Worth More Than a Passing Mention

Last year, while talking about books that had online components, I mentioned this second in the Skeleton Creek series by Patrick Carman. However, I just finished reading Ghost in the Machine, and realized that it was good enough to deserve its own post. The reader alternates reading chapters of the book with watching online videos, all of which advance the plot instead of being an afterthought. The videos, which are tense and spooky and kind of creep me out (even though I'm an adult and should be much braver), are an integral part of the story. This suspenseful series is good for any kid who likes to be scared.

Leviathan & Behemoth

Barking Spiders!

The best man for a job is a girl; a fifteen-year-old girl posing as a boy that is.

For those who love adventure and science fiction, this is a great new young adult series by Scott Westerfeld. Complete with amazing illustrations, Leviathan is a combination of historical fiction (WWI) and science fiction (advanced machinery of German Clankers and animal cross-breeding of British Darwinists). There are two main characters, Prince Aleksander and airman Deryn Sharp. Deryn, however, steals the show.

Happily, the second in the series, Behemoth, is already here but we will have to wait until October 2011 for the final book, Goliath.

Skulduggery Pleasant

If you are not yet familiar with the world of Skulduggery Pleasant, I recommend that you check it out. Skulduggery is a skeleton detective who has deadly sorcery skills . . . and an even more killer sense of fashion. Aided by his teenage sidekick, Valkyrie Cain, Skulduggery saves the world from the forces of darkness. I just finished reading The Faceless Ones, which is the third in this series by Derek Landy. Full of snarky, intelligent humor, great characters, and plenty of action, the Skulduggery Pleasant books are sure to please. And how can you resist such a wonderful name?!??

An Abduction in Hindsight

It's pretty much a given that a book about an abduction is going to be exciting. What does the abductor want? Will the authorities crack the case in time? One question that is never asked, though, is how the rescued abductee will recover from what has to be one of the worst ordeals you can go through. Until Still Missing by Chevy Stevens, a new thriller that tells the tale of Annie's abduction after she has escaped and gone back to her "normal" life. Told entirely by Annie, in the form of her therapy sessions, this story is gripping and really makes you think. It has touches of a traditional police procedural, mixed with some psychology and a whole lot of thrills.

Elsewhere

Having your life cut short before it has even begun is one thing, learning you will be aging backwards is another. That is the premise of Gabrielle Zevin's book Elsewhere.

On the verge of getting her driver's license, thinking about boys and going to prom, fifteen-year-old Liz Hall is just waiting for her life to begin when it is tragically cut short. Sent to Elsewhere, she is angry over everything she has missed out on in her life and she refuses to accept her death. Complicating things is the fact that everyone in Elsewhere gets younger every year until they become infants and are sent back to Earth to be reborn.

Ranger's Apprentice

I can't believe that I went this long without talking about the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan! We all know how I love a good teen fantasy series, and this is consistently one of the best. I just got done reading number seven in the series, Erak's Ransom, and it was phenomenal. Do you know how I can tell? Because it's a prequel to books five and six, so fundamentally, I knew how it was going to turn out. But still . . . I was on the edge of my seat, reading far past my bedtime so that I could find out where it was going to take me. That's the sign of an excellent book! So if you like stories about underdogs who make good, epic battles, Viking-esque warriors, strong females, and against-all-odds journeys, check this series out.

Kay Scarpetta Returns

Patricia Cornwell's mystery thrillers starring Dr. Kay Scarpetta have been very popular over the years, and her latest, Port Mortuary, is sure to follow suit. As the chief of the new Cambridge Forensic Center in Massachusetts, a joint venture of the state and federal governments, MIT and Harvard, Scarpetta is confronted with a case that could shut down her new facility and ruin her personally and professionally. The Hillsdale Community Library has Port Mortuary available in both the book and CD format.

Through the Years . . .

Do you remember when HBO was pretty much the only premium channel around, and it seemed so revolutionary? If you were a kid, like me, then you sat in front of the TV day after day watching the same few movies . . . Grease 2, Under the Rainbow, 9 to 5, and my favorite, Clash of the Titans. To this day, I can recite huge chunks of dialogue from the original Titans, and these repeated viewings opened up a special place in my heart for Harry Hamlin. Then, decades later, he showed up in a favorite TV show, Veronica Mars. Yay!

Hamlin recently released a book about his childhood, Full Frontal Nudity: The Making of an Accidental Actor. I haven't had a chance to read our copy yet, but by all reports, it's quite good. But if Harry Hamlin is not your cup of tea, perhaps you'd like one of the other new celebrity biographies and memoirs we've gotten at HCL. They cover a wide range of topics, from Dick Cavett to Paul McCartney, and there's sure to be one to pique your interest.

Do You Believe in Monsters?

What would you do if the fate of the world rested on your shoulders, and yours alone? What if generations of your family had been in the same situation? And what if nobody around you believed in any of it? That's the scenario in a new book, The Caretaker of Lorne Field by Dave Zeltserman, and it is fascinating! Jack Durkin's family has sacrificed generations of first-born sons to fulfill a contract with the city. Every day these first-born sons methodically weed a field full of Aukowies, weed-like monsters that will take over the world if left alone. But everyone in town, including his wife and first-born son, think that he is crazy . . . that the weeds are just weeds. Who is right? Who is delusional? You'll have to read the book to find out!

Jane Austen Goes to Boarding School

Jane Austen is a popular author in Hillsdale, with people of all ages reading her works. A friend who works in publishing sent me a pre-publication copy of a new book based on the Austen tale, Pride and Prejudice. This new teen book, Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg, is set in an extremely exclusive boarding school where the prom is the most important thing to happen each year. Scholarship student Lizzie Bennet is despised by her classmates for not being wealthy, which colors her perception of the various boys she meets. This is a smart update of a great Austen novel, retaining enough of the original plot to appeal to fans of Jane Austen but tweaking enough of the details to make it seem fresh. Prom and Prejudice doesn't come out until January 2011, so be on the lookout for this fun teen book.

Presidential Memories

Regardless of how you feel about George Bush, you have to admit that his new book, Decision Points, is bound to be a bestseller. This presidential memoir has been all over the news this past week, and many people are eagerly anticipating it. Bush's tenure was marked by controversy and crisis, which makes his telling of the story even more interesting. The Hillsdale Community Library has both the book and the audio, so come in today to check out this hot book!

New King

While Stephen King is probably best known for his mastery of the horror novel, he has proven to have an immense amount of talent in writing short stories, as well. One need only go as far back as "The Body" (which served as the basis for the hit movie Stand By Me) or "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" (which was made into another great movie) to see that he has a certain brilliance in this shorter format. His latest book, Full Dark, No Stars, which is out this month, is a collection of short stories that will no doubt excite fans of both the genre and of King.

Gluten-Free

Do you happen to know anyone who has celiac disease, or some other sensitivity to wheat? Until fairly recently, it was difficult to find products that didn't contain some sort of gluten, as most common products contained at least a bit. So, when a person was told to steer clear of gluten, it seemed like the worst possible thing--no more pasta or cookies or cakes or pretzels or bread! Now, however, as more and more people are being diagnosed with sensitivities to wheat, there are more products and recipes to help them out. The Complete Gluten-Free Diet and Nutrition Guide by Alexandra Anca and Theresa Santandrea-Cull contains recipes, meal plans, food guides, and many other things to make life easier for those with celiac disease.

Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef by Shauna James Ahern and Daniel Ahern is a sequel of sorts to Shauna's book, Gluten Free Girl: How I Found the Food That Loves Me Back . . . And How You Can Too. Both titles are based on their popular blog, and their latest book is a love story of sorts. Shauna shares stories about how she fell in love with a chef and how he started to cook gluten-free meals at his restaurant. The recipes and techniques come from Daniel, and they look delicious!

Yes, This Time!!

If you like fun, breezy novels full of spunky women and their dreamy love interests (and if you don't mind an R-rated scene or two), then Jennifer Crusie is the author for you! Her latest, Maybe This Time, was particularly intriguing to me because it upped the ante with a spooky ghost story. If you want to know the truth, I stayed up well past my bedtime so that I could finish it in one night, and it's stuck with me for several days. To me, that's the hallmark of a good book!

Hoarding Explained?

With the popularity of such shows as Hoarders and Hoarding: Buried Alive, it was only a matter of time before someone came out with a book about the phenomenon of hoarding. What's amazing is how Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things remains so fascinating while conveying such a wealth of information. There's plenty of stories of hoarders combined with scientific fact, all of which allows for a very sympathetic look into the mind of a hoarder. If you know a hoarder, think you might be a hoarder, or are simply fascinated by this problem, this book is for you.

If You Don't Mind a Bit of Weirdness . . .

I've already admitted that I sometimes fall in love with books that are difficult to recommend because they sound so strange when briefly described. Well, it's happened again with Horns, a wonderful new book by Joe Hill. When Ig Perrish wakes up after a night of drunken debauchery, he finds that he has horns growing out of his head and the ability to make people tell him their deepest, darkest, most devilish thoughts. Instead of moping about, he decides to use his new powers to find out who killed his girlfriend a year previous. Part murder mystery, part horror story, and part philosophical musing on religion, this book is altogether fascinating. And it would appear that Joe Hill is the son of Stephen King. Who knew??!?

Mockingjay

I've made no secret of the fact that I love The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. These stories of Katniss and Peeta fighting for their lives in the arena have adventure, romance, gore, philosophy, and everything else that you could possibly want in a book. Last month, the long-awaited third (and last) book, Mockingjay, was released, and reactions have been mixed. While I loved the ending and thought it was just right, there are many people who weren't satisfied by it. But, love it or hate it, you have to respect an author whose work garners such strong reactions!

The Adventure Grows Up

I've mentioned before how Choose Your Own Adventure books are insanely popular among our youth population, and I have to think that one doesn't lose that love as one gets older. I mean, adults want the freedom to lead lives both good and disastrous without ever leaving their couch, too! Heather McElhatton has tapped into this nostalgic love and created Choose Your Own Adventure books for adults. The Hillsdale Community Library recently acquired her second book, Million Little Mistakes, which lets you explore what would happen if you won the lottery. If you miss flipping excitedly through the book to find out if your decision will lead to unimaginable riches or an ignominious death, pick this book up.

Jacie's Archaeological Find

If you like history along with mystery, Will Adams is an author you should know. His first novel, The Alexander Cipher, introduces Daniel Knox, an archaeologist with a lifelong interest in Alexander the Great.

Alexander died in Babylon in 323 BC and was taken to Egypt for burial in Alexandria. His mausoleum was considered a wonder of the world, but the tomb was lost after wars, earthquakes and fires destroyed much of the city. It has never been found.

On the run from his former boss, a most dangerous man, Daniel Knox finds himself in Alexandria, Egypt where construction workers expose an ancient catacomb. Knox sneaks in, explores it, and realizes this might be the lost burial site of Alexander, an archaeological treasure. Others are also aware and would kill to get this prize. Interesting characters and dangerous situations keep your interest, as does the history about Alexander and the Middle East locale. The plot moves along at a very fast pace, which can be confusing, but is worth it by keeping the plot moving.

Adams' second novel, The Exodus Quest, is even more intriguing. Knox is on the trail of a Dead Sea Scroll and finds himself at an excavation near Alexandria. An evangelical Christian archaeologist has discovered an unknown Jewish temple site with links to the Copper Scroll, one of the Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as to the monotheistic Pharaoh Akhenaten. Knox takes photographs of the cave murals and downloads them to his friend , Gaille. Reverend Peterson is afraid that links between the Book of Exodus, Akhenaten, the Essene and Pythagorean sects, and Moses would be a fatal blow to conventional biblical history. He arranges an auto accident which leaves Daniel with amnesia and accused of murder, as his SCA friend Omar had died in the crash.

Another bad guy, corrupt tomb robber and army officer Khaled, kidnaps Gaille and the action becomes frenzied with twists and turns to keep you reading far into the night.

There are fascinating parallels between the Bible and Egyptian history. Was Akhenten Moses? Did the Jews leave Egypt through the Sea of Reeds? Was Amarna really Eden? Did the monotheistic followers of Aten flee Egypt and become God's chosen people, the Jews? Interesting speculation, but the concept, the running and hiding, the bad guys and the bit of romance between Daniel and Gaille make an adventure worth your time.

Hillsdale Community Library does not own Adams' third novel, The Lost Labyrinth. Most reviewers did not like it because it did not have the archaeological depth of his first two and said it was just a crime novel about a psychological killer.

Sweet Sixteen At Last!

Love her or hate her, you have to admit that Janet Evanovich is hot!!! Her particular brand of slapstick mystery has spawned a legion of readalikes, and people anxiously await her Stephanie Plum books. Luckily, her latest, Sizzling Sixteen, is due in stores (and at the Hillsdale Community Library) on June 22. Come in or call to be added to the list, and satisfy your Evanovich cravings.

Test Prep

I can admit that HCL hasn't always been the best at providing test prep materials to our patrons--too many things were stolen and too many other books needed to be bought for us to be up-to-date and easily accessible. However, a recent gift from a generous patron has allowed us to purchase a whole slew of books that will help you prepare for standardized tests galore. ASVAB? We've got it! SAT? Check! MCAT? You betcha!! Granted, summer is just about to begin and few people are thinking of taking a standardized test right now, but it's never to early to start brushing up!

Fluffy and Fun

Now that summer is rolling around (or at least the heat has rolled in) my literary tastes tend to lean toward the fun and fluffy. The Rock & Roll Queen of Bedlam by Marilee Brothers is the perfect choice when I'm in this sort of mood. It's the story of a woman who teaches a rough-and-tumble classroom of teens and who ends up in the middle of a whole lot of crime. It's funny and sexy and a whole lot of fun. My only gripe were the typos in the book, but maybe soon it will be hot enough to let me overlook even those.

Broadway Baby Bio

Because I am a dork who loves to listen to the Broadway station on my satellite radio. I know . . . I am annoying to passengers. Anyway, I was very excited to read A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages by Kristin Chenowith. If you're not familiar with Chenowith, she originated the role of Glinda in the Broadway production of Wicked, she was in the quirky television series Pushing Daisies, and she's done tons of other stuff. She's cute and energetic and quirky and talented, and this book was a pleasure to read. Although it covers just a segment of her life, and not the whole thing, it was still full of interesting stories and good advice. It's interesting to hear from someone in show business who has a strong Christian faith and doesn't feel compelled to hide it.

Track Record

Sometimes a book will come into the library that I'm already interested in, and then I find out that it's written by someone who's written other books that I enjoy. Score!

Masha Hamilton wrote, among other things, The Camel Bookmobile. While this book did not have an easy, "Hollywood" style ending, it was beautifully written and had characters that I ended up caring deeply about. Now I'm in the middle of her newest, 31 Hours, which I think will prove to be more of the same. The story covers 31 hours in the lives of various people--a mother who has a premonition that something is wrong with her son; the son, who is planning a terrorist attack that will end his life; the son's girlfriend, who finally knows what it is to love; etc. Thus far, I'm enjoying it immensely.

A while ago, I read a wonderful book called Three Sisters and Their Brother, which was about celebrity, New York city, and the ties that bind families together. At the time, I said that it seemed like The Catcher in the Rye for a whole new generation, without the self-consciousness that goes along with being The Catcher in the Rye for a new generation. When I picked up the new book, Twelve Rooms with a View, thinking that I wanted to read it, I suddenly realized that the author, Theresa Rebeck, also wrote Three Sisters. Yay!!!

Bookish Crush, Continued

Remember when I blogged about my undying intellectual love for author/doctor/psychologist Leonard Sax? He wrote Boys Adrift and Why Gender Matters, two books that radically changed the way I thought about education and child-rearing. We just got his latest book, Girls on the Edge: The Four Factors Driving the New Crisis for Girls, which talks about modern girlhood and how we can help our girls become well-adjusted women. I'm looking forward to reading it and becoming even more enamored of Dr. Sax.

Fang by James Patterson

Fang is featured in Playaway Audio Book format. If you haven't tried Playaways yet, try them they're great! Fang is the latest book in the Maximum Ride Series. The series features a flock of six just normal kids all born with wings in labatory test tubes and raised in cages for experimental purposes. In the first book they escape the evil scientists and are off on hair raising adventures. Fang becomes Max's best friend, her soul mate, her partner in the leadership of the flock. A prophetic message is given to Max that Fang would be the first of the flock to die. Patterson writes with the usually twists and turns from beginning to end.

Hannah Swensen Mysteries, Apple Turnover by Joanne Fluke

Great addition to her series, Apple Turnover is number 13. This series has the hominess and feel of old friends, a cup of coffee and of course a couple of cookies. A murder investigation always falls, so to speak, into Hannah's lap and this one is no exception. Fun, exciting, a little romance and delicious recipes all make up this series. Try the Mocha Nut Butterball they're wonderful.

It's a Shame . . .

Have I ever mentioned that I have a horrible tendency to fall in love with books that are impossible to recommend to others because they are about incredibly strange topics that don't translate well to being shortened? The latest in this long line of titles is Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard. It's about a necromancer who sells his soul to the Devil and then realizes that he wants it back. To get it, he must provide Satan with 100 new souls in one year, and he's given a run-down carnival/sideshow to assist him in this task. See what I mean? Most of you have probably already stopped reading and maybe think I'm a bit off. But if the topic doesn't turn you off completely, then you'll find that Howard's use of language is playful and astounding, and that this is a wonderful book.

Another Great Pairing

Like chocolate and peanut butter or hammers and nails, some things are unbelievably wonderful in combination. The new picture book, City Dog, Country Frog, represents one of these wonderful combinations. Author Mo Willems is one of the most brilliant writers for children that I can think of. His picture books starring Pigeon and Knuffle Bunny are hilarious, and great read-alouds. Then he branched out into easy readers, which are actually the correct level of difficulty for beginning readers AND capture the logic and emotions of children that age. Illustrator Jon Muth creates the most beautiful watercolors (which is quite a compliment coming from someone who isn't overly fond of watercolors). Just look at the illustrations for I Will Hold You 'til You Sleep (written by Linda Zuckerman) and try not to fall in love with the gorgeous expanses of blue that populate the pictures. With two such brilliant men pairing up for City Dog, Country Frog, I think it can't help but be wonderful.

Brilliant!!!

In spite of the fact that I can't stand them (and the fact that most of them are out of print), "Choose Your Own Adventure" books are a perennial favorite in libraries. And everybody knows that graphic novels are insanely popular for kids of all ages. So why hasn't anybody combined these two genres into an insanely popular hybrid? Somebody has! Jason Shiga's new book, Meanwhile, is a graphic novel that features different "paths" through the different comic panels. The reader must make choices that lead him along these different paths--following tabs to different sections of the book and always facing different choices. There are also special codes and top-secret pages. I can't even STAND how popular I think this book is going to be!!!

What Can I Say? I Like Fantasy!!

If my reading of late has been any indication, I've been in a very escapist mood. I just finished Sword of Waters, a fantasy which is the second in a trilogy (the first being Shield of Stars). I've mentioned author Hilari Bell in this blog before, for her Farsala books, and she doesn't disappoint in this latest. A strong female characters, unexpected twists and turns, and excellent character development are all hallmarks of Bell's writing. If you're in the mood for some solid fantasy, check her out!

Dark and Quirky

I'm right in the middle of this book about a young woman who roams the earth with Death as her companion, and it's turning out to be my favorite kind of book. Dark without being depressing and quirky without being precious, I'm finding it very interesting. The author, Judy Clemens, doesn't bombard the reader with information, but instead doles it out in bits and pieces as we get to know the main character. This method could easily backfire, but I'm finding it terribly engaging. I like the characters and am enjoying the time I spend with them.

An Uncommon Memoir

Because memoirs are very personal accounts of an author's life, they often seem to be about everyday experiences and families. This is not the case with Cartwheels in a Sari by Jayanti Tamm. Tamm's parents were members of a cult led by Sri Chinmoy, and Tamm herself was declared to be the guru's "Chosen One." Her account of growing up with this sort of spiritual responsibility and struggling to find something to believe in is moving and incredibly interesting. Although the themes she touches on are universal, the details of her childhood are fascinatingly different to the average reader.

New Jodi Picoult

Hey all you Jodi Picoult fans! She has a new book coming out in March, House Rules. Jacob Hunt is a teenager with Asperger's syndrome. In any social situation he is helplessly lost but he excels at forensic science and is frequently found at crime scenes. None of these things help him when he himself is accused of murder.

House Rules has an intriguing mix of medicine, forensics and courtroom drama - all the things for which Jodi Picoult has become well known.

Sign up now for your spot on the list.

- LeAnne

Requests

Did you know that you can request books from the library? Whether it's brand-spanking new or something that you've been wanting to read for ages, chance are good we can get it for you. Our MeL interlibrary loans allow us to get books from libraries--large and small--across the state. If an item is too new, or if it seems like it would be good for our collection, we can buy it and make sure you're the first in line to get it. Patrons have recently requested The Merry Wives of Maggody by Joan Hess and I, Alex Cross by James Patterson, both of which have been added to the collection.

North Korea is Not Like North America

If you are like most of us, you don't like to go to the grocery store and you grumble a bit at the electric bill when it comes. Nothing To Envy by Barbara Demick will change that, for a while at least. It's a book about everyday life in North Korea from about the ending of World War II till now, and it will make you appreciate anew the lovely choices of food and certainly will make you grateful for flipping on a light switch or anything else electrical. After this one I hereby resolve to enjoy all the sights and smells of the grocery store and know that the line is not nearly as long as it seemed to be last week.

Reviewed by Joyce

Joyce looks at Anne Boleyn

If you would like to get away for a little while into the past, take a look at The Lady in the Tower by Alison Weir. Going back to the 1500's for awhile makes you appreciate the 2000's and the lack of an egotistical king with sharp instruments at his disposal. It's an interesting read.

For Mothers of Daughters

I end up reading a lot of books that deal with gender differences when raising children (which is odd, since I have no children of my own). You'd Be So Pretty If . . . : Teaching Our Daughters to Love Their Bodies--Even When We Don't Love Our Own is a very interesting book about body image, dieting, and the cruel little things that women say about themselves when they think nobody is listening. The author, Dara Chadwick, makes the point that even if you are trying to raise your daughter to have high self esteem and to avoid eating disorders and self-loathing, you may be sabotaging your efforts by constantly criticizing your own body. It's weird how little we think about the criticism we level at ourselves, and this book is an eye opener!