Bookreviews

A Flaw in the Blood by Stephanie Barron

2008-04-09T11:40:00.001-07:00

A Flaw in the Blood by Stephanie Barron is a thrilling Victorian mystery. Irish barrister, Patrick Fitzgerald, and his ward Dr. Georgiana Armistead are on the run for their lives after the death of the Prince Consort, Albert. They are hunted throughout England and on the Continent by German Wolfgang van Stuhlen, but they have no idea who wants them dead or why. Much of the story is built on surprises in the plot, and I don't want to give too much away. Barron alternates chapters between Fitzgerald and Queen Victoria. Writing as the queen is a fabulous conceit, and Barron pulls it off with aplomb. Her fictional view into the queen's mind is delicious and frightening. The plot builds slowly, but as the threads come together, they tighten the plot making it a true masterpiece. Barron takes little known bits of history and re-imagines them with gleeful malice. I've always thought of Queen Victoria as rather boring and a bit stodgy, after this I'm off to read a biography. I look forward to Barron writing more books with this bent.

Dead Time by Stephen White

2008-04-02T11:41:00.000-07:00

Dead Time by Stephen White is the most recent entry in the Dr. Alan Gregory series, and let me be the first to tell you that White is back on his game. Alan and his wife Lauren are struggling to cope with all of the revelations from the previous book, Dry Ice, as well as their new adopted son. Lauren and Grace, their daughter, go to the Netherlands to find the daughter Lauren put up for adoption years before. Jonas, the new son, is going to spend a few weeks with his mother's relatives in New York, so Alan takes an apartment in NYC to be near him. Merideth, Alan's ex, calls Alan and asks him to investigate the disappearance of the surrogate she's hired to carry her baby. There are multiple storylines that weave in and out of each other, but White handles them all with style. Sam and Alan's relationship is unsteady after the events of the previous book, and through their detective work, they come to a new and deeper friendship. White's books about Alan were starting to get a little stale. He and Lauren were a little too happy, and nearly every book involved some kind of danger for Lauren and Grace. While I wasn't thrilled with Dry Ice, it should be seen as a pivotal book in this series, because it's turned everything around. Alan is no longer predictable, flirting with alcoholism and infidelity, and even Lauren is hiding some secrets. The series suddenly seems fresh and full of possibility.

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles by Jennifer 8. Lee

2008-03-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles by Jennifer 8. Lee is the author's fascinating quest to discover the true history of the fortune cookie. Fortune cookies, ubiquitous at Chinese restaurants, are crunchy with a slightly vanilla flavor; this unassuming cookie wouldn't seem to bear up under the weight of an entire book, but Lee makes this book delectable. Want info on the Kosher Duck Scandal of 1989 or about the Chinese immigrants aboard the Golden Venture? Lee has a wide variety of stories that she dug up in her search for the origin of the cookie. Chapters about the cookie are alternated with stories about Chinese immigration throughout the history of the US, how Chinese restaurants have become international, where did General Tso's Chicken come from, and so many more. Lee's book is like a great Chinese buffet. There are lots of selections to choose from, and there's just enough of each to satisfy without a glut of information. Lee's stories about the Chinese immigrants who work in and own Chinese restaurants across the country are the strongest. The images of ghost towns in China filled with huge homes built with the money sent home, but have no residents, streets empty of those of working age, and a school where the older children are taught just enough English to work in the restaurants, show an entire society built on food that no one in China actually recognizes. The best of this genre of book not only educate the reader, but teach the writer something about his/herself as well, and Lee succeeds on both fronts as she connects with her Chinese roots. The mystery of the origin of the cookie is solved in an unexpected way. This book is a must read!

Betrayed by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

2008-03-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

Betrayed is the second book in the House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast. In this newest installment (the third book coming out in March of 2008), the story begins with a day (or night, more appropriately) dreaded by some and anticipated by others: parent visitation. Unfortunately, some parents aren't okay with their children being Marked...and beginning the change in which they become a vampyre-if they survive at all, that is.
In Betrayed, Zoey Redbird and her new vampyre friends, fledglings just like her, try to solve the mystery that has baffled the local human police of Tulsa. Human teenagers (all football players, coincidentally, with whom Zoey has been acquainted), have been disappearing, very near to the House of Night's walls. The police have been led to believe that the vampyres have something to do with it, whether adults or fledglings. But after consulting with Zoey and the vampyres' high priestess, Neferet, they are told that, clearly, vampyres couldn't have done anything. It was all just a coincidence. But after death strikes near home, Zoey and her friends discover a terrible secret-they have been betrayed by someone close to them.
Betrayed is a stunningly good read and I would recommend it to anyone looking for an astonishing, tear-jerking (even if it wouldn't appear so in the beginning), fast paced novel.

Review by Bethany

All Around the Town by Mary Higgins Clark

2008-03-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

I was never much of a mystery novel fan, but a friend of mine recommended this well-known author, so I decided to give her books a try. I'm glad to say I'm not in the least bit disappointed. Clark keeps you intrigued through the whole 300 some page book, and you just can't put it down.
The story focuses on Ms. Laurie Kenyon, who is kidnapped at age four and returned home when she was six. But because of all that she has been through out those two years, the doctors have reason to believe that Laurie has developed multiple personality disorder. The years pass and when Laurie is in college, her parents die in a horrible car crash. Laurie blames herself for this tragic accident. The alternates appear again, after being dormant for some time. Very soon after their appearance, Laurie is convicted of the murder of one of her college professors-even though she has no memory of the incident. The doctors, once again, believe that it was one of her alters who committed the crime, and Laurie's sister, Sarah, a lawyer, tries her hardest to turn the case in Laurie's favor. But it simply cannot be done with all the evidence that they have been able to scrounge up. Just when all hope seems lost, however, startling evidence is revealed that turns the whole story around. I was extremely impressed with this novel and am already reading another by Mary Higgins Clark. Anyone looking for a good read should try this book.

Review by Bethany

Obedience by Will Lavender

2008-03-19T13:43:00.000-07:00

Obedience by Will Lavender is another suspense book that fails to live up to its hype. Winchester University's class Logic and Reasoning 204 has an enigmatic teacher, Professor Williams, who on the first day of class announces that a girl named Polly will die in six weeks if the students fail to solve the mystery of her disappearance. Most of the students treat it as a joke, but for three students: Mary, Dennis, and Brian, it quickly becomes an obsession. Individually, at first, they start investigating the professor and the hypothetical case. Events throw them together when the professor himself disappears. The story is an interesting exercise in how people react to a perceived threat to another human being, but it quickly dissolves into impossible coincidences, and then the author blatantly lies to the reader. There has been a recent spate of books (Little Face and The Art Thief) that get a great deal of good press and reviews for debut authors. But each of these books has a twist at the end that betrays the reader. Some authors can pull off that kind of writing with a flair that leaves the reader breathless and full of admiration. These books instead make me want to pull out my hair and take out an ad in the newspaper announcing what a waste of time it was. Reading a book is a give and take between author and reader. Good authors understand that and respect it. This author instead betrays that trust with a implausible ending that satisfies no one.

The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes

2008-03-13T13:14:00.001-07:00

The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes is a delightfully quirky mystery filled with twists and turns. Edward Moon is a renowned magician in late Victorian England. Along with his partner, the silent giant The Somnambulist, Moon has acquired a reputation for solving complicated crimes through deductive process. A ham actor is murdered in an exotic manner, and the police call in Moon to help, but the too easy answer only opens the door to many frightening and confusing twists. Soon all of London is under threat of attack, and only Moon can figure out the secret of the poet. I was suffering from book fatigue when I picked up this novel. Too many books in too few days, and none of them were appealing me anymore. But within the first pages of Barnes' book, I was laughing out loud and reading passages to my husband. The narrator promises you that he's going to embellish his story and on occasion even lie to you, and I loved every moment of it! The story is hardly plausible, but that's not the point. My imagination was stirred, my funny bone tickled, and my mind thoroughly engaged. Although this is Barnes' debut novel, he writes with the assurance and flair of a well established author. He even handles a startling twist and complete upending of the story with style.

American Jennie by Anne Sebba

2008-03-05T11:18:00.001-08:00

American Jennie by Anne Sebba is the story of the incredible life of Lady Randolph Churchill. American Jennie Jerome fell in love with Brit Randolph Churchill in a whirlwind courtship. After overcoming parental objections on both sides of the match, the couple wed and quickly produced son Winston. But the romance faded soon, and both engaged in affairs. They pulled together to get Randolph into the House of Commons, but for most of the rest of their lives, they lived apart. Sebba digs through newspaper accounts, family records, diaries, and letters to produce this well put together biography of an unusual woman. Jennie was well known for her beauty and her indiscretions in a time when women were still considered a husband's property. She produced a literary magazine, helped get both her husband and son seats in the House, traveled extensively, and cared for her husband at the end of his life. Randolph, who suffered from syphilis, was a difficult man, capricious even before the disease attacked his mind. Sebba tries to defend and protect Jennie where possible, but even in the best of lights, Jennie was an atrocious mother who ignored her children. In the end, the picture that emerges of Jennie is of a woman determined to live life on her own terms. She produced children, but that didn't make her a mother. She was married, but was a better wife to her lovers. She lived very much in the moment, always in debt and buying Worth gowns. Sebba does her best to make Jennie likeable, and to an extent, she succeeds. Jennie would be a wonderful addition to a dinner party, but not someone you could count on as a friend. A couple of complaints: there are not nearly enough photos of Jennie. For such a famous woman, I'm sure there are many more out there that would have shown her recognized beauty to better advantage. Also, Jennie and her sisters spoke French, so they peppered their letters to each other with French phrases. Sebba also throws several in her writing. I don't know French, so I often felt a bit left out. Sebba easily could have included translations in brackets, because the meaning was usually not easily gleaned from the rest of the passage.

A Bucket of Ashes by P.B. Ryan

2008-02-27T10:35:00.001-08:00

A Bucket of Ashes by P.B. Ryan is the last book in the Gilded Age series starring Nell Sweeney. I read the previous book in this series, Murder in the North End, shortly after it came out at the end of 2006. Visiting the author's website a few months later, I was excited to find that the this would be the last book in the series and was supposed to be published in Dec 2007. Every week starting in July, I visited the library website waiting to get on the reserve list. When it finally made in the list mid-January, I was number one on the list. It arrived on Friday, and I curled up in bed that very night determined not to go to sleep until I had finished it. Nell and Will have faced many troubles in their past, but after (finally) making love at the end of the last book, Will left for France at President Grant's request. Nell is in Cape Cod at the Hewitt's family home taking care of Gracie when she discovers that she's pregnant and her long lost brother has been killed in a fire and implicated in a murder. kmc's review is spot on. It feels as though Ryan needed to deal with every problem in Nell and Will's romance and did so without the spark of the previous books in the series. Remember how Cheers lost its zing after Sam and Diane finally did the deed? That's how it feels in A Bucket of Ashes. The mystery and powerful attraction between the two has been muted. Ryan goes through all of the obstacles keeping the two apart and smooths them out, but I think she's forgotten that what makes a story truly interesting are the wrinkles. The mystery involving Nell's brother is haphazard and unnecessary to the storyline. These characters were so entrancing and enjoyable, they deserve (as do the readers) a much better send off.

Perfect Figures by Bunny Crumpacker

2008-02-22T15:45:00.000-08:00

Perfect Figures by Bunny Crumpacker is a fantastic book that should be getting far more attention than it is. I've always wondered why numbers are written the way they are and how they evolved from thought to drawn figure to abstraction. Crumpacker writes with a delightful sense of humor making what could have been a dry dissertation-style book into an informative, funny, quirky read. Every other chapter I was bouncing up to tell my husband something new that amazed me. Wonder why a 2 looks like it does? It was originally two horizontal lines, when the writer got lazy and didn't lift up the pencil between the two, it turned into a z-like figure that became our two. Want to know what the number three has to do with a witness? The Latin word test-es means the third party to something between two other people and is related to the word tris-tes. That's where we get testimony, protest, contest, and testament, all from a third person witnessing what happens between another two. Crumpacker regularly uses humor to keep the book moving. In a description of many of the reverential views of the number three, she lists the three times chess was played on the original TV series Star Trek. Rarely has a book taught me so much and made it so enjoyable.

A Widow's Curse by Phillip DePoy

2008-02-13T11:23:00.001-08:00

A Widow's Curse by Phillip DePoy is the most recent title in the Fever Devilin series. Fever is a folklorist, former university professor, and resident oddball in Blue Hills Georgia. He receives a phone call from a man researching a mysterious silver coin with ties to Blue Hills, and the detective in Fever can't help but look into the coin's history. But he quickly finds that the coin's history is his own. Then he is accused of the murder of its owner and is forced to dig up, once again, the skeletons in his family's past. The character of Fever is fascinating. He constantly lectures while discussing folklore of the hills, as well as philosophy. You'll never know what subject will next be tackled from book to book or even page to page. Andrews, Fever's best friend, returns, and with each appearance becomes more integral to the series. Andrews helps balance and humanize Fever's almost otherworldy thought process. He punctures Fever's ego and regular bouts of melancholy. I love how DePoy takes common (and uncommon) folk tales and retells them as a way of interpreting society. This is a writer who truly has craftsmanship. Every description has been refined until perfect. Even the weather becomes a character through DePoy's skillful writing. This isn't your usual detective series; it's literary and compelling all at the same time.

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

2008-02-09T08:14:00.000-08:00

After the James Frye fiasco, I'm typically finding myself reading memoirs with caution. The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls, is one of these such memoirs that may be considered as far fetched as Million Little Pieces or Augusten Burroughs’s Running with Scissors. The story begins when the narrator is riding in a taxi and sees her homeless mom digging through a dumpster in a dangerous side of town. It’s not more than two pages later that the reader is transported back to Jeanette’s childhood, when at three years old she finds herself on fire. Even the most reluctant reader will find this book impossible to put down, living through Jeannette tumultuous childhood as she experiences a free spirited life on the road with her eccentric parents. The story is told so objectively, that the reader can make up their own mind on how damaging sheer neglect can be. If this memoir has little embellishment, it is a true testament how human beings have an inherent desire to survive. This is a great book club book, so pick some up for your group today. Or, if you find yourself book-club-less, the library has one that meets the last Thursday of every month at 7pm. February’s selection is Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Stop by and grab a copy today.

Eat, Pray, Love By Elizabet Gilbert

2008-02-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

When I placed my library hold on Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, I could not believe how long the list was to get the book. Reading the synopsis, I thought it would be a book that I would enjoy, a spiritual travel log with one of my favorite countries being among one of the places visited. But apparently, as I were to later find out, the book was supported by Oprah Winfrey, which led to it's huge success. But it was a good book in its own right, about a woman on a quest to find herself after her painful divorce. As she visits three countries--Italy, India and Indonesia, she is able to heal and learn some interesting things at the same time. I really enjoyed this book, and if you are willing to wait for a copy, you can get one through your local library.

Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn

2008-02-06T15:32:00.000-08:00

Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn is the second book in the Julia Grey series. Lady Julia is heading home with her two brothers Plum and Lysander (plus Lysander's new wife) for a family Christmas on the March country estate. But she's in for a surprise because her father has invited family members, neighbors, and the target of Julia's affection: Nicholas Brisbane, who just happens to bring his fiance. Every one of Raybourn's characters is a stand out, whether supporting or lead, they are fascinating and full of mystery. Even the family home, a former abbey, has a personality. The March family is well known for its eccentricities, but murder is something even they can't overlook, and when a young cousin confesses, Julia decides to find out the truth, no matter who gets hurt. The electricity between Julia and Brisbane arcs across each page, and the sibling rivalry among the March children is insightful and often hilarious. This Victorian romance/mystery is filled with lots of period detail and sparkling dialogue. Raybourn ends with a new home for Julia, and this series has a new home on my list of favorites.

The Star Machine by Jeanine Basinger

2008-01-30T11:11:00.000-08:00

The Star Machine by Jeanine Basinger tells the story of how Hollywood movie studios produced stars from the 1930s through the 1950s by running them through a machine of sorts. Stars were assigned a type: star, character, or supporting, and then placed in movies that fit their type. Names were changed, teeth capped, hair cut, bodies shaped, biographies written, articles planted in the papers, and stars were born. I cannot gush enough about this book. Basinger fills it with over 200 photos of the stars that capture the era with their soft lighting and fabulous fashions. She picks specific stars and follows their journey through the star machine to show how it succeeded and how it just as often failed. She also uses stories of stars who broke the mold and made the machine unnecessary. The book feels decadent, like a box of good chocolate or fluffy slippers. But the way Basinger talks about movies is anything but fluffy. She's the chair of film studies at Wesleyan University, and reading the way she describes films, I would absolutely pay money to hear her teach a class on the subject. She gives even the flimsy, frothy comedies of the 1930s depth by discussing how a character is developed before they even walk onscreen. This is a book that demands a class or TV special filled with clips. I discovered stars I'd never heard of and fell back in love with long time favorites. My too see list has expanded exponentially.Two small notes: Johnny Depp's singing was dubbed in CryBaby, but he's proven he can sing since in Sweeney Todd. And, why the hatred toward Abbot and Costello? They are two of my family's favorites! Those points aside, if you are a fan of old movies, this is a must read. Charmingly written with insight and witty asides, Basinger's love for film shines on every page.

The Heroines by Eileen Favorite

2008-01-23T11:17:00.001-08:00

The Heroines by Eileen Favorite is the story of 13-year-old Penny Entwistle whose mother Anne-Marie runs an unusual bed and breakfast: heroines from classic literature come there to recharge their batteries and rest. The heroines have been a part of Penny's life as long as she can remember, and keeping them a secret is starting to wear on her relationship with her mother. When a heroine named Deirdre shows up with her hero following her, the lies to protect them get Penny in deep trouble. First a warning: this book is NOT the chick-lit the back and cover would lead you to believe. Second, it's a frustrating read. Favorite's premise is fascinating and would have made a terrific book (and possible series) had she focused on the heroines and their interactions with Penny and Anne-Marie. Instead the book takes a very dark turn when Penny is institutionalized, and Anne-Marie does nothing to save her daughter. Anne-Marie is frustratingly passive throughout the story; she seems more like the pothead than her daughter with her inability to deal with situations constructively. Penny, like most confused early adolescent girls, pushes her mother away while craving her attention, and Anne-Marie seems incapable of taking care of anyone but her heroines. The time in the mental institution is an odd interlude and goes nowhere. Several interesting characters are introduced and then dropped. A police officer believing Anne-Marie and then making the trouble all go away seems too convenient and while I can suspend my disbelief about the heroines visiting the inn, the neat resolution is beyond credibility. The secret behind Penny's father is no secret and is told an another oddly placed segue way. The last chapter skips forward fifty years and leaves more questions unanswered than resolved. Penny seems to assume her mother's role of secret passivity. A dissatisfying ending. If Favorite had split up these major issues into separate books: Penny in the asylum, Anne-Marie's romance, etc. I would have read and probably enjoyed this as a series. Instead too much story is packed into a slim volume with frustrating results.

Vulture View

2008-01-19T08:14:00.000-08:00

When I see books like Vulture View by April Pulley Sayre, it gives me hope that the mothers of the world are out there writing and publishing up a storm. Only a mother could understand the need for a picture book that answers probably the most common question a kid asks in the car---"Gross!!! What is that bird eating?!!?" Although the narrative is funny (a cute little ditty about how vultures only like to eat things that REEK), the pictures are even better, handling a pretty disgusting topic with a wee bit of class. So, if your looking for something a little different to read to your curious and rambunctious child, come to the library and page through Vulture View. It might not win any popularity contests with the parents, but it is definitely most interesting to your kid.

The Beats

2008-01-19T08:12:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that I am a fan of the Beat writers, and have read nearly every book by and about them. So, I was happy to hear that a new illustrated book would be released in late 2007. Mike Evans's book, The Beats: From Kerouac to Kesey, an illustrated Journey Through the Beat Generation, is definitely true to its title. Made up of mostly pictures, the text is broken down into manageable chapters and little bits of information. I was able to finish the whole book in one afternoon, which is impressive considering what a chaotic household I live in. Even though much of what was covered in the book was pretty general and well known, it had some beautiful and haunting pictures that were interesting to look at for the casual reader and for geeks like me who read it cover to cover. Once you've ordered this book and are feeling motivated about our literary history, make sure to stop by our writer's club at the library on Monday night at 5:30pm. We'd love to have you, whether you write like Kerouac or not.

Other People's Love Letters by Bill Shapiro

2008-01-16T11:04:00.000-08:00

Other People's Love Letters by Bill Shapiro is a fascinating peek into love: its beginnings and endings, and the twisted path between. Shapiro, whose website has many more of these letters, asked his friends and exs for old love letters. They, in turn, asked others giving Shapiro a huge range of letters to choose from in making this book. From sweet text messages, to post divorce rants, these letters are enjoyable and insightful. It's amazing how similar letters written in the first throes of love are: you're amazing; I can't live without you. But Shapiro tried to pick letters that said something deeper and love and the human condition. It's not a book you want to read in one sitting; reading too many back to back makes them lose their potency. But taken in small doses, it's a great way to remember how good love feels in the beginning and how sweet it can be after many years. Some of my favorite letters were the ones written by married couples several years in. Shapiro includes a short epilogue with brief stories about some of the couples who wrote the letters. Reading these made the letters even more powerful, especially the one from a husband serving in Vietnam in 1969. A great read, perfect as a Valentine's Day gift; give it with your own love letter!

Little Face by Sophie Hannah

2008-01-10T11:15:00.001-08:00

Little Face by Sophie Hannah has an intriguing premise. Alice Fancourt calls the police in a panic; she insists that her newborn daughter Florence has been kidnapped and a different child put in her place. Her husband David insists that the baby is Florence, but her mother-in-law Vivienne, the family doyenne, isn't so sure. Det. Simon Waterhouse sees no evidence of kidnapping, but he feels drawn to Alice and wants to believe her strange story. Hannah's pacing and dialogue is excellent, and as we start to see the horrors taking place in the Fancourt family home, the tension level ratchets up considerably. David's first wife was murdered, and Alice can't help but wonder if she's next. Vivienne holds her son in her iron grip, and Alice is expected to fall just as neatly in line. The first two thirds of this book was fantastic, but then Hannah pulls the rug out from under the reader. An author walks a delicate line when using a narrator to deceive the reader. Some have pulled it off with aplomb: Agatha Christie and Louis Bayard come to mind. Unfortunately, Hannah isn't talented enough to succeed in her ploy, and after reading, I felt manipulated and used, much like poor Det. Waterhouse. Skip this book; don't waste your time.

Speaks the Nightbird by Robert McCammon

2008-01-02T12:01:00.000-08:00

Speaks the Nightbird by Robert McCammon is a shockingly good historical thriller. In 1699 in colonial Carolina, judicial clerk Matthew Corbett travels along with his guardian and magistrate Isaac Woodward to the small village of Fount Royal to investigate the case of a witch. Rachel Howarth, a young widow of Portugese descent, has been blamed for murders, crop failures, and a rash of fires in the town, and everyone is looking forward to seeing her burn at the stake. But Matthew has questions about the enigmatic beauty, and the more he digs into the town's secrets, the more his life is in danger. I read the review of The Queen of Bedlam in Publisher's Weekly and saw that it was a sequel to this book, so I ordered it. I was intimidated at first by its 700+ pages, but once I cracked it open, it was nearly impossible to put it down. McCammon carefully lays the foundation for the suspense, so that when it starts to build, each page feels like another stick thrown on Rachel's pyre. McCammon doesn't make her innocence or guilt immediately obvious, so as Matthew falls for her despite the testimony about her midnight indiscretions with imps and Satan himself, fear is palpable. But where McCammon really shines is in creating the suffocatingly claustrophobic atmosphere of this isolated community. Everywhere villagers are calling for Rachel's death, and with each of Matthew's questions, they start to raise accusations about him as well. The book feels hopeless, and yet as long as Matthew believes in Rachel, there is hope. The dialogue is vibrant, especially the exchanges between Matthew and Bidwell. There are multiple forces at work, and McCammon does a terrific job of making them work together to make a piece of classic horror literature. Nearly every page made me catch my breath in horror, fear, or surprise. It's a book I'll be recommending to everyone for the next few months. I've already reserved The Queen of Bedlam in which Matthew returns!

T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton

2007-12-28T11:37:00.000-08:00

T is For Trespass by Sue Grafton is the newest book in the Kinsey Millhone series. Kinsey is investigating a suspicious car accident and delivering eviction notices when she's asked to look into the background of Solana Rojas who has applied to be a caregiver for Kinsey's elderly neighbor Gus. Kinsey doesn't notice anything unusual and gives Solana the A-OK, unknowingly committing Gus to a living hell, because Solana is not who she claims to be. Grafton tries a new trick from her authorial bag by switching narration between her usual 1st person Kinsey and 3rd person Solana. Kinsey doesn't investigate mysteries that are going to change the world, but she does help make the world around her a better place. I love Kinsey: her love of olive loaf lunchmeat, peanut butter & pickle sandwiches, her need for small spaces and solitude, her attachment to Henry, William and Rosie. Kinsey, now in her twentieth appearance has become an old friend, and Grafton continues to write thrilling, taut suspenseful stories filled with rich characters and moral dilemmas. Solana's systematic abuse of Gus is horrific to behold, and I couldn't put the book down as I waited for Kinsey to come to his rescue. Solana recognizes a kindred spirit in Kinsey, but where she is dark, Kinsey is light, and each are frighteningly good at what they do. Kinsey is so honest about her hang-ups and flaws that it's hard to believe that she isn't real. Another pitch perfect entry in this series guaranteed to satisfy mystery lovers everywhere.

Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons

2007-12-26T16:12:00.000-08:00

I love novels that spotlight women's friendships, and Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik was definitely one of those type of books. The story begins when five women meet one snowy evening and decide to form a book club. What begins as a club, turns into a friendship that lasts for decades, with each chapter written from a different character's perspective. As an added bonus, the chapters begin with the book selected for their club that month, giving some great ideas for those who want to form a club of their own. The Lena library's book club meets the last Thursday of the month at 7pm. Stop by and meet the real life angry housewives of your city!

A History of Logging

2007-12-26T16:11:00.001-08:00

I have to admit, I am not a local. I grew up in Milwaukee, and moved to progressively smaller cities as I got progressively older. So, having been here for nearly five years now I figure I should read up about the local history. And, I was really amazed at how much history there is to our little county! A History of Logging In Oconto County by Della Rucker was a standout in my mind as to one of the most intriguing books in our local history collection at the library. I learned why Oconto county has so many mills and how the village of Lena got it's name. I learned that the Great Peshtigo Fire was the biggest forest fire ever recorded in North American history. I learned that Peshtigo was once part of Oconto county AND most importantly I learned why most of the houses in Oconto have roofs made of tin. Are you intrigued? Do you want to know more? Stop by Lena's library, because we have a great collection of local history books. You might learn something new about the very place you live every day!

Neil Gaiman Audio Collection

2007-12-26T16:09:00.000-08:00

I began to read Neil Gaiman when I collected his Sandman series. But since then, he has become an extremely prolific author for both children and adults. However, I had never read any of his children's stories. I had this in mind when I picked up a copy of The Neil Gaiman Audio Collection. The collection contained a few of his short stories for children, some poetry and even an interview that his daughter conducted as a bonus on the CD. The stories were dark and cute, much like Lemony Snicket or Sachar's Sideways Stories from Wayside School. My favorite was the "The Wolves in the Walls", but the entire CD was really good and worth the hour investment of your time. You can order a copy of this at the library, and listen to it in the car on the way home!

It Looked Like Spilt Milk

2007-12-26T16:04:00.001-08:00

It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Green Shaw is not a new book. However, it is becoming a bit of a classic in the storytime world. It might be because it's easy for kids to participate by guessing what the "spilt milk" is in the shape of. It could also be because it lends itself to some interesting spilt milk/cloud crafts. Or it could be the adorable story of spilled milk that really is some interestingly shaped clouds. Come pick up this storytime book at your local library. Your audience will be captivated, I promise.

Louder than words

2007-12-26T16:01:00.000-08:00

I have always enjoyed Jenny McCarthy's books, mostly because I'm a new mom and I can relate to many of her stories. Her fourth book, Louder than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism, is about Jenny's son Evan, and chronicles his struggle from his initial diagnoses to his eventual recovery from Autism. Even though your heart breaks for her, it is hard not to admire her courage to write such a personal book, especially in the face of the tough criticism she received from those who believe that any degree of recovery from autism is impossible. I think she does a wonderful job in creating awareness of the autism epidemic, and what can be done to give these parents hope.

The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

2007-12-19T12:12:00.000-08:00

The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman is the story of Jan and Antonina Zabinski, who ran the Warsaw Zoo in Poland before the invasion by Nazi Germany. The couple, along with their son, Rysz, treated many of the animals as family members. When the Germans swept into Poland and bombed much of the zoo, the couple did what they could to rescue the rest, which meant allowing many of them to be sent to German zoos for safekeeping. Jan soon joined the resistance, and the compound quickly became a safehouse for fugitives and fighters, both animal and human. Antonina had a powerful bond with animals, an innate, almost preternatural way of communicating with them that she was able to use to keep her and her charges safe throughout the war. The book is filled with poignant, tragic scenes. Antonina tucks Rysz into bed while outside German officers go on "safari" killing all of the animals in their cages. When he asks her what the gunshots outside are, she freezes, unable to answer his impossible question. They take a pig into the home and Rysz makes a pet of it until German soldiers mistake it for one of the farm pigs and drag it away for slaughter. Jan and Antonina show amazing episodes of bravery and courage. Jan walks several Jews out of the Warsaw Ghetto right under the noses of guards and helps them on their way out of the country. He also deliberately infects several pigs with worms, then butchers them, and puts the meat into sandwiches for the soldiers. My breath caught in my throat several times at the risks they took because it was the right thing to do. Seeing the war through Antonina's eyes makes it very real, but sometimes Ackerman skims over things that are vital to the story. Jan is imprisoned and Antonina and Rysz flee Warsaw. When they finally return home, the reunion is completely skipped, leaving the reader frustrated. Much of the stories come from Antonina's memoirs, and I wonder if Ackerman would have been better off using more of them throughout the story and letting Antonina tell the story in her own words. A subplot about the Nazi desire to recreate several extinct species including the Auroch and Tapan starts out strong, drops out completely in the center of the book, and then unexpectedly ends the story. It felt a bit out of place without more support. I am inspired by the bravery and humanity of the Zabinski family, and other readers of this book will be too.

Power to the People by Laura Ingraham

2007-12-12T11:06:00.000-08:00

Power to the People by Laura Ingraham is one of the more reasoned and insightful political books I've read this year. Ingraham, a talk radio host, is sick of the government seizing control of education and religion from the people, and she wants things to change. Rather than gripe about the situation, she gives anecdotal evidence and then solid suggestions that anyone can do to change the status quo. Although she does swerve into vitriol on occasion, she is thoughtful without attacking her opponents, unlike Ann Coulter and so many others. Conservatives need many more voices like Ingraham out there. She brings about healthy debate with good ideas for even a small town mom like myself to do. Too many books like these end up as vicious, personal attacks that undermine the very points they are trying to make. Ingraham is assertive without being aggressive, and she makes excellent points. I don't think she's going to change anyone's point of view, but she may help encourage others to make some actual changes. The last chapter on religion was a bit too much preaching to the choir, and I found myself skimming over it, but the rest was a good read.

Two Graphic Novel Reviews

2007-12-10T11:26:00.000-08:00

The Salon by Nick Bertozzi has a fascinating pretext: The artists living in Paris in 1907: Picasso, Braque, Satie, plus Gertrude Stein, are being stalked and killed off by a strange vengeful being who has the ability to pass in and out of paintings. Stein's salon serves as homebase for these painters who come together to discuss art, their current works, and engage in hedonistic behavior. A strange blue absinthe gives them the ability to jump into paintings. The story is intriguing, and the artwork occasionally striking, but I was disappointed in this book. It got a lot of wonderful reviews leading me to believe it was transcendent and more than "just" a graphic novel. I loved the discussions between Braque and Picasso about how to paint all perspectives at once, giving birth to cubism. But so much of the book focused on the baser instincts of the artists. There were far too many panels of Picasso's penis for me. Bertozzi seemed to revel in his characters' hedonism, to the detriment of the story. I expected more from this book.

Levitation by Jim Ottaviani and Janine Johnston is an expose of how magicians perform their famous levitation tricks on stage. But the book is far more than that. This beautiful graphic novel is narrated by a stagehand who knows the history of the trick and how it traveled from Europe with the magician John Neville Maskelyne to the American Harry Kellar, who stole the trick. The slim volume has backstage drama along with technical detail all lovingly illustrated by Johnston. Each panel is fantastic, especially those where real posters have been included. There's not a lot to this book, but what is there is all pleasing. I even got my husband to read this, and he's not a fan of graphic novels. Very enjoyable read!

Golden Legacy by Leonard S. Marcus

2007-11-28T10:56:00.000-08:00

Golden Legacy by Leonard S. Marcus is the story of Little Golden Books. How did they come to be, how did they change the market for children's books, whose careers did it start up, etc. I don't think I could gush enough about this book. It's absolutely beautiful. Marcus tells the story of the Western Publishing Company out of Racine, Wisconsin from its earliest beginnings. This small company started out just as printers but when the publishing company they printed a lot of books for collapsed, Western bought them out and embarked upon their colorful and successful career in children's books. The book is filled with breathtaking illustrations; it reminded me of everything that I loved about Little Golden Books as a little girl. And who doesn't have a favorite Little Golden Book? I think every child for the last 65 years has been impacted by these books. My mom still collects Eloise Wilkin books. My favorites were The Golden Egg Book by Margaret Wise Brown and The Bunny Book by Richard Scarry. LGBs changed the children's book market by selling beautiful books for a price that parents could afford to purchase. At a quarter a piece, every child could own at least one, which encouraged reading at home. The books were also focused on the idea of writing for children about Here and Now as opposed to fairy tales. There are tales of the discovery of Richard Scarry and Gustaf Tenggren, and current children's authors as interviewed as to how LGBs impacted their lives and art. This would make a great Christmas present for any book collector, especially boomers who will be thrilled to see pictures from their childhood. As for me, it reminded me of the joy I found in these books as a child, and I've officially added them to my daughter's Christmas list.

One Drop by Bliss Broyard

2007-11-21T09:57:00.001-08:00

One Drop by Bliss Broyard is the story of her father Anatole Broyard's passing as a white man. Bliss and her brother Todd were raised in uber-WASPy Connecticut with no idea as to their father's ancestry until he was on his death bed, and their mother forced the confession out of him. While Todd accepts the knowledge without much difficulty, Bliss is sent into a tailspin trying to figure out just how black she is and how she fits into the world around her because of it. Anatole, a daily book critic for the New York Times, is a powerful character: charismatic, suave, opinionated, and full of life. Bliss thought she knew him better than anyone, but the news of his secret makes her question everything she's ever known about him. The book is the culmination of sixteen years of research and genealogy to understand her father and both of his worlds: the one he turned his back on and the one he embraced. Bliss tells her story with surprising honesty and little guile. She relays stories of her own inherent racism with both surprise and sadness. As a high-schooler, Bliss had occasionally dropped the n-bomb and told racist jokes with her friends. Now with the news that she is black makes her confront her lingering prejudices. Bliss' research into her family's past is fantastic. She intersperses the stories of the Broyards with history putting the choices they made into contemporary context and giving depth to each character. Anatole's family was Creole in New Orleans, but his father fled with the onset of the devastating Jim Crow laws. His father, who had been a popular, powerful man in his neighborhood in New Orleans, was just another face in Brooklyn, and never recovered from the loss of community. Anatole's parents passed as white in order to keep jobs during the Depression, and he suffered for it. They lived in a black neighborhood where he was chased and beaten by boys with lighter skin. The anger from these incidents haunted Anatole until his death. He was hurt by his father's silence on the matter and determined to never let his children suffer like that. But Bliss does suffer, through rejection by her darker skinned cousins who never had the opportunity to pass, and through trying to figure out what box to check on forms: black or white? Anatole also suffers in that he seems to have made a Faustian bargain: he turned his back on his family and race and in return was never able to write with authenticity in the way he desired. His novel would never be finished. This is a fantastic book: easily read, great story, and eye-opening ideas. Bliss establishes the differences between Creole blacks and those who were slaves. While there is obvious racism between whites and blacks, less obvious is that of lighter skinned toward darker skinned blacks. Bliss never attacks her father for his choice, nor does she attack those who are angry with his choices. She presents the story of her father as a way for her to understand him better and in doing so offers the world the chance to question what does race really mean?

Home to Holly Springs

2007-11-14T11:06:00.003-08:00

Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon is the first book in the Father Tim series. This book picks up shortly after the last Mitford book, Light From Heaven. Seventy year old Father Tim Kavanaugh has received a mysterious letter from his childhood home of Holly Springs, Mississippi saying simply: Come home. He left 38 years ago in anger and pain, but the letter haunts him and puts him on a 600 mile road trip to solve the mystery of the letter and bring healing to life-long wounds. First off, I've read a few reviews trashing this book for its coincidences and other trivial complaints, but what the readers are really upset about is that this isn't a Mitford book. While Cynthia and Dooley make appearances, this book is really about Father Tim becoming reconciled to his past. The storytelling is quite different than the Mitford books: in depth character study as opposed to sweet hometown dramedy. There are still quirky characters galore and Tim's honest faith and belief in the Lord. I really enjoyed reading this book. The dialog is terrific and perfect for the slow as molasses Southern feel of the book. Anyone who has read the Mitford series is familiar with Tim's anger toward his father. Here we begin to understand why Tim is so angry, but also why his father was who he was. Many mysteries are cleared up, but many more opportunities for storylines are opened. Yes, the coincidences run heavy, but God does tend to work that way sometimes. I was able to take all of them except for the final one involving Tommy Noles. My only other complaint: why on earth did Karon feel the need to give two people in Tim's past the same first name?? Two Peggy's makes for some awkward reading on occasion. There is one humorous editing error: Instead of saying that Cynthia was cleared to drive, it reads that she was clear to drink, making the rest of the sentence about her driving all over Memphis worth an unintentional giggle. Read this book with an open mind and don't expect Mitford. You won't be disappointed.

We Our On Our Own

2007-11-07T10:59:00.000-08:00

We Are On Our Own by Miriam Katin is the story of a young Hungarian Jewish woman and her small daughter struggling to survive through the Holocaust. Esther Levy is during her best to raise Lisa (really author Katin) while her husband Karoly is off fighting the Nazis during WWII. But one by one their freedoms are taken from them, including their right to own a dog or live in their apartment. Rather than go to a concentration camp, Esther fakes their deaths and flees into the countryside. She is forced to become the mistress of a Nazi commandant, raped by Russian soldiers, fights through a blizzard, and has an abortion. All in the quest to save her daughter's life. The scenes from the war are drawn in black and white with a charcoal feel to them. They are alternated with scenes from Lisa's life as a mother which are brightly colored, almost harshly so. The pictures are haunting and with a few simple strokes, Katin is able to bring remarkable depth and emotion to each frame. Several pages with the reunion of Karoly and Esther brought tears to my eyes and are examples of masterful storytelling. Another review here says that the book is pointless and doesn't have enough interest to merit publishing. I beg to differ. The Holocaust is such a huge tragedy that thinking about the death of 9 million is impossible to comprehend. But seeing the fight and heroics of a simple woman in the midst of the war brings home the destruction and devastation it brought. Not just to the landscape, but to the human spirit as well. It's a powerful story told about love and courage told with the same.

The Art Thief by Noah Charney

2007-10-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

The Art Thief by Noah Charney is a promising book about duplicity and double-crossing in the art world, but it's let down by a disappointing ending. Three paintings are stolen: in Rome a Caravaggio altarpiece, in Paris Malevich's White on White, and in London another copy of that same painting. Or are they the same painting stolen twice for unknown reasons. Gabriel Coffin, an expert on art theft, is called in to investigate the crimes, and others are quickly drawn into the intricate plot. I've read other reviewers complaining about the thick art history in the book, but I think that's the only place it shined. When Charney expostulates on iconoclasm, modern art, and symbolism, the book is fascinating, and the pages fly by. But the story gets bogged down by overly quirky police officers in Paris and London. The cops are just a bit too precious, and the amount of backstory given to the Wickenden seems overdone considering his small role in the story. I went along with the story and even enjoyed myself until the final chapters when Charney pulls a double-cross on his readers and lost my loyalty. Characters who appeared to be on the up-and-up are the bad guys with all sorts of connections to each other that the reader couldn't be aware of. In the end, the plot fails when all of the players become known, and the theft was so complicated as to be confusing and pointless. I wanted so much more for this book, and if Charney stuck to the art at which he is an expert, I'd read more; just skip the suspense.

Postcards: True Stories that Never Happened

2007-10-24T10:07:00.001-07:00

Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened edited by Jason Rodriguez is just the graphic novel to make you fall in love with the genre. I know you probably hear graphic novel and think: comic book, superheroes, men in tights, gore, geeks, teenagers. While that may be true of many, this one sets the golden standard to be something better. Rodriguez bought several antique used postcards and became entranced by the short messages on them. A few lines jotted while on vacation or away that spoke volumes to the receiver and whispers at mysteries to us today. 16 short stories by different artists and writers tackle postcards with cryptic, funny, and sentimental verses on them. Each writer imagined the writer and recipient and how the postcard fit into their lives. Sometimes the story answers a question, other times it's the question itself. The simple black and white artwork is evocative in each story. Send Louis His Underwear has short sketchy lines hinting at the darkness within. Homesick's long clean lines somehow manage to convey both the time of the Depression and the feeling of depression. Some stories are stronger than others, but all in all, this is a fantastic collection. It was impossible to put down, and when I did, I was sad it was over. I wanted more: more stories, more answers. From silly to haunting to desperate, these tales run the gamut.

Before I Die by Jenny Downham

2007-10-17T11:48:00.001-07:00

Before I Die by Jenny Downham was the most difficult book I've ever had to read. Ever harder to review. I finished it a month ago, but it's taken me this much time to allow some of the ache to go away before I could get it down. It's the story of Tessa, who is 17 and dying of cancer. She lives with her father and younger brother and occasionally sees her estranged mother. Tessa has made of a list of the things that she wants to do before she dies. Many of the things on the list are stereotypical of the average teen: have sex, try drugs. Others are deeper: fall in love, not say no to anyone for an entire day. She completes much of her list, but the ramifications of some of them aren't what she hoped for. Sex with someone she doesn't know or love doesn't fulfill her; drugs are strange and take away what little happiness she has in life. Tessa's father struggles with his daughter's impending death. He feeds her organic food and vitamins in the unspoken hope that somehow, something will change. He and Tessa fight each other as she tries to live what little life she has left to the fullest and he tries to protect her. How do you put limits on or ground a teenager who is going to die? How can you keep her from experiences when all she wants is to feel? She swoops in and out of depression, refusing the leave the bed for days, then suddenly wanting adventure. Her best friend gets pregnant, her parents start moving closer to each other, she falls in love with the boy next door; all sorts of exciting experiences show themselves just as she can't be there to see how any of it turns out. I was shocked to find out that the author of this book was a middle-aged woman; she speaks so authentically as a teenage girl. This book is heartbreaking and uplifting all at once. Tessa is so real that I found myself hoping against hope that somehow the ending would change. But her peace and acceptance toward death was moving. As Tessa's soul drifts away on the final page, so do the words. As the mother of teenage children, this was an especially hard read, but I'm glad I did. Tessa discovers that life is worth living the best you can, even if the best you can is only 17 years.

The Kingdom of Bones by Stephen Gallagher

2007-10-11T09:59:00.001-07:00

The Kingdom of Bones by Stephen Gallagher is the story of former boxer Tom Sayers in Victorian England. Tom works as a manager for a theatrical touring company and is secretly in love with the production's leading lady, Louise, when he is framed for the horrific murder of several young boys, including a page for the company. Tom tries to prove his innocence, but no one is likely to listen to a man who made his living with his fists, so he flees into the countryside. But he can't abandon Louise to the machinations of the monster who committed the murders and is still with the acting troupe. Things spiral even farther out of Tom's control and he finds himself fleeing from Inspector Sebastian Becker. Ultimately the quest for justice will take them to America cost Becker his job and possibly his life, and it will cost Tom far more. I'm a sucker for books about Victorian England, and one that features Bram Stoker as a "fictional" character seemed too good to pass up. The story is intriguing and the detail wonderful, but sometimes it feels a little too truncated. The acting life, history of Stoker, Aleister Crowley, boxing in carnivals; each of these could be a good book in and of themselves, but they suffer a little here for lack of space. The mystery of the murderer isn't much of a mystery (nor is it meant to be), the story is about Tom's quest to rescue from Louise and Sebastian's for the truth. The twisted plot involving Stoker just doesn't have the power that it could have, and because much of the book rests on it, it falters. I enjoyed this read, but couldn't help thinking with another couple hundred pages it could have been as powerful as The Meaning of Night or The Observations.

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

2007-10-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

Book review by Jennifer Thiele
(BTW--A big thank you goes out to Christy who will be joining me in doing some book reviews on this blog!) :)

...Stephenie Meyer is a young adult author with a following. Her novels Twilight and New Moon are very rarely on the shelves, and often have very long lists of people waiting in line for the book. Her latest novel, Eclipse, is no different. This third book in her Vampire/Werewolf series follows Bella as she continues to be pursued by rival vampires. But most of the book focuses on the love triangle between Edward, a vampire she is in love with, and Jacob, a werewolf who is in love with her.
I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with this followup. The book was long winded and dialog driven, without as much resolution as I was expecting. It seemed to stall the inevitable decision that Bella will have to make--whether she will remain with Edward and become a vampire, or leave with Jacob to join the wolves. However, to the author's credit, she did say that Eclipse was not meant to be a stand alone book initially, and that it was cut from New Moon because the publisher thought it was too long. With this in mind I am highly anticipating the next book in the series, where some decisions will most definitely have to be made. A copy of Eclipse can be picked up at your library, but be prepared to wait as there is still quite a list of patrons waiting for it!

Down the Nile

2007-10-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce myself. My name is Christy Lockstein, and I am blessed to review books. I get several a week from different publishers and post my reviews to my blog: Christy's Book Blog; Shelfari, Amazon, my MySpace blog, and occasionally the Oconto Falls Library blog. Jennifer has invited me to share some of my reviews with you. I hope that you enjoy them!

Down the Nile by Rosemary Mahoney is the story of one woman's quest to row a boat solo from Aswan to Qena, Egypt. This intriguing true story gives Nile trivia, a history of Nile travel, travelogue, and surprisingly little Egyptian history. Rose goes through all sorts of tortured situations trying to even get her hands on a boat in a country where women don't ever go in a boat by themselves or own a boat. The men think she's joking in her search for a rowboat to purchase, and she ends up using deception to purchase one. Most of the book consists of her search for a boat, the history she's read in preparation for the journey, and her meetings with various Egyptian peoples. The book is strongest in her descriptions of the countryside. Here's her take on the sky in Abu Simbel: ..night sky was a metropolis of its own, an enormous velvety parabola embracing the earth... The whole place was a swirling mass of stars. I felt short of breath and utterly insignificant looking at its hugeness and depth. This was a night sky you didn't have to raise your eyes to. It began below the horizon and was always right in front of you, wherever you turned. When I looked at it, the vortex of stars seemed to be lifting me off the ground, and I had to look down at my feet now and then to see that they were firmly planted. After that, I'm ready to grab my passport and head there myself! Rose's interactions with the people of the land are alternately funny and disturbing. Nearly every man propositions her sexually, and those who don't talk to her about sex with no compunctions whatsoever. The book falters when Rose tries to tie her trip down the Nile to trips made by previous travelers, and too much of the book is devoted to the writings of Gustave Flaubert and Florence Nightingale. While it's true that the journey is far more than the destination, the book ends rather abruptly when Rose meets her goal. This is a fascinating look at Egyptian/Nubian culture and well worth the read.

Deathly Hallows

2007-08-28T12:37:00.001-07:00

A full month has elapsed since the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and I have kept all of the secrets way too long. So, if you have not had an opportunity to read the book I would suggest you do not read the rest of this article.
That disclaimer aside, I have to say I really enjoyed this last Harry Potter book, and was nostalgic and sad that it was the last to be released. Regardless of what you think about the stories themselves, one can't help but appreciate what J.K. Rowling's writing has done for reluctant readers all over the world. And even locally, the release was quite an affair (If anyone had an opportunity to attend any midnight release parties you will know exactly what I am talking about).
The book itself started out strong, with an exciting fight scene and an escape. Harry, Ron and Hermione spend much of the book on not one, but two quests. While Harry and Voldemort's connection grows stronger, you find out more about both sides of the battle in good vs. evil. The book ends with an epic battle on the grounds of Hogwarts itself, which is the perfect setting to tie up the series.
Not wanting to say more, I would encourage people to pick up this book at the library. Now that the rush has died down, many libraries have the book immediately available on their shelves. Lena has two copies that are in house right now. Stop by and pick one up. Potter fans will not be disappointed.

Love Overboard

2007-08-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that Janet Evanovich is one of the most popular authors out there right now, and well known for her Stephanie Plum series. However, Evanovich does have several other stand alone books that are good in their own right, and were re-released after her huge success. Love Overboard is a the story of a pirate named Ivan and his new ship cook, Stephanie who fall in love. But this is not the end of the story that is filled with mystery and chaos. When Stephanie ends her stint on the ship, she finds her house haunted and only with Ivan's help is she able to get to the bottom of it. The book is half romance, half mystery with some good comedic timing. Even if you aren't a Janet fan, it is worth picking up a copy of this book for some light summer reading. Stop by the library to find out more.

History Lessons

2007-08-28T12:33:00.001-07:00

I have always found history fascinating. Growing up, I had naively assumed that nearly every country had history books much like ours. At that time in my life I couldn't understand that history was a perspective that every person viewed differently. This is why I decided to pick up the book
History Lessons : How Textbooks From Around the World Portray U.S. History. The layout of the book was interesting. It takes significant events from history and lists excerpts from several different country's history books. Events included things ranging from The Viking exploration to the atomic bomb, and the narration of each text book is listed by country of origin. Needless to say, it was obvious from some of the entries about how each event was perceived. The most interesting, in my opinion, was a selection from the only history text to have ever been smuggled out of North Korea. Even though I found the book interesting, I wished that the editor would have a recent narration from an American text to compare. Some of the events listed were unfamiliar to me, and it would've been nice to have a refresher on what I learned in school. Even without this information, the book itself was interesting and something I would suggest to anyone who might be intrigued by comparative history. You can reserve a copy of this book at your local library.

Lonely Planet Blue List

2007-08-28T12:31:00.001-07:00

I know that it might be a good decade before I get to travel again. However, I always find it nice to live vicariously through the books and videos that Lonely Planet puts out. Lonely Planet Blue List : 618 things to do & places to go is a beautiful book, with outstanding illustrations and intriguing choices as to some of the most interesting places to see. Subdivided into headings like "Places most like they are in the film", "Most extreme environments" and "Places to love with things to question", it really chooses some unique destinations that aren't covered in every day travel guides. If you are an adventurous traveler, this book is for you. If you are a wanna-be traveler, this book is also all yours. Even if you aren't interested in traveling at all, but love great photography, you will enjoy this book. So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and pick it up at your local library.

A Great and Terrible Beauty

2007-08-28T12:29:00.001-07:00

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray is the story of a Gemma, a girl who experiences the death of her mother in India and goes off to boarding school. But Gemma soon discovers that there is much more to her mother's life than what she knew. With the help of three girls Gemma meets at school, Gemma not only uncovers information about her mother, she realizes there is much more to the power that she herself possesses. But this power isn't everything that Gemma anticipates, and she must make some tough decisions regarding her friends, her mother and the course of her own life. This book can be picked up at the Lena library in print form. The audio version is also available.

Mars needs Moms

2007-07-20T13:41:00.001-07:00

I am an emotional mama. I have cried reading books like Munsch's Love you Forever and DePaola's The Art Lesson. But getting teary eyed at Mars needs Moms doesn’t seem justified. However, I am here to admit that this book by Berkeley Breathed was an emotional ride. It might be because the pictures were drawn so beautifully. It could be the fact that the main character is the same age as my son and shares the same disdain for vegetables. But most likely it is that the author beautifully captures the love a boy has for his mother. This is one of those books that adults and kids can appreciate. Kids will love the plot which involves an exciting mom kidnapping and space ride. Adults will appreciate how the author finds the inherent beauty in haggard worn-out mommies who are “broccoli bullies”, “summer stealing, perfumy garden goblins” who don’t think “sister tinting” is very funny. Since I am one of those mommies, I loved the book. You can order a copy of this through the library. Stop by and find out how.

Teen Idol

2007-07-20T13:39:00.001-07:00

Meg Cabot is probably one of the most popular writers for teenage girls right now. It was because of this that I picked up a copy of Teen Idol. The story begins with the narrator Jenny, a girl who nearly everyone likes. Because of this fact, she ends up being chosen to be the student guide for the dreamy and famous Luke Stryker, a superstar teenage heartthrob who has decided to research a role undercover at Jenny's own high school. But what happens next begins with a lesson in empathy and ends with Jenny and Luke at the spring fling dance. Want to read more? Pick up this title at the Lena Library.

Midwives

2007-07-06T15:12:00.000-07:00

Midwives by Chris Bohjalian is the story of a woman who delivers babies in rural Vermont. But when she becomes trapped in an ice storm with a woman who dies in childbirth, she has to make the decision on whether or not to save the baby by performing a C-section on the woman she believes had died a few minutes before. But was the laboring mother really dead when the C-section was performed? This is the question the state is asking when they put her on trial for involuntary manslaughter. The story follows the case and the verdict, leaving the reader wondering if there really is such a clear cut line between guilt and innocence. If you missed the bookclub, stop by the library. You can still obtain a copy of the book.

Twinkie, Deconstructed

2007-07-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

Twinkie, Deconstructed by Steve Ettlinger is just that. The origins of every ingredient in a Twinkie, laid out chapter by chapter. Why, you ask, would I choose to pick up this book, when I can remain blissfully ignorant of what I’m consuming? Mostly because I’m tired of wasting my Weight Watchers points on a spongy cake that is even more appealing to me now that it is green (in honor of the Shrek movies). Perhaps I’m simply jaded, but I expected that the book present more disgusting scenarios than it actually did. I wanted to read that my Twinkie is actually comprised of the same stuff they tell you hot dogs are made of. I wanted the ingredients to be swept off the floor, mixed into a cup of lead based paint and chewed up and spit out by one of the plant employees. But I was disappointed. The book to me read like one long chemistry lesson, and was so boring that I really could’ve polished off an entire box of green Twinkies while I read. So, even though the hold list for this book is quite long, I wouldn’t be too disappointed. While you wait you can enjoy all the spongy goodness you want, and not feel guilty about it at all.

The Secret

2007-07-06T15:05:00.001-07:00

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne is one of the hottest books in the library system right now. After being on the waiting list for some time, I was finally able to get a copy to find out what all the hype is about. The Secret is a book about just that—a secret that thousands of successful people have known about throughout history. A very simple concept—the secret says that if you think something will happen—it will. It all surrounds the use of energy that we emit every day. Our energy manipulates things around us and what we send out impacts what actually happens. The book is filled with examples on how this can work for a person. Although I am all for the power of positive thinking, I did think this book got a little hokey sometimes. Especially one of the contributors who swore that he wished for his bills to turn into checks and soon enough they ACTUALLY DID! But in the case I was being too skeptical, I tried it out for myself. I was rushing to work one afternoon, and the car ahead of me was doing about 15 miles under the speed limit. I sent out hopeful energy waves that when we came to an intersection that he would turn the opposite direction. Lo and behold, he did. So, judge for yourself if this secret actually is worth having. You can pick up a copy at the library to make sure!

Eragon

2007-07-06T15:03:00.001-07:00

It took me a very long time, but I finally finished reading Eragon by Christopher Paolini. I got to enjoy this story in a variety of formats—book, audiobook and the most recently released movie adaptation. I thought all of them were fairly well done, despite some of the poor reviews that the movie received. For those who may have absolutely no idea of what I am talking about, Eragon has been one of the hottest books for young adults for a very long time now. It is the story of a boy who discovers an egg when he is out hunting. It turns out the egg contains a dragon, who hatches. But dragons do not hatch for just anyone, and Eragon soon finds out that he is destined to be a dragon rider. Dragon riders have been extinct for ages, and Eragon quickly becomes the people’s last hope to defeat the corrupt king and his minions. Eragon can be picked up at the Lena library in both book and audiobook format, along with Paolini’s second book in the series, Eldest. The movie can also be ordered via infosoup.

Time Traveler's Wife

2007-07-06T15:01:00.000-07:00

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is one of those books you just can’t categorize. It is sci-fi in the sense that Henry can travel through time. It is a romance in that it focuses on the developing relationship with his future wife Clare. It is a suspense novel because you are constantly anxious over Henry’s well being and potential demise. It is an overall great book because Henry is referred to as a “hip librarian”. But in all seriousness, this is probably one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. If it sounds intriguing, stop by the library to pick up your copy. We have it both in print and in audio format.

Flotsam

2007-07-06T11:41:00.001-07:00

I am sad to report that the only book I’ve read this week is one that doesn’t even have words in it. Flotsam by David Wiesner is the illustrated story of a boy who finds a camera washed up on the beach. Inside the camera is a roll of film that he promptly has developed. The pictures he develops are strange and fantastic ranging from tiny underwater aliens to an octopus in a comfortable armchair. The last picture is of a young girl holding up a picture of another child who holds up a picture of another child on and on, back through time when film was only available in black and white. The child on the beach decides to follow through with this tradition and eventually tosses the camera back into the water for another person to find. This wonderfully unusual children’s book can be checked out at the Lena Public Library. Stop by and get your copy.

Piratapedia

2007-07-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

I’ve been getting into pirates lately because a. my son has a great reverence for them and b. I’ve finally been able to watch the Pirates of the Caribbean movies all the way through. Because of this, I decided to pick up the book Piratepedia by Alisha Niehaus. The book is a pictorial history of pirates throughout the ages. Although it is geared toward the younger crowd, I found myself learning things I never knew before about pirates and pirating. My favorite sections of the book were about the tough women pirates that ruled the seas, and the outstanding illustrations that accompanied all of the stories. If this sounds like something of interest, Piratapedia can be ordered via infosoup. Stop by to learn how to use this online catalog!

Leigh by Lynn Cote

2007-07-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

Historical Christian fiction could possibly be the most popular genre of fiction right now. Lynn Cote is one of the more notable authors in this arena, and just recently released a series of books that have characters spanning from 1920s to recent times. The book I chose to read took place in the tumultuous late 60s/early 70s. The title of the book, Leigh, is named for the main character that comes of age during this time period. Although part of a series, the book’s plot does stand alone for those who may not want to read the others. The main character experiences things ranging from seeing Martin Luther King Jr. speak to being a part of anti-war protests to seeing one of her best friends become caught up in the drug culture of the times. The historical aspects of the book sometimes felt contrived, but the story itself was very interesting with twists you would not necessarily expect. You can pick up a copy of the book or audio book at the Lena Public Library.