Barbara's Picks
Careless in Red
Careless in Red by Elizabeth George picks up after the sorrowful death of one of Elizabeth George's most lovely characters. (Now I AM in a quandary, for, if you haven't read the series you will hardly want this plot point revealed) Suffice it to say.....we are in a stormy and windswept Cornwall, where Thomas Lynley finds a dead body washed up on the rocks. As he is the first on the scene, he becomes part of the investigation, along with the mysterious woman who's cottage he breaks into in order to phone the local police.
Stormbreaker
While on vacation I happened to pick up the young adult page turner, Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz. I'd already polished off all the grown up books in my suitcase, and found this at the corner bookstore. I picked it up because so many of our local boy readers gobble up the Alex Rider series that my interest was piqued. I was not disappointed. Anthony Horowitz moves the plot steadily along. His hero, Alex Rider, is a wonderful kid, and the world he gets thrust into by the death of his Uncle - full of spies, good and bad guys, and mechanical gadgets that would make James Bond proud - is vastly entertaining. If you want to start a young boy on a great reading adventure, pick up Stormbreaker. (And don't be embarrassed to read it yourself!)
The Thirteenth Tale
The stack of books had been sitting on the cart for a little while, and every so often, I'd pick up a copy of The Thirteenth Tale, think about reading it, then put it back. It took Katie saying YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK for me to finally do just that. The Thirteenth Tale is a wonder! An eerie page turner, that has you hooked from the first sentence. The book has the swirling dark feverish mood of Jane Eyre, (which is referenced throughout) and the page turning aspect of...what? A thriller? Hard to say. There are so many twists and turns in this layered and nuanced work of art that it is difficult to categorize.
Nigella Express
I have about a zillion cookbooks, so I hardly ever feel I need another. 
My kids gave me Nigella Express for Christmas and I turned out to be wrong wrong wrong! I don't see how I got on without this cookbook before. The recipes are so fast they come together in the blink of an eye and every single one I've tried has been totally fantastic. If you are in an indulgent mood I highly recommend whipping up the leftover croissant french toast (for dinner as Nigella suggests - what a lovely wicked treat!) The recipe is buttery and creamy and custardy and totally fabulous (the slug of bourbon doesn't hurt). Her grilled cheese (now who on earth thinks they need a recipe for grilled cheese?) is a fast satisfying comforting new twist on an old favorite and paired with the mango chutney salad slaw turns a meal that might feel a wee bit unhealthy into an anti-oxident laden feast. All in all...a real find. Fast, lovely food you actually want to prepare and eat.
Getting Rid of Matthew
Getting Rid of Matthew by Jane Fallon
If you are looking for a nice light read that will both make you laugh and make you think about things, please pick up a copy of Getting Rid of Matthew by Jane Fallon. Helen is a forty year old "other woman". She has been involved with Matthew, her boss (who is in his late fifties) for four and a half, long, soul-searching, best-friend stay up all night analyzing his every word, years. Suddenly (practically on page 10!) he leaves his wife and shows up on Helen's doorstep. This very odd book, this very humourous odd book, takes off from there. Helen, it turns out, LIKES being home in her apartment alone, eating take out from a container and watching old movies in her pajamas. Suddenly, this thing, this being she wanted so desperately is ALL HERS. And...from there launches our tale.
William Lashner
I have just swooped through the entire opus of mystery writer William Lashner!! 
A customer suggested I might like this author...and I am so GRATEFUL for the suggestion. Lashner's hero is a (hah) Philadelphia lawyer by the name of Victor Carl, and he's smarmy, slimey, funny and principaled all at the same time. The books aren't gorey..but they are realistic. Victor solves problems for his bizarre clientele, and gets himself into extremely dangerous situations while doing so. If you like Michael Connelly, you will love William Lashner. (Not so 'film noir-ish' and not so grim...but great plots, wonderful descriptions of Philadelphia and a very smart hero---).
