Late to the Party

If you have children between the ages of 9 and 16, you probably already know all about the 39 Clues series. It consists of 11 books written by seven different wildly popular authors, and it has been a runaway hit. So, of course, I hadn't read any of them. Finally, guilt overtook me and I read Maze of Bones, the first in the series and I loved it! Full of quirky characters, cranky cats, explosions, and mysterious clues, this book has everything a kid could want. And, it's perfect for those adults who grew up loving Ellen Raskins The Westing Game, as it's quite similar in concept and feel. I've already checked out the second in the series, One False Note.

Speaking of Janet Evanovich . . .

Since my last post contained a suggestion of what to read while you're waiting for the next Janet Evanovich book, I figured it would be a good idea to let you know about the next Janet Evanovich book. Smokin' Seventeen, the eagerly awaited seventeenth book in Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, will be released on June 21st of this year. We've already got a waiting list started for the two copies we'll buy, so stop in and add your name to the list. This promises to be a good one, with Stephanie choosing between Ranger and Morelli (and dodging bad guys, as usual).

Free Skate!

Janet Evanovich is a very popular author, and patrons are always looking for read-alikes to her Stephanie Plum mysteries. Skating Around the Law by Joelle Charbonneau is a super-fun read that has the same spirit as Evanovich's books. One year after Rebecca's mother passes away and leaves her a small-town roller rink, Rebecca decides to sell it and leave her hometown behind forever. But when the town handyman is murdered in the rink all the buyers disappear, and Rebecca realizes she must solve the murder herself if she's ever going to make her escape. With a sizzling love interest, and eccentric grandparent, and a hat-wearing camel, there's a lot to like in this story. It may even inspire you to strap on a pair of skates and take a turn around our local roller rink!

Woodlands Download Library

I do not have much time to read anything but textbooks and research articles these days but I am making up for that by utilizing our eBook library. For those of you who are not aware, HCL has subscribed to Woodlands Downloadable Library powered by OverDrive. I check out Audiobooks that I can listen to while running errands, cleaning the house, or driving to work.

The following is a list of recent titles I have listened to:

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson, a YA fictional story about the Yellow Fever epidemic in Philadelphia.

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak, which I had already read but I liked it so much I wanted to listen to it.

The Compound by S.A. Bodeen, a YA fictional story about surviving a nuclear attack, only to learn nothing is as it seems.

How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier, a totally doos (pronounced duce) story about, you guessed it, a girl trying to ditch her fairy. This is a must-listen- to story as reading it yourself will not do the pronunciations and accents justice.

Shiver and Linger by Maggie Stiefvater, if you like books about werewolves you will be interested in this YA love story.

The Forrest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, a YA story of love, loss, and being strong enough to survive it all.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett, this year’s Big Read selection that is wonderfully cast with four southern voices. Octavia Spencer is the voice for Minny, she is also playing her in the film version that is set to release this summer.

Look at all the books I would have missed out on had it not been for our Audiobooks available from Woodlands Downloadable Library. Check it out for yourself at http://woodlands.lib.overdrive.com.

Specialty Gardens

Many people farm or even have gardens, supplying themselves with tasty fruits and vegetables all summer long. However, from time to time one might get a hankering to branch out and grow something a little bit wacky, and that's where these new books come in. Growing Tasty Tropical Plants by Laurelynn and Byron Martin explains how to grow everything from lemons to olives inside your home. What a great way to provide color, fragrance, and tasty foods to your life!

Microgreens:How to Grow Nature's Own Superfood by Fionna Hill will tell you how to grow nutritious microgreens in your home. Similar to sprouts but stronger in flavor and grown in soil, microgreens could well be the food of the future.

Which Team Are YOU On?

If you keep up with teen books at all, you've probably at least heard murmurings about Zombies vs Unicorns, a short story collection edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier. These two ladies are HUGE in teen lit, particularly fantasy, and they've managed to pull together a great group of authors. The book is playfully arranged, too, with zombie and unicorn pictures in the corners of the pages so you can tell which camp the story falls into, and smack-talking introductions from the editors. It's clear that Black and Larbalestier want you to choose a team, although I thought I was going to like each side. As it turns out, though, I'm Team Zombie. Who knew??!?!??

Just a Lovely Book

I had read several good reviews of The Three Weissmanns of Westport by Cathleen Schine, which is why I decided to check it out. This was kind of a leap of faith for me, as I'd not been a big fan of Schine in the past. Imagine my surprise when I found this to be one of the best books I've read in months! This quiet tale of three women, their lives in disarray, who move to a dingy guest cottage in Westport doesn't have a lot of splashy, quirky, larger-than-life events. What it does have is good characters, realistic emotions, and a simple beauty that allows me to recommend it highly.