Gertie's Leap to Greatness: The little girl in all of us

Gertie's Leap to Greatness
by Kate Beasley
Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

You will love Gertie Reece Foy.  She is only a fifth grader, but her dreams and motivations are the same as yours.  She wants to earn the love of her mother. But nothing important like love can be earned by our own efforts.

What's different about this book
The author's writing continually weaves Gertie's assumptions about life with information about her secure, accepting environment and her quiet, complex thinking about how she can make things better. The reader can feel, even identifies with, Gertie's thinking -  it is evocative of our own best-laid plans. (Even the pony-tail on top of her head is part of her strategic thinking.)

What I'll do now that I've read it
The story is not just one more cute-kid story. The details of her life and environment evoke the reader's empathy and support.  This will be a great read for elementary, middle grades, and even high school - the problems Gertie faces are common to us all, and her resolution and her learning will echo with us all.

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The Queen's Accomplice, the latest Maggie Hope novel

The Queen's Accomplice: A Maggie Hope Mystery
by Susan Elia MacNeal
Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Bantam
October 2016

A series that grows stronger, and characters that develop richly: The Maggie Hope mystery series blends intriguing historical fiction with personalities and mystery in an increasingly compelling whole.  Your readers (and you) will want to know about this.

What's different about this book
If you are familiar with Maggie and her amazing adventures with the leading historical figures of World War II times, you will want to know that this latest story is the strongest -- and grittiest -- of all the series. Author MacNeal continues to perfect her craft by drawing from previous stories and relationships to make integral connections to the latest release.  The Queen's Accomplice is made the richer for those interweavings.

What I'll do now that I've read it
This series, and this latest book, will continue to be prime offerings in my libraries for adults, young adults, and the general mystery / adventure reading populace.  These stories are easy to book-talk and easy to hook readers into. 

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A Most Extraordinary Pursuit - for adventure, mystery, and delightful character development

A Most Extraordinary Pursuit
by Juliana Gray
Berkley Publishing Group
October 2016

A well-crafted period piece that grabs the reader's attention from the first few lines: a dead but totally present Queen Victoria gives her strong opinion about the heroine's upcoming actions.  This book, the first in a new series from an established author, promises a lot of fun for historical fiction, mystery, and adventure fans.

What's different about this book
There are so many engaging aspects to this story. The first shows up with the repeating voices from the grave, each giving advice and insight.  Then the strong, independent character of the heroine, complex and conflicted, makes the story line compelling throughout the story. The varied characters, the always-moving plot line, and the back story that appears on a collision course with the front story - all these elements combine to present a thoroughly enjoyable, intriguing read. But the greatest pleasure may be the ending moments wherein the heroine displays unexpected strength and insight.  It left me cheering for her! And those last moments position her perfectly to segue into the next adventure.  I'm looking forward to reading it!

What I'll do now that I've read it
I've placed this book on our to-purchase list for my libraries, for my high school and my adult patrons: folks who will appreciate the intrigue, the relationships, and the adventure. I'm already targeting my big historical fiction readers for this new delight.

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Jayne Ann Krentz and When All the Girls Have Gone

When All The Girls Have Gone

by Jayne Ann Krentz
Berkley Publishing Group
November 2016

A quiet Friday night, glass of wine, and a new Jayne Ann Krentz book.  It doesn't get much better than that.  Over the years I have come to know the rhythm and pacing of Krentz' stories in a way that is comfortable and dependable.

What's different about this book

The edge is off the formula with this newest release.  The same dependable certainties are present: no dithering between the main protagonists, no hesitation or unnecessary drama. But the plot in Girls is more broadly spread across time and space, and the threads of the subplots are many and varied.  This is an enjoyable read on multiple levels, and this will be a great book to share.

What I'll do now that I've read it

I'll be happy to provide this for my adult patrons who know Krentz and her fine fare. The author, and now this story, will be easy book talks to make with other fans who, as I, are always anxious for a new Jayne Ann Krentz work. 

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