This is hands-down the best historical fiction that I have read this past year. I cannot say enough about this book, it is so good. The story is compelling and poignant and the atmospheric setting immediately transports the reader to another place and time.

Did your 2014 New Year’s Resolution focus on smart and sensible eating? Ready to shelve that crazy thought? In that case, have we got a book for you!

We lost one of our most vibrant and uncompromising voices with the death of poet, playwright, and cultural critic Amiri Baraka. Born LeRoi Jones, Baraka had the distinction of dropping out of three universities and being discharged from the Air Force for communist sympathies before starting his literary career.

Detective Superintendent Stella Gibson is called away from London to  review the handling of a murder investigation led by police in Northern Ireland. Gibson quickly finds procedural mistakes, and evidence that another recent murder may make this the work of a serial killer. When yet another victim is discovered, Gibson is put in charge of the investigation.

Find something for everyone in these books, with designs for men, women, and children inspired by literary favorites, including sumptuous hat patterns and modern wearable pieces.

Audio books are my favorite way to sneak a little “reading” into the post-holiday grind. Thankfully, the library has three ways to do it with CD audio, Playaway audio, and downloads from Overdrive.