Waukegan Public Library - book

Have You Heard About... Midnight Encounters

Fran J — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 06:49:00 +0000

… the shamelessly sexy and fun story of Maggie Reilly, the woman who thinks she has no time for love? Fans of Fifty Shades of Grey who are hungry for another story of a relatable female protagonist and powerful male hero with a dark side will devour Midnight Encounters by Elle Kennedy.

Maggie is a busy student, waitress and volunteer worker with no time for love; the only concession she makes to her needs is the occasional weekend tryst with her “special friend” Tony. Maggie bounces into a hotel room she believes belongs to Tony only to be shocked by the presence of another man: Ben. Ben is a bad boy Hollywood movie star who thinks that love has no place in his life, just like Maggie. Can you see the writing on the wall? There’s no doubt about the novel’s outcome, but the inevitability doesn’t detract from the fun read. Rather, it gives Midnight Encounters the feel of a fairy tale, modern-style.

Reviewed by Sara (staff)

Have You Heard About... Katie’s Way

Fran J — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 06:46:12 +0000

… the quilt shop that brings trouble to the community? In Katie’s Way, a recent installment of the Pleasant Valley series* by Marta Perry, we meet Katie Miller who has just opened a quilt shop in Pleasant Valley. Katie was jilted by her intended when he married her best friend. Katie can’t face life in her hometown, so she moves to Pleasant Valley to open a quilt shop. It’s a very slow start to get her new business to make money. The Amish make quilts, so they don’t need to buy them, and tourists are few and far between in this small community. Her next door business neighbor, Caleb, has his doubts about a quilt shop being next to his furniture business. Caleb has a secret past.

One of Katie’s younger sisters is in her rumspringa and is causing problems at home, so she is sent to Katie to help out. Caleb has heard of this problem. He has his doubts about Katie and her sister when bad things start to happen in the community. With the Amish and Englisch businesses in the area, Katie and her new friend Lisa hatch a plan to bring more business into the community by sponsoring Pennsylvania Dutch Days. Some people don’t want the hordes of tourists invading even though they want to see their businesses increase in sales. Can a friendship between Katie and Caleb develop when vandalism increases and Caleb thinks the worst of Katie and her sister? This has a somewhat surprise as to the vandalism angle but a very nice, feel good ending.

This is a standalone book with enough backstory into the characters of the previous books. It is the first book that I have read in this series, and I didn’t feel as if I was missing anything, although I do plan to check out the other residents of Pleasant Valley.

* Other books in the series include Leah’s Choice, Rachel’s Garden, Anna’s Return, Sarah’s Gift and Hannah’s Joy.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore

Fran J — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 07:38:59 +0000

… the all-night bookstore in San Francisco? Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, by Robin Sloan, tells the story of Clay Jannon and how he stumbles upon a secret society that has been pursuing immortality since the earliest days of the printing press. Along the way, he’ll visit the fabled halls of Google, an underground library in New York, and the California Museum of Knitting Arts and Embroidery Sciences.

I first heard about Mr. Penumbra and Clay Jannon on an Escape Pod podcast, and I recommended it to the library as soon as I learned that it was being published as a book. The book expands considerably on the initial story, taking Clay (and the reader) on a long, somewhat surreal journey to discover the truth behind the origins of the Unbroken Spine. A host of odd characters join Clay — puzzle-obsessed members of the secret society, an old friend who made his fortune designing CGI breasts for videogames, a roommate who is building a miniature city in their living room, and many others. All in all, this is a fun, although utterly bizarre book.

Reviewed by Fran (staff)

Have You Heard About... An Invisible Thread

Fran J — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 07:14:21 +0000

…an incredible story that brings together two people from such totally different ways of life, that they form a bond that will touch you in ways that will tug at your heart? A friend of mine recommended that I read An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski. This is a non-fiction book that, while it sounded intriguing, I wasn’t really sure that I liked the subject it dealt with. Once I got started reading though, it only took me about six total hours to read, as I just couldn’t put it down.

Laura is a sales executive, single and white. Maurice is a very young, streetwise African American boy panhandling to stay alive. A chance meeting keeps these two people coming back together, and they form a bond that is hard to understand. Laura’s past deals with an alcoholic father. A lot of the story is about her. Maurice is from the lowest, meanest projects of Manhattan, New York. The glimpse into this life style is at times harrowing and confusing for those who have never experienced it. Laura finds it unbelievable that Maurice doesn’t know how to set a table and has never baked cookies. He doesn’t know how to use a knife to cut his meat. Somewhere in his past though, he has learned to be polite and enthusiastic about life.

Maurice tries to shield Laura from the harsh world of his drug-addicted mom and dysfunctional family. Laura persists in helping him, and through the ups and downs of weekly meetings, these two gradually learn to trust each other. As Laura and Maurice age, they lose contact with each other for a while, but when they finally get back together, you’ll be amazed at the changes in Maurice’s life. There is nothing sentimental or even earth shattering about this book, but as you read it and even cry through it, you’ll get a glad feeling in your heart.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... Green River, Running Red

Fran J — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 07:54:34 +0000

… the Green River Killer, America’s most prolific serial murderer? In her book Green River, Running Red, renowned true crime author Ann Rule chronicles the murder of over fifty women in the Seattle area, as well as the police department’s agonizing search for their killer – a search that began in 1981 and ended 20 years later in 2001, with the arrest of Gary Ridgway.

Green River, Running Red is both a fascinating insight into a high-profile murder investigation, as well as a horrifying portrait of a real-life serial killer that goes beyond anything I’ve ever seen in the movies. In the last part of the book, Ann Rule also includes transcribed portions from Ridgway’s confession, when he explains why he killed all those women. It’s guaranteed to send chills down your spine.

I might even go so far as to say this was one of the most unsettling books I’ve ever read. The book contains photographs of many of the victims, as well as photos and mug shots of Ridgway himself, which made the story that much more realistic for me. As a true crime novel, this is one of the best, and I guarantee that if you read Green River, Running Red, you will never look at your friends and neighbors the same way again.

Reviewed by Katie (staff)

Have You Heard About... Ender’s Game

Fran J — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 07:47:10 +0000

… the future of Earth, when children are trained as vicious soldiers? In Ender’s Game*, by Orson Scott Card, children from all over the world are trained at Battle School to fight as soldiers in an upcoming battle with Earth’s mortal alien enemies, the buggers. And Ender Wiggin is hailed as the answer to the military’s prayers – a ten-year-old prodigy trained as a brilliant, creative, and ruthless general. During his time at Battle School, Ender trains using mock battles and computer-simulated games designed to push him to his physical and mental limits. But the longer he’s at Battle School, the more Ender suspects that his training is more than just a game.

Ender Wiggin is a really complex and interesting hero. In training, he is wise beyond his years and a brilliant strategist, but in his everyday life, he struggles with issues of friendship, humanity, love, and isolation. He is revered, mocked, and hated for his brilliance, and so he must learn to cope and take care of himself– a lot to ask of someone who begins his training as a soldier at age six.

This is an interesting and compelling book for adults and teenagers alike, and even for people like me who haven’t read much science fiction. And make sure to read the book before the movie comes out at the end of the year!

* Other books in the series include First Meetings, A War of Gifts, Ender in Exile, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind.

Reviewed by Katie (staff)

Have You Heard About... Cherry Blossom Capers

Fran J — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 07:40:30 +0000

…the latest mystery and murder in Washington D.C? Cherry Blossom Capers* by Gina Conroy, Frances Devine, Cara C. Putman and Lynette Sowell has something for everyone in this four-in-one collection of short stories. Each novella is a standalone, but the characters are Tara, an assistant chef at the White House, Susan, who owns a sweetshop, Ciara, an attorney, and Samantha, a budding archeologist. They each show up in other stories and are neighbors.

While mystery and murder are the theme of each novella, romance also plays a big part. The murder of a judge runs through each storyline, making these stories loosely connected. When each story ends, it’s not really the end of the mystery as it’s continued into the next story line, making for some really puzzling red herrings that will keep you reading in large blocks of time to the last page.

*Cherry Blossom Capers is part of the Romancing America series of unconnected inspirational romance novels.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... Rock & Roll Generation

Fran J — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 07:44:27 +0000

… flat tops, DAs and “a little dab will do ya”? Rock & Roll Generation: Teen Life in the 50s by Time Life Books is a look at the teen fads of the 1950s.The book starts out with a general look at the 1950s – the end of WWII, the political scene – and then goes on to describe all of the fabulous things that happened to teens in the 50s.

We were the first teens to hold down great-paying jobs, and we had money to burn. We were no longer were content to “follow the rules” of the previous generations. Everything seemed to change – how we dressed, how we ate and what we listened to. Each generation since then has always thought they were the first to rebel or be different. If you remember the 50s, you were there when rock and roll started. You’re an original! Elvis, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley & the Comets, Frankie & Fabian. Remember rushing home from school to watch American Bandstand with Dick Clark? Ok, so just about every generation had Bandstand in their life, but we were the first.

Guys wore their hair either as a crew cut (flat tops) or ducktail (DAs), and Brylcreem was the dab that was just greasy enough to keep everything in place. Chinos and penny loafers for guys were in. Girls wore scuffed saddle shoes with white bobby socks and poodle skirts, charm bracelets and pullover sweaters with an initial pin. Flips and high ponytails were the hairstyles. In the 1950s, a vinyl record album cost $1.98. A good record player cost about $40.00. James Dean and Natalie Wood in Rebel without a Cause, and Gidget with Sandra Dee and James Darren were at the movies. Mad magazine was brand new, and no matter where you lived you “scooped the loop” on a Friday night.

This book will bring back a lot of memories if you were a teen in the fabulous 50s. If you aren’t quite that old, you will see how things have changed over the years.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)

Have You Heard About... Paper Valentine

Fran J — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 07:06:08 +0000

…Brenna Yovanoff’s fantastic new spine-tingler? First of all, I love Brenna Yovanoff’s writing. Her first two books, The Replacement and The Space Between, are wonderfully creepy and beautifully sad. Yovanoff writes about teens, but not the way we adults think about teenagers. We think of adolescence as a time of irresponsibility and freedom, but from the perspective of a teen, it’s a time of insecurity, a loss of innocence, and a deep fear of the unknown. Yovanoff captures that sadness like no other writer.

Paper Valentine is Yovanoff’s most poignant work to date. It follows Hannah and her best friend Lillian during a brutally hot summer when a serial killer is striking at the heart of their sleepy town. The complication? Lillian has been dead for six months.

The beauty of Yovanoff’s writing is that as a reader, you hardly notice that Lillian is a ghost. The dialogue is so strikingly honest, I became absorbed in the unique relationship that Hannah and Lillian share. Her characters use the language we really use, and feel emotions that we really feel. Most writers avoid feelings of ambivalence and confusion, but Yovanoff embraces them.

I highly recommend Paper Valentine to teens and adults who are interested in breaking into young adult fiction.

Reviewed by Sara (staff)

Have You Heard About... Leah’s Choice

Fran J — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:01:04 +0000

… the people who are Old Order Amish and Mennonite? Leah Yoder longs to get married and raise a large family. Her Amish roots stress family and community helping each other, something Leah has rarely questioned. Leah’s Choice*, by Emma Miller, finds Leah attending a community lecture given by Mennonite Daniel Brown. Daniel is a missionary and also a nurse. He spreads the word of God while he administers to people in faraway places. Daniel is taken by Leah’s loveliness and wants to get to know her better. Leah is immediately smitten with the way he talks and looks. She knows it is forbidden to mingle with someone who isn’t Amish, but she has not yet been baptized and brought into the church. What she thinks is secretive on her part - seeing Daniel unchaperoned - really isn’t. Her sisters see love in her eyes. It’s against each of their faiths to marry each other. Will these two ever find a common ground? It is a surprise as to how Daniel and Leah conquer all.

This is a quick and very satisfying read. This is book four in the “Hannah’s Daughter’s” series*. While it is not necessary to read the previous books, you might want to give them a try to find out about some of Leah’s other sisters.

* Earlier books in the series include Courting Ruth, Miriam’s Heart and Anna’s Gift.

Reviewed by Terry (staff)