Adults

Library Fundraiser at Brilliant Sky

Thu, 06/20/2013 - 10:00am
Brilliant Sky, 5100 Marsh Rd. Okemos, MI

Murder in Clichy

Review written by: jan
4

Murder in Clichy is the fifth mystery in a series about a young woman detective in Paris. Aimee Leduc is the daughter of a policeman who died in an explosion several years before. She owns a detective agency that does computer work, but she usually falls into some trouble. Her business partner, Rene Friant, is able to hack almost anything. Cara Black, the author, uses the various sections of Paris to tell various stories of its history. There is even a map of the section of town after the first book in the series. Murder in the Marais, the first in the series, focused on the occupation of Paris during WWII. This book focuses on the French in Vietnam and the veterans and colonizers who now live in Paris. She uses her connections with the police to help her, but there are times these connections may actually be harmful. Black enjoys doing research by wandering through the streets! I enjoy this series because of the ground level feel you get for Paris. I also like the characters that Aimee meets. The books are a fast read, but well written. Right now I have five more to go.

By Author/Artist: Cara Black
Format: hardcover

Mistress of the Art of Death

Review written by: Lorri
3

The book is a mystery set in Europe in the 1100s. I enjoyed the historical aspects of the book especially learning about Henry II and culture and superstitions of the time period. The author did a very nice job of weaving historical fiction into the murder story. Unfortunately for me the serial-killer story line was too gruesome especially as the victims were children. I would have enjoyed the book more without the details. If you are not affected by "bloody" details and want to read a historical fiction murder mystery, you should enjoy the book.

By Author/Artist: Ariana Franklin
Format: Hardcover

Shelter, a Mickey Bolitar Novel

Review written by: Logan "Bacon" Bahm
4

When I first picked up the book I saw that it had been praised by some of the greats, like Rick Riordan and R.L. Stine, of which authors I both enjoy. I then started to read. I found that the protagonist (Mickey Bolitar) has had a pretty rough life (dad dead, mom rehab (drinking problem)) and has his uncle take care of him. I found this book to contain marvelous amounts of mystery and excitement as Mickey attempts to solve the mysteries of the Bat Lady and Ashley (girlfriend) and also attempts to weasel out of bullies and even trouble with the law. This book contains many mind wrenching plot twists and keeps you reading as a Hunger Games can't-put-the-book-down type of book. Although this book is great and a recommend to mature adults and teens it cannot recommended to those younger due to the violence and the strip club part of the tale. Despite this, all in all it is a good book. ~ Logan

By Author/Artist: Harlen Coben
Format: hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-399-25650-9

tales of sherlook holmes: a study in scarlet

Review written by: andrew holmes
3

The story takes place in London 1878. After Watson was discharged from the war he was introduced to Mr.Holmes and they became roommates. After Mr.Holmes has had so many people coming over Mr.Watson asked what he did for a living Holmes finely told Watson that he was a detective.  

This book was not a book that I liked at the start it was slow and was very boring. but as I flipped the pages the became more mystery witch we know and love Sherlock Holmes for having and not a boring book about two people meting each other for the first time. All in all the book was not the best Sherlock Holmes story I have seen but It was still a good story.

By Author/Artist: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Format: hardcover

Breakfast for Dinner by Lindsay Landis & Taylor Hackbarth

Breakfast for DinnerI don't read as many cookbooks (print or electronic) as I used to now that so many recipes can be browsed and shared online, but, Breakfast for Dinner caught my eye.  The authors have put together an eclectic group of recipes that really do channel the spirit of breakfast through to dinner.  The recipes are inventive and original but not too fussy.  So many niche cookbooks are neat to look at but the recipes themselves are too ingredient intensive or require you to dirty every pot, pan and appliance in the house and spend $40 on saffron.  Not this one.  I made two recipes from the book: the Cornflake-Crusted Chicken Tenders with Buttermilk Ranch Sauce (pretty good, the dipping sauce was fabulous) and the Shakshuka (which was also good).  There were many more I wanted to make, in fact, I have the book open to the Maple Bacon Cupcakes and they are looking pretty good.  There's also a very nice Asparagus Pastry Tart so...I might have to renew this one!

If you want to learn more about Shakshuka there is a great post on Smitten Kitchen with more riffs on ingredients.  The Asparagus Pastry Tart reminded me of a recipe on another cooking blog you might want to check out (be forewarned, this author uses some colorful language).

And if you are like me and find yourself with more recipes from cooking blogs than you can possibly make in a lifetime, how do you organize them?  I have been using Paprika on my iPad and Mac and I absolutely love it, but I know there are other alternatives out there.

Books On Tap - June Meeting Follow Up

Into Thin AirOur June meeting at Jimmy's Pub to discuss Into Thin Air was another great discussion with the consensus being none of us want to be that miserable for that long! Summiting Mount Everest takes a lot of money, time and more risks than any of us is willing to take. For more information about Mount Everest and the controversy of the climbing industry, check out these links.

Outside Online - Take a Number

List of people who died climbing Mount Everest

National Geographic - Everest

Everest season ends on a high note

Join us July 9, 6:30pm at Jimmy's Pub to talk about This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

The death of Judd Foxman’s father marks the first time that the entire Foxman family—including Judd’s mother, brothers, and sister—have been together in years. Conspicuously absent: Judd’s wife, Jen, whose fourteen-month affair with Judd’s radio-shock-jock boss has recently become painfully public. 

Simultaneously mourning the death of his father and the demise of his marriage, Judd joins the rest of the Foxmans as they reluctantly submit to their patriarch’s dying request: to spend the seven days following the funeral together. In the same house. Like a family.

This Is Where I Leave You

This Is Where I Leave You is Jonathan Tropper's most accomplished work to date, a riotously funny, emotionally raw novel about love, marriage, divorce, family, and the ties that bind—whether we like it or not.

Top Ten Book Group Picks

The Great GatsbyBelong to a book group or just looking for a good book to read? Here is a list of the most popular book club books in May from Bookmovement.com. The popularity of the new Great Gatsby movie has pushed that classic to the top of the list!

1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
3. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Coast Trail by Cheryl Strayed
4. Unbroken: A World War II Tale of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
5. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
6. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
7. Defending Jacob by William Landay
8. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
9. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
10. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

Plant Swap This Saturday June 15!

Plant Swap @ ELPLAs part of our Summer Reading theme, Dig Into Reading, we are going to offer you the chance to dig up some plants and flowers from your garden and swap them for some new varieties. Just bring your plants to the library on Saturday, June 15 and meet with other library gardeners who might have just the plant that's been missing from your garden!

Lonerism by Tame Impala

Tame Impala’s new, critically acclaimed album Lonerism is worth a listen if you are looking for some new alternative-pop music.  The album captures the psychedelic vibe of the late 60s - early 70s, but adds a new dimension: the use of current production technology.  The echoing reverb,Lonerism by Tame Impala fuzzed-out guitars, and multiple layers of vocal and instrumental harmony- as well as a myriad of other effects- add an interesting feel to the classic psychedelic-pop sound that Tame Impala provides.  Produced and recorded entirely by front-man Kevin Parker, Lonerism might give you a taste of what Pink Floyd and Beatles-era artists might have been able to do in today’s music recording landscape. 

The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout

The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout is more than the story of a dysfunctional family, it also deals with religion, race and cultural issues in a small town in Maine after a large number of refugees from Somalia relocate there.

The personal and psychological struggles of the main characters stem from childhood traumas. Each gives insight into how their lives were shaped by the things they believed to be true from childhood interpretations; things that are never spoken of as adults. A personal success doesn't necessarily mean that someone is good, or a failure that someone is bad.  The twists and turns will pull you along to the final pages of this story.

Dying to be Me: my journey from cancer, to near death, to true healing by Anita Moorjani

If you are at all interested in the possibility of an afterlife, be sure to read Dying to be Me: my journey from cancer, to near death, to true healing by Anita Moorjani.  Anita tells the story of her life at the intersection of many cultures each with its own expectations. As an adult, she developed cancer which progressed to the point of shutting down her vital organs.  Surrounded by her family in the hospital, she had a near death experience which ultimately left her cancer free and spiritually reborn.  The experience also gave her a profound insight into the reason for her cancer. Anita now speaks about her experience and lives a life filled with gratitude and health.  

The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty

In our time of old and new Great Gatsby movies, The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty offered another perspective on the 1920's clash between conservative restrictive morality (like corsets) and the crazy free-living ways of the flappers.

One society woman from Wichita, Kansas, who fought for women's suffrage, has reasons to believe that she is free from most prejudices of her time.  She volunteers to chaperone an eccentric rebellious teenager to a month-long competitive dance class in NYC and learns more about the world than she expects, and lots of this she learns from the live-wire child she is trying to protect.

I enjoyed watching the pseudo-liberated woman try to explain the defensive sexual attitudes of her time to the wild-child in her care.  Watching her interact with her more conservative and more eccentric peers in Out-West conservative Wichita was fascinating as fodder for imagining how new ideas slide into mainstream culture.

Perhaps too many prejudice-breaking issues are tied together in this book, but I admired Moriarty's efforts to show some of the many ways our fore-mothers stretched into the freedoms of the new century.

12th of Never

Review written by: Linda Nuttall
5

The next installment in The Woman's Murder Club has the ramped-up personal life of Lindsay Boxer running side-by-side with the crazy crimes dotting her landscape. Every member of the club has a major rock-my-world event, good/bad/the jury is still out. I wanted to know what was going to happen for Lindsay and Joe and their expected baby as much as follow the careers and life course of Yuki, Cindy and Claire. Since Patterson never is completely predictable for me, I was afraid for this baby. No spoilers here-you'll have to read it to see what is the big deal in each woman's life, and the pain in the neck crime spree for the police chief. Fast read for me because I want to KNOW!

 

By Author/Artist: James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Format: eBook Cloud Library

New Children's Series Starters

Series Starters for KidsStop by the Books on the Go! display in the Children's Room to check out our new Series Starter bundles!

Each bundle contains the first few titles in one of our favorite children's series. Prepare to get hooked!  

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