Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Plan B by Jonathan Tropper

Five college friends are turning thirty and taking stock of their lives.  None of them are where they thought they would be.  One of them is Jack Shaw, famous movie star with a cocaine habit that is about to derail his life and career.  After a failed intervention his friends decide to kidnap and take him to upstate New York where they plan to help him through detox.  This turns out to be no simple matter and as they deal with the consequences each of their lives changes as they forge bonds platonic and otherwise.  Check out Plan B @ the library!

Friday, December 14, 2012

One for the Books by Joe Queenan

If you are inclined to read to friends within earshot funny or insightful or even maddening statements from the book you are reading, I suggest you read One for the Books only when you are alone. Otherwise, you may read the entire book twice, once silently and once out loud. Joe Queenan has been a passionate reader since childhood and he has passionate opinions about books: the books he has read, the books he plans to read, the books he refuses to read, the books his friends have read, the books his friends recommend to him, why people read, where people read, bookstores, libraries, book clubs and summer reading lists. And he uses his sharp wit to comment on these subjects. You are bound to be insulted by his opinion of one or more of your favorite books. You might bristle at his opinions of book clubs. You will be shocked by his views of libraries. But you will always be amused and entertained, and you will always be engaged. You may agree when he defines hagiography as books “written by dopes in the service of doofuses.” In fact, you may want to say, “That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Don’t! The author has definite opinions on that phrase. You may disagree and want to scream, “My Friend Flicka is not a cheerful book!” or, “But I love The Kite Runner!” In fact, you will either agree or disagree with virtually everything he writes. After all, you are also a passionate reader or you wouldn’t be reading a book about reading books. In the end, the author writes movingly about why people read, explaining how avid readers use books to both connect with and escape from the world. This book will make you proud to be bookish.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

America Again: Re-Becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't by Stephen Colbert

If you are a member of the Colbert Nation, this book is for you! And really, who is not a member? Perish the thought. What does Colbert think about elections, Wall Street, energy, etc? Read this book and find out in way too much detail. In fact, this book is so relentlessly Stephen Colbert I could only read a chapter at a time. It took awhile to finish. Only for the truly committed (and I mean that in every sense of “the word”) Stephen Colbert fan. “The word” - is that trademarked? If you want more laughs from Stephen Colbert after watching The Colbert Report, put America Again on your list!  In the words of the author himself - "If there's a better book than this, I haven't written it!"

Friday, December 7, 2012

Freading

Are you an eBook reader? Are you bogged down by wait lists, and getting books in right when you don't have time to read? Then check out the West Allis Public Library's newest eReading resource: Freading!

Open to West Allis resident library card holders, Freading gives you a chance to check out eBooks when you have time to read. Everything on the site is available for immediate download to your eReader. Apps are available for most wireless devices, as well as a traditional USB cord transfer.

West Allis residents are given 10 tokens a week to check out current and past titles. The newest titles are 4 tokens, while slightly older titles are 2 and the oldest are 1. Books go out for 2 weeks, and most can be renewed token free once. Tokens roll over for up to four weeks.

Check out titles in categories like romance, history, non-Fiction, juvenile and more. New titles are being added every week and the best part is instant downloads!

Two quick catches: this is only avaiable to West Allis residents with vaild West Allis library cards. Not a West Allis resident? Contact the library where you live to see if they subscribe to Freading. Also, currently the only Kindle that works with Freading is the Kindle Fire.

Check out our library website for more information, give us a call or stop in the library!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Quentin, a high school senior, enjoys  reading a series of fantasy novels taking place in a magical land called Fillory.  He’s miserable because his life doesn’t measure up to the excitement in the books.  Then he’s invited to attend a secret, private magician’s college and learns sorcery and other life lessons.  He graduates but feels something is still missing.  Then he learns his friends have discovered that Fillory is real.  Now Quentin has a purpose and a mission.  First check out The Magicians, then continue to follow Quentin’s adventures in the sequel, The Magician King. 

Friday, November 30, 2012

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel

Bring Up the Bodies is the second book in Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell trilogy and, like Wolf Hall, has won the Man Booker Prize. At this point in history, Cromwell must help King Henry rid himself of his second wife, Anne Boleyn. Anne has not given Henry the much-desired male heir and Henry is no longer infatuated with her beauty and intelligence. Instead Jane Seymour, a plain, shy young woman, the exact opposite of Anne, has caught his eye. Cromwell, in loyal service to his king, frees Henry from this queen by forcing five men to confess to adultery with her. Although Cromwell retains the calm and generous demeanor that served him so well in Wolf Hall, in this book he shows a more pragmatic and ruthless side. He uses this opportunity to exact revenge for previous wrongs and rid himself of some of his own enemies. But in Henry’s court, there are always more enemies lurking about, especially those loyal to Queen Katherine and her daughter, Mary. Thomas Cromwell is a man who has risen from very humble beginnings by serving a fickle and tyrannical king. He is bound to have many enemies and very few protectors in court. His position is always precarious. Anne’s execution earns Cromwell a title and additional wealth and power but little gratitude, even from those who benefited from his machinations.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Denny’s wife dies young, leaving him alone with his young daughter, Zoe.  Her grandparents think they can provide a much better life for her than her father.  Denny’s career as a racecar driver is taking off, causing him to be away from home for long stretches of time.  At the same time, he is accused of raping a teenage girl.  Instead of giving up and letting Zoe’s grandparents have custody, Denny fights for his daughter.  This unique book is told from the point of view of Enzo, Denny’s dog.   Dog lovers will enjoy this view from inside a dog’s head in The Art of Racing in the Rain.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

What Would Audrey Do? Timeless Lessons for Living with Grace and Style by Pamela Keogh

When you think style icon, who immedately comes to mind?  Audrey, of course!  Who could forget that heart-stopping moment in Sabrina when she wows Humphrey Bogart in that to-die-for Givenchy gown?  Her romp through Rome on the back of Cary Grant's motorcycle in Roman Holiday? Or her unforgettable performance as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's?  Did women even long for that little blue box before there was Audrey?

Every girl has a little Audrey in her, whether your closet is filled with ballet flats and skinny black pants, you've swooned over Cary Grant or Humphrey Bogart, love great eye make-up, just know your love story is right around the corner, or taken a photo of Audrey's pixie haircut to your stylist.  If you want to channel your inner Audrey, What Would Audrey Do? is full of insights, ideas, tips and tricks to be a little more Audrey and a lot more fabulous.  Learn how to travel in style, let romance come to you, make a house a home, weather a bad marriage without bad press, balance your personal life and your career so you're perfectly zen, be a humanitarian without fanfare, date a Kennedy, or iron a perfectly crisp white shirt.  Style and grace, class and beauty will all be yours after you've read this little gem of a book cover to cover!

Friday, November 16, 2012

Derby Day by D.J. Taylor

Readers familiar with the novels of Charles Dickens and the Bronte sisters, be it through book, movie, or Masterpiece Theater, will recognize many of the character types in this amusing book.  The unscrupulous cad scheming to marry for money; the befuddled elderly rich man; the cold, self-absorbed daughter; the bankrupt squire hounded by creditors; and the poor young governess who must take a position at a desolate country house are just some of the familiar Victorian characters who populate this book.  The focus of the book is the popular horse race, the Derby, held at Epsom Downs in June of each year. For months before the race, lowlifes, aristocrats and all classes in between plot to make their fortunes off the race and honest citizens are hard put to protect their interests.  The unscrupulous Mr. Happerton defrauds the rightful owner out of possession of a favored horse, Tiberius, and employs a safecracker to raise enough funds to place a large wager on the race. But it is not clear whether he intends to bet on or against his own horse?  On race day the masses flock to Epsom Downs and the various characters Mr. Happerton has used, abused, tricked, cheated and deceived converge on the grounds, looking for payment, justice or revenge. But justice is not always easily achieved and Mr. Happerton is a slippery character.  Nominated for the prestigious Booker Prize, Derby Day is an exciting crime caper but the best of the book is the author’s picture of life and society in Victorian England.

Friday, November 9, 2012

The End of Overeating by David Kessler

Why do some people have more trouble with their weight then others? Do obese people face some of the same challenges as alcoholics, drug users, and others with addiction problems? The author, who also struggles with obesity, looks to science for answers. He also discusses how the food industry processes food to make it more profitable and for some additive. There's a lot to digest in David Keller's book, but it does offer a solution to the obesity problem in the United States through behavior modification. If you often wonder or question your relationship with food, especially as the holiday season with all its sweet and savory treats looms near, The End of Overeating can offer some answers. 

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

The Truth About Style by Stacy London



Shut the front door. Style maven Stacy London has a new book that is the perfect antidote for anyone in a style rut. This isn't a book about fashion, or what you should be wearing, rather it's a look at style challenges and ways to overcome them. Stacy gives 9 different women make-overs that address each individual's style concern. From too small to too tall to too young looking to too old for those young looking clothes, she offers tips, tricks and advice on making the most of personal style to reflect the awesomeness that is inside.

Fans of the TLC show What Not to Wear will be familiar with her humorous and sassy point of view. Always quick to find the root of the problem, Stacy doesn't disappoint with her honest advice to each of the nine woman. Her advice is relate-able, and fans will be surprised with how open she is with her own personal issues and how they shaped her own sense style. Check out The Truth About Style by Stacy London.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Book Review: Alys, Always by Harriet Lane

Happening upon a car accident on a country road, Frances Thorpe does what any decent human being would do: she calls for help and remains at the scene, talking through the cracked, foggy windshield to Alice, who is alone and trapped in the car. Eventually Alice stops talking, the police arrive and Frances continues on to London. Days later she realizes that Alice was actually Alys Kyte, the wife of prominent British novelist Laurence Kyte. Frances meets with the family and develops a friendship with Alys’s teenage daughter, Polly.  As a low-level assistant editor for the literature section of a weekly newspaper, Frances realizes that her connection to the family can be used to advance her career. First, dinner and party invitations come her way; then better job assignments and finally, a promotion. But Frances wants more. She covets the class and privileged life of the Kytes and connives to insert herself into their family. No longer satisfied with passively accepting whatever opportunities come her way, she coldly schemes to replace Alys, feeling no scruples about her deceptions.  As one successful ruse leads to another, Frances must use ever riskier tactics to manipulate the family. Since one wrong move would destroy her personal and professional life, Alys, Always, which began as a study of society, concludes as a novel of suspense.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion

Thanks to books like Fast Food Nation and authors like Michael Pollen, people have become more aware of what fast food is and what it does to both individuals and society. But have you ever stopped to think about the impact of fast fashion?

Elizabeth Cline sets out to research how the low cost (and at times quality) of fashion impacts people, the environment and even the economy. The life cycle of clothes has decreased as consumers started demanding cheaper prices and more options. Americans now buy over one new clothing item a week, spending less than we did in previous decades while owning more. This has caused a huge excess of used clothing that is slowly becoming harder to get rid of on the second hand market.

Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion is for anyone who has ever looked at a stuffed closet and thought "I have nothing to wear".

Friday, October 26, 2012

The Headmaster's Wager by Vincent Lam

As a young man Chen Pie Sou (later Pecival Chen) fled his home in China to escape the Japanese invasion. He eventually arrived in Vietnam where he used his Western style education to start an English language school. In the 1960’s, as the United States became more involved in the affairs of Vietnam, Chen’s school attracted many students and Chen became a wealthy man. Secure in the knowledge that bribery could solve any problem, Chen ignored politics and the increasingly intrusive war, until his son was arrested for making a futile political protest. Chen borrowed heavily for the steep bribes demanded for his release. Fearful for his son’s safety and ignorant of the politics of his homeland, Chen sent him to China in the middle of Chairman Mao’s Cultural Revolution. He managed to recoup his wealth with high-stakes gambling and continued to enjoy the pleasures afforded to the rich and powerful in Vietnam.  Not until the war is lost and the Americans leave Vietnam does Chen realize the folly and danger of his willful ignorance. By then it is too late to help his son in China and he and his second family cannot escape Vietnam. The danger to them is so great, he is forced to risk his younger son’s future in a dangerous scheme, his biggest gamble ever.  Check out this suspenseful read @the library!

Friday, October 19, 2012

Darth Vader and Son by Jeffrey Brown



A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

"Luke, I am your father."

Darth Vader's got his hands full keeping the Rebel Alliance quashed for the Emperor - but it turns out he's also got his hands full with a 4-year-old Luke Skywalker.  This short, laugh-out-loud hilarious series of graphic vignettes revels in all the joys and frustrations of fatherhood with a precocious son who is strong in the Force.  My favorite?  Poor Vader's frustration with Luke's looooooove of the band The Ewoks.  Imagine 'Jub Jub' on repeat.  For four hours.  Makes Yo Gabba Gabba look pretty good!

If you're looking for a laugh and have ever hung out with a 4-year-old, whether it was your own kid or someone else's, you've got to take 5 minutes and crack up over Darth Vader and Son!

Friday, October 12, 2012

Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory by Mickey Rapkin

Great movies come from great books, and Pitch Perfect (now in theaters) is no different. Way back in 2008 a book called Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory by Mickey Rapkin gave us an inside look at the world of college a cappella groups. The current movie takes these stories and creates a fictional word based off of the adventures of three very different groups.

Divisi, from the University of Oregon, were denied a national championship, and want to win what was theirs in spite of turning over most of their members. The Beelzebubs of Tufts university are feeling the burden of a rich history, and have to top their last album, Code Red which was called "game changing". Finally it showcases the Hullabahoos of University of Virginia who are more like fun loving frat boys who want to be more successful. Each group's story is told in alternating chapters, along with facts and history of collegiate A Cappella.

Whether you already saw the movie, or just are looking for a good book that highlights an interesting subculture, Pitch Perfect will have you looking up YouTube clips of past shows, and singing. 

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures by Emma Straub

In the late 1930’s, seventeen year old Elsa Emerson leaves her Door County home, headed for Hollywood intent on a movie career. Within ten years she has become Laura Lamont, a glamorous star with an Academy Award.  Married to a powerful movie producer, mother of three, best friends with a wacky red-headed television star, Laura seems to have it all. But this success has come with a price. She is unable to escape the nagging guilt that her fame and good fortune should really belong to a talented older sister who died when Elsa was a child. Her father’s death and mother’s disapproval give her second thoughts about the wisdom of leaving Door County. Her husband’s death leaves her unmoored and drives her career into a tailspin. Faced with dire health, family and money problems, she rallies, simplifies her life style, swallows her pride and takes any work she is able to get. From that point on, her story becomes one of triumph over adversity.

Emma Straub has said that Laura Lamont is based on actress Jennifer Jones. Readers who are familiar with movie and television stars of the black and white era will enjoy identifying the other stars characterized in Laura Lamont's Life in Pictures.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close

Isabella isn't sure what she wants to do with her post college life, so she ends up moving to New York to live with her friend Mary who is in law school. As their friends start to get married, settle into full time jobs and have kids the two of them battle with their own ideals and face unsure futures that once seemed crystal clear.

Girls in White Dresses is more like a collection of short stories involving the same characters, than a traditional novel. Readers who have been in more than one wedding in a summer, or who have been asked "when are you going to settle down" will enjoy the lives of these girls as they transition from college life to adulthood.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Woodsburner by John Pipkin

In 1844 Henry David Thoreau started a forest fire near Concord, Massachusetts, that destroyed 300 acres of woods and nearly destroyed the town. This book is about Thoreau, but also about other residents of the area, including a woman who has fled the famine in Ireland, an immigrant farmhand from Norway, a radical preacher, and a traveling salesman, in Concord just for the day. The author uses each character to illustrate life in 1840s Massachusetts in Woodsburner.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter by Mellisa Francis

Melissa Francis was a child actress working steadily in commercials and TV, even scoring a part in the final two seasons of Little House on the Prairie. Her first job was a shampoo commercial at less than a year old that her older sister booked, and she was added to later. By five she was used to working with adults and by the time she was ready to go to college, she was ready to escape the crazy world her mother created for the family.

Following in the footsteps of Gypsy Rose Lee, Melissa Francis tells out to tell her story of growing up with a mother intent on making her daughters stars at any cost. Success in the public was much more important than family bonds or making a good home. While Melissa's star rose, her sister Tiffany started to fade into the back ground. Their mother's moods were dependant on whether they were working or not, and as acting jobs became harder to get family life became more unbearable.

In a world where we see child stars like Lindsay Lohan crumble as adult, Melissa Francis comes across as strong and lucky to escape life that takes many child actors. Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter is a "True Hollywood Story" book that will keep you turning the pages to see what will happen next. Readers interested in the behind the scenes aspects of acting, will enjoy this title.

Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter will be published November 13th, 2012. This review is based on an Advanced Reader Copy of the book sent to the library from the publisher.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Victoria is about to turn 18 and about to be removed from the foster system she grew up in. With out any family or money she is moved into a group home with few weeks of rent paid and the advice to find a job and make a plan. Time passes, and she neither has a job nor a plan. What she has is garden in a public park created with flowers that follow the meanings from the book, learned from a time when she was almost happy.

Victoria's story goes from the past to the present giving light to how she ended up with out a home or a family. It's flowers that really speak to Victoria and it's flower that start to bring her to something new. Author Vanessa Diffenbaugh creates a story of the past and the present that show how hope can spring from hopelessness. The Language of Flowers would make an excellent book club book, with its insights into the US foster system and the lost art of the language of flowers.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter

Henry Bright, a young World War I veteran, has returned to his rural West Virginia home accompanied by his battlefield angel who speaks to him through his horse. When Henry’s young wife dies in childbirth, Henry, at the bidding of his horse/angel, sets fire to his cabin, takes his infant son, his goat and his horse and flees, pursued by the evil Colonel, (the father of his dead wife) and the wildfire he has started.  Flashbacks of Henry’s childhood and service as an infantryman in France show the reader how Henry came to this state of affairs. Possibly shell-shocked by the battlefield brutality he has witnessed, Henry sometimes does his best to follow the angel’s instructions and sometimes resists these instructions as he makes his way across the countryside. When he finally stops at a hotel with many other people who have been rousted from their homes by the fire, his conflict with the Colonel reaches a shockingly violent denouement. The author of Bright's Passage is songwriter Josh Ritter.  His lyrical way with words, which is apparent whether he is describing the wild beauty of Appalachia, the horrors of war or a forest fire, or the fresco paintings in a French church, help us to understand the workings of the mind of a battle fatigued veteran.

Friday, September 14, 2012

The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty

When respectable wife and mother Cora Carlisle agrees to go to New York as chaperone to 15-year-old Louise Brooks in the summer of 1922, Louise is not yet the famous silent film actress she is destined to become. Impetuous, stubborn, combative, arrogant, and an unapologetic flirt, Louise is still just an enormously talented young dancer auditioning to join the Denishawn dancers.  Cora more than has her hands full keeping Louise in line.  But chaperoning an impossible, clever teenager is not the only reason Cora has come to New York.  Leaving her handsome, much older lawyer husband and twin sons at home in Wichita, Kansas, Cora is desperate to unlock the secrets of her past.  Raised in the New York Home for Friendless Girls, Cora was put on an orphan train at the age of six and taken in by a Kansas farm family.  With only a brief memory of a dark-haired woman with a shawl, Cora has no idea who her parents were, how she ended up in an orphanage, or even if she may still have living relatives.  The answers, she is sure, lie in New York - which is why she must keep headstrong Louise in check long enough to find the answers she seeks.  The clashing mores, bright lights, busy streets, dance halls and rising hemlines of 1920s New York come alive in The Chaperone, an engrossing read that fans of Boardwalk Empire and the Oscar-winning film The Artist will love to curl up with this fall!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Arcadia by Lauren Groff

In the early 1970s, a group of nomad hippies finds a permanent home in rural upstate New York.  One of the many children of this band, Bit (so named for his small size), watches as his parents and the other adults in the group strive to create Arcadia, a back-to-the-land commune based on the principals of equality, hard work and non-violence. Life at Arcadia is physically hard and some personalities clash; but dedication to the ideal prevails and Bit thrives in the emotional warmth of this extended family. By the 1980s, the population of the community has grown and the idealism of the original members is diluted. The commune is eventually destroyed by the drugs and violence of some of the new members. The families scatter and their children must learn to adapt to new lives. Some are more successful than others. Many reject the values of Arcadia and their parents. Bit becomes a teacher, marries a fellow Arcadian and has a daughter. Nearly fifty years after the founding of Arcadia, Bit returns to care for his ailing mother. A flu pandemic is sweeping the world and the oceans are rising. Once more Arcadia is a refuge from the great troubles of the world but not the smaller personal problems of friends and family.

Friday, September 7, 2012

When It Happens to You: A Novel in Stories by Molly Ringwald


These interlinked stories portray family life and how the perfect life you thought you had can fall apart at any time.  Exploring mother-daughter, husband-wife, and parent-child dynamics, the stories are realistic and will stick with you long after you finish the book.  Molly Ringwald, known for her movie career, has created an enjoyable read.   I am looking forward to her next project!  Check out When It Happens to You @the West Allis Public Library.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

Bernadette Fox unabashedly, unashamedly, hates Seattle.  The drivers!  The Craftsman sameness of the architecture!  The disturbing proximity to Canada!  The prevalence of five-way intersections!  The sheer quantity of runaways and vagrants!  Microsoft!  And the weather - but most especially, everyone's inane conversations about the weather!  After The Huge Hideous Thing that happened in L.A., bulldozing her extraordinarily promising career in green architecture, Bernadette fled to Seattle with her husband, Elgin, a Microsoft guru.  Now essentially a recluse, getting out pretty much only to drop off and pick up daughter Bee at the Galer Street School, Bernadette has recently solved her problem with people in general and Seattle in particular by hiring a virtual assistant, Manjula, from India to take care of the daily incidentals.  Unfortunately, even Manjula can't solve the problem with neighbor and fellow Galer Street School parent Audrey Griffin - or, more specifically, Audrey's problem with Bernadette's overgrown blackberry bushes and refusal to participate in committee work at Bee's school.  So when Bee requests a trip to Antarctica over Christmas as a reward for perfect grades, it's all too much.  In the midst of procuring parkas, fishing vests, and seasickness medication so strong it's considered an antipsychotic, Bernadette vanishes.

Sharp, witty, absurd, and laugh-out-loud funny, Where'd You Go, Bernadette is told through a collection of emails, faxes, letters, school correspondance and official documents and peppered with Bee's insights into her mother's seemingly erratic behavior.  A writer for the fringe favorite TV show Arrested Development, author Maria Semple has family dysfunction down to a hilarious, and frighteningly astute, art in this new novel that'll have you snorting with laughter over your Starbucks double latte on your morning commute!

Friday, August 31, 2012

Afterlives of the Saints: Stories from the Ends of Faith by Colin Dickey

In Afterlives of the Saints, Colin Dickey examines the lives and reputations of some the saints of the early Christian Church with the advantage of a 21st century eye. Taking into consideration current science, history and art history, he delves into the hagiographies and legends of these holy people. Martyred by Romans, husbands or fathers; self-mutilated for the glory of God; experiencing visions; wrestling with demons: these are some of the fates suffered by the saints studied in this book. Why is Saint Barbara the patron saint of cannoneers and Saint Lawrence the patron saint of comedians? Why is Saint Anthony often associated with pigs? How did Saint Foy’s bones come to rest in a monastery far from where she died? Why is Saint George honored by both Christians and Muslims? These are just some of the questions respectfully and compassionately answered in this entertaining book.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Fun House by Chris Grabenstein

The seventh novel in the series featuring straight-arrow, Iraqi war veteran John Ceepak and his young, wise cracking partner Danny Boyle. Though some characters were introduced in the last book, readers do not need to read the prior books before this fun summer read. A reality TV show invades the New Jersey resort town of Seahaven. This book is a hilarious direct hit against reality TV shows and small town politics.  Fun House is a great way to end the beach reading season. Nothing but bleeping fun!

Friday, August 24, 2012

Stone Arabia by Diana Spiotta

Denise Kranis may be the only adult member of her family. Her daughter has moved from southern California to New York City to be part of the arts scene. Her elderly mother is beginning to slide into dementia. And her older brother Nik has never managed to grow out of the self-absorbed, garage band musician he became when his father gave him a guitar for his tenth birthday. A near success, a “no-hit wonder,” Nik has spent his entire adult life writing songs for his self-recorded albums, creating handmade covers and his own liner notes and reviews for them, and numbering, autographing and mailing them to his few fans. Additionally, he writes his Chronicles in which he obsessively documents his life and work, complete with fake facts, fake letters and fake literary quotes. Because Nik lives in this fantasy world, Denise must bear the burden of guiding her family through real life, leaving her few resources for her own problems: the debt she has incurred helping Nik, her sparse social life, her own failing memory, and an unnatural obsession with televised tragic BREAKING NEWS stories which involve shootings, kidnappings and rare diseases. Stone Arabia documents some common problems of modern life: fame (or lack of it), aging, illness, debt and disappointment. They may not be breaking news but they can be difficult and all-consuming for those dealing with them.

Friday, August 17, 2012

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

Harold Fry did not plan to make a pilgrimage when he first stepped out of his house to mail a letter to an old friend, but an actual pilgrimage (a journey for exalted or sentimental reasons) is exactly what his errand turned into. Harold is a mild-mannered, recently retired Englishman who has only ever walked to his car. He and his wife Maureen share a spotlessly clean home and loveless marriage. When Harold receives a letter from an old friend, Queenie, informing him she is in hospice care dying of cancer, he writes a simple letter of condolence. Mulling over his relationship with Queenie as he passes mailbox after mailbox, he finally decides he must see her and convinces himself she will not die as long as he continues to walk. So, without proper shoes or socks, without a change of clothes, without a map or compass, without his cell phone and without returning home to inform his wife of his plans, he sets out to walk five hundred miles to the hospice. At first he is exhilarated by nature and the physical act of walking. Later, bad weather and blisters and sore muscles turn his exhilaration into misery. Yet he persists. While he walks, he recalls his life in small disjointed bits and we come to understand his difficult relationships with his family and his devotion to his dying friend.  Meanwhile, the bewildered Maureen, receiving only an occasional phone call or postcard from her meandering husband, considers the state of her marriage. Will absence make the heart grow fonder, or will Harold’s pilgrimage be the last straw in the burden of regret and recrimination that has plagued their lives for twenty years? The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, long-listed for the prestigious 2012 Booker Prize, is a book for all who enjoy well-drawn characters and unexpected plot twists.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

A Simple Murder: A Mystery by Eleanor Kuhns

In 1796 a traveling weaver, Will Rees discovers that his son, David, whom he has left in the care of his sister and her family has run away from home. His sister and her husband had mistreated David, and he sought shelter in a local Shaker community. Will tracks down David to the community and tries to reconcile with him. That night a young Shaker woman is shockingly murdered. Will served in the Continental Army and has investigative experience. On David’s recommendation the Shaker community requests that he stay and look into the murder. The atmosphere is haunting with historical details that bring this time period to life. A well written debut historical mystery that will keep readers completely engaged. A Simple Murder was the winner of the 2011 Mystery Writers/Minotaur Books First Crime Novel Competition - check it out @the library!

Friday, August 10, 2012

Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussmann

In the days after the end of the second World War, life is full of promise for cousins Nick and Helena.  Spending the sun-soaked summers of their childhood together at their family summer home Tiger House in Martha's Vineyard, the two are closer than sisters.  After sharing a cramped apartment in New York for the duration of the war, Nick is on the Havana Special, headed south to Miami to be reunited with her beloved husband, Hughes, where they will start their lives together.  Helena is headed west to Hollywood, where she will marry Avery Lewis, a second chance for love and dreams come true after her first husband was killed in the war.

But Hughes is changed by the war, and Avery is not the man, or the husband, Helena thought he was.  Unable to escape their lives, secrets, lies, resentment and guilt lie just beneath the surface of seemingly perfect summers of tennis, sailing, sunbathing and glittering parties on the Island.  But when Nick's daughter Daisy and Helena's son Ed discover the body of a brutally murdered maid, the violent crime threatens to shatter the glass house of their lives that Nick and Helena so fiercely want to protect.

From the sun-bleached docks of post-war Florida to the hot August clay of tennis courts in the Vineyard, lovers of multi-generational family sagas like those of Penny Vincenzi, Anne Rivers Siddons, and Fern Michaels won't want to miss Tigers in Red Weather this summer!

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson

Whether your teen-age heartthrob was Elvis, the Beatles or The New Kids on the Block, you will be able to identify with fourteen year old Petra Williams, a Welsh girl madly in love with David Cassidy.  Although her obsession with David complicates her relationship with her hypercritical mother who disdains all pop culture, it also helps her to claim a spot at the edge of a clique of popular girls. Plotting behind her mother’s back to enter the “Ultimate David Cassidy Quiz” contest and attend a David Cassidy concert in London, she is able to make friends, both true and superficial.

Twenty-five years later, Petra’s life is disintegrating. The day her mother died, her husband announced he was leaving her for a younger woman. While going through her mother’s possessions after the funeral, she finds a twenty-five year old notice from Worldwind Publishing informing her that she is the winner of the “Ultimate David Cassidy Quiz” and the grand prize of a trip to meet David Cassidy on the set of The Partridge Family Determined not to be cheated of the happiness she so longed for during her childhood, Petra tracks down the publishing company and claims her prize. The publisher, looking for a story and publicity, agrees to provide it by flying her to Las Vegas where Cassidy is performing.

Consequently, just as David Cassidy helped Petra survive her difficult teen years, she finds he can also help her navigate through adult problems.

I Think I Love You is a more than a trip down memory lane. It is also a study in how young women develop the personality and qualities that will later see them through the difficulties of adult life.

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

Porto Vergona, Italy, 1962.  Young Pasquale Tursi has come home from university in Florence after the death of his father to care for his mother in their tiny fishing village on the Italian coast.  He dreams of making his father's tiny hotel over into an elegant pensione that wealthy American tourists will flock to.  It is one morning, Pasquale standing waist deep in the bay, tossing rocks to build up the breakwall so the waves will not wash away his tiny beach, that the lovely American actress appears from the sea.  From the set of Cleopatra in Rome, Dee Moray is frail, dying, and has been sent to Porto Vergogna to wait for a man.  Pasquale is instantly in love.

Hollywood, California.  Present day.  Claire Silver is contemplating quitting her job as chief development assistant to legendary Hollywood producer Michael Deane.  Once a force to be reckoned with, Michael is a washed up relic of golden age Hollywood, and Claire spends her days listening to terrible movie pitches.  But when an elderly Italian man turns up on the lot, looking for an American actress he last saw in Italy fifty years ago, Claire believes she may have found the story she's been waiting for.

Beautiful Ruins is a tangle of interconnected stories that unfold across time and over continents that offers a glimpse at the extraordinary lives of ordinary people.  Wry, funny, heartbreaking and brutally honest, this engrossing novel will have you craving a trip to the sun-soaked cliffs of the Italian seacoast.  Stretching from the second World War to the nerve-racking and more than slightly ridiculous production lots of modern Hollywood, this surprising adventure is at its heart an epic love story you definately want in your beach bag this summer!

Friday, July 27, 2012

On Black Sisters Street by Chika Unigwe

Four Nigerian women who have come to Antwerp to work in the red light district share living quarters on Zwartesusterstraat.  Although prostitution itself is legal in Belgium, they are powerless economic refugees who are in the country illegally and deeply in debt to the pimp who recruited them.  When one of these women is murdered, the others begin to confide in each other. Each has her own unique background and reason for being there. Each has her own hopes and plans for a better future. This is a story of women in dreadful circumstances who must make impossible choices. Those who loved Little Bee by Chris Cleave will also be enthralled by On Black Sisters Street.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Mr. g by Alan Lightman

Mr g, a supreme being who lives in the Void with his Aunt Penelope and Uncle Deva, decides to create a universe. He begins by creating time, space, matter and three laws to govern them. Sitting back to enjoy the resulting developments, he sees that they are good. However, his pride of accomplishment is disrupted by the disturbing visits of a previously unknown being, Belhor. Belhor stops by periodically to argue philosophical points such as: free will, good and evil, suffering, predestination and immortality. Although he finds Belhor annoying, Mr g enjoys these debates. So, they continue their discussions for eons until the ever-changing universe expands to the point that it can no longer support life.  Mr g is a well-written book which makes physics and philosophy enjoyable to the layman and may be of particular interest to those interested in the recently discovered “god particle.”

Friday, July 20, 2012

Heading Out to Wonderful by Robert Goolrick

It’s the summer of 1948 in rural Virginia.  Charlie Beale has just arrived in town and quickly endears himself to the townspeople with his good looks, baseball talent, and butchering skills.  He becomes a second father to the owner’s son, Sam, and soon meets the teenage wife of Boaty Glass, the richest man in town.  Charlie becomes obsessed with her and heads down a path of destruction that changes the town forever.    This gothic tale of secrets and lies will entertain you.  Check out Robert Goolrick’s first novel, The Reliable Wife, from the library, too!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

What would happen if the rotation of the Earth slowed down, stretching the days by minutes, then hours?  If a single day grew to over 50 hours long?

Julia is 11 years old when the slowing begins.  At first, the change is hardly noticeable - the streetlights come on too early, the sun sets a bit later than it should.  But then the birds begin to die - gravity is stronger, and airborne things have a harder time staying airborne.  First the grass dies, then the trees - with 20, then 30 hours of sun, followed by the long dark of night, crops cannot grow without greenhouses and sunlamps.  The magnetic field of the Earth disturbed, the whales can no longer navigate, and there are mass beachings.

As the rotation disintegrates, so does everyday life.  Julia's best friend Hannah, a Mormon, moves to Utah to wait for the end with her family.  Her science teacher vanishes, and her piano teacher, always a free spirit, is suddenly distrusted by Julia's mom.  People stockpile huge amounts of canned food and water.  Her parents drift apart, her mother affected by a mysterious illness simply called The Syndrome.  And as society splits between clock time and real time, the 24-hour day implemented by the government makes strangers of friends and neighbors.  Eerie, unsettling, and utterly compelling, this perfectly paced dystopian novel is one of this summer's must-reads!

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney

Private Investigator Ray Lovell is hired by a father to find his missing daughter, Rose. Complicating the case is the fact that the woman has been missing for seven years and her family and her husband’s family are mistrustful gypsies who seem determined to withhold information.  No one has an answer as to why Rose would abandon her chronically ill child or how she, without friends or money, could disappear so completely, or why, for seven years, neither family has reported her missing. Half-gypsy himself, Lovell doggedly searches for the missing woman but the case is made more mysterious by a poisoning, a fire, a death and another disappearance.  Lovell’s persistence finally pays off leading him to two shocking conclusions in The Invisible Ones.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Dissolution by C J Sansom

History! Mystery! Dissolution is a well-written book that will satisfy the fans of both genres.  The first in a series of mysteries set in Tudor England, it combines the historical problems encompassing King Henry VIII’s dissolution of the English monasteries with a murder investigation. Matthew Shardlake, a lawyer and King’s Commissioner, is sent by Thomas Cromwell to a monastery in southern England to investigate the murder of the previous commissioner.  This official had been sent by Cromwell to investigate corruption in the monastery.  Proof of corruption would lead to certain dissolution, so suspicion falls on every monk living there. Before he is done, Shardlake is investigating multiple murders and finds his own life is in danger. This series will appeal to fans of Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, although it portrays Thomas Cromwell in an entirely different light.

Friday, June 29, 2012

Snowdrops by Andrew Miller

In the early 2000’s, the basis of Russian business was corruption and the basis of Russian entertainment was sleaze. Nicholas Platt, a British lawyer working in Moscow at the time, looks back and explains how he became ensnared in both. After meeting two beautiful sisters at a Russian train depot, he became involved in their lives and problems, including their efforts to help an elderly aunt. But things were not what they seemed and as Nick tells his story, he points out the warning signs he should have heeded but didn’t, and turns the story into a suspenseful page turner with a shocking conclusion.  For an intense read, check out Snowdrops @the library!

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf

In the quiet city of Broken Branch a gunman has entered the one school in town.  The citizens can only watch and wait.  Five different characters tell the story piece by piece.  A student in the school, a grandparent, a police officer, a seriously ill mother far away from her children, and a teacher share their viewpoints of the incident. 

Heather Gudenkauf comes through with an edge of your seat novel that will cause you to keep reading to see what happens next.  Just published today, check One Breath Away out, especially if you’re a Jodi Picoult fan!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson


Jenny Lawson's life is not normal. From her observations about her family growing up in Wall, Texas to her married life with her husband there is no stone from her life left unturned. Each story, list or conversation is retold with humor and honesty, and her hysterical observations will make you laugh out loud.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened is full of short essays, stories from the author's life, and random tangents that will leave you giggling, laughing and even full on snort-laughing. If you've ever had an argument with your significant other about surviving the Zombie Apocalypse, found yourself slowly turning into one of your parents, or obsessed with taxidermy animals dressed in costumes, then this is the book for you.

Fans of Jen Lancaster, Lori Notaro and David Sedaris should not miss Let's Pretend This Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson. Also check out her blog for more of her hysterical writing, and information about the book! 

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Between You and Me by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

Logan is making her way in New York City putting her past behind her.  Logan’s cousin Kelsey is a pop star, beloved by millions. When her assistant leaves she asks Logan to take over.  She becomes entrenched in Kelsey’s family and must balance her life with her new boyfriend and being there for her cousin. Will she be able to help Kelsey when her life turns upside down?

After reading this book you’ll look at the media differently and reconsider any thoughts of being famous. Check out this great summer read @the library!

Friday, June 15, 2012

The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler

Quirky characters with unusual occupations and mundane domestic lives amuse and charm the reader in The Beginner’s Goodbye.  Aaron Woolcott has been living a quiet life with his wife Dorothy when she is suddenly killed by a freak accident. Although they were somewhat mismatched and sometimes had trouble communicating, they were a close and devoted couple for over eleven years. Aaron, unable to deal with Dorothy’s unexpected death, becomes emotionally numb and withdrawn, resisting the efforts of his sister, his co-workers, friends and neighbors to help him through his grief. But then Dorothy begins to appear to him. Sometimes they talk. Sometimes they are silent. Sometimes they even annoy each other. These appearances comfort Aaron. However, Dorothy has another purpose for her visits and she eventually makes Aaron a better man.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Gold by Chris Cleave

Olympic cyclists Kate and Zoe have been rivals and best friends since they met at the Elite Prospects Programme at age 18.  Kate missed the 2004 Athens Olympics to stay home with her baby daughter, Sophie, and took a miss again at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when Sophie was diagnosed with leukemia.  Instead of competing in front of the world with her husband and her best friend, Kate chose to be the one to take her very ill daughter home.  Zoe took gold in both Olympics - as did Kate's husband (and Zoe's old flame), Jack.  At age 32, this will be Kate, Zoe, and Jack's last Olympics.

All three are planning to go out in a blaze of gold glory - until the Olympic Committee changes the rules, and only one female cyclist will be allowed to compete in the Olympics.

From the author of the best-selling Little Bee comes this gripping, heart-wrenching, and surprisingly funny story of family, love, friendship, and fierce competition.  Driven, self-destructive Zoe, sweet, feisty fighter Kate, their tough-as-nails coach Tom, and determined, Star Wars-obsessed Sophie (who is pretty sure that her returning leukemia is just a side effect of the midochlorians in her blood turning her into a Jedi) all have to figure out how to shift their worlds to the rules change without crashing their lives out on the track. 

This review is based on an advanced reader's copy received from the publisher.  Gold will be published on July 10, 2012.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Watergate by Thomas Mallon

Since the facts of the Watergate scandal are stranger than fiction, the plot of this book writes itself.  Seven men who worked at the direction of CREEP (The Committee to Re-Elect the President) were arrested while breaking into the Democratic National Headquarters in Washington DC. Hush money was paid. Hearings were held. Perjury was committed. High ranking government officials went to jail and President Richard Nixon was forced to resign. By recounting this story fictionally, the author is able to depict a humanity for the perpetrators, co-conspirators and innocent by-standers that mere facts cannot convey. Once the deed is done, emotions, not rational thinking, take over. We follow and even empathize with, Richard Nixon, E. Howard Hunt, Fred LaRue, Rose Mary Woods and others who get caught in an ever-growing web of lies.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Life as I Blow It by Sarah Colonna


Sarah Colonna thinks that everyone has two different personalities. For her, there is the responsible person who pays bills on time, always has a job and lives close to her family. Then there is the side that sees the benefits of being alone, having fun and partying. Finding a guy who accepts and understand both of these sides is not easy, and these are her stories of trying to find Mr. Right, and sometimes Mr. Right Now.

From her dating exploits as young girl growing up in Arkansas to a more mature woman trying to work and live in LA are laugh out loud funny. Fans of Chelsea Handler will recognise her friend and co-worker, and definitely enjoy Sarah's takes on dating and life.If you are looking for something fun to read in a beach chair with an umbrella drink, check out Life as I Blow It by Sarah Colonna.

Friday, June 1, 2012

The Paper Garden: An Artist (Begins Her Life's Work) at 72 by Molly Peacock

Mary Delaney was a minor member of the British aristocracy in the 18th century. After the death of a much older husband ended an unhappy marriage, she created for herself a new life, full of friends, music, art, science and remarriage. During her second widowhood, at the age 72, Mrs. Delaney began to construct flower mosaics from cut paper and continued to do so for the next 10 years, creating 985 beautiful and botanically correct pictures, now kept in the British Museum. Paper Garden contains color reproductions of some of her work.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Comedy in a Minor Key by Hans Keilor

What happens to ordinary people trying to do the right thing during dangerous times?  A young Dutch couple hides a Jewish man in their home during the German occupation of The Netherlands during World War II in Comedy in a Minor Key. They manage to handle all the small difficulties that arise, but when the man sickens and dies, the matter of disposing of the body brings the biggest danger of exposure into their quiet lives.