I'm betting the title was chosen partly because of the popularity of the series with a similar title. However, Between Shades of Gray is a young adult fiction book based on the "relocation" of tens of thousands of Lithuanians, Estonians, Latvians and Finns when the Soviets took over those countries in 1941.
Lina tells the story beginning with this line: They took me in my nightgown.
The Soviets gave Lina, her mother Elena, and her brother Jonas twenty minutes to pack whatever they wanted to carry in a suitcase. The family was herded into cattle cars with hundreds of other townspeople where they spent six weeks on their way to Siberia.
Once there, they were told to sign documents that declared them to be criminals with a sentence of 25 years at labor in the beet and potato fields. They were given only a little bread to eat. Many died of scurvy and other diseases caused by living in noxious conditions.
As Elena wouldn't sign the documents, she, Lina, and Jonas were sent clear across Asia to the northern end of the Lena River above the Arctic Circle.
This family lived through the horrors of Stalin's dictatorship. The story seems to have a better - although not completely happy - ending. Lina's story is eventually found buried in a jar in 1954. She was never able to speak about it openly due to the Soviet strictures.
While not a comfortable story, it is based on what really happened to the Baltic Coast countries during World War II. It was a different kind of Holocaust occurring at the same time as the Nazi destruction of the Jewish people.
Kathi Linz
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
I Got a D in Salami
Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver have written a series of books for children with Hank Zipzer as the main character. Hank has a learning difficulty which isn't named in the story, but sounds quite a bit like dyslexia.
I actually listened to the book on CD which is read by Henry Winkler himself. He reads it like an actor rather than like a regular reader. The result is quite comical.
Hank is not especially good in school even though he studies as best he can. In spite of his honest effort to do well, he ends up being laughed at and in trouble all the time.
Hank's mother runs a deli. She experiments with healthy foods, and has created soy salami.
When Hank gets 3 D's on his report card and a letter from his teacher saying she wants to meet with his parents, between Hank and his friends, the report card ends up in the salami mixture which is going to be presented to a big buyer the next morning. Hank and his friends come up with a plan to thwart the meeting so no one will become sick from eating report card salami. Of course, nothing goes according to their plan, and the whole thing ends up a huge disaster which includes an Irish wolfhound and a dachshund named Cheerio.
In spite of the destruction of the meeting and penthouse suite, this turns out to be a turning point for Hank, because he ends up getting tested for his learning difference. He will be allowed to learn in different ways so he isn't penalized for something he can't help.
If you want to have a good laugh, pick up this audio book. Hearing it read by Henry Winkler absolutely enhances the story. In my opinion ( a past teacher of two decades), I'd have to guess that Henry Winkler is writing from his own experience.
Kathi Linz
I actually listened to the book on CD which is read by Henry Winkler himself. He reads it like an actor rather than like a regular reader. The result is quite comical.
Hank is not especially good in school even though he studies as best he can. In spite of his honest effort to do well, he ends up being laughed at and in trouble all the time.
Hank's mother runs a deli. She experiments with healthy foods, and has created soy salami.
When Hank gets 3 D's on his report card and a letter from his teacher saying she wants to meet with his parents, between Hank and his friends, the report card ends up in the salami mixture which is going to be presented to a big buyer the next morning. Hank and his friends come up with a plan to thwart the meeting so no one will become sick from eating report card salami. Of course, nothing goes according to their plan, and the whole thing ends up a huge disaster which includes an Irish wolfhound and a dachshund named Cheerio.
In spite of the destruction of the meeting and penthouse suite, this turns out to be a turning point for Hank, because he ends up getting tested for his learning difference. He will be allowed to learn in different ways so he isn't penalized for something he can't help.
If you want to have a good laugh, pick up this audio book. Hearing it read by Henry Winkler absolutely enhances the story. In my opinion ( a past teacher of two decades), I'd have to guess that Henry Winkler is writing from his own experience.
Kathi Linz
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
"My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business" by Dick Van Dyke
I don't normally read biographies (if I ever have!), but being a fan of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and looking for a new audiobook, I recently listened to My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business by Dick Van Dyke. I enjoyed the audiobook version because it was narrated by Dick Van Dyke himself. Being both the author and the narrator, he could read the book with whatever feeling he wanted. With that and his recognizable voice, listening to his autobiography was like listening to him just sitting down and talking about his life. The book itself described Dick Van Dyke's life from before he was in show business up until he wrote the book, which was about 2010 or 2011. In that time span, you get to hear funny anecdotes from his personal and professional lives. Entertainment buffs will appreciate the name-dropping, ranging from personal stories about Stan Laurel and Buster Keaton to mentions of Carl Reiner, Debbie Reynolds, Ben Stiller, and more. In short, I enjoyed the book as narrated by the author and may be tempted to add some more biographies to my reading wish list!
Monday, November 26, 2012
Two New Knitting Books
The library recently got two new knitting books.
The Sock Knitter's Handbook: Expert Advice, Tips, & Tricks by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott and Knit Step by Step: More Than 150 Techniques and Stitch Patterns with 10 Easy Projects by Vikki Haffenden and Frederica Patmore.
If you are handy with a pair or needles, these might be something you want to explore.
Kathi
The Sock Knitter's Handbook: Expert Advice, Tips, & Tricks by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott and Knit Step by Step: More Than 150 Techniques and Stitch Patterns with 10 Easy Projects by Vikki Haffenden and Frederica Patmore.
If you are handy with a pair or needles, these might be something you want to explore.
Kathi
Sunday, November 18, 2012
New Weaving Books
The library recently acquired three new books on weaving.
If you have a table (or larger) loom, you might want to check out these two books:
Pattern Weaving: Basics for the Handloom by Rabbit Goody
and Simple Weaves: Over 30 Classic Patterns and Fresh New Styles by Birgitta Bengtsson Bjork and Tina Ignell
If you have an interest in inkle weaving - making bands and sashes - you might want to see this book, The Weaver's Inkle Pattern Directory by Anne Dixon. This book goes beyond the basic patterns and shows how to do pick up weaving for fancier patterns.
Kathi Linz
If you have a table (or larger) loom, you might want to check out these two books:
Pattern Weaving: Basics for the Handloom by Rabbit Goody
and Simple Weaves: Over 30 Classic Patterns and Fresh New Styles by Birgitta Bengtsson Bjork and Tina Ignell
If you have an interest in inkle weaving - making bands and sashes - you might want to see this book, The Weaver's Inkle Pattern Directory by Anne Dixon. This book goes beyond the basic patterns and shows how to do pick up weaving for fancier patterns.
Kathi Linz
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Runaway Twin by Peg Kehret
Sunny and Starr are twins who were separated at age three when their mother and grandmother die in a car crash. Sunny goes with a great-aunt, but eventually ends up in foster care several states away from her original home.
She finds some money and determines to travel to the state of Washington to find her twin. She travels in ways that hopefully will help her stay out of sight of the Child Services department.
Along the way, she adopts a stray old dog, is bothered by bullies, and barely escapes the ravages of a tornado. A taxi driver points out that people who care about her are probably frantic with worry.
Sunny, still determined to get to her sister, finally makes it back to her old hometown where she discovers that not all dreams come true, but others may be better than she had ever thought they could be.
On a down day, I asked our children's librarian for a happy book. While this one has some stressful moments, it is definitely an emotionally satisfying story.
Kathi
She finds some money and determines to travel to the state of Washington to find her twin. She travels in ways that hopefully will help her stay out of sight of the Child Services department.
Along the way, she adopts a stray old dog, is bothered by bullies, and barely escapes the ravages of a tornado. A taxi driver points out that people who care about her are probably frantic with worry.
Sunny, still determined to get to her sister, finally makes it back to her old hometown where she discovers that not all dreams come true, but others may be better than she had ever thought they could be.
On a down day, I asked our children's librarian for a happy book. While this one has some stressful moments, it is definitely an emotionally satisfying story.
Kathi
Monday, September 17, 2012
Forgotten Bookmarks by Michael Popek
Because I enjoyed looking through the book PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives by Frank Warren, I thought I might enjoy Forgotten Bookmarks by Michael Popek.
Well, yes and no. I thought some of the items left in old books were interesting. There were a couple of letters written during the Civil War and a few things that were older than that. I learned a little history from people who were there at the time.
I kept trying to relate the item with the title of the book in which it was found. That didn't work. Just like I do, those people simply took something flat and put it in whatever book they were reading. Or they put a precious keepsake in their favorite book.
If you like checking out the odds and ends of life, this is a book you should pick up. If you want action and a plot, go for something else.
Kathi Linz
Well, yes and no. I thought some of the items left in old books were interesting. There were a couple of letters written during the Civil War and a few things that were older than that. I learned a little history from people who were there at the time.
I kept trying to relate the item with the title of the book in which it was found. That didn't work. Just like I do, those people simply took something flat and put it in whatever book they were reading. Or they put a precious keepsake in their favorite book.
If you like checking out the odds and ends of life, this is a book you should pick up. If you want action and a plot, go for something else.
Kathi Linz
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
My Journey to Heaven: What I Saw and How It Changed My Life by Marvin J. Besteman
In the book My Journey to Heaven: What I Saw and How It Changed My Life, Marvin J. Besteman tells about the time he had pancreatic surgery. He was in horrible pain since the surgeons moved all of his innards around to get to the tumor on his pancreas.
During the night after surgery, he went to heaven for a short period of time. He describes what he saw while at the gate of heaven and some of the people who he spoke to or who were in view of the gate.
He wasn't able to speak to anyone inside nor was he allowed to step foot inside. He admits to being angry that he had to come back to earth.
I've read a few books written by people who returned from death. This book has more description and does not have the tunnel of light. Instead, Marv is escorted to the gate by two angels.
The author is presently back in heaven. He died a couple of weeks after finishing his part of the work on the manuscript. He claimed that he was sent back to earth to tell people what he saw.
I enjoyed reading this book more than some of the others on the same topic.
Kathi Linz
During the night after surgery, he went to heaven for a short period of time. He describes what he saw while at the gate of heaven and some of the people who he spoke to or who were in view of the gate.
He wasn't able to speak to anyone inside nor was he allowed to step foot inside. He admits to being angry that he had to come back to earth.
I've read a few books written by people who returned from death. This book has more description and does not have the tunnel of light. Instead, Marv is escorted to the gate by two angels.
The author is presently back in heaven. He died a couple of weeks after finishing his part of the work on the manuscript. He claimed that he was sent back to earth to tell people what he saw.
I enjoyed reading this book more than some of the others on the same topic.
Kathi Linz
Saturday, September 8, 2012
8 MInutes to Digital Winter by Mark Hitchcock and Alton Gansky
What would happen if a worm got into the computer systems and shut everything down. No refrigeration, no electricity, no cars that have computer chips... What would the government be able to do? What would be the priorities if such a thing happened?
There are a number of players in this gripping book, but the main focus is on Colonel Jeremy Matisse, military expert on all things computer, and his wife, surgeon Roni Matisse. When the world collapses around them, they each feel that their duties take presidence over any personal wishes they might have. Jeremy follows President Barlow into a safe place similar to NORAD and struggles to find the antidote to the computer problems. Roni stays at her post in the hospital - not just for a couple of extra shifts - but for months, as she tries to save people's lives with medicine gone back to WW I or before.
President Barlow tries to make executive decisions for the good of the whole country with few advisors and extremely limited information and resources.
Demonic spirits are at work in this book published by Harvest House. They set up the story but don't overshadow it.
I'm betting this is the first book in a series based on the way the final chapter plays out.
Kathi Linz
There are a number of players in this gripping book, but the main focus is on Colonel Jeremy Matisse, military expert on all things computer, and his wife, surgeon Roni Matisse. When the world collapses around them, they each feel that their duties take presidence over any personal wishes they might have. Jeremy follows President Barlow into a safe place similar to NORAD and struggles to find the antidote to the computer problems. Roni stays at her post in the hospital - not just for a couple of extra shifts - but for months, as she tries to save people's lives with medicine gone back to WW I or before.
President Barlow tries to make executive decisions for the good of the whole country with few advisors and extremely limited information and resources.
Demonic spirits are at work in this book published by Harvest House. They set up the story but don't overshadow it.
I'm betting this is the first book in a series based on the way the final chapter plays out.
Kathi Linz
Thursday, September 6, 2012
The Wild Girl: The Notebooks of Ned Giles, 1932 by Jim Fergus
The Wild Girl is a good book that will speak to your inner adventurer. It is a very well written story in third and first person views (of at least 3 different people). I loved the fact that it switched back and forth between characters. I think it kept it fresh.
Parts of the book were about this "wild" Apache girl (recently turned "woman") who was captured by a crazy mountain man. Other parts of the book were based on a teenaged orphan boy turned photographer who sets out West to avoid his troubles. He joins the 1932 Great Apache Expedition on a search for the young son of a wealthy Mexican land owner who was stolen by the wild Apaches a couple years earlier.
The two stories merge when the Expedition encounters the wild girl in a Mexican jail cell and decide to take her along to trade for the boy. The story continues to switch perspectives from there.
If you like stories, based on actual events, with drama, peril, and adventure (with a bit of romance) then, give this one a try. I give it a 9.5 out of 10.
P.S. If you get the first edition published by Hyperion that has a red cover with a necklace on it--It has a Q&A with the author in the back that's pretty good. :)
Joanna Jackson
Parts of the book were about this "wild" Apache girl (recently turned "woman") who was captured by a crazy mountain man. Other parts of the book were based on a teenaged orphan boy turned photographer who sets out West to avoid his troubles. He joins the 1932 Great Apache Expedition on a search for the young son of a wealthy Mexican land owner who was stolen by the wild Apaches a couple years earlier.
The two stories merge when the Expedition encounters the wild girl in a Mexican jail cell and decide to take her along to trade for the boy. The story continues to switch perspectives from there.
If you like stories, based on actual events, with drama, peril, and adventure (with a bit of romance) then, give this one a try. I give it a 9.5 out of 10.
P.S. If you get the first edition published by Hyperion that has a red cover with a necklace on it--It has a Q&A with the author in the back that's pretty good. :)
Joanna Jackson
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Jasmine Nights: A Novel by Julia Gregson
If you like works of fiction dealing in adventure, conflict (both physical and emotional), humor, romance, suspense, and travel; this book is for you.
The main characters: Saba Tarcan (a half Turkish - half British 23 year old who has hefty dreams of becoming a professional singer) and Dom Benson (a half French - half British 23 year old Pilot Officer who learned to fly at Cambridge).
The setting: Wales, London, Africa, and mostly the Middle East.
This is a fictional novel based on true accounts of female entertainers used as spies during WWII. It has just about everything you would want out of a book. I like that the author was very detailed. The only thing that I had a problem with was when she used British slang for a lot of things. I kind of got lost during those parts. Other than that... awesome read. I give it a 9 out of 10.
Joanna Jackson
The main characters: Saba Tarcan (a half Turkish - half British 23 year old who has hefty dreams of becoming a professional singer) and Dom Benson (a half French - half British 23 year old Pilot Officer who learned to fly at Cambridge).
The setting: Wales, London, Africa, and mostly the Middle East.
This is a fictional novel based on true accounts of female entertainers used as spies during WWII. It has just about everything you would want out of a book. I like that the author was very detailed. The only thing that I had a problem with was when she used British slang for a lot of things. I kind of got lost during those parts. Other than that... awesome read. I give it a 9 out of 10.
Joanna Jackson
Saturday, August 25, 2012
A Plain Death by Amanda Flower
A Plain Death is Amanda Flower's third book with more on the way. Her first book, Maid of Murder, was nominated for an Agatha Award. I was sure I had this mystery figured out by page 4. I was partly right and mostly wrong.
Chloe Humphrey is a young computer whiz who moves to a small middle-of-Ohio town complete with a thriving Amish community. Her first two friends are an ex-Amish brother and sister, Timothy and Becky Troyer.
All is not well in Appleseed Creek. Chloe's first task as head of the computer department at the local college is to fire one of her staff. Since she doesn't know any of them, she is hard pressed to make a decision.
Chloe's house needs work and, since she rescues Becky from a pair of bullies before she hits the city limits, she ends up with an unplanned roommate on day one. This ends up as an unexpected blessing, because Becky's brother is a carpenter. It also ends up as less than a blessing because Becky borrows Chloe's car without permission. When the brakes fail, Becky runs into the Amish bishop's buggy and he is killed instantly.
Accident? Murder? How could it be murder unless someone knew Becky and the bishop would be on the same road at the same time? Will Becky be shunned by her family? Will she end up in jail? How is Chloe going to find her way in a new job and a new town in the middle of all this chaos?
I thought this was an excellent book.
Kathi
Chloe Humphrey is a young computer whiz who moves to a small middle-of-Ohio town complete with a thriving Amish community. Her first two friends are an ex-Amish brother and sister, Timothy and Becky Troyer.
All is not well in Appleseed Creek. Chloe's first task as head of the computer department at the local college is to fire one of her staff. Since she doesn't know any of them, she is hard pressed to make a decision.
Chloe's house needs work and, since she rescues Becky from a pair of bullies before she hits the city limits, she ends up with an unplanned roommate on day one. This ends up as an unexpected blessing, because Becky's brother is a carpenter. It also ends up as less than a blessing because Becky borrows Chloe's car without permission. When the brakes fail, Becky runs into the Amish bishop's buggy and he is killed instantly.
Accident? Murder? How could it be murder unless someone knew Becky and the bishop would be on the same road at the same time? Will Becky be shunned by her family? Will she end up in jail? How is Chloe going to find her way in a new job and a new town in the middle of all this chaos?
I thought this was an excellent book.
Kathi
Teach Yourself Visually Color Knitting by Mary Scott Huff
Here's a new book just in at Jackson Co. Public Library for knitters is Teach Yourself Visually Color Knitting by Mary Scott Huff.
Mary shows you how to knit more than one color in any project. She explains stripes, slip-stitch, stranded colorwork, intarsia (cool looking cardigan patterns), entrelac, modules, and embellishments.
This is, in fact, a very visual book loaded with photos and charts to show you exactly how to accomplish the design you've always wanted to knit. After each explanation, there are several patterns for assorted projects you can make using that technique.
Stop by the library and grab it off of the New Books shelves.
Kathi
Mary shows you how to knit more than one color in any project. She explains stripes, slip-stitch, stranded colorwork, intarsia (cool looking cardigan patterns), entrelac, modules, and embellishments.
This is, in fact, a very visual book loaded with photos and charts to show you exactly how to accomplish the design you've always wanted to knit. After each explanation, there are several patterns for assorted projects you can make using that technique.
Stop by the library and grab it off of the New Books shelves.
Kathi
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Sabotaged by Margaret P. Haddix
The adventures of Jonah and Katherine continue as they join forces with another adoptee named Andrea. JB sends them back in time with a dog named Dare to the Roanoke Colony. Andrea was actually the first English child born in the Americas, Virginia Dare. Since she had been kidnapped, she was unable to finish one critical part of her life. The children needed to put history to rights.
Andrea acts somewhat strange from the very beginning. It comes out that she had been approached by another time traveler who calls himself Second. He originally had been working for JB, but decided that there were parts of history that could be improved. His changes upset time itself.
The children hit one disaster after another. Even though the first two book ended on something like a cliff-hanger, each story came to a conclusion. This book falls - you'll understand the term after you read the book - straight into the next one. I could almost "Dare" you not to grab the next book as soon as you finish this one.
JB, Andrea, and her grandfather Governor John White are left in 1600 in dire straits. It's up to Jonah and Katherine to complete the next leg of the quest in order to save Andrea and JB from being stranded there for the rest of their lives.
More to come.
Kathi
Andrea acts somewhat strange from the very beginning. It comes out that she had been approached by another time traveler who calls himself Second. He originally had been working for JB, but decided that there were parts of history that could be improved. His changes upset time itself.
The children hit one disaster after another. Even though the first two book ended on something like a cliff-hanger, each story came to a conclusion. This book falls - you'll understand the term after you read the book - straight into the next one. I could almost "Dare" you not to grab the next book as soon as you finish this one.
JB, Andrea, and her grandfather Governor John White are left in 1600 in dire straits. It's up to Jonah and Katherine to complete the next leg of the quest in order to save Andrea and JB from being stranded there for the rest of their lives.
More to come.
Kathi
Sent by Margaret P. Haddix
Jonah and Katherine find themselves flung back into medieval England along with Chip and their new friend Alex.
JB the time traveler sends them back on a mission to fix some loose ends in history. It seems that Chip and Alex were kidnapped out of their own time, and history has to be returned to its proper course by them finishing out the life they should have led.
Chip's original identity was Edward the V of England and Alex was really his younger brother Richard, Duke of York. Technically, at the time the children arrive in England, Chip is the king of the whole country. However, his scheming uncle determines to become king in Edward's place.
If you are a student of history, you will recognize this story as being based on the two princes in the Tower of London who mysteriously disappeared. It is thought that they were murdered by Richard III or that they died of something natural while they were in the Tower. The bones of two children were discovered buried in the Tower of London, but no one can prove whose bones they were. Hence one of the great disappearance mysteries of history.
This is an excellent, page-turning story. I'm on to the next book in the series. My compliments to Margaret Haddix.
Kathi
JB the time traveler sends them back on a mission to fix some loose ends in history. It seems that Chip and Alex were kidnapped out of their own time, and history has to be returned to its proper course by them finishing out the life they should have led.
Chip's original identity was Edward the V of England and Alex was really his younger brother Richard, Duke of York. Technically, at the time the children arrive in England, Chip is the king of the whole country. However, his scheming uncle determines to become king in Edward's place.
If you are a student of history, you will recognize this story as being based on the two princes in the Tower of London who mysteriously disappeared. It is thought that they were murdered by Richard III or that they died of something natural while they were in the Tower. The bones of two children were discovered buried in the Tower of London, but no one can prove whose bones they were. Hence one of the great disappearance mysteries of history.
This is an excellent, page-turning story. I'm on to the next book in the series. My compliments to Margaret Haddix.
Kathi
Found by Margaret P. Haddix
Thirteen-year-old Jonah is adopted. He has a natural-born ten-year-old sister, Katherine. He has always known he was adopted and his parents frequently tiptoe around him as if his emotions are about to fall apart.
Jonah and his friend Chip begin getting mysterious letters with no return address. They say things like, "You are one of the missing," and "They're coming back to get you."
Until now, Chip had no idea that he was also adopted. The idea seems to damage his usual clear thinking.
Katherine begins a quest to find out what is going on and drags the two boys along with her. They discover STRANGE things like stories about an appearing and disappearing airplane with 36 babies on it and no adults, people who seem to pop in and pop out of nowhere, and someone searching through their private stuff.
At a meeting for parents of adopted children, 36 teens are separated into a group and taken on a short field trip. They had no idea that the trip involved time and their real identities.
This book is the first in a series.
Kathi
Jonah and his friend Chip begin getting mysterious letters with no return address. They say things like, "You are one of the missing," and "They're coming back to get you."
Until now, Chip had no idea that he was also adopted. The idea seems to damage his usual clear thinking.
Katherine begins a quest to find out what is going on and drags the two boys along with her. They discover STRANGE things like stories about an appearing and disappearing airplane with 36 babies on it and no adults, people who seem to pop in and pop out of nowhere, and someone searching through their private stuff.
At a meeting for parents of adopted children, 36 teens are separated into a group and taken on a short field trip. They had no idea that the trip involved time and their real identities.
This book is the first in a series.
Kathi
Monday, July 23, 2012
The Always War by Margaret P. Haddix
The Always War begins in the United States, but not the United States that we are familiar with. The population is at war - has been for about 80 years. The best and brightest young people are chosen for military training around the age of 10. Bombs are dropped by drones flown by remote control.
(It made me think of a young adult version of Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card in this respect.)
Gideon has been declared a military hero for killing over a thousand enemies. But he hacks into the general's recording of the hit and sees images of his bomb dropping on a marketplace full of women and children. He is sickened and determines to fly into the enemy zone and apologize for his actions knowing that he will be arrested or killed.
All unwitting, he ends up with his neighbor Tessa and a young girl named Dek flying along with him in the plane. Dek was called up for military school, but she found a way to get herself declared dead and has been working with the black market ever since. Tessa tells you a number of times throughout the book that she is no one special.
These three, with their various skills make a discovery that changes the course of, not just the war, but the whole of their society.
I liked this book well enough that I picked up another book by the same author.
Kathi
(It made me think of a young adult version of Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card in this respect.)
Gideon has been declared a military hero for killing over a thousand enemies. But he hacks into the general's recording of the hit and sees images of his bomb dropping on a marketplace full of women and children. He is sickened and determines to fly into the enemy zone and apologize for his actions knowing that he will be arrested or killed.
All unwitting, he ends up with his neighbor Tessa and a young girl named Dek flying along with him in the plane. Dek was called up for military school, but she found a way to get herself declared dead and has been working with the black market ever since. Tessa tells you a number of times throughout the book that she is no one special.
These three, with their various skills make a discovery that changes the course of, not just the war, but the whole of their society.
I liked this book well enough that I picked up another book by the same author.
Kathi
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
The Road to Grace by Richard Paul Evans
The Road to Grace is part three in Richard Paul Evans The Walk series. The story begins with the death of Alan Christofersen's wife, the theft of his business by his business partner and the ensuing forclosure of his home. In his grief and anger, Alan decides to walk as far as he can from all of his troubles. Since he starts in Seattle, his journey is intended to take him to Key West.
Some people think these books are little more than a travelogue with the sights along the way and the menus of various eateries along the road. But look a little closer. Notice the people Alan meets along the way.
In book one, he learns to accept that he is still alive and should not seek death for himself. (He verges on suicidal in the beginning.) Book two included him helping someone else to choose life and find a kind of healing for himself. This book, book three, focuses on forgiveness. He deals with his mother-in-law who had abandoned her family when Alan's wife was very young. He falls sick and spends a couple of days with an elderly Holocaust survivor who tells him that if he doesn't forgive his business partner, he will be ceding his life to that man. Alan would be imprisoning himself without his hatred having the slightest effect on his enemy.
The book doesn't have a twist at the end. It has road construction (literally) and a boulder in the road for Alan to deal with. I'm assuming there will be a part four. I very much wish to know what Alan is going to do next.
The scenery extends from Rapid City, South Dakota, to St. Louis, Missouri. I think this book is worth the trip.
Kathi
Some people think these books are little more than a travelogue with the sights along the way and the menus of various eateries along the road. But look a little closer. Notice the people Alan meets along the way.
In book one, he learns to accept that he is still alive and should not seek death for himself. (He verges on suicidal in the beginning.) Book two included him helping someone else to choose life and find a kind of healing for himself. This book, book three, focuses on forgiveness. He deals with his mother-in-law who had abandoned her family when Alan's wife was very young. He falls sick and spends a couple of days with an elderly Holocaust survivor who tells him that if he doesn't forgive his business partner, he will be ceding his life to that man. Alan would be imprisoning himself without his hatred having the slightest effect on his enemy.
The book doesn't have a twist at the end. It has road construction (literally) and a boulder in the road for Alan to deal with. I'm assuming there will be a part four. I very much wish to know what Alan is going to do next.
The scenery extends from Rapid City, South Dakota, to St. Louis, Missouri. I think this book is worth the trip.
Kathi
Monday, July 16, 2012
The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman
What if all of those magical items in the Grimm fairy tales existed and actually still worked? What if there were a circulating material repository that kept all of these wondrous things and much more? And what if you were a high school girl who had helped a fairy godmother without knowing it and then suddenly been offered a job as a page at the repository? This is the story told in The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman.
Things are going oddly at the repository. Some items have been stolen. Others have mysteriously lost their magic. And four teens - two boys and two girls - have to solve the disappearances, the dissipating magic, and sort through their relationships, all at the same time. To make it even more fun, they are being followed by an odd man and a gigantic bird. Throw in a high school teacher who used to work at the repository and his wonder dog Griffin and things get entertaining.
When the repository director and more than one of the pages go missing, the others find that time is running out and it become critical for them to get to the bottom of the mysteries surrounding the Grimm Collection.
This is a Young Adult book, but anyone with a love of fairy tales and those who are young at heart will enjoy this story.
Kathi
Things are going oddly at the repository. Some items have been stolen. Others have mysteriously lost their magic. And four teens - two boys and two girls - have to solve the disappearances, the dissipating magic, and sort through their relationships, all at the same time. To make it even more fun, they are being followed by an odd man and a gigantic bird. Throw in a high school teacher who used to work at the repository and his wonder dog Griffin and things get entertaining.
When the repository director and more than one of the pages go missing, the others find that time is running out and it become critical for them to get to the bottom of the mysteries surrounding the Grimm Collection.
This is a Young Adult book, but anyone with a love of fairy tales and those who are young at heart will enjoy this story.
Kathi
The Mystery of Mary by Grace Livingston Hill
In my younger days, I read Grace Livingston Hill's stories as often as I could find one I hadn't read.
Many authors have a formula of sorts that they follow. If you read several of their books in a row, you find that the stories are basically the same with different names for the main characters. That isn't true for Grace Livingston Hill. Each of her stories has a uniqueness about it.
This weekend, I found The Mystery of Mary in the new book section. I read it in about 2 1/2 hours. In spite of it being a short book and having been writing in the context of 1912, it is still a very readable story. It has stalkers, would-be kidnappers, an "escapee" from a mental institution, and a "knight in shining armor" type of hero.
If you liked Grace Livingston Hill in the past, this is your next good read. If you've never read any of her books, this is a fun one to start with. It is a gentle romance with an interesting plot.
Kathi
Many authors have a formula of sorts that they follow. If you read several of their books in a row, you find that the stories are basically the same with different names for the main characters. That isn't true for Grace Livingston Hill. Each of her stories has a uniqueness about it.
This weekend, I found The Mystery of Mary in the new book section. I read it in about 2 1/2 hours. In spite of it being a short book and having been writing in the context of 1912, it is still a very readable story. It has stalkers, would-be kidnappers, an "escapee" from a mental institution, and a "knight in shining armor" type of hero.
If you liked Grace Livingston Hill in the past, this is your next good read. If you've never read any of her books, this is a fun one to start with. It is a gentle romance with an interesting plot.
Kathi
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Welcome to the World, Baby Girl
Fannie Flagg’s Welcome to the World, Baby Girl is a bit of a departure from the usual
happenings of Elmwood Springs. Oh, our favorite characters-- Neighbor Dorothy, poor Tot, and Aunt Elner—are all present but
the main character of the book is Baby Girl, Dena Nordstorm. Dena lives in Elmwood Springs as a toddler
but suddenly leaves with her mother after a visit from a mysterious German-speaking
stranger. And so Dena’s story begins.
Dena and her mother move from place to place seemingly on
the run. Not until Dena is grown and is
trying to achieve a successful career in New York City’s competitive TV news
arena does she begin to wonder about her childhood. Health problems brought on by anxiety force
Dena to question many events of her past. A return to Elmwood Springs gives Dena the opportunity
to make some reasonable decisions about her future.
Characters you love and hate, the TV news ratings game, and Elmwood Springs history make this Fannie Flagg novel an interesting
combination of her usual humor in a different sort of story. Pick up a copy of Welcome
to the World, Baby Girl at the JCPL check-out desk and join the Fantastic
Fictioneers on Friday, June 15 at 11 AM. You’ll enjoy the book and the
discussion.
Jane Kaufman
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Friendship Bread by Darien Gee
Last summer, the Fantastic Fictioneers, one of our library's book discussion groups, read The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede. This book is a true account of what happened in Gander, Newfoundland on September 11, 2001. Thirty-six planes with more than 6,000 passengers were diverted to Gander (population 10,000) because of the 9/11 attack. This small town and nearby communities amazingly provided these stranded people with every comfort they could imagine.
Friendship Bread by Darien Gee is another wonderful story of people-helping-people. In the fictional town of Avalon, Illinois, a young mother is struggling with a personal tragedy. Julia receives a starter of Amish friendship bread and the story begins. By sharing the recipe, she meets newcomers in town and connects with old friends. In a tiny tea shop, friends and neighbors bond by sharing the friendship bread, adding their own variations to the recipe. When a nearby community suffers a weather disaster, the ladies of Avalon use the tea shop and lots of friendship bread to help the neighboring town cope with their catastrophe.
I was reminded of this book again with the recent outbreak of tornades to the South. I'm sure many moving stories came out of Henryville and the neighboring communities--a lot of really feel-good stories. So read this really feel-good book.
Friendship Bread by Darien Gee is another wonderful story of people-helping-people. In the fictional town of Avalon, Illinois, a young mother is struggling with a personal tragedy. Julia receives a starter of Amish friendship bread and the story begins. By sharing the recipe, she meets newcomers in town and connects with old friends. In a tiny tea shop, friends and neighbors bond by sharing the friendship bread, adding their own variations to the recipe. When a nearby community suffers a weather disaster, the ladies of Avalon use the tea shop and lots of friendship bread to help the neighboring town cope with their catastrophe.
I was reminded of this book again with the recent outbreak of tornades to the South. I'm sure many moving stories came out of Henryville and the neighboring communities--a lot of really feel-good stories. So read this really feel-good book.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
War Horse by Michael Morpurgo
I learned of the book War Horse when I saw the preview for the upcoming movie. I thought it looked like a good story. I thought right. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
It is a story of a farm horse named Joey from Devon,England who gets sold to the calvary during WWI and shipped to France. He bravely serves on both the English and German sides, weathering the harshest of circumstances. Ending up in No Man's Land, he is approached by both an Englishman and a German, and after a very touching scene, his fate is decided by the toss of a coin. The ending almost made me cry. Whether it was a happy or sad cry; I'll never tell.
The only downside for me was that when Michael Morpurgo referenced the horses sleeping, he was always talking about them laying down. Horses rarely lay down to sleep, or anything else for that matter. He also mentioned Joey licking someone's face (or at least thinking about it). Growing up on 40 acres and raising horses causes me to beg the question, "How much research did he spend on horses before he wrote this book?" Overall, I would give this book an 8 out of 10. I can hardly wait to see the movie to come out to see how they adapted it to film.
Joanna
It is a story of a farm horse named Joey from Devon,England who gets sold to the calvary during WWI and shipped to France. He bravely serves on both the English and German sides, weathering the harshest of circumstances. Ending up in No Man's Land, he is approached by both an Englishman and a German, and after a very touching scene, his fate is decided by the toss of a coin. The ending almost made me cry. Whether it was a happy or sad cry; I'll never tell.
The only downside for me was that when Michael Morpurgo referenced the horses sleeping, he was always talking about them laying down. Horses rarely lay down to sleep, or anything else for that matter. He also mentioned Joey licking someone's face (or at least thinking about it). Growing up on 40 acres and raising horses causes me to beg the question, "How much research did he spend on horses before he wrote this book?" Overall, I would give this book an 8 out of 10. I can hardly wait to see the movie to come out to see how they adapted it to film.
Joanna
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
3 New Beading Books
For you beaders, the library has three new books on beading. Some of the work looks easy. Some is more intricate. Here are the titles:
Artisitc Seed Bead Jewelry: Ideas and Techniques for Original Designs by Maggie Roschyk
Classical Elegance: 20 Beaded Jewelry Designs by Maggie Meister
Peyote Stitch: Basic Techniques, Advanced Results by Stitch Workshop
They will be in the new book section upstairs for the next couple of months.
Kathi Linz
Artisitc Seed Bead Jewelry: Ideas and Techniques for Original Designs by Maggie Roschyk
Classical Elegance: 20 Beaded Jewelry Designs by Maggie Meister
Peyote Stitch: Basic Techniques, Advanced Results by Stitch Workshop
They will be in the new book section upstairs for the next couple of months.
Kathi Linz
Knit Along with Debbie Macomber: Friendship Shawls
Knit Along with Debbie Macomber: Friendship Shawls is new in at the library. For all you knitters with outreach goals, this book gives 10 patterns for beautiful prayer/comfort shawls. In my opinion, (and I'm not THAT much of a knitter) some patterns look easy and some look more advanced.
While Debbie Macomber points out doing these shawls for Warm Up America.org, they can be used to extend prayers and well wishes to anyone you know who needs moral support.
Kathi Linz
While Debbie Macomber points out doing these shawls for Warm Up America.org, they can be used to extend prayers and well wishes to anyone you know who needs moral support.
Kathi Linz
The Prayer Shawl Ministry Volume 2
The Prayer Shawl Ministry Volume 2 by Lion Brand Yarn
New at the library.
Here are 10 prayer/comfort shawl patterns combined with testimonies of those who have received them and prayers to use while knitting or crocheting the various patterns.
This book has beautiful photos and clear instructions as to how to knit or crochet each pattern.
Kathi Linz
New at the library.
Here are 10 prayer/comfort shawl patterns combined with testimonies of those who have received them and prayers to use while knitting or crocheting the various patterns.
This book has beautiful photos and clear instructions as to how to knit or crochet each pattern.
Kathi Linz
Grace Under Pressure by Julie Hyzy
I enjoyed Julie Hyzy's White House Chef series. So I anticipated enjoying this first book about a curator in a private museum called Grace Under Pressure.
Lately, I've turned in even some of my favorite authors half-read. Not this book! I lost several hours of sleep for reading this mystery.
On page one, Grace confronts a large man in the museum restaurant who is making a huge ruckus. As it turns out, the man was creating a distraction while Grace's boss was murdered. There isn't a wasted page in the whole story. Family secrets, hidden passages, intentional misinformation, and privilege all turn the story around.
I can't wait to read part two, Grace Interrupted.
Kathi Linz
Lately, I've turned in even some of my favorite authors half-read. Not this book! I lost several hours of sleep for reading this mystery.
On page one, Grace confronts a large man in the museum restaurant who is making a huge ruckus. As it turns out, the man was creating a distraction while Grace's boss was murdered. There isn't a wasted page in the whole story. Family secrets, hidden passages, intentional misinformation, and privilege all turn the story around.
I can't wait to read part two, Grace Interrupted.
Kathi Linz
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
The Scroll by Grant Jeffrey and Alton Gansky
Among the finds during the search for the Dead Sea scrolls was one scroll made out of copper. It was not a copy of Scripture or an Essene writing. The copper scroll listed various treasures and artifacts presumably from the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the places they had been hidden. To date, no treasure has been found from the list on the Copper Scroll.
But what if...?
The premise of The Scroll by Grant Jeffrey and Alton Gansky is that the best biblical archaeologists in the world with unlimited funding and the blessing of the Israeli government go on a huge treasure hunt for the Temple treasures.
Sounds like a dream come true for the archaeologists. However, interpersonal tensions on the team and the fact that someone is feeding information to news sources and Israel's enemies throws deadly challenges at the team. They are at risk with every breath, and not all of the team will live to see the project completed.
Kathi Linz
But what if...?
The premise of The Scroll by Grant Jeffrey and Alton Gansky is that the best biblical archaeologists in the world with unlimited funding and the blessing of the Israeli government go on a huge treasure hunt for the Temple treasures.
Sounds like a dream come true for the archaeologists. However, interpersonal tensions on the team and the fact that someone is feeding information to news sources and Israel's enemies throws deadly challenges at the team. They are at risk with every breath, and not all of the team will live to see the project completed.
Kathi Linz
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
If You Ask Me: (And of Course You Won't) by Betty White
I very much enjoyed reading Betty White's new book, If You Ask Me: (And of Course You Won't). It's a great book to pick up if you are often interrupted while reading or for a quick few pages before sleeping. Betty's book is a series of anecdotes and thoughts about her acting life and lessons learned from her parents. She has quite a bit to say about the animals she's loved - which are numerous.
There's nothing pretentious about this accomplished woman.
Kathi Linz
There's nothing pretentious about this accomplished woman.
Kathi Linz
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