Book Buzz - Favorite Reads from Westwood Librarians: November 2021: Gift Giving Edition

Kristy's pick: A young widow restores a dilapidated mansion with the assistance of a charming, eccentric genius, only to find the house is full of dangerous secrets in this effervescent Gilded Age debut novel

Lizzy's pick: Mukesh lives a quiet life in the London Borough of Wembley after losing his beloved wife. He worries about his granddaughter, Priya, who hides in her room reading while he spends his evenings watching nature documentaries. Aleisha is a bright teenager working at the local library for the summer. She discovers a crumpled-up piece of paper in the back of To Kill a Mockingbird; it is a list of novels that she has never heard of, and she impulsively decides to read every book on the list. When Mukesh arrives at the library seeking to forge a connection with his bookworm granddaughter, Aleisha passes along the reading list. The shared books create a connection between two lonely souls, as fiction helps them escape their grief and everyday troubles and find joy again.

Felicia's pick: Their lives began together, but their worlds couldn't be more different. After thirty years of missed connections, they're about to meet again

Liz's pick: An annual backpacking trip has deadly consequences in a chilling new novel from the bestselling author of The Lost Night and The Herd. Emily is having the time of her life--she's in the mountains of Chile with her best friend, Kristen, on their annual reunion trip, and the women are feeling closer than ever. But on the last night of their trip, Emily enters their hotel suite to find blood and broken glass on the floor. Kristen says the cute backpacker she'd been flirting with attacked her, and she had no choice but to kill him in self-defense. Even more shocking: The scene is horrifyingly similar to last year's trip, when another backpacker wound up dead. Emily can't believe it's happened again--can lightning really strike twice?

Abby's pick: Inspector Gamache is given the job of providing security for a talk by a very controversial academic. This leads to lots of moral dilemmas, violence and ultimately a death. He and his team/family then have to find the killer.

Kristy's pick: After being visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve, Holly Chase chooses not to mend her spoiled ways. Upon her death Holly discovers her selfishness has caused her to work for eternity as a ghost of Christmas past. Every year Project Scrooge saves another miserly grouch, and Holly stays frozen at seventeen while her family and friends go on living without her. But this year, everything is about to change ...

Lizzy's pick: ow well do you really know your neighbors? With its sprawling yards and excellent schools, Cottonwood Estates is the perfect place to raise children. The Cottonwood Book Club serves as the subdivision's eyes and ears, meeting once a month for discussion, gossip, and cocktails. If their selections trend toward twisty thrillers and salacious murder mysteries, it's only because the members feel secure that such evil has no place in their own cul-de-sacs. Or does it?

Felicia's pick: Stevie Bell managed to solve the mystery at Ellingham Academy. Then she gets a message from the owner of Sunny Pines-- formerly known as Camp Wonder Falls, the site of the infamous Box in the Woods murders. The new camp owner wants Stevie to help him work on a true-crime podcast about the unsolved case. Going undercover as a camp counselor, Stevie learns that something evil still lurks at the camp-- and will is willing to make room for more victims.

Liz's pick: ondon couple Adam and Amelia Wright win a get-away to a destination in the Scottish Highlands. But their accommodations turn out to be a dilapidated converted chapel, complete with crypt, bell tower, and a creepy caretaker. This isn’t a couple who can make the best of things; as we learn from their juxtaposed first-person narratives. Instead they have a bog of secrets, suspicions, and bad blood between them.

Abby's pick: his compelling memoir shares Anjali's incredible story of being trafficked at age twelve from her village in Nepal to the red light areas of Kolkata, India. Despite enduring the worst abuse imaginable, today Anjali is working to combat trafficking and protect the next generation of girls in her community. She is able to do so because of the help and healing she has received since being rescued in 2008. The stories of the courageous people who freed her and helped in her recovery are woven into the book alongside personal recollections and insights.

Kristy's pick for middle grade readers! A feminist fantasy for fans of Land of Stories.

Lizzy's pick for middle grade readers but perfect for all ages and an especially fun family read aloud for ages 6+. A classic feel for the historical fiction about three siblings looking for a home and family of their own. There is also an awesome librarian. And library. and gardens.

Eleven-year-old Barclay Thorne yearns for the quiet life of a mushroom farmer, but after unwittingly bonding with a beast in the forbidden Woods, he must seek Lore Keepers to break the bond and return home.

Abby's pick: In a cold, gloomy castle where all the clocks have stopped, a wicked Duke amuses himself by finding new and fiendish ways of rejecting the suitors for his niece, the good and beautiful Princess Saralinda.

Liz's pick: Filled with funny anecdotes, delightful asides and notes from her family about their favorite dishes, this book will help you fall in love with cooking all over again with recipes that range from comfort classics to easy skillets to ready-in-minutes Tex Mex meals.

Felicia's pick: From Portland's most acclaimed and beloved baker comes this must-have baking guide, featuring scores of recipes for world-class breads and pizzas and a variety of schedules suited for the home baker. Whether it's a basic straight dough, dough made with a pre-ferment, or a complex levain, each of Forkish's impeccable recipes yields exceptional results. Tips on creating and adapting bread baking schedules that fit in reader's day-to-day lives--enabling them to bake the breads they love in the time they have available--make Flour Water Salt Yeast an indispensable resource for bakers, be they novices or serious enthusiasts

Lizzy's pick: Capturing the essence and alchemy of all six seasons of what is now considered to be one of the most groundbreaking comedy television series of the last decade, Best Wishes, Warmest Regards is a gift to fans everywhere who have made the show their own.

Kristy's pick: Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself... Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn's Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way.

Alex is quiet, studious, and destined for a future in academia. Poppy is a wild child who only came to U of Chicago to escape small-town life. But after sharing a ride home for the summer, the two form a surprising friendship. Over the years, Alex and Poppy's lives take them in different directions, but every summer the two find their way back to each other for a magical week long vacation. Until one trip goes awry, and in the fallout, they lose touch. The answer to all her problems is obvious: She needs one last vacation to win back her best friend. As a hilariously disastrous week unfolds and tensions rise, Poppy and Alex are forced to confront what drove them apart - and decide what they're willing to risk for the chance to be together.

Daunis, who is part Ojibwe, defers attending the University of Michigan to care for her mother and reluctantly becomes involved in the investigation of a series of drug-related deaths.

Kristy's pick: This practical and inspiring book provides the perfect way to plan your next escape. Whatever your pleasure, 1,000 Perfect Weekends has a unique itinerary built to excite you and your travel companions, illustrated with dramatic National Geographic photographs. Divided by theme and interest-including nature parks, city escapes, country weekends, mountain retreats, and more-this fun-packed guide offers an adventure you can experience in 36 to 72 hours.