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Found Family Fantasies: Bone Door and The Teller of Small Fortunes

12 May

The Bone Door
by Frances White
The Bone Door is a haunting new dark fantasy/horror novel about a boy who awakes with no memories of who he is and how he got to the mysterious labyrinth he is in. He picks up a found family of other youth as he tries to escape. This story was much darker than I originally expected and those who are sensitive to violence, especially against children, may find this book very intense. However, the violence is not simply gratuitous, but is used to look at themes of overcoming one’s prescribed destiny and situation of birth. Though the story is edgy, it overall brings with it a sense of hope that darkness, even the internal kind can be overcome. If you enjoy The Bone Door you can also check out Frances White’s debut, Voyage of the Damned.

The Teller of Small Fortunes
by Julie Leong
The Teller of Small Fortunes is a charming story about a lonely fortune teller and the found family of friends: an apprentice baker, a reformed thief, and a ex-mercenary looking for his daughter that she meets along her journey. In the story the fortune teller, Tao, is living in is a Fantasy World similar to our own; although it is given a different name in the story many of the details about the main characters birthplace seem similar to China; the author lived in Beijing as a teen. Those who themselves moved to another country in their youth and the children of immigrants will see themselves in Tao’s struggles with reconciling the two worlds she belongs to, that of her current home and the place and culture she was born into. The story also explores the importance of good friendships and ways to build bridges between estranged biological family members. This story will appeal to those who are fans of Legends and Lattes. If you enjoy The Teller of Small Fortunes, you can also check out Leong’s The Keeper of Magical Things.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Fiction in the City of Lights: The Parisian Chapter and In the Spirit of French Murder

5 May

The Parisian Chapter
by Janet Skeslien Charles
The Parisian Chapter is the new novel by Janet Skeslien Charles which includes characters from her previous novel, The Paris Library, but even having not read that I was still able to jump right in (though if you enjoy it as much as I did you will likely want to read that one as well). In 1995, Lily and her roommate and childhood bff Mary Louise have been living in Paris for five years, but when Mary Louise decides to move out she needs to find a job to pay her half of the rent; she finds that at the American Library in Paris along with a quirky found family and a discovery about Odile, who worked there during WWII and was Lily’s inspiration for her coming to France. Although Lily is the core of the story, there are varying points of view from the novel’s endearing cast of characters.

In the Spirit of French Murder
by Colleen Cambridge
Tabitha Knight is back for her fourth in the An American in Paris Mystery Series in the new novel, In the Spirit of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge. Although it is not essential to read the previous books this one follows only a few weeks after the third book in the series so I would recommend reading that one before hand. Tabitha is helping her Grandfather and his companion throw a special dinner party at the new restaurant that they are opening, but a warning from a Fortune Teller sets in motion danger for her grandfather and his friends. Cambridge has created a wonderful cast of characters beyond Tabitha that cozy readers will also adore including of course her best friend Julia Child based on the real life cook and TV personality, who lived in post-war Paris. Child is featured less in this novel than some of the previous ones in the series, but is always a fun addition. Those who like a little romance with their mysteries will enjoy the love triangle between Tabitha and a detective who she has chemistry with, but who resents her meddling and a French veterinarian she has recently started dating. The Hoboken Library’s Mystery Book Discussion read the first in the series last year and felt that teen mystery fans as well as adults might enjoy the story. If you would like to join the group, or one of the other book discussion groups at our library, you can check out our calendar of events for upcoming dates.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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