The Influence by Bentley Little

My favorite horror author is back with a vengeance!  The Influence is the story of Ross Lowry, an unemployed engineer who is about to lose everything.  When his cousin Lita and her husband Dave offer him a place to stay on their ranch in Magdalena, Arizona, he figures "why not"?  No one else has offered him any help, and he has been looking for a job for over a year with no offers.  Maybe if he takes some time off and relaxes a bit, his luck might change, right?

Well, no.

At first, Magdalena Arizona looks like a very small town in the middle of the desert.  A tiny Main Street and surrounding ranches pretty much sum it up.  But it seems nice. Friendly church-going people. Quirky old-timers.  Bored children.

But all that changes on New Year's Eve when the annual bash is held. As is tradition, many of the residents shoot their guns into the sky at midnight. But this time, something bad happens. Very bad.  This time, they hit someone. Or something.  And the town of Magdalena changes forever.

Once again, Bentley Little manages to turn small town life into a terrifying existence.

Karen

Read alike author:  Graham Masterton

Heretics and Heroes by Thomas Cahill

Cahill’s latest offering is the sixth installment in the “Hinges of History” series that began in 1995.  Heretics and Heroes: How Renaissance Artists and Reformation Priests Created Our World reads like an upper-level European history lecture class.  It is definitely not for readers unfamiliar with the major artistic, political and religious figures of the time period.  Cahill displays an amazing breadth (if not depth) of knowledge on the topics.  He often references his other books and frequently comments that the topics treated could each have a complete book written about them.  His thesis of sorts is that European sensibilities shifted from a Platonic/Augustianian outlook to a more Aristotelian/Aquinine outlook.  This is reflected in the works of many contemporary artists such as Botticello, Caravaggio, Durer and Bruegher.  Cahill analyzes pieces of Renaissance art in great detail and provides accompanying illustrations of them.  Complementing his art history lecture is a study of the Reformation.  Cahill discusses Luther, Erasmus, Zwingli and Calvin, et al, and pits them against the various popes and church officials who sought to stop the movement.  The reader cringes at the inherent turmoil between Catholic and Protestant, and among the Protestants, as everyone sought to promulgate their version of the truth.  Numerous tortures, beheadings  and burnings are described, and it is this gruesome reality that the artwork reflects.  Lest the reader conclude the book in a foul mood, Cahill decides to end on a high note by profiling authors and artists (e.g. Cervantes, Shakespeare, Donne and Rembrandt) who aren’t defined by religion.

Dawn

Killing Jesus by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard

Bill O'Reilly has done it again!  His latest book, Killing Jesus, continues his series of books on how great historical figures were killed.  (See Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy.)  The book is co-written by historian Michael Dugard, who has contributed greatly to the research.  Ancient historians are cited, and Scripture is quoted.  The authors also traveled to Israel and read up on life during the Roman Empire.  Even though most readers probably know the basics of the story, O'Reilly covers every detail, including the back story. As a result, the books begins with Julius Caesar (including HIS assassination) and the establishment of the Roman Empire.  This was the geopolitical environment into which Jesus was born, in a country that was waiting for its Messiah to deliver the people from Roman oppression.  O'Reilly covers the first attempt to kill Jesus when he was just a toddler and continues with the plots to eliminate him that developed when he began his ministry. He also describes the death of John the Baptist at the hand of King Herod, thereby making it clear for the reader that a culture of death was prevalent throughout the Roman Empire.  All of the Roman Caesars and Israeli kings are covered, and their political relationships are delineated.  O'Reilly spends a lot of time exploring Pontius Pilate's role in the story, as he was in the tenuous position of being a Roman citizen assigned as prefect of Galilee.  Readers of all faith traditions will be enlightened by the book.  O'Reilly concludes the narrative with the empty tomb and acknowledges the belief in the resurrection that forms the basis for Christianity.  This is a welcome addition to the book for Christian readers and sets it apart from most historical studies of Jesus.  It will be interesting to see if O'Reilly continues with this series!

Dawn

Christmas Bliss by Mary Kay Andrews

Best friends Weezie and BeBe are back in this holiday novella that is both charming and fun.

All is going well with Weezie, except of course for her pre-wedding jitters. Her antique business is in good shape for the holidays, and her fiance Daniel has had an amazing offer to be a celebrity chef at a famous New York Italian restaurant. Everything is fine until she sees an article in her local Savannah paper about Daniel's "stint" that includes a night out with the restaurant's very young, very rich, and very beautiful owner. Now what should she do?

Now out on Tybee Island, BeBe is awaiting the birth of her first child with boyfriend Harry. All is well with her inn and Harry's fishing expeditions. Well, that is, until a stranger contacts BeBe with some very important legal news. Not only legal, but very upsetting. Now what should she do?

Find out how these two cope with their stresses in Christmas Bliss by Mary Kay Andrews.

Karen

Read-alikes:  It is helpful to read the others in this series to get the full background on these delightful characters, starting with Savannah Blues.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson

Jenny Lawson is also known as The Bloggess and is the creator and writer of the award winning blog of the same name.  Her book, Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir), details what has made her the way she is.  It starts with her childhood years, living in rural west Texas, with her father who owns a taxidermy shop and occasionally makes puppets out of dead animals, her mother, and younger sister Lisa, as well as an array of pets, including at one point turkeys, who did happen to follow her to school one day (and proceeded to humiliate her).  She winds her way, mostly chronologically, through to her adult life, with her husband Victor and daughter Hailey.  This book is genuinely hilarious and may have you literally laughing out loud. However, there are layers (as with any true life story) that are both heartwarming and heartbreaking; the chapters where she recounts her difficulty to have her daughter, her battles with severe anxiety, and as she realizes her crazy family may be kind of wonderful.  Additionally, the mouse dressed in the Hamlet outfit on the cover, totally makes an appearance in the book.  And if you're looking for a good book to listen to, Lawson does a superb job of narrating the audio book.


Lisa

Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones

I cannot say enough good things about JimHenson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones. The book thoroughly covers Henson’s entire life. The sense of joy that Henson found through creating the Muppets and other less widely known projects comes through on each page.

Years before The Muppet Show and Sesame Street, Henson performed his Muppet characters on several Washington, D.C. TV stations, getting involved in the medium in its infancy. He quickly realized that he did not want his TV appearances to simply be a televised version of a puppet theater performance, which is what other TV puppeteers were doing at the time. He saw “that no puppet theater was needed at all—that, in fact, the space between the four sides of the TV screen was his puppet theater.”  This major innovation, his unique Muppet creations and an often bizarre sense of humor led to an almost immediate devoted following for his early Muppet based show, “Sam and Friends.” Soon, Henson’s Muppets were appearing in a variety of commercials, and some even made their debuts in ads. For example, the Muppet who came to be known as the Cookie Monster first appeared in a Frito-Lay ad devouring potato chips.

Henson’s other interests outside of the Muppets are covered as well, such as a 1966 Academy Award nominated experimental short film called “Time Piece.” Jones also delves into some of Henson’s less successful projects, such as one of my favorites, “The Dark Crystal.” Sadly, Henson died too soon but his Muppets continue on and are likely to be loved for generations to come.

John

Running Like a Girl: Notes on Learning to Run by Alexandra Heminsley

One of my friends talked me into running a half-marathon with her in January 2015. The thing is, I’m not a runner. In fact, I’m a couch potato. Thankfully, I stumbled across Running Like a Girl: Notes on Learning to Run by Alexandra Heminsley. At the beginning of the book, Heminsley is like me: she’s not interested in running, and then decides that maybe it’s something she can start doing.

Running Like a Girl is the perfect book for novice runners, because it starts with the basics: from buying gear to getting past the brutal beginnings. It’s also very funny. Heminsley shares stories of running mishaps, the details of running, and her experiences she has along the way. This book has all the tips I need to start running. Heminsley has inspired me to give running a try. Maybe someday running will become a release and not a chore.

You can also try Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.

Carrie