The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barak Obama.
Democratic senator from Illinois and author of Dreams from My Father (RC 43877) details his ideas to improve the country. Discusses American values, the U.S. Constitution, religion, globalization, race, and other subjects of interest to voters. RC 63126, BR 16808.

Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts.
Baltimore arson investigator Reena Hale has finally found love with carpenter Bowen Goodnight when her past comes back to haunt her. A pyromaniac stalker out for revenge taunts her with chilling phone calls and a string of horrifying crimes. Strong language, some explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. RC 61166.

Cesar’s Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems
by Cesar Millan with Melissa Jo Peltier.
Mexican-born dog-rehabilitator and star of television’s Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan explains using psychology to train one’s pet. Includes anecdotes from his clients and his own pack of dogs. Describes how he teaches owners to "speak" their dog’s language and encourages exercise, discipline, and affection. RC 62405, BR 16533.

Cross by James Patterson.
Washington, D.C. Psychologist Alex Cross resigns from the FBI and returns to private practice. The respite is short-lived, however, when a former colleague recruits Cross to track a serial rapist. The case could finally lead Cross to his wife’s murderer. Alex Cross series, book 12. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex.
RC 63859.

Culture Warrior by Bill O’Reilly.
Emmy Award-winning television commentator continues his analysis of the American culture wars begun in The O’Reilly Factor (RC 51053). Divides the population into traditionalists and secular-progressives. Examines their opposing positions on the war on terror, pornography, and the place of religion in the United States. Some strong language. RC 63097.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown.
Professor Robert Langdon from Angels and Demons (RC 51799) investigates the crime scene of the Louvre’s murdered curator. Joining him is French cryptologist Sophie Neveu. The clues left behind pit two Catholic societies against each other in search of the Holy Grail. Robert Langdon series, book 2. Some violence and some strong language. RC 55735, BR 15406.

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks.
North Carolina. After years of drifting, John Tyree, who was raised by a father with Asperger’s syndrome, joins the army. While on leave he meets Savannah Curtis, a special-education major. The two fall in love, but their relationship changes when John reenlists after 9/11. BR 16791.

For One More Day by Mitch Albom.
When his mother, Pauline, dies Charles "Chick" Benetto falls into alcoholism. Chick describes the loss of his job and family and his isolation and depression. After his suicide attempt Pauline’s ghost takes Chick on a tour of her life as a single mother and heals his broken heart. RC 63390.

4th of July by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.
San Francisco police lieutenant Lindsay Boxer retreats to her sister’s house in Half Moon Bay while fighting a charge of police brutality. But a killer is loose, and Lindsay enlists the help of the Women’s Murder Club to catch him. Women's Murder Club series, book 4. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. RC 60328, BR 16085.

Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris.
Children Hannibal Lecter and his sister Mischa experience unbearable horrors in Lithuania during World War II. Finding refuge in France, the teenaged Hannibal is tormented by memories and begins to develop his own grim, monstrous nature. Hannibal Lecter series, book 4. Violence and strong language. RC 63101, BR 17063.

The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham.
In 1982, a twenty-one-year-old cocktail waitress was raped and murdered in Ada, Oklahoma. Five years later, a former Oakland A’s pitcher and his friend were arrested for the crime, convicted, and sentenced. Grisham examines the impact police misconduct, DNA analysis, and the death penalty had on the case. RC 63332, BR 16945.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
An Afghan in California recalls a fateful 1975 day in Kabul that seared his soul at age twelve--the day he won a kite tournament and abandoned a younger companion to rape. That cowardice keeps haunting him during exile in America until the opportunity for atonement arises--back in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Violence and some strong language. RC 57457, BR 15785.

Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog by John Grogan.
A columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer reminisces about the untrainable Labrador retriever that he and his wife acquired as Florida newlyweds. Recalls Marley’s hilarious escapades and his capacity for love as the Grogans become the parents of three kids.
RC 61561, BR 16584.

Mary, Mary by James Patterson.
FBI agent Alex Cross, vacationing with his family at Disneyland, assists the LAPD in solving a murder. A serial killer who calls herself Mary Smith is targeting Hollywood stars and taunting the newspaper by describing the details of their deaths. Alex Cross series, book 11. Violence and strong language. RC 61490.

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards.
Kentucky, 1964. Doctor David Henry delivers his own children: a boy, Paul, and Phoebe, a girl with Down syndrome. Telling his wife that the newborn girl has died, he gives Phoebe to nurse Caroline Gill. Over time, David’s family erodes, while Caroline’s family flourishes. Some descriptions of sex. RC 63403.

Morrigan’s Cross by Nora Roberts.
Ireland, 1128. Morrigan, the goddess of battle, helps sorcerer Hoyt battle Lilith, a vampire who has destroyed Hoyt’s twin brother, Cian. Hoyt travels to modern-day New York to enlist the help of witch Glenna Ward. Circle series, book 1. Strong language, some explicit descriptions of sex, and some violence. RC 63473.

Next by Michael Crichton.
Cancer survivor Frank Burnet and his daughter and grandson are targets of an unscrupulous drug company that wants to profit from their unique disease-fighting genes. Meanwhile other genetic-engineering experiments involving a boy/chimpanzee hybrid and a talking parrot have gone awry. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. RC 63691, BR 16884.

The Night Trilogy by Elie Wiesel.
Night is the story of a Jewish boy who is deported with his family and community from Hungary to the horrors of the infamous Auschwitz. In Dawn, Elisha, the sole survivor of his family, becomes a Jewish terrorist in Palestine and is ordered to execute an Englishman. In The Accident, a concentration camp survivor tries to rebuild his life in New York City. Some violence and some descriptions of sex. RC 42074, BR 11185.

Predator by Patricia Cornwell.
Dr. Kay Scarpetta, last seen in Trace (RC 59172, BR 15588), now freelances for Florida’s National Forensic Academy. In this case she enlists the help of Pete Marino, Benton Wesley, and Lucy Farinelli to track a killer up and down the East Coast. Kay Scarpetta series, book 14. Violence and strong language. RC 60637, BR 16227.

Rachel Ray Express Lane Meals: What to Keep on Hand, What to Buy Fresh for the Easiest-Ever 30-Minute Meals
by Rachael Ray.
More wholesome, easy-to-prepare meals from the Food Network television show host and author of Cooking ’round the Clock (BR 15827). Lists seventy basic but versatile ingredients, both nonperishable and frozen, to stock. Recipes supplement these staples with a few fresh items so shoppers can use the express lane. BR 16618.