Sashenka

Sashenka
by Simon Montefiore

A 16 year old school girl is arrested as she leaves the gates of her exclusive school for noble young ladies in St. Petersburg. The year is 1916. I was drawn into the very roots of the Russian Revolution as Sashenka marries a member of the Red Guard, and eventually becomes a victim of the very world that she has helped to create. I could not put this book down.

- Sally

The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror

The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror

by Christopher Moore.

If you are NOT in the mood for a sappy Christmas tale, try the The Stupidest Angel. It isn't brand new (published 2004) but it is definitely worth a look if you enjoy black comedy. It's the story of Christmas in tiny Pine Cove, California. Though Pine Cove is a typical small town, where everyone knows everyone else's business, this particular Christmas is anything but typical. An angel's blunder makes this year's Christmas celebration go terribly, terribly wrong. I liked this laugh-out-loud tale very much - just be aware that, if books were rated like movies, this would be rated R!

- Linda

Man On Wire

Man On Wire
DVD

Man On Wire is more than a documentary about a quirky high-wire artist and his dream of walking on a wire rigged between the New York World Trade Center's twin towers. It is a suspenseful tale of how in 1974 Phillippe Petit and his friends planned and carried out this stunt.

This is a wonderful story of those brave and crazy enough to follow their dreams. Sometimes life is stranger than fiction, and the story of Phillippe Petit proves it.

Watch this captivating movie; you won't be disappointed.

- Kathy S.

Izzy & Lenore

Izzy & Lenore: Two Dogs, an Unexpected Journey, and Me
by Jon Katz

Join Jon Katz, former city dweller, now owner of Bedlam Farm, in up-state New York, his rescued Border Collie, Izzy, and new Labrador Retriever, Lenore, on an uplifting tale of love, compassion, and the rich and complex relationships between dogs and their humans. As trained hospice volunteers visiting homes and nursing homes, Katz & Izzy bring comfort and canine companionship to people who most need it. Along the way, the author confronts his past, embraces his current life, and rediscovers the meaning of friendship, faith, and family. Jon Katz has written many other books, of which I will now be reading! I'm hooked!

- Ann

A Virgin River Christmas

A Virgin River Christmas
by Robyn Carr

I don’t usually read mass market paperback, but I really liked the book covers and I found out that Robyn Carr is an extremely good writer. I have read every book in the Virgin River series and am very excited that three more books are to be published in 2009. What I like so much are the characters in this series, and the author carries them from book to book throughout the series. If you enjoy small-town America, good people and a good story, you need to read this series. The other books in this series are, so far, Virgin River, Shelter Mountain and Whispering Rock.

- Patti

Christmas on Jane Street

Christmas on Jane Street
by Billy Romp with Wanda Urbanska

This is an uplifting, real-life tale of the Romp family from Salisbury, Vermont and their annual trek to Manhattan, New York to sell Christmas trees on Jane Street. They arrive the day after Thanksgiving and leave just in time to make it home for Christmas morning. For a few weeks, this family transforms a corner of the Big Apple into a Frank Capra-esque small town alive with heartwarming holiday spirit. An ideal Christmas story, it is about the lasting and profound difference one person can make to a family and one family can make to a community.

- Ann

The Wordy Shipmates

The Wordy Shipmates
by Sarah Vowell

I listened to the audio version of Sarah Vowell's latest book about the Puritans who founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony 10 years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth. Using research from primary sources as well as anecdotes from her own life, Sarah Vowell brings these people to life. If, like me, your sense of these early settlers comes mainly from elementary school social studies, this is the book for you. The audio version is read wonderfully by the author with many guest stars taking the parts of the principal Puritans.

- Linda

Divine Justice

Divine Justice
by David Baldacci

Being the fourth book in Baldacci’s Camel Club series, he does not disappoint. Just as enjoyable as the first three books. If I like a writer, I will try to read all of their books. David Baldacci is a great writer. His story lines keep you guessing and his characters are very memorable. If you enjoy a fast-paced suspense, you will definitely like this and probably all of David Baldacci’s books.

- Patti

An Irish Country Christmas

An Irish Country Christmas

by Patrick Taylor

The wonderful characters of Dr. Fingal Flahertie O’ Reilly, his young protégé Dr. Barry Laverty, and their housekeeper Kinky are brought to life again in An Irish Country Christmas. Share their warmth, humor, and holiday traditions, and get to know the patients and people living in the cozy Irish village of Ballybucklebo.

Other delightful books by this author are An Irish Country Doctor and An Irish Country Village. You will enjoy reading how Dr. Laverty came to Ballybucklebo to join Dr. O’Reilly’s medical practice and how he gained the trust and respect of Kinky, the village, and Dr. O’Reilly.

- Rose

Comments from our Thursday Afternoon Book Club

Water For Elephants
by: Sara Gruen

Five out of five coffee cups that's what the Ladies of the Book Club gave this fabulous read last Thursday at our monthly meeting (1:30, second Thursday of the month, Burton Library). It's not often we agree so completely on a selection, but this love story set in the early years of the depression and prohibition thrilled us from beginning to end. Against the back drop of a circus train Jacob Janowski rides the rails, falls in love and cares for an elephant. Reminiscing as an elderly man he weaves his tale while sharing the wisdom and insights that come from being in his nineties. It is a book that may read quickly, but will stay with you long after you finish.

Debbie Barber
The Ladies of the Book Club

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins

Set in a futuristic society (the former USA) run by "The Capitol," the country of Panem is a police state divided into 12 districts. Though some of the districts are fairly well off, those in District 12, the coal district, are literally starving. Sixteen-year old Katniss Everdeen feeds her family by hunting illegally. Each year, The Capitol hosts "The Hunger Games" - a televised contest in which one boy and one girl from each district are chosen by lottery to compete. The contest is on live television and the players compete to the death until only one teen remains. This winner then returns home to a life of luxury. All citizens of Panem are required to watch and many give money to sponsor favored contestants. When Katniss' gentle 12-year-old sister is chosen in the lottery, Katniss volunteers to take her place. Though the plot sounds like something I wouldn't enjoy reading, I could not put this book down. Katniss is absolutely compelling in her maturity, empathy and skill. Yes, there is bloodshed but it is tempered by the fast pace and twists and turns of plot. This is a terrific read!

-Linda

Dewey

Dewey
by Vicki Myron

A cat, a library, and a small midwest town. Need I say more?

I loved the story of Dewey, the abandoned cat, who lived at the Spencer Library for 19 years. A quick and heart-warming read!

- Dixie

Too Close To Home

Too Close to Home
by Linwood Barclay

This is the first time I have read this author. He is very, very good. I plan to read his other books as well.

In this particular book, a very bad thing happens in a good neighborhood in small-town upstate New York. The author paints a very believable picture of a middle-class family dealing with the issues of their life, and then something turns their lives upside-down. I don't want to give anything away, but if you like fast-paced suspense, you will like this book.

- Patti

Songbird

Songbird - by Eva Cassidy
(cd)

Eva Cassidy has the voice of an angel. Her music was little known during her lifetime, but she gained fame after her death in 1996. Her rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow took my breath away. She sings everything - jazz, gospel, folk, and more, and she sings everything well. Her music will touch your heart.

- Kathy S.

Lightning

Lightning
by Dean Koontz

I truly enjoyed this story and simply did not want to stop listening to Christopher Lane's narration. This is an older book, copyright 1988, but it's still great entertainment.

This story with a twist includes tragedy, suspense, and an element that I don't want to share - I don't want to spoil it for you.

I highly recommend this book by Dean Koontz.

- Beckie

No Reservations

No Reservations
with Anthony Bourdain
(DVD)

If you haven't seen No Reservations on the Travel Channel you are in for a treat. Anthony Bourdain is a hip chef who is willing to try just about anything. As he travels around the globe, he learns about the culture as well as the food. For being a seasoned foodie, he is surprisingly down to earth.

In Collection 3 he visits Cleveland and spends time with Michael Ruhlman and Harvey Pekar. He also visits Russia, LA, and Hong Kong among other places. Make some snacks (you will want to eat while watching this) and find out why he is called the "gastronomic Indiana Jones".

-Holly

People of the Book

People of the Book
by Geraldine Brooks

I have a fascination with history and enjoy when a book combines history with mystery. This book is based on a true account. It is the story of the creation of an illumined Haggadah and its travels down through the centuries to its final resting place in Sarajevo. Hanna Heath, a rare book expert, is offered the job of a lifetime. She is hired to analyze and conserve a mysterious illumined Hebrew manuscript. As she inspects the book, she discovers a series of tiny artifacts in the book’s ancient binding. These lead her on a journey into the book’s past to the people who created it and protected it over hundreds of years.

It is a story of courage and perseverance. With her wonderful storytelling gift Ms. Brooks takes you from the present to the past and back again.

-Pat Hauser

Sister's Choice

Sister's Choice
by Emilie Richards

Jamie Dunkirk knows how much her sister and brother-in-law, Kendra and Isaac, long for a baby of their own, so she offers a very special gift . . . to become a surrogate. Jamie is also hoping this will mend her relationship with Kendra and she will be forgiven.

This book was very touching and held my interest from the very beginning. I am looking forward to reading other Shenandoah Album novels by Emilie Richards.

- Rose

A Cedar Cove Christmas

A Cedar Cove Christmas

by Debbie Macomber

It's the holiday season and Mary Jo Wyse is single and pregnant. The baby's father, David Rhodes, has not contacted Mary Jo but she remembered he was spending Christmas with his father and stepmother is Cedar Cove. Mary Jo goes to Cedar Cove to find David, but instead finds comfort with strangers who open their hearts and homes to her. This is a delightful Christmas story that will warm your heart.

- Rose

My Stroke of Insight

My Stroke of Insight

by Jill Bolte Taylor Ph.D.

I read this book on the recommendation from one of our library patrons. I'm so glad that I did. The author is a Harvard-trained brain scientist who experienced a massive brain stroke in 1996. The story is fascinating told from her point of view along with her knowledge of how the brain works. Very insightful and helpful for anyone dealing with a brain-injured patient.

- Dixie

The Hiding Place

The Hiding Place

by Corrie Ten Boom

Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch watchmaker who became a heroine of the Resistance during World War II and a survivor of one of Hitler's concentration camps. This is a very riveting story of how she and her family risked their lives to help Jewish people and underground workers escape from the Nazis. Only Corrie among her family survived to tell the story of how faith ultimately triumphs over evil. This unforgettable and inspirational story was also made into a movie, of which I look forward to watching!

- Ann

Year of Wonders

Year of Wonders
by Geraldine Brooks

Geraldine Brooks' Year of Wonders is some of the best historical fiction I've read in a long while. It describes the events that take place in a small English village in the 17th century during an outbreak of the plague. Told through the eyes of 18-year-old Anna Frith in the language of the time as she struggles to survive, a year of tragedy becomes instead annus mirabilis, or a "year of wonders". It is a compelling and honest look at human nature. Brooks is an extremely talented writer, and I look forward to reading more of her work.

- Lynn

Wedding Belles

Wedding Belles
by Haywood Smith

This story is about five southern women, all friends since high school, who support each other through life's ups and downs. Out of the blue, one daughter announces her engagement but her choice of fiance is a shocker to all. It's going to take a lot of southern charm (and these five women have it) to get through the planning of this wedding and other problems that crop up along the way.

I enjoyed the author's wit and wisdom and her ability to weave the past into the present in such a way that the reader does not lose interest. Looking forward to reading the author's other books.

- Rose

On My Journey Now: Looking at African-American History through the Spirituals

On My Journey Now: Looking at African-American History through the Spirituals

by Nikki Giovanni (juvenile book)

Author and poet Nikki Giovanni has always loved the spirituals and has visited various slave ports in Africa, trying to learn as much as she can about the people brought to our shores as slaves. In this book, she talks to American young people about the first Africans in America - what their lives were like and why the spirituals were so important and evolved the way they did. This is a touching narrative that made me want to learn more.

-Linda

Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf

Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf
by Jennifer L. Holm

Did you realize your refrigerator can tell a story? This is a story about seventh grade Ginny told through the use of 'stuff' such as notes on the refrigerator, memos, to do lists, school passes etc. From the frustrations of hair turned pink to the discovery of a new talent, the well designed book touchingly chronicles a year of middle school in a refreshing and totally different manner.
-Sue

Sleeping Arrangements

Sleeping Arrangements
by Madeleine Wickham

This book was so different than anything I've experienced lately. Funny and lighthearted, it is set in a Spanish villa. Two families, who don't know each other at all, end up there at the same time with no warning from the the villa's owner.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to be entertained. Delightful.

-Beckie

Collateral Damage

Collateral Damage
by Fern Michaels

Fern Michaels' Collateral Damage is fifth in the series of the Sisterhood: Rules of the Game. Collateral Damage is the continuing saga of seven women vigilantes and how they bring about truth and justice. We cannot forget Charles who is head of the operation and presents the "projects" to the group. The current project is a trap to catch the vigilantes but these young women caught on quickly and just in the nick of time. Now it is time for payback!

- Rose

Cellist of Sarajevo

The Cellist of Sarajevo
by Steven Galloway

This novel follows the lives of 3 people living in Sarajevo while it was under siege in the early 1990's. A shell lands in a bread line killing 22 people. To mourn the senseless killing, a professional cellist plays Albinoni's Adagio everyday for 22 days at the bomb site. Each of the main characters are directly or indirectly effected by this act of mourning as they go about their daily duties in order to survive.

Based on true stories of the siege of Sarajevo, this is a haunting tale of the ways people coped during the siege. Steven Galloway puts a human face on the inhuman act of war.
-Holly

Christmas After All: The Great Depression Diary of Minnie Swift

Christmas After All: The Great Depression Diary of Minnie Swift
by Kathryn Lasky
(for ages 9-14)

It’s late November 1932 and everybody is feeling the effects of the Great Depression. Eleven-year-old Minnie Swift in Indianapolis, Indiana writes about her fears and changes in her diary. Her father loses his job and her cousin from Texas comes to live with them. Read about how the love of a family can help make the worst of times bearable.

- Ann

Made in the U.S.A.

Made in the U.S.A.
by Billie Letts

Life is dismal for 15-year-old Lutie McFee and her younger brother Fate. They live in the "godforsaken" town of Spearfish, South Dakota with their father's ex-girlfriend, Floy. Their mother is long dead and their father took off for Las Vegas to find his fortune. One day in Wal-Mart, Floy keels over with an apparent heart attack and the kids high-tail it out of town. They head to Las Vegas in search of their dad. In Las Vegas the kids find out what a cruel world it is. Just trying to survive is difficult - then help comes - from where? Could they have a guardian angel?

- Dixie

Perfect Paragon

The Perfect Paragon
By M.C. Beaton

An entertaining 16^th Agatha Raisin mystery sent in Carsely, a charming Cotswolds village. Follow Agatha, a modern-day Miss Marple, as she connects the two murders of a teenage girl and a jealous husband. The reader will be kept hanging until the final pages.

- Ann

Every Last Cuckoo

Every Last Cuckoo
by Kate Maloy

At age seventy-five, with her husband Charles gone, Sarah is grief stricken until her home suddenly becomes a haven for lost souls. In sharing her home, Sarah learns to share her heart again, just when she thought her best years were over. A wonderful read .

- Lynn

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

Juliet Ashton is a writer who finds herself at a crossroads following WWII. Searching for a topic for a book, she begins writing the members of the Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society. She gets more than a story with Elizabeth, the missing heroine of Guernsey Island during the war - she gets Elizabeth's headstrong & adorable daughter Kit and a life changing lesson in love.

I honestly did not want this book to end. I grew to love the characters and the island itself. I found myself going back to re-read my favorite passages.(P.S - the ending was just lovely.)
-Holly

Hidden

Hidden
by Shelley Shepard Gray

Anna is abused by her boyfriend and takes refuge with the Brenneman Family, who is Amish and owns a bed and breakfast. While staying with the family, Anna helps out with the business and disguises herself by wearing Plain clothing and practices the family’s customs and religion. Anna begins to feel as if she belongs and this helps her to heal emotionally. Then it is time for Anna to go home. While staying with her parents, she must sort out her feelings and decide the direction she wants to take with her life.

Hidden is the first inspirational book I have read by Shelley Shepard Gray. I found it to be a fast and easy read and am looking forward to the author's next book, Wanted.

- Rose

Old Books, Rare Friends: Two Literary Sleuths and Their Shared Passion

Old Books, Rare Friends: Two Literary Sleuths and Their Shared Passion
by Madeline B. Stern & Leona Rostenberg

Madeline and Leona met in college in New York City in the 1920s and quickly became inseparable friends and colleagues based on a passion for books. Their persistence and talent paid off and they both became successful antiquarian book dealers in the USA and Europe. A charming story that spans over 60 years!

- Ann

Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name

Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name
by Vendela Vida

Clarissa Iverton receives the shock of a lifetime following the death of her father. He wasn't her father after all. Her mother, who left the family 14 years earlier, had lived in Lapland with the Sami people prior to moving back to the US. Not knowing who to trust or what to think, Clarissa leaves for Lapland, the land north of Finland. There she learns about the Sami people as well as her mother's mysterious past.

I enjoyed the interesting storyline and the crazy cultural details. Clarissa is a likable character tossed into an astonishing land that has everything to do with her history. This book was fascinating.
-Holly

Some Assembly Required

Some Assembly Required
by Lynn Kiele Bonasia

Just like the cover says, “charming. . .filled with quirky characters and small-town eccentricity”. After I saw that book cover and read those words I was hooked. I had to read this book.

Rose Nowak moves to this small Cape Cod community to turn her life around after ending a relationship. She finds out that she is not the only person in the world with “issues” and that what you think you want isn’t always what you need.

This is the author’s first novel and it’s a charmer. I can’t wait for her next book.

-Patti

The Mysterious Benedict Society

The Mysterious Benedict Society
by Trenton Lee Stewart

An ad appears in the newspaper: "Are you a gifted child looking for SPECIAL opportunities?" Many children enroll to take the test but only 4 are chosen by Mr. Benedict, a kindly but mysterious man. They call themselves The Mysterious Benedict Society and have to use all of their brains and brawn to complete a secret mission at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened. These 4 children, all orphans, find that they have to depend upon each other for friendship and support. I won't give away the secret mission but this is a fast-paced, exciting story for older elementary up through adult readers.

- Linda

Lars and the Real Girl

Lars and the Real Girl
(DVD)

This is by far the best movie I've seen in a very long time and I'm not going to tell you one thing about it. Any description I could offer would not do justice to the film. Get the DVD and put it in your player - don't even read the blurb on the back. It'll knock your socks off!

- Linda

July and August: A Novel

July and August: A Novel
by Nancy Clark

This humorous and delightful family saga takes place at Great-aunt Lily's wonderful old house in Towne, Massachusetts. This is the gathering place for aunts, uncles, cousins and friends who are all in town for July and August. With their arrival comes a summer filled with comedy and drama. The pace of this story evokes the pace of a lazy summer vacation, and is the third in the Hill family series by Nancy Clark, though it easily stands by itself.

- Lynn

Duma Key

Duma Key
by Stephen King

Call me weird, but I have always liked Stephen King as a writer. Yes, his subject matter is sometimes unbelievable, but he knows how to tell a story from the beginning to the end. It is no different with this book. Edgar Freemantle has a career ending and life altering accident. To begin “his new life”, he moves from Minnesota to the secluded Duma Key in Florida. During his healing process, he meets a few new friends and also begins to dabble in an old hobby . . . painting.

He finds that he is pretty good, but the subject matter is another story. You can only imagine!

If you like Stephen King, this is a good read.

- Patti

Lady of the Snakes

Lady of the Snakes
by Rachel Pastan

Jane Levitsky is a brilliant scholar of nineteenth-century Russian literature, but she is also a mother and a wife. Juggling it all becomes difficult as Jane becomes enmeshed in the diaries of Masha Karkov, the long suffering wife of Grigory Karkov. Then Jane makes a brilliant discovery.

This book combines the literary detective story with the problems of being a working mother. Just as Jane is on the brink of having it all, everything begins to unravel.

Rachel Pastan is refreshingly honest in her depictions of academic politics as well as domestic demands. I adored this book.
-Holly

The Whole Truth

The Whole Truth
by James Scott Bell

Lawyer Steve Conroy is haunted by his past. At 5 years old he witnesses the abduction of his 7-year-old brother. This haunts him for 25 years and it nearly destroys him.

Steve’s new client comes with a lot of money and dark secrets. Steve needs the job and the money so he starts searching for the truth. He finds ties to his long-lost brother but with deadly consequences. Can he finally find out what happened to his brother so long ago?

- Dixie

Earthly Joys & Virgin Earth

Earthly Joys (1998) & Virgin Earth (1999)
By Philippa Gregory

‘Tis the gardening season and these two fiction books tell the story of the Tradescant family, gardeners to royalty during the 1600s in England. Earthly Joys takes place during the reign of James I and is a story of the times as well as the story of how plants and trees were discovered, acquired, and propagated. Tulips were a hot commodity to be traded and killed for. John Tradescant is a gardening pioneer who travels the world in search of the unusual. This is also the story of the beginning of Cabinets of Curiosities. John would also acquire other unusual items which were then displayed in cabinets in his employer’s drawing room.

In Virgin Earth, John Tradescant the Younger continues his father’s quest for the new and unusual. As gardener to Charles I, his travels take him to the Royalist colony of Virginia where he encounters the native people and learns about Native American plants. The gardens he creates back in England are the outstanding gardens of the age.

I enjoyed these books and wanted to share them with our patrons. They inspired me to do some research of my own. First, I wanted to find out more about the Tradescant family and found a book called The John Tradescants: Gardeners to the Rose and Lily Queen by Prudence Leith-Ross. Second was my interest in the history of the tulip and I found the following book, The Tulip.

- Pat

The Tulip: The Story of a Flower that Has Made Men Mad

The Tulip: The Story of a Flower that Has Made Men Mad (1999)
By Anna Pavord

Tulip is the story of the development of a wild flower from the Asian steppes into a world-wide phenomenon. Fortunes were made and lost in the desire to acquire and trade this beautiful flower. The author spent six years doing research for this book.

- Pat

John Adams

John Adams
DVD - HBO Miniseries

Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography by David McCullough, this film portrays the life of John Adams and his role in the first 50 years of the United States. Stunning – this is John Adams like you’ve never seen him; ornery, brilliant and passionate in his loyalty to his newly founded country.

Paul Giametti and Laura Linney are both outstanding in their performances as John and Abigail Adams. This is a beautifully done, inspiring drama. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

- Kathy S.

Absurdistan

Absurdistan
by Gary Shteyngart

I'm crazy about Russian immigrant novels and this is truly the most entertaining of the genre. Rap music loving Misha Vainberg, who only knows excess, is the quirky hero/anti-hero in Absurdistan. Banished from his beloved New York City, Misha pines for his South Bronx Latina sweetheart while living in Russia. His last hope is through obtaining a fake Belgian passport in the oil rich nation of Absurdistan. After civil war breaks out in Absurdistan, anything goes in this hilarious mad adventure.

The great-great-grandson of Nikolai Gogol, Shteyngart is a brilliant humorist as well as a talented novelist. After reading this, I devoured his first novel "The Russian Debutante's Handbook". I just couldn't get enough of his Jewish, Russian humor.
-Holly

The Outlander

The Outlander
By Gil Adamson

The Outlander begins with the mysterious widow, Mary Boulton, running; running from her past and the two men who are relentlessly chasing her. The reader is brought along with Mary as she flees through the mountains of Alberta, Canada. As she is ill-prepared to be on her own in the wild, each day is a test, but she proves to be tough and resourceful and manages to evade her pursuers. On her journey she meets many quirky and interesting people who help her on her way.

The writing of Gil Adamson is superb, and her story is suspenseful and complex. This book is wonderful!

- Kathy S.

Kissing Christmas Goodbye

Kissing Christmas Goodbye
By M. C. Beaton

Agatha Raisin is a private investigator who owns her own detective agency in the Cotswolds of England. The only joy in her life is the anticipation of her upcoming Christmas festival and hopeful reunion with her ex-husband, James Lacey.

Excitement begins when a wealthy widow hires Agatha because she is afraid a member of her own family is about to murder her. Her premonition comes true and she drops dead after high tea is served at her manor with her family in attendance.

Follow Agatha and her teenage detective trainee, Toni, as they uncover clues in and around the quaint and sleepy village of Gloucestershire. Will they solve this murder in time to finish planning her Christmas party? Read on and find out!

- Ann

Sundays at Tiffany's

Sundays at Tiffany’s
by James Patterson & Gabrielle Charbonnet

Growing up, Jane Margaux was a very lonely little girl. Her mother was a powerful Broadway producer with very little time for Jane except for their Sunday trips to Tiffany’s to admire the jewelry. To help her during this lonely time is her handsome, comforting and funny imaginary friend, Michael. On Jane’s ninth birthday, he leaves, explaining that other children need his help and that Jane will soon forget him.

Several years later Jane is a successful playwright but is still lonely when she meets a handsome, comforting, funny man – Michael. She still remembered him. How could that be?

This is a story of the importance of giving and receiving love, and the transforming effect it has on a person’s life.

- Pat