SCPL TN BOOK BUZ

 Bad Mormon: A Memoir by Heather Gay Submitted by Heather Groom, Sullivan Gardens Library Branch Manager Ladies, grab your BFF, all your frenemies and a glass of wine! Here is the guilty pleasure book you have been waiting for. If you want a book that gives you accurate historical accounts of Mormonism, aka the Church of Latter Day Saints, you need to stop reading this review and check out "Under The Banner of Heaven" by Jack Kerouac. If you're looking for some religion with your entertainment, then "Bad Mormon" is for you. Heather Gay is a costar of "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" and is known on the show as a fierce lady boss that is divorced and breaking off her lifelong dedication to the Mormon Church. Once married to "Mormon Royalty", she soon found that the requirements and expectations of a typical Mormon wife were more stifling than sanctimonious. She chronicles her childhood experiences with Mormonism all the way to present day, ...

  On The Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel Submitted by Heather Groom Sullivan Gardens Public Library Branch Manager "On The Savage Side" is a fictional account of the Chillicothe Six, 4 women who are brutally murdered and dumped in the Scioto River, and 2 that were never seen or heard from again. McDaniel makes it clear that this is a fictional account and the characters, while loosely based on victims' themselves, are a product of her imagination. While the subject matter is a hard pill to swallow (drug addiction, child abuse/neglect, domestic violence, graphic depictions of violence) McDaniel balances 'the savage side" of this novel with characters that speak to the heart.  Arcade and Daffodil are twin sisters caught up in a life of neglect, addiction and abuse. Regardless of their circumstances they choose not to look at life from the savage side, taking a metaphor generally used for the messy underside of a cross stitch project. They choose to see life from t...

  Weyward by Emilia Hart Submitted by Heather Groom:  Sullivan Gardens Public Library Branch Manager Author Emilia Hart brings us the gifts of magic and nature in her debut novel "Weyward". Grab a mug of tea and be transported to Crow's Beck, UK, where birds are messengers and insects carry secrets. Weyward Cottage is a ramshackle home that has been handed down from  generation to generation. For Kate, the newest occupant, it is an opportunity to escape the abusive relationship she has been in. Now pregnant, she delves into the history of Weyward Cottage and finds our more about her family, and herself, than she ever bargained for. "Weyward" is a beautiful novel that spans across hundreds of years. Altha is awaiting trial for witchcraft in 1619, accused of murdering her best friend's husband. Violet is coming of age in 1942 in post war Europe and is feverish with the desire to break out of the mold she has been in and become more than what is expected of her...

  Stars in an Italian Sky by Jill Santopolo Submitted by Heather Groom:  Sullivan Gardens Public Library Branch Manager      "Stars In An Italian Sky" is a breathtaking love story that spans across oceans and generations. Beginning in 1940's Italy, Vincenzo and Giovanna are adjusting to post war Europe when they unexpectedly fall head over heels in love with each other. But youth is blind to the intricacies of social status, power and privilege.  Vincenzo is the son of a count, and expected to follow in his father's footsteps to take over the family business and manage the political power the family has attained. Giovanna is the daughter of a tailor, a match that no one in Vincenzo's family will ever approve of.      Fast forward to present day New York. Cassandra and Luca are newly engaged and planning a life together. When Luca enlists the help of his grandfather and Cassandra's grandmother to pose for a painting they find out more tha...

  The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman In a case of “you’re never too old”, we meet The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax . Mrs. Emily Pollifax of New Brunswick, New Jersey has raised her children, buried her husband, and is doing what 60-something year old widowed grandmothers are expected to do – join the Garden Club and volunteer at the hospital. She has also grown bored with her life and wants to change things up a bit, so she decides to fulfil her childhood fantasy – to be a spy! She travels to Washington D. C. to apply for a spy job with the CIA, much to the shock of the CIA. However, she ends up being the perfect candidate for a particular assignment – a courier, playing the role of a tourist in Mexico City. She’s thrilled to get to live her childhood dream, but things soon take a frightening turn. It takes every ounce of chutzpah she has to get out of this mess. Sometimes, the narrator can ruin a book for you, but I very much enjoyed Barbara Rosenblat’s narration. Lis...

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix Submitted by Morgan Olson, Blountville Branch Manager If you’ve ever read Grady Hendrix, maybe you're prepared for the high-stakes absurdity that How to Sell a Haunted House brings. If you haven’t been so lucky, then get yourself ready. Hendrix’s newest book takes us through the heavy emotions of loss, grief and the nitty gritty ugliness of dealing with all the physical stuff a person’s life can leave behind. He also reminds us that it is ok to laugh, even when things are really bad.  When Louise’s parents suddenly die, she realizes they may have been the only two people, besides her young daughter, who truly loved her. Now she is responsible for cleaning out their old, cluttered house. To make matters even worse, her mother made and collected hundreds of puppets throughout her life (creepy ones, too). Now Louise has to figure out what to do with them, which is especially troubling for her mother’s favorite puppet, Pupkin, who does not ...

Demon Copperhead by Barbra Kingsolver Submitted by Morgan Olson, Blountville Branch Manager Demon Copperhead is a modern retelling of the Dickens classic, David Copperfield, but you do not need to be familiar with the original work to take something away from this close-hitting Appalachian tale. Damon, nicknamed Demon for his red hair and fiery personality, feels like he lives a pretty normal life for trailer-park kid living in Lee County, Virginia. He has a single mother that loves him, even though she's in and out of rehab, and has a great family next door where his best friend lives. He plays outside, fishes, loves superheroes and loves to draw. Things are tough, but they always get through, at least until his mother gets married to her tough-guy boyfriend. The abuse he suffers at the hands of his stepfather, and his mother’s continued drug use leads him to a childhood in foster care. The abuse Demon suffers does not end when he leaves home for the broken and diminished foster...