Heard Any Good Books Lately January 2023, Transcript

The content of this program is intended for people who are blind and print impaired.

Hello and welcome to our January 2023 edition of “Heard Any Good Books Lately?” a program from the North Carolina Reading Service. I’m George Douglas. This program is brought to you by The Friends of the North Carolina Accessible Books and Library Services, an organization of citizens, volunteers and patrons all interested in supporting the library and the services it provides. The Friends group was founded in 1989 and now has more than 300 members across North Carolina. If you would like to join the Friends group yourself, we’ll have information on how to do that later in the program.

This program is all about books, with special emphasis on those available from the North Carolina Accessible Books and Library Services. The library has more than 86,000 titles in its collection. Books and magazines are available in large print, Braille and talking books as well. 

The library also has more than 11-thousand patrons across the state. If you are not a patron but are interested in becoming one, I’ll have more information at the end of this program.

To kick off the new year, we’re going to do something a little bit different. We’ll take a look at the top 10 most popular books checked out during the year of 2022. From the North Carolina Accessible Books and Library Services






Razzmatazz by Christopher Moore

Let’s begin with a review of the book Razmatazz by Cristopher. Thos book was checked out 1,276 times during 2022.

Repeat New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore returns to the mean streets of San Francisco in this outrageous follow-up to his madcap novel NOIR.

San Francisco, 1947. Bartender Sammy “Two Toes” Tiffin and the rest of the Cookie’s Coffee Irregulars --- a ragtag bunch of working mugs last seen in NOIR --- are on the hustle. They’re trying to open a driving school; shanghai an abusive Swedish stevedore; get Mable, the local madam, and her girls to a Christmas party at the State Hospital without alerting the overzealous head of the SFPD vice squad --- all while Sammy’s girlfriend, Stilton (a.k.a. the Cheese), and her “Wendy the Welder” gal pals are using their wartime shipbuilding skills on a secret project that might be attracting the attention of some government Men in Black. And, oh yeah, someone is murdering the city’s drag kings, and club owner Jimmy Vasco is sure she’s next on the list and wants Sammy to find the killer.
Meanwhile, Eddie “Moo Shoes” Shu has been summoned by his Uncle Ho to help save his opium den from Squid Kid Tang, a vicious gangster who is determined to retrieve a priceless relic: an ancient statue of the powerful Rain Dragon that Ho stole from one of the fighting tongs 40 years earlier. And if Eddie blows it, he just might call down the wrath of that powerful magical creature on all of Fog City.
Strap yourselves in for a bit of the old razzmatazz, ladies and gentlemen. It’s Christopher Moore time.





The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

The Paris Apartment was checked out 1,154 times.
From the Scottish highlands to islands off the coast of Ireland, Lucy Foley has a knack for transporting her readers to highly memorable and wanderlust-worthy locations—and now, in her newest novel of suspense, she sets her sights on Paris. In THE PARIS APARTMENT, Lucy Foley invites readers to explore a darker side of the City of Light. Following a young woman escaping turmoil in her personal life for the refuge of her brother’s home in a posh Parisian apartment building, THE PARIS APARTMENT invites readers into a world of intrigue, where everyone’s a suspect, and nothing is quite as it seems. This Hitchockian story tells a tale of suspicion, secrets, and murder, all set against the enchanting backdrop of Paris. THE PARIS APARTMENT reads like a cross between Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, Riley Sager’s novel Lock Every Door, and the game of Clue; this immersive mystery delights and thrills in equal measure, weaving an engrossing tale that will keep readers guessing whodunnit until the book’s final pages. 
Plot Details:
Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.
The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess starts to dig into her brother’s situation, and the more questions she has. Ben’s neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and not particularly friendly. Jess may have come to Paris to escape her past, but it’s starting to look like it’s Ben’s future that’s in question.
The socialite – The nice guy – The alcoholic – The girl on the verge – The concierge
Everyone's a neighbor. Everyone's a suspect. And everyone knows something they’re not telling.

Before we get any farther into this review, I need to say one thing to set appropriate expectations: this book is great in its own right, but it’s a bit different from Foley’s previous suspense novels, and readers will best appreciate this story if they go into it with this in mind. THE PARIS APARTMENT to me marks a slight shift in tone for Foley, whose two previous thrillers have relied heavily on the classic locked room mystery trope. While THE PARIS APARTMENT does have much in common with Foley’s previous two novels - including a primary focus on a single setting, and a relatively fixed set of characters - this book, in my mind, does not read like the modern spins on the locked room mystery for which Foley has become so popular. Yes, THE PARIS APARTMENT does primarily focus on events that take place within the story’s central apartment building, and yes, it does primarily focus on a limited cast of characters, but there is an “openness” to the plot here that, to my mind, differs from the traditional setup of a closed circle or locked room mystery. Long story short: this book felt more Hitchcock than Christie to me. Don’t go into this book expecting the exact same kind of premise that Foley relied on in THE HUNTING PARTY and THE GUEST LIST—but do go into it expecting another clever, immersive, impossible-to-put-down mystery. 
In THE PARIS APARTMENT, readers follow Jess, a young woman who has just arrived to Paris from England. The trip was hastily-planned: when we meet her, Jess has just gotten herself in some trouble at the dive bar where she works in England, and her brother Ben - and his Parisian apartment - is her escape plan. But from the moment Jess arrives in Paris, things aren’t as they should be. Ben isn’t answering his phone, leaving Jess to sneak into the apartment building on her own in the middle of the night. And when she finally does make it to his apartment itself, she finds it empty. Ben is nowhere to be found, and his neighbors in the posh apartment building where he lives are unhelpful and unfriendly at best, suspicious and sinister at worst. As the hours pass and Ben doesn’t return, Jess becomes increasingly alarmed. What has happened to Ben? And could it have something to do with his neighbors? Alone and increasingly afraid for her brother’s wellbeing, Jess sets out on her own investigation into Ben’s disappearance—and, along the way, discovers herself drawn into a web of conspiracy and danger. 

If you crossed Only Murders in the Building with Riley Sager’s top-notch thriller Lock Every Door, you’d get THE PARIS APARTMENT. Central to this story’s appeal and entertainment value is its setting, and, moreover, the masterful way in which Foley draws readers into her story’s intricate world. THE PARIS APARTMENT (unsurprisingly, given its title!) centers around an apartment building where no one is quite who they seem, and everyone has secrets they’re keeping. It’s a setting that somehow manages to be both wildly charming and wildly sinister all at once—readers will relish Foley’s immersive descriptions of Paris’ beauty even as they become increasingly suspicious of the secrets hidden within the apartment building’s walls. To truly immerse readers in this world, Foley expertly employs multiple narrators to guide readers through this maze. Our story’s protagonist, Jess, is an instantly-endearing character whose scrappiness and sheer determination to solve the mystery of her brother’s disappearance will keep readers hooked. But Jess isn’t the only voice readers follow in this story. Readers are also given the perspectives of a number of the apartment building’s residents, including Nick (Ben’s friend, who helped set him up at his current apartment), Mimi (a young woman in her 20’s), and Sophie (a wealthy housewife whose husband is a very powerful businessman). Through the multiple perspectives of this novel’s ensemble cast, Foley slowly but surely gives readers all the puzzle pieces needed to understand the dark goings-on of Ben’s apartment building—and to understand, in turn, just how at the mercy of the building’s tenants Jess and Ben truly are. Added bonus: Foley does a superb job lacing Rear Window-esque moments of voyeurism throughout the novel, expertly balancing the story’s drama and entertainment value with the down-to-earth, intimate glimpses we get of our neighbors’ lives through their apartment windows. 
THE PARIS APARTMENT is a slow-burning story, but it’s a story that never lacks for entertainment value. Given the book’s complexity and multiple perspectives, this story’s more measured pacing felt appropriate to me; readers will find it helpful to have ample time to meet the story’s central cast of characters and thoroughly understand the way their lives intersect. This book may unfurl in measured pacing, but Foley’s masterful sense of timing will keep readers hooked. The lingering questions surrounding Ben’s disappearance coupled with Jess’ increasing sense of unease are all the bait needed to hook readers, and Foley reels us in with an expert hand, building to a finale that ties together this story’s many threads with surgical precision and cinematic entertainment value. 
If you love the game of Clue, Riley Sager’s Lock Every Door, and/or Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, Lucy Foley’s THE PARIS APARTMENT might just be your new favorite book. 















The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley (abridged version)


From the New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List comes a new locked room mystery, set in a Paris apartment building in which every resident has something to hide…

Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.

The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess starts to dig into her brother’s situation, and the more questions she has. Ben’s neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and not particularly friendly. Jess may have come to Paris to escape her past, but it’s starting to look like it’s Ben’s future that’s in question.

The socialite – The nice guy – The alcoholic – The girl on the verge – The concierge

Everyone’s a neighbor. Everyone’s a suspect. And everyone knows something they’re not telling.











The Maid, A novel by Rita Prose

ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Reader’s Digest

In development as a major motion picture produced by and starring Florence Pugh 

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.
2 Sisters Detective Agency by James Patterson

From the world's #1 bestselling author comes a thrilling novel where a detective duo of sisters finds themselves in the crosshairs of a dangerous and lawless group.
Attorney Rhonda Bird returns home after a long estrangement when she learns her father has died. There she makes two important discoveries: her father stopped being an accountant and had opened up a private detective agency, and she has a teenage half sister named Baby. Baby brings in a client to the detective agency, a young man who claims he was abducted. During the course of the investigation, Rhonda and Baby become entangled in a dangerous case involving a group of overprivileged young adults who break laws for fun, their psychopath ringleader, and an ex-assassin victim who decides to hunt them down for revenge.

 
The Heart of Splendid Lake by Amy Clipston

Brianna has been helping her father realize his dream of running an idyllic lakeside resort. But when he passes, she must fend off the constant flow of real estate brokers wanting to snatch up their prime acreage—including mogul Scott Gibson. Will the pair discover the treasure worth fighting for is love?
Brianna is the youngest of the three Porter sisters and the only one who chose to stay in the small town of Splendid Lake, North Carolina. She followed in her father’s footsteps and became an expert boat mechanic, helping him run their small resort with cabin rentals, a convenience store, and a marina.
When Brianna’s father unexpectedly dies, Brianna is steeped in grief and guilt—and left alone to clean up the mess. To make matters worse, a constant stream of real estate brokers begin marching through her property, pressuring her to sell off the family land. In particular, she keeps running into handsome real estate mogul Scott Gibson.
As Brianna struggles to keep it all together, Scott finds his way into her heart. And as the two fight against their feelings, they just might find themselves forging a surprising and exciting new love at Splendid Lake.
Bestselling author Amy Clipston transports readers to a picturesque lakeside town in this heartwarming contemporary romance.

 
The seeds of change; Leah's Garden, book 1 by Lauraine Snelling
Larkspur Nielsen is ready for a change. Her parents have passed on, and her older brother is successfully running the family business. She bristles at the small-mindedness that permeates life in her small Ohio community, and she sees little chance of a satisfying future there. She has a little money saved, and after turning the tables on a crooked gambler who had fleeced several locals, including her younger brother, she can stake a new start for herself and her three sisters.

As the gambler's threats of revenge echo in her ears, she and her sisters head to 
Independence, Missouri, to join a wagon train bound for Oregon. Knowing that four women traveling together will draw unwanted attention, Larkspur dons a disguise, passing herself off as "Clark" Nielsen, accompanying his three sisters. But maintaining the ruse is more difficult than Larkspur imagined, as is protecting her headstrong, starry-eyed sisters from difficult circumstances and eligible young men. Will reaching their goal prove too much for them?

 
Love's first bloom by Delia Parr
Ruth Livingstone's life changes drastically the day her father puts a young child in her arms and sends her to a small village in New Jersey under an assumed name. There Ruth pretends to be a widow and quietly secludes herself until her father is acquitted of a crime. But with the emergence of the penny press, the imagination of the reading public is stirred, and her father's trial stands center stage. Asher Tripp is the brash newspaperman who determines that this case is the event he can use to redeem himself as a journalist. 

Ruth finds solace tending a garden along the banks of the Toms River--a place where she can find a measure of peace in the midst of the sorrow that continues to build. It is also here that Asher Tripp finds a temporary residence, all in an attempt to discover if the lovely creature known as Widow Malloy is truly Ruth Livingstone, the woman every newspaper has been looking for. Love begins to slowly bloom...but is the affection they share strong enough to withstand the secrets that separate them?

 
The crow's call by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Mysterious Events Plague a Greenhouse in Pennsylvania’s Amish Country
 
When Vernon King, his son, and son-in-law are involved in a terrible accident, three women are left to cope with their deaths, as they become the sole providers of the family they have left. The women’s only income must come from the family greenhouse, but someone seems to be trying to force them out of business.
 
Amy King has just lost her father and brother, and her mother needs her to help run the family’s greenhouse. It doesn’t seem fair to ask her to leave a job she loves, when there is still a sister and brother to help. But Sylvia is also grieving for her husband while left to raise three children, and Henry, just out of school, is saddled with all the jobs his father and older brother used to do. As Amy assumes her new role, she also asks Jared Riehl to put their courtship on hold. When things become even more stressful at the greenhouse, will Amy crumble under the pressure?
 
Hurricane season by Lauren K. Denton
A USA TODAY bestseller! Hurricane Season is the story of sisterhood, motherhood, and an unconventional journey to healing—and the relationships that must be mended along the way.
Betsy and Ty Franklin, owners of Franklin Dairy Farm in southern Alabama, have long since buried their desire for children of their own. While Ty manages their herd of dairy cows, Betsy busies herself with the farm’s day-to-day operations and tries to forget her dream of motherhood.
But when her free-spirited sister, Jenna, drops off her two young daughters for “just two weeks,” Betsy’s carefully constructed wall of self-protection begins to crumble. As the two weeks stretch deeper into the Alabama summer, Betsy and Ty learn to navigate the new additions in their world—and revel in the laughter that now fills their home. Meanwhile, record temperatures promise to usher in the most active hurricane season in decades.
Attending an art retreat four hundred miles away, Jenna is fighting her own battles. She finally has time and energy to focus on her photography, a lifelong ambition. But she wonders how her rediscovered passion can fit in with the life she’s made back home as a single mom. But when Hurricane Ingrid aims a steady eye at the Alabama coast, Jenna must make a decision that will change her family’s future, even as Betsy and Ty try to protect their beloved farm...and their hearts.
 
The club: a novel Ellery Lloyd
“Are you ready for the roller coaster ride that is The Club? . . . A beautifully written, densely plotted murder mystery that takes place at a private club off the coast of England. Read about a luxurious, celeb-only island during a weekend of partying and ultimately murder.” —Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club March ’22 Pick)
From the author of People Like Her comes a smart and sinister murder mystery set in the secretive world of exclusive celebrity clubs.
Everyone's Dying to Join . . . 
The Home Group is a glamorous collection of celebrity members' clubs dotted across the globe, where the rich and famous can party hard and then crash out in its five-star suites, far from the prying eyes of fans and the media.
The most spectacular of all is Island Home—a closely-guarded, ultraluxurious resort, just off the English coast—and its three-day launch party is easily the most coveted A-list invite of the decade.
But behind the scenes, tensions are at breaking point: the ambitious and expensive project has pushed the Home Group's CEO and his long-suffering team to their absolute limits. All of them have something to hide—and that's before the beautiful people with their own ugly secrets even set foot on the island. 
As tempers fray and behavior worsens, as things get more sinister by the hour and the body count piles up, some of Island Home’s members will begin to wish they’d never made the guest list.
Because at this club, if your name’s on the list, you’re not getting out.

Closing

That’s all for this month’s edition of “Heard Any Good Books Lately? I’m George Douglas. I hope you enjoyed it. If you would like more information about how to become a patron of the North Carolina  Accessible Books and Library Services, simply Google or search for Accessible Books – North Carolina Library – or call toll free -888-388-2460. That’s 888-388-2460.

You can also use the same numbers and website to join the Friends of North Carolina Accessible Books and Library Services. It is that wonderful organization that sponsors this monthly feature on books. 

This program is intended for people who are blind or print impaired. “Heard Any Good Books Lately” will be available right after the broadcast at our website NCReadingService.Org. So long until next time.