The One and Only Ivan

by Katherine Applegate

This novel written for kids is a beautiful story told in the first person by Ivan, a silverback gorilla.   Ivan lives in a small enclosure made of cement and glass at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. He spends his days doing artwork and watching TV.  His friends are Stella the wise old elephant, Bob the stray dog, and Julia, a human child.  They are eventually joined by baby elephant Ruby.  After Ivan loses his good friend due to neglect and sees baby Ruby being abused by the circus owner, he springs into action, trying with all his might to better the living conditions of little Ruby.  The author does a wonderful job of making us think about the fate of animals living in captivity.  The character Ivan is based on a real gorilla, also named Ivan, who spent 27 years of his life alone in a cage.  The real Ivan was rescued and now lives at Zoo Atlanta in much happier circumstances.

~ Linda

The Beast

By Faye Kellerman

Decker is faced with the weirdest case  he has ever had. A millionaire recluse is found dead in his apartment. Sounds easy, but his pet tiger is prowling the premise and the cat wasn't the cause of death. Soon they find that the cat wasn't the only bizarre pets the elderly victim had in his care. As Decker and his team look into the victim's background more and more twisted behavior comes out in the open.

Terrific read as always from Faye Kellerman.

~ Rochelle

Proof of Heaven

By Dr. Eben Alexander III

 Dr. Eben Alexander III, renowned neurosurgeon and former Harvard professor, contracted an extremely rare case of bacterial meningitis and slipped into a coma for 7 days. This book details his illness and recovery, his family's response, and his journey into the afterlife.

After waking up with excruciating head and back pain in 2008, Alexander began to experience violent seizures and was rushed to the emergency room. His condition puzzled his colleagues as his body was unresponsive to any treatment.

During this time, Alexander delved into a frightening new existence with faces randomly appearing through muck. After an undetermined amount of time, he is guided by a beautiful blue-eyed girl into a surreal world of vibrant colors and butterflies. Alexander received the constant non-verbal message that he was loved and accepted.

My issue with this book is in the lack of evidence that the doctor's brain had completely shut down during this week of unconsciousness. A majority of the book details conversations between family members and physicians. There is a very brief statement from a fellow physician in the Appendix, but I would not consider this "Proof of Heaven".


~ Paula

Promised Land

DVD - Rated R

Universal Studios 2013

 

Matt Damon and John Krasinski star in this drama based on the screenplay written by the actors. Steve Butler (Matt Damon) is a high-level salesman for the powerful Global gas corporation who comes to a small town in Pennsylvania in order to convince the residents to allow fracking on their land. An environmental activist (John Krasinski) tries to sway the town against it by sharing his personal story of the destruction of his family's farm due to fracking.

 

The story and casting are superb; you grow to like the characters on both sides of the issue. While the anti-fracking message is loud and clear, the reasons why some choose to support it for their family's financial future is also demonstrated. The R rating comes from the frequent use of the "F" word. There is no sex or nudity, but there is a fair amount of drinking during the bar scenes.

 

This movie has come at a time when fracking is a hot topic and I'm certain that it will spark many debates. I would highly recommend it for high schoolers and adults.

 

~ Paula

Wedding Night

By Sophie Kinsella

Bestselling author Sophie Kinsella adds another charming and light-hearted book to her repertoire. Career-girl Lottie is heartbroken after her long-term boyfriend, Richard, refuses to propose. Coincidentally, ex-flame Ben contacts Lottie out-of-the-blue with a marriage proposal and the pair decide to skip the dating stage to go directly to the altar. Lottie's big sister Fliss hatches a scheme to prevent the consummation of the marriage to allow an annulment after Lottie reaches her senses.

A comedy of errors occurs as Fliss engages her travel magazine contacts to assist her in keeping the honeymooners apart while staying at the exclusive Greek hotel.

The audiobook performance is such a treat. The British actors portraying the sisters make you feel as if you are part of the whole hilarious plot. Don't miss it!

~ Paula

The Offering

By Angela Hunt

Amanda Lisandra was an only child and always dreamed of having a big family of her own. She and her husband have one daughter and are struggling financially. It seems they will never be able to afford a home of their own or more children. Mandy finds out that she can earn quite a bit by being a gestational carrier. She wants to help earn money for her family. Being pregnant was easy for her in the past. She could earn a nice sum and help a childless couple at the same time. Just at the end of her pregnancy, tragedy rocks her world. She delivers a healthy baby but in her grief she barely even looks at the baby before surrendering him to the couple who hired her. For two years she struggles to heal emotionally. Then she receives a photo of the child she bore. The resemblance to her daughter is unbelievable. Did she give away her own biological child? 

~ Dixie

Whistling Past The Graveyard

By Susan Crandall

In the summer of 1963, 9 year-old Starla runs away from her grandmother's house. She hopes to reach Nashville. Starla wants to find her mother, who abandoned her and her father when she was 3.

What follows is the heart wrenching yet heart warming tale of her adventure. On her way to Nashville, she meets Eula, a young black woman. They travel together, and nothing is ever the same again for either of them. They journey through the deep South, encountering trouble everywhere they go.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. If you enjoyed The Secret Life of Bees or The Help, you will like it too.

~ Kathy

Six Years

By Harlan Coben


A  stand-alone title with all the suspense you came to expect from Coben. Six years ago Jake Sanders watched his lover marry someone else. When he hears of the husband's death he goes to the funeral to see the widow - but it's not his lover. Jakes starts to wonder what happened. When he begins to investigate, things come to light that trigger a reaction he never expected.

~ Rochelle




 
 
 
 

Truth Stained Lies

 

By: Terri Blackstock

Cathy is a former lawyer who now writes commentary on her blog about high-profile homicides. When she finds a threatening note warning her that she is going to experience the same kind of judgment and speculation that she dishes out in her blog, she doesn’t take it too seriously. Then her brother’s wife is murdered and the killer stages the crime to point to her brother. All the while, she is receiving threats and it looks more and more like the murder and the threats are related. Cathy and her sisters know her brother is innocent and they put their heads together to solve this murder. As they get closer to the truth, their brother’s five-year old son is kidnapped and in serious danger.  Time is running out for Cathy’s brother and nephew. Can they solve the mystery in time?

~ Dixie

Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls

By  Anton DiSclafani

This is the author’s debut book, and has received a lot of attention from the press. The setting is 1930, the midst of the Great Depression. After her mysterious role in a family tragedy, passionate, strong-willed Thea Atwell, age fifteen, has been cast out of her Florida home, exiled to an equestrienne boarding school for Southern debutantes located in the mountains of North Carolina. The story weaves between home and school, revealing the true story behind Thea’s expulsion from her family.   Thea comes across as a complicated, imperfect, totally screwed up character who still manages, at times, to be loving, brave and kind. I did not appreciate the change-up from a coming of age story of innocence, to ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ graphic descriptions of Thea’s encounters both at home and at her exclusive boarding school  In the end, I had the sense that the author wanted to write something bold and empowering but ended up with something strange and sad.  

~ Sally

A Week in Winter

By Maeve Binchy

Stoneybridge is a small town on the west coast of Ireland where everyone knows one another. Chicky Starr moves back to Ireland and decides to turn an old decaying mansion into a restful place for a holiday by the sea. Everyone thinks that this business venture will fail miserably, but Chicky, helped by Rigger the handyman and Orla, her niece, welcomes her first guests to Stone House’s big warm kitchen, log fires, and understated bedrooms.

Once again Maeve Binchy creates a delightfully quirky cast of characters whose lives intersect in one moment in time.

This is Maeve Binchy's final book as she passed away in July 2012.
~ Paula

The Kill Room

By Jeffrey Deaver

The murder takes place in the Bahamas and the police there aren’t sharing any information. The accused is a secret government agency set up to take out the bad guys other agencies don’t want to touch. Their assassin uses a knife in unique and deadly ways.There’s no evidence to examine and the investigation has to keep a low profile so the secret agency doesn’t get wind of it.This gets the reclusive Rhyme out of his apartment to the Bahamas to wrestle some information from the police.

Another wonderful Lincoln Rhyme/Amelia Sachs thriller!

~ Rochelle

Nowhere But Home

By Liza Palmer

Queenie grew up in a small Texas town and couldn't wait to get out. She left for life in the big city as soon as she was able. Anywhere sounded better than living in a town where it seemed no one would ever forgive her and her family 's past.
Ten years later, after being fired from her job as a chef and with no other options, Queenie returns home. She finds herself still unaccepted by the town, and still in love with Everett, her high school flame. She learns to put the past where it belongs, in the past, so she can live the life she wants and deserves.
Nowhere but Home is full of quirky, engaging characters. This is one of those stories that is funny and moving and satisfying. It is perfect for a rainy day or a day at the beach.

~ Kathy

Not by Sight

By: Kathy Herman

The Cummings family is still in limbo five years after the disappearance of Micah and Riley Jo, Abby’s Dad and little sister. They still don’t know what happened and long to have closure and move on with their lives.

When Abby sees a little girl in town that looks so much like her sister Riley Jo, she snaps a picture and can’t get the girl out of her mind. The connection to this girl feels so real. Her mother and brothers are skeptical however, since this is not the first time this has happened. Despite the doubt from everyone, Abby
and her best friend Jay team up to find this girl and hopefully solve the five year old mystery. Before long, there are warnings from a mysterious stranger and they are in too deep to stop. All Abby has is her “blind faith” to see this through and hopefully find the answers she is looking for.

~ Dixie

Sweet Confections: Beautiful Candy to Make at Home

by Nina Wanat

 

If you've ever thought you'd like to make your own marshmallows or caramel one day but thought it sounded difficult, this book is for you!  The photographs inspire you to try them all, and the instructions are written so simply you can't believe it will turn out right--but it does.  There is a very good section on how to correctly temper chocolate, and recipes with fantastic instructions for cookie dough fudge, Turkish delights, meringues, bark, making your own vanilla extract from scratch, even how to roll truffles.  The author also has a blog  which has great stories and helpful tips.

Happy candy making!
~ Becky