The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto

Mitch Albom creates his most unforgettable fictional character—Frankie Presto, the greatest guitarist to ever walk the earth—in this magical novel about the bands we join in life and the power of talent to change our lives.

In his most stunning novel yet, the voice of Music narrates the tale of its most beloved disciple, young Frankie Presto, a war orphan raised by a blind music teacher in a small Spanish town. At nine years old, Frankie is sent to America in the bottom of a boat. His only possession is an old guitar and six precious strings.

But Frankie’s talent is touched by the gods, and his amazing journey weaves him through the musical landscape of the 20th century, from classical to jazz to rock and roll, with his stunning talent affecting numerous stars along the way, including Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Carole King, Wynton Marsalis and even KISS.

Frankie becomes a pop star himself. He makes records. He is adored. But his gift is also his burden, as he realizes, through his music, he can actually affect people’s futures—with one string turning blue whenever a life is altered.

At the height of his popularity, Frankie Presto vanishes. His legend grows. Only decades later, does he reappear—just before his spectacular death—to change one last life.

With its Forest Gump-like romp through the music world, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto is a classic in the making. A lifelong musician himself, Mitch Albom delivers a remarkable novel, infused with the message that “everyone joins a band in this life” and those connections change us all.

Author's Website

Other books by Mitch Albom in the Mount Michael Library: The first phone call from heaven, The time keeper, For one more day, The five people you meet in heaven.

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)

More thriller than whodunit, J.K. Rowling's captivating third novel written under her Galbraith pseudonym (after 2014's The Silkworm) further deepens her lead characters, Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott. Strike, who lost a leg during his military service in Afghanistan, was struggling in his career as a London-based PI until, serendipitously, Robin was assigned to him as a temp. The emotional intelligence she brought with her helped him solve some high-profile cases and turn him into a celebrity. But now their partnership faces two serious threats: Robin's fiancé suspects she wants a romantic relationship with her boss, and a serial killer has targeted her as his next victim. The murderer, who has a deep hatred for Strike, begins a campaign of terror by delivering a parcel to Robin at the office, which she assumes contains supplies for her upcoming wedding. Instead, to her horror, she finds a severed human leg inside. Maintaining a high level of suspense throughout, Rowling transforms Robin into a professional equal of Strike's and sets the stage for further complexities in their relationship in the next book. - Publisher's Weekly Review 

Author's Website

Also in the series by Robert Gailbraith (aka J. K. Rowling)

The Cuckoo's Calling - The Silkworm

Killing Reagan: The Violent Assault That Changed a Presidency

From the bestselling team of Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard comes Killing Reagan, a page-turning epic account of the career of President Ronald Reagan that tells the vivid story of his rise to power -- and the forces of evil that conspired to bring him down.

Just two months into his presidency, Ronald Reagan lay near death after a gunman's bullet came within inches of his heart. His recovery was nothing short of remarkable -- or so it seemed. But Reagan was grievously injured, forcing him to encounter a challenge that few men ever face. Could he silently overcome his traumatic experience while at the same time carrying out the duties of the most powerful man in the world?

Told in the same riveting fashion as Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy, Killing Jesus, and Killing Patton,Killing Reagan reaches back to the golden days of Hollywood, where Reagan found both fame and heartbreak, up through the years in the California governor's mansion, and finally to the White House, where he presided over boom years and the fall of the Iron Curtain. But it was John Hinckley Jr.'s attack on him that precipitated President Reagan's most heroic actions. In Killing Reagan, O'Reilly and Dugard take readers behind the scenes, creating an unforgettable portrait of a great man operating in violent times.

Other Books in the Library from the series by Bill O'Reilly

Burning Nation (Divided We Fall, Book 2) (Divided We Fall Trilogy)

The second installment of Reedy's Divided We Fall trilogy, about an Idaho National Guardsman caught between loyalties when the state and federal government end up in armed conflict, opens with a bang, as Idaho resists efforts at forceful suppression. Private Danny Wright, the accidental figurehead of the Idaho rebellion, becomes an insurgent in his hometown, fighting the Feds alongside his closest friends. Matters escalate, turning into open revolution and the beginning of a new American Civil War, and leading to a chilling portrayal of a disintegrating nation where neither side is entirely right or wrong. While Danny's moral conflict is easier now that he's committed to the fight, the increasingly personal stakes keep him from growing complacent. As in Divided We Fall, Reedy spins an action-packed cautionary tale, allowing both state and federal viewpoints their strengths and weaknesses, stopping just short of condemning both sides while acknowledging the validity of their arguments. It's a complex story rooted in current events, all the more worrisome for its plausibility. - Publisher's Weekly

 Author's Website

Book #1 of Trilogy

Shadows of Self (Mistborn) #5 by Brandon Sanderson

The #1 New York Times bestselling author returns to the world of Mistborn with his first novel in the series since The Alloy of Law.

With The Alloy of Law, Brandon Sanderson surprised readers with a New York Times bestselling spinoff of his Mistborn books, set after the action of the trilogy, in a period corresponding to late 19th-century America.

The trilogy's heroes are now figures of myth and legend, even objects of religious veneration. They are succeeded by wonderful new characters, chief among them Waxillium Ladrian, known as Wax, hereditary Lord of House Ladrian but also, until recently, a lawman in the ungoverned frontier region known as the Roughs. There he worked with his eccentric but effective buddy, Wayne. They are "twinborn," meaning they are able to use both Allomantic and Feruchemical magic.

Shadows of Self shows Mistborn's society evolving as technology and magic mix, the economy grows, democracy contends with corruption, and religion becomes a growing cultural force, with four faiths competing for converts.

This bustling, optimistic, but still shaky society now faces its first instance of terrorism, crimes intended to stir up labor strife and religious conflict. Wax and Wayne, assisted by the lovely, brilliant Marasi, must unravel the conspiracy before civil strife stops Scadrial's progress in its tracks.

Shadows of Self will give fans of The Alloy of Law everything they've been hoping for and, this being a Brandon Sanderson book, more, much more.  (Amazon.com)

The Rose Society (Young Elites Book 2)

Book 2

From New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu comes the second book in the exhilarating Young Elites series

Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all.

Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she and her sister flee Kenettra to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the white-cloaked soldiers who nearly killed her.

Book 1

But Adelina is no heroine. Her powers, fed only by fear and hate, have started to grow beyond her control. She does not trust her newfound Elite friends. Teren Santoro, leader of the Inquisition, wants her dead. And her former friends, Raffaele and the Dagger Society, want to stop her thirst for vengeance. Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her. But how can someone be good, when her very existence depends on darkness?

Also by Marie Lu tumbler

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (A Song of Ice and Fire) by George R.R. Martin

Taking place nearly a century before the events of A Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms compiles the first three official prequel novellas to George R. R. Martin’s ongoing masterwork, A Song of Ice and Fire. These never-before-collected adventures recount an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living consciousness.

Before Tyrion Lannister and Podrick Payne, there was Dunk and Egg. A young, naïve but ultimately courageous hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall towers above his rivals—in stature if not experience. Tagging along is his diminutive squire, a boy called Egg—whose true name (hidden from all he and Dunk encounter) is Aegon Targaryen. Though more improbable heroes may not be found in all of Westeros, great destinies lay ahead for these two . . . as do powerful foes, royal intrigue, and outrageous exploits. (Amazon.com) Author's Website

I am the Traitor (Unknown Assassin Trilogy conclusion)

ActThrill ZADOF as3

The Program has sent Boy Nobody on countless missions, instructed to kill whichever target he was given. But now, after going rogue, he is on his own mission to rescue his friend Howard, who was captured by The Program. Boy Nobody manages to free Howard as well as Tanya, a mysterious girl who was being held with him. Putting their skills to the test, Howard and Tanya help Boy Nobody collect information about his father, eventually revealing a dangerous secret that teaches Boy Nobody a valuable lesson -- he can't trust anyone. On the run from The Program, Boy Nobody must face his past, as he's forced to decide where his loyalties lie. Allen Zadoff packs the final installment in the Unknown Assassin trilogy with even more action, higher stakes, and mind-blowing reveals that will leave readers riveted. 

Author's Website

Book #1 "Boy Nobody" was also
published as "I am the Weapon"

Boy Nobody Trailer

The Tournament at Gorlan (Ranger's Apprentice Early Year)

From John Flanagan, author of the worldwide bestselling Ranger's Apprentice—the first in a new prequel series featuring one of our favorite Rangers, Halt!

When Halt and Crowley discover that the ambitious Morgarath has been infiltrating the Rangers in order to corrupt the corps, the young Rangers travel north to Gorlan, seeking a royal warrant to stop Morgarath before it is too late. By weakening the Rangers, the most powerful force in support of the king, Morgarath plans to steal the throne. Yet when Halt and Crowley arrive in Gorlan, they discover just how close Morgarath's scheme is to taking root. Prince Duncan has already been taken prisoner and an imposter installed in his place. All the while, Morgarath has been earning trust and admiration from the Council of Barons while he secretly assembles a powerful force of his own. If the young Rangers are to prevent the coup from succeeding, they will need to prove their mettle in battles the like of which neither has ever faced.
         
This origin story brings readers to a time before Will was an apprentice, laying the groundwork for the epic battle that will culminate with The Ruins of Gorlan and The Burning Bridge--Books 1 and 2 of the Ranger's Apprentice series. (Amazon.com)

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Book 1: The Sword of Summer

A new series by Rick Riordan, Author of the Percy Jackson & Kane Chronicles series.

Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother's mysterious death, he's lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, he's tracked down by a man he's never met-a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.

The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die .  Author's Website