A hilarious adventure through America made by the must unlikely pair- the deliberately impoverished Prince and Princess of Wales. The twosome has been sent to reacquire the British Colonies. This disastrous duo will make you laugh and cry as they blunder through the countryside on their seemingly impossible task
–Sarai
I am a big fan The Dresden files series by Mr. Butcher. This new installment in the series does not disappoint!! I don’t want to say too much and give away major happenings in this book. But I will say the name of the book “Changes” suits this book to a tee. Harry has some really, really bad days this time around. And in the middle of it all he discovers that he has a child, talk about a bomb dropping. An unknown child is just the start of his problems; the red court is misbehaving, and… OK I will stop. If you are a Dresden fan you must read this book, if you have not read any of Jim Butcher books, this is a series that only gets better with each book.
–Julie
The proper and rigid Major Peetigrew has lost his beloved brother, Bertier, at the opening of this lovely story of the 68 year old widower and the dignified Mrs. Ali. He has been vaguely aware of her as the “Indian or Pakistani woman” (though she’s never been out of England) who has been blending his special tea at a local convenience store for some time. She calls on him as he is grieving his loss and their relationship begins. As they become friends, they find much more that they have in common than would keep them from being friends. The relationship grows through this poignant and outright funny story. There are characters throughout the tale that will keep you laughing out loud and loving these people. I highly recommend this great read for restoring your faith in people and in happy endings.
-Dianne
Ever wonder how our present day Bible came to be? How did the early documents, letters, and Christian teachings make their way into the book we now know as the New Testament of the Bible? Bart Ehrman takes us into the world of textual criticism, back to the investigation of texts in their original languages. He shows how documents were copied, read, and distributed throughout the early Christian movement. He shows how changes and variations came to be, either by accident or on purpose. And how scribes were just as bad at spelling as we are today! Anyone interested in Biblical origins will have a greater depth of understanding on the topic after reading this book.
–Ben
How can you go wrong with an urban fantasy series set in our own backyard? Patricia Briggs has brought the world of werewolves, vampires, real-life fairy tales, and other things that go bump-in-the-night to the Tri-Cities with coyote shifter Mercy Thompson. Not the traditional heroine, Mercy is a car mechanic that has a knack for falling into trouble accidentally. She is especially good and getting into trouble with the local Fae population, whose magical relics seem to have an unnatural attraction to her. With her wits, tenacity (and a little help from her werewolf family) Mercy must outwit the bad guys, save her best friend from himself and settle into her new life. Thanks to her cunning and fast thinking she may just be able to get herself out of one more bit of trouble that came looking for her
-Becky
Don’t be fooled! In this very reasonable book by Carl Sagan, you are encouraged not to be duped by the paranormal. To be more precise, don’t be fooled by those who claim to have experienced the paranormal such as alien abduction or being visited by spirits of the dead. Sagan examines and debunks things such as witchcraft, faith healings, UFOs alien abductions, channeling of spirits, hallucinations, hoaxes, and the subliminal pressure of therapists who mislead their patients realizing it or not. He also shines the light of skeptical thinking on astrology, crop circles, the face on Mars, Bigfoot, the myth of Atlantis, psychic healers, mediums, ghosts, fairies, angels, demons, the Loch Ness monster and famous appearances of the Virgin Mary on tortillas.
With the gullibility of so much of the public on display is it any wonder why science seems like just a candle in the darkness?
-Ben
Murder on Bank Street is a gas light era mystery that fascinated me. Thompson does a wonderful job in describing the era to her readers. Anyone who loves Anne Perry’s mysteries will love this book too. The main charters are Sergeant Frank Malloy, an Irish cop in New York (where neither is trusted) and Sara Brandt, an upper crust society lady who married beneath her. Now a widow, and a midwife, Sara is happy with her except for one nagging detail: the murder of her Husband. Frank, seeing a chance to payback all the kindness that Sarah has shown to him and his family, sets out to find her husband’s murderer. This story is a great escape from the same old mystery.
-Julie
Finn & Keiro are oath-brothers living in a cold, unforgiving world. They are inmates of Incarceron, a prison designed to create a utopian existence for it’s inhabitants. But something has gone terribly wrong. Finn’s visions of another life send them on a mission to find their way to the outside.
Claudia is the prison warden’s daughter who is doomed to an arranged marriage. While snooping in her father’s study she discovers a crystal key that allows her to communicate with a boy named Finn. Claudia is determined to help the boy escape from Incarceron but what she doesn’t know is that Incarceron is alive and just as determined to keep him there forever.
I wasn’t able to put this book down! This book is a must read for anyone who loves danger, adventure, and visiting strange and unusual worlds. Recommended for ages 10+.
–Jannelle
“Do you wish you had more time to read? This little guide can help you make that wish come true. “It is a book for readers who want more in their lives. It will show you how to do a better job of finding books you’ll love, how to read more of them, how to retain more from them–and as a result, how to live a larger life” –So begins this great little book on reading.
With only 110 pages, this book feels very approachable. Filled with practical, sensible suggestions, and neat black & white illustrations, I have returned to this book several times; not only for the content, but also for the experience of the ink and paper.
This book will get you excited about digging into all those unread books you have just waiting for you. In thinking about how great it is to have such things he writes, “One need not be of any religious persuasion to be awed by what books can do for a person, a culture, and a civilization.” I say yes.
Read this book, because it is a great starting point for all the rest. –Ben
Set in ever changing post-WWII American, this book brings to light the struggles of a teenager, her mother, and a recently returned from the war stepfather. All Evie wants is the chance to be a grownup like her mother-smoking cigarettes, dressing up, and taking care of the man in her life. With tensions at home and the relaxation of restrictions from the war years Evie’s family decides to take a vacation.
What awaits them all on this vacation alters Evie’s view on the world and forces a tight knit family to decide just what they are willing to sacrifice. This story’s takes a serious look at how far one would go for their family. Through this coming of age tale, Evie learns some of the hardest lessons in life and discovers that life is “not all polka dots and moonbeams.”
-Becky