Cool Reads

Small Town Mystery
Call the Canaries Home
Tragedy strikes 4-year-old Savannah, and her older sisters Rayanne and Sue Ellen, when her twin mysteriously disappears from their family home. Their Louisiana small town is rocked by the event, and the family is soon torn apart. Now, 28-years later, Savannah returns, convincing her estranged older sisters to join her, to fulfill a promise to open the almost three decades-old time capsule the family put together so many years ago. The three quickly uncover an intriguing photo, and a shadowy figure, that could hold the key to solving the mystery of their lost sister. Ghosts linger. Memories return. The sisters must reconnect to confront their past and discover some important lessons about love and family along the way. “Call the Canaries Home” is a remarkable debut novel by author and Louisiana native Laura Barrow. Paperback, 303 pages, $16.99

For LSU fans
Mike: The Tigers of LSU
Mike the Tiger, the iconic mascot of LSU, has been a formidable presence for generations of students and alumni. In “Mike: The Tigers of LSU,” readers get an expert’s behind-the-scenes look at this university icon from Mike’s former veterinarian, David G. Baker. Baker, who cared for the tigers beginning in 1996 with Mike V, recounts his experiences of daily life and routines, questions about the mascot program, game day traditions and even the hard times of sickness and death with Mike VI. “Mike: The Tigers of LSU” also highlights stories and memories of students and other caretakers, and features more than 100 historic photos from Tiger Stadium, Mike’s sanctuary, LSU’s campus and more. Hardcover, 120 pages, $29.95

A Life Fulfilled
The House on Esplanade
“The House on Esplanade” by Larry Gray follows the artistic, adventurous, tragic and triumphant story of Bing, a woman who travels the world in an attempt to experience all that life has to offer, both the good and the bad. Raised by her adopted mother, Yvonne St. Amant, after being abandoned by her birth mother practically on the doorstep of the titular house on Esplanade Avenue in New Orleans, Bing learns to embrace life at its fullest. Her adventures will expose her to art, culture, war, sickness, as well as romance, heartbreak and faith. This roller coaster ride is set against backdrops of World War II, 1960s San Francisco, the romantic streets of Paris, exotic Istanbul and more. And yet, through the whirlwind of her life, and its many ups and downs, Bing always returns to that house on Esplanade, the place she would always call “home.” Paperback, 344 pages, $20

For Louisiana Tech fans
Blue: Louisiana Tech University’s Legend of the Bulldog
Even the littlest Louisiana Tech football fans can get excited about a cheering on the home team with this sweet retelling of Blue, the university’s fan-favorite bulldog. From Blue’s rescue as a tiny pup to his years as the iconic team hero, “Blue: Louisiana Tech University’s Legend of the Bulldog,” by author, alumna, teacher and librarian Karen Sanders Bean, is a story of friendship, teamwork, bravery and companionship that will resonate with both kids and adults alike. Hardcover, 38 pages, $18.95