NC RA-Likes Allen’s Werewolves Picks

Looking for a new read? Check out RA Allen’s Werewolves picks on NC RA-Likes.

Allen writes, “While vampires are often crafty, scheming horror villains; werewolves are “get the job done” villains. For too long vampires have been seen as the “A-list” and werewolves the “B-list”. Your introduction to werewolves may have come through the movies such as “The Wolf Man” starring Lon Chaney, Jr. or through television , such as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” with Seth Green as Oz, the rocking werewolf. Let’s not forget the late, great Warren Zevon’s song “Werewolves of London”.”

If you enjoyed any of those you might enjoy werewolves in literature.

For the younger set, two books you might want to read:

• “Werewolf Skin: Goosebumps” (DB046354) by R.L. Stine
• “Night of the Werewolf”(DB016722) by Franklin W. Dixon

Now if you like a mystery with a werewolf, then go for “Werewolf Cop”(DB081342) by Andrew Klavan.

Of course if your taste run to romance you may wish to read the “A Wild About You Novel” by Vicki Lewis Thomas. Start with “A Werewolf in Manhattan”(DB073045).

Finally, the “Twilight” series by Stephenie Meyer. For many people this series introduced them to the whole Vampire vs Werewolf conflict. Book One is “Twilight”(DB062066).

Enjoy any or all of the above and listen for howling at a full moon.

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NC RA-Likes Marlene’s Maeve Binchy Picks

Looking for a new read? Check out RA Marlene’s Maeve Binchy picks on NC RA-Likes.

Marlene writes, “Maeve Binchy is a favorite of mine. She wrote novels about Irish families and friends who lived on farms, in villages, or in towns. She made her readers feel the joys and sorrows that her characters experienced. The descriptions of Ireland made me want to get on a plane and go! She could make me laugh and cry in the same chapter. I read Circle of Friends (& saw the 1995 movie).  Then I read all her books.”

Here’s a list of some of Marlene’s favorites by her:

Scarlet Feather – DB51764

Cooking-school friends Cathy Scarlet and Tom Feather created the Scarlet Feather Caterers in Dublin. Their first year is challenging both professionally and personally. Their struggles, their family and friends, the ups and downs of catering all make for a good read.

Evening Class – DB44308

Life can seem dull in Dublin, but not for Aidan Dunne when he is passed over for a school principal position. He and Nora O’Donoghue, just returned from 26 years in Italy, begin a series of evening classes teaching Italian. And then the real fun begins!

Light A Penny Candle – DB43536

In 1940 shy, 10-year-old Elizabeth White is evacuated from wartime London and plunged into a large and contentious family in the Irish village of Kilgarret. She and Aisling O’Connor become best friends. Elizabeth returns to Ireland as an adult, but her life remains entwined with the O’Connors.

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NC RA-Likes Dick’s Victorian Era Picks

The Victorian Era refers to the reign of England’s Queen Victoria which stretched from her coronation on June 20, 1837, until her death on Jan. 22 1901.  Here are some both fiction and non-fiction book recommendations that span an era that saw the beginnings of widespread use of steam locomotives and ended with the dawn of manned flight.

Victoria: A Biography by A.N. Wilson DB80349 

An excellent book on her life including the fascinating story of her inclusion into the line of royal succession and her later family tree that extended in every royal family in Europe (for better or worse).

Barrow’s Boys: A Story of Daring, Fortitude and Outright Lunacy by Fergus Fleming DB63049

Although this book’s narrative starts out in the pre-Queen Victoria era it does extend into her reign and tells the story of the daring (and oftentimes outright crazy and/or sadly tragic) 19th British exploration of the world’s then-unknown regions mostly centered on the discovery of the mythical Northwest Passage to China.

Victoria’s Daughters by Jerrold Packard DB95190

Passed over for accession to the throne and most often forced into arranged marriages to various European Royal families Victoria’s five daughters and their offspring influenced world history for generations most famously the three royal cousins who were the heads of state of Great Britain, Russia, Germany during WW1.

The Victorians by A.N. Wilson DB58822

An interesting look into the vast world of British politicians, authors, artists, explores and eccentric personalities from this era in history

And a few fiction recommendations:

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins DB21677

First published in 1869 and considered one of the forerunners of the modern detective mystery genre this is an excellent mystery combined with a bit of adventure concerning the search for a legendary diamond and its effect on the extended members of a family.

Victorian Ghost Stories: An Oxford Anthology Edited by Michael Cox DB35421

The Victorians loved their ghost stories (many taking place around Christmas) and here is a great collection containing both well-known and obscure authors. Perfect for curling up with at night.

Drood by Dan Simmons DB68808

Historical fiction that combines mystery with some supernatural & horror, the story concerns author Wilkie Collins (see The Moonstone above) and his relationship to Charles Dickens during the final years of Dickens life and his last and unfinished novel The Mystery Of Edwin Drood.

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NC RA-Likes Clay’s Hardboiled Detective Fiction

Looking for a new read? Check out RA Clay’s Hardboiled Detective Fiction on NC RA-Likes.

The hardboiled detective is an American style of mystery novel that originated in the 1920s. It was a reaction against the prevailing mystery style where sleuths caught criminals by sifting clues to solve puzzles. The hardboiled genre usually cared less about the technicalities of “who dunnit” and focused more on a detective trying to right a wrong in a dangerous and corrupt world.

Dashiell Hammett was the father of the hardboiled detective story. His most famous novel was The Maltese Falcon (DB74949), where he created the model for the American private eye, Sam Spade. Despite the character’s everlasting fame, he only appeared in that one book. Hammett also wrote The Thin Man (DB16349), which was hardboiled only a most generous sense and mostly remembered for the series of frothy comedy movies it spawned.

Raymond Chandler refined the hardboiled detective genre by simplifying Hammett’s literary prose to create the prototypical terse understated language. Chandler’s first and most-read book was The Big Sleep (DB32657), where he premiered the sardonic private eye, Philip Marlowe. All seven Marlowe novels were moody and effective, but his masterpiece was The Long Goodbye (DB42704).

After Hammett and Chandler wrote the rules for the hardboiled story, many other authors expanded or broke those rules. Among the best was James M. Cain, probably best known for The Postman Always Rings Twice (DB17817). Among the most prolific was Mickey Spillane, who stripped away the nuance with his two-fisted private eye Mike Hammer, a gaudy comic book version of Philip Marlowe. The first Hammer was I, the Jury (DB18608) or you could submerge in the neon mayhem with Five Complete Mike Hammer Novels (I, the Jury, Vengeance is Mine, The Big Kill, My Gun is Quick, Kiss Me Deadly) DB53637. And while author Jim Thompson shared the same brutal outlook as Spillane, he found more humanity in his characters and his prose. Bleak but rewarding, his first was The Killer Inside Me (DBC08669).

In the last few decades, many writers have taken up hardboiled fiction, exploring what came before them and putting their own spin to it. Elmore Leonard started in Western pulps, but wrote lively hardboiled bestsellers well into the 21^st century including Fifty-two Pickup (DB57057) and Get Shorty (DB31976).  James Ellroy made his reputation by returning to the world of the hardboiled masters with his L.A. Trilogy — The Black Dahlia (DB27689), The Big Nowhere (DB59258), and L.A. Confidential (DB31404). Michael Connelly has established himself as one of the great modern hardboiled cop writers with his Harry Bosch series, the first of which is The Black Echo (DB34800).

Two other writers stretched the genre further. Walter Mosley created the African-American private eye, Easy Rawlins, in Devil in a Blue Dress (DB32935) set in Los Angeles in the 1940s. Each successive book in the series moves forward in time, aging the character and confronting him with troubles of modern American history. And Philip Kerr uses the same technique beginning in March Violets (DB66544), but his character, Bernie Gunther, is a German detective in Nazi-ruled Berlin in the 1930s and his series deals with World War II and into the Cold War years.

I’ve only mentioned a few of the great hardboiled writers and novels out there. There are many more with a range of characters and settings and stories. They can be literary or two-fisted (or both!), but while they can wallow in a cynical view of human nature, they also allow hope that some of us will try to be better, and help others no matter the odds.

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NC RA-Likes Dick’s Fiction Mixed with Fact

Looking for a new read? Check out RA Dick’s Fiction-Fact picks on NC RA-Likes

Like mystery mixed with a bit of actual historical people & places? Here’s some interesting spy, suspense, intrigue and who-done-its that mix fiction with the fact.

The L.A. Quartet by James Ellroy – Series Code LAQ

Taking place in post-WWII Los Angeles and proceeding into the early 50’s Ellroy’s series while not linked together thematically feature many of the same characters interacting. Filled with corrupt politicians, morally questionable police and thoroughly evil authority figures mixed with actual historical and entertainment personalities these are a dense read that requires concentration but well worth the effort.

Bernie Gunther Mysteries by Philip Kerr – Series Code BGM

Starting off in Weimar Republic Germany, Kerr’s hard-boiled German detective moves through WWII with even some stops in post-WWII South America. Excellent engrossing mysteries that give a real authentic feeling to the historical locations.

Ethan Gage Adventures by William Dietrich – Series Code ETG

A mixture of spy, intrigue and bit of Indiana Jones mixed in, these books feature American adventurer Ethan Gage who initially starts off getting involved in Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign and subsequently travels throughout Europe interacting with many historical personages and events throughout the Napoleonic era.

Books by Alan Furstz:

• DB56799 Blood of Victory
• DB52580 Kingdom of Shadows
• DB71415 Spies of the Balkans

These are just a few of the books written by Alan Furst. Although not connected in a series all his books take place in the shadowy world of pre-WWII Europe and feature spies, double agents, femme fatales all dealing in coded messages, stolen secrets and assassinations.

Amelia Peabody by Elizabeth Peters – Series Code PEA

For something a bit lighter Elizabeth Peter’s books feature Edwardian era archaeologist/sleuth Amelia Peabody solving mysteries in Egypt while artifact hunting.

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NC RA-Likes Allen’s Future Shock

Looking for a new read? Check out RA Allen’s Future Shock picks on NC RA-Likes

If you are of a certain age, at sometime in the 1970s you may have become acquainted with the term “Future Shock”. A short definition of “future shock” found in the 1970 book “Future Shock”(DB010603) by Alvin Toffler, is “too much change in too short a period of time”. Some may argue that we are all living in a state of future shock at this time.

There have been many fine books written on this topic. Some focus more on the social, political and economic changes. Others focus more on the scientific and technological. The best concern the interconnectedness between the areas. In addition to the book mentioned above, I would recommend the following in nonfiction:

• “The Third Wave”(DB015083) by Alvin Toffler
• “The Next One Hundred Years: A Forecast for the Twenty-first Century”(DB068611) by George Friedman
• “Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100”(DB073056) by Michio Kaku

One area of fiction which has done an admirable job of incorporating the concept of future shock, is the science-fiction subgenre of cyberpunk. Two excellent examples are:

• “Neuromancer”(DB034589) by William Gibson
• “Islands in the Net”(DB043055) by Bruce Sterling

I hope you will consider these books as you need a break from the barrage of emails, posts, texts, tweets and twenty-four news. None of which existed when Alvin Toffler wrote his book fifty years ago. – Allen Wight

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NC RA-Likes Dick’s Historical Fiction Picks

Looking for a new read? Check out RA Dick’s Historical Fiction picks on NC RA-Likes

Have you read the books by Patrick O’Brian, Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe series or the Hornblower books by C. S. Forester and been interested in learning more about the actual history of those author’s fictional settings? Here is some non-fiction reading suggestions about the Napoleonic Wars.

The War for All the Oceans by Roy Adkins – DB087938

• If you have enjoyed Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin series here is an excellent overview of the 1798-1815 naval conflicts that formed the basis for those books

Mirage: Napoleon’s Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt by Nina Burleigh – DB065237

• Concise read concerning Napoleon’s campaign in Egypt focusing on the scientific and archaeological aspects such as the discovery of the Rosetta Stone.

Russia Against Napoleon: The True Story of the Campaigns of War and Peace by Dominic Lieven – DB73520

• The actual history that formed the background of the Leo Tolstoy novel.

Napoleon: A Life by Andrew Roberts – DB080236

• I have read a few biographies on Napoleon and this is the best. Well written and sticks with the facts rather than mythmaking.

Nelson’s Trafalgar: The Battle That Changed the World by Roy Adkins – DB061276

• I’ve always been interested in the naval history of this period and this book along with an excellent overview of Nelson’s life and the battle of Trafalgar also gives an interesting history concerning the oftentimes brutal life aboard a fighting ship of that time.

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NC RA-Likes Marlene’s Cozy Mysteries

Looking for a new read? Check out RA Marlene’s Cozy Mysteries on NC RA-Likes

I have a secret pleasure in choosing books to read – I love cozy mysteries! This is Marlene – one of your Reader Advisors. I discovered libraries in the 3^rd grade. My first passion was the children’s mysteries… Nancy Drew, the Bobbsey Twins, etc. I remember Mystery at Rock City which was a tourist attraction near my hometown. I thought I’d share some of my favorite cozy mystery series with you. First there’s Phryne Fisher, (by Kerry Greenwood) a flapper and a private detective in Australia. I love the 1920s, her life, her clothes, her parties. Phyrne does have sex and lots of boyfriends. Many of the books were made into a TV series available for streaming.

Another favorite sleuth is Agatha Raisin (by M.C. Beaton) whose humorous cases are suspenseful and funny at the same time. Agatha lives in a small English village, is in her 40s, man crazy, and runs her own detective agency. Murders abound in her village and wherever she goes.

And who can forget Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple? I read and reread these novels because I’m old and lucky enough to forget who the murderer is!

Phryne Fisher’s first few cases:

• DB076319, Cocaine Blues, PFM1 (This one has too many murders occurring at once, but the author learned her lesson and the other books are more streamlined.)
• DB076320, Flying Too High, PFM 2
• DB076321, Murder on the Ballarat Train, PFM3

 Agatha Raisin’s first few cases:

• DB038163, Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death RAA1
• DB039537, Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet RAA2
• DB040641, Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener RAA3

 Miss Marple novels by Agatha Christie – any and all of these

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NC RA-Likes Sarah’s Picks

Are you like me? Do you love a good teen mystery?

If so, you might want to check out I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga. It is the first in a series of three. The first in the trilogy follows Jazz Denton whose father was imprisoned for serial murder. Jazz wants to prove that he is not responsible for the new murders plaguing his town.

The series:

1. I Hunt Killers DB074623
2. Game DB076683
3. Blood of My Blood DB079590

Another good choice is The Naturals series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. This series has been likened to Criminal Minds. The series follows Cassie an orphan who has a unique ability to read people. The FBI has sanctioned a group of similarly skilled teenagers to help solve criminal cases through profiling.

The series:

1. The Naturals DB077826
2. Killer Instinct DB080257
3. All In DB084081
4. Bad Blood DB087086