We discussed authors that we love to read but who we feel are not widely enough known among either our peers or our patrons.  Each of us brought one author who is no longer publishing, as well as more contemporary authors who are still producing books.

Airth, Rennie
South African author Rennie Airth is best known for his procedurals centering on Inspector John Madden, formerly of Scotland Yard.  The first, River of Darkness (1999, 386 p.) is set in rural England between the World Wars.  Madden, who is suffering from psychological difficulties stemming from his wartime service and the loss of his family, must solve the murders of a local family using early forensic techniques.  Two other Madden stories follow, which are set many years apart.
Booktalked by Debbie Darwine, La Grange Public Library 

Sarah Andrews is best known for her Em Hansen, geologist, mystery series. These are set in the Great Plains states, especially Colorado and Wyoming. Em has a master’s degree in geology, but finds it hard to be a woman in a man’s field. Of course, she’s also an amateur detective, a forensic geologist. Em also struggles with relationships. Tensleep (1994) is the first book in the series.
Andrews’  latest mystery, In Cold Pursuit (2007), is set in Antarctica, featuring Valena Walker, a graduate student in geology, who arrives in Antarctica to study glaciology, only to learn that her professor has been arrested for murder. Valena has to find the murderer to avoid getting shipped home.
Booktalked by Brenda O’Brien, Woodridge Public Library

Lauren & P.C. Cast, young adult paranormal fiction.  This mother and daughter writing team work together on the young adult House of Night vampire series.  The Casts have created a world where vampires are born into ordinary families and begin to show symptoms around puberty.  Vampire teenagers attend special nocturnal schools and live in residence halls.  Marked begins the series with Zoey Redbird discovering that she is a vampire, to the distress of her conservative mother and stepfather.  The books include a cast of other vampire teenagers and some mystical Native American aspects.  Already on book five, the Casts have said that they expect to write at least eight books in this series.
Booktalked by Alison McKinney, Northlake Public Library District

Ann Cleeves – A Bird in the Hand, 1986 and Susan Plunkett and Krysteen Seelen – Whispers Through the Trees, 2005.
I put these two books together because they are two examples of mystery series dealing with birdwatching.  Ann Cleeves writes about George and Molly Palmer-Jones, British “twitchers” (birders).  Each book in the other series (Mysteries of Sparrow Island) is written by different author or team of authors, but all deal with Abigail Stanton, an ornithologist on the fictional Sparrow Island in the San Juan Islands.  Both series work birding into their mysteries in a very believable way, making for an enjoyable outing for the nature-minded.
Booktalked by Nancy Bent, La Grange Public Library

Judy Clemens writes a mystery series with a very unusual detective. Stella Crown is a dairy farm and Harley biker. Stella struggles to run the farm she inherited with her parents, has some longtime close friends who act as her family, and is devastated when one of them is shot and killed. Till the Cows Come Home (2004) is a fine debut.
Booktalked by Brenda O’Brien, Woodridge Public Library

Colwin, Laurie
American novelist Colwin (1944-1992) wrote charming comedies of manners mostly set on the east coast.  Her characters are smart, cultured and funny, and their stories are full of witty dialogue.  In Goodbye without Leaving (1990, 253 p.) wife and mother Geraldine Coleshares recounts her past as the white Shakette for musicians Vernon and Ruby Shakely and the Shakettes.  Happy All the Time is another favorite.  In addition to her novels and short stories, Colwin published two collections of food-related essays.
Booktalked by Debbie Darwine, La Grange Public Library

Corcoran, Tom
Freelance photographer Alex Rutledge is the protagonist of Corcoran’s mystery series set in Key West, FL.  In addition to his creative and portrait work, Alex does occasional crime scene photography for local law enforcement and manages to get involved in helping to solve the cases.  In Octopus Alibi(2003, 325 p.), the fourth book in the series, the intricate plot includes the suicide of Key West’s mayor.  Author Corcoran has co-written songs with friend Jimmy Buffett and provided photos for many of his album covers.
Booktalked by Debbie Darwine, La Grange Public Library

Jon Hassler - A Green Journey, 1985
Jon Hassler died earlier this year.  He was a Minnesota author who wrote about both academia and Catholicism.  The books set in Staggerford, including A Green Journey, center around the retired Catholic school teacher Agatha. Hassler’s books have a strong sense of place and open-minded compassion towards humanity.  He writes believably about strong women.
Booktalked by Debbie Wordinger, Indian Prairie Public Library

Lisa Jewell - Roommates Wanted , 2007
Jewell is an English writer of intelligent chick lit.  Her young heroines are, in best chick lit style, floundering, trying to find the right job, the right boy friend, and the right place to live.  Unlike other chick lit heroines, Jewell’s are compassionate and sincere.
Booktalked by Debbie Wordinger, Indian Prairie Public Library
 
Jim Lynch – Border Songs, 2009.
This second novel by an author rooted in the Pacific Northwest focuses on Brandon Vanderkool, six foot eight, severely dyslexic, and new to the Border Patrol.  The border with British Columbia is a favorite crossing point for illegal aliens and drugs and the Department of Homeland Security is escalating their surveillance.  Brandon birdwatches and makes art from natural objects on his patrols, and also manages to catch an amazing number of illegals and drug runners.  This lyrical novel with its quirky characters also has a strong sense of place.
Booktalked by Nancy Bent, La Grange Public Library

Michael Malone - Handling Sin, 1986
Michael Malone is from North Carolina.  His novels are generally set in the south and fall into two categories: serious drama and picaresque adventure.  The dramas are fine with an emphasis upon characterization, but the adventures are fun, humanistic treasures. 
Booktalked by Debbie Wordinger, Indian Prairie Public Library

Deirdre Martin, contemporary romance.  A New York native, Deirdre Martin is the author of contemporary romantic fiction.  Great for readers of Susan Elizabeth Phillips or Rachel Gibson, her New York Blades series (first book: Body Check) is a fast-paced read with alpha male hockey player protagonists and heroines that are far from helpless.  Martin also writes a spin-off Wild Harts series (first book: Just a Taste) which features two chefs.
Booktalked by Alison McKinney, Northlake Public Library District
 
Ruth Moore – Spoonhandle, 1946and A Fair Wind Home, 1953.
Ruth Moore wrote about New Englanders, mostly “downeast” folks from Maine, penning both historical and contemporary novels.  Her feel for the rhythms of small town and island life, the trials and tribulations of fishermen, the closeness (even claustrophobia) of everyone knowing the minutiae of everyone else’s life, and the beauty of people pulling together when disaster happens make her books involving.  Many of her characters are unforgettable.  Readers who like Maeve Binchey or Rosamunde Pilcher will love Ruth Moore’s novels.
Booktalked by Nancy Bent, La Grange Public Library

Abigail Reynolds, regency romance.  Author of a series of Pride and Prejudice variations, Reynolds writes “what if” imaginings about Austen’s Pride and Prejudice world.  Her latest, Impulse and Impropriety, asks what would happen if Mr. Darcy didn’t take ‘no’ for an answer after Rosings Park.  Although more slowly paced than most romances, Impulse and Impropriety still offers some slightly racy passages between Elizabeth and Darcy. It is fifth in her Pemberley series.  Serious lovers of Austen might be turned off by some of Reynolds twists and turns, but regency romance readers will enjoy her retooling of these popular characters.  Reynolds also writes a series of contemporary romances, based on Pride and Prejudice.  The first in that series is Pemberley by the Sea.
Booktalked by Alison McKinney, Northlake Public Library District

Lora Roberts has a couple of historical novels, but writes a mystery series about freelance writer and temp worker Liz. The books are set in Palo Alto, California. Liz is unusual because she’s very poor. In the first book, she’s living in her van, and not in touch with anyone in her family, who supported her abusive ex-husband. Liz is scrappy, is good friends with Paul, a police detective, and with her gardening and writing friends. Murder in the Marketplace (1995) is her second book, and a good place to start. Lora is still writing, but hasn’t published a book in several years.
Booktalked by Brenda O’Brien, Woodridge Public Library

Robert Sawyer writes science fiction. He is an award-winning writer from Toronto, who’s well known in Ontario, but not as much here. His books have a lot of variety and make you think. I think he should be a bestseller. Two very different books are Rollback (2007) and Hominids (2002). Hominids is the first book in a trilogy called the Neanderthal Parallax. Two parallel universes are explored, in one the dominant hominid are Neanderthals. They have a very advanced society with a very different culture than ours. Physicist Ponder Boddit accidentally breaks through the barrier between universes and is transferred to ours. He is befriended by a doctor and by a geneticist, Mary Vaughn. Meanwhile Ponder’s partner, Adikor Huld, is suspected of murder when Ponder goes missing.  Rollback is perfect for fans of Carl Sagan’s Contact. It’s about alien contact and the implications of rejuvenation, or rollback. 49 year old scientist Sarah Halifax decoded the first radio transmission received from outer space. Thirty-eight years later, a second message is received. Sarah and her husband Don receive the very expensive, experimental rejuvenation treament called rollback. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work for Sarah, now 87, but she still has to try to decode the transmission, while Don is now physically 25.
Booktalked by Brenda O’Brien, Woodridge Public Library