Staff Pick - Throne of Glass

I cannot say enough about Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. I was pretty excited about a YA book being about an assassin rather than vampires, werewolves, or some other overdone creature.

"In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien." 

What I loved about this book, among many other things, was the action. Most teen books dull down the action and blood, but this book doesn't disappoint. It's dark, grisly and wonderful. The characters are fabulous as well.

Celaena is cocky, sarcastic, and tough. Normally you wouldn't care for a person like that but it works so well here. The Crown Prince is charming and a bit spoiled and the Captain of the Guard is swoon-worthy.

It has everything. Princes, action, magic, romance and awesome swords. What more could you want in a book? If you ever need a heroine that kicks serious butt, pick up this book. Seriously. You can find it in our online catalog by clicking here.

-Kilie

If you like Fifty Shades of Grey

As with any film adaptation, the release of E.L. Jame's self-published phenomenon Fifty Shades of Grey in theaters has increased interest in the series. If you're waiting on a copy, or just looking for something similar, here are a few titles you might also like:

Crossfire Series
by Sylvia Day
Eva Trammel, plagued by her own insecurities, is drawn into an intense, obsessive relationship with the wealthy and arrogant Gideon Cross. "Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness. He was beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I'd never been to anyone in my life..." The series starts with Bared to You.

Breathless Trilogy
by Maya Banks
Gabe is wealthy, powerful, and accustomed to getting anything he wants. Mia was his best friend's little sister... but she's not so little any more. Mia knows Gabe is way out of her league, but she's an adult now, and there's no reason not to act on her most secret desires. Starts with Rush.

Stark Trilogy
by Julie Kenner
An erotic, emotionally charged romance between a powerful man who's never heard "no" and a fiery woman who says "yes" on her own terms.  "He was the one man I couldn't avoid. And the one man I couldn't resist. Damien Stark could have his way with any woman. Anything he wanted, he got. And what he wanted was me..." Starts with Release Me.

Submissive Series
by Tara Sue Me
When CEO Nathaniel West, a skilled dominant, is looking for a new submissive, Abby King agrees to play the part and although Abby finds fulfillment in her new experiences, she realizes that Nathaniel can only remain cold and distant. Starts with The Submissive.

The Sleeping Beauty Trilogy
by Anne Rice
It is an ancient story, one that originally emerged from and still deeply disturbs the mind's unconscious. In the first book of the trilogy, Anne Rice, probes the unspoken implications of this lush, suggestive tale by exploring its undeniable connection to sexual desire. Starts with The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty.

All descriptions adapted from our online catalog or worldcat.org.

Staff Pick - Sunshine

Rae Seddon, known by everyone as Sunshine, has grown up working in her stepfather's bakery since her teens in a post apocalyptic world where Vampires rule a fifth of the world and the SOF (Special Other Forces) do their best to protect the population.

Sunshine wants nothing more than a normal life making cinnamon rolls for her stepfather and hanging out with her ex boyfriend, Mel.

One night, Sunshine wants to get away from everyone for a while and decides to drive down to the lake, to the house belonging to her father where no one has lived since the wars broke out.

It was a choice one might call the biggest mistake of her life as she's taken captive by Vampires and chained up inside a ball room with another captive of theirs - a vampire named Constantine, who is also chained, and becoming quite hungry.

Sunshine is a story about alliances being made where one might least expect them, and shows that the world might be made up of more shades of grey than anyone might have been able to believe. It's not your typical vampire story, that's for sure.

I really enjoyed reading Sunshine. When I picked it up, I was curious, and not sure what to expect. McKinley often finds a way to spin an old concept, or story, and make it feel new again, and that's what she did here.

So, if you're looking for a new twist on vampires, magic, and the world in general, I'd highly recommend picking up Sunshine by Robin McKinley. If you'd like to check it out, you can find it in our online catalog by clicking here.

-Amber

Staff Pick - Landline

Georgie McCool’s husband, Neal, has left her and she’s trying to keep cool. They’ve been together for fifteen years.

He’s actually only taken their two girls to spend the holidays in Omaha, but he wasn’t happy with her when they left. That’s because Georgie elected to skip out on the Midwestern Christmas to work on her sitcom.

Then something strange happens. Using the old yellow, rotary landline at her mother’s house, she contacts Neal. 1998 Neal, not 2013 Neal. The Neal that left her once before when they had temporarily broken up.

Is she going insane? Hallucinating? Or is she actually talking to the Neal of the past? Between working long hours on scriptwriting and reflecting on her marriage and taking care of herself, Georgie tries to make sense of all this.

Rainbow Rowell is one of my new favorite authors. Both heartbreaking and romantic, Landline also offers moments that will make you laugh. Rainbow’s characters are as real as your best friend, and you’ll find yourself soaring through this read.

If you'd like to check it out, you can find it in our online catalog by clicking here.

-William

Oskaloosa Picks - January 14, 2015

Over on Facebook, we asked "What book(s) are you reading?" Here's a look at Oskaloosa's picks this week:

How to Fight Presidents*
by Daniel O'Brien

Plenty of historians can tell you which president had the most effective economic strategies, and which president helped shape our current political parties, but can any of them tell you what to do if you encounter Chester A. Arthur in a bare-knuckled boxing fight? This book will teach you how to be better, stronger, faster, and more deadly than the most powerful (and craziest) men in history. You’re welcome.

Unbroken
by Laura Hillenbrand

On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared - Lt. Louis Zamperini. Captured by the Japanese and driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor.

Life As We Knew It
by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Through journal entries sixteen-year-old Miranda describes her family's struggle to survive after a meteor hits the moon, causing worldwide tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.

Landline
by Rainbow Rowell

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply - but that almost seems besides the point now. Maybe that was always besides the point. Two days before they're supposed to visit Neal's family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can't go. She knows that Neal will be upset with her - but she doesn't expect to him to pack up the kids and go without her.

Crown of Midnight
by Sarah J. Maas

As the royal assassin to an evil king, eighteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien must decide what she will fight for - survival, love, or the future of a kingdom.

Unglued
by Lysa TerKeurst

Subtitled "making wise choices in the midst of raw emotions," Unglued teaches how to acknowledge, understand, and manage raw emotions that are commonplace to the average woman.

Revival
by Stephen King

In a small New England town over half a century ago, a boy is playing with his new toy soldiers in the dirt in front of his house when a shadow falls over him. He looks up to see a striking man, the new minister, Jamie learns later, who with his beautiful wife, will transform the church and the town.

Shadowfell*
by Juliet Marillier

Fifteen-year-old Neryn is alone in the land of Alban, where the oppressive king has ordered anyone with magical strengths captured, but when she sets out for Shadowfell, a training ground for a rebel group, she meets a mysterious soldier and the Good Folk, who tell her that she, alone, can save Alban.





If you would like to read any of these books too, you can click on the title and place a hold with your library card number in our online catalog.

Titles marked with a * are not currently available in our catalog. If you'd like to read one of them, we can borrow it from another library through interlibrary loan.

All book descriptions adapted from our catalog or worldcat.org.