Carolyn's Top 5 for Friday

Carolyn is the Rodney Librarian who is Team Leader at our Orewa Library. Here is her Top 5 favourites for this Friday (in no particular order)

The Book Thief. Markus Zusak. Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbours. Recipient of the Michael Printz honor award for excellence in young adult literature

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. Mary Ann Schaffer. January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’d never met, a native of Guernsey. He'd come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb. As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island - boasts a charming cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. Juliet begins a correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

The Friday Night Knitting Club. Kate Jacobs. Walker & Daughter is Georgia Walker's little yarn shop, tucked into a quiet storefront on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The Friday Night Knitting Club was started by some of Georgia's regulars, who gather once a week to work on their latest projects and to chat — and occasionally clash — over their stories of love, life, and everything in between. Georgia has her hands full, juggling the demands of running the store and raising her spunky teen daughter, Dakota, by herself. Thank goodness for Anita, her mentor and dear friend, and the rest of the members of the knitting club-who are just as varied as the skeins of yarn in the shop's bins. There's Petra, a prelaw student turned handbag designer; Darwin, a somewhat aloof feminist grad student; and Lucie, a petite, quiet woman who's harboring some secrets of her own. However, unexpected changes soon throw these women's lives into disarray, and the shop's comfortable world gets shaken up like a snow globe. James, Georgia's ex, decides that he wants to play a larger role in Dakota's life — and possibly Georgia's as well. Kat, a former friend from high school, returns to New York as a rich Park Avenue wife and uneasily renews her old bond with Georgia. Meanwhile, Anita must confront her growing (and reciprocated) feelings for Marty, the kind neighborhood deli owner. And when the unthinkable happens, they realize what they've created: not just a knitting club, but a sisterhood.

Lineage of Grace. Francine Rivers. This is a compilation of six novels previously published separately (and which are also available at Rodney Libraries). Unveiled, Unashamed, Unshaken, Unspoken, Unafraid and The genealogy of Jesus Christ tell the fictionalized accounts of the lives of Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. A six part Bible study is included with each woman's story.

Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen. Needing little introduction but... When Elizabeth Bennet first meets Mr Darcy she finds him to be most arrogant. He, in turn, is determined not to be impressed by Elizabeth's beauty and wit. As events unfold their paths cross with more and more frequency, and their disdain for each other grows. Can they ever overcome their prejudices and realise that first impressions are not always reliable.

All of the above descriptions were taken from our catalogues, so you can see there is a fair bit of detail there if you want to select your books this way.