The Disenchantments

Author: Nina LaCour
Pages: 307
I didn't think I would like this book but after a couple of chapters I decided it had something and I needed to finish it. Bev has been Colby's soulmate, muse, and best friend since they were small and now everything seems to be changing. A week trip with the band brings opened eyes and coming of age. A new look at the world in the same company of, " Almost Famous" and Kerouac's " On The Road".

Without Tess

Author: Marcella Pixley
Pages: 280

This is a story about Lizzie, age 15 coming to terms with suicide of her mentally unstable sister who was her best friend. Lizzie has felt guilt and confusion over her sister Tess' death, she can't let go and has turned into herself. She has no friends and her relationship with her parents is distant.
I liked this book, I was reluctant to read t after I found out what it was about, thought it might be too depressing but it wasn't and I recommend it. 

Cover blurb:
Tess and Lizzie are sisters, sisters as close as can be, who share a secret world filled with selkies, flying horses, and a girl who can transform into a wolf  in the middle of the night. But when Lizzie is ready to grow up, Tess clings to their fantasies. As Tess sinks deeper and deeper into her delusions, she decides that she can’t live in the real world any longer and leaves Lizzie and her family forever. Now, years later, Lizzie is in high school and struggling to understand what happened to her sister. With the help of a school psychologist and Tess’s battered journal, Lizzie searches for a way to finally let Tess go.

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Sun Tzu on the Art of War

author: Lionel Giles
pages: 197

This is what you have to read when you make a bet with a twelve year old boy. Actually wasn't a bad read, now I know how to win anything. :)

here is the inside cover blurb: These are the words of ancient Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu, whose now-classic treatise, The Art of War, was written more than 2,500 years ago. Originally a text for victory on the battlefield, the book has vastly transcended its original purpose.

Here is a seminal work on the philosophy of successful leadership that is as applicable to contemporary business as it is to war. Today many leading American business schools use the text as required reading for aspiring managers, and even Oliver Stone's award-winning film Wall Street cites The Art of War as a guide to those who strive for success.

Bring on the Blessings by Beverly Jenkins

Bernadine Brown is wealthy, divorced and feeling blessed. She is also firmly convinced that to those who have been given much, much is also expected, so she is determined to make a positive difference in the world. She has a dream of creating a community of hope, so when the town of Henry Adams, Kansas, goes on the market to avoid bankruptcy, Bernadine steps in and buys it and the renovations begin. As a pilot project, Bernadine brings in five, difficult-to-place foster children. We quickly learn it takes a whole village to raise a child, and the residents of Henry Adams are up to the challenge. A heartwarming book. I'm looking forward to reading the next installment in the series. 384 pages

Never Sorry by Edie Claire

Part-time veterinary technician, Leigh Koslow, is ready to go home following a late-night surgery at the zoo. As she heads for the car lot, she notices the tigers are restless. As she goes to investigate, she discovers human remains in the tiger run. Racing to get help, she gives the appearance of fleeing the scene of the crime and becomes suspect number one. Can Leigh, with the help of her friends, find the real murderer? I really enjoy the characters in this cozy series and will keep reading the rest of the series. 276 pages.

May Day by Jess Lourey

I seem to be on a run of mysteries featuring library staff. In this novel, Mira James, assistant librarian, stumbles across a body in the stacks. To make matters worse, the body turns out to be her current boyfriend, Jeff Wilson. Unbeknownst to Mira, Jeff had ties to the town which may have resulted in his death. Convinced the local police cannot do an adequate job investigating the crime, Mira is determined to do a little digging of her own. An okay read. Murder by Month Series, Book 1. 249 pages.

"One Foot in the Grave" by Jeaniene Frost

Second in the Night Huntress series, this story begins over four years after the end of the first book, Halfway to the Grave.  Cat Crawfield has a new identity and is now leader of an undercover team of human special agents who hunt evil vampires.  Because she is half vampire and half human, she has special abilities and knowledge that no one else has.  Although she believes she's doing good by exterminating the evil undead, she doesn't have much of a life outside of work.  She misses Bones, the master vampire she teamed with in the first book, and when she's targeted for assassination, they are reunited.  But who has targeted her, and why?

I enjoyed this book, as I did the first one, because it's packed with action, unexpected humor, and great chemistry between the characters.  I can only hope that the rest of the books in this series are as entertaining as the first two.  363 pages.

Theodore Boone: The Abduction by John Grisham

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

One of his best friends is missing and the town and the law are looking for her without any results, another friend has a very old talking bird in trouble and in animal court, Theodore to the rescue. 

Pages: 256
Audio:  4 hrs. 38 min.

Reamde by Neal Stephenson

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

This could have been three books, billionaire family reunions, computer gaming world, third world terrorist attack on the U.S. by way of Canada.

38 hr. 37 min. audio book
Pages: 1056

Wonder

Author: RJ Palacio
Pages: 310

I found out about this book at the childrens workshop I attended last week, thought it sounded great so checked it out. It really was a good, good read. Wasn't as emotionally draining as I thought it would be but it does touch you and helps you to realize there is good in the world when everything looks upside down.
 

Ghost a la Mode by Sue Ann Jaffarian

I don't tend to read paranormal titles, but this one caught my eye on the "free list" at Barnes and Nobles, so thought I would check it out. Emma Whitecastle doesn't quite know what to make of her newly revealed gift: she can see and talk to ghosts. But one spirit in particular is persistent in demanding her attention and assistance in solving a 100-year old mystery. The ghost is Emma's great-great-great-grandmother who was reportedly hung by vigilantes for killing her husband. Granny Apples, as she is called, says she didn't do it and wants her name cleared. Now it is up to Emma to find evidence in the present to find out who really killed Granny's husband. Ghost of Granny Apples series, book 1. 312 pages

Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay

Lindsay Norris, director of the Briar Creek Library, turns amateur sleuth to clear the name of children's librarian, Beth Stanley in this funny, fast-paced mystery. The characters are endearing. The text is filled with references to classic and popular works. This is a cozy series I plan to keep following. Library Lovers Mystery Series, Book 1. 304 pages

Pregnancy Pause

Author: Han Nolan
Pages: 340
Elly is smart, smart-mouthed, spunky and doesn't ever make the right decisions. She hates being compared to her sister and doens't feel like her parents love her or pay attention to her. Then she gets pregnant. I like the character of Elly, she is confused and just wants what is right for the baby. she has a loser boyfriend and has messed up the last two years of her life doing things for him, just like so many teen girls do. Maybe not to Elly's degree but they make choices because they are afraid that their boyfriend won't liek them anymore if they don't do something and go against what they think is right, alienating themselves from their family and friends. I did like this book, Elly gets a big dose of being a grown up and fights like she has never fought before for the one thing she loves. 

"Lothaire" by Kresley Cole

In this 12th book in Cole's Immortals After Dark series, Lothaire is known as the Enemy of Old.  He's an ancient vampire who is as ruthless as he is old with a bloodlust and torturous past that has pushed him to the edge of insanity.  He's been alone for millennia, plotting to become the king of the Horde, one of two vampire armies at war with other immortal factions.  Now he believes that he's found his Bride, his eternal wife; unfortunately, she is inhabiting the body of a mortal from Appalachia named Elizabeth.  Lothaire must destroy her soul so that his Bride can take over her body and they can conquer the Horde together.  But Elizabeth is not ready to give in to these immortals, and Lothaire begins to question who his Bride really is.

I really wanted to like this book, since I've liked all the others in the IAD series, but Lothaire is so awful to Elizabeth that I just couldn't.  He has so few redeeming qualities that it's hard to see why Elizabeth is even attracted to him.  As in the other books in the series, this one had lots of action and snappy dialog.  It's best to read them in order.  I'm hoping that I like the next one better.  468 pages.

Life Support by Robert Whitlow

This is a very good book it was a little bit difficult for me to get into in the beginning but once it started going I could not put it down. Her is blurb from the cover : Baxter Richardson survived a fall from a cliff while hiking in the mountains. Whether he'll make it through the next few weeks is unclear. His survivial depends on the machines that help him breathe. On the haunted, unstable wife who wants to pull the plug and hide her secrets. On doting father who wants him alive for reasons of love and money. On conflicting legal documents that send the fight to court. Even, strangely, on the music an extraordinarily gifted church pianist. And especially on the surprising grace of god. Great book! Must read! 392 pages.

Four Seasons

Jane Breskin Zalben
316 pages

Ally is a piano prodigy and has attended Julliard since she was about 6 , she loves the emotion of the music she plays but is beginning to feel that she is missing out on life with all this practicing and pressure. This book follows her through one year of her life. 

Allegra Katz has been playing piano since she was four. But these aren't just any piano lessons. She studies at the Julliard School in New York, where careers are being formed—or not.

Between strict practice schedules, music classes, and regular school, Ally doesn't have time for much else. Sometimes she wishes she could break free, but she's never known any other way. Her parents—a professional violinist and a singer—would kill her if they knew she was thinking about quitting piano, especially her mother.

So she keeps on going, but as the months go by, she begins to ask herself, does she even love the piano? Why does she play? And how much longer can she stand the pressure before she breaks?

Flat Stanley and the Firehouse by Jeff Brown

My daughter loves these books about a little boy named Stanley who was flattened by a bullention board...that is why they call him Flat Stanley. These are really cute books.

32 pgs.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

This children's classic was fun to revisit. Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Lion have many more adventures in the book than the movie. If you haven't read it before, give it a try. It is a delightful, quick read. 272 pages.

Never Buried by Edie Claire

Leigh Koslow is staying with her very pregnant sister, to try and keep her calm to avoid premature labor. But, life is anything but peaceful when a body that was embalmed years previously is found on the grounds. Threats start arriving shortly thereafter. Someone wants them gone, but who? Maybe if Leigh can track down the "why" the case can be solved. This is a classic mystery plot that is also a fun read. 260 pages.

"Halfway to the Grave: A Night Huntress Novel" by Jeaniene Frost

I'd been waiting a while to read this first book in Frost's Night Huntress series, and I was not disappointed!  In fact, it's one of the best paranormal romances that I've ever read.  Cat Crawfield is half vampire, half human, an extremely rare crossbreed in a modern world where most humans don't know that vampires exist.  She's been taught by her mother that all vampires are evil, like her father, and should be killed, so that's what she does.  However, while trolling the bars for her next victim, she meets Bones, a master vampire bounty hunter who is killing his own kind, but only those who prey on the innocent.  After her initial attempt to kill him fails, he realizes what she is and how they'd make the perfect team for his work.  He trains Cat to become his partner in order to take down a group of vampires and humans who kidnap and sell young women.

This novel had it all - action, thrills, drama, romance - and it added up to a great story that I read in about two days.  I can't wait to read the next in the series.  Highly recommended.  358 pages.

"The Headless Cobbler of Smallett Cave: The Origin and Growth of a Douglas County, Missouri Legend" by Walter Darrell Haden

I thought this little book from our Missouriana collection was going to be an entertaining tale but it was written as an academic paper.  The author grew up in Douglas County, MO, near Smallett Cave, where he would play with his friends.  His family often talked about a headless cobbler that inhabited the cave beginning around the Civil War.  These family members were interviewed for the book in the first chapter, and those recollections, as well as the author's investigation into the identity of the real cobbler were the most interesting parts of the book.  The rest of it was an academic analysis of the legend compared with other legends like it, and that was dry and boring.  109 pages.

Various Positions

Martha Schabas
325 pages
Georgia loves ballet and gets the chance to attend an academy that eats, sleeps and breathes ballet. This gives her a change to get away from her home life where her parents marriage is falling apart. I would give this novel 2 stars out of 5, it was written well but the story lacked so much depth I was left wondering a great amount when I finished. She makes a big mistake as teenage girls often do, they mis-read situations  but she doesn't seem to come out having learned anything from it.   " Trapped between the hormone-driven world of her friends and the discontent of her dysfunctional family, fourteen-year-old Georgia is only completely at ease when she's dancing. When she is accepted into Canada's preeminent ballet school, Georgia thinks it is the perfect escape. Artistic Director Roderick Allen singles her out as a star, subjecting her to increasingly intensive training, and Georgia obsesses about becoming the perfect, disciplined student. But as she spends more and more time with Roderick, it's not so clear exactly what their relationship means. Is he her teacher and mentor, or is there something more? These blurred lines will threaten both Roderick's future at the academy and Georgia's ambitions as a ballerina."