UnCovered Reviews | Atlantic County Library System

Sadie

Mon, 04/04/2022 - 9:33am

UnCovered reviewed by Samantha LeRoy, ACLS Mays Landing Branch

Very few books pack the gut punch that Sadie by Courtney Summers does. The story follows a young woman, the titular Sadie, as she goes on an odyssey to track down her sister’s killer. On the surface it sounds like a thriller, yet, while it does have a few thrilling scenes, it’s more of a coming of age story that explores themes of trauma, sisterhood, identity, and closure. The book is split perspective with aclschapters: Sadie as she treks through Colorado, and West McCray, a radio journalist for an NPR-esque company, as he follows the breadcrumbs of clues Sadie left behind. While Sadie’s chapters serve as the action of the plot, West’s chapters serve as exposition in the form of a podcast. Because half the book is told in podcast form, the audiobook is incredibly immersive and engaging with a full cast of voice actors.

Sadie is a story that lingers long after you’ve finished.

Ways And Means: Lincoln and His Cabinet and the Financing of the Civil War

Tue, 03/29/2022 - 10:47am

UnCovered review by Frank Tomasello, ACLS Mays Landing Branch

In Ways And Means: Lincoln And His Cabinet And The Financing Of The Civil War, Roger Lowenstein examines an inexplicably overlooked facet of Civil War history, finances. In the “lame duck” period from Abraham Lincoln’s election in November of 1860, until his inauguration in March of 1861, the then sitting Secretary of the Treasury, Georgia Confederate, Howell Cobb, sought to sabotage the Lincoln administration by racking up the enormous sum of $65,000,000.00 in short-term debt (over $202,000,000.00 adjusted for inflation). This added to immeasurably to the myriad of challenges this relatively inexperienced politician, Abraham Lincoln, faced from the first day of his Administration. He realized that he would need the right person for his Treasury Secretary. His own party had sought to place the incompetent, but politically connected, Simon Cameron in that office. Lincoln held firm for his choice: his rival to the 1860 Presidential nomination; more fervent anti-slavery “radical” and hard money leaning; Salmon P. Chase.

The problems Lincoln and Chase confronted seemed insurmountable. The Union began the Civil War mired in debt, which needed to be serviced, along with the need to build and provision an army from the 16,000-man army that existed at the time on top of running the country’s normal functions. Tying the administration’s hands was the Constitution which limited the Federal power to “coining” money, which had been held to mean that paper money was unconstitutional. Since there was only so much gold and silver to go around, this created a problem. Paper money did circulate at the time but was controlled by the states consistent with the prevailing view that the states were paramount to a central Federal government. The only option seemed to be borrowing by selling bonds. That meant that they would then have to find willing investors for these bonds. The problem was that the interest of potential investors seemed to ebb and flow with the successes and failures of the Union Army, which too often were failures for most of the war. Eventually, a new and unexpected pool of investors was cultivated, the taboo over paper money was overcome, a new national banking system was instituted, taxes and tariffs were fine-tuned and the salesmanship of the future scoundrel Jay Cooke, all contributed to the Union’s financial victory in the Civil War. As noted in the book, the Union’s most successful Generals, Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman, had said that Chase had done more to win the war than any General.

The contrast between the Union and Confederate approach to financing could not be more pronounced. As the Union came out of the war in better economic health than it entered it, the Confederacy experienced 9,000 per cent hyperinflation, the likes of which would not be seen again until the German Weimar Republic of the 1920s, and was utterly devastated. The end result was a remaking of America as a united whole, no longer a mere confederation of states, and thus on the path to becoming a modern Nation, thanks in no small part to Abraham Lincoln and his political rival Salmon P. Chase.

The Tender Bar

Mon, 03/21/2022 - 9:28am

UnCovered review by Stephanie Baker, ACLS IT

Subscribing to belief that the book is always better than the movie, I set out to read J.R. Moehringer’s The Tender Bar before watching the Netflix adaption.

Typically, I’m not a reader of non-fiction and biographies. I like to say there is “too much real world in my real world.” I read to escape. However, as a bartender for 20 years, The Tender Bar called to me. Moehringer’s memoir reads like a novel much like Steinbach’s Travels with Charlie and Hemmingway’s A Moveable Feast and, like Steinbeck and Hemmingway, he too had his roots in journalism.

Moehringer perfectly captures the free flow, stream-of-conscience, and wit of bar banter in his writing style as he records the patrons’ exchanges on relationships, sports, politics, and great literature. One of my favorite scenes is when J.R. walks into his beloved neighborhood bar for the first time as legal drinking age. He must decide on his “drink.” Will it be vodka, gin, whisky, scotch, bourbon? His decision is more then what will sit in the glass in front of him. It will tell people who he is and set the tone for night to come. While the existential contemplations and discussions that occur in the bar may, for some, seem incongruous to the setting, these are the parts of the book that rang the most true to me.

Ultimately, the book is more than just about a bar. It follows the path of a boy as he shapes himself into a man. And, in the absence of a traditional father figure, how he forms his identity dissecting the qualities and characteristics of the men around him. Moehringer lives, and describes, his youth as an observer. While this detachment may serve him well as a journalist, it hampers his evolution into an adult. It’s not until the end, when he returns to his hometown of Manhasset in the aftermath of 9/11 and gets a clear look beyond the smoke filled bar room of his childhood, that we see his growth as a person and as a writer.

Moehringer does a lot a lot falling off of bar stools, literally and figuratively, but he makes it to “last call” standing straight up and leaving behind a cast of personalities that you may recognize and will always remember

The Atrocity Archives

Mon, 03/07/2022 - 10:19am

UnCovered review by Frank Tomasello, ACLS Mays Landing Branch

The Atrocity Archives is the first in the Laundry Files Series by English author Charles Stross. “Capitol Laundry Service” is the alias for a super-secret British agency who “cleans up messy situations.” There is so much going on in Stross’ writing that it is nearly impossible to put a label on his works.

The story centers on reluctant hero, corporate IT guy, Bob Howard. Picture James Bond, a frat boy crossed with bored cubicle dweller a la Dilbert; who is also a trained computer geek, who has the ability to master unseen technology at a glance; who is reluctantly tasked to save humanity by fighting inter-universe evil creatures; escaped Nazi occultists and garden variety terrestrial terrorists, simultaneously, all the while being haunted by mid-level bureaucrats at his “day job” seeking his response to the paper clip audit, and you get just an idea of what Stross’ Bob Howard is like.

The plot develops methodically as Bob progresses from minor acts of theft for the people he works for (presumably as an alternative to the mind-numbing boredom of his job) until he is tasked to rescue a female science professor in California and bring her to England where the Laundry is headquartered. In the parlance of “Laundryspeak,” the mission quickly goes “pear shaped” and Bob is forced to become a full-blown agent for the Laundry. It turns out that he has stumbled into Saddam Hussein-era Iraqi terrorists who accidentally created an occult opening to a parallel universe controlled by H.P. Lovecraft-type entities out to rob our universe of all of its energy. It turns out that the Nazi SS Anenerbe had sought refuge with these creatures trying to escape their downfall after World War II, thus putting our universe on these creatures’ radar. Bob must quickly master ancient mystical traditions, ultra-modern whiz bang technology, vast amounts of historical counter espionage, save the world and be able to justify his expense account in the end. It is a fascinatingly entertaining page turner.

To Paradise

Mon, 02/28/2022 - 9:46am

UnCovered review by Collette Jones, Librarian, ACLS Pleasantville Branch

Hanya Yanagihara novels can feel unsettling and miserable and evoke a luxurious, suffering emotion. A discomfort lingers around Yanagihara’s To Paradise. It is a big book with a lot of pain. In interviews, Yanagihara has described her central theme as the duality between the dullness of safety and the flamboyance of danger. Her books are designed to play these two elements against each other: from the individual and also from a society impact point of view. The structure is complicated and messy. To Paradise is made up of three sections: one novella, one set of paired short stories, and one final novel. All take place in the same townhouse in New York’s Washington Square at hundred-year intervals, and all concern a cast of characters with the same names. At the center of each section are David, Edward, and Charles or Charlie.

In 1893, David is a wealthy young man of society in a world where gay marriage is legal, in love with poor and charming Edward but betrothed to rich and respectable Charles. In 1993, there are two Davids: one a young man in New York, living with his wealthy older lover Charles, and David’s father, living in Hawaii, in an abusive relationship with impoverished Edward. In 2093, the protagonist is a young woman named Charlie, who lives in a dystopian New York ravished by pandemics, in a loveless marriage with Edward and fascinated by a mysterious stranger named David. The impossibility of finding any continuity between the various Davids is perplexing. But, while it’s true that none of the characters of To Paradise are the same from section to section despite their shared names, there is coherence. The Davids are generally the protagonists of each section, laboring to choose between a life of safety and order and a life of danger and excitement. Most compelling about these books, what makes them so readable, is at the same time that they are so grotesque in their tragedies, especially Yanagihara’s depictions of pain and torment, they can come across as sensational playing of characters that never quite fit into the real world.

Seek You: A Journey through American Loneliness

Tue, 02/22/2022 - 9:13am

UnCovered review by Marina Smolens, ACLS Brigantine Branch

Kristen Radtke’s Seek You is a much-needed meditation on the evolution of loneliness in America and what it could mean for us. Scientific research, as well as personal anecdotes, come together in an alchemical blend to create an engaging reading experience that speaks to something we all know on an intimate level, prior to the pandemic but maybe even more so after its effects: the feeling of being isolated. From the lone cowboy of the Wild West to online chatrooms to the cuddle industry to Harry Harlow’s tortured monkeys, Radtke takes us on a journey through American loneliness and brings to light pertinent questions of our time. Is technology bringing us closer or further apart? Is loneliness inherent to the human condition? How does it affect our health? And how can we make the distance between us feel less vast? The very existence of this book answers the last question at least. Sharing your story and the stories of others has always been a way for us to reach out across the void. Knowing your experience is not local to you, but something that is shared among many of us, can help bring the world in a little closer. This book is like a friendly wink from a stranger, acknowledging you are a real human being who deserves to be seen.

The book is written in the style of a graphic novel, so, not only is it stimulating to the mind, but also to the eye. The illustrations are fun and bring life to the words, providing an even bigger impact. This is a book you can read in one sitting and come back to again and again, like the gentle squeeze of a friend’s hand reminding you they are still there.

Underwriters of the United States: How Insurance Shaped the American Founding

Mon, 02/14/2022 - 9:58am

UnCovered review by Frank Tomasello, ACLS Mays Landing Branch

This fascinating work is far more than its title implies. Although Hannah Farber’s Underwriters of the United States: How Insurance Shaped the American Founding is indeed the story of maritime insurance underwriting at the dawn of the United States, it is really the story of how America came to be by examining early American economics as a whole, as well as its early nation building.

Most Americans today take for granted that the Revolution was fought to secure our “Freedom.” Few ever stop to consider what the early Americans were looking for the “Freedom” to actually do, which was essentially to engage in commerce. In this book, the author makes a compelling case that the Revolution was more a trade war than a political or moral exercise. In the chaos that marked the run up to the Revolution, as well as the post war decades, only one group had the expertise and was stable enough to guide the new nation in areas of commerce, finance and law, the merchants. Since merchants usually depend on sea transportation of goods to trade with which to earn a livelihood, they had the contacts, both here and abroad, the knowledge of how the supply chain actually worked and what it really needed to stay running, and the capital (money) to keep it all going. Out of necessity, these merchants would pool their money and expertise to “underwrite” or insure maritime trade, thus creating the first American insurance companies. To reduce their risk, they also became bankers, and through their choice of investments, shaped the nascent United States by investing in government bonds. All of this played out against the back drop of nearly ceaseless European wars fought largely at sea. It is precisely this mutual dependence of the government, the banks, and the underwriters that the nation of the United States as we know it came to be.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a deeper understanding of the birth of America.

Legendborn

Tue, 02/08/2022 - 9:51am

UnCovered review by Nancy Wessler, Librarian, ACLS Mays Landing Branch

Sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews enters into the prestigious Early College program at UNC-Chapel Hill still deeply mourning the death of her mother three months prior. She is fleeing the painful memories of home, but on her first night at school she witnesses an act of magic - a magic that can erase memories, a magic that she realizes was used to erase her memories on the night her mother died. No longer certain that her mother’s death was an accident, Bree soon finds herself immersed in the world of a secret Arthurian society, the members of which are descended from the actual Knights of the Round Table and whose mission is to protect humanity from otherworldly demons. Joining their ranks may mean finding the answers to her mother’s past, but it also means risking life and limb in a magical war centuries in the making and discovering truths about herself that have long lay hidden.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn is a YA urban fantasy that hits all the sweet spots of the genre. There’s a dangerous magical world hidden within our ordinary one; an engaging and relatable protagonist with powers she doesn’t understand; a diverse, fully-formed supporting cast ready to provide banter, romance, tension, and adversity; scary monsters heralding calamity; and the early makings of a love triangle. What sets Legendborn apart, however, is the way in which Deonn interweaves the very real issues of grief, racism, oppression, and inheritance into this tale of the fantastic. The book addresses the entirety of Bree’s experience as a Black girl in North Carolina, exploring the ongoing legacy of white supremacy and American chattel slavery as well as championing the ways in which Black Americans have always survived, resisted, and thrived. There are revelations later in the book that are equal parts devastating and uplifting.

Ultimately, Legendborn is a story about love and loss. It explores the nature of power and who gets to wield it, generational trauma, and the things we owe our forbearers, each other, and ourselves. Also, King Arthur! Magic swords!

The Last House on the Street

Mon, 01/31/2022 - 11:14am

unCovered review by Arlene Canale, ACLS Absecon Branch

I just finished The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain. This a compelling novel about a community’s past sins and how they affects two women a generation apart. It has mystery, romance, and tragedy. It also touches on the civil rights movement that was going on all over the United States in the 1960’s. It definitely shows how prevalent prejudice was during the 1960’s, especially in the South.

This author is amazing at weaving two stories together of two women dealing with the dark history of the land, which each call home, and the mystery surrounding the neighborhood. This is where Ellie grew up, and Kayla, years later, built her dream home with her architect husband who died in a freak accident during the construction.

The Civil Rights movement plays an important part in Ellie’s life as she joins a student group to help register Black voters. She faces danger from the KKK and also becomes attracted to a young Black civil rights activist. Meanwhile, Kayla moves into her dream home and a series of unsettling incidents occur that link the 2 women together.

This book will make you cry, rage, and it is completely relevant during these times. This is probably one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.

The Shadow in the Glass

Mon, 01/24/2022 - 9:27am

UnCovered review by Amanda Vigue, ACLS Egg Harbor Township Branch

Every Cinderella fan knows that dreams are really wishes waiting to come true. But what about nightmares? Does evil exist in the form of a shape-shifting demon or does it dwell deep within one’s psyche, thriving on fear and desperation? The Shadow in the Glass, by J.J.A. Harwood, explores the dark side of fairy tales, where anything is possible – for a perilous price.

Eleanor Hartley was orphaned at a young age. When her stepmother died, Ella was forced to become a servant in her adopted home. Her predatory guardian, long corrupted by lust and brandy, lurks around every corner waiting to ruin every young lady in his employ. Ella knows that she will be next. Determined to escape, Ella sneaks off to the library at night. There, lost in the pages of Dr. Faustus, Ella encounters a mysterious woman with hollow eyes who knows all of her secrets. Instead of turning a pumpkin into a carriage and mice into horses, Ella’s fairy godmother offers her seven wishes in exchange for her soul.

Of course, changing her fate is a complicated and dangerous affair, especially in Victorian London. In true thriller fashion, Ella is haunted by a series of deaths that may be linked to her tragic past. With each wish, Ella is further ensnared in a web of crime and passion. This story does not end happily ever after. In fact, it might not end at all.

The Monogram Murders

Mon, 01/10/2022 - 10:41am

UnCovered review by Kate Snyder, ACLS Pleasantville Branch

Who doesn’t love a good mystery? Sophie Hannah delivers with The Monogram Murders. With the permission of the Agatha Christie estate, she has resurrected the Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. Poirot, enjoying a cup of rich coffee at his favorite coffee house, witnesses a woman stumble in terrified. She tells him someone is trying to kill her and, when he does, justice will be served. Poirot is not to try to find her killer. Later he learns of three people poisoned at a posh London hotel, each with a monogramed cufflink in their mouth. Is it suicide? Murder and back to suicide again? There are more plot twists here than a tangled jumble of holiday lights. As usual, Poirot sums everything up at the end with a somewhat plausible explanation.

Sophie Hannah does Christie proud in bringing back to life Hercule Poirot and his “little gray cells, mon amie.” I found this book an easy read and great fun and look forward to her next Poirot novel, Closed Casket.

The 1619 Project

Mon, 12/20/2021 - 10:57am

UnCovered review by Collette Jones, Librarian, ACLS Pleasantville Branch

THE 1619 PROJECT, created by Nikole Hannah-Jones, is the new book expansion version of the 2019 New York Times essays written by journalists. The new book adds to the collection of essays with historical points of view and poems reflecting racial injustice and a narrative explaining the historical perspective of the criminalization of enslaved people. History is not just about learning what happened, but it is just as important how we think about what happened. Re-framing America’s beginning from 1776 to 1619, when the first slave ship arrived, brings slavery and racism as central points of reference to the origin story of American people. Hannah-Jones refers to Black Americans as the country’s “true founding fathers as so deserving as those men cast in alabaster in the nation’s capital.”

Civil Rights Lawyer Bryan Stevenson’s chapter titled “Punishment,” and another chapter titled “Fear” written by legal scholar Michelle Alexander, push the reader to examine and trace the 13th Amendment. It is eye-opening that there is a loophole which ended involuntary servitude except as a punishment for crime whereby the party shall be convicted.

The suggestion that the New Jim Crow author is tracing this part of American history and tying it into the current crisis with private prisons and mass incarceration is riveting.

Historian Carol Anderson writes a piece “Self-Defense” and traces the second amendment, claiming it did not concede the right of Black Americans to bear arms because enslaved people were not considered citizens.

Ibram X. Kendi writes that America requires a Third Reconstruction to address unfulfilled promises. The final chapter by Hannah-Jones identifies priorities currently that need attention that include: wages, universal healthcare, childcare, college, student loan debt, and cash repartitions for Black Americans.

Other “targeted investments” include enforcing civil rights laws for housing, education, employment in Black communities across the country.

Poignant writing. Compelling storytelling. Timely. Provocative. Controversial.

Dear Santa

Mon, 12/13/2021 - 11:09am

unCovered review by Christine Szymanski, ACLS Somers Point Branch

Dear Santa,

I just finished a lovely, little Christmas book by Debbie Macomber called Dear Santa. It’s about a woman named Lindy Carmichael who arrives home for the Christmas holiday after a not-very-good year. Her job is no longer creatively satisfying. Even worse, she has recently discovered that her boyfriend, the one she thought was “the one,” is cheating on her with her best friend.

After sharing her woes with her mother, Mom brings out a box of Christmas letters Lindy wrote when she was a kid. After reading them, Lindy decides to write a letter to Santa telling him her wishes now. What follows are lessons in gratitude, friendship, and love!

Dear Santa is perfect for this time of year. It’s a fast read with lots of heart. You’ll love it, Santa, especially because your character is so wise and wonderful!

Debbie Macomber’s Christmas books remind us of the good things about Christmas, all the joys and blessings. I hope you enjoy Dear Santa.

Merry Christmas, Santa, and thank you!

PS. Copies are available with your ACLS card.

3:00 AM

Mon, 12/06/2021 - 9:40am

UnCovered review by Debbie Brahmi, Librarian, ACLS Pleasantville Branch

Can you imagine being awake for only ONE hour each day?

Henry Binns has Henry Binns - a sleeping disorder named after him. He wakes up every night at exactly 3:00 AM and falls back to sleep promptly at 4:00 AM. His life is relatively simple and predictable until the night he hears a woman screaming. When he looks out his front window, he sees a man leaving the house across the street, but not just any man: this man happens to be the President of the United States!

The story is a little far-fetched, but you will enjoy all the twisty plot turns, and you will laugh out loud at Henry’s conversations with his cat.

3:00 AM by Nick Pirog is a quick, easy read at slightly over 100 pages that will leave you begging for more. The good news is there IS more! 3:00 AM is Book #1 of 5 in the Henry Binns series which goes under the umbrella title THE 3. Find the series in our OverDrive eCollection and read it with the Libby app.

Harlem Shuffle

Mon, 11/29/2021 - 10:43am

UnCovered Review by Collette Jones, Librarian, ACLS Pleasantville Branch

Colson Whitehead is a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author, has delivered a lighthearted, crime story set in Harlem, New York City during the 1950’s and 1960’s with Harlem Shuffle. An entertaining as well as powerful story, it touches on race and culture with an emphasis based in morality and ethics with the social climate setting the stage as a crime read but also as an historical fiction piece re-imagining Harlem.

Colson Whitehead’s novel Harlem Shuffle is written from the third person point of view and in the past tense. The novel takes place in Harlem, New York, over the course of six years, spanning from 1959 through 1964. In Part I, Ray Carney is attempting to keep his struggling used furniture business alive. For the past few years, he has tried to live an upright life. He and his wife Elizabeth live in a small apartment on 127th Street in Harlem. He tries telling himself that even if he does not have a lot of money, he will not resort to criminal activity like his father once did to live a better life in a better location. His father, Big Mike Carney, has always had a criminal reputation in the neighborhood. After Carney’s mother died, Big Mike abandoned Carney. He went to live with his cousin Freddie and his aunt Millie. He and Freddie often got into trouble committing petty thefts. In the narrative present, Freddie is still involved in the criminal world, but Carney wants no part of it. Therefore, when Freddie comes to Carney asking for his help with the upcoming Hotel Theresa heist, Carney refuses. Despite his efforts to stay out of Freddie’s mess, Freddie involves Carney. In the weeks that follow, Carney must protect his cousin, his family, and himself from violent criminals. Eventually, with the help of one of his father’s old friends, Pepper, Carney escapes a series of dangerous scenarios. He realizes that the criminal life might not be so bad after all. In Part II, Carney has begun using the furniture shop as a front for criminal activity. Local thieves bring him stolen loot, which Carney moves with the help of a local jeweler, Harvey Moskowitz. Suddenly Carney feels that he is becoming the powerful and successful man he has always wanted to be. He is even up for membership at the local elite Dumas Club. When one of its influential members, Wilfred Duke, breaks their deal and denies Carney admission; Carney becomes desperate for revenge. With the help of Pepper and others, Carney lures Duke into a trap. He photographs Duke naked and sends the pictures to the local paper. Duke disappears with a wealth of money stolen from the club. Afterwards, Carney realizes that revenge feels like triumph. He no longer wants to separate his wicked self from his upright self.

In Part III, Carney and his family have moved into a Riverside Drive apartment. Carney always believed that living in this neighborhood would grant him ultimate happiness and contentment. However, he soon realizes that he still wants more. One day Freddie comes to him looking for help once more. He and his friend Linus stole documents and jewelry from Linus’s wealthy family, and Freddie needs Carney to hide the loot. Carney understands that helping with the job has less to do with protecting Freddie and more to do with proving something to himself and others. He invokes Pepper’s help once more. The men are able to get out of the situation, but Freddie dies. Over the course of the months following, Carney notices how much his city and life have changed. Despite all of his encounters with danger and death, Carney has no intention of giving up his criminal life. Choices are made setting his life in a new direction.

Whitehead has delivered novels for more than twenty years including Sag Harbor, Zone One, The Underground Railroad (Pulitzer Prize winner), and The Nickel Boys (Pulitzer Prize winner). And, like many of his others, Harlem Shuffle is a literary delight.

The Thief

Mon, 11/22/2021 - 9:54am

UnCovered review by Nancy Wessler, Librarian, ACLS Mays Landing Branch

This is going to be a review of The Thief, but it’s really a review of the entire Queen’s Thief series, which might just be my favorite book series of all time. The Thief, which reads as a middle-grade adventure story, tells the tale of Gen, an imprisoned boy who claims he can “steal anything” and his quest is to earn his freedom by finding an ancient artifact for a power-hungry king. Gen is a quintessential unreliable narrator, though he never actually lies, and there’s not much more that can be said about him without fear of spoilers.

By far, the hardest thing about recommending these books is that it’s almost impossible to tell anyone what they are about without ruining some surprise. It also doesn’t help that The Thief is arguably a different sort of story than those that follow. Suffice it to say, that what begins as a road trip featuring a whiny brat, arrogant lord, kindhearted soldier, and grumpy academic soon evolves into an epic story of legend.

The series lives in the Young Adult section but has a lot of appeal for older readers. At the height of Game of Thrones mania, it often showed up on recommended reading lists, and there is certainly plenty of crossover appeal without any of the gratuitousness. (And worry not; the final book was released last year and the ending is absolutely perfect!) There’s political intrigue, warring nations, and explorations of monarchial relationships. There’s no magic per say, but the gods are very much real and myth and reality often blend. There’s betrayal and brutality, true love and found family, divine intervention and absolute humanity. There are fierce battles and wars of subtlety, fake outs and foolhardy plans, and oh, so much heart! The characters are all complex and well crafted, and they exist in a world that is both fully realized and grounded in reality. (The setting is inspired by the Byzantium-era Mediterranean nations.)

The real hook of this series, however, is in the twists and the clever sleight of hand the author manages to pull off again…and again…and again. Every book has at least one smack-your-forehead moment–a turn you didn’t see coming but discover was intricately well laid. These books are ripe for multiple readings.

And because there isn’t much more I can say, let me leave you with this exchange from the final book, which really does sum things up quite nicely:

“I’m sure Gen has a plan.”
“If that doesn’t terrify you, it should.”

State of Terror

Mon, 11/15/2021 - 9:19am

UnCovered review by Christine Szymanski, ACLS Somers Point Branch

Louise Penny and Hillary Rodham Clinton have joined forces to write a compelling international thriller called State of Terror.

A new administration has been sworn in, and Ellen Adams has been appointed as the new Secretary of State. After decades of building and running an international media empire, Ellen now finds herself in a position to rebuild bridges and mend relationships with allies or serve warnings to unfriendly nations. The problem – the President and the Secretary of State do not like or trust each other.

However, soon terror strikes in London, Paris, and Frankfort force the new Secretary of State to try to figure out what has happened and what will happen next. This begins a pulse-pounding race against time to get to the bottom of a terrorist conspiracy, which may be closer to home than anyone could have imagined.

Louise Penny is one of my favorite authors. If you have not already read her Three Pines series, I highly recommend you start with Still Life and go on from there. I was very excited about the publication of State of Terror and am happy to say Louise did not disappoint! With Hillary bringing her insider expertise to the story, State of Terror is a page-turner. I was left with a scary thought – what if?! I thoroughly enjoyed State of Terror and think you will too.

DaVinci’s Cat

Mon, 11/08/2021 - 10:00am

UnCovered review by Alexa Zbieranowski, Librarian, ACLS Ventnor Branch

Still enjoying animal-themed stories from our summer program Tails and Tales? Here’s another one to try! Catherine Gilbert Murdock’s DaVinci’s Cat is a children’s historical fiction and time-travel mashup that transports readers back to Rome during the Italian Renaissance.

The story follows Federico Gonzaga in the year 1511. The 11-year-old Duke of Mantua is living in Rome as a “special guest” (a hostage) of Pope Julius II. Federico’s life in the papal palace is lonely until he discovers a friendly cat that appears out of thin air and vanishes again. He soon discovers that an unassuming closet is actually one of DaVinci’s contraptions that transports people (and cats) through time. Soon, Federico is pals with an art dealer from 1928 and Bee, the present-day daughter of art historians.

A paradox-free time travel story is no fun! Federico’s and Herbert’s deal to swap twenty-first century snacks for precious sketches by Raphael backfires. The time-space web becomes further entangled when modern-day Bee enters the scene. Bee has discovered a sketch that is her absolute twin—it must have been made by Raphael but it’s missing a signature. Federico and Bee become partners to solve the mystery of Bee’s artwork doppelganger and to prevent the growing rivalry among famous artists from changing history; Present-day lives depend on it.

DaVinci’s Cat is a charming combination of time travel, improbable friendships, and collaborative problem-solving. I would recommend this book as a read-aloud for the whole family, even grown-ups might appreciate the way Murdock weaves historical fact into a fun adventure. This book will definitely stir readers’ curiosity about Renaissance artworks—a peek at the paintings mentioned throughout helps the book come to life.

There Will Come a Darkness

Mon, 11/01/2021 - 9:24am

UnCovered review by Nancy Wessler, Librarian, ACLS Mays Landing Branch

Once, the world was ruled by the Seven Prophets. They used their visions to steer humanity towards prosperity, but then they disappeared, leaving behind one final secret prophecy foretelling of a coming darkness and birth of a new prophet–one that could be the world’s salvation or the means of its destruction. Flash forward one hundred years and we find our motley cast of characters on a collision course: A warrior doubting his fate and a prophet intent on avoiding his; a killer who’ll do anything to save a life and a girl living on stolen time; a prince in search of a country, a soldier in search of a king, a liar in search of the truth, and a deserter in search of revenge. Their world is already a tinder box as tensions between those who are Graced (in possession of heightened, magic-like strengths) and those who are not reaches a boiling point, and their meeting is certain to set the events of the final prophecy in motion. To what end? Only time will tell.

There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool is a young adult fantasy featuring a diverse ensemble cast and multiple points of view. It is the first book in a recently completed trilogy and while this reader found the beginning of this book to be a little rough, by the time she reached the midpoint she was fully invested. And the sequels just get better and better. There’s action and romance and plenty of twists and secret backstories–all of it realistically developed and grippingly well crafted. This series explores themes of power, agency, and identity as well as the ways in which love can cause us to cross the line between villainy and heroism–in either direction. It also seeks to answer the question of what true atonement means and if it is ever really attainable.

Malibu Rising

Mon, 10/25/2021 - 9:43am

UnCovered review by Christine Szymanski, ACLS Somers Point Branch

It’s August 1983 and the night of the annual end-of-summer party in Malibu hosted by the four famous Riva siblings: Nina, the surfer and supermodel; Jay, the championship surfer; Hud, the renowned surfing photographer; and Kit, a surfer and the baby sister. The party is the most anticipated event of the year. But unbeknownst to all, this year’s party will be explosive: alcohol, drugs, music, Hollywood stars behaving badly and, by the following morning, the house will be in flames and lives will be changed forever.

Moving back and forth between decades and story lines, Malibu Rising brings us the story of the Riva family beginning with Mick Riva, the legendary singer. It follows his marriage to his wife June and the coming-of-age of the Riva children in Malibu. Interspersed with the family story is the countdown to the party, setting up the secrets that will be revealed. And then the unforgettable night is underway!

Malibu Rising is a page turner! I stayed up much too late reading, wanting to know what would happen next. Don’t miss it!

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