Friday, July 29, 2011

Escape from the Land of Snows by Stephan Talty

If you love 1950s history, we highly recommend Escape from the Land of Snows: The Young Dalai Lama's Harrowing Flight to Freedom and the Making of a Spiritual Hero.  It also explains at a basic level Tibetan Buddhism and the spiritual and political position of the Dalai Lama.  The author interviews most of the key people involved and brings this part of history to life.  This book will appeal to readers that enjoy espionage/thrillers and those seeking religious and spiritual reading.  Those genres do not combine very often!  This is a great book about an incredible person.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Overbite by Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot doesn't disappoint in this sequel to Insatiable!  Dark and hilarious, Meena Harper is back battling vampires for Manhattan and her heart - her ex-boyfriend, Lucien Antonescou, head vampire and prince of darkness, is still in love with her.  But so is Alaric Wulf, Palatine guard and vampire killer extraordinaire, who's spearheading the hunt for Lucien.  And then there's the fact that someone turned another of Meena's ex-boyfriends into a vampire and sent him after her, and a whole bunch of tourists are missing from New York - and Lucien claims not to know anything about it.  Which he should, since he's the overlord of all things evil.  If you've read and loved all the Sookie Stackhouse books and are looking for something new, check out Insatiable and Overbite!

Monday, July 18, 2011

Little Princes by Conor Grennan

When Conor Grennan spent three months volunteering at an orphanage in Nepal, a country ravaged by civil war, the last thing he expected was to discover that the children were not orphans at all, but victims of child traffickers.  This is the astonishing story of Connor's trek through Nepal on a quest to find the families of those children.  Read this incredible journey of love, commitment, and devotion, and you'll recommend Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal to everyone you know!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

The Oracle of Stamboul by Michael David Lukas

With her own flock of colorful hoopoes, Eleonora is a special girl living in Turkey during a turbulent time.  Her intelligence becomes apparent quickly and she is summoned to the palace and changes the course of history.  You’ll root for Eleonora as she deals with tragedy and her future in a way that makes her seem much older than she is.  If you’re looking for a great summer read with magic, history, and an exotic backdrop, give The Oracle of Stamboul a try!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

For runners who run 3 blocks or 300 miles, twice a day or twice a year, as well as athletes, adventurers, anthropologists, world and armchair travelers, and pretty much anyone who loves a fantastic adventure story, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World has Never Seen is a must-read!  You'll want to make a salad for breakfast and hit the trail after finishing this tale of the world's most awesome ultramarathons.

Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

From Blue Bloods series author Melissa de la Cruz, Witches of East End is an enchanting summer read that's perfect for the beach!  Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid are witches, forced by an ancient agreement to supress their powers, but when they decide to bend the rules a bit, the town of North Hampton, Long Island is about to experience a summer of magical mayhem.