BPLD Book Blog

What Happened to Hannah by Mary Kay McComas

2012-03-03T07:51:00.000-08:00

What Happened to Hannah is one of those novels that you pretty much know from the start what is going to happen, but it is so well written that you don't mind. Hannah Benson has returned to her hometown after 20 years to settle her mother's estate as well as take custody of her niece. Now, Clearfield Virginia is the last place that Hannah wants to be, as it brings back nothing but very dark and disturbing memories. Not only that, but some very dark and disturbing secrets may be uncovered. Throw in the fact that Hannah's high school sweetheart is now the town sheriff, and well, you can just imagine...

Karen

The Genesis Secret by Tom Knox

2012-03-01T14:31:00.000-08:00

In the deserts of eastern Turkey, archaeologists are unearthing a stone temple, the world's most ancient building. When Journalist Rob Luttrell is sent to report on the dig, he is intrigued to learn that someone deliberately buried the site 10,000 years ago. Why? Meanwhile, in London, a bizarre attack is baffling the police. When a weird killing takes place on the Isle of Man, followed by another in rural Dorset, DC Mark Forrester begins to discern a curious pattern in these apparently random murders. What weaves together these two stories is the Genesis Secret: a revelation so shocking it may threaten the social structure of the world.

The story is compelling and the characters well-drawn, but I almost couldn’t finish this book. The killings are gruesome, described in great detail, and escalate in both areas as the story unfolds. The killer’s personality, when revealed, makes it all plausible, but that doesn’t change the fact that I found the amplified depictions gratuitous.

This is obviously a mixed review, but I wanted to share both sides. It’s a good read for those with strong stomachs or the ability to skim.

CAS

Paganini's Ghost by Paul Adam

2012-03-01T13:55:00.000-08:00

A priceless violin once owned by composer-violinist Paganini, a young Russian prodigy who plays it at a special concert, and a dead Parisian art dealer found with an antique gold box and a torn scrap of the piece played the night before at the concert: what better setting could there be?

In Paul Adam’s second novel (after The Rainaldi Quartet) we are once again transported to Cremona, Italy to the home of luthier (violin-maker) Gianni Castiglione. Gianni is pulled into the mystery by his friend, Detective Guastafeste, because of his expertise in musical history and violins. The two travel across Europe tracking clues to both the current murder and also a century old mystery tied to Paganini, the Bonapartes, and Russian Empress Catherine the Great.

History, mystery, music, and likeable characters – download some of Paganini’s works to play in the background and settle in with this great read!

CAS

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

2012-02-28T08:12:00.000-08:00

I didn't know a lot about Steve Jobs before I started reading this biography. I, of course, knew that he died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. I also knew that he was the founder and leader of Apple, and that he helped create many of the Apple products of which I'm a huge fan.

There are few things I learned after reading this book. For example, Jobs was the CEO of Pixar, the company that brought us such movies as Toy Story, and Up. I also learned that Steve Jobs was quite the crier. He was known to get teared up, sob, and lose his composure pretty frequently. That was surprising to me, considering he was a high-powered CEO.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Isaacson interviewed anyone who might shed some light on the man behind Apple. He didn't just interview people who had good things to say, he also interviewed people who didn't think so highly of Jobs. It made for a well-rounded book, and gives readers a full picture of Steve Jobs. If you'd like to more about the founder of Apple, I'd recommend Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.

Carrie

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston

2012-02-27T15:54:00.000-08:00

Scrapbookers, family historians and anyone with an affinity for the Roaring Twenties will cherish this first-ever novel in pictures. Frankie begins compiling the scrapbook novel in June 1920 after high school graduation by typing text on her father's old Corona and incorporating pictures and memorabilia. The scrapbook details the next eight years of her life, including her studies at Vassar (where she meets Edna St. Vincent Millay) followed by her life in New York and Paris and her return home. It vividly brings to life the New York literary scene as well as the bohemian lives of expatriots (think Hemingway and Joyce) in Paris. The reader feels like she is paging throuogh her grandmother's scrapbook instead of turning the pages of a novel, and thus the pure genius of the book arises. (Gertrude Stein types may be dismayed by the book's ending, but Romantics will sign with delight.)

Dawn

http://bit.ly/AcRCXY

The Odds by Stewart O'Nan

2012-02-20T15:59:00.000-08:00

The odds of a contemporary middle-aged couple relating to the characters and events in this book? About 1 in 2. O'Nan's gem of a book, set appropriately in Niagara Falls on Valentine's Day, is about Art and Marion Fowler's attempt to "go for broke" to save their marriage and their dignity. As empty nesters dealing with unemployment, an unpayable mortgage and an impending divorce, they cash out their life savings and risk it all in a casino in the Canadian Falls--the same casino they visited on their honeymoon 30 years earlier. As they stumble along from one fiasco to another, the reader is rooting for them to beat the odds, perhaps thinking "there but for the grace of God go I." Reading this book during Valentine's week made it especially timely, but anyone who is a romantic at heart will be cheering for the Fowlers to succeed.

Dawn

http://bit.ly/wZfzu6

Portrait of the Mother as a Young Woman by Friedrich Christian Delius

2012-02-20T14:42:00.000-08:00

Continuing in a line of books that play with the title of James Joyce’s novel Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (my two favorite titles of this sort are William Eastlake’s Portrait of an Artist with 26 Horses and Laurie Foos’ Portrait of the Walrus by a Young Artist), Friedrich Christian Delius’ Portrait of the Mother as a Young Woman has the distinct achievement of containing only one sentence. Yes, you heard me right. There is only one sentence in this book. Of course that sentence is very long, continuing for over 100 pages. The book ends up flowing like an extended series of thoughts on the part of the young German woman at its center. For me at least, the single sentence really didn’t make for challenging reading, beyond the fact that it’s hard to find a good place to take a break from the novel. There are still paragraphs in the book, and the paragraphs make Portrait of the Mother as a Young Woman more reader friendly than it might have been otherwise.

What really made the book off-putting and a challenge to get through, despite its short length, was its almost complete lack of plot. The book takes place in Rome during World War II. The woman is pregnant and her husband is stationed in North Africa. The woman wanders around Rome pondering her life, interacting with next to no one, and successfully putting this reader to sleep. It reminded me of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, another book that seemed to go on for ages and has little in the way of a traditional plot. Despite my dislike of Virginia Woolf’s writing in general and Mrs. Dalloway in particular, I have talked to many people over the years that like or even consider themselves fans of Mrs. Dalloway. It could be that I’m just missing something.

John

Mozart's Last Aria: A Novel by Matt Rees

2012-02-14T15:00:00.000-08:00

There has long been rumors that the great composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, was poisoned to death at the age of 35. Historians today believe that he actually died from complications of rheumatic fever. However, Mozart's Last Aria asks the question--if he indeed was murdered, who did it and why? The novel is narrated by his sister, Madame Maria Anna Berchtold. She travels to Vienna to pay her respects to Wolfgang's wife and starts asking questions about her brother's death. It turns out that one of Mozart's greatest works, The Magic Flute is full of clues and may hold the key to solving this well done mystery. Readers that enjoy a sense of place and lots of details should really enjoy this.

Karen

The Cradle: A Novel by Patrick Somerville

2012-02-13T11:06:00.000-08:00

I found The Cradle to be an interesting but extremely odd novel. This is the story of a young couple, Matt & Marissa, who are expecting their first child. Out of the blue, Marissa tells Matt that she simply must have the cradle that she herself slept in as a child. OK, that's the first odd thing. Matt agrees with little hesitation to track this cradle down. Second odd thing. Then suddenly, a storyline with new characters start. Third oddity. The rest of the novel tells of Matt's journey to get the cradle, as well as what is happening with the lives of the other people in the adjacent storyline. The ending (you guessed it!) is as odd (besides a little creepy) as the rest. But here's the oddest thing of all - I liked it.

Karen

The Wedding Writer by Susan Schneider

2012-02-10T13:04:00.000-08:00

The Wedding Writer is simply a fun chick-lit novel. It tells the story of four women, Lucky, Sara, Grace, and Felice that all work for a struggling bridal magazine. At the core of all this is Grace Ralston, the powerful Editor-in-Chief. When she is fired and replaced by Lucky Quinn (who happens to be her protege), well, the fireworks and claws come out. Friendships and personal lives are quickly evaporated as each woman struggles to find a niche of her own. This may be chick-lit, but I found it to be well done and intelligent.

Karen

Ameritopia by Mark Levin

2012-02-06T18:55:00.000-08:00

The author of the best-selling treatise "Liberty and Tyranny" continues his defense of republican government in his new book. Levin analyzes classic works of government such as Plato's "Republic," More's "Utopia," Hobbes' "Leviathan," and Marx/Engels' "The Communist Manifesto" to show how they can lead to totalitarian societies. He then discusses works by Locke and Montesquieu and illustrates how they influenced the Founding Fathers in creating the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Levin posits that governments based on the principles of natural law, liberty, private property and separation of powers can best preserve the rights of their citizens and lead to prosperity. This is compelling reading for anyone who missed philosophy and political science class in college.

Dawn

http://bit.ly/woSyJu

The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman

2012-02-02T10:33:00.000-08:00

Let me start off by saying, to be fair, that I read this immediately after I read The Time Machine by H. G. Wells. So of course, if you compare the two, this is lukewarm. I believe much of this story was fashioned after the original, but of course done with a very different style and a lot more technology. The Accidental Time Machine is the story of an underachieving and mildly depressed M.I.T. grad student, Matt. He discovers that a machine he built can actually "jump" through time. After a series of experiments, Matt decides to give it a go. Off he goes into a very, very strange future, with a religious dictatorship in the U.S., dinosaurs, talking bears, and lots of A.I.s. Did I mention that there are two Jesus Christ figures in his travels?

This novel was entertaining, but I would recommend the classic if you want to travel through time.

Karen

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman that Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

2012-02-02T10:17:00.000-08:00

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana is a fascinating story of one woman's determination to stay alive and take care of her family during Afghanistan's Taliban rule. This was truly a dreadful time for Afghans; particularly for women. Women had almost no rights at all. They could not work, go to school, or be seen in public without a family male escort. With so many men having been killed during the war, what were widows and mothers to do? Kamela Sadiqi is one of these women. Only 19 years old, well educated but unable to use her teaching certificate, takes the very risky step of creating her own business by working at home.

This is her story.

Karen

The Time Machine by H. G. Wells

2012-02-02T10:06:00.000-08:00

First published in 1895, The Time Machine is a true classic. For those that have not read it (and you should!) this is the story of a man, known as the Time Traveller, that meets with friends at his home to discuss a machine. This machine, he says, can travel through time. Now, the novel is set in Victorian England, so of course his friends are skeptical. However, they are proven wrong. The rest of the book recalls the Time Travellers adventures as he crosses hundreds and hundres of years. It actually turns out to be an amazing journey! And there are many things we can all learn from this.

Karen

The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew

2012-01-30T12:19:00.000-08:00

If you liked The Help, you might want to try The Dry Grass of August. It's the story of a white family and the black woman who works for them in the South during the 1950s. The narrator of the story is thirteen-year-old June "Jubie" Watts. Jubie and her siblings has been cared for by the family's housekeeper, Mary Luther, for as long as she can remember. Jubie's father is abusive while her mother doesn't pay much attention to the children. Mary, on the other hand, loves the children unconditionally.

Jubie and her family go on a vacation to Florida. During their drive through the South, they see evidence of the racism that plagued the U.S. during that time. A tragedy occurs during the trip that no one could have predicted. In the aftermath, Jubie must decide how to deal with her parents' flaws, as well as learn how to move on.

I enjoyed this debut novel from Anna Jean Mayhew. The characters were well written, and their personalities really came through. If you like historical fiction that deals with racial tension, give this book a try.

Carrie

The Glass Demon by Helen Grant

2012-01-21T10:00:00.000-08:00

I find it rare that a new author with a splendid debut novel (The Vanishing of Katharina Linden in earlier posts) follows with as excellent a second. Helen Grant has done it. She takes us back to a secluded place in modern Germany whose isolation has preserved much of the atmosphere and culture of its mythic past.
British teen, Lin, is uprooted by her egomaniacal, academic father when he drags the whole family to rural Germany to track some antique stained glass panels. Finding a dead body in an orchard on their way to the house they’ve rented doesn’t make for a cheerful start, but things deteriorate from there. Grant blends the eerie, Grimm-esque aura of the dark woods of Germany and local characters with insular, ancient superstitions in a tale told by a teen but not meant for children.

CAS

The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore

2012-01-17T18:53:00.000-08:00

The Arrivals is a debut novel that is a quiet, interesting story about family life. Ginny and William are enjoying their retirement; he doing gardening and she busy with her church work. They have done their jobs: raising three children that are now on their own. Lillian, the oldest, married with two young children. Stephen, married to a high-powered businesswoman in New York. The youngest, Rachel, is also living in New York. Life is good for Ginny & William. Until... One by one, each of their children return home with one crisis or another. Now Ginny and William's nice new world is turned into chaos. For a first novel, I thought this author really got it right. Again, a simple story about change, love, and loyalty.

Karen

1,000 Mitzvahs

2012-01-14T11:54:00.000-08:00

Linda Cohen decides to perform 1,000 mitzvahs after her father's death to work through her grief. Basically, a mitzvah is a good deed, or an act of kindness. Cohen reasoned that performing these mitzvahs would be beneficial to those around her, as well as honor her father's life.

She started a blog to chart her progress and to keep a record of the mitzvahs she performed. In all, Cohen's project to two and a half years to complete. Her book, 1,000 Mitzvahs, is a collection of those acts of kindness. The book also offers her thoughts on the mitzvahs she performed and ideas for people who are interested in starting their own mitzvah project.

The project was too lengthy to cover every single mitzvah, but it gives a good overview of it. One thing I didn't like was that the mitzvahs started to feel very similar to me. There was a lot of "donate your time," "donate money," "volunteer at your children's school." I was hoping for a larger variety of mitzvahs, since there were 1,000 in the project.

Although I would have liked a bigger variety, I enjoyed this book. Cohen's writing was very straightforward, and she does a good job of explaining the Jewish faith for those who are unfamiliar with it. She also gives readers ideas of how they can translate the mitzvahs to fit their own projects.

Carrie

A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

2012-01-08T11:17:00.000-08:00

This title was chosen for our staff book discussion, and I was very happy as I remember wonderful reviews. It was also the winner of the Pulitzer Prize, which of course made me all the more anxious to read it. Well, what can I say? The writing style was pretty unique; each chapter was almost like a short story. And there were some interesting characters. The storyline was plausible, centering around the life of an aging former punk rocker and record executive. But put it all together...and I got nothing. I found it all very confusing. It will be interesting to see what my co-workers think!

Karen

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo

2012-01-06T08:56:00.000-08:00

Whether you are a believer of near-death experiences or not, this really is a charming story of one little boy's belief. At age four, Colton Burpo suffers a burst appendix while on vacation with his parents and almost dies. Much to his parents surprise, several months later he begins to recount his experiences in heaven. His father, being a pastor of a small church in Nebraska, is both skeptical and thrilled as he listens to his son talk about meeting people that have passed on, most notably his miscarried sister and his great grandfather. Colton tells them all about angels and Jesus, as well as what heaven looks and feels like.

Did this really happen? Who knows...

Karen

Micro by Michael Crichton and Richard Preston

2011-12-27T13:45:00.000-08:00

Hmmm...hard to know where to begin. The obvious would be: the late Michael Crichton; excellent author. Richard Preston: great author. But Crichton + Preston = not excellent or great. I was very disappointed with this novel. The story starts off well enough: Nanigen MicroTechnology is working on mini robots (better known as "bots") that will be able to go into the jungle and pick up biological materials from plants and insects for medicinal purposes. Seven students from Cambridge are lured there for possible positions, but then find themselves shrunk down to the size of a fingernail and dumped into the wild. They have to fend off bugs and other dire conditions. In my opinion, an adult version of Honey I Shrunk the Kids without the humor.

Try reading The Hot Zone by Richard Preston or any other Michael Crichton novel. A much better use of your time.

Karen

It Was Love When by Robert K. Elder

2011-12-27T07:39:00.000-08:00

"Eventually, I couldn't deny it." When do you know you're in love? It's not always "at first sight." As Rob Elder illustrates, sometimes it takes a while. This collection of stories tell when people knew they were in love with their partner. It includes some strange, some surprising, and some sweet stories.

If you're looking for a heartwarming read, try It Was Love When by Robert K. Elder.

Carrie

Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante

2011-12-26T08:30:00.000-08:00

Dr. Jennifer White is a renowned orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hand surgery. She has recently retired after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. She is a widow who lives with a full-time caretaker. Her daughter is a professor at University of Chicago, and her son is a lawyer with a serious substance abuse problem. Jennifer's best friend, Amanda, is murdered, and Jennifer is the prime suspect. The problem is, though, that she can't remember if she committed the crime or not.

When I first started reading Turn of Mind, I was thrown off by the lack of quotation marks in the dialogue. I quickly became engrossed in the story and didn't even notice the lack of quotes. Jennifer's disease causes her to have lucid moments and moments when she has no idea of what's going on around her. At times, the book is heartbreaking to read, because you know that her family isn't being honest with her and that they're taking advantage of her. Throughout the book, you get glimpses into Jennifer and Amanda's friendship, and you wonder why they're friends at all. They certainly have an unusual relationship, and you can almost see why Jennifer killed Amanda. If in fact, she did kill her.

Alice LaPlante does an excellent job of building suspense and keeps readers guessing. I really enjoyed this book, and would highly recommend it.

Carrie

American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

2011-12-20T17:19:00.000-08:00

This is the story of Cora Cash, a beautiful, smart, and spunky rich New Yorker. Cora is bored and really wants to get out from under her overbearing mother's clutches. Mrs. Cash, however, only wants one thing for her daughter. The one thing that money cannot buy - a title. Cora will have none of it though. But life has a way of sneaking up on you... On a trip to Europe, Cora is injured while on a fox hunt, and just happens to be rescued by a handsome duke. And now Mrs. Cash may be getting exactly what she has always dreamed of. But what about Cora? If you like novels about aristocrats and proper British ways, well lah-de-dah!!! This has it all!

Karen

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

2011-12-16T14:49:00.000-08:00

Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired) is a widower living quietly in his home village of St. Mary, England when his life suddenly becomes complicated. Mrs. Jasmina Ali, a widow with a shop in the village, happens by shortly after the major learns of his brother’s sudden death. Her kind offer to drive him to his sister-in-law’s house leads them both down paths neither ever imagined. Budding attractions – physical, emotional, and intellectual, surface; as do cultural differences and insecurities. The culture of the English village and the Pakistani family structure collide fiercely as these two lonely, vulnerable, and caring people try to find their way through a growing friendship and mutual affection.

There are multiple layers to the story, but they are clearly written and the various personalities are well defined. These people seem very real. Simonson paints it all with a brush liberally dipped in that dry British humor that so many of us love. The planning and execution of the annual golf club’s ball is exquisite in its depiction of the ridiculous in the power struggles and pettiness inherent in village life. This is a story with serious underpinnings told with humor and believability. I laughed, cried, and cheered my way through it.

CAS

The Things We Cherished by Pam Jenoff

2011-12-14T11:32:00.000-08:00

History, mystery, intrigue, and romance – what else could one want? Jenoff’s novel begins in modern day Philadelphia and Poland; it moves to early 20^th century Bavaria, and then to WWII Eastern Europe. There are two love triangles 70 years apart and a beautiful, hand-crafted clock that ties everything together. It is a story of betrayal, true and false, and guilt, real and imagined.

Both adult and young adult readers may enjoy the mystery of the clock's evidence as a defense against the horrible crime of betraying a brother and innocent children to the Nazis. The love stories convey elation, uncertainty, longing, and denial. The narrative moves easily between time periods and story lines – no small feat. The characters overall are real and sympathetic, although Charlotte could be a bit irritating. The plot is horrifying yet interesting and well worth following to the end.

This is not a Holocaust novel – it is a story of real people who are flawed, passionate, and struggling to live and love in their own time.

CAS

C by Tom McCarthy

2011-12-13T14:03:00.000-08:00

Tom McCarthy’s novel C covers a large amount of ideas in its three hundred plus pages. At the start of the book, Serge Carrefax, the book’s main character, has a father who runs a school for the deaf and a sister who grows obsessed with cracking code (and soon after descends into madness). But this is only Sege’s first stop in the novel. Throughout the rest of the book he spends time at a strange German spa, miraculously survives World War I as a gunner in a fighter plane, develops a rather severe drug problem in London, and ends the book in post-independence Egypt where he seems to be involved in setting up a wireless radio system.

The author’s apparent preference for ideas over conventional character development doesn’t always make for easy reading. A fellow soldier’s long speech on the challenges of trying to capture World War I aerial combat in visual art drags on and would probably be of interest to only the most avid World War I buff. McCarthy also seems to enjoy creating great supporting characters such as Serge’s sister Sophie or a woman he starts seeing at the spa only to abruptly abandon them in order to jump to Serge’s next adventure. Serge isn’t the most dynamic of main characters. It’s obvious he is not supposed to be a hero in any kind of conventional sense, but he too often comes off more as an apparition wandering through the various scenes than a real person. Yet there are many entertaining scenes, such as Serge’s use of early radio technology to reveal that a psychic, himself using the same technology to trick his audience, is a fraud. In fact, every section of the book has plenty of great scenes, whether it’s strafing enemy barracks in World War I or simple slice-of-life scenes between Serge and various supporting characters.

Despite some of the complaints I’ve just listed, I would definitely at least start another book by McCarthy, but I would hope that his next novel might more closely resemble a conventional novel than the more experimental book that is C.

John

Every Day a Friday by Joel Osteen

2011-12-12T15:37:00.000-08:00

I'm not one to listen to television preachers. But since Osteen is a best-selling author (with a megawatt smile to boot) I picked this one up. Osteen's premise is that most people are happiest on Friday, since they are looking forward to the weekend and the joy it brings. He wants to expand that happiness to each day of the week and has divided the book into seven sections. There's nothing new here, and there are plenty of platitudes, such as "Don't Give Away Your Power," "Travel Light" and "Laugh Often." But, if you're looking for a little sunshine each day, Osteen delivers.

Dawn

A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny

2011-12-07T17:36:00.000-08:00

Claire Morrow has just had her first solo art show at the Musée in Montreal and she, her husband Peter, and a number of guests have returned to Three Pines to celebrate. But there is a ghost at the feast in the dead body of Lillian Dyson, a former close friend who betrayed her in art school and whom Claire swears she hasn’t seen in 20 years. Supposedly Lillian had changed and become a different person – or is it a trick of the light? The theme of actions and relationships affected by differing aspects and viewers permeates the story in many subtle ways: betrayal and redemption, anger and forgiveness, jealousy and love.

“Hearts are broken,” Lillian Dyson carefully underlined in a book. “Sweet relationships are dead.”

This is the 7^th Chief Inspector Gamache/ Three Pines mystery and I’m still a happy fan. I have found most series authors have either gotten formulaic or lost the edge by about #5. Not so with Louise Penny. I still want to meet the residents of Three Pines and the Chief Inspector and his family and team from the Sûreté du Québec. Although there are references to earlier events from the series, they are explained enough to not confuse the first-time reader. I’m sure even if you start with this one, you’ll want to read them all!

CAS

The Vanishing of Katharina Linden by Helen Grant

2011-12-07T14:27:00.000-08:00

10-year old Pia narrates this contemporary gothic tale that blends middle school angst, childish gullibility, and real-life mystery in a totally believable way. Set in the German village of Bad Münstereifel, the story has a Brothers Grimm-like air that draws one in as Pia’s adventures unfold. Ostracized due to an incident regarding her grandmother, Pia’s only friend is another outsider referred to as Stink-Stefan. The two are bright but still young enough to be unsure about fact vs. fable in village lore. All they know for certain is that Katharina Linden vanished earlier after a village parade and now another girl has, too. As this Nancy Drew/Hardy Boy team uncovers more disappearances and learns village history (both truth and fable) from Herr Schiller, the tale becomes more threatening. Pia and Stefan’s youth and innocence make what is every parent’s nightmare of kidnapping and murder an intriguing mystery to be unraveled.

The characters are believable and even the village has personality. Though told by a child, this is not a story for children. It has mystery, off-screen violence, folklore, and one of the best opening lines I’ve read in a long time: “My life might have been so different, had I not been known as the girl whose grandmother exploded.”

CAS

The Sisters by Nancy Jensen

2011-12-06T16:00:00.000-08:00

Spanning over five decades, this is the story of two sisters, Mabel and Bertie. Once very close, a series of unfortunate circumstances tears them apart, and the rest of the book follows their lives and how they handle being apart from each other. I thought this novel was done very well without becoming too melodramatic. Much of this novel is very dark, especially the beginning when the mother dies and the step-father becomes abusive, but other than that it just follows how two sisters overcome adversity and go on to have fulfilling lives. I highly recommend it to all readers who like thought-provoking stories.

Karen

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

2011-11-25T11:46:00.000-08:00

The first edition of this sci-fi classic was published in 1950, and just this year a new version has been released. This is a cautionary tale of man vs. machines, and at the end of the book the reader is led to wonder who really won. Done in both first and third person narratives, the story begins with a famous robotic scientist being interviewed right before she is retiring. Through her memories, we learn how the first robots were manufactured, and how they evolved all the way through the year 2059. Fascinating (yet scary) stuff!

Karen

When the Thrill Is Gone by Walter Mosley

2011-11-23T13:44:00.000-08:00

The third novel in Walter Mosley’s Leonid McGill series, When the Thrill Is Gone tells the story of private eye McGill taking on the case of a young woman who fears that her rich husband, whose first two wives died under mysterious circumstances, may kill her as well. There are plenty of twists and turns in the novel, including characters turning out not to be who they say they are. Mosley does an excellent job developing Leonid and many supporting characters. He is also able to bring to life the various New York City boroughs the case takes Leonid to.

While I have not read the first two books in the series, I was still able to easily follow When the Thrill Is Gone. There were a few times that the number of characters overwhelmed me a little, but it’s likely these characters first appeared in earlier books in the series and will be further developed as the Leonid McGill mysteries continue.

John

Revenge by Sharon Osbourne

2011-11-21T09:05:00.001-08:00

Yes, that Sharon Osbourne. I was a little skeptical about reading this, thinking what does she know about writing. As it turns out, I liked it very much! This is a cross between Jackie Collins and Tara Hyland, two authors whose books I really enjoy. Revenge is the story of two sisters and their rise (and fall) to fame. Full of backstabbing, lies, and secrets, this is an easy read with just enough spice to keep you interested.

Karen

It Was Over When by Robert K. Elder

2011-11-14T07:51:00.000-08:00

Love doesn’t always have a happy ending. It Was Over When shares many painful, funny, and disturbing stories of how people knew their relationship was over. There’s the guy who thinks that dinosaurs are a conspiracy theory. Or the couple who went to a wedding chapel, but made no move to get out of the car. Or the woman who broke up with a guy after he told her “he fully intended proposing to his ex-girlfriend.”

It Was Over When was entertaining. Rob Elder shares stories almost too unbelievable to be true. But truth is stranger than fiction, and these stories will provide a lot of laughs.

Carrie

Waking Hours by Liz Wiehl

2011-11-13T14:05:00.000-08:00

This is a very interesting paranormal mystery. Here's the set-up: A high-school girl is found brutally murdered after attending a party with her classmates in the New England town of East Salem. Forensic psychiatrist Dani Harris is called in to assist on the case. An old friend of Dani's, former football star Tommy Gunderson, wants in on the investigation as he is studying to be a private investigator. The two of them come across a few very abnormal details surrounding the murder, one being that none of the kids at the party remember anything about what happened even though their DNA is all over the body. Is it a satanic ritual or something even worse? I found myself really wanting to know what happened. By the way, I am pretty sure there will be a sequel, and I for one cannot wait!

Karen

The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma

2011-11-10T12:12:00.000-08:00

Alice Ozma’s The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared tells the story of the nightly ritual of reading aloud that she shared with her father. This ritual, or “the streak” as they liked to refer to it, began when Ozma was in fourth grade and ended when she started college. In fact, the last day of the streak took place when Ozma and her dad found a place to read in her dormitory the day he dropped her off at college.

If this sounds a little strange, it in some ways is and the author freely admits it, even sharing a story of her father rather awkwardly interrupting her play practice when she was in high school in order to read to her in the school parking lot and keep the streak alive. Each chapter corresponds to a particular period during the streak. Her mother’s decision to move out is covered as well as lighter events, such as when she was little and her father tricked her into thinking that she was nearly pulled out of a crowd to be a high-wire walker’s assistant.

The end of the book, which takes place after the streak, takes a rather gloomy look at reading and the future of school libraries as Ozma’s dad, a veteran school librarian, is gradually phased out at his school, forced to work at an increasing number of different schools, and eventually retires a few years earlier than he would have liked to. However, the book refuses to end on a down note as her father finds a new group to read to: residents at nursing homes. The fact that the Ozma’s dad read to her for 3,218 consecutive nights is impressive, but The Reading Promise also shows the importance of reading in one’s life and how reading is not just something for children.

John

After America by Mark Steyn

2011-11-07T17:02:00.000-08:00

America's most famous Canadian immigrant follows up his best-selling book about the plight of Europe with this critical look at the crisis in our own country. He explains how America has been stagnating over the past few decades thanks to the rise of statism and the decline in production. Comparing the fate of America to the fate of England, Steyn wonders what will happen to world stability if the next world leader lacks the Britannic traditions of the past centuries. Despite the weighty topic, Steyn leaves the reader laughing from his own brand of comic relief.

Dawn

http://catalog.bartlett.lib.il.us/polaris/search/searchresults.aspx?ctx=3.1033.0.0.2&type=Keyword&term=after%20america%20get%20ready%20for%20armageddon&by=TI&sort=RELEVANCE&limit=TOM=bks&query=&page=0

Mindscan by Robert J. Sawyer

2011-11-07T07:53:00.000-08:00

The year is 2045, and beer company heir Jake Sullivan is really in trouble. He has been diagnosed with a rare and fatal neurological disease that could kill him at any moment. With that in mind, 40-year-old Jake decides to discard his potentially doomed biological body and replace it with a synthetic android body. The process, known as a Mindscan, is not quite consciousness transferring, but rather using quantum mechanics and advanced computer technology creates an instantaneous copy of an individual's mind, transporting every thought, memory, and emotion into a duplicate android body. In short, the mental "essence" of the human being is digitally copied and superimposed into the complex artificial brain of an android. An android that is never sick, does not need to eat or sleep, and will never die. Sounds great, right?

Well, maybe not so much...

Karen

Happy Birthday by Danielle Steel

2011-11-07T07:36:00.000-08:00

Let me start off by saying "I tried, I really, really tried!" I had stopped reading Danielle Steel many years ago because I just felt there was nothing in her novels; they were the same old same old. However, the reviews for Happy Birthday were decent and the premise sounded good, so I thought I would give it another chance and hopefully be pleasantly surprised. Oh how wrong I was. No surprises; the characters were flat and the storyline was just outright ridiculous. What a disappointment and a waste of my time. I hope by writing this no one else has to endure what I did.

Karen

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

2011-11-03T14:41:00.000-07:00

Alice Love falls off her bike during a spin class and ends up forgetting the last 10 years of her life. When she comes to, she thinks it’s still 1998, she’s pregnant, and she’s happily married. The reality is that it’s 2008, she has three children, and she and her husband are in the middle of a custody battle. The person she’s become is someone her 29-year-old self can’t stand, and she can’t understand how it happened.

I really enjoyed this book. Alice is a very sympathetic character. The writing is believable, without being over the top. The book is funny and thought-provoking at the same time. If you’re looking for something light-hearted and entertaining, you might like What Alice Forgot.

Carrie

Area 51: an uncensored history of America's top secret military base by Annie Jacobsen

2011-11-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

History & military buffs should absolutely love this book! It is packed with not just information about Area 51 (which was what I personally wanted to know about!) but also everything from Los Alamos to the Roswell "incident" to the Cold War and Cuban Missle Crisis to today's declassification of sensitive documents. You really need to be one of those guys from The Big Bang Theory to understand much of this, but once you get passed all the physics it is quite fascinating!

Karen

No Second Chance by Harlan Coben

2011-10-31T09:41:00.000-07:00

This book wasn't my favorite Coben book. I really enjoyed it at first, but then it just started to drag.

The thing that really bothered me about this book was that the main character Marc Seidman has the same name as a main character in Coben's first book, Play Dead. In a letter to readers at the beginning of Play Dead, Coben mentions that sometimes he borrowed details from Play Dead and used them in other books.

I didn't like that, because it seems like writers should not use the same name for characters in different books, unless they are the same person. This character had the same name, but was a completely different person.

Carrie

Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

2011-10-30T12:05:00.000-07:00

Maine is the story of three generations of one family, focusing on the Kelleher women. The matriarch, Alice, is one tough lady. Centering around the cottage and beach house that Alice & her husband won decades earlier, the novel moves back and forth between past and present, all through Alice's eyes. She shares her love, her secrets, and her disappointments involving her extended and sometimes troubled children and their families. This will be a great choice for a book discussion group, as the characters are really something!

Karen

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley

2011-10-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

Walter Mosley is best known for his detective novels, particularly his Easy Rawlins series. Mosley’s recent novel The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey is not a detective novel but still has many mysteries its main character Ptolemy Grey, a 91 year old man living by himself and suffering from dementia, tries to solve. At the start of the book Ptolemy struggles with the simplest things such as remembering who his relatives are and whether or not his grand nephew stole some of his pension checks. Ptolemy and the supporting characters are so richly developed that Mosley probably would have had enough material for a novel right there, but the book takes a surprising turn when Ptolemy starts taking an experimental drug that helps him with his memory. Suddenly, Ptolemy is able to make sense of what is going on around him for the first time in years. Ptolemy remembers that, despite living in abject poverty, he has a great amount of wealth including a suitcase full of cash and a large number of antique gold coins. His biggest challenge in his last days is trying to figure out what friends and family members he can trust once they learn of his wealth and if his favorite nephew, Reggie, was shot by a random gang member, which is what everyone says happened, or perhaps someone closer to Ptolemy’s family.

Upon finishing The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey my only regret was that I had not become a Walter Mosley fan sooner.

John

The Accident by Linwood Barclay

2011-10-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

This author is quickly becoming one of my favorite suspense writers. The Accident is his newest, and once again he kept me guessing.

A father is waiting with his eight-year-old for his wife to come home from class. As it gets later and later and he cannot reach her on her cell, he decides to go searching for her. Coming across a very serious accident, his worst fears are realized. His wife has been killed along with two others, and it appears the accident was her fault. She had been drinking.

From here on, the story goes on to become one big puzzle.

Good luck with that!

Karen

This Beautiful Life by Helen Schulman

2011-10-12T11:03:00.000-07:00

The Bergamots move from a college town in upstate New York to New York City. They begin to adapt to city life, and are able to take advantage of all that upper-class living has to offer, including an elite private school for their children. Jake is fifteen years old and quickly makes friends and is one of the in-crowd. He attends an unchaperoned party where he turns down the advances of an eight-grade admirer. Jake wakes up the next morning to an email from this admirer. She's attached a sexually-explicit video. Not thinking about the consequences, Jake forwards it to a friend, who forwards it onto someone else. Not soon after, the video goes viral. The consequences soon spiral out of control for the Bergamots, and they're left to deal with the scandal.

I had high hopes for this book, but I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. With such an interesting premise, the book could have easily been 100 pages longer. A longer story might have allowed the author to go into more detail and develop the story further. The ending felt very rushed, and it seemed as if the author were just trying to tie up loose ends.

Carrie

Reckless Endangerment by Gretchen Morgenson and Joshua Rosner

2011-10-09T13:47:00.000-07:00

Morgenson and Rosner, a business reporter and mortgage analyst, have written a best-selling expose on the subprime mortgage crisis of 2008. The book focuses on Fannie Mae and its officers, who used its status as a GSE to amass millions of dollars for themselves and lobby for influence in Washington. As politicians urged banks to make toxic loans to increase the rate of home ownership, Fannie Mae was there to buy them, package them into securities and sell them to investors. Other players in the crisis are also examined, such as subprime lenders like Countrywide and Novastar, Citigroup, and the Federal Reserve Bank. Morgenson and Rosner show that those activities began in the 1990s, including a Subprime 1.0 crisis in 1998. Despite efforts of some politicians to change regulatory practices and legislate against subprime lenders, the industry kept growing until the bubble burst in 2008. The book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the current housing crisis.

Dawn

http://catalog.bartlett.lib.il.us/polaris/search/searchresults.aspx?ctx=3.1033.0.0.2&type=Keyword&term=reckless%20endangerment&by=KW&sort=RELEVANCE&limit=TOM=*&query=&page=0#__pos2

Bedbugs by Ben Winters

2011-10-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

There isn't really any explanation as to what this book is about or that it is pure horror - just look at the title! This is one of those stories that you are constantly saying to yourself "Don't open the door!". The novel begins with a nice young couple that have a beautiful young daughter having trouble finding an affordable apartment. Finally after much searching, they come across the perfect one that is actually in their price range. Too good to be true, right? Of course, we know that, but they certainly don't...

Karen

Top 100 SciFi and Fantasy

2011-09-29T13:27:00.000-07:00

Not sure what to read next? Let this Guide to Navigating NPR's Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books decide exactly what novel you're in the mood for.

Kimberly

The Leftovers by Tom Perotta

2011-09-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

When I read the reviews for this novel, I was sure it would be a perfect read-a-like for the hugely popular Left Behind series. Well, it is nothing like that at all. I can tell you this this much: a Rapture-like occurence takes place, leaving behind millions to wonder what has happened to their friends and loved ones. Not to mention what is going to happen to them. And there's where it all turns strange - from a cult walking around in white doing nothing but smoking cigarettes to people turning on one another to a young woman thinking she is pregnant with the chosen one. Very odd book!

Karen

Portrait of a Monster: Joran van der Sloot, a Murder in Peru, and the Natalee Holloway Mystery by Lisa Pulitzer

2011-09-26T09:09:00.000-07:00

Like many, many people, I was glued to all of the cable news networks when the story of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway came out in 2005. And like many, many people, I could not believe that no one was ever charged with a crime. When the news of the murder in Peru came out, along with the fact that the major suspect was Joran van der Sloot, once again I sat night after night hoping for some answers. And what did I get - a big nothing.

So when this book came out, I had hoped for some new information. There are some bits and pieces, but mostly it is a biography of Joran. Very well done, I might add; especially when it talks about his family members and friends. Still, I must admit that I was hoping for more.

Karen

The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

2011-09-23T10:43:00.000-07:00

Years ago, when working in the retail book world, customers and staff trainees would often ask what qualified a book for the Classics section as opposed to Fiction. My stock answer was, “Dead authors who works have withstood time and still have something to say to us today.” When reading current fiction, one wonders if, say, Dickens or Tolstoy or Austen’s works were recognized as potential classics when first published. Again, one would hope some readers would have felt a mental tremor when reading their words.

I was not familiar with Zafón’s work when I picked up The Angel’s Game, but was caught from the start. As I continued reading, I felt those tremors I mentioned above growing chapter by chapter. When I finished reading it, I called a friend and told her, “I feel as I did the first time I read The Red and The Black (Stendhal). I truly believe I have just read something destined to become a classic.”

In 1920’s Barcelona, David Martín is a writer. His mother abandoned his father (and David) years before. When his father is killed outside the newspaper offices where he works as a janitor, David is effectively orphaned. The editor offers him a job as a runner and he spends the next years learning the business. He is taken under the wing of Pedro Vidal, a dilettante-writer on the staff, who encourages his dreams of writing. When he is fired from the paper, Pedro puts him in touch with a publisher willing to take a chance on him.

As he begins his new life as a writer, he has started down a path that will lead to obsession, forbidden love, a potential fortune, and a battle for both his sanity and his soul. As Faust had his Mephistopheles, David Martín has Andreas Corelli – who offers him a fortune if he will write a book to his (Corelli’s) specifications. Vidal, Christine (David’s secret love and Vidal’s wife), Isabella, bookseller Sempere, all cycle in and out of David’s spinning-out-control-world. What is real, whom to trust, what is worth fight for (or against), does any of it really matter?

Darkly gothic and eerily contemporary, The Angel’s Game is a book I will read again and again.

CAS

Sixkill by Robert B. Parker

2011-09-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

I was heartbroken when Parker died last year and therefore eagerly anticipated the last Spenser novel. I can only assume it was not truly ready for publishing when he died. It felt glib, formulaic, and shallow – something none of the previous ones evinced. I realize any series has certain traits that are definitive to it, but the better writers (of which I counted Parker) could maintain these without them becoming trite. Spenser always had smart comments, both mentally and verbally, but this time he came off as smug and superior. Long time characters Susan Silverman and Rita Fiore fared no better and Spenser’s sidekick, Hawk, was m.i.a. If you loved Parker’s writing and the Spenser books especially, you might want to let this one go by.

CAS

eXY Readers Book Discussion

2011-09-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

Want to join a book group, but can't find the right one? The eXY Readers is a new book group we just started for people in their 20s and 30s. So if you're part of Gen X or Gen Y, and you'd like to talk books with people your age, come join us! The eXY Readers meet the third Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. at Bartlett Public Library. Copies of the books are available at the reference desk, so just stop by and grab your copy. Did I mention food? Refreshments are provided, too.

Upcoming book selections include:

January 19: This Must Be the Place by Kate Racculia

A sudden death, a never-mailed postcard, and a longburied secret set the stage for a luminous and heartbreakingly real novel about lost souls finding one another The Darby-Jones boardinghouse in Ruby Falls, New York, is home to Mona Jones and her daughter, Oneida, two loners and self-declared outcasts who have formed a perfectly insular family unit: the two of them and the three eclectic boarders living in their house. But their small, quiet life is upended when Arthur Rook shows up in the middle of a nervous breakdown, devastated by the death of his wife, carrying a pink shoe box containing all his wife's mementos and keepsakes, and holding a postcard from sixteen years ago, addressed to Mona but never sent. Slowly the contents of the box begin to fit together to tell a story--one of a powerful friendship, a lost love, and a secret that, if revealed, could change everything that Mona, Oneida, and Arthur know to be true. Or maybe the stories the box tells and the truths it brings to life will teach everyone about love--how deeply it runs, how strong it makes us, and how even when all seems lost, how tightly it brings us together. With emotional accuracy and great energy, This Must Be the Place introduces memorable, charming characters that refuse to be forgotten.

February 16: A Friend of the Family by Lauren Grodstein

Pete Dizinoff has spent years working toward a life that would be, by all measures, deemed successful. A skilled internist, he's built a thriving practice in suburban New Jersey. He has a devoted wife, a network of close friends, and an impressive house, and most important, he has a son, Alec, on whom he's pinned all his hopes. Pete has afforded Alec every opportunity, bailed him out of close calls with the law, and even ensured his acceptance into a good college. But Pete never counted on the wild card: Laura, his best friend's daughter-ten years older than Alec, irresistibly beautiful, with a past so shocking that it's never spoken of. When Laura sets her sights on Alec, Pete sees his plans for his son not just unraveling but being destroyed completely. Believing he has only the best of intentions, he sets out to derail this romance and rescue his son. He could never have foreseen how his whole world would shatter in the process.

March 15: Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Stiff is an oddly compelling, often hilarious exploration of the strange lives of our bodies postmortem. For two thousand years, cadavers—some willingly, some unwittingly—have been involved in science's boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. They've tested France's first guillotines, ridden the NASA Space Shuttle, been crucified in a Parisian laboratory to test the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, and helped solve the mystery of TWA Flight 800. For every new surgical procedure, from heart transplants to gender reassignment surgery, cadavers have been there alongside surgeons, making history in their quiet way.

In this fascinating, ennobling account, Mary Roach visits the good deeds of cadavers over the centuries—from the anatomy labs and human-sourced pharmacies of medieval and nineteenth-century Europe to a human decay research facility in Tennessee, to a plastic surgery practice lab, to a Scandinavian funeral directors' conference on human composting. In her droll, inimitable voice, Roach tells the engrossing story of our bodies when we are no longer with them.

April 19: Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O’Nan

Perched in the far corner of a run-down New England mall, The Red Lobster hasn't been making its numbers and headquarters has pulled the plug. But manager Manny DeLeon still needs to navigate a tricky last shift. With only four shopping days left until Christmas, Manny must convince his near-mutinous staff to hunker down and serve the final onslaught of hungry retirees, lunatics, and holiday office parties. All the while, he's wondering how to handle the waitress he's still in love with, his pregnant girlfriend at home, and the perfect present he still needs to buy.

Take Your Eye Off the Ball by Pat Kirwan

2011-09-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

If you’ve ever watched a football game and wondered what all the gobbledygook the quarterback shouts out before the snap means, this is the book for you. Author Pat Kirwan explains and analyzes everything from the process an NFL quarterback must go through on each play to how things are done in the front offices of the various NFL teams. Take Your Eye Off the Ball: How to Watch Football by Knowing Where to Look is the perfect book for the start of football season. Read it now and blow away all your football friends with your newfound understanding of the game.

John

The Forgotten Founding Father: Noah Webster's Obsession and the Creation of an American Culture by Joshua Kendall

2011-09-08T15:23:00.000-07:00

Philologists, rejoice! Here is an engaging, if slightly convoluted, book about the father of American letters. Noah Webster was a champion of Federalism through his prolific writing, and a colleage of Washington, Franklin, Adams, Hamilton and Jay. Before compiling the eponymous dictionary, he published the "Grammatical Institute," including America's most popular spelling guide, a grammar book and a reader. He also founded numerous newspapers and literary magazines. Kendall's portrait provides us the "rest of the story" about our country's early years and gives Webster his place of prominence in American history.

Dawn

http://catalog.bartlett.lib.il.us/polaris/search/searchresults.aspx?ctx=3.1033.0.0.2&type=Keyword&term=forgotten%20founding%20father&by=TI&sort=RELEVANCE&limit=TOM=bks&query=&page=0#__pos1

French Lessons by Ellen Sussman

2011-09-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

It’s summer, it’s Paris, and French lessons could never just be about language skills!

Three Americans: Josie, a high school French teacher; Riley, a woman whose husband’s company sent him to their Paris office; and Jeremy, the husband of an American film star shooting in Paris – have all hired French tutors from the same agency.

Three young Parisians: Nico, who believes he’s in love with fellow tutor Chantal; Chantal, who’s been having a tumultuous affair with fellow tutor Philippe; and Philippe, who, as Chantal says, “…loves falling in love. He does not love being in love.”

By the end of the day we spend with them, much is revealed and much accomplished. As each pair strolls the boulevards of Paris, conversing in French, more than words are pulled from deep inside. Relationships end and begin, a torn soul starts to heal, sharing a secret allows a youth to become a man, and a heart reconfirms its home.

Great literature? No. But one gets a feel for Paris and the characters are basically well-defined and engaging. A fresh croissant is almost without substance in the hand and on the tongue, but who has not found its delicate, buttery flakes to be satisfying in the extreme?

CAS

Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach

2011-08-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

HYSTERICAL!!!

Just look at the title - do I need to say more??? If you've ever tried to get a child to go to bed---you will understand this perfectly.

Karen

Sins of the Mother by Tara Hyland

2011-08-29T13:23:00.000-07:00

The best way to describe this novel - a sweeping family saga. Spanning the years 1946 through 1976, and taking place in Ireland, England, and Hollywood, this is the story of Franny, a poor Irish girl determined to become a famous movie star. And she will stop at nothing to reach her goal. Much of the story is set around "old" Hollywoood and all the glitz and glamour of how it was there in the 1950s. This novel is a little bit of everything, way too much to put into a few sentences. If you like a book with lots of family secrets, this is one I highly recommend.

Karen

Room by Emma Donoghue

2011-08-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

Jack is a five-year-old boy whose entire world has been an 11-by-11 room. His mother was taken captive when she was 19, and has been a prisoner for seven years. She has created a life for Jack contained in that small space and he is content. As he gets older, he becomes more curious and his mother knows Room won't hold them for much longer. She devises a plan for escape. Does it work? Do they get away from their captor?

I first started reading Room in print. I loved the premise of the story, but I couldn't get into it. Then I tried the audiobook, and I was sucked in immediately. Jack's voice especially comes alive when you listen to this book. At times the book is heartbreaking, but hopeful. You root for Jack and his Ma throughout the book. If you like audiobooks, I would highly recommend this one. It's a great listen!

Carrie

Dominance by Will Lavender

2011-08-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

Lavender's first book, Obedience, was one of he best books I ever read. It was just so clever! So, when I found out he had written another, I could not wait to get into it. And, in my opinion, this one is even better. It begins in 1994, when nine students at a small Vermont college are invited to attend the class "Unraveling a Literary Mystery." The professor teaches the class via satellite from a prison where he is serving time for murdering two college students years earlier. If that isn't creepy enough, he leads the class into a strange game called The Procedure, which started back when the professor was a student himself. I really can't tell you much more without ruining it. Let me just say this; if you like a novel that keeps you guessing from start to finish, then you will certainly be satisfied with this.

Karen

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson

2011-08-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

Imagine waking up one day not knowing where you are, who you are, or who is in bed next to you. Now imagine going through this every single day. In Before I Go to Sleep, that's the life that Christine is living. Her husband fills in all the details of Christine's life every day, because when she goes to sleep her memories are erased. But can she trust her husband? She has no idea. She must figure out whom she can trust, and she does it by keeping a journal.

There were so many twists and turns in this novel, it keeps you guessing until the very end. How did Christine end up this way? Who can she trust? What will happen to her? This book will stay with me for a long time. I highly recommend it, but it might not be a book to read before you go to bed.

Carrie

Demonic: How the Liberal Mob is Endangering America by Ann Coulter

2011-08-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

She's b-a-a-ck! America's most outspoken conservative commentator jumps into the fire with her latest book. Drawing on the work of French psychologist Gustave LeBon, Coultler shows how the science of mass psychology pertains to the concept of "group think" today. She provides plenty of examples of liberal mob mindset, including the American Idol complex and conspiracy theories. She also delves into the history of mob violence, starting with the French revolution and continuing through the social upheaval of the 1960s.
Regardless of your political leanings, this is a fascinating study of what happens when people get fired up.

Dawn

Always Something There to Remind Me by Elizabeth Harbison

2011-08-06T12:29:00.000-07:00

This is a very sweet story of first love, and how it can affect the rest of your life. Erin & Nate start dating when Erin is just 15 years old, and fall madly in love. They spend every minute that they can together, and are sure their relationship will last forever. The chapters go back and forth between the past and the present, and the story unfolds slowly. One minute you feel like a teenager with all the drama and fun, and the next minute you are back for the adult reality check.

I really thought the author got all the feeling just right.

Karen

Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

2011-08-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

Eleanor Brown must have been channeling her inner Shakespeare when writing this first novel! My boy Bill’s presence is obvious in the main characters’ names: Rosalind, Bianca, and Cordelia, as well as in references throughout. The adult daughters of a small Ohio college’s Shakespearean scholar return home to help care for their sick mother. Sounds sweet and simple, yes? Not so fast, dear reader! These ladies bring more emotional baggage and hidden agendas with them than Edwardian heiresses sailing to Europe. It is actually a wonderful tale of sisters, long-estranged, rediscovering old ties and strengthening them as adults. Each sister must work through her own demons but finds she’s no longer fighting alone. They come to support each others’ joys as well as lend a helping hand. With their father wafting through in iambic pentameter and their mother’s gentle courage, these three find their way home in every sense of the word.

CAS

Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews

2011-08-02T17:21:00.000-07:00

The title fits this novel perfectly; a pretty good beach read. Three best friends since high school rent a beach house on Nag's Head to relax and catch up. Of course, they all have issues they are dealing with, and of course most of the issues are man-related. And of course the owner of their beach house is a very attractive, single man with issues of his own. And of course another woman with even bigger issues comes to stay with them as well.

You get the drift. Not much like her other novels, Fixer Upper and Deep Dish (they are much funnier!), but if you're looking for something beachy, this will work.

Karen

Creep by Jennifer Hillier

2011-07-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

Just the title alone will make you want to grab this book. This is one of those novels that you know right off the bat that the main character is about to get in a LOT of trouble. Psychology professor Dr. Sheila Tao is having an affair with one of her students. Of course, a big no-no! When she gets the chance to finally settle down and get married, she chooses that over her student lover. Apparently, as far as the student is concerned, this is even a bigger no-no...

Karen

Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares

2011-07-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

This is the story of Carmen, Bridget, Tibby, and Lena ten years after the Traveling Pants series has ended. The girls are in their late 20s and they’re trying to find their way. They haven’t completely lost touch, but they don’t talk or see each other as much. To resolve this, Tibby buys them all a trip to Greece. They’re all anxiously awaiting this reunion, but before they arrive in Greece, one of them dies. Now the remaining three have to figure out how to carry on.

I really enjoyed this book. I read all four books in the series, and was very happy to hear that Ann Brashares had written another book about Carmen, Bridget, Tibby, and Lena. Brashares does a good job of combining present with past, and bringing readers up to date on what’s happened to each character since the last book. You can feel the despair, the hope, and all the emotions that the characters are feeling. It was beautifully written, and was a very good way to wrap up the series.

Carrie

Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution by Sara Marcus

2011-07-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

Music fans might remember Nirvana and Pearl Jam becoming hugely popular in the early nineties when they led a number of bands out of the underground to heavy play on MTV. While there were bands from this period with a female member, such as Smashing Pumpkins and Sonic Youth, the scene tended to be male dominated.

Sara Marcus’ Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution tells the story of some lesser known all, or nearly all, female bands such as Bikini Kill and Bratmobile as well as other female writers and activists across the United States and England who came together to start a feminist movement called Riot Grrrl. This movement encouraged young women to work together to fight problems such as sexual harassment and to express themselves through music and writing.

Marcus’ book covers well known members of the movement such as Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna and lesser known activists, such as a riot grrrl group that was formed in Omaha, Nebraska. This is a great read for anyone interested in the history of punk rock or the feminist movement.

John

Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens

2011-07-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

WARNING...SPOILER!

This is one of those novels that is hard to write about, because no matter what I say, it may give something away. So let's try this...

As in her last novel Still Missing (which I highly recommend!), this story is told through sessions with a psychiatrist. The protagonist, Sara, is adopted, but has always felt a need to find her biological mother. Since Sara is very persistent & impatient (a.k.a. annoying) she refuses to let it go. When she gets the information she thinks she wants, she then begins to agonize (a.k.a. whine) over every twist and turn. And there are a lot of them! (a.k.a. way too long!)

I thought this novel was worth reading, but did not think it was nearly as good as her first. However, I must say I am still looking forward to her next one.

Karen

Juliet by Anne Fortier

2011-07-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

Juliet had an intriguing premise and I waited eagerly to get my hands on the audiobook. When her great aunt dies, Julie Jacobs is left with a mystery to solve – not the least of which is why she had never been told her real name: Giulietta Tolomei. Taking the new passport, the key, and the letter all left to her by her aunt, Julie takes off for Siena to find her past and maybe the “treasure” her mother had talked about before she died. Sounds great, doesn’t it!? But Julie is one of the most irritating characters I’ve met in a long time. If she is going to be clever enough to unravel all the plot twists, she can’t be as functionally clueless as portrayed at the start. I wanted to stick with it in hopes that we’d ‘click,’ but by the end of disc 2, I was yelling at my car stereo. Sometimes a book is better in one format than another, but I doubt Julie would be any more appealing in print.

CAS

Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich

2011-07-19T14:04:00.000-07:00

She's back....

Stephanie Plum and her wonderful, quirky friends (and lovers) are back for another hilarious ride through Trenton, New Jersey. Bodies are showing up in the back of Vinnie's lot, with some leaving messages for Stephanie. Mooner and his bus play some important roles in this installation, and Grandma Bella is still putting nasty spells on everyone. Not much about Grandma Mazur this time, but Lulu is at her best believing she is now a vampire.

So funny! Just read and enjoy.

Karen

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

2011-07-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

This recommendation will be very short.

Here is what I understood after finishing this book:

Somebody was trying to get to somebody to save something...

Here is what I did not understand after finishing this book:

Angels, The Beast, rat-speakers, openers, city of Atlantis references, sewer folks, and finally...the whole scene that reminded me of the little girl getting sucked into the television in Poltergeist.

Here's what I liked about the book:

Everything

Here is what I didn't like about the book:

Not really knowing why I liked it!

Karen

March Violets by Philip Kerr

2011-07-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

March Violets is noir fiction at its best. The setting is 1930’s Berlin and Bernie Gunther, ex-cop turned p.i., is as cynical and smart-mouthed as Sam Spade or Mike Hammer. But there’s much more going on than nasty people doing evil, late nights of hard drinking, and mysterious women acting as mysterious women traditionally act. The National Socialist Party has taken over and turned Germany on its head. Behind the story is a picture rarely seen of what life under the new regime was like for the average Germans and how the Nazis permeated every corner of their existence. This is a 3-part winner: a taut, well-told story/ an appealing new character/ a clear snapshot of history.

CAS

Folly Beach by Dorothea Benton Frank

2011-07-10T11:08:00.000-07:00

Yawn...

Usually I am a big fan of her work, but her new novel is..., well, boring! Predictable story of the clueless wife that after a tragedy finds out her husband has been lying to her for years and now she is broke. Of course, she has the rich family member who lets her stay in one of her many homes on the Outer Banks and lends her a car after hers is in an accident with (gasp!) the town hunk. Now, he immediately falls in love with her and encourages her to become a playwright because???

Read one of her other novels.

Karen

Love You More by Lisa Gardner

2011-07-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

This is the perfect summer read suspense. Boston police detective D. D. Warren gets a call regarding a death investigation. Turns out the dead guy is the husband of a Massachusetts state trooper. Now she is claiming self defense, and certainly looks the part. Clear cut, right? Well, no way. First of all, Trooper Leoni's daughter is missing. Second, the scene just doesn't sit right with Detective Warren. Finally, as D. D. does some digging, it seems that this is not the first time Trooper Leoni has killed someone. And not in the line of duty. Trust me, the plot just keeps getting more and more twisted.

Try to keep up.

Karen

The Last Child by John Hart

2011-07-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

Johnny Merrimon’s twin sister has been missing for a year. Johnny is still searching for her even though he believes that everyone else has given up. His father left shortly after the disappearance, his mother’s boyfriend keeps her drugged and abuses her, but Johnny won’t give up hope. After another girl goes missing, a man tells Johnny the words he’s been waiting to hear for a year: “I found her.” Is the man talking about the recent disappearance, or about Johnny’s twin sister? Johnny is convinced the man has found his sister, and no one can tell him otherwise. His search becomes more desperate after the second girl goes missing, and what Johnny finds is not what he expected.

This book sucked me in immediately. 13-year-old Johnny Merrimon is a strong character who struggles to keep it together while searching for his twin sister. You can feel the tension and Johnny’s despair throughout the book. There were many twists I wasn’t expecting. This is the first book by John Hart that I’ve read, and I will be reading more.

--Carrie

This Great Struggle: America's Civil War by Steven E. Woodworth

2011-06-28T15:54:00.000-07:00

Civil War historian Woodworth has given us a thrilling, easy-to-read, single-volume history of the War, just in time for the sesquicentennial. All of the battle details are here, but Woodworth deftly covers the political details as well. He gives us the Congressional machinations regarding slavery that preceded the first strike at Fort Sumter, and he delineates the personal clashes between figures. Whether it's Lincoln vs. McClellan or Davis vs. Beauregard, the internecine battles are almost as crucial as the field ones. This book is essential reading for everyone who forgot most of what happened during the most critical four years in American history.

Dawn

http://catalog.bartlett.lib.il.us/polaris/search/

Wedding Belles by Haywood Smith

2011-06-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

Southern charm is the main theme of this fun & sweet story. Georgia, Pru, Teeny, Diane and Linda have been friends forever, so much so that they even keep a set of rules. Of course, there are no secrets between them, and they are the ones you can count on no matter what. And Georgia needs them more than ever because her 28-year-old daughter Callie has decided to marry her father's best friend, Wade Beaumont. Georgia is horrified, as Wade has quite a past. But what's a mother to do???

Karen

What the Night Knows by Dean Koontz

2011-06-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

This novel has all the elements that we are accustomed to in reading Koontz's novels - blood, guts, sex, murder. What sets this one apart is the believability of it all. Police detective John Calvino seems to have a wonderful life; a good marriage, 3 children, and a perfect house. But John has not always had it so wonderful. When he was only 14-years-old, a horrific event took place that scarred John in many ways. Now, 20 years later, his past and biggest fears have come back to haunt him. Literally!

Karen

SISTER by Rosamund Lupton

2011-06-22T14:31:00.000-07:00

This debut novel is not for the emotionally faint of heart. If you have a sister, beware of its impact. The book opens with Tess already dead, but is told by Beatrice (Bee) the elder sister. She covers the time from receiving news that her sister is missing forward as a narrative addressed to her sister. There are flashbacks to earlier times in the way we do when something in the present triggers a shared memory. There are apologies and criticisms and tears. But this is no weepy-waily-oh poor me story – Bee evolves into her best, strongest self as she works to uncover the truth of her sister’s death. What grabbed me was the grinding sense of loss that permeates the narrative on an almost subconscious level – always present but not overt. This felt universal to one who has three sisters and never even wants to imagine this loss. Beautifully written and with a great twist at the end, I’m glad it’s fiction.

cas

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

2011-06-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

This is a really interesting story of an amnesia victim. Certainly not your typical character hits head, wakes up and does not know who they are. No, in this story, 39-year-old Alice Love does fall and hit her head, but when she wakes up she thinks it is 1998. She remembers her family, her husband, her past. However, a lot has happened in 10 years...

Karen

Familyhood by Paul Reiser

2011-06-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

Comedian and actor Paul Reiser returns with the next book in his series on marriage and parenting. Familyhood picks ups 15 years after Babyhood ends. Reiser reflects on his experiences as a father in a series of short vignettes. In "The Car Door Dings" he worries about his son's penchant for being a "creative manipulator of the facts." In "Leave a Tender Moment Alone" he regales the reader with his inept attempts to photograph and record EVERY fleeting tender moment. And in "Bad Words" he agonizes over his younger son's discovery of four-letter-words. Fans of Reiser will be happy to learn that years of family life have given him more comedic moments to share.

Dawn

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Pictures of You by Caroline Leavitt

2011-05-26T17:41:00.000-07:00

The premise of this book is fascinating. Two women running away from their marriages collide on a foggy highway, killing one of them. The survivor, Isabelle, is left to pick up the pieces, not only of her own life, but of the lives of the devastated husband and fragile son that the other woman, April, has left behind. Together, they try to solve the mystery of where April was running to, and why. As these three lives intersect, the book asks, How well do we really know those we love - and how do we forgive the unforgivable?

Leavitt is an excellent writer. Every time I thought I had the story figured out, it took a different turn and kept me guessing. If you're in a book club, and looking for a new book, Pictures of You will give your group lots to discuss.

Carrie

Catalyst: A Tale of the Barque Cats by Anne McCaffrey & Elizabeth Scarborough

2011-05-24T17:48:00.000-07:00

Part sci-fi, part fantasy, this first in a series is sure to appeal to fans of both genres. The story revolves around telepathic cats who basically are in charge of ridding spaceships of vermin. While humans think they run the show, it is really the cats that are in charge. When a quarantine is placed on their current planet, all of the animals are rounded up to be examined and possibly slaughtered. Of course, it is up to the cats to save the world!

Karen

The Silent Land by Graham Joyce

2011-05-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

It's hard to describe this horror/fantasy novel. Some words that come to mind - odd, creepy, and scary are just a few. A young couple is skiing in the Alps when they are hit by an avalache. Zoe is completely buried and is sure she is not going to make it, but then her husband Jake appears to dig her out. When they make their way down the mountain, they discover that no one is at the resort they are staying at. The lights are on, there is food being readied in the kitchen, there are plenty of cars around, but no people. Zoe and Jake assume that everyone has been evacuated, but they are wrong...

Karen

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

2011-05-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

This has to be one of the most disturbing novels I have ever read. That being said, I simply could not put this book down. The story begins with Annie, a 32-year-old realtor, recounting her experience as a kidnapping victim/survior to her psychiatrist. The entire novel is told from this point of view, and it works really well. Just when you think you cannot take the horror of it all, she changes course back to present day. In reality, this is a minute-by-minute account of what happens to Annie at the hands of "the freak", but it is also a study on survival, courage, and hope. I highly recommend this for those readers that have a strong constitution.

Karen

Beneath a Starlet Sky by Amanda Goldberg & Ruthanna Khalighi Hopper

2011-05-17T18:08:00.000-07:00

Hollywood glam and glitz is an easy way to sum up this novel by the same authors that wrote Celebutantes. Lola Santis, daughter of a movie director father and reality star mother, is trying desperately to start a fashion line. As if that isn't enough, she is engaged to a doctor that suddenly catches the acting bug, has a cut-throat best friend that is an agent who is also in love with Lola's brother, plus handling a very demanding designer and countless prima donna models. From New York to the Cannes Film Festival, this is one name-dropping novel that is just plain fun!

Karen

The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino

2011-05-11T08:14:00.000-07:00

Japanese author Higashino won Japan’s Naoki Prize for Best Novel with this gripping and unpredictable mystery. After Yasuko and her daughter end up unexpectedly killing her violent and manipulative ex-husband, they find out that Ishigami, their neighbor, is eager to help them cover up the murder. Yasuko previously thought of Ishigami as a shy neighbor who taught high school math and kept to himself. When it comes to covering up the murder, Ishigami assures Yasuko that he has everything under control. Initially this seems to be the case. Even the two detectives assigned to the case come close to dismissing Yasuko and her daughter as suspects. But Kusanagi, the senior detective on the case, still suspects something is not right and seeks help from his friend Yukawa, a physics professor who has offered Kusanagi advice on past cases.

Don’t be intimidated if you were never good at math and science. The constant twists and turns as well as the unexpected loyalties and connections between the main characters make The Devotion of Suspect X a mystery you are likely to read quickly and then ponder for some time after the last page.

John

The Best of Friends by Susan Mallery

2011-05-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

This might make a good beach read, simple and quick. However, I couldn't find one character in this book that I actually liked! This is the story of two friends, Jayne and Rebecca. Jayne is the poor, studious nice girl. Rebecca, of course, is the spoiled, bratty rich girl. With the gorgeous older brother that Jayne has always had a crush on but has never noticed her. With the rich parents that have taken poor Jayne in to be a good influence on Rebecca. You get it, right???? So of course poor Jayne feels used by Rebecca and her family, while at the same time feeling she is not good enough for the brother that has finally noticed her and falls in love with her. If you think you know how it all turns out, you are probably right.

Karen

Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West

2011-05-10T05:34:00.000-07:00

Only one more week until our Bartlett Book Community Book Discussion. There are still some copies of the book available at the Information Desk for anyone who wants to join the discussion on Tuesday, May 17 at 2:00 and 7:00 pm. It's not too late to pick one up, as the book is a quick read.

Each chapter is a vignette unto itself. Some of the favorite ones include "The Pacing Goose," in which Eliza Birdwell must take the neighboring farmer to court in order to get her beloved pet goose back, and a "A Likely Exchange" in which Jess Birdwell learns that appearances in animals and people can be deceiving. The Civil War experience is related from the Quaker experience with irony and reality in "The Battle in Finney's Ford."

We will also preview the book on Saturday, May 14, at 2:00 pm with a "Civil War Movie Matinee" featuring the 1956 movie version starring Gary Cooper and Dorothy Maguire. Please join us for both of these events.

Dawn

Waking Up in Dixie by Haywood Smith

2011-05-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of audiobooks that are set in the South, as I cannot get enough of the drawls. They are just so much fun to listen to, and Waking Up in Dixie fit the bill. It is a bittersweet story of second chances and how you handle them. Long-suffering wife Elizabeth Wittington has been married to the very powerful and wealthy Howell for 25 years. She has had put up with his horrible mother, obnoxious daughter, as well as his total betrayal. However, all is about to change when Howell suffers a stroke and wakes up a completely different man...

Karen

The Flamingo Rising by Larry Baker

2011-04-28T07:42:00.000-07:00

Charming, bittersweet, and amusing do not begin to tell what a heart-warming novel this really is. Simply said, it is the story of a young boy growing up in Florida in the 1960s. The novel centers around the drive-in theater his family owns, and all of the characters that are in his life. And I mean characters! If you are looking for an excellent nostalgic read, this is for you.

Karen

Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane

2011-04-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

Part of Dennis Lehane’s series about romantically attached private investigators Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro, Moonlight Mile finds Patrick and Angie searching for 16 year old Amanda McCready. The couple previously searched for a four-year-old Amanda in Lehane’s earlier Gone Baby Gone, and, even though this novel is something of a sequel, I was able to enjoy Moonlight Mile without having read the earlier book. Black market babies, Eastern European mobsters, and identity theft entrepreneurs spill out of the seedy underworld Patrick and Angie must navigate as the clues to Amanda’s whereabouts pile up. Patrick’s guilt over whether or not he did the right thing on his previous search for Amanda adds depth to the story, and the distinct dialogue and careful development of even the most minor characters make Moonlight Mile a very memorable read.

John

The Raising by Laura Kasischke

2011-04-18T07:21:00.000-07:00

Booklist magazine calls this novel "[A] literary page-turner reminiscent of Donna Tartt's The Secret History." I totally agree with their review. Set at a midwestern university, this is a very intelligent, very dark story that centers around the death of one student. The secrets of sorority life play a huge role as the tale unfolds. Not an easy read, but worth the time and effort needed.

Karen

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

2011-04-14T14:11:00.000-07:00

I can certainly understand why this is one of the most-read books for discussion groups, with all of the elements of mystery, tragedy, deception, etc. Those that enjoy historical fiction will love this, as it appears to be pretty accurate. (Yes, I did look up some of the "facts".) This is the story of a young Jewish girl in France in the summer of 1942, and the horrors she endured during the Nazi occupation. It is also the story of a journalist in present day trying to find out informaton about this little girl. The novel is very well done; however, I would caution that this is a very, very depressing novel that really bothered me in many ways. Be prepared when you pick this up; it can be quite upsetting.

Karen

The Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West

2011-04-10T13:11:00.000-07:00

The Bartlett Public Library District holds a Community Book Discussion on Tuesday, May 17, at 2:00 and 7:00 pm. This featured book, which was published in 1945, is set on a Quaker farm in Indiana during the American Civil War. Paperback and large print copies of the book are available at the Information Desk. The book is considered a classic of 20th century American literature and has received stellar reviews over the years. The Washington Post said, "West writes gracefully, occasionally poetically, in a voice both innocent and brave." The New York Times Book Review writes, "West is an advocate of human respect, reason over emotions, and a tough, all-purpose femininity that can face and solve most situations on its own terms." Check back in May for another posting on this book.

Dawn

http://www.jessamyn.com/jessamyn/jessbio.html for biographical information about Jessamyn West

Bible: the story of the King James Version by Gordon Campbell

2011-04-03T12:25:00.000-07:00

2011 marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Version of the Bible. Although many readers may be familiar with the translation, they do not know its legendary history. It was not the first translation into English, as versions such as the Geneva Bible (1557 - 1560) preceded it. Nor was it a new translation, but rather a revision of the Bishops Bible of 1568. The translation was undertaken by six Companies based in Westminster, Oxford and Cambridge and completed between 1604 - 1611. The first few editions, including the "He", "She" and "Wicked" Bibles, were printed by the King's Printer. Years later Oxford and Cambridge publishes their own editions. The book details the numerous revisions to the text that have led to familiar translations such as the Revised Standard Version of the 20th Century. The enormous cultural influence of the KJV is also detailed, as many common English idioms originated in the KJV, and many American churches still hold the KJV to be the only true and ihnspired version of the Bible.

http://catalog.bartlett.lib.il.us/polaris/

Dawn

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank

2011-03-19T13:49:00.000-07:00

This novel was published in 1959 at the height of the Cold War, and all of the fear and anxieties about the possibility of World War III are certainly reflected in this story. It takes place in a small city in Florida, one of the few places to have survivors after hydrogen bombs are dropped all over the United States. It is the story of what lengths people will go to survive, as well as a story of love, friendship, and hope. A true classic!

Karen