February Book Clubs

We're looking forward to some excellent reading for the month of February!

Three Rivers Book Club

Meets Wednesday, February 1st at the Arrowhead Community Center in Channahon at 7 p.m. We will be reading The Paris Wife by Paula McClain.

Bookies Book Club

Meets Saturday, February 11th at the Minooka Village Hall at 10 a.m. We will be discussing Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden and Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks. No need to read both if you are pressed for time!

We hope to see you for one of our lively discussions!

Chill Out @ Your Library!

With the recent turn of wintery weather, it's the perfect time to settle in with a good read - why not reward yourself and enter our winter reading program? The program is for Three Rivers Library Card holders ages 12 and up.

Keep track of your winter reading online and be automatically notified when reading goals are reached or your name is drawn for a raffle prize. You will receive a packet of hot chocolate for signing up for the program and the first 65 people to read 5 books* will receive a special prize!

There will also be random drawings and a grand prize "Booklovers Basket" drawn at the end of the program. So the more you read, the better chance you have of winning!

*Only book, audio-books or e-books count towards your goal.

Register here beginning January 14th or on our Winter Reading Page!

Looking for a Solid Mystery Series?

Try "Sworn to Silence" by Linda Castillo. Since a serial killer stopped terrorizing local citizens in the 1990's, nothing much happens in the rural burg of Painters Mill, Ohio, which is just how Chief Kate Burkholder likes it. After years of experience in the more urban setting of Columbus, Ohio, she jumped at the chance to become the police chief of her hometown. Her past as a member of the local Amish community has given her a unique perspective and ability to act as a go-between between the private Amish community and the "English."

When one of her officers responds to a "loose cattle" call and instead finds the nude body of a young woman in the snow, Kate's peaceful existence comes to an abrupt halt. Not only is the murder reminiscent of the serial killings that took place in the '90's, but it brings Kate's history crashing back to her, including a secret that she, her brother and sister have kept all these years. When the town calls in outside help, Kate is resistant, fearing her secret will be exposed after 16 years, but as bodies continue to turn up, she must face her fear in order to solve the gruesome crimes.

John Tomasetti has been to hell, and does not seem to want to leave. Since losing his partner and family a few years earlier, his life has continued in a downward spiral, thanks to his steady diet of booze and painkillers. When he is assigned to work on the Painters Mill murders, he knows it is his last chance. Can Kate overcome her fear and mistrust to work with Tomasetti?

This is the first book of three so far featuring Chief Kate Burkholder, and I have a feeling we'll be seeing more of John Tomasetti as well. Despite the Amish connection, this is definitely NOT a cozy mystery - the grisly details, salty language and sexual situations and references are not for the faint of heart. Kate is a great heroine - strong yet vulnerable, principled yet hesitant, and damaged yet hopeful. I look forward to seeing more from this series. Fans of this book may also like Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series or Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon series.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

Silas "32" Jones is the constable of a tiny town in rural Mississippi. His childhood friend, Larry Ott, still lives in the house he grew up in and "operates" his father's automotive business - a business that hasn't had a customer in years, as Larry has long lived under suspicion in the disappearance of a local girl when he was a teenager.

When a similar crime takes place, Larry is at the center of suspicion when he himself is the victim of a violent crime. Silas reluctantly gets involved, knowing that Larry is innocent of the crime. As Silas digs deeper into the crime wave hitting his tiny community, he starts letting go of his own secrets - secrets that provide important details in the girl's disappearance so many years ago.

Franklin has written a quiet and thoughtful southern novel that studies friendship, secrets and justice. The majority of the characters are not all that likable overall, which made for a rather slow read for me. However, the interest in the crimes and hope for reconciliation kept me reading until the end.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Set in the not-too-distant future (the year 2044,) Cline's dystopian yet hopeful tale is a fun, thought-provoking and clever story.

Orphaned high school senior Wade Watts lives in the "stacks" - giant stacks of trailers piled on top of one another - with his aunt and several others just outside of Oklahoma City. In an effort to escape his bleak reality, he spends his days logged into the virtual world, "OASIS," where he has created an alternative identity and also where he attends school. When not attending his online classes or hanging out in a chat room with his best friend, he devotes his time to pursuing the ultimate gaming challenge - OASIS creator James Halliday's complex multi-layered puzzle, the winner of which will receive Halliday's fortune.

When Wade solves the first puzzle, he (or his avatar, Parzival,) is suddenly thrust into the limelight, triggering untold fame and infamy, as he becomes the main target for the evil corporation, IOI, who employ thousands in the hopes of solving the puzzle (and gaining the fortune and power) first. The floodgates are then open, as Wade's best friend, online crush, and brothers from Japan also solve the first puzzle, soon to be followed by the IOI bots (i.e. "Sixers.") It isn't long before the Sixers have the advantage, and are the closest to solving the final puzzle.

Can Wade and his friends outsmart and defeat the Sixers? Or will they all go down in fiery defeat? Will Wade ever be able to function in reality, instead of just online?

Cline's love of pop culture shines through in this endearingly geeky homage to the 1980's. There are so many layers to this story, it has the potential to appeal to a wide audience. Rumors indicate that a movie is already in the works!

The Sunflower by Richard Paul Evans

Looking for a light, gentle romantic read with a social conscience? Richard Paul Evans might be just what you are looking for.

Christine is stunned when her fiance, Martin, calls off their wedding (that she has planned in a bridezilla-like fashion) one week before hand. Her best friend, Jessica, in an effort to pull Christine out of her deep depression, signs them up for a volunteer trip to Peru, where they will put in time at an orphanage.

Paul, the director of the orphanage, an American ex-pat who also happens to be a doctor, has some baggage of his own to deal with. However, when he first lays eyes on Christine, he is transfixed by her. Although their time together is brief, the adventures they encounter in the jungles of South America allow them to get to know each other fairly well - enough to know that they both will have some tough questions to answer about their future at the close of the trip.

Ultimately, this is a romance, which guarantees a happy ending. Not even the appearance of Martin towards the end of the story can thwart the budding romance between Paul and Christine. Will they remain in Peru, working at the orphanage together? Or will they come back to the U.S. to live happily ever after?

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

John Grisham, best known for his legal thrillers, has strayed outside his normal genre on several occasions, and met with success each time. He has written Playing for Pizza, Bleachers, and this title, Skipping Christmas, all of which are beyond the scope of his usual fare.

Skipping Christmas details the story of the Kranks, a suburban family who decide to buck the yearly holiday traditions of overspending, overdoing and overstressing in favor of taking a luxury vacation. Their grown daughter has joined the Peace Corps, so will not be home for Christmas, giving Luther and Nora the perfect opportunity to escape. What Luther, who is the catalyst behind the plan, does not anticipate is the reaction of his neighbors, coworkers and friends who consider the Krank's antics high treason. When Luther and Nora discover that their daughter is coming home for Christmas after all, will they choose to stick with their master plan? Or will they manage to pull together a Christmas to remember?

While this is a nice, quick read for this busy time of year, the story lacks any real oomph. Luther is rather unlikable; Nora is much more sympathetic, so the reader wants things to work out for her sake. That being said, this might be just the sentimental light story that will make readers happy this time of year.