2018-05-29 20:45
Lilac GirlsBy Martha Hall KellyNew York: Ballantine Books, 2016. 487 pgs. FictionThis World War II historical fiction is about three women, whose lives will come together as a result of the… Read More
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Provo City Library Staff Reviews Blog
provolibrarystaffreviews.blogspot.com
Books read and reviewed by the librarians at Provo City Library.
2018-05-26 22:24
Butterfly: from Refugee to Olympian, My Story of Rescue, Hope and TriumphBy Yusra MardiniSt. Martin’s Press. 2018. 284 pgs. BiographyYusra Mardini is from Syria, where from a young age… Read More
2018-05-26 16:57
We Two: Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, RivalsBy Gillian GillBallantine Books, 2009. 480 pages. Biography.It was a love affair that would define an era. The marriage of Queen Victoria… Read More
2018-05-24 20:50
Rhett and Link’s Book of Mythicality: A Field Guide to Curiosity, Creativity, and TomfooleryBy Rhett McLaughlin and Link NealCrown Archetype, 2017. 269 pagesIf you frequent YouTube, yo… Read More
2018-05-24 20:13
Children of Blood and BoneBy Tomi AdeyemiHenry Holt and Co, 2018, 531 pages, Young Adult FictionSeventeen-year-old Zélie, her older brother Tzain, and rogue princess Amari fight to re… Read More
2018-05-23 22:11
One Hundred Birds Taught Me to FlyBy Ashley Mae HoilandNeal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2016. 213 pgs. NonfictionThrough original writing and illustrations, Hoiland explo… Read More
2018-05-12 23:34
Raven's Shadowby Patricia BriggsAce Fantasy, 2004, 334 pgs. Science FictionSeraph is a Traveler her particular order is Raven who has magical capabilities, when her clan is killed by plague… Read More
2018-05-12 18:54
Space OperaBy Catherynne M. ValenteSaga Press, 2018. 304 pgs. Science FictionHailed as a cross between The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Eurovision, this is a rollicking, rockin… Read More
2018-05-12 00:02
The Fox Hunt: a Refugee’s Memoir of Coming to Americaby Mohammed Al SamawiWilliam Morrow. 2018. 323 pgs. BiographyMohammed Al Samawi was raised in a well-educated Muslim family in Sana… Read More
2018-05-10 01:36
Every Secret ThingBy Susanna KearsleyAllison & Busby, 2012. 474 pgs. FictionKate Murray meets an old man who comments on a similarity between her and her grandmother and then mentions a… Read More
2018-05-09 02:37
Where There's Hope: Healing, Moving Forward, and Never Giving UpBy Elizabeth SmartSt. Martin's Press, 2018. 261 pgs. BiographyElizabeth Smart shares her insights about what it takes to overc… Read More
2018-05-01 02:42
Otherkinby Nina BerryKensington Publishing, 2012, 310 pgs, Young Adult FictionAll in one afternoon Dez, a good girl who does her best not to be noticed, turns her world upside down. She dis… Read More
2018-04-30 22:44
The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of FoodBy Dan BarberPenguin Books, 2015. 496 pages. NonfictionDan Barber is well known for being a hero of the farm-to-table and local food movemen… Read More
2018-04-30 19:33
Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women's PrisonBy Piper KermanSpiegel & Grau, 2011. 327 pages. BiographyDuring a few wild years in her early 20s, Piper Kerman once delivered a suitc… Read More
2018-04-28 17:16
The End of Your Life Book Club By Will SchwalbeAlfred A Knopf, 2012. 336 pgs. BiographyWhen Mary Schwalbe was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer she and her family knew that their days togethe… Read More
2018-04-26 18:16
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat By Samin Nosrat Simon & Schuster, 2017. 462 pages.Many cookbooks are a collection of recipes, sometimes around a theme. But recipes don’t teach you how t… Read More
2018-04-18 02:41
The Dragon’s Curse: A Transference Novel by Bethany WigginsCrown, 2018, 328 pgs, Young Adult FictionIn this sequel to The Dragon’s Price, Sorrowlynn is finally prepared to j… Read More
2018-04-18 00:04
The Girl With the Red Balloonby Katherine LockeAlbert Whitman & Company, 2017, 277 pages, fictionEllie’s class trip to Germany is supposed to be a fun adventure, but she is having… Read More
2018-04-17 23:35
Long Way Down By Jason ReynoldsAtheneum, 2017. 306 pages.Fifteen-year-old Will lives by three rules: 1) no crying, 2) no snitching, and 3) always seek revenge. Will has done pretty well… Read More
2018-04-16 17:45
The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary ImpactBy Chip Heath and Dan HeathSimon and Schuster, 2017, 307 pages, NonfictionWhy do we tend to remember the best or worst… Read More
2018-04-14 23:26
My Dearest Loveby Sarah M. EdenMirror Press, 2017, 129 pgs. Historical RomanceIan O'Connor spends long days in a textile mill in New York City, enduring the dangerous conditions to help supp… Read More
2018-04-11 23:57
The Lightless Sky: a Twelve-Year-Old Refugee’s Harrowing Escape from Afghanistan and His Extraordinary Journey Across Half the WorldBy Gulwali Passarlay HarperOne, 2016. 361 pgs. Biogr… Read More
2018-04-11 23:40
The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic Stateby Nadia MuradTim Duggan Books. 2017. 306 pgs. BiographyNadia Murad was raised in Kocho, a Yazidi community in Ira… Read More
2018-04-10 20:43
Need to Knowby Karen CleavelandBallantine Books, 2018, 290 pgs. FictionVivian Miller is a professional trying to balance work and family. What makes her situation unique is that… Read More
2018-04-10 20:43
When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timingby Daniel H. PinkRiverhead Books, 2017. 272 pgs. NonfictionDoes it matter when you start a new goal? A new relationship? A new job?… Read More
2018-04-10 02:52
Burn Brightby Patricia Briggs New York : Ace, 2018. 308 pgs, Science FictionCharles and Anna Cornick are facing a threat that is hitting way to close to home. There is someone attacking the… Read More
2018-04-07 15:16
Emergency ContactBy Mary H. K. ChoiNew York, Simon & Schuster, 2018. 400 pgs Young AdultWhat do you do when your best friend is someone you’ve only “met” twice bu… Read More
2018-04-06 23:39
Wonder Woman: Warbringerby Leigh BardugoRandom House, 2017. 364 pages. Young Adult FantasyHidden from mortal eyes, the Amazons live in peace on Themyscira, their island home gifte… Read More
2018-04-05 16:26
The DryBy Jane HarperFlatiron Books, 2017, 328 pages, MysteryAfter getting a note demanding his presence, Federal Agent Aaron Falk arrives in his hometown for the first time in decades to at… Read More
2018-04-03 23:56
The Wicked Deepby Shea ErnshawNew York, Simon Pulse, 2018. 310 pgs Young AdultThe town of Sparrow Oregon is haunted by three sisters who were drowned because the jealous townspeople suspecte… Read More
2018-03-31 20:37
Year of No Clutter: a Memoir by Eve SchaubSourcebooks, Inc. 2017, 290 pgs, Biography.In this memoir, Eve decides to finally tackle her “hell room,” the room in her house tha… Read More
2018-03-31 19:40
Genius Belabored: Childbed Fever and the Tragic Life of Ignaz Simmelweis by Theodore G ObenchainThe University of Alabama Press, 2016, 249 pgs, Biography In a time before germ theo… Read More
2018-03-31 02:44
Ashes on the MoorBy Sarah M. EdenShadow Mountain, 2018. 376 pgs. Historical RomanceEvangeline's life changed drastically the day that most of her family died and a cruel aunt sent her to be… Read More
2018-03-30 19:56
Educatedby Tara WestoverRandom House, 2018, 334 pgs. Biography9780399590504Educated is the story of a girl raised in the mountains of Idaho to a survivalist father. She and her y… Read More
2018-03-30 19:52
Carnegie’s Maidby Marie BenedictSourcebooks Landmark, 2018. 281 pgs. Historical FictionAndrew Carnegie, at the age of 33, seemed to take his life in a drastically different direction a… Read More
2018-03-28 19:47
The Vegetarian By Han KangHogarth, 2015. 188 pgs. FictionYeong-hye and her husband have lived a very average, relatively boring life. However, when nightmares of blood and brutality begin, Y… Read More
2018-03-28 16:34
Craving ConnectionCrystal Stine, editorB & H Publishing Group, 2017. 280 pgs. NonfictionThis book of essays shares 30 challenges to build real-life engagement with the people around you… Read More
2018-03-27 21:03
Chancer : How One Good Boy Saved Another : A MemoirBy Donnie Kanter WinokurGrand Harbor Press, 2017. 272 pgs. NonfictionThis memoir begins with Donnie and her husband, Harvey, going through… Read More
2018-03-27 00:58
Mindset: The New Psychology of SuccessBy Carol S. DweckBallantine Books, 2008. 277 pgs. NonfictionCarol Dweck is a researcher at Columbia who has spent her time exploring the way our minds v… Read More
2018-03-24 23:22
Love Remains: A Hope Springs NovelBy Sarah M. EdenMirror Press, 2017. 366 pgs. RomanceTavish O'Connor has been doing everything he can to hold his family together since his younger brother F… Read More
2018-03-23 22:39
The General vs. the President: MacArthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear WarBy H.W. BrandsDoubleday, 2016. 437 pages. NonfictionTruman, who never expected to be President, approved the us… Read More
2018-03-23 22:27
Take Me With Youby Andrea GibsonPlume Books, 2018. 200 pages. NonfictionAn award-winning poet and activist, Andrea Gibson's latest collection of poems, one-liners, and more comes in a pocket… Read More
2018-03-21 18:57
Compost City: Practical Composting Know-how for Small-Space Living By Rebecca LouieRoost Books, 2015. 209 pages.According to author Rebecca Louie, anyone can compost, in any living spac… Read More
2018-03-21 17:49
Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste By Bea JohnsonScribner, 2013. 292 pages. NonfictionBea Johnson is the queen of living Zero Waste. But… Read More
2018-03-19 23:02
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Leadby Sheryl SandbergAlfred A. Knopf, 2013, 228 pages, NonfictionChief Operating Officer of Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg examines why there are so few wom… Read More
2018-03-16 17:52
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughterby Erika L. SánchezKnopf Books for Young Readers, 2017. 344 pgs. Young AdultJulia and her parents are mourning the loss of her sister Olga, who b… Read More
2018-03-14 20:22
Glow of DeathBy Jane K. ClelandMinotaur, 2016. 291 pgs. MysteryAntiques expert, Josie Prescott, is also an amateur sleuth. Appraising an authentic Tiffany lamp for a wealthy woman named Ava… Read More
2018-03-14 14:52
The Comfort Food DiariesBy Emily NunnAtria Books, 2017. 310 pgs. NonfictionEmily Nunn worked for many years as a food writer in both New York and Chicago, she was engaged to a wonderful man… Read More
2018-03-10 21:41
WarcrossBy Marie LuG.P. Putnam’s Sons, 353 pages, Young Adult FictionWhen teenage coder Emika Chen hacks her way into the opening tournament of the Warcross Championships, she glitches… Read More
2018-03-10 19:57
Dragon Bones by Patricia BriggsAce Books, 2002, 295 pgs. Science FictionWard has recently inherited his family’s estate when his father dies on a hunting trip. As Ward is adjustin… Read More
2018-03-10 18:58
The Bone Witchby Rin ChupecoSourcebooks Fire, 2017, 411 pages Young Adult FictionTea has a very strong gift for death magic which causes most of the people in her land to fear, avoid, and re… Read More
2018-03-07 03:48
Covenant Motherhood: Reflecting the Role of Christ in Our Lives by Stephanie Dibb SorensenCovenant Communications, 2013, 109 pgs, Nonfiction.This uplifting LDS book compares the roles o… Read More
2018-03-07 00:02
Glass HousesBy Louise PennyMinotaur Books, 2017, 391 pages, MysteryWhen a mysterious figure appears in Three Pines one cold November day, Chief Superintendent Armand Gamache and the rest of… Read More
2018-03-06 16:39
Pitch DarkBy Courtney AlamedaFeiwel Friends, 2018. 384 pages. Young AdultTuck has been in stasis for 400 years after his ship, the John Muir, was jettisoned into deep space and stranded, unl… Read More
2018-03-02 00:39
Thyme of Death (China Bayles #1) By Susan Wittig AlbertCharles Scribner’s Sons, 1992. 260 pgs. MysteryChina Bayles used to be a big city lawyer, but when the law profession became too… Read More
2018-03-01 03:35
Soulful Simplicity: how living with less can lead to so much moreby Courtney CarverPenguin Random House, 2017, 234 pgs. NonfictionCourtney Carver recollects her journey of change after… Read More
2018-03-01 03:33
The Alice Networkby Kate QuinnHarperCollins, 2017, 528 pgs. Historical FictionThis historical fiction book is a dual chronology about Charlie St. Clair and Eve Gardiner. Charlie St. Cl… Read More
2018-03-01 03:19
Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of DeathBy M.C. BeatonSt. Martin's Paperbacks, 1992. 272 pages. MysteryAgatha Raisin has spent her life building a successful PR business in London from the grou… Read More
2018-02-28 00:41
A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan DoyleBBC Books, 2011, 212 pgs, Mystery. Dr. John Watson meets Mr. Sherlock Holmes for the first time in A Study in Scarlet. Recently returne… Read More
2018-02-27 19:25
Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the Worldby Eric MetaxasViking, 2017, 480 pgs. BiographyMetaxas begins his carefully researched and thoroughly readable biograph… Read More
2018-02-27 19:20
The Great Aloneby Kristin HannahSt. Martin’s Press, 2018. 440 pgs. FictionLeni Allbright is a thirteen-year-old just trying to fit in. Her father, a form Vietnam POW, is constant… Read More
2018-02-24 19:42
A World Ablaze: the Rise of Martin Luther and the Birth of the ReformationBy Craig HarlineOxford University Press, 2017. 300 pgs. BiographyBYU professor Harline's well-written biography of M… Read More
2018-02-23 01:22
When Dimple Met Rishiby Sandhya MenonSimon Pulse, 2017. 380 pages. Young AdultDimple Shah has big plans for her life, and they don't include arranged marriage and becoming the perfect Indian… Read More
2018-02-21 22:36
The Upside of Stress: Why Stress is Good for You, and How to Get Good at ItBy Kelly McGonigal Avery, 2015. 279 pages. NonfictionIf you’ve ever complained about being stressed, then you… Read More
2018-02-21 21:06
The Prince and the DressmakerBy Jen WangFirst Second, 2018. 288 pages. Young Adult Graphic NovelsThe Prince and the Dressmaker starts on a hilarious note as Frances, working as a seamstress… Read More
2018-02-17 19:20
A Lady in the SmokeBy Karen OddenPenguin Random House, 2016. 411 pages. MysterySet in Victorian England, Lady Elizabeth Fraser, the only child of the late Earl of Kellham, and who is said to… Read More
2018-02-16 16:37
Food AnatomyBy Julia RothmanStorey Publishing, 2016. 221 pgs. NonfictionHave you ever wondered what all of those forks are for when you see a formal place setting? Rothman starts her book sh… Read More
2018-02-14 03:32
Maisie Dobbs By Jacqueline WinspearSoho Crime, 2014. 304 pages.Maisie Dobbs does not confine herself to the expectation of what a 1920s London woman should be: she is naturally intelligent… Read More
2018-02-13 03:21
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtueby Mackenzi LeeKatherine Tegen Books, 2017,528 pgs. Young AdultHenry Montague “Monty” is going touring with his best friend Percy on… Read More
2018-02-13 03:20
Adulthood is a Mythby Sarah Andersen AndrewsMcMeel Publishing, 2016. 106 pgs. Graphic NovelsSarah Andersen is a graphic novel artist who depicts life for all those in transition from childho… Read More
2018-02-12 22:44
Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the CourtBy Kareem Abdul-JabbarLittle, Brown and Co, 289 pages, Young Adult NonfictionAn autobiography about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and his life growing u… Read More
2018-02-12 21:00
I Believe in a Thing Called Love By Maurene GooFarrar Straus Giroux, 2017. 325 pgs. Young AdultHigh school senior Desi Lee is good at everything, except flirting. Her flirting failures are l… Read More
2018-02-12 19:50
Eyes of the World: Robert Capa, Gerda Taro, and the Invention of Modern PhotojournalismBy Marc AronsonHenry Holt and Co, 294 pages, Young Adult NonfictionRobert Capa and Gerda Taro were youn… Read More
2018-02-10 22:32
Orphan Train: a Novelby Christina Baker KlineWilliam Morrow, 2013. 278 pgs. FictionA memorable novel of two women: Molly, a teenager in foster care and Vivian, a nonagenarian who in 1929 at… Read More
2018-02-08 19:40
Warm Bodies by Isaac MarionEmily Bestler Books, 2011. 241 pages.Romeo and Juliet’s love story get a paranormal makeover in this surprisingly poignant and funny zombie romance. Mee… Read More
2018-02-06 21:58
Black Panther: A Nation Under Our FeetBy Ta-Nehisi CoatesMarvel, 2016, 144 pgs. Graphic Novel.When a superhuman terrorist group that calls itself The People sparks a violent uprising, the la… Read More
2018-02-06 00:05
The Girl in the Towerby Katherine ArdenDel Rey, 2018, 362 pgs. FantasyThe Girl in the Tower is book two of the Winternight Trilogy. The first in the series, The Bear and the Nigh… Read More
2018-02-06 00:00
Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hookedby Adam L. AlterPenguin Press, 2017. 354 pgs. NonfictionAdam Alter, a professor of psychology and marketin… Read More
2018-02-02 03:45
365 Days of Slow Cooking by Karen Bellessa PetersenCovenant Communications, 2012. 265 pgs. NonfictionSlow cooking is a great way to make dinner preparation less of a burden and take pl… Read More
2018-01-31 20:36
The Cottage Kitchen: Cozy Cooking in the English CountrysideBy Marte Marie ForsbergClarkson Potter Publishers, 2017. 288 pages. NonfictionI don't normally write reviews of cookbooks, but For… Read More
2018-01-31 20:26
The Velvet HoursBy Alyson RichmanBerkley, 2016. 384 pages. Historical FictionAs Paris is confronted with the looming threat of German occupation in 1942, Solange Beaugiron is shocked to lear… Read More
2018-01-31 19:46
Soloby Kwame AlexanderBlink, 2017. 424 pages. Young AdultBlade has it all - but he wishes he didn't. Being the son of famed rock legend Rutherford Morrison comes with as much loss, scandal… Read More
2018-01-27 19:52
The Secret of the India OrchidBy Nancy Campbell AllenShadow Mountain, 2017. 314 pgs. Historical Fiction, RomanceOn the very day that Anthony Blake, Earl of Wilshire, plans to ask for permiss… Read More
2018-01-27 18:01
For Love or Honorby Sarah M. EdenCovenant Communications, 2017. 256 pgs. Historical RomanceStanley Jonquil knew there was something special about Marjie the first time he met her. She was sw… Read More
2018-01-26 19:32
DamselsBy Leah MooreDynamite Entertainment, 2017. 144 pgs. Graphic NovelThe princesses of classic fairy tales band together to save their kingdoms from war! Rapa, a redheaded girl with a fie… Read More
2018-01-24 16:35
It’s All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World’s Family TreeBy A.J. JacobsSimon & Schuster, 2017, 352 pages, NonfictionPerhaps best known for his book, The Year of Livin… Read More
2018-01-23 23:33
The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's EnemiesBy Jason FagoneDey St, 2017, 444 pages, Non-FictionElizebeth Smith and Willi… Read More
2018-01-20 20:51
The Dinosaur LordsBy Victor MilanTor, 2015. 445 pgs. FictionA world made by the Eight Creators on which to play out their games of passion and power, Paradise is a sprawling, diverse, often… Read More
2018-01-18 21:24
The Gospel at 30,000 FeetBy Dieter F. UchtdorfDeseret Book, 2017. 129 pgs. NonfictionDieter F. Uchtdorf had an incredibly successful career as an German aviator before being called into the… Read More
2018-01-18 01:09
Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II JapanBy Bill O'Reilly and Martin DugardHenry Holt, 2016. 323 pgs. NonfictionThe World War II battles in the Pacific against the Ja… Read More
2018-01-17 20:00
Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQby Daniel GolemanBantam Books, 2006. 352 pages. Nonfiction In past decades there was a commonly held belief that intelligence was the ke… Read More
2018-01-17 01:29
American Eclipse: A Nation’s Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the WorldBy David BaronLiverlight Publishing, 2017. 330 pages.This compelling historical nar… Read More
2018-01-10 23:02
Love By the BookBy Melissa PimentelPenguin Books, 2015. 336 pages. FictionLauren Cunningham has moved from America to London in search of a fabulous single life with many a romantic dallianc… Read More
2018-01-10 20:55
Shackleton: Antarctic OdysseyBy Nick BertozziFirst Second, 2014. 125 pagesIn 1914, polar explorer Ernest Shackleton and company set out to be the first expedition to successfully cross the A… Read More
2018-01-04 02:39
The Traitor's Kiss by Erin BeatyMacmillan Publishing Group, LLC, 2017. 344 pgs. Young Adult FictionSage Fowler is an orphan in her uncle’s house when one day she goes into his off… Read More
2018-01-04 02:36
Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes LackeyDAW Books, 1987. 320 pgs. Science FictionTalia has always dreamed of becoming a herald for the Queen, one day her wish comes true when the companio… Read More
2018-01-03 22:57
Ronit & Jamilby Pamela L. LaskinKatherine Tegen Books, 2017. 192 pages. Young AdultA Romeo & Juliet retelling set in present-day Israel and Gaza, this novel in verse tells the forbid… Read More
2017-12-30 18:54
Huntedby Meagan Spooner Harper Teen, 2017. 374 pgs. Young Adult FictionYeva’s family lives in town when disaster strikes and her family’s fortunes are lost to raiders and bandits… Read More
2017-12-30 00:00
The Art of Baking with Natural Yeast: Breads, Pancakes, Waffles, Cinnamon Rolls, and Muffinsby Caleb Warnock and Melissa RichardsonFront Table Books, 2012. 163 pgs. NonfictionBaking your o… Read More
2017-12-22 21:30
George Washington's Secret Six: the Spy Ring that Saved the American RevolutionBy Brian Kilmeade and Don YeagerSentinel, 2013. 235 pgs. NonfictionWe've all heard of Nathan Hale, who only sur… Read More
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