The Gale Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes

Here is an interesting set of encyclopedias I came across in our reference area. It seems that at least once a year we get school age kids looking for books on Native American tribes and this would be a helpful resource.

This four volume set presents historical, cultural, and current information on nearly 400 Native groups within 13 geographic regions. This is a four volume set organized by tribal groups. Volume I covers the Northeast, Southeast, and Caribbean tribal groups. Volume II covers the Great Basin, Southwest, and Middle America tribal groups. Volume III covers the Arctic, the Subarctic, the Great Plains, and the Plateau tribal groups. Volume IV covers the Pacific Northwest, California, and the Pacific Islands tribal groups.

Each volume includes maps that indicate historical origins of tribal groups as well as locations of contemporary state and federal reservations.

The essays are arranged alphabetically within regional clusters. The essays are broken down into the following information: introduction, history, religion, language, buildings, subsistence, clothing and adornment, healing practices, customs, oral literature, current tribal issues, and bibliography and further reading.

This set was published in 1998. While the current information on a tribe will most likely be different the historical information will be the same. The historical maps are useful as well.

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

Rules of Attraction is a sequel of sorts to A Perfect Chemistry. A Perfect Chemistry was about Alex Fuentes and Rules of Attraction is about his brother Carlos. Carlos gets sent to live with Alex in Colorado when his gang ties in Mexico get him in trouble. Carlos is good looking, arrogant, cocky, and has a bad attitude. He doesn't want to be there and he doesn't follow rules. On his first day of his senior year he gets assigned a peer guide. Kiara Westford doesn't realize what shes getting into being Carlos peer guide. They don't instantly click but you know how they say opposites attract. When Carlos gets busted for drugs he gets sent to live with Kiara's family. Her father is a Professor and had Alex as a student and wants to help him out. Kiara isn't the type of girl Carlos usually goes for but he finds himself falling for her and falling deeper in trouble with gang issues. Can he get himself on the straight and narrow? Will he and Kiara find true love?

I thought that Carlos was harder to love than Alex. Alex was arrogant and cocky but I liked him sooner than I did Carlos. Carlos is a wise you know what but he grew on me and you can't help but root for him. What I really like about these two books is that Ms. Elkeles wrote an epilogue for both and you get to glimpse into their future and I really like that.

Exciting News

Caragh O'Brien the author of Birthmarked emailed me. I can't explain to you how thrilled I am. It's always really cool to hear from the authors. She saw the review on the blog and wanted to let me know that there will be a sequel. You can find the information on her website under FAQ. I can't tell you how excited I am that there will be a sequel and that she graciously took the time to let me know. So if you haven't read the book read it so that we can all wait anxiously together until the next one is released.

Birth Marked by Caragh M. O'Brien

Reading Level: Young Adult
(5 out of 5)

I really enjoyed this book. I didn't love the ending but I'm hoping that there will be another book to continue the story. Fingers are crossed because when I went on the authors website it didn't say if there would be a second one.

This story is set in the future. A future that has been baked dry by the harsh sun and there are people who live inside the wall and those who live outside the wall. Gaia Stone is sixteen and a midwife that lives outside the wall. She and her family serve the Enclave (government inside the wall). Every month the first three babies born are advanced to the Enclave. Gaia does her duty loyally until her parents are arrested by those she has served. Gaia is forced to question everything she has been taught to believe and she is determined to set her parents free.

Claude and Camille by Stephanie Cowell

CLAUDE & CAMILLE, A NOVEL OF MONET

By Stephanie Cowell

Rated 4

If you are curious about the 19^th century life of famous artists of Impressionism, you will enjoy this book about Claude Monet and his friendships with Renoir and Manet. This historical fiction book begins with Claude Monet and his early life in the seaport town of LeHavre, France. Against his father’s will, and with nothing but a dream and passion to create a new style of art, he set off for Paris. When he met Camille (who was from an upper-class Paris family) she became his inspiration and his future wife who stood by him as they lived in horrible conditions and moved frequently from place to place due to financial problems of artists. Monet’s love of Camille, gardens, and water lilies are evident in his paintings. In the latter part of his life, Monet lived at the now famous Giverny Gardens outside of Paris. I enjoyed the journey of Monet’s life and hope you will too.

“What can be said about a man who is interested in nothing but his painting?”

Claude Monet

Submitted by Helen

Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood

This is Trisha Yearwoods second cookbook. Her first one was Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen. The recipes in both cookbooks are easy and look wonderful. I haven't tested any out yet but I want to try many.

Garth's Breakfast Bowl looks and sounds yummy. Garth Brooks, Trisha's husband, came up with this interesting breakfast bowl. Trisha says that Garth likes to cook breakfast and one morning he wanted something hearty so he put together scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, cheddar cheese, and the special ingredient cheese and roasted garlic tortellini. Who would of thought to put pasta in your breakfast but Trisha says it works and tastes great.

The Apple Dumplings look really good too and they are made with biscuits. Doesn't get any easier than that. I need to stop looking because it's making me hungry. Checkout this book!

Southern Living Comfort Food Cookbook

If you are looking for healthy than don't read this post because this cookbook is full of southern comfort food that is not low fat. I'm sure you can tweak the recipes to shave off calories and fat but why mess with the good stuff.

The Three Cheese Pasta Bake on the front cover looks to die for. I love cheese and pasta so when you throw those two together I'm in heaven. There's a recipe in here for Country Fried Steak that looks wonderful too. I love country fried steak. I really want to try the Pecan Pie Brownies. Ohhhh I think I'm drooling.

If you love cooking and cookbooks then please check this cookbook out. I don't think you would be disappointed.

Beastly the Movie

When I go to the movies I hate to be late because I love the previews. Seeing the previews is a must and I'm glad I caught this one when I went to the show on Sunday. As the preview came on I sat there thinking I know this story. It seems very familiar and then it hit me. I've read the book. The book was Beastly by Alex Flinn. Beastly was actually the first book I blogged about on this blog a little over two years ago. First off I can't believe I've been doing this blog for over two years. Time really does fly. Second I'm so excited that they made this book into a movie. Beastly is a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast and if you want to read the review click on the link: http://hobartlibrarybooknook.blogspot.com/2008/02/beastly-by-alex-flinn.html.

In the movie Alex Pettyfer plays Kyle Kinsbury the incredibly good looking self centered boy that gets turned into a beast by a witch.

The witch who's name is Kendra is played by Mary Kate Olsen.

And Lindy, Kyle's love interest and savior, is played by Vanessa Hudgens.

Will, Kyle's tutor, is played by Neil Patrick Harris whom I love.

The movie comes out July 30 and I hope it's as good as the book.

Hourglass by Claudia Gray

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

Hourglass is the third in this series and there better be a fourth the way the author ended it. This novel finds Bianca and Lucas hiding out with Black Cross, a fanatical group of vampire hunters. After the attack on Evernight Academy Black Cross believes Bianca to be human raised by vampires. What they don't know is that Bianca was born to two vampires and is part vampire part human. Lucas is the only one who knows the truth and they have to keep it a secret or Black Cross will kill them both. Soon Bianca and Lucas are on the run from not only Black Cross but the people from Evernight. Can Bianca escape her destiny of becoming a full vampire?

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Reading Level: Adult
(5 out of 5)

I just can't get enough of Patricia Briggs books. I really like her writing style and her stories. This is the fifth book in the Mercedes Thompson series. Mercy is a mechanic living in the Tri-Cities area of Washington and she can shift into a coyote at will. She lives in a trailer with Samuel who is a werewolf and her neighbor Adam, also a werewolf, is her mate. Mercy's former boss Zee is fae and she is friends with Stephen, a vampire. Mercy keeps interesting company and trouble seems to follow her around. In this book Mercy has a book from the fae and the fae want it back but Mercy's not sure who to trust. To make matters worse Samuel is struggling with his wolf side and Mercy is trying to cover for him so his father Bran doesn't put him to sleep. The next one comes out sometime next year. Can't wait, can't wait, can't wait.

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

Have you ever wanted a book that the library doesn't own? I know I have many times. If the item is new you can send in a Purchase Request form to see if the library will purchase it. Titles not yet published or released will only be accepted within one month of availability. We can't always fulfill each request due to reviews or budget restraints but we do look forward to your suggestions. Now for the books that are two years old or older we can Interlibrary Loan them from other libraries around the country. This is a free service to our resident library card holders. If the book is out there and available then we will find it. The Interlibrary Loan staff is awesome.

Leaving Paradise is a book I wanted to read that the library did not own so they were able to get it through Interlibrary Loan for me. I'm glad that they did because this was a really good book. I wasn't thrilled with the ending but got over it when I turned the last page and read that their will be a sequel continuing Caleb and Maggie's story due out sometime this summer. I can't wait.

What happens when the person who damaged you for life becomes the person you trust the most? (off of the back cover). One fateful night Maggie Armstrong is hit by a drunk driver and Caleb Becker confesses to the crime and gets sentenced to juvenile detention. For the past year Maggie has endured several surgeries on her leg and painful physical therapy. Caleb has endured being behind bars and praying for freedom. When Caleb is released he heads back to Paradise and encounters Maggie. Maggie hates Caleb but they seemed to be drawn to each other. Elkeles has written a story that sticks with you and leaves you wanting more. Throw in a few twists and turns and you are so ready for the sequel. And according to Amazon the sequel is called Return to Paradise and will be out September 1, 2010.

Encyclopedia of Extreame Sports by Kelly Boyer Sagert

Extreme sport enthusiasts are fearless. You would have to be to fling yourself off of a cliff, jump out of a perfectly good airplane, water ski barefoot, or do twisted jumps in the air and land on your snow board. I'll stick to watching and let the professionals do the crazy tricks. It's way to extreme for a wuss like me. I applaud those people for what they can do because it is Amazing to watch and a little scary because I hold my breath the whole time until they land safely and I know they haven't broken their necks. This encyclopedia is really cool. It is full of extreme sport information not only about the different sports but also about the people doing them.

Are you a fan of Shaun White? He's in here.
Love Wake Boarding? That's in here too along with Kite Surfing, Adventure Racing, Lava Sledding (I'll pass, Thank You) and those are just to name a few.

How the book is broken down: Alphabetical List of Entries, Guide to Related Topics, Introduction, Acknowledgments, Timeline of Extreme Sports, Body of Information, and Index.

I recommend reading the introduction because it talks about the difference between extreme and traditional sports, it gives a history, reasons for popularity, the future of extreme sports, and gives you an overview of the encyclopedia. Really interesting book.

You can find it on the New Reference Book shelf.

Tasting Fear by Shannon McKenna

Reading Level: Adult
(3 out of 5)

This book was my companion when I waited in line for four hours with my husband at Dark Lord. Would have gone crazy without it. I had never read Shannon McKenna before and I'm glad I read some excerpts in another book because I discovered Tasting Fear. I knew I had to read it and I'm glad I did. Very good.

This book has three stories in one. Nancy, Nell, and Vivi are adopted sisters who come together when their mother dies. What they soon find out is that their mother was murdered and they are determined to find the killer.

In the first book Nancy meets Liam and passion flares between them. Will Nancy let Liam protect her against the man who murdered her mother?

In the second book Nell has had a crush on the steak sandwich guy from the diner for what seems like forever. When Nell goes on a job interview she's very surprised to find the sandwich guy as the interviewer. Duncan is an expert in computers and wants to help Nell find her mothers killer and offer his protection. Will Nell give in to temptation?

The third book is about Vivi. Vivi needed a place to stay to lay low from the maniac killer and is sent to Oregon to stay with Jack. Vivi's not what Jack expected but he finds himself wanting to protect her. Will these two realize in time that all they need is each other?

Romance and mystery with a little action all rolled into one. I'm already looking into her other books.