Robot and Frank

Robot and Frank (DVD)

It's hard to know where to begin discussing Robot and Frank. It is a social commentary about aging, dementia, public libraries and ethics. Set in the near future, it is a story about an aging jewel thief who is given a robot by his son. The robot's only directive is to help Frank with his memory loss. Frank then teaches the robot to steal. Frank has a crush on the local librarian who is deleting all the books that are left. They are making way for the virtual library experience.

This charming movie has social satire with biting humor but ultimately it is about families. I can't recommend this movie enough. It has something for everyone.

-Holly

Suspect

by Robert Crais This is a stand-alone suspense novel by Robert Crais. It takes place in Los Angeles and starts out with 2 police officers being attacked by a group of masked men. Officer Scott James was severely wounded and his partner killed. While Officer James physically recovers from his wounds, he is suffering from PTSD as he returns to his new duty as a K-9 officer. It turns out that his K-9 partner, Maggie, a beautiful German Shepherd, is also suffering from PTSD after serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan. The attack against the 2 police officers was never solved. Officer James is being shunned as damaged goods by the LAPD as he works on his own to solve the crime. The story moves along nicely and is, refreshingly, only 300 pages. I enjoyed the fast pace and the growing relationship between Officer James and Maggie. ~ Linda

The House Girl

by Tara Conklin

Debut novelist Tara Conklin weaves the stories of two very vibrant women, living a century apart : seventeen year old Josephine, an artistically talented house slave in antebellum Virginia; and present day, twenty- four year old first year lawyer, Lina. Their stories become intertwined when Lina starts working on a retribution case for a big client. Looking for the perfect plaintiff, Lina discovers that Josephine may actually be the true artist of the famous works of her owner.

This book is filled with history of pre-Civil War Virginia, and the underground railroad. This being the sesquicentennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, The House Girl reminds us all about the unnamed victims and heroes of slavery in America.

I got caught up in both stories because of the great detail Ms. Conklin uses and because of the "digging" for historical information. As the author switched between the two stories, I found it hard to choose which life was more intriguing....Lina's or Josephine's.... both were appealing and drew me in, but in the end, for me, Josephine's story won hands down because of the historical interest.

This would make a great book club read! I enthusiastically recommend it to my book club friends.

~ Sally

The New-Fashioned Wedding:Designing Your Artful, Modern, Crafty, Textured, Sophisticated Celebration

By Paige Appel and Kelly Harris

The New-Fashioned Wedding showcases the beautiful work of Paige Appel and Kelly Harris, founders of the event planning company Bash, Please. Each chapter is devoted to a bridal couple and their signature style. Although traditional and elegant themes are included in this book, there are fresh and unusual themes that reflect today's modern bride, such as Country Eclectic, Backyard Bohemian, and Urban Organic, just to name a few.

Each theme includes details of the vision and color palette for the dress, venue, food, decor, flowers and more. The back of the book lists each category by couple/theme with ordering information.

This a beautiful book that will surely inspire the newly engaged couple and those planning special events.

~ Paula

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

By Rachel Joyce

Harold Fry unexpectedly receives a letter from a former friend and colleague whom he hasn't seen in 20 years. She is dying and wants to say goodbye. Harold intends to walk to the mail box to post his reply to her letter, but unexpectedly he just keeps going. He ends up walking 600 miles to meet with his old friend Queenie.

This is the story of Harold's Pilgrimage. During his journey he meets many interesting people who help him see life in a new, more meaningful way. With each mile, Harold's life story unfolds through memories of his childhood, his marriage, and his relationship with his son. Harold has a lot of time in those 600 miles to reflect on his past, and the hardships and joys of his life. In that time, he realizes he is not perfect, there are things he could and should have done differently. But this is not a sad story overall. The pilgrimage is difficult, yes, but Harold's journey is an encouraging and inspiring one that we can alll relate to.

Beautifully written, this book sums up not just Harold's life but most peoples lives. If you enjoy stories of positive transformation, you will want to read this book.

~ Kathy

Gone Girl

By Gillian Flynn

This New York Times bestseller begins with the mysterious disappearance of the beautiful Amy Elliott Dunne on her fifth wedding anniversary. Her movie-star handsome husband, Nick, is not quite as distraught as one would expect from a grieving husband. The chapters alternate between Nick and Amy's point of view of a love story gone bad.

Masterful storyteller Gillian Flynn keeps the reader in suspense throughout this tale. Every time you believe that you've figured it out, you realize that you aren't even close.

The movie rights have been sold with Reese Witherspoon cast as Amy.

~ Paula

An Irish Country Wedding

By Patrick Taylor

Audiobook CD format

This is the seventh in the Irish Country Doctor series, and a return to the cozy village of Ballybucklebo. Dr. Fingal Flahertie O’Reilly has just proposed to his sweetheart, Miss Kitty O’Hallorhan, which means that in addition to caring for a full patient load, a wedding is in the works. Young doctor Barry Laverty is recovering from heartbreak, but is intrigued by the village schoolteacher. As always, reader John Keating makes you feel as if you've stepped back in time and onto Irish soil.

~ Paula

The Fault In Our Stars

By John Green

I don't know how to talk about this Young Adult novel without misrepresenting the story. It is beautifully written and the teenage characters are so true to life. It deals with the hard subject of kids with cancer yet not in an off-putting way. The progagonist, 16-year-old Hazel, is amazing in her intelligence, wit, and emotional fortitude. You should read this book!

~ Linda

Pie

By Sarah Weeks

Pie, a novel written for kids, is the story of 12-year-old Alice Anderson and takes place in early 1950s Pennsylvania. Alice is devastated when her beloved Aunt Polly, the Pie Queen of Ipswitch, passes away unexpectedly. The whole town goes into a funk at the thought of never having another of Polly's fabulous pies. Plus, it turns out that Polly left her world-famous pie crust recipe to her grouchy cat, Lardo. Then, someone goes to great lengths to try to find and profit from Polly's secret recipe. Alice, together with her friend Charlie, solve this mystery and in the process they and the whole town come to realize that friendship is truly the recipe for happiness. This is a sweet little story and has Polly's delicious pie recipes at the beginning of each chaper.

~ Linda

Heaven Is For Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back

By Todd Burpo, with Lynn Vincent

In the opening prologue, we meet the Burpo family as they face a revelation that their three-year-old son, Colton, who nearly died from surgery after his appendix ruptured, had died and gone to Heaven and returned to share details of what it was like.

As the book progresses, Colton shares more and more details of his time in Heaven with Jesus, the angels, his stillborn sister, and his grandfather (a youthful version of himself).

This was our Tuesday Night Book Club book for December and I was looking forward to reading it; however, as I read it I began to doubt many of Colton’s “revelations” as written by his minister father. The boy's story became more specific over the years, and in some ways stranger.

We had a terrific discussion about this book and our concepts of Heaven, the validity of Colton’s account, his father’s influence and motivation for the book, and the negative reviews about the book.

It is worth reading as a starting point for a discussion about the afterlife.

~ Paula

Dying to Know You

By Aiden Chambers

Young Adult Book

Budding writer Fiorella asks shy Karl, who is in love with her, to answer a series of questions in a letter. He convinces her favorite author to help him. The results are, of course, not what anyone expects; and misunderstandings lead to new revelations, near tragedy, and transformation.

~ Sue

Beautiful Winter: Holiday Wreaths, Garlands & Decorations for Your Home & Table

By Edle Catharina Norman

This little book is full of sweet ideas for holiday wreaths and adornments. The author gives complete supply lists and detailed instuctions. Even if, like me, you are not a craft-y person, you will enjoy the photos of these nature-inspired creations and may be tempted to try one or two.

~ Linda

Juliet in August

By Dianne Warren

Juliet in August takes place on one summer day in a small town in Saskatchewan. The author takes us to Juliet for a short visit and introduces us to the people who reside there. Everyone knows everyone, perhaps more than they should. Though nothing earthshaking happens, the overlapping stories of the town people are full of joy, sorrow, and life's complications. The author has mastered the art of interweaving the life stories of the residents of Juliet. The result is an engaging account of one day in the life of remarkable, ordinary people who could well be your neighbors.

I am glad I got to spend a day in Juliet.

~ Kathy

Dear Me: A letter to my sixteen-year-old self

By Joseph Galliano

This book is a bit older than those we typically blog about (first published in January 2011), but I just discovered it hiding on our adult non-fiction shelves: 808.883 DEA. Dear Me is a collection of letters written by seventy-five celebrities to their sixteen-year-old selves. These letters contain advice, words of warning, and encouragement. Some will make you laugh, and some will make you cry. With the span of entertainers from singers and musicians to writers and actors, both young and old, you will recognize several people featured in the book regardless of your stage in life. J.K. Rowling has written the forward.

Every letter is visually different with some neatly typed and others handwritten on notebook paper with accompanying doodles. This book is humorous and touching for adults and would be very appealing to teens as well.

~ Paula

The Inn Boonsboro Trilogy

By Nora Roberts

If you are ready for a little escape from reality, these quick, feel-good reads are just the ticket. The Inn Boonsboro is an old, dilapidated inn in the town of Boonsboro, Maryland. In the first book of the trilogy, The Next Always, the inn is being beautifully renovated by the 3 gorgeous Montgomery brothers. There is romance in each book as each brother falls for one of three women best friends. Clare owns the book store, Avery owns the pizza shop, and Hope is the innkeeper hired to run Inn Boonsboro. The characters are kind, good, hard-working people and the plots move along quickly. There is even some Civil War history and a sweet ghost thrown in. The second book is The Last Boyfriend and the third title is The Perfect Hope.

~ Linda