Bookseller's Bookshelf: Marggie

Here's what Marggie has lined up to read next:

The Prayer Room by Shanthi Sekaran

This novel, for fans of Jhumpa Lahiri and Chitra Divakaruna, is about a British English professor, his Indian bride and their triplets adjusting to life in Sacramento, California, in 1974.

The Far Traveler: Voyages of a Viking Woman by Nancy Marie Brown

This book tells the true story of Gudrid, who saled from Iceland to Newfoundland 500 years before Columbus.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This is a novel set in 1862 Mississippi and told through the voices of three unforgettable women.

Jesus Was a Liberal by Rev. Scotty McLennan, Dean of Religious Life at Stanford

According to Marcus Borg, this is "an immensely readable book that reclaims the honorable word 'liberal' for a vision of Christianity that is persuasive, compelling, and faithful."

October Mystery Extravaganza

With Halloween just around the corner, it's a great time to read a gripping mystery! Here are the most popular mysteries on our shelves this month. Clicking on the title will take you to a page with more information, a picture of the cover, and an opportunity to order the book(s) for in-store pick-up!

1. Where Are You Now by Mary Higgins Clark (Simon & Schuster, $25.95 in hardcover)
2. Zapped by Carol Higgins Clark (Simon & Schuster, $24.00 in hardcover)
3. In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Local author! Staff pick! St. Martin's, $6.99 in paperback)
4. Friends in High Places by Donna Leon (Penguin-Putnam, $7.99 in paperback)
5. Now and Then by Robert B. Parker (Penguin-Putnam, $9.99 in paperback)
6. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie King (St. Martin's, $14.00 in paperback)
7. A Fountain Filled with Blood by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Local author! Staff pick! St. Martin's, $6.99 in paperback)
8. Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell (Penguin-Putnam, $9.99 in paperback)
9. Sweet Revenge by Diana Mott Davidson (Harper-Collins, $7.99 in paperback)
10. I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Local author! Staff pick! St. Martin's, $24.95 in hardcover)

In addition, our booksellers have some favorite mysteries of their own. Here are some of our series picks:

Arnaldur Indridason's Reykjavik thrillers
This international mystery series starts off with Jar City, followed by Silence of the Grave and Voices, all available in paperback. The fourth in the series, The Draining Lake, is now available in hardcover (St. Martin's, $24.95). Marggie's hooked...you could be, too!


Ariana Franklin's "Mistress of the Art of Death" series
Susan T. and Erin adore this historical mystery series. The best way we can describe it is 12th century CSI! Follow Adelia, a female physician from Salerno, as she solves mysteries for the King of England. Mistress of the Art of Death is the first in the series, followed by The Serpent's Tale. And look for the third, Grave Goods, coming in March from Penguin-Putnam ($25.95)!

Jacqueline Winspear's "Maisie Dobbs" series
Looking for a good British mystery series? Lots of Book Housers would show you Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear. After serving as a nurse during World War I, Maisie starts working as a private investigator. There are five books in the series so far, with the sixth due out in February. From second to last (the first being Maisie Dobbs, link above), the series runs: Birds of a Feather, Pardonable Lies, Messenger of Truth, Incomplete Revenge, and Among the Mad.