The following is a list of books recently added to the Brooke County Public Library’s collection:
ADULT FICTION
THE SCHOOL FOR GERMAN BRIDES by Aimie K. Runyan. As the war begins, Hanna Rombauer, a young German woman, is sent to live with her aunt and uncle after her mother’s death. Thrown into a life of luxury she never expected, Hanna soon finds herself unwillingly matched with an SS officer twenty years her senior. The independence that her mother lovingly fostered in her is considered highly inappropriate as the future wife of an up-and-coming officer and she is sent to a “bride school.” There, in a posh villa on the outskirts of town, Hanna is taught how to be a “proper” German wife. The lessons of hatred, prejudice, and misogyny disturb her and she finds herself desperate to escape. For Mathilde Altman, a German Jewish woman, the war has brought more devastation than she ever thought possible. Torn from her work, her family, and her new husband, she fights to keep her unborn baby safe. But when the unthinkable happens, Tilde realizes she must hide. The risk of discovery grows greater with each passing day, but she has no other options. When Hanna discovers Tilde hiding near the school, she knows she must help her however she can. For Tilde, fear wars with desperation when Hanna proposes a risky plan. Will they both be able to escape with their lives and if they do, what kind of future can they possibly hope for?
THE GIRL FROM THE CHANNEL ISLANDS by Jenny Lecoat. Summer 1940: Hedy Bercu fled Vienna two years ago. Now she watches the skies over Jersey for German planes, convinced that an invasion is imminent. When it finally comes, there is no counterattack from Allied forces–the Channel Islands are simply not worth defending. Most islanders and occupying forces settle into an uneasy coexistence, but for Hedy, the situation is perilously different. For Hedy is Jewish–a fact that could mean deportation, or worse. With no means of escape, Hedy hides in plain sight, working as a translator for the Germans while silently working against them. She forges a tentative friendship with a sympathetic German officer who is likewise trapped by circumstance. But as the war intensifies, Hedy knows she is in greater danger each day. Soon, her survival will depend not just on her own courage but on the community she has come to cherish and a man who should be her enemy.
HER DEADLY GAME by Robert Dugoni. Keera Duggan was building a solid reputation as a Seattle prosecutor, until her romantic relationship with a senior colleague ended badly. For the competitive former chess prodigy, returning to her family’s failing criminal defense law firm to work for her father is the best shot she has. With the right moves, she hopes to restore the family’s reputation, her relationship with her father, and her career. Keera’s chance to play in the big leagues comes when she’s retained by Vince LaRussa, an investment adviser accused of murdering his wealthy wife. There’s little hard evidence against him, but considering the couple’s impending and potentially nasty divorce, LaRussa faces life in prison. The prosecutor is equally challenging: Miller Ambrose, Keera’s former lover, who’s eager to destroy her in court on her first homicide defense. As Keera and her team follow the evidence, they uncover a complicated and deadly game that’s more than Keera bargained for. When shocking information turns the case upside down, Keera must decide between her duty to her client, her family’s legacy, and her own future.
ADULT NON-FICTION
IN DEEP by David Rohde. Three-quarters of American believe that a group of unelected government and military officials secretly manipulate or direct national policy in the United States. President Trump blames the “deep state” for his impeachment. But what is the American “deep state” and does it really exist?
MICROSOFT TEAMS FOR DUMMIES by Rosemarie Withee. It was only a matter of time before Microsoft 365 built an actual virtual office. And Microsoft Teams is it, rocketing from 13 to 75 million daily users in a single year. The new edition of Microsoft Teams For Dummies gives you an in-depth introductory tour through the latest version of the app, exploring the many different ways you can chat, call, meet, work remotely, and collaborate with others in real time–whether you’re using it as an all-in-one tool for working from home or as an extension to your brick-and-mortar office. Available as a stand-alone app or as part of Microsoft 365, it allows you to work seamlessly with almost any other Microsoft app. The friendly onboarding provided by this book takes you from the basics of file-sharing, organizing teams, and using video to must-have insights into less obvious functionality, such as posting the same message to multiple channels, muffling background noise (useful if you’re working from home!), and choosing more than one feed to concentrate on when video-conferencing (allowing you to pay attention to the speaker and your team members at the same time). As well as clueing you in on how things work, you’ll also find advice on the most effective ways of using them, with best-practices recommendations and tips on integrating Microsoft Teams into your existing workflows.
EASY/JUVENILE/YOUNG ADULT/GRAPHIC NOVEL
THE BRAVE KNIGHT by Diane Tarantini. The Brave Knight uses bold illustrations and an exciting story about a girl, a dragon, and a brave knight with a shield to show young readers what behaviors and language someone might use to persuade them to do things that are not okay. This book teaches your child to use their voice and speak up when something in their world makes them uncomfortable, a skill that will serve them all their life.
THE HOUSE SWAP by Yvette Clark. Allie is British and dreams of being a spy. Sage is an only child from sunny California. They meet when their families swap houses for the summer. Though they’re polar opposites, Allie and Sage quickly realize that they’re both dealing with family issues–Sage’s parents may be on the brink of divorce, and Allie’s struggling to feel heard in her big family. It may take a trip around the world for them to find their place at home.