BELOW STAIRS: The Classic Kitchen Maid's Memoir That Inspired "Upstairs Downstairs" and "Downton Abbey."
Margaret Powell's memoir of her time in service is the true story of a woman who, though she served in the great houses of England, never stopped aiming high. She first arrived at the servants' entrance of one of those great houses in the 1920s when she was 13, eventually rising to the rank of cook. Her story, first published in 1968, is told with wit, warmth, and a sharp eye for the prejudices of her situation. By the last page, you'll be reluctant to say goodbye.

POISONWOOD BIBLE by Barbara Kingsolver.
The family of a fierce evangelical Baptist missionary--Nathan Price, his wife, and his four daughters--begins to unravel after they embark on a 1959 mission to the Belgian Congo, where they find their lives forever transformed over the course of three decades by the political and social upheaval of Africa. Excellent, convincing and emotionally resonant.

EAST OF EDEN by John Steinbeck. February 27, 2012 was Steinbeck's 100th birthday. It's not too late for your book club to celebrate by reading his masterpiece. Set in the rich farmland of California's Salinas Valley, this sprawling and often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies of two families - the Trasks and the Hamiltons - whose generations helplessly reenact the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel. Experience fine literature that is both wonderful and wise.

SHADOW OF THE WIND by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. In 1945, Barcelona, Spain, lies shrouded in secrets, and a boy mourning the loss of his mother finds solace in his love for an extraordinary book by Julian Carax. The boy discovers someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book written by Carax. Enter a dark world of murder, madness, doomed love and secrets you won't soon forget.

WIDOW'S WAR by Sally Gunning. In a small Cape Cod village in 1761, one woman is about to engage in the struggle of her life, defying her family, friends, and neighbors in a fight for her freedom that resonates even today. A stunning historical novel by an author who deserves to be more widely read!

BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP. So.... what if you lost your memories every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love - all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may be telling you only half the story. Welcome to Christine's life!


THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE. Deliciously creepy. . . . Three lonely misfits join Dr. Montague, an occult scholar, in a search of solid evidence of psychic phenomena at Hill House. As the seekers begin to cope with chilling occurrences, they can't know what lies ahead: The house is gathering it's powers and soon will make one of them it's own.


THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD. Blackmail and lies abound. . . .One of Dame Agatha's most celebrated and intriguing whodunits pits the "little grey cells" of retired Belgian detective Hercule Poirot against a clever, unscrupulous murderer.


THE WOMAN IN BLACK. What did they see? Who will be next? Things take an eerie, life-changing turn when a young London solicitor is sent to a faraway village to attend the funeral and settle the affairs of a client and encounters a ghostly woman dressed all in black. (Don't miss Daniel Radcliffe in the movie based on the book.)