don’t pursue romance, you’ll want to try these titles:
I love a good travel story – and I’ve made the LibGuide Armchair Traveler to prove it! Most recently I read Porcelain Travelsby Matthew Felix, and I highly recommend it for an entertaining journey and an education on the bathroom traditions in different parts of the world. It’s kind of hard to describe, but here’s the publisher’s version:
Matthew Félix is not a luxury traveler. But traveling on a budget fails to explain why so many of his most unforgettable experiences take place on the toilet, in the tub, or under the shower. From Matthew’s nightmare while relieving himself in Morocco to his unorthodox bathing practices in Paris and Istanbul to the Dead Sea shower incident that led to an arrest, Porcelain Travels is sometimes hilarious, occasionally shocking, and always entertaining.
What I liked was that there were so many levels on which to enjoy it. The toilet and bathing experiences are, for the most part, relatable and humorous (and fascinatingly informative where they’re not relatable); the various locations are a great source of escapism and global knowledge, and the short vignette chapters are engaging and easily readable. Less enjoyable was the author’s somewhat pretentious attitude on some things, but his humility in relating these episodes was a good balance for any sanctimoniousness.
If you’re a devoted travel reader, love cultural comparisons (Europeans’ horror at the existence of the garbage disposal, e.g.), or cannot travel without knowing the bathroom situation, this is a good book for you. Similar vibes include Bill Bryson of A Walk in the Woods fame and David Sedaris, known for Me Talk Pretty One Day.
Hello Challenge Readers! Welcome to our February challenge!
This month we’re going to take a few steps back in time and visit Ancient Greece. Our main title this month is: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.
Achilles, “the best of all the Greeks,” son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful— irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, who has been exiled from his homeland of Phthia after an act of shocking violence to be raised in the shadow of King Peleus. Brought together by chance, Achilles and Patroclus forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods’ wrath and become steadfast companions.
They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine. When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice. (from the publisher)
We will have a variety of books to choose from on display at each library location, or you can pick any other title. The books range from retellings of tales of Greek gods (I highly recommend Circe also by Madeline Miller), and novels of Ancient Greek history.
How did your Challenge reading go this month? Were you able to transport yourself to Paris and immerse yourself in some of it’s history and atmosphere? There are certainly no shortage of books set in Paris! Let us know in the comments what you read.
Our main title this month was Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. Moving between Paris of the 1790s and modern day, this book brings us a unique perspective of the horrors of the French Revolution, and brings greater understanding and compassion to our modern protagonist.
Andi and her family have suffered a traumatic event that has torn them apart. Her mother has withdrawn into obsessive painting and her father has left and started a new family. Andi, grieving and guilt-ridden is angry and acting out, her grades falling, with only her musical talent keeping her moving forward.
When her Father discovers that Andi is about to be expelled from school, he insists that she come with him on a business trip to Paris where she can do research on her thesis away from the distractions at home. Andi is furious, of course, but has no choice. In Paris their hosts gift Andi with a very old, beautiful guitar (Andi’s instrument of choice) While poking around in the guitar’s case she discovers a very old diary and the tiny portrait of a child.
In reading the diary, Andi is plunged into the world of the French Revolution, its horrors and cruelty and uncertainty. The diary writer, Alexandrine, is also an angry young woman, also grieving and fighting back the only way she can. Andi finds herself empathizing with her counterpart and becoming invested in her story.
Revolution plunges the reader into a huge range of experiences – the catacombs beneath the city, both as they are now with paths and in the past when the bodies were still new. We visit the lights and chaos of an illegal underground nightclub, the hushed reverence of a historical library, explore the intricacies of musical creativity and it’s continuing influence and a traditional bar with live music.
While I very much enjoyed the historical parts of this book, I had a little trouble with Andi and her teenage angst. The fact that she matures and grows into a responsible young adult, finding her own worth and talents greatly makes up for this. Paris is truly the star here though, especially the Paris of the Revolution.
Bad Behavior has blocked 1991 access attempts in the last 7 days.
“She couldn’t help noticing everything about her existence seemed to be defined by someone who wasn’t her.”
