Appetizers:
I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara: A masterful true crime account of the Golden State Killer—the elusive serial rapist turned murderer who terrorized California for over a decade—from Michelle McNamara, the gifted journalist who died tragically while investigating the case.
Murder Among Friends by Candice Fleming: How did two teenagers brutally murder an innocent child...and why? And how did their brilliant lawyer save them from the death penalty in 1920s Chicago?
Entrées:
Devil in the White City by Erik Larson: Bringing Chicago circa 1893 to vivid life, Erik Larson's spell-binding bestseller intertwines the true tale of two men-the brilliant architect behind the legendary 1893 World's Fair, striving to secure America's place in the world; and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death.
Mindhunter by John Douglas: Discover the classic, behind-the-scenes chronicle of John E. Douglas’ twenty-five-year career in the FBI Investigative Support Unit, where he used psychological profiling to delve into the minds of the country’s most notorious serial killers and criminals.
Desserts:
Little, Crazy Children by James Renner (June 2023): In September of 1990, in the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights, sixteen-year-old Lisa Pruett, a poetry lover and member of a church youth group, was on her way to a midnight tryst with her boyfriend, when she was viciously stabbed to death only thirty feet from the boy’s home.
Behold the Monster by Jillian Lauren (July 2023): Jillian Lauren had no idea what she was getting into when she wrote her first letter to prolific serial killer Samuel Little. All she knew was her research had led her to believe he was good for far more murders than the three for which he had been convicted. While the two exchanged dozens of letters and embarked on hundreds of hours of interviews, Lauren gained the trust of a monster. After maintaining his innocence for decades, Little confessed to the murders of ninety-three women, often drawing his victims in haunting detail as he spoke. How could one man evade justice, manipulating the system for over four decades?
Appetizers:
Elizabeth Taylor by Kate Anderson Brower: No celebrity rivals Elizabeth Taylor's glamour and guts or her level of fame. She was the last major star to come out of the old Hollywood studio system and she is a legend known for her beauty and her magnetic screen presence in a career that spanned most of the twentieth century and nearly sixty films. But her private life was even more compelling than her Oscar-winning on-screen performances.
All Things Aside by Iliza Shlesinger: A punchy, honest, incisive book that shares a view of the world through the eyes of the inimitable Iliza Shlesinger. From the macro to micro, Shlesinger tackles it all with her no-bullshit comedic style.
Entrées:
Unfiltered by Lily Collins: In her groundbreaking debut essay collection, actress Lily Collins—Golden Globe-nominated star of Rules Don’t Apply, Mortal Instruments, and To the Bone—is opening a poignant, honest conversation about the things young women struggle with body image, self-confidence, relationships, family, dating, and so much more.
Live Wire by Kelly Ripa: A sharp, funny, and honest collection of real-life stories showing the many dimensions and crackling wit of the beloved daytime talk show host.
Desserts:
White House by the Sea by Kate Storey (June 2023): The intimate, multi-generational story of the Kennedy family as seen through their Hyannis Port compound on Cape Cod—the iconic place where they’ve celebrated, mourned, and forged the closest of bonds—based on more than a hundred in-depth interviews.
Elvis & Me by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley with Sandra Harmon (Aug. 2023): Decades after his death, millions of fans continue to worship Elvis the legend. But very few knew him as Elvis the man. Here in her own words, Priscilla Presley tells the story of their love, revealing the details of their first meeting, their marriage, their affairs, their divorce, and the unbreakable bond that has remained long after his tragic death.
Appetizers:
A Painted House by John Grisham: Set in 1950s rural Arkansas, seven-year-old Luke Chandler picks cotton on his family's rented 80 acres alongside hired Mexicans and hill people. Racial tension, a forbidden love affair, and murder cause Luke to grow up before he's ready.
Raft of Stars by Andrew J. Graff: Fleeing into the North Wisconsin woods believing that they have accidentally murdered an abusive parent, two young boys, unaware that they have become the focus of a desperate search, navigate dangerous natural threats in their effort to survive.
Entrées:
Setting Free the Kites by Alex George: Set in 1970s coastal Maine, Robert befriends a fearless newcomer who helps him work through the challenges of being frequently bullied. Their budding friendship is forged in the crucible of two family tragedies, as the boys struggle to come to terms with loss.
The World Played Chess by Robert Dugoni: As his own son gets ready to leave for college, Vincent Bianco recalls his final summer before college in 1979 during which he received an education of a lifetime while working alongside two Vietnam vets as a laborer on a construction site.
Desserts:
Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips (Sept. 2023): In 1874, twelve-year-old ConaLee, the adult in her family for as long as she can remember, finds herself on a buckboard journey with her mother, Eliza, who hasn’t spoken in more than a year. They arrive at a lunatic asylum in West Virginia. There, far from home, they try to reclaim their lives.
Kala by Colin Walsh (July 2023): In a seaside town on Ireland’s west coast, three old friends are thrown together for the first time in years. And as past and present begin to collide, the estranged friends are forced to confront their own complicity in the events that led to one friend’s disappearance years ago.
Appetizers:
News of the World by Paulette Jiles: A live news reader traveling the Antebellum South is offered $50 to bring an orphan girl, who was kidnapped and raised by Kiowa raiders, back to her family in San Antonio.
West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge: Inspired by true events, this part adventure, part historical saga follows Woodrow Wilson Nickel as he recalls his 1938 cross country journey driving a pair of giraffes from New York City to the San Diego Zoo.
Entrées:
The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Johnathan Evison: After losing virtually everything meaningful in his life, Benjamin trains to be a caregiver. His first client, a fiercely independent teen with muscular dystrophy, gives him more than he bargained for. The two embark on a road trip to visit the boy's ailing father.
Breakfast with Buddha by RolandMerullo: Otto Ringling, a confirmed skeptic caught in the hustle and bustle of his middle class American life, finds himself on a cross country road trip with an enigmatic holy man. Otto tells his story with all the wonder, bemusement, and wry humor of a man who unwittingly finds what he's missing in the most unexpected place.
Desserts:
Mother, Nature by Jedediah Jenkins (Nov. 2023): His mother walked across America in the Seventies. Her past fascinates him. Her faith confounds him. They embark on a 5,000 mile journey to discover how families can stay together when beliefs are pulling them apart.
The Persistent Road by Tim Bishop (June 2023): After losing all he once cherished, Doug Zimmer follows his wife’s parting bread crumbs and rides up the Pacific coast—on a bicycle. Armed with a revolver and only a vague plan to get through the months ahead, he aims to end his depression one way or the other.
Westwood Public Library