JCLMeghanF
Library StaffJohnson County Library
JCLMeghanF's Completed Shelf
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Apr 03, 2020
Say NothingSay Nothing, BookA True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland
by Keefe, Patrick RaddenBook, 2019Book, 2019
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Mar 26, 2020
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This is true crime journalism at its best. Not only does Keefe present a nuanced view of the Troubles, he also uncovers a possible killer involved in one of Northern Ireland's most notorious unsolved murders.
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Mar 26, 2020
HeartlandHeartland, BookA Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth
by Smarsh, SarahBook, 2018Book, 2018
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Mar 20, 2020
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With unflinching honesty, Smarsh describes her childhood in rural Kansas and delves into how and why such poverty exists in the U.S. A beautiful, heartbreaking read.
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Mar 12, 2020
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Definitely one of my top nonfiction picks of 2020. Two Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, Kristof and WuDunn, investigate the crisis in towns throughout the U.S. where blue-collar jobs have disappeared and poverty and addiction have taken over. The stories are difficult to read at times and incredibly poignant. I loved the supplement at the end where the authors list things each of us can do to help out in our own communities.Definitely one of my top nonfiction picks of 2020. Two Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, Kristof and WuDunn, investigate the crisis in towns throughout the U.S. where blue-collar jobs have disappeared and poverty and addiction have taken over. The…
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Mar 05, 2020
Comment:
Be prepared to be swept away by this book. Schaitkin's writing is mesmerizing, drawing you completely into the Caribbean island locale and then slowly building the tension as a teenager goes missing on vacation and her family's world falls apart. Years later, her younger sister becomes obsessed with the case, determined to find out what happened no matter the cost. With layers of social commentary, reflections on grief, and a gripping story, this book is going to haunt you long after you finish the last page.Be prepared to be swept away by this book. Schaitkin's writing is mesmerizing, drawing you completely into the Caribbean island locale and then slowly building the tension as a teenager goes missing on vacation and her family's world falls apart.…
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Feb 27, 2020
Comment:
This story has a little bit of everything - gunfights, assassinations, even some romance - all set in a dystopian future that looks a lot like the Wild West. Plus the main characters are all librarians and secret smugglers for the resistance. Such a fun read!This story has a little bit of everything - gunfights, assassinations, even some romance - all set in a dystopian future that looks a lot like the Wild West. Plus the main characters are all librarians and secret smugglers for the resistance. Such a…
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Feb 20, 2020
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In just 100 pages, this book proves you don't need a thick tome in order to create a detailed, believable fantasy world. The story follows an unnamed exorcist, hell-bent (pun intended) on ridding his territory of demons. Not all of the human hosts survive his zealous exorcisms but this doesn't bother our narrator too much until the genius of their age, Prosper of Schanz, becomes possessed and starts plotting against him. Wickedly funny, this book pairs the darker elements of Goethe's Faust with the sharp humor of Good Omens for a super quick read that you really won't want to end.In just 100 pages, this book proves you don't need a thick tome in order to create a detailed, believable fantasy world. The story follows an unnamed exorcist, hell-bent (pun intended) on ridding his territory of demons. Not all of the human hosts…
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Feb 12, 2020
Comment:
From the first scene, Young God hits you like a gut punch and never lets you recover. Nikki is determined to take over her family's drug business in the North Carolina hills and nothing is going to stop her - not even the fact that she is only 13. The story can be brutal, but it's the sparse, beautiful way that it's told that will haunt you long after you've finished reading it. Definitely a must-read for fans of Winter's Bone and Justified.From the first scene, Young God hits you like a gut punch and never lets you recover. Nikki is determined to take over her family's drug business in the North Carolina hills and nothing is going to stop her - not even the fact that she is only 13.…
She SaidShe Said, BookBreaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite A Movement
by Kantor, JodiBook, 2019Book, 2019
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Feb 06, 2020
Comment:
I could not put this book down! The account of how these two journalists, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, broke the story of Harvey Weinstein's long history of abusive behavior is powerful and at times gut-wrenching. They champion not only victims' rights, but also the importance of journalism in holding powerful people accountable for their actions.I could not put this book down! The account of how these two journalists, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, broke the story of Harvey Weinstein's long history of abusive behavior is powerful and at times gut-wrenching. They champion not only victims'…
The Great PretenderThe Great Pretender, BookThe Undercover Mission That Changed Our Understanding of Madness
by Cahalan, SusannahBook, 2019Book, 2019
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Jan 30, 2020
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I love investigative journalism and Susannah Cahalan's newest book does not disappoint. She digs deeper into a 1970s study by Stanford psychologist David Rosenhan that completely upended the field of psychiatry - and she finds that nothing about the study is exactly what it seems. An enthralling true story that reads like a detective novel, this book shines a light on the sometimes flawed practice of psychiatric diagnosis and the shifting ways that we as a society define mental illness.I love investigative journalism and Susannah Cahalan's newest book does not disappoint. She digs deeper into a 1970s study by Stanford psychologist David Rosenhan that completely upended the field of psychiatry - and she finds that nothing about the…
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Jan 21, 2020
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Jan 21, 2020
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Jan 18, 2020
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Simone St. James' newest mystery has all of my favorite elements - creepy roadside motel, restless ghosts, and a possible serial killer hunting young girls along the lonely roads in Fell, New York. If you're a fan of The Shining and Unsolved Mysteries, this is the book for you.Simone St. James' newest mystery has all of my favorite elements - creepy roadside motel, restless ghosts, and a possible serial killer hunting young girls along the lonely roads in Fell, New York. If you're a fan of The Shining and Unsolved…
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Jan 10, 2020
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This book has all the ingredients for a perfect read: 2 women, decades apart, that are struggling with their marriages and some dark secrets. 1 house, possibly haunted, that connects them both. Sprinkle in a dash of spicy humor and a mysterious death and you have a delightful novel that you'll want to consume all in one sitting.This book has all the ingredients for a perfect read: 2 women, decades apart, that are struggling with their marriages and some dark secrets. 1 house, possibly haunted, that connects them both. Sprinkle in a dash of spicy humor and a mysterious…
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Jan 10, 2020
Comment:
Atmospheric with a slow build, this thriller about a young woman investigating her sister's unsolved murder has a twist at the end that I did not see coming. Such a great book to curl up with on a cold winter's night!
Catch and KillCatch and Kill, BookLies, Spies, and A Conspiracy to Protect Predators
by Farrow, RonanBook, 2019Book, 2019
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Dec 28, 2019
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Farrow's account of his reporting on Harvey Weinstein's predatory abuse and the subsequent cover up at NBC is easily one of my favorite books of 2019. It reads like a thriller and reminds us of the importance of investigative journalism.
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Dec 28, 2019
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This novel will make you think twice before getting a smart house! A gripping thriller about a dead child, a nanny with secrets, and a house that just might be haunted. I recommend reading it during the day, with your virtual assistant completely disabled.This novel will make you think twice before getting a smart house! A gripping thriller about a dead child, a nanny with secrets, and a house that just might be haunted. I recommend reading it during the day, with your virtual assistant completely…
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Dec 20, 2019
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Dec 18, 2019
Comment:
This is Scandinavian noir at its best. Unsettling snowy landscape? Check. Psychotic killer taunting police with clues to an older crime that may have been mishandled? Check and check! What makes Sveistrup's book stand out are his layered characters and his talent for turning mundane items into something deeply disturbing. You'll never look at chestnut trees the same way again.This is Scandinavian noir at its best. Unsettling snowy landscape? Check. Psychotic killer taunting police with clues to an older crime that may have been mishandled? Check and check! What makes Sveistrup's book stand out are his layered characters…
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Dec 18, 2019
Savage AppetitesSavage Appetites, BookFour True Stories of Women, Crime, and Obsession
by Monroe, RachelBook, 2019Book, 2019
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Dec 06, 2019
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This book is equal parts fascinating and disturbing. Journalist Rachel Monroe takes a look at the true stories of four women that were affected by murder in wildly different ways and tries to answer the question of why our society is drawn to such tales of violent crime. A must read for any true crime buff.This book is equal parts fascinating and disturbing. Journalist Rachel Monroe takes a look at the true stories of four women that were affected by murder in wildly different ways and tries to answer the question of why our society is drawn to such…
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Nov 20, 2019
Comment:
If you loved Stranger Things and Stephen King's It, this is the book for you! Little Christopher Reese goes missing in the woods near his home for six days before he walks back out seemingly unharmed, his memory a blank. But he didn't walk out alone. A mysterious voice keeps urging him to build a tree house in the woods that, once finished, will unleash an epic battle for the souls of the town and the entire world.If you loved Stranger Things and Stephen King's It, this is the book for you! Little Christopher Reese goes missing in the woods near his home for six days before he walks back out seemingly unharmed, his memory a blank. But he didn't walk out…
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Nov 08, 2019
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This book is such a quick read, but so beautifully written and insightful. When his uncle disappears on a drug binge, teenage Riggle searches for him throughout their small town, ruminating on several timely issues along the way, from addiction to mass shootings. Both bleak and strangely hopeful, this novel captures the current atmosphere of rural America perfectly.This book is such a quick read, but so beautifully written and insightful. When his uncle disappears on a drug binge, teenage Riggle searches for him throughout their small town, ruminating on several timely issues along the way, from addiction to…
JCLMeghanF's rating:
Added Oct 20, 2019
Comment:
Cas is a ghost hunter, just like his dad before him, tracking down local legends across the country and putting the dead to rest. No ghost has gotten the better of him - until he meets Anna. Quippy and spooky, this book is perfect for fans of the show Supernatural.Cas is a ghost hunter, just like his dad before him, tracking down local legends across the country and putting the dead to rest. No ghost has gotten the better of him - until he meets Anna. Quippy and spooky, this book is perfect for fans of the…
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