Nonfiction
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Nonfiction, Medical, Reviewed by LB | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Fiction, Reviewed by CE, Science Fiction, Teen Science Fiction, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Music, Reviewed by RF | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Nonfiction, Body, Mind & Spirit, Family & Relationships, Psychology, Reviewed by LJ | Permalink | Comments (0)
Your Invitation to
a Modest Breakfast
by Hannah Gamble
Nonfiction
Gamble’s slim volume of poetry, from the 2012
National Poetry Series, is a quirky mix of the mundane and the profound. These
thoughtful, meandering poems are personal and intimate, but they also speak to
a more general human experience. For example, in “Summer in the First Days,”
Gamble writes, “What is love, we ask,/and the woman/on the telephone
says,/Oh nothing much,/I just got back from the store.” This
young, up-and-coming poet is highly recommended.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Nonfiction, Poetry, Reviewed by LF | Permalink | Comments (0)
God Never
Blinks: 50 Lessons For Life’s Little Detours by
Regina Brett
Nonfiction
Each
chapter in this book is a life lesson offered by the author. She uses her own life experiences, as well
as, things she has learned from other people in each lesson. These lessons range from not worrying about
the past to having hope for the future. The author chooses to live her life according to these rules, and
encourages others to do the same. Well her life is not perfect, she has
credited these lessons with making her the person she is today, which is
someone she is proud of.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Nonfiction, Religion, Reviewed by GP, Self-Help | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Nonfiction, Audiobook - Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Humor, Reviewed by SP | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Fiction, Reviewed by LB | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Nonfiction, Graphic novels, History, Reviewed by CE | Permalink | Comments (0)
Iron House by John Hart
Fiction
Two young brothers left to die by a frozen creek are
found by hunters and taken to a decrepit boy’s home in the North Carolina Mountains.
At the Iron House, gangs of the strong abuse and terrorize the weak. When Julian, the younger brother, reaches his
limit and stabs one of his abusers to death, his older brother Michael takes
the blame and runs away to the streets of New York to survive and thrives when he
is taken in by a prominent mob leader. Julian is adopted by a wealthy and
privileged family and their worlds evolve light years apart. Life circumstances
and the unbreakable brotherly bond dictate that their paths will cross again in
intense and life threatening ways. This is a story of loss, courage and love alongside
violence, greed and unspeakable cruelty.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Fiction, Reviewed by CH, Suspense | Permalink | Comments (0)
Populazzi by Elise Allen
YA Fiction
Cara
Leonard is not exactly happy about her move to a new school to start her Junior
year. Her best friend Claudia, despite
being sad that she and Cara will no longer be at the same school, is
thrilled. Claudia thinks this is an
opportunity for Cara to reinvent her social life. With the help of the latter, which Claudia
has researched and written, the girls believe that Cara can break into the
group of extreme populazzi at her new school. Cara meets new friends along the
way, but realizes almost too late that the sacrifices she must make to become a
supreme populazzi are not always worth it.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, Reviewed by GP, Romance, Teen Fiction, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Fiction, Humorous Fiction, Reviewed by RF | Permalink | Comments (0)
I Shouldn’t Be
Telling You This: Success Secrets Every Gutsy Girl Should Know by Kate White
Nonfiction
Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Kate White covers the ins and outs of success in one’s
professional life – from landing a job and moving up the ranks to being the
boss, while striking a good work-life balance along the way. Her catchy chapter
titles read like magazine cover lines (“9 Things You Should Never Do in a New
Job,” “How to Dazzle at a Meeting,” and “The Bliss Quiz: Is Your Success Making
You Happy?,” for example), and she delivers her advice like a girlfriend, in a
fun and no-holds-barred sort of way. Recommended for women at any career stage
who are looking for some quick-read tips on making it.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Nonfiction, Business & Economics, Reviewed by LF, Self-Help | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Reading, Reviewed by LJ | Permalink | Comments (0)
Arcadia
by
Lauren Groff
Fiction
The story of the rise and decline of a Hippie
commune in a rundown old New York state mansion - called Arcadia House - is told
from the view of Bit, the only child of parents who were founding members of
the community. Through heartache and joy, laughter and tears, Bit grows into a
sensitive young man who ultimately must find his own way in life. Beautiful
prose and memorable characters make this a bittersweet but satisfying
coming-of-age tale from the author of The
Monsters of Templeton.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2012, All Adult Fiction, General Fiction, Literary Fiction, Reviewed by AB | Permalink | Comments (0)
Indomitable Will: LBJ in the Presidency by Mark K. Updegrove
Nonfiction
An excellent introduction to the Johnson presidency. Updegrove, Director of the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library, has put together a fine overview of LBJ’s presidential years. The book consists of the compilation of excerpts from books, articles, interviews, and recordings, which Updegrove masterfully selected and placed into a sequence that reads smoothly as a narrative. The brevity of each entry allows the reader to move quickly through the book, and the use of the participants’ own words gives an intimacy to the stories that are told.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, History, Political Science, Reviewed by SP | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, Reviewed by CE, Teen Fiction, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)
The
Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Fiction
While
visiting friends in Chicago, Hadley Richardson, a quiet and sheltered young
woman from St Louis, meets a younger, passionate, fledgling journalist full of
dreams. In spite of her friends’ warnings Hadley falls in love with the dashing
young man and after a whirlwind courtship she becomes Mrs. Ernest Hemingway.
The couple heads to Paris for adventure and to be where “the real writers” are
and they throw themselves into the extravagance of Jazz Age Paris. As Hemingway
struggles to become part of the literary scene, Hadley puts up with uncertain
living conditions and shattering loneliness until the inevitable happens and
Ernest finds another woman. This is a fictionalized account of the passionate
love affair of a remarkable couple.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Fiction, Historical Fiction, Reviewed by CH | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2012, All Adult Nonfiction, Nature, Reviewed by LB | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Fiction, Humorous Fiction, Reviewed by RF | Permalink | Comments (0)
Reality Check by Peter Abrahams
YA Fiction
Football
and Clea seem to be the only two things on Cody’s mind. It is the summer before his junior year of
high school and he is the starting quarterback on the football team and is
dating the beautiful Clea Weston. Shortly after school begins, Clea’s father sends her to a boarding
school in Vermont, and Cody is injured and forced to sit out the rest of the
season. Cody is so upset over his
inability to play football that he drops out of school. Shortly after making this decision, he learns
that Clea has gone missing from her Vermont boarding school. Join Cody as he travels to Vermont, learns
who to trust and who not to trust, and tries to solve the puzzle of who took
Clea and how to get her back.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2012, All Adult Fiction, Books for Teens, Mystery, Reviewed by GP, Suspense, Teen Mystery, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Fiction, International, Literary Fiction, Reviewed by LJ | Permalink | Comments (0)
Replay by Ken Grimwood
Fiction
At age 43, Jeff Winston unexpectedly dies, but is
granted an opportunity the rest of us will only ever dream of – he reawakens in
his college dorm room as his 18-year-old self. He gets to make new choices in
this life based on the knowledge he garnered in his previous one, and he
chooses well, making winning bets on the Kentucky Derby and the World Series
and investing in companies like IBM and Apple. Between his obscene wealth and
the new family he’s started, Jeff has it made – until he dies and awakens as a
youth once again. As he cycles through various iterations of his original life,
he starts to wonder what the whole point is and how he can make it stop, until
he meets someone who, like himself, seems doomed to repeat the past.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Fiction, Reviewed by LF, Science Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)
Viper Pilot: A Memoir of Air Combat by Dan Hampton
Nonfiction
If
you’re looking for an adrenaline rush, this just might be the book for you.
Hampton was a very successful F-16 pilot in the Air Force, and his stories are
fast-paced and amazing. His assignment as a “Wild Weasel” was to draw enemy
fire from surface-to-air missiles in the first Gulf War and later in Iraq, in
order to discover and target the enemy. Consequently, his “normal” workday was
a bit stranger than what most of us experience. His writing style is crisp, and
he uses military pilot lingo throughout the book, which brings an immediacy to
the combat scenes. There’s a helpful glossary of terms, also, so if you don’t
know what “zippering the mike” means, you can look it up. A remarkable aviation
memoir.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Nonfiction, Reviewed by SP, Technology, Transportation | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2012, Graphic novels, Reviewed by CE, Teen Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)
We
Learn Nothing: Essays and Cartoons by Tim Kreider
Nonfiction
A collection of personal essays written by
political cartoonist Kreider, some of the chapters actually contradict the
book’s title. Among other things, Kreider starts out writing about getting
stabbed, talks about his criminal uncle Lee and their interesting family
history, and admits to feelings of unease when Jim, a former professor of his,
becomes “Jenny.” Other chapters discuss his mother’s time in the hospital
after collapsing at home, and how Kreider ended up with an extended family when
two half-sisters come into play. Interspersed with Kreider’s own cartoons, these reflections on the sometimes mundane and the sometimes life-changing are funny,
analytical and serious, all at the same time.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Family & Relationships, Humor, Reviewed by AB | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2012, All Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Reviewed by LB | Permalink | Comments (0)
The
Caller by Karin Fossum
Fiction
17
year old Johnny Beskow, a teen with a talent for mischief, embarks on a series of
seemingly harmless but very malicious pranks directed towards the residents of his
small Norwegian town. An unattended infant in her backyard is found unharmed
but covered in blood, an elderly woman reads her own obituary in the newspaper,
a mother gets an anonymous phone call saying her daughter is in the hospital
following an auto accident. Inspector Konrad Sejer becomes involved and soon recognizes
the effects on the victims long after the actual events, and the potential for
this game to get out of hand. This is not a whodunit. We know from the
beginning who the perpetrator is, but it is a dark disturbing story of the
impact and pervasiveness of evil and its consequences.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2012, All Adult Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Reviewed by CH, Thrillers | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 08:59 AM in 2012, All Adult Nonfiction, History, Photography, Reviewed by BB | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tattoos On The
Heart: The Power Of Boundless Compassion by Greg Boyle
Nonfiction
Pastor
Gregory Boyle is no stranger to gang activity in Los Angeles. He acts as a
mentor and Pastor to many members of rival gangs. He does this by being involved in the Homeboy
and Homegirl Industries, which gives jobs to gang members who are interested in
changing their lives. He tells the stories of many such gang members who have
both changed their lives and lost their lives while living in gang
territory. He also tells how these
members learn to work with and respect members of rival gangs.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Nonfiction, Religion, Reviewed by GP, Spirituality | Permalink | Comments (0)
The Cookbook Collector by Allegra
Goodman
Fiction
During
the late-1990s tech boom, Type A twentysomething Emily’s start-up is riding
high. Meanwhile, her younger sister Jess continues to meander her desultory way
through graduate school, while working at an antiquarian bookstore. Ever since
their mother’s death when they were young, Emily has felt maternal toward Jess,
and the two sisters’ close relationship forms the backbone of this marvelous
modern-day comedy of manners. Emily’s long-distance engagement to another tech
executive makes her life seem like it’s on track, while Jess’s romantic life is
a bit more complicated (and much more interesting). Goodman weaves in additional
storylines that link with the two sisters’ lives, making this novel a highly
satisfying book discussion choice.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Fiction, General Fiction, Reviewed by SP | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, Reviewed by CE, Teen Fiction, Teen Mystery | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Nonfiction, Body, Mind & Spirit, Religion, Reviewed by LB, Self-Help | Permalink | Comments (0)
Eyes
Wide Open by Andrew Gross
Fiction
Dr
Jay Erlich seems to have a perfect life, a thriving practice in New York, a
happy marriage, good kids. The polar
opposite is his half brother, a wayward child of the 60’s living in California,
with a penchant for drugs and alcohol whose bi-polar son has just died of an
apparent suicide. Jay heads to California to help his brother and sister-in-law
cope with their loss and begins to have suspicions about his nephew’s death. As
Jay becomes entangled in a web of lies, deceit, danger and terror it becomes
clear that his brother is hiding something from his past that puts all of them
in danger. A chilling story inspired by the death of the author’s nephew. You’ll
want to make sure the lights are on, the doors locked and you have time enough
to finish this in one sitting. It’s hard to put down.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Reviewed by CH, Thrillers | Permalink | Comments (0)
The
Casual Vacancy by
J.K. Rowling
Fiction
The author of the Harry Potter series has
written her first adult book and the emphasis is on “adult.” If you are
expecting a cozy English village novel this is most definitely not it. If you
like smooth writing, excellent character development and gritty realism, with a dash of black humor thrown in for good measure, then you want to give this book a try: When Pagford Parish
Councillor Barry Fairbrother unexpectedly dies, an opening is created on the council (the casual vacancy of the title) and the opposing factions
go to war. Class and politics, drug use and raging teenage hormones are among the various
issues covered in this 503 page tragicomedy. Hogwarts it’s not, but highly recommended it is.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Fiction, General Fiction, Literary Fiction, Reviewed by AB | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 PM in 2013, All Adult Fiction, Historical Fiction, International, Multicultural, Reviewed by BB | Permalink | Comments (0)
The Price of Inequality
by Joseph Stiglitz
Nonfiction
Winner
of a Nobel Prize for Economics in 2001, Stiglitz is a Professor of Economics at
Columbia University and Chief Economist at the World Bank. His Price
of Inequality was a New York Times best-seller in 2012. He discusses how and why the huge gap in
income between the top 1% and other wealthy Americans and the middle-class and
poor developed from the 1970s to 2008’s financial collapse and recession. A major reason: the wealth of the upper 1%
provides political power to induce politicians of both parties to enact
policies that do not benefit most citizens. Reforms should include increasing taxes, making them more progressive, eliminating
special interest subsidies, investing in education and infrastructure, and strengthening
the social safety net. And the 99% need
to learn that their self-interest is not served by the self-interest of the top
1%. See also a similar critique by Paul
Krugman, End This Depression Now.
Posted at 09:00 PM in 2013, All Adult Nonfiction, Business & Economics, History, Political Science, Reviewed by BB | Permalink | Comments (0)
Dreams That Won’t Let Go by Stacy Hawkins Adams
Fiction
Reuben, Indigo, and Yasmine Burns grew up living with their grandparents in Jubilant, Texas. Their parents were killed in a car accident when the siblings were very young. Reuben was in the car that day, and before she died, his mother made him promise to look after his sisters forever. Reuben struggled with the task for many years, before he finally felt he needed to move away and leave his family behind. Now six years later, he has moved his wife and son back home to Jubilent. His grandparents are thrilled, but his sisters feel betrayed and are not as thrilled. Join the family as they each learn to deal with their struggles and accept the plan that God has for their lives.
Posted at 01:59 PM in 2013, All Adult Fiction, Religious Fiction, Reviewed by GP | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Reviewed by LB | Permalink | Comments (0)
Younger (Thinner) You Diet: How Understanding Your Brain Chemistry Can Help You Lose Weight, Reverse Aging and Fight Disease by Eric R. Braverman
Nonfiction
Dr. Eric Braverman author of “Younger Brain, Sharper Mind” expands upon information he presented in “Younger You” that gives a totally new approach to losing weight. New research reveals that the brain is the most important organ in nutrition and weight loss. We can actually lose weight by eating and drinking nutrients, teas, and spices that change the chemical balance of the brain for permanent weight loss. The brain also determines how we age and we all have the ability to take years off of our age by changing our brain chemistry. Learn how to personalize a diet plan for specific health concerns and choose foods that boost metabolism.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Nonfiction, Health & Fitness, Reviewed by RF | Permalink | Comments (0)
Patient
One by Leonard Goldberg
Fiction
The U.S.
president is hosting the Russian
president at a glitzy state dinner when suddenly many guests, including the
presidents and their wives, become violently ill and are rushed to the nearest
hospital. Emergency room physician David Ballineau, former Special Forces
operative, and trauma nurse Carolyn Ross assemble the staff to deal with what
soon is recognized as not accidental food poisoning. A small band of Chechen
terrorists have put a toxin in the food and plan to commandeer the hospital as
soon as the dignitaries have arrived. Ballineau and Ross struggle to stabilize
the critically ill president, keep the other hostages comfortable and still
find a way to warn the vice president about the escalating terrorist attack.
Tension mounts as the terrorists kill secret service agents and hostages. A real page turner that will keep the reader
up all night to get to the end.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2013, All Adult Fiction, Reviewed by CH, Thrillers | Permalink | Comments (0)
This Lullaby: A
Novel
by Sarah Dessen
YA
Fiction
Remy has endured a series of revolving door
stepfathers – in fact, her mother is about to embark on her fifth marriage. Can
anyone really blame Remy for wanting to keep herself free of serious romantic entanglements?
She’s cruised through high school with a string of casual, short-term
boyfriends, but the summer before college, she meets Dexter and starts to break
all her rules. Not only is he gangly, clumsy, and so not her type, but he’s a
musician, too, just like the father she never had the chance to know. Could he
be the one to break through Remy’s cold exterior and truly love the wounded
girl inside?
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2012, All Adult Fiction, Reviewed by LF, Teen Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2012, All Adult Nonfiction, History, Reviewed by BB | Permalink | Comments (0)
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Fiction
The
summer blockbuster novel of 2012, this book is nearly impossible to put down
once a person starts reading it. On Amy and Nick’s fifth wedding anniversary,
Amy disappears. And the evidence points to her husband having murdered her. The
novel alternates between Amy’s and Nick’s perspectives, with Amy’s story
revealed through the diary she kept in the months leading up to her
disappearance. Just when you think you know where the story is heading… it all
changes. And then… it changes yet again. Once you get hold of a copy of this
book, simply plan to do nothing but read.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2012, All Adult Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Reviewed by SP | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2012, Graphic novels, Reviewed by CE, Teen Nonfiction | Permalink | Comments (0)
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2012, All Adult Fiction, Historical Fiction, International, Reviewed by BB | Permalink | Comments (0)
Thunderstruck
by
Eric Larson
Nonfiction
A parallel tale of a murderer on the run who
almost got away with his crime, and the inventor whose creation played a crucial
role in the apprehension of said killer. At the turn of the last century, Guglielmo
Marconi is obsessed with proving that wireless transatlantic communication is
indeed possible. Around the same time, mild-mannered nice guy Dr. Crippen is
suffering greatly in his marriage to a volatile and overbearing wife. Larson
shows the progression of both Marconi and Crippen’s life stories and the final
intersection that spells doom for one of them. Murder and new technology make
for an engaging read.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2012, All Adult Nonfiction, History, Reviewed by AB, Technology, True Crime | Permalink | Comments (0)
My Thirteenth
Winter by Samantha Abeel
YA Nonfiction
Samantha
starts her school years as a bright, energetic, creative, and fun loving
child. Although she enjoys going to
school and playing with her friends, she can’t quite shake the feeling that
there is something wrong with her. She
doesn’t understand math, the concept of numbers, money, or how to tell time.
This doesn’t really pose a problem in her life, until she starts the 4th
grade, and realizes how far behind she is. In her quest to remain the same as everyone else, she experiences panic
attacks and has trouble eating. This
continues until she is in high school, where she is diagnosed with a learning
disability. Join Samantha as she tells
of her journey through high school and eventually college.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2012, All Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Reviewed by GP, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)
The Hip Girl’s
Guide to Homemaking: Decorating, Dining, and the Gratifying Pleasures of
Self-Sufficiency – on a Budget by Kate Payne
Nonfiction
Domestic activities can prove challenging for many
– the young, the broke, the inexperienced. After all, just because you’ve
finally moved out of your parents’ basement, that doesn’t mean you wake up
magically knowing how to decorate your new place, bake a loaf of bread, or keep
the shower curtain mildew-free. Fortunately, Kate Payne is here to help, with
tips on everything from “how to fold a fitted sheet without going insane” to
the best items to shop for in your local thrift store. Focusing on affordable
organic and chemical-free home maintenance, this book is a helpful introduction
to decorating, cleaning, cooking, gardening, and entertaining.
Posted at 10:11 AM in 2012, All Adult Nonfiction, House & Home, Reviewed by LF | Permalink | Comments (0)
Walking
into the Ocean: A Peter Cammon Mystery by David Whellams
Fiction
Semi-retired
veteran Scotland Yard Chief Inspector Peter Cammon is called upon to
investigate what appears to be a simple husband/wife murder and suicide. The case is overshadowed by a series of
murders ravaging the peaceful coastal community and baffling the local police.
Cammon alone believes that the two cases may be connected. As he uncovers more clues, Cammon and a local
police sergeant find themselves in danger until they are able to put together
the overlapping threads to a dramatic
and shocking conclusion. The first novel of a planned trilogy.
Posted at 09:00 AM in 2012, All Adult Fiction, Mystery, Reviewed by CH | Permalink | Comments (0)