Erica's Picks
Erica takes care of the accounting at Horizon. One of Vic Herman's daughters, she has worked at the bookstore most of her life.
JUNE 2022
This book begins with a letter written by two 10 year old boys confessing to a murder one of them has committed. What ensues is a wild adventure as the boys build a raft and flee down a river into the northwoods of Wisconsin and and into impending danger from weather and a gorge. They are pursued by 4 adults: a sheriff, a mother, a purple haired gas station employee and a grandfather. Graff has an excellent ability of weaving the shifting relationships between these characters and the two boys' closeness and tension to create a story of human bonding, man vs nature, family drama, and the bonds of friendship.
MAY 2022
Imagine our future world turned on end due to a plague like phenomenon that causes a person to lose their memory. Told through four different characters' story lines: Ory, Max, Naz and the "Amnesiac", the story slowly peels back the layers of an intricately constructed thriller with a big crazy ending. Peng Shepherd has created a unique and thought provoking apocalyptic book that examines the importance of memories in making us who we are as individuals and how we affect the world around us.
APRIL 2022
Historical fiction novel about Vikings written for young adults; however adults will enjoy it as well. It follows a young warrior named Eelyn who fight for her clan, the Aska. Every five years, they fight an enemy clan called the Riki. It's a massive, bloody battle . The book opens with this battle and Eelyn is captured by the Riki. The author does a great job of describing the culture of the different clans; mixing real life historical Viking life with her made up story. I appreciate her characters, especially Eelyn, who is a mix of strength and vulnerability without overdoing it as is done too often in young adult novels. This is an interesting, fun dive into the world of Vikings with bloody battles, family, friendship, and a touch of romance.
FEBRUARY 2022
I discovered this book about 20 years ago at the Crazy Horse monument gift shop in South Dakota. Based on the true story about a friendship between Crazy Horse and Valentine McGillycuddy, a young doctor who is hired by the US army during the Great Sioux War. After surrendering to the army, Crazy Horse is severely wounded. McGillicuddy works through the night struggling to keep him alive. The doctor is in awe of the strength in body and spirit of this great man.Obrien's skill in writing is amazing especially when describing the endurance of both men during this tragic night and the connection between them. And, in this book, he brings to life a very tragic time in the history of this country but instead of lecturing the reader, he simply tells the story. This book deepened my interest in the life of Crazy Horse and the Sioux people.
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JANUARY 2022
This is a beautiful story about a pair of young German immigrants (Frederick and Jette Meisenheimer) who come to the US in 1904 to start a new life in a new country. They settle in the small town of Beatrice, MO and start a family. The story is filled with historical events that have an effect on the nation as well as the Meisenheimer family; and music which plays a significant role in the story because it's such an important part of Frederick's heart and soul. I really enjoyed this part of the book; especially as he absorbs the sounds of jazz and ragtime into his songs. There's humor and some heartache but the characters feel real and the story allows the reader to imagine our country through the fresh eyes of someone discovering and falling in love with this country.
December 2021
I enjoy supernatural thrillers and became an instant fan of Scott Carson after reading The Chill. Not only am I drawn to the subjects of his books, but the writing style immerses the reader in the story so that you are actually feeling the sensation the characters are. He does not disappoint in his latest technology inspired horror novel either, and finishing the book right before bed was a bit unsettling!Laid off newspaper journalist Nick Bishop accepts a job with his alma mater's magazine in Maine. Considering it an easy way to make some quick money, he writes an article featuring a new mindfulness app called Clarity, and even beta tests it himself. The app features white noise, guided meditation, and eerie hypnotic songs that create a trance like state for the listener with deadly consequences. The effect of the app is different for Nick, unlocking buried memories. The more answers to his questions unearthed, the more he discovers a deeper connection to the app and the ghosts of the past. Super creepy story!
SEPTEMBER 2021
This thriller, set in the remote areas of the Utah/Arizona border, combines mystery, mayhem and dark humor to create a really fun read. It also addresses crucial issues of appropriation and antiquities theft in America. I really like the assortment of dysfunctional characters who become entangled due to a robbery that goes terribly wrong by the Ashdown brothers, a couple of thieves tasked with stealing some maps from a local collector of Native artifacts.This is an excellent read for those who enjoy stories set in the Southwest and anyone interested in the preservation of history and culture.
AUGUST 2021
Michael Punke has done an amazing job of telling the battle between the US Army and Red Cloud and his allied tribes, known as the Fetterman Massacre and the Battle of the Hundred in the Hand by the Lakota. Even though this book is historical fiction, he holds true to the actual history; making only small adjustments to some events and character thoughts and conversations. I could not put this book down and am looking forward to reading more on the subject of this event.
JUNE 2021
The tragic sinking of the Titanic is an interesting story; now add a supernatural twist and it becomes one chilling, thriller of a tale. This is Katsu's second reimagined historical fiction novel with supernatural forces at work. I was an instant fan of Katsu after reading her first novel, The Hunger, and am thrilled to say she once again manages to perfectly blend together history, drama, a love story and of course a ghost story that is truly creepy!
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MAY 2021
If you are looking for a quick read full of suspense and drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat; this story will not disappoint. It takes place over the course of a week and is narrated by Wini who reluctantly agrees to join her best friends on a rafting excursion in the remote wilderness of Maine. Tragedy strikes, leaving them stranded on the river with no raft or supplies. Adding to the nightmare are some unsavery backwoods characters who create even more problems for them. Not only must Wini and her friends figure out how to survive the wilds of Maine and find their way out but also the threat of being hunted.
APRIL 2021
This story centers on two women who come together because of their shared ability to feel the emotions attached to objects. Their specific abilities and secrets from their past may differ but both women share the passion to overcome the obstacles in their childhoods in order to create a Museum of Memory that will help others heal the emotional wounds they may carry. I find the premise of objects holding on to the memories of previous owners, some warm and wonderful, and others tragic, so interesting. Kim Neville has done an amazing job bringing that to life in this book. she allows the reader to imagine a reason why we hold onto certain objects that may hold a strong emotinal connection to something or someone in our past.
MARCH 2021
This book offers one creepy, thrilling ride! If you enjoy a well written ghost story with a fascinating tale, this one will not disappoint. This story takes place in a remote area of upstate New York. Years earlier, because the city of Manhatten required a water source, a dam was built and a village flooded out against the inhabitants’ wishes. Most left but some did not only to return years later.
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FEBRUARY 2021
The debut novel from the bestselling author of Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight and Leaving Before the Rains Come.
“Awe inspiring . . . An ardent, original, and beautifully wrought book.” —The New York Times Book Review
Lakota Oglala Sioux Nation, South Dakota.
Two Native American cousins, Rick Overlooking Horse and You Choose Watson, are pitted against each other as their tribe is torn apart by infighting. Rick chooses the path of peace and stays; You Choose, violent and unpredictable, strikes out on his own. When he returns, after three decades behind bars, he disrupts the fragile peace and threatens the lives of the entire reservation.
A complex tale that spans generations and geography, Quiet Until the Thaw conjures, with the implications of an oppressed history, how we are bound not just to immediate family but to all who have come before and will come after us, and, most of all, to the notion that everything was always, and is always, connected.
NOVEMBER 2020
I like reading historical fiction but usually don't read stories about war, especially WWII. This book about three women from different backgrounds with children living in a castle in Germany during and after WWII grabbed my attention, however, and I'm glad it did. this is an amazing story that captures the horror of Hitler's war from the perspectives of not only ordinary people but also of the women and children who lived it.
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CTOBER 2020
I love this author and I loved this book! It's set in the late 70's in a coastal town in Maine, and is about two boys with very different personalities who form awn unlikely friendship. The two learn about love and sorrow and the effect family and other relationships have on shaping our understanding of the world. It's been a while since I've read a book that could drum up enough emotion in me to bring tears to my eyes and make me chuckle out loud.
DECEMBER 2020
This story is about the ill fated Donner Party expedition but with a supernatural twist. I could not put this book down. Katsu weaves the story so that it leaves you questioning whether the party is being stalked by an evil force, or is the evil force really within the group itself.