Christine's Favorites


Hi, as anyone can probably tell, my taste in books is all over the board. Sometimes a book makes my must-read recommendation list because it makes me laugh, sometimes because it makes me cry, and sometimes because it makes me imagine the monster drooling and dragging his clawed hooves behind me on a dark street at night. A book can take me out of my safe, boring little life and open my eyes to a whole new world. Who doesn't love to see themselves in the misfit who slowly, sometimes painfully changes their whole life to something meaningful. Hey, and if I can imagine my knight in shining armor charging in to rescue me, I can also imagine,(with the right books), figuring it all out and rescuing myself ! ~Christine

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The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend By Katarina Bivald Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781492623441
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Sourcebooks Landmark - January 19th, 2016

The Readers of Broken Wheel

by Katarina Bivald

I picked up this book intending to read just a few pages. It's description intrigued me!  A correspondence between two book lovers, a small town setting, quirky characters and a dilemma of epic proportions. Well, nearly 400 pages and four hours later I had read every word of it.  I never put the book down, even to drag my sleeve over the tears sliding down my face. This gem is full of heart and humor, wit and some really good book recommendations.  I laughed, I cried, I fell in love with Sara, Amy and all the residents of Broken Wheel.  I identified with, sympathized with, was entertained by, and loved them all.  This book would be my recommendation for readers who loved Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman, A Man Called Ove by Frederick Backman, A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg. P.S.  Have your tissues ready for this one.  I mean this in the best way!             Christine        


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A Man Called Ove: A Novel By Fredrik Backman Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781476738024
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Washington Square Press - May 5th, 2015

A Man Called Ove
by Fredrik Backman
 

I don't know how to describe this book featuring a fiesty curmudgeon called Ove without using the word charming.  I certainly didn't set out thinking that this person, so ridgid and set in his state of grumpy old-man-ness, would resonate with me like it did.  Watching this thorny guy thaw throughout the book (entirely without his intent or permission) was sweet and perfect.  I So recommend this debut novel by Swedish author Backman, and look forward to his next book "My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry".            Christine


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The Martian: A Novel By Andy Weir Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780553418026
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Ballantine Books - October 28th, 2014

The Martian
by Andy Weir
Andy Weir's "Real" science fiction novel The Martian skips readable and amps to devourable in light seconds.  Stranded on Mars with limited food and water, Mark Watney could easily throw in the towel and O.D. on the morphine.  Someone as intelligent, resourceful and downright MacGyver-ish as he couldn't call it quits that easily though.  Hey! a major life-threatening upset crops up, solve it with ingenuity, recycled poopie and duct tape, just like you would (mostly) on Earth.  I don't usually like to use the term "Nail Biting" Suspense ( I thought I broke the habit years ago), but nails got bitten as the story roared along to a spectacular end.
Weir opened my eyes to a genre that was previously unfamiliar to me: He could "Fly me to the Moon" any time, just let me download some not  Disco music first.                   -   Christine

 


Beat the Reaper: A Novel By Josh Bazell Cover Image
$14.99
ISBN: 9780316032216
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Back Bay Books - September 14th, 2009

Beat the Reaper

   By  Josh Bazell

If you like a book like an old sweater, all warm, fuzzy and comforting, stay far, far away from this one! On the other hand, if you don’t know the meaning of the word squeamish, if you prefer your dog book dripping rabid foam, your pride & prejudice with a side of zombies, your girl with a dragon tattoo … then this one is for you.  Be prepared for a story that will smack you upside the head, grab you with sharp teeth and shake you until you’re dizzy.    -  Christine


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We Begin at the End By Chris Whitaker Cover Image
$27.99
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ISBN: 9781250759665
Published: Henry Holt and Co. - March 2nd, 2021

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker is a marvel, beautifully written and tragic. Duchess is a great Narrator. Tough and Thorny - Full of Rough edges. She had me rooting for her from the start. She never wavered in her outlaw status or the defense of her family. 

Reading through layers of this book to its heart wrenching finale, leaves me with the feeling that this book needs to become a classic that is read by everyone. I highly recommend.


Falling: A Novel By T. J. Newman Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9781982177881
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster - July 6th, 2021

Falling by T.J. Newman 

"I will not crash this plane, and you will not kill my family."

What a Rush! Reading this book is like going to a theater to see Highschool Musical and finding out that it has been swapped with Jaws. Talk aboue a white knuckler. We are equally concerned for the plane full of souls as we are for the family of the pilot. 

How will this jacked-up, stressed out pilot and his bad-a** crew figure out how to make the ending to this predicument with the  least amount of damage to all parties involved?

I recommend this book to anyone looking for the flaming hot cheetos equivalent of a story (and you won't have red cheese fall-out all over your fingers when you're done).


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Gone Girl: A Novel By Gillian Flynn Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780307588371
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Ballantine Books - April 22nd, 2014

OK, I admit it.  I like my books like some people like their food, spicy enough to cause a little bit of discomfort!  Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is hot with a side of jalapenos.  If you like a book that you have figured out in three chapters .. Don't Read this one.  This darkly compelling, twisty as hell book will keep you guessing to the very end.  It turns everything you think you know about dysfunctional characters on it's ear.  And if you are as intrigued by Gone Girl as much as I was, be sure to check out Flynn's other books; Dark Places and Sharp Objects.  You will not be disappointed.  Enjoy the Burn ...

Christine's Pick


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The Girl on the Train: A Novel By Paula Hawkins Cover Image
$26.95
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ISBN: 9781594633669
Published: Riverhead Books - January 13th, 2015

The Girl on the Train

by Paula Hawkins

Read this for a bird's-eye view of one of the most unreliable narrators in recent fiction.  How do you trust a character when what you see is the bleary eyes of a black-out drunk?  Is she obsessively stalking or voyeuristically imagining what she is seeing?  Told from alternating viewpoints, the suspenseful story draws you in, unfolding very quickly to a satisfying conclusion you just may not have seen coming.


The 5th Wave: The First Book of the 5th Wave Series By Rick Yancey Cover Image
$12.99
ISBN: 9780142425831
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Penguin Books - February 10th, 2015

Julia's Chocolates By Cathy Lamb Cover Image
$14.00
ISBN: 9780758214621
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Kensington - May 1st, 2007

Doctor Sleep By Stephen King Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9781451698855
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Gallery Books - June 10th, 2014

A Redbird Christmas: A Novel By Fannie Flagg Cover Image
$24.00
ISBN: 9781400065059
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Random House - October 25th, 2005

Mr. Mercedes: A Novel (The Bill Hodges Trilogy #1) By Stephen King Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9781476754475
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Gallery Books - January 6th, 2015

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #1) By Ransom Riggs Cover Image
$14.99
ISBN: 9781594746031
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Quirk Books - June 4th, 2013

The Cuckoo's Calling (A Cormoran Strike Novel #1) By Robert Galbraith Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780316206853
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Mulholland Books - April 29th, 2014

The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness By Sy Montgomery Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781451697728
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Atria Books - April 5th, 2016

The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread By Kate DiCamillo, Timothy Basil Ering (Illustrator) Cover Image
$7.99
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ISBN: 9780763625290
Published: Candlewick Press (MA) - April 11th, 2006

Unlikely Friendships: 47 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom By Jennifer S. Holland Cover Image
$13.95
ISBN: 9780761159131
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Workman Publishing Company - June 21st, 2011

Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love By Larry Levin Cover Image
$19.99
ISBN: 9780446546300
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Grand Central Publishing - October 18th, 2011

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series #1) By Alexander McCall Smith Cover Image
$15.95
ISBN: 9781400034772
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Anchor - February 6th, 2003

Outlander: A Novel By Diana Gabaldon Cover Image
$9.99
ISBN: 9780440212560
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Dell - June 2nd, 1992

The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel By Garth Stein Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780061537967
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Harper Paperbacks - May 22nd, 2018

The Rosie Project: A Novel By Graeme Simsion Cover Image
$15.99
ISBN: 9781476729091
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books - June 3rd, 2014

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The Good Girl: A Thrilling Suspense Novel from the Author of Local Woman Missing By Mary Kubica Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9780778317760
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Mira Books - February 24th, 2015

A Dirty Job: A Novel By Christopher Moore Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780060590284
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: William Morrow Paperbacks - March 27th, 2007

Blind Your Ponies By Stanley Gordon West Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781565129849
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Algonquin Books - January 18th, 2011

Heartsick: A Thriller (Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell #1) By Chelsea Cain Cover Image
$7.99
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ISBN: 9780312947156
Published: Minotaur Books - July 29th, 2008

The Missing Ink: A Tattoo Shop Mystery By Karen E. Olson Cover Image
$7.99
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ISBN: 9780451227461
Published: Berkley - July 7th, 2009

Dog on It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery (The Chet and Bernie Mystery Series #1) By Spencer Quinn Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781416585848
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Atria Books - September 29th, 2009

A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One By George R. R. Martin Cover Image
$9.99
ISBN: 9780553573404
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Bantam - August 4th, 1997

Where the Heart Is By Billie Letts Cover Image
$10.00
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ISBN: 9781455535118
Published: Grand Central Publishing - June 9th, 2015

Cats Are Capable of Mind Control: And 1,000+ UberFacts You Never Knew You Needed to Know By Kris Sanchez Cover Image
$16.99
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ISBN: 9780062441164
Published: Dey Street Books - July 5th, 2016

The School of Essential Ingredients (A School of Essential Ingredients Novel #1) By Erica Bauermeister Cover Image
$16.00
ISBN: 9780425232095
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Berkley - January 5th, 2010

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: A Lisbeth Salander Novel (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Series #1) By Stieg Larsson Cover Image
$9.99
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ISBN: 9780307949486
Published: Vintage Crime/Black Lizard - November 22nd, 2011

Counting by 7s By Holly Goldberg Sloan Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9780142422861
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Rocky Pond Books - September 16th, 2014

Heart-Shaped Box: A Novel By Joe Hill Cover Image
$19.99
ISBN: 9780061944895
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: William Morrow Paperbacks - December 22nd, 2009

The One and Only Ivan: A Newbery Award Winner By Katherine Applegate, Patricia Castelao (Illustrator) Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9780061992278
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: HarperCollins - January 6th, 2015

Wonder By R. J. Palacio Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780375869020
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Knopf Books for Young Readers - February 14th, 2012

A New Model: What Confidence, Beauty, and Power Really Look Like By Ashley Graham, Rebecca Paley Cover Image
$7.98
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ISBN: 9780062667946
Published: Dey Street Books - May 9th, 2017

Insane City By Dave Barry Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780425264720
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: G.P. Putnam's Sons - September 3rd, 2013

As fun as a book can get! Where else can you find an infatuated orangutan with an 8 foot arm span, an Escalade hard-wired for nasty, a hooker with a heart of pudding and a slightly befuddled beta-male groom-to-be just trying to make it to his wedding? Only read this book if you want fast-paced hilarity sure to make you laugh out loud!


The Widow By Fiona Barton Cover Image
$5.98
ISBN: 9781101990476
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Berkley - January 17th, 2017

The Breakdown: A Novel By B.A. Paris Cover Image
$25.99
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ISBN: 9781250122469
Published: St. Martin's Press - July 18th, 2017

It: A Novel By Stephen King Cover Image
$21.99
ISBN: 9781501142970
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Scribner - January 5th, 2016

The Talisman: A  Novel By Stephen King, Peter Straub Cover Image
$9.99
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ISBN: 9781451697216
Published: Pocket Books - September 25th, 2012

A Knight in Shining Armor By Jude Deveraux Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781451665635
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Gallery Books - March 27th, 2012

Wishes By Jude Deveraux Cover Image
$9.99
ISBN: 9780671743857
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Pocket Books - March 15th, 1991

Calvin and Hobbes By Bill Watterson Cover Image
$10.95
ISBN: 9780836220889
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Andrews McMeel Publishing - January 6th, 1987

Creepy Susie: and 13 other tragic tales for troubled children. By Angus Oblong Cover Image
$12.00
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ISBN: 9780345433008
Published: Ballantine Books - September 28th, 2004

Lio: There's a Monster in My Socks By Mark Tatulli Cover Image
Not Available to Order
ISBN: 9781449423049
Published: Andrews McMeel Publishing - October 2nd, 2012

Anne of Green Gables Boxed Set (Vol 1-4) By Lucy Maud Montgomery Cover Image
$51.80
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ISBN: 9781771084055
Published: Nimbus Publishing (CN) - June 15th, 2016

Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence--and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process By Irene Pepperberg Cover Image
$13.99
ISBN: 9780061673986
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Harper Perennial - September 1st, 2009

Caroline: Little House, Revisited By Sarah Miller Cover Image
$25.99
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ISBN: 9780062685346
Published: William Morrow - September 19th, 2017

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Sharp Objects: A Novel By Gillian Flynn Cover Image
$16.00
ISBN: 9780307341556
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Crown - July 31st, 2007

Secondhand Souls: A Novel By Christopher Moore Cover Image
$15.99
ISBN: 9780061779794
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: William Morrow Paperbacks - May 10th, 2016

Island of the Sequined Love Nun By Christopher Moore Cover Image
$13.99
ISBN: 9780060735449
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: William Morrow Paperbacks - May 25th, 2004

The Secret Life of Bees By Sue Monk Kidd Cover Image
$15.00
ISBN: 9780142001745
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Penguin Books - January 28th, 2003

The Honk and Holler Opening Soon By Billie Letts Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780446675055
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Grand Central Publishing - May 1st, 1999

The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle By Leslie Connor Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780062491435
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Katherine Tegen Books - January 23rd, 2018

This book was so heartfelt and good. Mason is not your ordinary hero. He deals with some issues, but dishonesty and disloyalty are not among them. We, along with Mason, learn that we can recover from anything and band together as a family, no matter how unconventional. It also makes me grateful for the "Moonie Drinker" in my own life.


Warm Bodies: A Novel (The Warm Bodies Series #1) By Isaac Marion Cover Image
$15.00
ISBN: 9781439192320
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Atria/Emily Bestler Books - November 1st, 2011

I rarely ever use the words sweet and warm and brain-eating zombies in the same sentence. This book is a love story wrapped in an undead package. It is a fast, quirky read with a surprising amount of heart.


The Mountain Between Us (Movie Tie-In): A Novel By Charles Martin Cover Image
$9.99
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ISBN: 9781524763220
Published: Broadway Books - August 15th, 2017

Harlow & Sage (and Indiana): A True Story About Best Friends By Brittni Vega Cover Image
$7.98
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ISBN: 9780399172878
Published: G.P. Putnam's Sons - October 2nd, 2014

Christmas Jars By Jason F. Wright Cover Image
$7.95
ISBN: 9781590384817
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Shadow Mountain - October 17th, 2005

The Fault in Our Stars By John Green Cover Image
$12.99
ISBN: 9780142424179
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Penguin Books - April 8th, 2014

Artemis: A Novel By Andy Weir Cover Image
$7.98
ISBN: 9780553448122
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Ballantine Books - November 14th, 2017

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine: A Novel By Gail Honeyman Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780735220690
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Penguin Books - June 5th, 2018

Homer's Odyssey By Gwen Cooper Cover Image
$6.98
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ISBN: 9780385343855
Published: Delacorte Press - August 25th, 2009

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett: A Novel By Annie Lyons Cover Image
$26.99
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ISBN: 9780063026063
Published: William Morrow - September 8th, 2020

Where the Crawdads Sing By Delia Owens Cover Image
$26.00
ISBN: 9780735219090
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: G.P. Putnam's Sons - August 14th, 2018

Marilla of Green Gables: A Novel By Sarah McCoy Cover Image
$15.99
ISBN: 9780062697721
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: William Morrow Paperbacks - October 8th, 2019

False Witness: A Novel By Karin Slaughter Cover Image
$28.99
ISBN: 9780062858092
Availability: Out of Stock. Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: William Morrow - July 20th, 2021

To what extent do you go to protect the ones you hold most dear? False Witness By Karin Slaughter is a messy, graphic thriller that answers this question for us voraciously-reading fiction fans. How are these true-to-life characters going to dig themselves out of the pit they've fallen into before time runs out using only their wits and fingernails? I highly recommend this page turner to anyone wanting a fast and furious read they wont forget for a long time.