secrets of the NYPL

The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis
Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
Genre: historical fiction
Review: Did you know that the lions in front of the New York Public Library weren't always named Patience and Fortitude?  Neither did I.  (For the curious, their names were originally Leo Astor and Leo Lenox, after Jacob Astor and John Lenox, two of the library's founders.  They were renamed in the 1930s by Mayor LaGuardia.)  This was just one of the many things I learned about the New York Public Library, its history, and its beautiful house on Fifth Avenue.

Lest you think that this is a boring treatise on the NYPL, it most assuredly is not.  This is a story of feminism, and not being afraid to fall in love again, and books, and book thefts.  Told in two different time periods, we start with Laura Lyons, whose husband is the first superintendent of the NYPL.  They live with their two children in an apartment in the library itself (and yes, that apartment actually exists, but the Lyons bear no resemblance to the actual family of the first superintendent beyond borrowing their living quarters).  Laura loves her family, but is dissatisfied with her role in life and chafes under the gender norms of the early 20th century.

Jump 80 years into the future, and Laura's granddaughter Sadie is the curator of a special collection at the NYPL (she got the job entirely on her own merits, by the way, as no-one there even knows about the family connection).  When first editions and valuable papers start disappearing from her collection, though, she must look back to her grandmother's time, when something similar happened.  Could the past and future be connected?  Why?  How?

As Sadie works to solve the mystery of the book thefts, she must also try to answer questions about her family and their life in the library.  Sadie is a character to be reckoned with, and her wit and determination shine off the page.  Laura, too, is a character not soon to be forgotten, as she tries to solve the mystery of who she is and how she wants to leave her mark on the world.  Their stories come together in a heart-pounding mix of whodunit and family saga that will leave readers both satisfied and wishing for a sequel.

For fans of Marie Benedict and Beatriz Williams.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.

too much information

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Genre: fiction

Challenges: 100 Book Challenge 2011, 2011 Page to Screen Reading Challenge

Review: Ordinarily, I would say that lots of detail in a book is a good thing, but here I think it's a little excessive. I don't need to know the timing of a character's action to the exact minute or the brand of coffee maker they use, unless it actually furthers the plot, which it generally doesn't here. That and astonishingly large cast of characters that I had trouble keeping track of are the only reasons this book didn't get all 5 stars.

a little unbelievable, but fun

Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery by John Feinstein

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Genre: mystery, YA

Challenge: A-Z (title)

Review: While the situation is a bit unbelievable (two students stumble upon a blackmail scandal at the Final Four of NCAA basketball and are determined to save the star player) the characters themselves are well-drawn. The scenes with the big-name sports reporters are very funny, even if you don't recognize all the names. Anyone who enjoys NCAA basketball and a good mystery will like this book.