NBS recommends intertwined stories

Upstairs on the sprawling estate of Easterly, the kings of the bourbon capital of the world — the Bradford family — appear to play by the rules of good fortune and taste. Downstairs, the staff works tirelessly to maintain the impeccable Bradford facade. And never the twain shall meet. For Lizzie King, Easterly’s head gardener, crossing that divide nearly ruined her life. Falling in love with Tulane, the prodigal son of the bourbon dynasty, was nothing she intended and their breakup proved her instincts right. Now, after two years, Tulane is coming home. And no one will be left unmarked.

PASSION FOR THE GAME By Sylvia Day P315

Infamous for satisfying his limitless wants and desires, Christopher is a free man again. And this time he’s on a mission to engage, deceive and seduce the one woman as ruthless as he is when it comes to dangerous games of passion. Maria is one step ahead of Christopher’s every move. It doesn’t mean she isn’t enjoying every delicious look, every unbridled kiss, every moment of abandon. Neither of them could have imagined the moment when they would meet their match — or that they would surrender to each other again and again.

FRICTION By Sandra Brown P315

Crawford Hunt wants his daugh- ter back. Following the death of his wife four years ago, Crawford, a Texas Ranger, fell into a downward spiral that left him relegated to deskwork and with his five-yearold daughter Georgia in the custody of her grandparents. Now the fate of his family lies with Judge Holly Spencer. Holly temporarily occupies the bench of her recently deceased mentor. With an election upcoming, she must prove herself worthy of making her judgeship permanent. Holly is wary of his checkered past. But her opinion of him is radically changed when a masked gunman barges into the courtroom during the custody hearing. Crawford reacts instinctually, saving Holly from a bullet. Pursuing the killer in Crowford’s customary diehard fashion will jeopardize his chances of gaining custody of his daughter, and further compromise Judge Holly Spencer, who needs protection not only from an assassin, but from Crawford himself and the forbidden attraction between them.

HERE I AM By Jonathan Safran Foer P755

As Jacob and Julia Bloch and their three sons are forced to confront the distances between the lives they think they want and the lives they are living, a catastrophic earthquake sets in motion a quickly escalating conflict in the Middle East. At stake is the meaning of home — and the fundamental question of how much aliveness one can bear.