The Taking by Kimberly Derting

Reading Level: Young Adult
(4 out of 5)

Coming April 29, 2014

I was so lucky to get my hands on an advanced e-galley of this book.  I love Kimberly Derting's Body Finder series and this first book in her new series about alien abductions did not disappoint.  I don't want to say too much about the book and give anything away.  Just know I read this in two days.  I couldn't put it down, it was that good.  I can't wait to read the next one!


A flash of white light . . . and then . . . nothing.
 
When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas 'n' Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn't aged a day. 

Everything else about Kyra's old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men. 

Confused and lost, Kyra isn't sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin's annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra's father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?(from http://www.kimberlyderting.com/taking.php)

We are Closed: Happy Holidays

All locations of the Lake County Public Library are closed in observance of Christmas Eve (12/24/13) and Christmas Day (12/25/13).  Regular hours will resume on Thursday (12/26/13).

Vixen 03 by Clive Cussler

Reading Level: Adult Fiction
Submitted by Max

Full of mystery, action, and suspense, Vixen 03 is just another literary triumph authored by the acclaimed Clive Cussler.  Involving military secrets, chemical weapons, South Africa and even a battleship, and edge-of-your-seat suspense.  Every chapter is comparable to turning a dark corner, never knowing what lies around the bend.  In this case, if you read this book, excitement, interest, and a great story are around the corner.  Cussler has never failed to create a masterful adventure novel, and this installment is just another example of his consistency.  Some might say the plots are too predictable, but I say, it's the same core story with almost everything completely replaced with something new and creative.  The characters are well thought-out and equally interestingly developed.  Even a bit of humor is thrown into this mix of surprising, entertaining adventure.  I highly recommend Vixen 03 and pretty much any Cussler novel to everyone.  If you do decide to indulge yourself in this first class thrill ride, enjoy.

We are Closed: Happy Holidays

All locations of the Lake County Public Library are closed in observance of Christmas Eve (12/24/13) and Christmas Day (12/25/13).  Regular hours will resume on Thursday (12/26/13).

In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick

Reading Level: Adult Non-Fiction
Submitted by Gerti

I read this book because the story behind the Essex tragedy is what inspired author Herman Melville to write the classic "Moby Dick," read grudgingly by every American high school student.  I have also read that book, and despite the larger themes and leitmotif's-whatever-this is a far better and more interesting account of the matter.

Author Nataniel Philbrick comes from a family of intellectuals who have been inspired by tales of watery daring-do for several generations now.  But given that fine nautical pedigree, Philbrick scores in this book for me by having access to two accounts of the Essex tragedy-the original account published in the 1820's by First Mate Owen Chase, which inspired Melville, but also a newly found recounting by the cabin boy, Thomas Nickerson, which adds much to the story.

The basics-the Nantucket based whaleship Essex was sunk by an enormous sperm whale which rammed into it twice.  That incident alone made it fairly unique among whalers of that time, who weren't used to prey fighting back.  But what adds pathos to the account is that after the ship was sunk, the survivors made every wrong decision they could have made: heading off in the wrong direction, going east toward South America against prevailing winds instead of west, toward Tahiti; not lashing the 3 lifeboats together and hence wasting time looking for other survivors and backtracking to find them; not taking all the food available from the wreck (tortoises from the Galapagos Islands) when they had the chance, and therefore having to resort to cannibalism to get meat to survive.

Beyond the story, though, the author has researched several subjects which add to the depth of the reader's understanding.  He has access to modern medical information about the nature of starvation, and therefore is able to draw some conclusions about what the crewman actually went through during their long weeks at sea.  He looks at whether racism played a role in the survivors (many of them Quakers) cannibalizing black crew members, who died first.  He understands the strong bond between the crewman who came from off-island versus those who hailed from Nantucket, and explains why that group had the highest number of survivors.  Best of all Philbrick doesn't really pass judgement as much as he brilliantly profiles those sad fellows who were forced to live through more than average people have to, in terms of physical endurance, moral compunction and psychological stresses, and draws clearly understandable portraits that a modern audience of non-seafarers can grasp.

Finally, he looks at the survivors, and how they carried on after going through so much.  Were they able to summon the strength to succeed?  You'll have to read to find out, but oh gentle reader!  It's such a worthwhile journey! I loved this book!

Nano by Robin Cook

Reading Level: Adult Fiction
Submitted by Gerti

I picked this book by Robin Cook up from the library "New Releases" shelf because I have read a number of Cook books in the past, and always liked his topics and characters.  The topic of nanotechnology holds little interest for me, however, which is why I am happy to say that Cook deals with it in a way that involves little scientific mumbo-jumbo and lots of action.

The main character is Pia Grazdni, a woman who works at a nanotechnology firm out west.  She has graduated from medical school (where she apparently solved a murder/kidnapping-story from a previous book I hadn't read) and one of her med school colleagues is in town to check up on her, for his own romantic reasons.  Cook draws her as a cold fish, however, and she is not interested in him, or any of the other male characters drawn to her smoking body and exotic looks.  She is secretly the daughter of a mobster out east who hails from Albania, and who helped her solve the previous mystery I mentioned from an earlier Cook novel.

The CEO of the company she works at is working with the Chinese to program mini-robots which increase the respiration ability of their athletes.  In the process, he is using Chinese prisoners as guinea pigs, and Pia eventually finds this out before disappearing herself.  Her former bf George works with a local doctor and then Pia's estranged mobster father to track her down, and the fact that she is not located by the end of the book is one of its huge disappointments.  While the character of Pia is not truly likeable, I kink of expect the protagonists to emerge unscathed and the evil-doers to get their just desserts, but that doesn't happen here.

So I give Cook credit for not being formulaic with this novel, but in that, it is a departure from his previous books i have read, in which the good guys win.  I wonder if it's a refection of the fact that Robin Cook has gotten older that he no longer believes in the happy ending, or if he's just setting this book up for a sequel.  Regardless, it was an entertaining ride through the world of competitive science, with a cast of characters who are sometimes stereotypical, but often just odd enough to be interesting.

The Energy of Slaves by Leonard Cohen

Reading Level: Adult Poetry
Submitted by Gerti

This is the second book of Leonard Cohen's poetry that I have read, the first book being written when he was younger, and the change is obvious!  "The Energy of Slaves" is a more mature work, although some of this themes remain constant-women/romance, religion, and politics.

Just like "The Spice-Box of Earth," the young Canadian's first volume of poetry, "The Energy of Slaves," has a confessional tone which at times is uncomfortable to read.  But the quality of the poems is better, and I liked more of them as a result.

I'm now on this 3rd book of poetry that I checked out of the library, and it is a compilation of his best work, so I'll be curious to see if those I selected as my favorites were also selected by poet and his editor for inclusion in that volume.  It includes the poem "Suzanne," which Cohen turned into a lyric which has acquired quite a bit of fame, and is in fact one of the songs/lyrics of his for which he is known. 

A slim 127 pages, but there are about 8 poems in this book that I really liked.  This book is worthier of your time than "The Spice-Box of Earth," and it's easy to read a few poems whenever there are free moments in the day.  So yes, if you like poetry and especially confessional poetry with a strong feel of the 70s, this might be the volume to keep on the nightstand, in the car (or in the bathroom!) "The Energy of the Slaves," is still not a work of genius for me, but once again, there are lines, verses and topics that show the promise of things to come.

Great Scientists by Jacqueline Fortey

Reading Level: Juvenile Non-Fiction
Submitted by Gerti

"Great Scientists" by Jacqueline Fortey is an ambitious overview of a number of scientists from Aristotle in ancient times to Stephen Hawking, so current that he's been the butt of jokes on "The Big Bang Theory" designed for a young audience.  My biggest issue with the book is that I disagree with terming all the people chosen to highlight here as "great" scientists, but that's an issue for intellectuals to discuss in dimly-lit British pubs.  The reason this book exists is to acquaint you readers with the minds and movements of " the pioneers who changed the way we think about our world," as the cover states.  And to a large extent, the book is a good one as it accomplishes that goal.

I enjoyed the information contained in the book, but would quibble with the choice of scientists and "sidebars", the stories of other apparently "less great" (at least to Jacqueline Fortey) scientist who somehow supplemented the work of the great ones.  One example of this is the story of Barbara McClintock, who certainly aided in the understanding of DNA, but who wasn't even a sidebar in the section of Watson and Crick (the team who discovered its structure) but got a blurb on the page devoted to the Nobel Prize.  Having just finished another book on DNA, I knew about her extensive contribution to genetics and the world's understanding on inherited elements, and so felt that she was slighted in this volume.  Another example is Nikola Tesla, who was completely ignored in this books, even though his work on electricity rivaled that of Edison, who gets 2 pages here.

I acknowledge the difficulties inherent in producing a volume like this, but found several omissions of scientists I would consider great, the inclusion of several I would consider minor, and several typographical errors in the sidebar stories, I felt that "Great Scientists" was more of a committee effort, and was surprised today to find that one person was considered the author.  Perhaps that is exactly why the work is uneven-because one person cannot be an expert in all the areas of science that are covered in this umbrella title.  I am willing to admit that my own opinion as a non-scientist is also to be questioned when it comes to making such decisions of inclusion and exclusion, but perhaps DK could have benefited from that committee of scientific intellectuals in order to have more accurately found the 30 scientists who make up the majority of this book.

Duchessina-A Novel of Catherine de Medici by Carolyn Meyer

Reading Level: Young Adult
Submitted by Gerti

When my daughter had to do a report on Catherine de Medici for her 8th grade class, I requested this book from the library.  The book arrived after the report, but I decided to read it anyway, since I like the approach Carolyn Meyer's takes with her series of Princess biographies, by focusing on the historical figures as children and teens.

I knew from Stephanie's report that Catherine de Medici's parents had died when she was still an infant, which already makes the Duchessina a sympathetic character.  What the Wikipedia articles on the Duchess of Urbino don't focus on is the next part of her life, which the young Catherine spent hiding in convents, as the city of Florence turned against her rich and famous family.  Meyer again makes Catherine an object of pity, as she shows how hard it was for her to have a famous name...giving me a little more sympathy for those rich kids who show up in TV news reports after having done something incredibly stupid, despite having advantages of wealth and fame that normal mortals don't have.  Meyer makes it sound more like a curse than a gift to shoulder a name and a reputation, even before you've grown up to earn one.  It's a fresh perspective, and I always welcome that while reading.

Meyer also gives de Medici a childhood romance, which of course the school of research on Catherine didn't turn up.  Whether or not it's accurate or wholly fictional, I don't know, but it does, I'm sure, make the book more appealing to teenaged readers, who may be harboring their own crushes!  The rest of de Medici's life follows the historical pattern we studied-she moves to France to marry a prince who doesn't love her, but survives it exactly because she had been brought up in such a cold, loveless environment.  Who knows what would have become of her if she had in fact been coddled and sensitive, like we expect our princesses to be!  And she triumphs in the end exactly because of her ability to endure and look at the big picture, which is a great message to send.

In short, I'm not sure about the amount of "fact" in this fictional account, but I do like Meyer's use of language, and her story-telling abilities are spot on in this novel for young adults.  She makes Catherine de Medici an accessible character, someone to whom teen girls can relate, and that's a pretty neat trick for a historical figure who died hundreds of years ago!  Meyer makes Renaissance Italy as real as downtown Hobart, and "Duchessina" a book worth reading for all audiences, from children to adults.

Atlantis Found by Clive Cussler

Reading Level: Adult Fiction
Submitted by Max

I apologize if it seems like Cussler novels are all that I review these days, but that will change soon.  I've read my whole collection now, so I should be reviewing different books from now on.  To the point, Atlantis Found is just another great adventure novel.  Cussler has truly mastered the art of keeping the reader entertained, even if you're not on the edge of your seat, so to speak.  This adventure takes you around the world, from Colorado to Argentina to Antarctica and back.  The plot involves a cult of Neo Nazi fanatics who plan to induce a polar shift by cutting off one of the Antarctic ice shelves, causing massive flooding worldwide.

Nazis in Antarctic is one theme that is widely overused, but in this book it seems to work. Once again the unlikely heroes from the National Underwater & Marine Agnecy (Numa) must stop a maniacal scheme of world domination.  My only criticism is that after you've read many Cussler novels, the plot begins to be a tad too predictable.  There's always one twist, but after that, you can pretty much tell where the book is going.  One thing I do like is the clever dialogue between characters, and the characters themselves.

Overall, another great adventure novel to occupy yourself with, perhaps if you're taking a break from racking your brain over more complex novels.  Regardless, the Cussler series will continue to be one of my favorites, with interesting, humorous characters and action packed adventures.  Cussler will never let you down.

The Big Skinny by Carol Lay

Reading Level: Adult Graphic Novel
(4 out of 5)

I thought I had seen every type of weight loss book known to man but I was wrong!  The Big Skinny How I Changed My Fattitude by Carol Lay is a graphic novel weight loss guide memoir.  I have to say it was fun to read.  She even provides some fun recipes at the end of the book.  If you have ever struggled with your weight you can relate to this book and laugh out loud.  Her thoughts have been your thoughts and her struggles have been your struggles.  It is really fun to read someone's memoirs picture by picture!

The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama

Reading Level: Adult Fiction
Submitted by Gerti

I started to read this book because I had heard it was sort of Indian "Pride and Prejudice," which is a book by one of my favorite authors.  And I can see how such a comparison can be drawn-as Aruna, the clerk at the eponymous Marriage bureau, is poor, but of noble (Brahmin) birth, and she falls in love with a rich Brahmin boy, but the two books only intersect in their focus occasionally, and are not that similar.

In this book, the focus is really on Mr. Hyder Ali, a retired civil servant who desires not to annoy his wife during his free time, so he starts a match-making business in South India.  He is a Muslim, but in the new India portrayed in this novel, that is of less interest than it would have been a half century ago.  He has clients who are Muslim, Christian, and Hindus, and in one of the final scenes of the book, one of his neighbors comments exactly on the change that country has undergone, where Muslims and Christians can attend a wedding of a Brahmin couple and nothing seems amiss.  It is an amazing transformation!

The novel lays out the conflict between old India and new, where old India is represented by the parents who seek to match their children with others of their caste.  But it also shows how the younger generation has changed: various clients are divorced and seek a match, and others do not care about the caste of their future spouses.  What seems to be the top priority in the matches Ali makes is money, and perhaps in that, the novel pairs up well with Jane Austen's British classic.  The novel, however, is larger in scope, spending more time dealing with the issues between Indian citizens and their government, than Austen even did.

The charm of this novel comes from the dialogue, as the irrepressible Mr. ali interacts so well with his equally likeable spouse, his many clients and neighbors.  Like Austen, it describes a specific place in time, as Mr. Ali carries on a normal life rarely seen by us in the West, going to ethnic weddings or buying mangos from street vendors.  And although this book is modern, it still has the Austenian virtue of taking the reader to another world, this one many thousand miles rather than centuries away.  And it is a fascinating world, as the final "essays" which describe the cast system, the scenery, religions and languages in depth clearly show.  I only wish those chapters had come earlier, as I didn't even realize that the word for "father" or "mother" was different in Urdu and Teluga, the 2 languages of the main characters here.

In short, I was thoroughly charmed by the characters, especially Mr. Ali and his wife.  However, I think for an American audience, reading Mrs. Ali's essays (written as she is trying to perfect her English) at the end of the book would be a better introduction to the world the author shows so beautifully.  The book is like a good first date-you wish it would go on forever!

Reading Level: Adult
Submitted by Gerti

Place a hold for the book Here

I bought this book by Michael Crichton from the library book room, mainly on the power of Crichton's name, but also because I didn't realize it was fiction.  The cover screams a number of interesting questions-"Is a loved one missing some body parts? Are blonde's becoming extinct?" And it seemed like a non-fiction study of these issues, and others.  (I think the cover we have from the catalog is different than the cover she purchased)

Instead, this book is a hodge-podge of ideas like those that Crichton attempts to knit into a cohesive story.  And from the first, I wondered if he were not perhaps just jotting down interesting ideas, and waiting for some screenwriter to knit them into a cohesive story, because although Crichton brings some of the characters and disparate story lines together by the end, it seems more like a patch job than something he intended from the beginning.

Some of the characters include: talking parrots, monkey children, lawyers, bounty hunters, scientists, CEO's, security guards, pet shop boys and the head of the NIH.  If it sounds scattershot, it is, and each scene contains new characters and issues, until I felt like I needed a score card to tell the people and plot lines apart.  Now I know I'm getting older and was never good at puzzles to start with, but this seemed like a hot mess and not in a good way.  I've read Crichton before and not had the problem of keeping characters straight, especially when I read the whole book in just a few days.  Some of the issues he touches on-including the morality of owning genes, and the small number of different genes between humans and other animals (like parrots), are fascinating ones.  But the whole thing could have used an editor to put the central theme into focus.

Big Data by Viktor Mayer-Schoenberger and Kenneth Cukier

Reading Level: Adult Non-Fiction

Submitted by Gerti

If you want to know what this book is about, you have to read the reviews on the back cover, as they are brilliant summaries of what the notion of "Big Data" encompasses.  They include blurbs from Marc Benioff, the chairman and CEO of Salesforce.com, a major American computer company, and Lawrence Lessig, a Harvard law professor.  The quote I like the best, though, is from a person named Clay Shirky, who says, "Just as water is wet in a way that individual water molecules aren't, big data can reveal information in a way  that individual bits of data can't."  that clarifies things for my non-scientific mind.

It was not an easy book to read, as I'm not a computer science major, or even someone who's read a computer textbook before.  But it is fascinating, as it brings into focus how computers and the information they crunch are effecting personal privacy and our understanding of life in general.  The first example of Big Data the two authors use is how Google knew about what areas of the US were being hit by a flu outbreak, based on what their users were searching for.  I'm not bothered by Google holding on to that information if the result is potentially a way the government and its health organizations can keep track of the spread of a disease.  However, the authors here highlight the darker side of that information-that knowing who looks up flu might someday lead Google to telling the government which people should be quarantined, especially if we ever ran across a "black plague" type situation.  This happens in horror movies about zombies, where sometimes healthy people are held back with the infected ones, and while that is obviously scary, it is clearly fictional.  This book implies that a similar situation, involving a very real disease outbreak, could well occur, especially if someone is watching what you search for on your computer or listening to what you say on your cell phone.

I like how the pair of authors point to examples where government information gathering has been used in negative ways even in the past, for example, how Census data helped the US government put Japanese citizens into internment camps during World War II.  But the two men also show the upside of gathering Big Data-how companies like Amazon show you what books you might be interested in buying today based on your past purchases.  I was just pleased today at how E-Bay was doing the same think for me when I logged in this morning.

Is it worth reading?  Yes-I will even purchase it for my home library.  I also hope to buy a few extra copies for friends of mine who work in the computer industry, as the book points out some lucrative "Big Data" job opportunities in the near future.  But like the authors, I also worry about how the vast collections of personal information may someday effect our lives in a negative way.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Reading Level: Young Adult

Submitted by Gerti

I’m not sure if this book is supposed to be for adults or young adults, but John Green’s “An Abundance of Katherines” has a charming pre-college narrator who has a bright, contemporary voice. His tortured tales of teen romance took me back to my own glory days. Colin Singleton is a child prodigy who is working hard on becoming a genius, and in his spare time, he romances 18 different women with the same first name. That is just one of the quirks about Colin that makes him such a delightful narrator, even though he is busy trying to survive his breakup with Katherine 19. It’s that breakup that precipitates a road trip of self discovery, as he and his best (only) friend Hassan head down I-65 from Chicago to take Colin’s mind off his heart.

Colin spends his time (while trying not to focus on his latest breakup) by coming up with a mathematical formula that will predict the course of any relationship, based on such factors as a person’s sex, and whether the person asking is more likely to be the dumper or the dumpee when it all falls apart. In the tiny roadside berg of Gutshot,Tennessee, Colin and Hassan meet an equally charming and quirky girl named Lindsey who shows them the grave of Franz Ferdinand, the famous Hapsburg whose assassination in 1914 lead to the start of World War I. When her mother offers them a summer job interviewing the locals to help her write a history of the town, the boys decide to stay.

Of course, Colin falls in love with the girl who by virtue of being a Lindsey breaks him out of his Katherine rut. He also comes out of his geeky, fame-driven shell and does things he could never imagine doing before during his sheltered and dysfunctional upbringing, like wild hog hunting with a 12-gage shotgun. Hassan, who is a Muslim, also does a number of things that are not haram, including kissing a girl and drinking beer. So at its heart, this is a coming of age novel involving both of the boys, which is certainly a classic form when writing about teens. But as opposed to reading something by a dead author like Thomas Mann, this bildungsroman is as light and fluffy as meringue and as contemporary as a gluten allergy. In fact, so many of Green’s characters grow and change during this novel that it is as refreshing as a hit of wasabi as we watch these characters to whom we’ve formed an attachment become more alive and real every minute. You almost expect them to step off the page and show up outside your door, ready to eat cheeseburgers and watch Judge Judy.

I don’t know what the Printz medal is, but after having read this book, I fully believe that John Green deserved to win it with this charming, easy-to-read novel that will take all its readers to the heart of what it means to be young, smart and in love. I can’t wait to read more by Green, and imagine that this book is destined to become a movie.

Just so you know the Printz medal: The Michael L. Printz Award annually honors the best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit, each year.  To read more about it click Here

Eva by Peter Dickinson

Reading Level: Young Adult
Submitted by Gerti

I read this book because it is assigned reading for my kids’ school. Though eco-science fiction is not a genre I would usually read, it fits in with their goal of teaching middle schoolers about ecology and overpopulation in today’s world. Author Peter Dickinson has set his narrative in a different world (perhaps a future earth?) in which man has destroyed the planet, so that there are only small areas of the globe where the surviving species can live. Not all species have survived to this time, but among those still in existence (mainly due to their use as experimental animals) are chimps, and this story revolves around a chimp research scientist, his wife and their 13-year-old daughter.

The scientist and his family (along with a few chimps) are involved in a terrible accident before the book starts, and the tragic result is that his daughter’s body has been destroyed. To save her “life”, her brain is transplanted into the body of a young female chimp, “Kelly”. So the first few chapters of the book involve the daughter – Eva Adamson – and her brain’s merger and acceptance of her new simian body. We meet various characters, all of whom have different motivations for making this first-of-its-kind experiment successful, including other doctors and researchers, as well as television producers and a juice company who adopts Eva as their living logo. Dickinson also makes up some new vocabulary for this “other world,” and that’s one of the places where the book falls flat for me.

So Eva becomes a “shaper” celebrity, and although she tries to go back to her earlier lifestyle of school, friends and family, it is the chimp society that really draws her interest. Over her mother’s objections, Eva begins to spend more and more time with the animals, and finally begins to adopt a leadership position in their society. A friendly producer named Grog helps a small group of chimps migrate to an island to shot natural footage for a planned “shaper” show. But when a storm rolls in, Eva and her group use the bad weather to escape to another part of the island, away from cameras and people. The book ends with Eva’s daughter and granddaughter chimps coming to see her before she dies, having lived many years in the wild.

The back cover calls this book “Daring! Mesmerizing! Riveting!” and that language is a little strong. While the plot is interesting, and the writing is sometimes clever, it is an imperfect book whose message is more important than its medium. Dickinson would have been just as well served leaving out words like “shaper” and just using our current TV technology to make his point. There is no great technological leap in his world, as people are still using cars, boats and helicopters to get around, children are still going to schools, and adults still have jobs, so the world is not that different. However, “Eva” does inspire questions about the nature of research and using animals for experiments, and for that reason, it would be appropriate to teach a middle school audience.

Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith

Reading Level: Adult

Submitted by Gerti

I’ve read Steve Hockensmith’s “Dawn of the Dreadfuls” twice now, but it has enough witty language and raunchy humor in it to make for an entertaining trip even the second time through. While there are some parts I find annoying (mostly the training with the Master and his dand-baithaks), the characters remain so true to the Jane Austen original (“Pride and Prejudice”) that it is a delight to revisit them even under these unfortunate, near-apocalyptic circumstances.

The protagonist in this book, like in the classic English novel “Pride and Prejudice”, is Elizabeth Bennet, the 2^nd oldest daughter of a man who, we learn here, is skilled in the art of killing zombies. Only a polite person does not use the “zed word” in at this time period, so they are called dreadfuls or unmentionables. Except they need to be mentioned frequently, as even the quiet countryside of Meryton is being overrun by the undead. Because of Mr. Bennet’s connection to the previous war against zombies, he is able to send to the war office for help for his small community after a man cut is half by a carriage refuses to remain dead, shocking the mourners during his funeral. Mr. Bennet is also forced to begin training his 5 daughters in some Oriental arts in order to defend their home and neighbors against the zombie hordes to come, even if it does get them uninvited to parties.

Like in Austen’s original, the eldest daughter Jane is beautiful and sensitive. Her younger sisters, Mary, Lydia and Kitty, retain their quiet and boy-crazy personalities, respectively. It is delightful to see how each girl reacts to the zombies… and though nothing in Austen’s time could have prepared that author for such a situation, Hockensmith handles the girls antics and dialogue how Austen would have. Master Hawksworth comes from the east to help training the Bennet girls, but when he develops a crush on Elizabeth, his true cowardly nature comes to the fore. She finds a second suitor when crazed scientist Dr. Keckilpenny seeks to end the zombie scourge through research, with her help.

Even Mrs. Bennet, remembered for her match-making blather which caused so much embarrassment in “Pride and Prejudice,” has a romance here in “Dawn of the Dreadfuls” when her old beau Captain Cannon comes to town. He has lost all his arms and legs in the previous zombie war, but is wheeled around by 2 fellows he calls his limbs. Yes, much of this book is wildly funny and crazy, but it retains some of the wit of the original, and in that, it is miles above many of the Austen retakes I’ve read. “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” is brilliant because it uses mostly Austen’s text, with the word “zombie” added to each page. Hockensmith’s sendup is a devilishly clever prequel to that book, and well worth you reading it too!

Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart

Reading Level: Adult Non-Fiction

Submitted by Gerti

With a title like that, how could I refuse this book?  I did not know that Lincoln's mother had been killed by a weed found on their Indiana farm!  But I also didn't know that one of the boys in my daughters school could get his hands ruined (and miss a school trip!) because he had been squeezing limes, and then went out in the sun.  It's in here, too!  And I thought I had it bad when I had to cut onions!

I won't call this a good book, but "Wicked Plants" is a book full of strange and unusual facts that if you are anything like me, you won't know about plants either.  I like that the plants are arranged alphabetically, and that there is a tab on the upper right corner of the page that indicates whether a plant fits categories, like "deadly" or "illegal."  My only quibble is that there are no actual full color pictures of plants, but instead drawings of the plants, which make it hard to distinguish scale and color.  I wouldn't want to try to identify poison ivy based on one of these drawings!

I am also but off by the collection of really bizarre pictures in the book that I can't even quantify. Perhaps they only occur in the chapters on illegal and psychedelic plants, but they are disturbing to say the least.  People with leaves growing out of their head are the mildest form.  Others have limbs growing out of other places, and it's just plain weird.  Despite their obvious artistic merit, I would have preferred a nice glossy photo of what the plant and its variations really look like than either the botanical illustrations or trippy etchings.

Is it worth reading? Yes, it's probably even worth purchasing for the home library, since it talks about how dangerous your carrots, limes, and potatoes can be, as well as those lovey things that grow out in the garden called flowers.  I think it's good information to have if you have kids or pets who could be hurt by eating things you didn't even know were dangerous, and therefore planted in your yard or flower box for their pretty color or smell.  Frankly, I was astonished by how many plants are "wicked," as author Amy Stewart call them.  As she says in her intro, I naively thought the natural world was benign, but it is downright scary out there!  This book makes me glad that I spend most of my time indoors!

Let's Get This Party Started by Soleil Moon Frye

Reading Level: Adult Non-Fiction
(4 out of 5)

You know that this is going to be a fun book when it is written by Punky Brewster!    Soleil Moon Frye doesn't disappoint.  I think I oh'ed and ah'ed over every page.  Her party ideas are fun, affordable, and they can be adapted for library programs.  I absolutely loved all the color pictures.  Most of you know I love my picture books!

If you are looking for new ideas for party planning check this book out!

Death Benefit by Robin Cook

Reading Level: Adult

Submitted by Gerti

Robin Cook is one of my favorite authors, so it comes as not surprise that I really enjoyed one of his recent books, called Death Benefit.  It involves (briefly) several of his stock characters, New York Medical Examiners Laurie Montgomery and Jack Stapleton, who are some of my favorites.  But in this book, the protagonist is Pia Grazdani, a Colombia University medical student, who finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery while working in a lab on campus.  Both the professors running the lab die, and everyone else assumes they are killed by germs they have been working on, but Pia can't buy that.

The subplot involves a pair of Wall Street hotshots who have created a company that buys back life insurance policies from sick, elderly people, and their profits would be down if the Columbia professors work growing human organs were successful.  So they solicit some Albanian mobsters to kill the professors, and make it look like they were killed by their germ experiments, while in reality they have radiation poisoning.

Pia and the medical examiners get together while she is trying to find out whether the professors bodies are giving off alpha radiation, but her interference causes the mobsters to kidnap her and shoot another fellow from the lab.  It seems like all the loose ends have been tied ups, until the New York Albanians discover that the girl they've kidnapped is related to an Albanian mobster from New Jersey, and then they turn on the Wall Street guys.

If it seems complicated, it is, but there is enough of both medical information and spy drama to make for a rollicking read.  There are some mysteries left unresolved, especially regarding the workmen who spend days working on the air conditioning in the lab.  Are they mobsters?  One of the fellows does talk to Pia about her Albanian-sounding name, but it is never made clear that they are mobsters and that was when the radioactive material was planted in the professor's office.  Except for the question mark, I think "Death Benefit" was well written and will please any true Cook fan, just as it pleased me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

All locations of LCPL will be closed in observance of Thanksgiving.  Normal hours 10am-6pm will resume on Friday, 11/29/13.  Come say Hi if you aren't out braving the Black Friday shopping!

Catching Fire the Movie!

Sunday night I went and saw Catching Fire and I loved it.  It has been a while since I read the books so I didn't spend the whole movie analyzing what was right and what was wrong.  For the most part it seemed like they followed the book.  If they made changes I think it just enhanced the movie.  Of course since this is a trilogy the ending leaves you hanging.

But never fear we only have another year to wait to see Mockingjay part 1!  I still can't believe they are splitting the book into two movies.  They just love to torture us.

If you have seen the movie leave a comment letting us know how you thought it compared to the book.

Divergent by Veronica Roth (Movie Trailer)

I thought I would give everyone a sneak peek at the Divergent movie trailer.  Seeing the action makes me want to read the book.  I guess I better get myself on the waiting list!

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Reading Level: Adult Fiction

Submitted by Gerti

Back in the days when I taught a short story class to college freshmen, Sandra Cisneros was one of the authors the school chose for me to teach them. The story they chose of hers was called “The House on Mango Street,” and it comes from this collection of vignettes, published back in 1984. I never liked it as much as some of the other stories I had to teach, and I was amazed every semester that the students I taught at the New Hampshire technical college always responded so well to it.

Cisneros writes this story collection about the daily life, dreams and encounters of a young girl growing up in the Latino section of Chicago. We see the house she lives in, and meet her family, neighbors, friends and teachers, and despite her simple “young girl” language, the characters are distinctly if not completely drawn. We meet the landlord, the crazy cat lady, and the teenaged neighbor girl who does the baby sitting who is desperate to escape that street and that life. We see the desperation and “harsh reality” of the area, symbolized by a beautiful hidden garden that gradually gets filled with junker cars after the hard-working Asian family who tended it moves away. We see the girl Esperanza’s shame at the shabbiness of her house, and her growing desire to exceed expectations and leave the area to become someone different from her own mother, someone who lives up to their dreams and is not burdened by raising children.

The critics still like this book more than do I, and they heap praise on Cisneros’ writing. “Marvelous… spare yet luminous” reads the blurb from the San Francisco Chronicle writer, although I would only agree with the word “spare.” “Deeply moving” writes the critic from the Miami Herald, and once again, I disagree. I find too much of Cisneros’s anger in the vignettes, and am uncomfortable with her obviously biographical “voice”. I find it more poignant than delightful, as spare as poetry but without a poet’s skill. I don’t find her “one of the most brilliant of today’s young writers” as Gwendolyn Brooks says, and find the pictures Cisneros’ draws as difficult to access and understand as a blue period Picasso.

The only story that sings for me (with the clever line “Today we are Cinderella”) is the one where Esperanza and her sisters are given second-hand shoes to wear. The young girls run up and around the neighborhood wearing the fashionable footware, until they realize that the high heels have turned them into sexual objects to the men in the neighborhood, and then they hide the shoes away until they are thrown out. Only in this story do I hear the shrill note of the neighborhood, and feel the fear and sobriety that is the undercurrent of living there.

I don’t like it, and I wouldn’t want to read more by Cisneros in this style. But at least I can say now that I’ve read the whole book, and “it’s not her, it’s me.”

Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman

Reading Level: Adult Non-Fiction

Submitted by Gerti

As you might expect from an author whose name means “holy man” in German, Deborah Heiligman has written an account of what religion meant in the life of a very famous man - Charles Darwin. For those who don’t know, he was the British naturalist who came up with the “survival of the fittest” concept of evolution, and hence butted heads with those who were more comfortable with the creation story in the Bible, where God created everything that ever lived. This book spends most of its time dealing with that dilemma in Darwin’s life.

But the method this book uses to examine the gulf between Darwin’s theories and commonly held religious beliefs in the 1800s is to examine the relationship between Darwin and his wife Emma, who was far more religious than her husband. Heiligman’s book details the Darwin’s many children and their happy family life. And it shows how the death of the couple’s favorite child, Annie, challenged Emma’s belief in heaven and killed Charles’ entirely. More important in regards to his scientific contributions, it details what influenced Darwin to make his great leap of thought – including his voyage on the HMS Beagle and the Thomas Robert Malthus’ essay on human population growth and decline that Darwin thought might explain the growth and decline of plant and animal species as well. The book even shows the influence Darwin had on popular culture – from the cartoons that lampoon the relationship between monkeys and humans, to the novel “Wives and Daughters” by Elizabeth Gaskell where the hero was modeled after Darwin.

I found the book interesting, as it humanizes the iconic figure, showing how worried Darwin was about releasing “The Origin of Species” before it was perfect, and how he dealt with public and private opposition to his theory, as well as to closely-related rival theories. The text delves into his many fascinations – with bugs, birds, for example, and explains what might seem a mystery for modern people - why he was able to spend so much time being a naturalist (his family was related to the rich and famous Wedgwoods.) It also lists Darwin’s many illnesses, and shows how hard he had to work to overcome his frequent bouts with headaches and intestinal distress in order to research and write his many books (and journals).

So the book taught me more about Darwin the man than a simple biography would have. But my criticism is that, at times, the author’s need to link religion to a particular moment in Darwin’s life felt forced, although I understand that she wanted to make this more than an “ordinary” biography. Yet, even with that issue, the book is worth reading if you have any interest in the life of this ordinary man with an extraordinary mind.

Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan

Reading Level: Adult Non-Fiction

Submitted by Gerti

Dad is not only fat, he is FUNNY, which is no surprise given that the author is Chesterton native Jim Gaffigan. In this comic look at parenthood, the LaLumiere graduate writes with wit and humor about how a child from northern Indiana ends up living in a two-bedroom New York apartment with a wife and five children.

I requested the book after seeing Gaffigan during his latest appearance at the Radisson theater in Merrillville. During his lengthy show, I could barely catch my breath for laughing, especially as some of his humor deals with what it’s like to live here in the region. While not as funny as seeing him in person (tone of voice, and let’s face it, his unique look, add a lot to the jokes), I thoroughly enjoyed his riffs on what it’s like taking care of pale children, going to restaurants with kids, and trying to get the kids to sleep. My kids are already teenagers, so those crazy sleep-deprived days of infants and cribs are far behind me, but his writing was evocative enough to remind me of what I wasn’t really missing. He has some sharp commentary on family gatherings, and on how the enthusiasm among his friends for his growing family has dimmed with each addition. The drawings and photographs that accompany the text are also exceptionally funny.

While I can’t relate to living in NY, anyone with kids will be able to sympathize with Gaffigan as he tries to survive the hurdles of having kids in different schools, different parenting styles, and trying to get through family vacations and holiday gatherings. I love his self-deprecating humor, and while not as funny as seeing him live, “Dad is Fat” was a welcome, well-paced diversion while I was waiting for my own kids to finish their sporting practice and music lessons.

The Perfect Match by Kristan Higgins

The second book in the Blue Heron series follows another Holland sister.  Honor is the oldest sibling in the family and after a trip to the gynocologist she is told she should really think about having babies because her eggs are getting up there in years.  After asking her long time crush and best friend to marriage and in return being rejected shes not sure what to do next.  Enter Tom Barlow-who is trying to stay to in the country because of his unofficial stepson.  With his work visa about to expire he has to get a green card somehow. The two agree to marry each other but will they see the feelings they have for each other?

The family relationships is one thing that makes this such a great book. Tom is trying so hard to keep his relationship with his almost stepson alive.  He's willing to do anything for the boy who has turned into a moody teen and wants nothing to do with Tom. 

Higgins books are always full of funny moments.  Throughout the book Honor's eggs have a running commentary with her and like in the first book in the series, The Best Man, the Holland grandparents are as dysfunctional as ever.

Hilarious and heart breaking at times this book was a fantastic read.  I'm excited that there is going to be a book three in this series!

This book will be out on October 29.  Place a hold on it here.

Dust by Joan Frances Turner

Reading Level: Adult

Submitted by Max

Dust is an excitingly fresh look at the frequently explored genre of the post-apocalyptic zombie world.  As an added bonus, the story takes place right here in Northwest Indiana.  But that is only one of the pleasant surprises Turner has in store.  Unlike most zombie novels, movies and TV shows, this tale is told from the perspective of a zombie!  Our undead one-armed heroine Jessie has settled somewhat comfortably into the zombified world.  In this world the zombies can communicate quite well with each other, and besides craving raw meat and shambling along, are very much still conscious beings.  Following the infection of the area, most of the humans have fled to fortified towns, and science teams work along the lakeshore in an attempt to find a cure.  But just as things began to settle down, a new disease is introduced by the scientists that brings unforeseen consequences.  It was meant to exterminate the zombies by destroying their digestive tracks, and it does that.  But it also gives them regenerative abilities that allow them to plague the humans more than ever before.  But that's not the beginning of it, as the disease will kill humans after making them as ravenous as the zombies.  As the carefully balanced world begins to fall apart, Jessie and her undead friends try to reach the lakeshore.  An aging undead had told her that the sands had healing powers, and could preserve them.  As a last resort they trudge through the newly devastated world, while deception, betrayal, and the disease itself tear them apart.  Giving the zombies feelings and a voice between each other makes them seem even more human than the survivors, and it brings a new side to the genre.  As touching as it is entertaining and engaging, Dust is a well-written mix of dark humor, unexplored concepts, interesting story and emotional moments that will make you want to get to the last page much faster than a zombie can walk.  It is a one of a kind book, and i recommend it to anyone hungry for a good zombie book.

Written In Bone by Simon Beckett

Reading Level: Adult

Submitted by Gerti

This is the second novel I have read by mystery writer Simon Beckett, and it's a bit of a disappointment.  It's only been a few weeks since I read his first one, "The Chemistry of Death," and his third, "Whispers of Death," which is perhaps even better than the first.  "Written in Bone," however, does not come up to the level of the other two, despite the drama that lasts up until the final paragraphs.

In the novel in the series, the protagonist, Dr. David Hunter, came to a small British village called Manham in response to an advertisement for a general practitioner.  The back story is that Hunter's wife and daughter were killed in an auto accident, and he left the city of London because he found it hard to deal with the death of his family constantly working on homicide cases for the police.

In the course of solving a series of murders in Manham, Hunter started dating a single school teacher Jenny.  After she is kidnapped and then saved by him (of course!), the couple return to London, and Hunter goes back to his career as a forensic anthropologist because he realizes the dead need him to tell their tales.  At the start of this second book in the series, Hunter has just finished one investigation, but is called in to help with what seems like a simple case in the Outer Hebrides on an island called Runa.  The rest of Britain's forensic teams are busy working on a train crash with multiple victims, so Hunter feels obligated to go check out what looks at first to be a hobo burned by a fire set in an abandoned hut, which is discovered by Brody, a police detective who retired there.  Hunter and Brody get on well, but are hindered in their investigation by a drunken Sergeant named Fraser, who feels Brody should have stayed retired.

The police team analyzes the strange burnt body, which looks to a young policeman to have spontaneously combusted, because the feet, ankles and a hand have remained unburnt.  But Hunter soon realizes it's homicide, which means a crime team should be called in.  The weather refuses to cooperate, however, and first communications with the outside world are lost, then the storm threatens to destroy the decrepit shelter in which the body is housed, forcing Hunter and his group to move the remains to the island's clinic.  When the clinic catches on fire while Hunter is there trying to determine the victim's identity, he realizes that the killer is out to stop the team from solving this crime at all costs.

Beckett generally uses misdirection to throw the reader of the killer's trail, and in this book introduces several plausible red herrings before finally putting it all together at the end of this book.  In the dramatic final pages, Hunter has been tracked back to his London apartment by the real murderer, who has somehow escaped a deadly fire on Runa.  All this confustion and excitement is almost too much, and left my head spinning, trying to fit all the facts together.  That confusion makes "Written in Bone" Beckett's weakest book, but it is worth reading for fans.

Fire Ice by Clive Cussler

Reading Level: Adult

Submitted by Max

Fire Ice is another triumph by one of my preferred authors, the one and only Clive Cussler.  Once again he's brought as a nautical adventure full of laughs, suspense and action.  Though I was somewhat hesitant to call this book a masterpiece (mostly because he has introduced a new main character) it has proved to be just as good as the originals.  The new hero, Kurt Austin, is an ex-CIA agent who is now employed by the National Underwater and Marine Agency (Numa).  Along with his crew of friends and sea experts, he must stop the ravings of a mad Russian named Razov.  Claiming Romanov ancestry, this undersea mining tycoon leads a cult of neo-Imperialist Cossacks who plan to wage war on the new Russian government and its ally, the United States.  Razov plans to disturb large deposits of methane hydrate under the seafloor, causing tsunamis and accelerated global warming with devastating effects.  Austin must use his skills and quick thinking to track down Razov and stop him from fulfilling his nefarious scheme.

Overall, this book is not exactly a literary work of art, but with clever writing and a light, readable feel, it maintains the reputation of Cussler's novels: exciting, funny, and engaging, If you like the ocean, adventure stories, fast-paced action, or even a bit of mystery, then this and the rest of the Cussler series are for you.  Come check them out!

Threat Vector by Tom Clancy

Reading Level: Adult

Submitted by Rose

Jack Ryan Jr. son of President Jack Ryan and member of the secret organization The Campus, again comes to the rescue of his country in a cyber attack from an unknown source.  He and his fellow members of The Campus determine the enemy is China who wishes to be the number one power in the world.  International intrigue and fast military action keep the reader on edge and eager to read more.

The Violinist's Thumb by Sam Kean

Reading Level: Adult Non-Fiction

Submitted by Gerti

Like Sam Kean's earlier work, "The Disappearing Spoon," "The Violinist's Thumb" was brilliant and exhausting all at once!  Much harder to read than his earlier work on the stories behind all the elements, this book deals with DNA and its history, touching on various scientist and their struggles to define what makes us human, and what makes us able to produce other humans with similar traits!  If that sounds sexy, it's not, although Kean uses as much humor as he can muster to turn this muddy sledding through hard science into a joy ride.  I had heard about Gregor Mendel like every American high school graduate, but the truth being figuring out what turned my brown eyes blue is a lot more complicated than that fairy tale!

As in his previous work, Kean's strength lies in his ability to humanize scientists like Mendel, Watson and Crick, and to make them not only geniuses of the first order, but also incredibly fragile and fallible human beings, who have to deal with office politics, economics and jealous co-workers the same as the res of us.  Personally, I was thrilled to know that women scientists played a large role in the discovery and understanding of genetics, and have subsequently taken out other books (which I haven't read yet!) to get to know those people better.

This is a book that will give you a thrill a chapter, but you as the reader will have to work hard for it.  There were many times when I finished a chapter, and wanted to rush out and research the topic Kean had discussed.  I even ended up telling some of the stories to my kids in the car on the way to school--which is pretty crazy, since it was stories about Neanderthal man!  More than a book by Crichton or Cook, I felt this author really understood the science he was writing about, but since he didn't dummy things down, there were times when I struggled to keep up both with concepts and specific facts.  I feel much richer for having read this book, which like his previous work is a fascinating but difficult journey through the history of scientific discoveries.  But unlike the last book, with this account I'm willing to admit to Kean (or anyone else!) that he is smarter than am I, because there are still some concepts here that I do not grasp.

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

Reading Level: Young Adult

Submitted by Gertie

This is the first book I've ever read by the acclaimed author Candace Bushnell that I felt would be appropriate for my teenaged daughter to read.  I've read a half dozen books by Bushnell already, and love her easy, breezy (and sometimes sleazy) writing style!  This book, on the other hand, is a revelation with its simpler, more innocent voice, which makes the read a scintillating mix of sex and sentimentalism.  I haven't seen the TV series based on this book yet, but I look forward now to doing so!

The main characters include the famed Carrie Bradshaw, who is also the main character in the acclaimed TV series "Sex and the City."  Here she is a young high school student, caught between her romance-minded girlfriends, Maggie and Lali, who are somewhat more sexually advanced and aggressive than she is, and her desire for more adventure than her hometown has to offer!  A new boy in school, Sebastian Kydd, brings the choice to a head, as Carrie and seemingly every other female in her class have a crush on him, and for a while, Carrie holds his attention.  But some of the other girls are willing to do more than she is to snag this prize, and Carrie wrestles with betrayals and backstabbing as her best friend and the most popular girl in the class vie to win Sebastion's roaming heart.

Carrie has other options besides being Sebastion's girlfriend, though, including a boring suitor at Brown University with literary connections, and her burgeoning interest in becoming a writer.  She eventually leaves all the high school drama behind after winning a prestigious writing opportunity in New York City, but not before burning a few bridges and setting a few rivals on fire with her scathing attacks in the student newspaper.  In the end, only the reader can decide whether Carrie has made the right decision, but of course, most of us are already aware of her success in the Big Apple, making these petty high school jealousies seem slightly irrelevant.

"The Carrie Diaries" is a delightful read which took me back to my own high school days in a way few other "teen" books have.  Perhaps it's because Bushnell is closer to my generation than some of the other authors penning YA fiction; perhaps because high school is where I made the decision to become a writer, just as Carrie does.  Whatever the reason, the book was a great pleasure for me to read, and makes another great addition to my Bushnell library!

The Boleyn King by Laura Andersen

Reading Level: Adult Fiction

Submitted by Gerti

"The Boleyn King" by Laura Anderson is a fascinating look at the "re-imagined history" of England.  Namely, what would have happened historically if Anne Boleyn had borne England's infamous King Henry VIII a son?  Author Andersen has utterly changed modern history in this novel, naming Henry's Boleyn son William, and having him ascend the British throne as he comes of age, as Henry VIII died when the boy was just 10.  In further historical rewrites, Queen Anne is still alive at the beginning of this book (historically, Henry had her executed), as are Henry's two daughters, Elizabeth and Mary, who wait in the wings for the throne in this version of reality may never come to them.

Besides the royal family this story has another pair of important characters, and I'm not sure if they are based on real historical figures or not.  The first is a girl named Minuette, who is a good friend to the Princess Elizabeth, and is beloved by William.  The second is a boy named Dominic, whom the new king respects so much as a counselor and friend that he has named him the Marquis of Exeter.  Of course, Dominic is also in love with Minuette, and she with him.  But who can go against the will of a king?  Will the son repeat the mistakes of the father?

This book revolves around the plot hatched by one of the remaining aristocratic Catholic families to discredit William and put his Catholic sister Mary on the throne, a plot diffused by Minuette and Dominic at the last minute.  But the deeper concern here is whether Minuette will marry William or Dominic, and that question is not really resolved as the book ends.  The back cover tells us why-"The Boleyn King" is part of a trilogy, so we'll have to reach for more books to solve the mystery.

Will I look for the sequel to this first book?  Yes, because I love the subject matter (Tudor England), even if I find the re-imagined history disturbing in spots.  Do I mind that the author had taken historical fact and turned it into teen fiction on the order of "Twilight"?  A little, but I also find "The Boleyn King" to be an easy and interesting read, which nudges me to keep reading to find out what will happen to this group of characters.  Is this a modern literary classic?  No, but it is rarely dull, and that's about all you need for a summertime read.  This is a book which would appeal to a broad audience of adults and teens, and therefore, I recommend it highly.

Teen Read Week-Author Interview-Diana L. Sharples

Equilibrium. That's what Stacey and Calvin found in each other. He is as solid as his beloved vintage motorcycle and helps quiet the constant clamor in Stacey's mind. She is a passionate, creative spirit---and a lifeline after Calvin's soldier brother dies.But lately the balance is off. Calvin's grief is taking new forms. Voices of self-loathing are dominating Stacey's life. When struggles with body image threaten her health, Calvin can't bear to lose another person that he loves. Taking action may destroy their relationship, but the alternative could be much more costly. (From LCPL's website)

Click HERE to request a copy.  You will need your library card number and pin.

Calling All Vampire Academy Fans

I was very excited to see on People.com that Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series was finally coming to the big screen.  It looks like the movie will be opening at theaters on Valentines Day!  Guys if you want to impress your ladies take them to this movie.  We can only hope it is as good as the book.

My Jane Austen Summer: A Season in Mansfield Park by Cindy Jones

Reading Level: Adult Fiction

Submitted by Gerti

While it is not as popular among Jane Austen fans as "Pride and Prejudice," I happen to be a big fan of her novel "Mansfield Park," which is one reason why this book appeals to me.  Main character Lily Berry also loves "Mansfield Park" and its guileless heroine, Fanny Price.  So it's no surprise that Berry mirrors Price at the beginning of the book, as Berry is a girl without a home of her own.  Her mother has died of cancer, and her father has summarily ejected her from his life in order to remarry, and to add insult to injury, he may have been having an affair with the other woman long BEFORE Berry's mother died of cancer.

From this timeless and universally relatable crisis, Berry can't seem to avoid going from one catastrophe to another.  Berry has also broken up her boyfriend and is "stalking: him by frequently driving past his house.  Mirroring the situation with her parents, Lily discovers that the boyfriend too has moved on to another, more compatible female.  Double heartbreak!  To add icing to the cake, Berry has gotten herself fired from her human relations job after her boss finds her reading Austen novels at work.  Can things get any worse for her?

Instead of trying to retool her life at home in Texas, Berry decides to chuck it all and go to England to act in a Jane Austen literary festival.  Just like her home life, however, the "Literature Live" event goes astray.  Berry starts three (or four) misfired romances, and several incomplete business plans to save the endangered festival, all while dealing with a terrible dysfunctional but filthy rich roommate, and a crazed boss lady who is not only having an affair with a married man (shades of what is going on at home!) but is an Austen nut who thinks the beloved 1800s author was making statements in her books on all kinds of modern issues like lesbianism and slavery.  When Berry finally finds someone who is willing to play Edmund Bertram (the hero of "Mansfield Park) to her Fanny Price, I thought this book found its hero, but it was not to be.  Or was it?  The surprise ending leaves room for a sequel, because the pair DO NOT end up together in this book.

I will look for Cindy Jones to write a sequel to this book because I love the subject mater (Jane Austen), even if details of the literary festival are confusing and the weakest part of the book.  But for a freshman effort, "My Jane Austen Summer" is a win for Jones, and I long to read more about this entirely entertaining and erudite group of characters.  Not a classic, but never dull, this is a great summertime read.  The only downside for me is the ease with which the heroine falls into bed (or worse! Yuck!) with the various male characters, but this author is truly talented and her writing is bright and contains many clever turns of phrase which outweigh even my old-school literary prudery.

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James

Reading Level: Adult Fiction

Submitted by Gertie

The beginning of this novel is confusing--is it really the lost manuscript of Jane Austen or is it entirely a work of fiction?  But the end is even more confusing, as by the time I have read all of Syrie James brilliant account of Jane Austen's life and lost romance, I want it all to be real.  James has done such a good job weaving Austen's fiction into this fictional account of her life, that the book explains, how Austen got some of her most famous plot elements, and in the process, brings the Janeite reader delightful vignettes of Austen's own books!

For example, James has her fictional Austen visit the ruins of an Abbey with a group of friends, referencing "Northanger Abbey".  She visits Lyme and almost falls off the stone pier, referencing the novel "Persuasion." And most devastatingly, Austen has a confusing secret engagement to a fellow, and the plot of the event plays out very like the secret engagement in "Sense and Sensibility".  In short, this book is a treat for Austen fans to read, even though it is fiction, because James includes so many references to the plots and scenes from Austen's own six novels.

Unlike some of the novels which have been written about Austen's characters which take little from the original books, this work carefully meshes the original with very inventive fiction, and sends James to the top of my list of authors to keep reading.  I can't wait to see what she does with the life of Charlotte Bronte, whose "secret" memoirs she has also discovered.