Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell

It is hard not to fall in love with the TV series Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell from the BBC.  It is the captivating story of two of England's most powerful magicians who must join forces to save England from the dark arts which includes using the dark arts!

The battle of good versus evil becomes blurred in this period drama.   The actors Bertie Carvel and Eddie Marsan bring the two main characters to life.

If you like the Hobbit or even Harry Potter,  then give it a try.
I didn't want it to end.

-Holly

Heretic Queen

By Michelle Moran

The winds of change are blowing through Thebes. A devastating palace fire has killed the 18th dynasty’s royal family— all with the exception of Nefertari, niece of the reviled former queen Nefertiti. The girl’s deceased family has been branded as heretical, and no one in Egypt will speak their names. A relic of a previous reign, Nefertari is pushed aside, an unimportant princess left to run wild in the palace. But all of this changes when she is taken under the wing of pharaoh’s aunt, and brought to the Temple of Hathor where she is educated in a manner befitting a future queen. Soon Nefertari catches the eye of the crown prince, and despite her family’s history, they fall in love and wish to marry. Yet all of Egypt opposes this union between the rising star of a new dynasty and the fading star of an old, heretical one. While political adversity sets the country on edge, Nefertari becomes the wife of Ramesses the Great. Destined to be the most powerful pharaoh in Egypt, he is also the man who must confront the most famous exodus in history.

~Crystal

Grave Mercy

By Robin LaFevers

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

~Crystal

Death of a Liar

By M.C. Beaton

Hamish MacBeth is a laid back policeman in a small Scottish village. He lives at the police station with his dog and cat, various other animals and his helper Dick Fraser. Hamish likes his “lazy” lifestyle and does what he can to keep it that way. There is one thing he would like to change - his marital status! He is pretty sure Dick is holding him back by living with him at the station. He needs to get Dick to move out!

Hamish and Dick receive a call from a woman about a break in. While investigating they discover that no crime happened and she is a pathological liar. A few days later, a couple new to the area are found murdered and the “liar” who called before also turns up dead.
Detective Chief Inspector Blair, Hamish’s nemesis, takes over the case and tries to keep Hamish out of the loop. Hamish is sure these two cases are related somehow and he continues to investigate. Along the way he meets two new women (possible relationship material) and keeps trying to think up ways to get rid of his housemate Dick. He eventually does solve the murders and Dick moves out but certainly not the way Hamish expected. An easy read that I enjoyed.

~ Dixie

The Other Daughter

By Lauren Willig

If you are a Downton Abbey fan then I think you will truly enjoy this book that is set in the same time period in very similar surroundings. Rachel Woodley has grown up thinking that her father died when she was four years old. Through a series of events she finds out that perhaps he is actually alive. Rachel grew up poor but happy, just her and her mother. She is employed as a governess in France when she finds out that her mother is very ill back in London. She races to be with her but she is too late. Rachel finds a clipping in her mother’s possessions and schemes to find out the truth. Please join me in discovering what really happened all those years ago; I hope you enjoy this story as much as I have.

~ Beckie H.

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street

By Natasha Pulley

The story takes place in 1880’s London, Oxford, and Japan; and is a light mix of history, fantasy, steampunk, and shades of Sherlock Holmes thrown in for good measure.

Nathaniel, a telegraphic clerk in the Home Office, receives a mysterious birthday watch which saves his life.  He goes in search of the maker of the watch and finds Mori, a Japanese of noble descent, with powers of clairvoyance, who lives in London and made the watch.  The tale spins from there to include fascinating details of Victorian era London.

This is one of those books that caused me to have ‘no respect for the next day’.  

~ Sally

Home

DreamWorks - DVD

I took this PG movie home simply because Jim Parsons (Big Bang’s Sheldon Cooper) is the voice of “Oh”. I have to say I am not surprised at all by the high quality entertainment proved by this DreamWorks movie. Sure, it’s a kid’s movie but as always with their movies DreamWorks provides humor adults can appreciate.

Sometimes things are not always as they seem, the Boov are running scared from a fierce enemy and land on Earth, to live in harmony with the humans. “Oh” (not the most popular Boov) is the hero of this story and turns out to be a most remarkable guy. Home was a fantastic movie, a true “must see” no matter your age.

~ Beckie H.

Adult Summer Reading Reviews from our weekly prize entry forms

Some of our patrons loved the books....

5 Love Languages
By Gary Chapman
Reviewed by Melissa S.
"Great book for couples and even singles! It really gives you a good perspective on how you love and expect them to love you back."

Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones

By Ann Walker
Reviewed by Jessica M.
"The book was wonderful for a step-by-step guide to making professional quality icecream, even for a first-timer."




Gone Girl
By Gillian Flynn
Reviewed by Leona C.
"This was a rough start for me I did not get sucked in until about 1/2 way! That being said the plot twist, and story line ended up being amazing! I was so glad I stuck it out and finished it."

...while some did not!

The Sixth Man
By David Baldacci
Reviewed by Kathy S.
"Dreadful. Dreck. Darn sorry I wasted my time reading this book."


The Reckoning
By Jeff Long
Reviewed by Jenni V.
"It says it's a thriller yet I kept waiting till the end for it to get thrilling. Was ok, but I wouldn't recommend it".

H is for Hawk
By Helen MacDonald
Reviewed by Ben F.
"Too much repetition."

The Martian

By Andy Weir

Astronaut Mark Watney is assisting his team during a violent sandstorm on Mars when he is speared by an antennae, thrown and buried in the dust. His life signs show that he has died. The rest of the team is ordered to abort the mission and leave without recovering Watney’s body because their ship is about to tip due to the ferocious velocity of the wind. Later, the plot thickens when NASA discovers that Watney is alive via satellite photos of the Mars landing site. He has been abandoned on Mars….and this all happens in the first few pages! With Watney’s limited food supply and damaged equipment, the NASA team needs to devise a plan to rescue their lost astronaut while the entire world is watching.

This sci-fi thriller is well-suited to geeks (scientists, geologists, mathematicians, chemists) as well as those who enjoy a story about the unstoppable tenacity of the human spirit.

Watney is clever in a MacGyver sort of way (duct tape!) while maintaining his hilarious and irreverent wit at all times.

This book is being made into a movie starring Matt Damon as Mark Watney.

Couldn’t put it down!

~ Paula

Friends Forever

By Danielle Steel

Told through multiple people, it’s the story of five people, who have been best friends since kindergarten, and their families. It tells of everyone’s trials and triumphs, happiness and grief from the very first day of kindergarten to after college graduation.

Once started, it is very hard to put this book down.

~ Crystal

Nobody’s Cuter Than You

A Memoir About the Beauty of Friendship
By Melanie Shankle

This is a book about friendships. Not the electronic kind of friendships. The real flesh and blood, right next to you, no typing required friends. (No offense to social media users-I am one too).

I could relate to her stories even though I am far from a child of the 80’s. With wit and humor Melanie introduces you to her friends from early childhood to crazy teen years, college days and into married life. The book made me think of my friends and reminded me to continue to invest time in them.

I read this on my Kindle but would really like to have this book in my home library so I could re-read and highlight her many words of wisdom such as: “friendships are fragile and we need to handle them with respect and reverence”.

I highly recommend this book.

~ Dixie

The Rope: Anna Pigeon Series

By Nevada Barr

This book is a little more intense then my usual choices but I liked it just the same.

Anna Pigeon is a ranger with the National Park Service. Fresh off the bus from New York City, Anna takes an unglamorous job with the Glen Canyon National Park. One day she heads out for a hike alone and doesn’t return. Because she is so guarded about her life, and all her belongings are gone from her cabin, her co-workers assume she has moved on.

Anna wakes up trapped in a dry well, naked and with no memory how she got there. As her memory slowly returns, she realizes that this was no accident – she is a prisoner in a dire situation with little hope that anyone is looking for her. She will need all her courage, strength and intelligence to survive this situation.

~ Dixie

Joy of Zentangle

Drawing Your Way to Increased Creativity, Focus, and Well-Being

By Marie Browning, Suzanne McNeill, Sandy Bartholomew

There have been oodles of books written about Zentangle, the meditative not-quite-doodling technique catching the attention of artists and newcomers alike. Having never tried it myself, I decided to give this new book a shot. The authors did an excellent job keeping the instructions simple, and most of the book is filled with step-by-step examples of patterns to draw, as well as some more elaborate pieces for inspiration. As the authors say, there is no right or wrong, no required outcome, and anyone can try this fun method of drawing. Whether you want to create a masterpiece, take some time for relaxation, or just doodle for a bit, this book is a great place to start.

~Kaleena

Rock Art!

Painting and Crafting with the Humble Pebble

By Denise Scicluna

This book is jam-packed with full-color photos of everything you need to know to create amazing rock art for your home or garden. The adventure begins with the hunt for the perfect rock, smooth is good, but look for fun shapes, rocks that stand up, dark or light color, etc. Next, look at your rock for inspiration - does it suggest an object? Or, you can make "rocks" out of clay. Now, for the fun part: painting! There are dozens of ideas in this book based upon different themes. 

My favorite part of this book is the "Using Your Rock Art" section where the author/artist shows us practical and whimsical applications for your rock art. Cactus, anyone?

This book rocks! (Please pardon the pun.)

~ Paula

The Rosie Project

By Graeme Simsion

As sometimes happens, I listened to and blogged The Rosie Effect (the sequel to this book) a little more than a month ago. I knew that I would like this book because I enjoyed The Rosie Effect a great deal. Knowing how the book would end did not diminish my enjoyment of The Rosie Project. 

Don Tillman is extremely intelligent but he is also a bit over the top, a bit autistic (maybe) and a bit overwhelmed by the challenges in his life, especially in his search for a wife. He has a hard time fitting in socially and is looking for a wife via a survey he has devised. He is looking for the perfect woman but finds Rosie, who according to his survey is far from the perfect woman. 

This comedy had me laughing repeatedly. I recommend that you listen to The Rosie Project then The Rosie Effect, but in whatever order, they are both lots of fun. (Dan O’Grady’s Australian accent makes the entire experience even better.)

~ Beckie H.