May 2022 Shelf Talk with the Dripping Springs Community Library
ADULT
Shadows of Pecan Hollow by Caroline Frost
In this Texas backroads coming of age thriller, Frost tells the story of Kit who was a thirteen-year-old runaway who was groomed by a smoothtalking adult, Manny, to become his partner in a string of robberies. Kit breaks away from Manny when she becomes pregnant to try to make a life for herself and her child. This “gritty, penetrating and unexpectedly tender novel ensnares the reader in its story of resilience and bonds that define us.” You can read a review of this title, available in print and as an eBook on Overdrive, at static.kirkusreviews.com/ book-reviews/carolinefrost/shadows-of-pecanhollow.
The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes
This historical fiction mystery follows Puri, whose passion for chocolate was inherited from her father. After his death, she learns that she is to inherit his cocoa estate in Ecuador, but there are many secrets that her father has left behind. Puri must confront “challenges at the estate, newfound siblings, hidden affairs, and her father’s dark secrets.” You can read a review of this title, available in print, on Overdrive and on Hoopla, at publishersweekly.com/9781496736246.
Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention – and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari
In this New York Times bestseller, Hari points out that teenagers can focus for only sixty-five seconds on one task while office workers average three minutes per task. He interviewed leading experts on human attention to discover disturbing facts about why our focus has been stolen. He learned how we can “reclaim our focus – as individuals, and as a society – if we are determined to fight for it.”. You can read a review of this title, available in print or on Overdrive as an eBook or eAudio, at publishersweekly.com/9780593138519.
Watching Darkness Fall by David McKean
In this fascinating and groundbreaking account of how all but one of FDR’s European ambassadors misjudged the intentions of Adolf Hitler, McKean recounts the rise of the Third Reich. This title is a gripping “new history of the years leading up to and the beginning of WWII in Europe told through the lives of five well-educated and mostly wealthy men all vying for the attention of the man in the Oval Office.” You can read a review of this title, available in print and an eBook on Overdrive at kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/david-mckean/watchingdarkness-fall.
YOUNG ADULT
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.
Kirkus Review: kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/maggie-stiefvater/raven-boys/
The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee
F. C. Yee's The Rise of Kyoshi delves into the story of Kyoshi, the Earth Kingdom-born Avatar. The longest-living Avatar in this beloved world's history, Kyoshi established the brave and respected Kyoshi Warriors, but also founded the secretive Dai Li, which led to the corruption, decline, and fall of her own nation. The first of two novels based on Kyoshi, The Rise of Kyoshi maps her journey from a girl of humble origins to the merciless pursuer of justice who is still feared and admired centuries after she became the Avatar.
Kirkus Review: kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/fc-yee/rise-kyoshi/
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
A beautiful and distinguished family. A private island. A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends--the Liars--whose friendship turns destructive. A revolution. An accident. A secret. Spending the summers on her family's private island off the coast of Massachusetts with her cousins and a special boy named Gat, teenage Cadence struggles to remember what happened during her fifteenth summer. Publisher’s Weekly Review: publishersweekly.com/978-0-385-74126-2
Anatomy: a Love Story by Dana Schwartz
Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry. Jack Currer is a resurrection man who's just trying to survive in a city where it's too easy to die. When the two of them have a chance encounter outside the Edinburgh Anatomist's Society, Hazel thinks nothing of it at first. But after she gets kicked out of renowned surgeon Dr. Beecham's lectures for being the wrong gender, she realizes that her new acquaintance might be more helpful than she first thought. Because Hazel has made a deal with Dr. Beecham: if she can pass the medical examination on her own, Beecham will allow her to continue her medical career. Without official lessons, though, Hazel will need more than just her books — she'll need corpses to study. Lucky that she's made the acquaintance of someone who digs them up for a living. Jack has his own problems though: strange men have been seen skulking around cemeteries, friends disappearing off the streets, and the dreaded Roman Fever. Hazel and Jack must work together to uncover the secrets buried not just in unmarked graves, but in the very heart of Edinburgh society. Publisher’s Weekly Review: publishersweekly.com/9781250774156
CHILDREN
Kodi, written and illustrated by Jarad Cullum
Cullum mixes an exciting adventure and a warm tale of friendship through Kodi, a gigantic Kodiac Bear who becomes a true friend of young Katya. Experience Kodi’s intense need to protect and find Katya when she suddenly must leave Alaska! Enjoy the beauty of the watercolor paintings in this award-winning graphic novel for kids. Animal lovers and readers of all abilities will fall in love with the story. slj.com/review/kodi
Texas Zeke and the Longhorn by David Davis, illustrated by Allan Fearl Stacy
This Texas style retelling of the English folktale “The Old Woman and Her Pig” features an old Texas cowboy and an ornery Longhorn. A cumulative chain of events must be set into motion before Zeke can get home for a big bowl of chili. The story is full of repetition that keeps this picture book moving to its happy conclusion. lamar.edu/arts-sciences/_files/ documents/english/txreview/txreviewspring07. pdf
A Unicorn Named Sparkle, written and illustrated by Amy Young
Lucy sees an ad and sends in 25 cents for her very own unicorn. He arrives looking a lot less sparkly than Lucy imagined her unicorn named “Sparkle” would look. He even had fleas! Sparkle wins his way into Lucy’s heart as will this sweet picture book story about handling our unrealistic expectations. thechildrensbookreview.com/2016/07/in-the-studio-with-amy-young-creator-of-a-unicorn-named-sparkle
The Everything Kids' Baseball Book: from baseball's history to today's favorite players with lots of home run fun in between! by Greg Jacobs
This nonfiction find offers information on a variety of baseball topics, including the history of the sport, notable players, the Hall of Fame, statistics and records, and scorekeeping, and provides more than 25 puzzles and activities.bookelicious.com/book/74969/everything-kids-baseball-book-12th-edition-everything-kids