The Girls from Ames: A Story of Women & a Forty-Year Friendship

The Girls from Ames: A Story of Women & a Forty-Year Friendship
By Jeffrey Zaslow

A true story about eleven childhood friends from Ames, Iowa. These girls built an extraordinary friendship and managed to maintain it throughout the years. They share their story with Jeffrey Zaslow, a Wall Street Journal columnist and the coauthor of The Last Lecture.

The girls have a lifetime of memories in common and stories of how their friendship has endured through “college and careers, marriage and motherhood, dating and divorce, a child’s illness, and the mysterious death of one member of the group.”

I laughed and cried and thought about my own friends. I couldn’t put it down.

- Dixie

Horse Crazy! 1,001 Fun Facts, Craft Projects, Games, Activities, and Know-How for Horse-Loving Kids

Horse Crazy!
1,001 Fun Facts, Craft Projects, Games, Activities, and Know-How for Horse-Loving Kids
by Jessie Haas

Does your child want a horse but, at the present, a horse does not fit in with the family’s lifestyle or pocketbook? This book may solve your problem. It contains lists of horse-related books to read and movies to watch, crafts for different ages, equine careers, interviews with people involved with horses, jokes, educational facts, famous horses, and much more. There’s even a section on going green with horses! Any child who loves horses will enjoy this book

- Rose

Gooseberry Patch All Through the Seasons: Recipes & Crafts

Gooseberry Patch All Through the Seasons
Recipes & Crafts

A real feast for the eyes and the stomach! Color photos of most of the recipes – this is a biggie for me, as I am not going to try something unless I see a picture of it first. I like the recipes in this book because they are not too involved. Just a few ingredients and a couple simple steps and viola! – something yummy to serve. I started to copy recipes and decided I want too many of them so this book went on my Christmas list. It is full of craft ideas (with patterns and instructions), menus, and entertaining tips.

- Dixie

City of Thieves

City of Thieves
by David Benioff

The City of Thieves is a terrific read. The main characters are engaging, and the story is action-packed. This novel takes on the grim topic of the Germans' siege of Leningrad during World War II. The author does a beautiful job of describing that difficult time by weaving the story around a tale of two young men who are given a chance to save their lives by finding a dozen eggs for a Soviet commander. Their "adventure" is both funny and tragic, but you will love these two young men. They show the power of the human spirit.

- Kathy

Catching Fire

Catching Fire
by Suzanne Collins

This is the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy. Please refer to my 11-14-08 posting to read about The Hunger Games - which you must read first! The sequel is fantastic, with Katniss now home in District 12. Slowly she begins to realize that all is not as it seems in Panem. She knows she has angered her government and fears for the lives of her loved ones. Security is cracking down in her district and it is hard for her to know whom to trust. Then, the unthinkable happens. Katniss’ character has become more cynical but she is still strong, both mentally and physically. The plot is again full of twists and turns and is another terrific read. It will be hard for me to wait for the next book!

- Linda

Courting Trouble

Courting Trouble
By Lisa Scottoline

In my last blog entry I mentioned the current Lisa Scottoline novel that I was in the process of reading: Courting Trouble. In the book Lisa's story is about a young female lawyer that has moved to Philadelphia to start her life over. Unfortunately trouble has followed her to her new home. Lisa Scottoline always keeps the plotline moving with perfectly placed twists and turns. I plan on reading all of her novels and have enjoyed every one so far.

- Beckie

Eco Barons

Eco Barons
by Edward Humes

This is a wonderful book full of interesting and inspiring stories of people of our generation giving their all to save our planet. The peoples lives are fascinating, and their efforts for the environment are remarkable. A truly uplifting book that proves that one determined person can make a difference in the world.

- Kathy

Dirty Blonde

Dirty Blonde
by Lisa Scottoline

I have recently discovered the author Lisa Scottoline. What an impressive author! She has written over 15 books and I have had the pleasure of experiencing three of them so far; Look Again, Dirty Blonde, and am now enjoying Courting Trouble.

So far (and I believe that it is true for all her books) her books have taken place in Philadelphia and have to do with lawyers. The three listed above are all quite different and I am going to focus this blog on Dirty Blonde.

In Dirty Blonde, a relatively new Federal Court Judge, Cate Fante, has a very unusual (for a judge) private life that gets her into some trouble with the court. So much trouble in fact that she loses her job. Apparently Federal Judges are appointed for life and job loss just doesn’t happen. I never like to give too much away in a blog, but something that I have noticed about Lisa Scottoline’s writing is that she always has a good twist that you don’t see coming. The “twist” in Dirty Blonde is the “who done it”. You don’t know until the very end.

I truly feel that you will enjoy Lisa Scottoline as much as I have. I plan on continuing reading and will blog about other titles.

- Beckie

The Pig Did It

The Pig Did It
by Joseph Caldwell

An odd combination of murder mystery, romance, and farce, Joseph Caldwell's The Pig Did It is fun to read. The protagonist Aaron McCloud returns to Ireland from New York City hoping to recover from a failed romance only to find himself trailed by a pig everywhere he goes. When the pig digs up a human skeleton in Aaron's Aunt Kitty's backyard, the fun begins.

Readers will be sure to appreciate the poetic descriptions of an angry sea, an Irish pub, and the Irish countryside that permeate the entertaining storyline in this lighthearted mystery.

- Kathy

Benny & Shrimp

Benny & Shrimp
by Katarina Mazetti

Benny & Shrimp is the charming story of love between two unlikely thirty-something misfits. Witty and offbeat, a quick read. Sure to be a favorite!

- Lynn

Finger Lickin' Fifteen

Finger Lickin’ Fifteen
by Janet Evanovich

This novel is one of the funniest Stephanie Plum series the author has written. For those of you unfamiliar with this series, Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter for her cousin, Vincent Plum. Often she takes the “office clerk” Lulu with her when working on a case and once in while Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur will participate. In this sequel, the three of them get involved in a case when a famous chef comes to town for a BBQ contest and Lulu witnesses his killing. The killers are trying to find Lulu and she wants to capture them for the million dollar reward. She gets Stephanie to help her, and of course, Grandma Mazur goes along for the ride. When the three of them work together, nothing goes as planned.

- Rose

She's in a Better Place

She’s in a Better Place
(The Fairlawn Series, #3)
by Angela Hunt

Jennifer Graham is raising her two boys, studying for her big exams and running the Fairlawn Funeral Home. When her mentor reveals that he is seriously ill, Jen discovers that he and his only child haven’t spoken in years. She decides to hurry along a reconciliation between them. A tender tale. A thoroughly enjoyable series.

- Dixie

She Always Wore Red

She Always Wore Red
(The Fairlawn Series, #2)
by Angela Hunt

Jennifer Graham and her boys are trying to fit into their new community and life at the Fairlawn Funeral Home. Jennifer makes a much needed friend when she meets McLane Larson. When McLane reveals that she is carrying her husband’s baby, Jen promises to stand by her. This proves to be a huge test of their relationship and Jen finds out just how deep their ties really go! I really like this series.

- Dixie

Doesn't She Look Natural?

Doesn't She Look Natural?
(The Fairlawn Series, #1)
by Angela Hunt

Jennifer Graham quits her job after her divorce and has to live with her mother. She learns that she has inherited some real estate in a small town in Florida. Great! Money to start her new life! She heads to Florida fully intending to sell and get on with life. What a surprise to find out that she is the owner of a funeral home. It is in no shape to sell so she settles in to fix it up. Little does she know that some of life’s mysteries will be made clear living in a funeral home. Very enjoyable.

- Dixie

The Ever-Blooming Flower Garden

The Ever-Blooming Flower Garden
by Lee Schneller

If you want flowers blooming continually in your garden, this is the book for you. Plants’ habits are explained as well as color combinations, which plants work best in the garden, amending soil, and improving an existing bed. The book gives step-by-step instructions how to plan a garden using a chart system. This method will help determine how many plants are needed for your garden, placement of plants, and assist with planning eye-appealing color combinations. Visual aids such as photos and graphs make this book an excellent resource for any gardener.

- Rose