The staff at the Highlands Ranch Library (9292 Ridgeline Blvd.) suggests the following books:

Adult Fiction

Satisfaction by Gillian Greenwood

This satisfying story takes place mostly in 1994 and 2004, but we also get a brief glimpse of one day in 1984, the wedding day of James and Amy -- a day that should begin a life of unquestioned happiness. The story of how both partners, and their best friend Archie, view the marriage and their close bond is teased out in beautifully written episodic doses as Amy makes several visits in 2004 to the same therapist James visited a few times in 1994. As the various stories unfold, we learn about how Amy and her twin Thea have parted ways; how James' seemingly perfect life is suffering from doubt and anxiety; how Archie deals with his own immortality as he awaits the results of a biopsy; and how Thea returns to England and releases herself from disillusion and self-imposed exile. Meanwhile the twins' mother, Lucy, finally puts to rest some personal demons as the youngest daughter, Grace, comes into her own celebrity. Each chapter slowly and carefully reveals just a little bit more about each character's doubts and choices, and the jump from 2004 to 1994 makes it all the more enticing as we are given snippets of information about where these choices have led them. - Laura Stone Johnson

Young Adult

Gideon the Cutpurse: Being the First Part of the Gideon Trilogy by Linda Buckley-Archer

British 12-year-olds Peter and Kate have accidentally traveled back through time to 1763 England. Gideon sees them materialize out of thin air, along with the anti-gravity machine Kate's dad has been working on, and offers to help them return to the future. But can they trust Gideon, widely known as a thief? First, they must go to London and retrieve their machine that has been stolen by the Tar Man, England's most notorious and vicious criminal. Along the way, they're robbed by highwaymen; meet Charles Darwin's father and Dr. Samuel Johnson, writer of the first dictionary; and are introduced to the king and queen of England. The sights and smells of 18th century Britain are brought vividly to life. Fans of Harry Potter will enjoy this fast-paced tale and its cliff-hanging ending. - Theda Brinckerhoff

Children's Fiction

Who was First? Discovering the Americasby Russell Freedman

Award-winning author, Russell Freedman, provides up-to-date information regarding who "discovered" the Americas. Generations of United States students grew up learning that Columbus discovered the "new world" in 1492, but artifacts have proven that Vikings landed in North America long before this. American's have also learned that hunter-gathers first crossed into the Americas from Siberia to Alaska over an ice-free corridor. But, an archaeological site in southern Chile has proven that people lived in the Americas long before this ice-free corridor existed. Freedman presents alternative views on how people reached the Americas and who the first explorers truly were. DNA evidence linking the Ojibwa people from the Great Lakes region to European populations going back 15,000 years and other discoveries make this an exciting time to be reading about the issue of the peopling of the Americas. -- Beth Dalton

For more staff book reviews, visit DouglasCountyLibraries.org and click on the Book Lovers tab. For more information about Douglas County Libraries, call 303-791-READ.