VBPL Recommends

The Secret History of Fantasy edited by Peter S. Beagle

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

The Secret History of Fantasy is not a typical, trendy fantasy collection. It is not full of zombies or vampires, sword-wielding barbarians, steampunk machines, or clever magicians. Instead the authors usually tell stories that seem more derived from oddities in the real world, than not. Editor Peter S. Beagle selected stories published from 1977 to 2009 by Gregory Maguire, Patricia McKillip, Francesca Lia Block, Yann Martel, and other authors you’ll recognize.

In “Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut,” Stephen King once again adds the magical to the most mundane. Homer Buckland and some other old boys in Castle Lake, Maine reminisce about Ophelia Todd, whose passion was finding the shortest routes to Bangor, usually anywhere from 129 to 156 miles by road, and 79 as the crow flies. But she finds shorter and shorter ways through some odd forests, dropping mileage to 111, then 67, and, shortly before she disappears, 31.6 miles. Folks remember that she seemed to look younger….

Terry Bisson’s now-classic “Bears Discover Fire” begins with a flat tire on I-65 and continues with a touching story of an old woman’s final hours, peacefully shared with the kindness of bears.

My favorite story here is Neil Gaiman’s “Snow, Glass, Apples.” Snow White’s stepmother was framed! You’ll enjoy this very convincing narrative told by the Queen, herself.

If you’d like to know about the real history of the fantasy genre, be sure to read editor Peter S. Beagle’s introduction and the two short historical essays following the stories: “The Critics, the Monsters, and the Fantasists” by Ursula K. Le Guin; and, “The Making of the American Fantasy Genre” by David G. Hartwell.

If you like The Secret History of Fantasy, try another anthology with its fantasy based in the real world. Shadow Show: All-new Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury includes stories inspired by the works of legendary author Bradbury. Among the 26 authors are Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood, Alice Hoffman, and Audrey Niffenegger.

The Mystery Box edited by Brad Meltzer

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I enjoy reading short story collections, especially those by multiple authors. In The Mystery Box, a new “Mystery Writers of America Presents” anthology, the title reveals the theme. The box can contain anything, or nothing.

One of the joys of reading an anthology such as The Mystery Box is finding new stories by favorite authors and new authors who may become favorites.

Jan Burke will likely win new fans with “The Amiable Miss Edith Montague,” which explains one way to sustain a friendly demeanor in an imperfect world.

R. L. Stine, author of the popular Goosebumps series for youth, has lately been writing adult novels. In “High Stakes” he takes us on a honeymoon with lots of unromantic twists and turns. Who the bet?

Possibly one of the strangest and funniest stories in the anthology is in the form of daily written reports by a World Record Adjudicator. “Remmy Rothstein Toes the Line (annotated)” by Karin Slaughter describes the travails New Yorker Mandy Patel must endure to determine if Remmy Rothstein really has the longest tongue in the world (man).

Mandy’s first report from the Okefenokee Swamp (99 degrees with 89% humidity) sets the scene and tone of the story: “I’m writing to you from the bottom right-hand quadrant of the state of Georgia, which offers a bucolic setting with the most delicate, birdlike mosquitoes.” Finding Remmy is an adventure in itself. Remmy’s brother Buell, a one-legged “albino African-American Jew,” who gets around on the boggy peat islands using a badminton racquet duct-taped to the end of his peg-leg, transports Mandy by airboat to Remmy’s shack, deep in the swamp. There she meets the boys’ mother, who threatens Buell with this story’s mystery box. Mandy eventually meets Remmy, witnesses a murder, continues to write reports from the Waycross Georgia jail, and hilariously acclimates herself to jail culture and language. You’ll have to read the story to learn the contents of the mystery box and Mandy’s surprising fate.

Check out Crimes by Moonlight, another collection from the Mystery Writers of America. This anthology , which includes stories by Charlaine Harris, Carolyn Hart, and Parnell Hall, is available in print, electronic book, audiobook, and electronic audio from the Virginia Beach Public Library.

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Madagascar 3 may be the best of the animated films about the escaped New York Central Park Zoo animals.

In this hilarious and heartwarming romp through Europe the animals, led by Alex the lion, try to get back home to the zoo. First they have travel to the Monte Carlo Casino to rejoin the penguins that went there to get rich. When the two groups of animals meet, chaos erupts, causing all the animals to flee the Casino, pursued by Monacan Animal Control officers.

Animal Control leader Captain Chantel DuBois is one of the most over-the-top wonderful villains since Cruella De Vil. She is dogged in her search for our heroes; indeed, she drops to her knees and, bloodhound –like, sniffs for a trail. Once she finds it, she is relentless in her pursuit, racing down streets or leaping between rooftops on her motorcycle. The chase scenes are wild, impossible and wonderful. Each time Captain DuBois nearly catches them, Alex and his friends manage to escape. When they take refuge in a circus train the heart of the story (and amazing special effects) begins.

The circus animals want to get to America, too. But there are major problems: the zoo animals have no circus acts and the circus animals are unhappy since their leader, Siberian Tiger Vitaly, has lost heart and courage. And Captain DuBois is still on their trail.

With the ingenuity of the zoo animals and the perseverance of the circus animals, the group unites to create some impressive acts. Alex and the beautiful jaguar Gia become trapeze artists. Gloria the hippo teaches Melman the giraffe to dance. Marty the zebra joins the show horses and gets to express his flair for costume.

Do the animals get to America? Does Captain DuBois catch them so she can add Alex’s head to her trophy wall? What happens to the circus?

With lots of lines and references adults will catch, as well as the enjoyable story and hijinks of the penguins, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted is an excellent movie for the entire family. You’ll also enjoy DreamWorks Holiday Classics featuring five brief stories with characters from Madagascar, Shrek, and How to Tame Your Dragon.

Doomed by Tracy Deebs

noreply@blogger.com (Donna) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Talk about a birthday gone bad! On her seventeenth birthday, Pandora Walker receives an unexpected birthday greeting from her long estranged father. There are links to twelve childhood photos. She clicks the links and copies the photos so she can print them at Walgreens.

When Pandora gets home from school that afternoon she eagerly tries to log onto the linked sites, but they are gone. Soon the only thing ANYONE can get to on the web is Pandora’s Box, a virtual reality game that predicts the of the end of the world in 10 days.

Clicking on the links that morning was a BIG mistake, because it unleashes worldwide computer network crashes—not just the Internet, but anything even remotely connected to it, including landline phones, cell phones, electricity, water, nuclear power plants….

Pandora goes to her neighbors, Theo and Eli, hot new students at her high school, to see if they’re having trouble with their computers. Oh, yes, they are. Returning from a harrowing automobile crash, caused by malfunctioning stoplights with GREEN in all directions, Pandora and the guys discover that her house is swarming with cops. The boys quietly leave, and Pandora is seriously and roughly interrogated by Homeland Security, the FBI, and others. Pandora’s computer has been identified as the source for the worldwide computer worm.

When the boys rescue her, they begin a wild trek across country to figure out how to solve Pandora’s Box online, using clues from the photos Pandora printed, her memory, and clues in the game itself. This can’t-put-it-down adventure sees the trio stealing cars, escaping from motorcycle gangs, watching the breakdown of society, staying just ahead of the authorities, and trying to stay alive long enough to solve the game and STOP the end of the world.

Look for Doomed at your Virginia Beach Public Library. You may also enjoy these other novels featuring characters dealing with virtual reality and computer games. Each approaches virtual reality in a different way: Erebos: It’s a Game, It Watches You by Ursula Poznanski, Deadly Pink by Vivian Vande Velde, and the now classic Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.

Fatal Sunset by Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff

noreply@blogger.com (Dot) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:30:00 +0000

Are you tired of hearing about everyone’s big summer vacation plans, especially if the plans involve faraway, exotically beautiful places? I have a feeling you’re not alone. Something to keep in mind, however, is that not all vacations end well. Far from it, in fact, as Nemcoff points out in this absorbing compilation of excursions gone wrong. From Maui to Mexico and everywhere in between, strange disappearances of tourists have been reported, freaky deaths have taken place and criminals have lain in wait for relaxed and unsuspecting vacationers. Did you know that over thirty people have gone missing from cruise ships since 2007, never to be seen again? Aside from rehashing the famous case of Natalee Holloway, Nemcoff also tells terrifying tales about hikers falling hundreds of feet from the edges of cliffs, swimmers disappearing into the deep in a split second, and sick or injured tourists suffering from shoddy medical care.

If you’re planning a trip this summer, Nemcoff will help you become more aware of your surroundings when far away from home. If a “staycation” is more your style, curl up on your own comfortable couch with Fatal Sunset and count your lucky stars. After you’re done with Nemcoff's book, perhaps you can share it with one of those annoying world travelers, and move on to Miracle in the Andes, Nando Parrado’s spellbinding account of how members of a rugby team from Uruguay survived a deadly plane crash. And have you ever been intrigued by the idea of an African safari? Try Dangerous Beauty by Mark Ross.

Bon voyage!

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil directed by Eli Craig

noreply@blogger.com (Dot) — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:30:00 +0000

Normally I don’t like humor mixed with my horror, but I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed this hilarious spoof! Tucker and Dale are bumbling, naïve, good-natured rednecks. They are also best friends who have proudly fulfilled a lifelong dream by buying a spooky rundown lakefront cabin in the woods of West Virginia to use for their fishing trips. On their first visit to the cabin, their privacy is invaded by an obnoxious group of college-aged campers who are terrified of Tucker and Dale, and convinced that they are serial killers. Each encounter between the two fishermen and the campers causes things to degenerate further, and an accidental bloodbath ensues.

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil turns the tables on the slasher films of the seventies, with role reversals and rollicking twists and turns that will have you hiding your eyes and snickering all at the same time. I was especially impressed with Tyler Labine’s performance as the lovable Dale, who develops a crush on one of the campers, injecting a little unexpected (and sweet) romance into the plot! After seeing this film, I bet you will end up wanting to revisit the original campers’ nightmare, Friday the 13th. Or, if you’re still in the mood for satire, Scream is another old favorite.

The Strangers directed by Bryan Bertino

noreply@blogger.com (Dot) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 12:30:00 +0000

Have you ever, against your better judgement, answered your door when a stranger knocked? If so, this incredibly creepy film, inspired by the Manson murders, will make you think twice about doing it again. Kristen (Liv Tyler) and James have planned to spend the night at his parents’ isolated vacation home after attending a friend’s wedding. Upon arrival, James proposes to Kristen, but she refuses. This throws the couple into an emotional tailspin, and they settle into a funk. In the meantime, silent, sinister people wearing hideously eerie masks slowly infiltrate the house and begin to terrorize the unsuspecting pair.

If you like your horror movies to be unmercifully suspenseful, this is the film for you! Bertino creates a somber mood and an atmosphere of absolute terror without going overboard on gore. Take The Strangers along on your summer vacation at a cabin in the woods! Just be careful to lock all the doors and windows before watching…and make sure your porch light is on. If this movie gets your heart pumping, you will probably enjoy Silent House, another film involving vacation home terror. Or, if haunted houses are more your thing, try The Woman in Black starring Daniel Radcliffe.

Vacation by Matthew Costello

noreply@blogger.com (Dot) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:30:00 +0000

Imagine a world in which fresh food is so rare that entire segments of the population have turned into vicious cannibals, known as Can Heads, who aggressively hunt their fellow humans. NYPD officer Jack Murphy lives with his wife and two children in a protected area of Brooklyn, surrounded by huge electric fences and under constant surveillance by guards and security cameras. After surviving a particularly brutal Can Head attack while on the job, Jack’s supervisor orders him to take his family on a much needed vacation while he recuperates.

Jack’s wife Christie is mesmerized by the glossy brochure for Paterville Family Camp in the Adirondacks. It advertises rustic cabins, a lake for swimming and boating, hiking trails and delicious home cooked meals fresh from the resort’s private farm. But most importantly, Paterville guarantees state of the art security against Can Heads. This could be the Murphy family’s chance to have a real vacation, the kind that families used to experience before the world began to deteriorate.

Costello writes in a stark, realistic style that grabbed me from the first page. His portrayal of life in a violent and unpredictable future is incredibly chilling. If you enjoy reading about Jack’s Vacation and how it went terribly wrong, try Red Rain by R.L. Stine or Swimming at Night by Lucy Clarke.

The River Wild directed by Curtis Hanson

noreply@blogger.com (Dot) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 12:30:00 +0000

It’s summertime! What could be more relaxing than a whitewater rafting trip down a cool, scenic Idaho river? Actually, almost anything, as you will see by watching this suspenseful 1994 film starring Meryl Streep. Tough, beautiful Gail, played by Streep, her husband, Tom, and their son, Roarke are determined to enjoy something together as a family. Gail, an expert rafter, wants Roarke to experience the rush of navigating river rapids. She also hopes to reconnect with Tom out in the wilderness where there are no distractions. The plan goes smoothly until the three meet a couple of friendly drifters, Terry and Wade, who latch on to Gail and her family as both parties travel down the river. Oh, well, the more the merrier…right?

This electrifying thriller was filmed on actual whitewater rapids in several scenic areas of the country, with Meryl Streep performing most of her own stunts. Kevin Bacon fans will thoroughly enjoy Bacon’s portrayal of steely cold Wade. Fasten your life preserver and get ready for a terrifying ride on The River Wild! If this movie whets your appetite for more danger on the water, check out the excellent 1962 version of Cape Fear starring Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum, or Jon Voight and Burt Reynolds in the spellbinding classic, Deliverance.

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered what happens to a human cadaver that has been donated to science? Well wonder no more! Mary Roach uses her extraordinary investigational skills as well as accomplished writing talent to expound on all the various ways bodies are and have been used to advance science (most of the time.) This is a must read for the inquisitive natured.

Stiff is Roach’s first book and, much like the others she has written since (Packing for Mars reviewed on this Blog 6/8/11), is altogether entertaining and informative in several respects. First is the extensive amount of research she dedicates to the subject. Second is her keen attention to detail. Third being her straightforward and candid approach mixed with a crack sense of humor, making what could be considered a less than pleasant topic actually quite enjoyable to read about, tempering the macabre element. You would think the subject matter is nothing to laugh about but that is simply not the case when left in the sensitive yet amusing and competent hands of Roach.

Related, but certainly no less interesting, ancillary material is effectively inserted throughout the book. For instance, Roach revisits the age-old controversy of whether a person’s soul or personality resides in the heart, brain, or even liver (yes, there are actually liver proponents) and then proceeds with a discussion on the use of the guillotine and severed head experiments in 18th century France. Later on she introduces burial and cremation alternatives such as “tissue digestion” and human composting through freeze-drying. Okay, if I haven’t hooked you by now, I never will.

Stiff and other equally enjoyable works by Mary Roach can be found on the VBPL catalog. I’m definitely looking forward to reading her newest book, GULP: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal.

A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Sadly, this is Maeve Binchy’s final novel. Finished shortly before her death in July 2012, A Week in Winter is classic Binchy -- a leisurely paced, heartwarming story awash with a medley of interesting characters. With plots focusing heavily on characters and their relationships with one another, her books are indeed timeless. And this last book is certainly no different.

After two decades of living abroad in America, Chicky Starr returns home to Stoneybridge, a quaint coastal village in western Ireland, where she acquires an old run-down mansion in need of major refurbishing. Brought back to life as a bed-and-breakfast, Stone House opens its doors to a broad assortment of guests with varying backgrounds and livelihoods. The lodger’s stories unfold and intersect as their lives and hearts are transformed by the allure of the inn.

Find A Week in Winter and other endearing novels by Maeve Binchy on the VBPL Catalog. If you are looking for more stories about a country retreat to which strangers escape and whose lives intermingle, then also try The Inn at Rose Harbor by Debbie Macomber and Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher. Authors J. Lynne Hinton, Cathy Kelly, and Marcia Willett may interest you as well with their gentle, character-centered stories.

Alone on the Ice: The Greatest Survival Story in the History of Exploration by David Roberts

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

I love a good adventure story and this one ranks right up there with some of the best. Alone on the Ice describes the truly amazing tale of the 1911-1913 Australasian Antarctic Expedition led by Douglas Mawson, a lesser known polar explorer but certainly one of the greatest. Adventure writer David Roberts skillfully brings the heroic age of Arctic exploration to life by supplementing his exceptional research of the era with original diary entries from Mawson and other crew members. The end result is a fast-paced book that is hard to put down and which provides a simply fascinating account of endurance and survival amidst the volatile environment of Antarctica.

After the expedition party arrived and the Antarctic summer began, the crew was divided into several teams, each setting out in a different direction of this unexplored region of the continent. Their mission was multifold, whether it be locating the South Magnetic Pole, mapping the coastline, or simply going where no one else had ever been. As they ventured forth these courageous men faced an incredibly harsh and unpredictable climate, traversed snow bridges that at any moment could collapse into a menacing crevasse below, and also battled physical and mental decline.

Of all the individual team explorations, Mawson’s was the most harrowing. He and two companions set out on an ambitious 300 mile trek. As their formidable journey progressed, tragedy struck not once but twice. With the base camp still 100 miles away, Mawson finds himself alone, dangerously short on supplies and food, and struggling through insufferable weather conditions with little hope of making it back alive. His expedition is a true test of determination, fortitude, and sole survival.

If reading Alone on the Ice has you wanting more on Antarctica, the library has plenty that should satisfy your craving. Douglas Mawson wrote his own account in 1914 with The Home of the Blizzard. Race to the End is the story of the search for the South Pole by polar explorers Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott while South with Endurance is the extraordinary photographic journey of Ernest Shackleton’s 1914-1917 expedition. For scientific exploration of Antarctica today try South of Sixty: Life on an Antarctic Base. And then there’s the excellent BBC documentary on DVD, Life in the Freezer.

Saturday Night Widows: The Adventures of Six Friends Remaking Their Lives by Becky Aikman

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Only 49 when her husband died, Becky Aikman would be considered a young widow by most standards. With many years in front of her, she hoped to find a way to rebuild her shattered life. She joined a bereavement support group but the experience proved a major disappointment. What she found was an austere room filled with much older women sitting in a circle being led in a discussion of the traditional, but not necessarily accurate, five stages of grief. This would do little in helping her move forward.

So wanting to do more and realizing there must be other young widows like her, Aikman took the initiative in assembling her own group. After getting referrals from friends and acquaintances, she gathered together five women, all strangers, to join her in this new and experimental support group. The idea was to meet once a month over the course of a year and participate in various activities with the hope of remaking their lives while still honoring the memories of their husbands. The group’s outings included a cooking class, a tour of an art museum, a trip to a lingerie store, a day at a health spa, and even a trip to Morocco which was a fascinating account in itself.

I was moved while reading about the struggles each woman endured and the challenges she had to overcome. Every one of them brought something different to the group. Their personalities were as individually distinct as their stories, but the common bond of grief and young widowhood not only sustained the group but saw it flourish as insecurities, confidences, and hugs were shared. Aikman’s book is a joy to read because she takes a difficult topic and turns it into an uplifting story with just the right touch of humor.

Saturday Night Widows can be found on the VBPL catalog and is also available from the library as a downloadable audiobook. Because I so enjoyed that part of the book recounting the women’s adventure in Morocco, I want to recommend The Lost Girls by Jennifer Baggett a book about three female friends who quit their jobs and undertake a year-long backpacking journey around the world.

I Have Iraq in My Shoe by Gretchen Berg

noreply@blogger.com (Diane) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Gretchen Berg, a single thirty-something American laid off during the recession, clearly had to take action in order to get a handle on her mounting credit card debt. So what did she do? She moved to Iraq to teach English. Her plan was this: earn a substantial tax-free salary and obtain other money-saving benefits that could substantially help alleviate her monster monetary crisis.

This story had the potential for being treated as a serious in-depth exposition examining the life of a single female expat living in Kurdistan. However, this was not what Berg had in mind and based on the result, I am very pleased she thought otherwise. Instead, she chose a humorous path in recounting her experiences, encounters, and hardships while trying to fit into a culture hugely different from her own. I couldn’t help but chuckle while reading about her interactions and exasperation with co-workers and students, her contentious exchanges with airline employees, and her unabashed passion for shoes!

Certainly this was one of the most entertaining books I’ve read of late. Berg’s levity keeps the story moving while also keeping it real. From beginning to end the humor doesn’t abate – continuing even right through “About the Author.” Definitely plan on adding this amusing tale to your reading list and find out how Berg makes out.

I Have Iraq in My Shoe can be found on the VBPL catalog. You might also like Schizophrenic in Japan by Mike Rogers, who presents another fun and witty book from an expatriate.

Nadia G’s Bitchin’ Kitchen Cookin’ for Trouble

noreply@blogger.com (Selphie) — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 13:34:00 +0000

The state of cookbooks is sometimes so worrisome. There are so many published that bookshelves overflow, and more are being published every week. How does a cookbook writer stand out from the crowd? Well, if you're Nadia Giosia, you start by serving heaping helpings of hilarity on the web, then transfer your fanbase your own show called The Bitchin' Kitchen on The Cooking Channel. Then you release your cookbooks

Nadia G's latest creation, Nadia G's Bitchin' Kitchen Cookin' for Trouble is full of her trademark personality and attitude. From gracing the cover in a pasta dress to chopping tomatoes, each picture of Giosia showcases her rocker barbie beauty and makes one think they opened an edgy photography essay book. The food photography is beautiful with rich colors that make mouths water.

Speaking of mouthwatering, Giosia makes sure to hit all the high points with her recipes, from fancy date meals to vegetarian entrees to recipes designed to help with weight loss.The multitude of chapters such as "(Dysfunctional) Family Pizza Night" and "Happiness = Bacon" ensure that there are recipes to cover any occasion. Giosia even includes a chapter of community-sourced recipes from her fans! However, read each recipe carefully. The recipe may look easy, but cooking times are not necessarily highlighted. Also, leave time to finely tune the list of ingredients and prep them.

Even if one cooks nothing from this cookbook, it is still a fun read, cover to cover. Giosia is joined by her crew of assistants who showcase the ingredients. She also adds a dictionary to explain her slang, only some of which is self-evident.

Interested in more? Check out Bitchin' Kitchen's website for more recipes and videos. If you're looking for more comedy/cooking mashups, pickings are slim. But try Guy Fieri, who did Giosia's foreword, with Guy Fieri Food: More than 150 off-the-hook recipes or place a hold Guy's newest book DINERS, DRIVE-INS, AND DIVES, THE FUNKY FINDS IN FLAVORTOWN : America's classic joints and killer comfort food, for a similar feel. And happy eating!

Handwritten Recipes by Michael Popek

noreply@blogger.com (pixie2) — Fri, 31 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Michael Popek is a seller of used books in NYC. Over the years he has found many items tucked inside the books in his shop which he has rescued. They have inspired Handwritten Recipes: A Bookseller's Collection of Curious and Wonderful Recipes Forgotten Between the Pages. Included with each of the recipes is a picture of the book in which the recipe was found.  Some have made their way into his family's favorites.    Mr. Popeck also gives credit to his food-blogging friends that helped him decipher any illegible or hard to understand ingredients and measurements.

Mr. Popek has divided the collection of recipes in the book into Breads and Baked Goods, Side Dishes, Main Dishes and Desserts so there should be something for every taste and occassion. It reminds me a lot of my own burgeoning recipe keeper and the many recipes that I have collected over the years. Many have faded that were written in pencil, some are written in the hand of an elderly friend or relative that I just can't bring myself to discard even though I have recopied them. They are a link to my past.

I was delighted, when leafing through the book, to find a recipe for Jewish Apple Cake (pages 140-141). Though it is thought to be Pennsylvania Dutch in origin, it is possibly considered Jewish because it contains no dairy and can be served in accordance with the Jewish food laws. I acquired the same recipe back in the late 70s from a friend when I lived in Northern Virginia.  Discovering it made for a momentary reverie... remembering old times and old friends.

I made the Jewish Apple Cake precisely following the recipe in the book with one minor exception, brought it into work for an eager group of taste testers to sample and it recieved excellent reviews. In addition to the diced apples, that are an ingredient in the Jewish Apple Cake, I also reserve 6-8 long thin apple slices to arrange on top of the cake after the batter is assembled before baking. It makes for a pretty presentation. This step is not in the book recipe. It was also fun to learn that a co-worker, that is also near my age and had lived for a time in Northern Virginia, had tried this cake long ago too. It made me wonder if the recipe had been featured in a magazine or newspaper back in the day. Sadly, I had lost touch with my long ago friend and could not ask her where she got the recipe in the first place. Or maybe the theory of the six degrees of seperation is at work and perhaps my co-worker knew my friend Criss. Noreen has since made it for her family and related that the simplicity of the cake and its uncomplicated goodness was a hit with her family as well.

The following day I made the Applesauce Cake on following pages (142-143), also taste tested by co-workers. That cake plate was also licked clean but comments indicated that most folks preferred the Jewish Apple Cake. There seemed to be a consensus that they liked the alternating layers of apples and cake best. I personally like the spiciness of the Applesauce Cake and that it also contains nuts and raisins. It reminds me of my mother's recipe that I make from time to time at home. Either recipe is a good choice to serve as a special treat for your family or friends.

A fun diversion if you are a foodie is to checkout Mr. Popek's blogsite Handwrittenrecipes.com. You will find he has recently featured a recipe for Applesauce Cake which is different from the one in the book.

Another book featuring forgotten tidbits is Milk Eggs Vodka: Grocery Lists Lost and Found by Bill Keaggy, a humorous look at found grocery lists.

Instant Bargains: 600+ Ways to Shrink Your Grocery Bills and Eat Well for Less

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn) — Thu, 30 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Instant Bargains: 600+ Ways to Shrink Your Grocery Bills and Eat Well for Less
by Kimberly Danger

My reviews are usually of cookbooks and recipe oriented. So, now that I have you hooked on cooking, I thought I would help you save money on buying those groceries.

This book starts out with the common sense hints of using coupons and shopping the sales. Also there are the usual lists of what you can freeze and for how long. But it goes so much further than that.

There are tips on when to find the best bargains for stocking up. We all know about the day after Christmas for all kinds of items. But did you know that June is National Dairy Month or that September is National Chicken Month?

Where to shop for the best prices. One that surprised me in that section was the suggestion that your convenience store/gas station might have the best deal for milk and bread.

Those of you who don't cook or prefer to eat out often should read the chapter titled "But I Don't Cook". There you will find tips on making the most of the salad bar and deli counter at your grocery and how to save money at the restaurant.

Other books you might be interested in:

Clark Howard's Living Large in Lean Times : 250+ ways to buy smarter, spend smarter, and save money by Clark Howard

Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half With America's Cheapest Family : Includes So Many Innovative Strategies You Won't Have to Cut Coupons by Steve Economides

The Good Life for Less : Giving Your Family Great Meals, Good Times, and a Happy Home on a Budget by Amy Allen Clark

Pushing the Limits, by Katie McGarry

noreply@blogger.com (Selphie) — Wed, 29 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Resident “good girl” Echo Emerson used to a normal, popular teen. Now she’s a social outcast with scars on her arms, remnants of a night she doesn’t remember. Her father won’t tell her what happened, and she hates her new stepmother. Bad boy Noah Hutchins plays a rebel without a cause. He may act like a stoner going nowhere, but his own home life is nonexistent, and his family is broken in the foster care system. When the two meet up for mandatory tutoring lessons, the chemistry is immediate: they hate each other. But as they begin to understand each other, they realize they are far more alike than anyone could guess.

Admittedly, the “good girl and bad boy” romance trope is incredibly overdone. However, don’t let that be a reason to pass up this book! Published by Harlequin Teen, this is a well-crafted romance of two semi-dysfunctional teens who are trying to reclaim their lives. The tale is told in alternating first-person point of view so that you can see the world from the eyes of both Echo and Noah in order to fully understand. McGarry crafted an excellent teen romance that never forgets the boundaries between teen and adult romances. The author balances both sides of the tale neatly.

Did you like the characters in Pushing the Limits? Follow Beth’s story in Dare You To, by Katie McGarry. A series in a similar style is The Perfect Chemistry series, starting with Perfect Chemistry, by Simone Elkeles. Download the Overdrive ebook or feel free to check it out at your local library. Jennifer Echols even turns the aforementioned romance trope on its head with Going Too Far, a story about a rebellious teenager and the cop she’s stuck with. You can hear more about the author and her series at Katie McGarry’s website.

The Feast Nearby by Robin Mather

noreply@blogger.com (pixie2) — Tue, 28 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Imagine losing your job on the heels of ending a marriage and needing to take stock of yourself. Robin Mather exhibited real fortitude in  The Feast Nearby, as she dealt with these life altering situations by retrenching. She packed up her dog Boon, an African Gray Parrot named Pippin and moved to a 650 foot cottage on a lake in Michigan. There, with much ingenuity, she lived well on a more than tight budget of $40.00 a week... all the while concentrating on what is most important in life.

Mather was lucky to have had grown up in a family that knew a thing or two about stretching the family food budget. More importantly, she is lucky to have been schooled by her mother in those food traditions. She knows her way around the kitchen and relied heavily on the almost lost art of home canning - a valued skill for homemakers in the past. She deftly plies the arts of putting foods by, taking full advantage of the seasonable harvest to extend the availability of foodstuffs long after their season has ended. These are definitely secrets our mothers and grandmothers knew long before the practice of global food shipping.  Not only was she able to control the quality of what she was eating by canning but she saved money on the season's bounty.

Mather also economized by foraging for wild native foods as well as bartering with friends that had a garden surplus as other key components in stretching her food dollar.  By carefully managing her food options she didn't have to compromise eating well. In true Locavore fashion, she embraced the concept of making responsible choices, reducing the carbon footprint we leave on this planet. Supporting local growers in her area insured that local food sources would flourish.  Carefully planned trips to the local farmer's market allowed her to look out for the environment opting for the healthy and responsibly grown food, reinforcing the adage of knowing the farmer to know the food.   Do you read the COOL labels (or country of origin label) on the food you purchase at your local market? You might be surprised to find how much of your food comes from outside of our borders.  Even food grown in they US may travel far across the country adding to costs of food handling and storage with extra cash spent in energy costs of fuel for transportation and refrigeration.

The Feast Nearby follows the seasons, starting with spring and is full of good sound advice and smart tips for stretching that dollar. Also, recipes are included with each chapter as well as information on canning and preserving. Gone may be the days of the large dinner parties she had enjoyed in the old life she'd left behind, but you have to admire her spirit!  Even when faced with a minuscule budget, which might cause some folks to lend to tendencies of stingy behavior, she shares her bounties with those around her and in turn is blessed with much kindness and the company of new friends.
Robin Mather's first book was about the importance of living a greener life entitled A Garden of Unearthly Delights: Bioengineering and the Future of Food. After reading it, it is easy to see where her convictions come from and that she was able to achieve her goal in re-launching her new life with confidence and grace.

A good book that calculates the Carbon Footprint of just about everything is How Bad Are Bananas? by Mick Berners-Lee. He states that he is not your conscience but provides the information that you can use as a tool to make the earth friendly choices that best suit your family's needs.

For finding a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in your area, try the site Buy Fresh Buy Local or pick up their bulletin carried at the local libraries to help you tailor your fresh produce shopping list for your family.

The Seasonal Baker: Easy Recipes From My Kitchen to Make Year-Round

noreply@blogger.com (Kathryn) — Mon, 27 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

The Seasoanl Baker: Easy Recipes From My Home Kitchen to Make Year-Round
by John Barricelli

As I sit to write this review we are finally into spring. I feel fortunate to live here in the Hampton Roads area with its bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables. I love the u-pick farms, the roadside farm stands, and the local farmers market. In the past I have even participated in a CSA - Community Supported Agriculture. I recently went on my first strawberry picking venture of the season and returned home with 5 pounds of strawberries. If you have never picked your own you are missing out on so much. Gather up some friends or family members, a bucket for each and head out to the nearest field. You will be surprised at how quickly you can fill your bucket with sweet, juicy, sun ripened goodness.

But what to do with all this local bounty? What do you look for when buying locally grown, seasonal produce? This book has it covered from apples to zucchini, it even includes herbs. The book advises on what to look for in buying produce, when it is in season, how to store, and even suggestions for preparation.

If your favorite fruit or vegetable is not yet in season, don't despair. There are plenty of recipes using dried or frozen foods. I personally can't wait for blueberry season and plan to make the Coconut-Blueberry Macaroons that use fresh blueberries. But until then I will have to be content with the Winter Blueberry Streusel Pie (p. 128).

So back to fresh strawberries. Now that you have gone out and filled your basket and are tired of strawberry shortcake what else can you do with them? How about Strawberry-Pecan Coffee Cake (p.43.), or Strawberry Fool - it is much like a shortcake without the cake and makes a beautiful presentation (p. 208). Or, if you are in the mood for something cold, there is the recipe for Strawberry Ice Cream (p. 225).

Other books to try:

The Sono Baking Company Cookbook: the Best Sweet and Savory Recipes for Every Occasion
by John Barricelli

Fine Cooking In Season: Your Guide to Choosing and Preparing the Season's Best
by Taunton Press

The Kitchen Gardner's Handbook
by Jennifer Bartley

Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am by Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn) — Fri, 24 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I remember talking to Harry Mazer thirty years ago about his semi-autographical teen novel The Last Mission. I'd had to respond to a request for reconsideration because the soldiers in that WWII story used a lot of vulgar words. He confirmed that his purpose was to show how war changed a young man's sensibilities. Over the years since then, we've learned more and more about how war changes people.

Ben has everything – girlfriend, best friend, loving family, a potential career in music or theater, and on the eve of high school graduation a compelling sense of obligation to serve his country. He enlists and is sent to Iraq. Soon there's the all too familiar story of an IED blowing up the humvee carrying Ben and his fellow soldiers. Ben suffers traumatic brain injury.

In the third part of the book Ben, his family, his best friend and his girlfriend, attempt to recover. Ben's mind is so badly injured that he recognizes no one but his younger brother Chris. The stresses of dealing with this strange, memory-less personality inhabiting their beloved Ben are almost too much for the others. Chris, who has autism, finds creative ways to cope and express his feelings. Ariela feels her fiance is gone even though his body looks much the same.

Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am is quite short though it covers a year and a half, and the emotions of all the characters are raw and intense. But the most impressive achievement is how the authors get inside Ben's injured mind and help us see what he is experiencing. For this, the book received the teen level Schneider Family Book Award which is given to a book for the artistic expression of the disability experience.

Drawing on his own teenage war experience, Harry Mazer is one of the finest writers about combat for adolescent readers, so try his other novels too. Another teen novel about the Iraq war is Sunrise over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers which was reviewed here several years ago.

Miss Moore Thought Otherwise by Jan Pinborough

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn) — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Many years ago when I first worked in a library, my mentors would name in hushed voices a legendary librarian, Anne Carroll Moore. I always wondered how she had so impressed them. Now, thanks to Pinborough and illustrator Debby Atwell, I have a feel for the remarkable personality behind American public library services to children.

This children's picture biography celebrates a determined young women who refused to be confined by Victorian expectations, or to let libraries be restricted either. During Annie's childhood, the public libraries that existed were for adults. Annie began reading law in her father's office but when her parents tragically died, she went off to New York to learn to be a librarian.

There Miss Moore managed children's services in all the

New York library branches. When the iconic New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue and 42d Street was erected, Miss Moore designed its children section. This quickly became a model for other libraries. And in that way she helped create opportunities for librarians who wanted to serve children. This book comes at an especially appropriate time as the final touches are being added to the library that will be shared by TCC and the Virginia Beach public. The Friends of the Library are funding an interactive children's section designed by the Phoenix-based Burgeon Group.

If you enjoy the picture biography Miss Moore Thought Otherwise, there are other picture books about historic librarians: Miss Pura Belpre is the subject of The Storyteller's Candle = La Velita de los Cuentos by Lucía M. González. Tomás and the Library Lady by Pat Mora tells how a librarian influenced Tomás Rivera, child of farm workers, to grow up to become chancellor of a university. In Goin' Someplace Special Pat McKissack describes a visit to the one unsegregated place in 1950s Nashville, Tennessee, the public library. One fictional picture book, Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, also catches the spirit of Anne Carroll Moore.

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn) — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

A fish in a derby confesses his theft. And, as thieves do, he justifies his actions. He convinces himself that he is going to get away with the hat. He heads for the place, “where the plants grow big and tall and close together.” And his last words are, “Nobody will ever find me.”

Klassen has condensed the essence of a crime story into sixteen double-page illustrations and just over two hundred words. The words are a stage soliloquy by the fishy thief, while all the time the illustrations are telling a different story.

Muted pastels on a black background and repeated oval shapes for both leaves and fish create a deceptive visual simplicity. Planning illustrations that will cross the gutter where the pages join is tricky. And there is careful comic timing in making sure that picture and words stay in sync. Here, the words and pictures play off each other to tell the full story just as they do in Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. It is not surprising that This Is Not My Hat won the 2013 Caldecott Award. The large font lettering on a white background offers the added benefit that some children with impaired vision will be able to enjoy this story.

Best of all, this is a perfect story to start a family conversation because the fishy thief's last words create a foreboding but ambiguous ending. When you share this story with a child, be sure to listen to what the child thinks happened to the little thief. Another ethical dilemma to talk about is whether the crab was right to snitch. Klassen's previous picture book I Want My Hat Back was reviewed on this blog last year.

What Matters in Jane Austen? By John Mullan

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn) — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

This year is the bicentennial of the publication of Pride and Prejudice so we may expect to see several new books about Austen and her characters. Mullen's exploration is subtitled “Twenty Crucial Puzzles Solved,” but rather than puzzles, most of his chapters highlight the subtle ways Austen shows us characters that are not perfect and presents us with plots where happy endings are not foreordained. The operation of chance on believably flawed people is among the gifts Jane Austen brought to fiction.

Somehow Mullen manages to make this as entertaining as if we were attending an assembly ball with all of Austen's characters and gossiping about them as they dance. The twenty topics include how sisters get along, the effect of sexual attraction on her characters, the role weather plays in precipitating events, how Austen builds character with dialogue and why some characters are never quoted, the general knowledge of everyone's financial status, the role of blushing, and of illness. All this is illustrated with quotations from the novels that juxtapose characters from different books. The author notes that Austen's characters are younger than they are generally portrayed in film. For example, Mrs, Bennet is a still sexy forty and the pompous Reverend Collins a callow twenty-four in the novel.

Among the latest additions to the Austen shelf is The Real Jane Austen by Paula Byrne who uses significant artifacts to organize stories about Austen's life. What Matters in Jane Austen? will delight Austen fans, but for those who have not yet read her, begin with Pride and Prejudice, the most popular of her six completed novels. This is the year to discover the writer who created the prototype Regency Romance and Comedy of Manners and inspired uncountable “sequels,” parodies, films, adaptations, and imitations.

Back to Front and Upside Down by Claire Alexander

noreply@blogger.com (Carolyn) — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

It's the principal's birthday so the class are making birthday cards. But when Stan tries to write Happy Birthday, his letters come out back to front and upside down. Stan is sure everyone will laugh at him. “Stan felt sick, like his tummy was being all stirred up with a big wooden spoon.” The illustration shows a dismal Stan huddled in the lower corner of a big black page.

At recess, his friend Jack urges Stan to ask the teacher for help. And when Stan does, no one laughs and Mimi admits she needs help too. With a lot of practice, Stan is able to make the card come out the way he wants. He proudly presents it to the principal at the party.

Students, teacher, and principal are each pictured as a different animal with very expressive faces. The story is written in letters like a young child's printing. Any child entering school can take heart from the words of Stan's friend, “We all have to ask for help sometimes.”

Miriam Cohen's When Will I Read? offers similar reassurance as children begin to master writing and other skills in school. Back to Front and Upside Down can also augment a selection of birthday stories like Ezra Jack Keats' A Letter to Amy. While dyslexia is not mentioned in Alexander's book, it is the only picture book in the catalog with the subject of dyslexia. And, it received the 2013 Schneider Family Book Award for younger children. These awards honor an author or illustrator for the artistic expression of the disability experience.