Arlington Public Library What to Read

A Good Woman: a summer reading club review

2009-07-11T10:40:00.000-05:00

The sinking of the Titanic forever changes the life of Annabelle Worthington. She enters into a marriage with her first love and finds it shattered when he files for divorce. Because she had refused to file, she was accused of adultery with scandal ruining her life as she had known it. She fled to France to continue her medical volunteer work during World War I. Annabelle's strength and character is worth following as life continues after the war.

--Sherry W.

Stranger in Paradise: a summer reading club review

2009-07-10T11:09:00.001-05:00

Our beloved patron Sherry W. is back to give us another summer reading suggestion.

Parker's book is ready made for another movie. His character, police chief Jessie Stone, visually comes alive on the pages (I see Tom Selleck playing the part). Jessie teams up with a hit man to battle wits with protecting the ex-wife and daughter of a Florida gangster and a local gang.

--Sherry W.

Get your daughters to read

2009-07-10T09:46:00.002-05:00

Anyone who has had trouble getting their kids to read might enjoy the Girls Guild Atlantis Secret Society of Girl Scholars:

In a nutshell, Girls Guild is a pretend secret society for girls (although boys can be honorary members!) dedicated to promoting literacy among girls
worldwide. The word “pretend” is important here because Girls Guild
exists only in the imagination. There is no central organization. Nor are
there dues, meetings to attend, or leaders. Plus real secret societies are
spooky!

Found via Boing Boing

Remember When: a summer reading club review

2009-07-09T15:19:00.005-05:00

Nora Roberts ties her current writing with her futuristic character detective Eve Dallas (in 2059) solving the mysterious dissapearance of guns in the year 2003. It is wonderful to have her uniting two different periods of time into one book.

--Sherry W.

National Book Awards new blog

2009-07-09T09:38:00.001-05:00

To celebrate the 60th year of the National Book Awards, the National Book Foundation will present a book-a-day blog on the Fiction winners from 1950 to 2008.

A story 140 characters long? Twitter "Twisters"

2009-07-08T16:04:00.002-05:00

Magazine editor Arjun Basu (@arjunbasu) writes short stories on Twitter. Read more at All Tech Considered.

Cat Playing Cupid: a summer reading club review

2009-07-08T15:14:00.006-05:00

For the rest of this week, we have Sherry Woods, a loyal patron from the Southwest Branch. Sherry tends to read mysteries but also is a member of the Southwest Page Turners book club which reads a variety of books.

Murder mystery fans and cat lovers everywhere will enjoy this book. Joe Givey is one of three talking cats that love to help the Molina Point police department. Only a select few know about the cats' abilities which makes it harder to get the clues and knowledge about the murderer's activities. The cat's antics, curiousity and human characteristics make me want to read more of Murphy's books.

--Sherry W.

The Time Travelers Wife: a summer reading club review

2009-07-07T15:06:00.002-05:00

It was such a beautiful story. The movie comes out in August, so hurry and read the book first.

--Lisa P.

Fatally Flaky: a summer reading club review

2009-07-06T14:02:00.000-05:00

Another fun foodie with family, intrigue and more--plus special entertaining ideas (and recipes!). Easy summer read that you can come back to without losing your place in the action.

--Pamela B.

Sisters Ink.: a summer reading club review

2009-07-05T13:58:00.002-05:00

I loved Sisters Ink. It was wonderful Christian Fiction about how God always leads us to the right answers.

--Rhonda T.

My Life as a Furry Red Monster: a summer reading club review

2009-07-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

part of our ongoing series of reviews submitted by our summer reading participants

Great book as far as a biography is concerned. It shows how Elmo has inspired many people.

--CJ

The Shack: a summer reading club review

2009-07-03T17:00:00.000-05:00

This book was well written, thought provoking and hard to put down. It will give you insight into God like never before and challenge you to live totally differently. It has become one of my absolute favorite books!

--J. Jefferson

Crouching Buzzard, Leapin Loon: a summer reading club review

2009-07-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

Crouching Buzzard, Leapin Loon - Donna Andrews has great characters and I love the disfunctional family members!

--Charlene S.

How Starbucks Saved My Life: a summer reading club review

2009-07-01T12:47:00.002-05:00

This book is very inspirational. It shows how people you would not expect can assist you in making changes in your life. It is also a good example of how life is fluid and nothing is ever set in stone.

--Felicia M.

Presumption of Guilt: a summer reading club review

2009-06-30T12:19:00.000-05:00

Someone is trying to kill Beth--and she knows his name. But coming up with the proof to convict an upstandng man--in the community's eyes--is another thing. The secret to freeing children's lives is in her hands--if she can overcome her past and trust God.

--Hannah K.

Sundays at Tiffany's: a summer reading club review

2009-06-29T17:39:00.001-05:00

Our monthly SE book club book for June. If you are not participating you're missing out. We've read many different genres and authors. This James Patterson has no real mystery, but some interesting twists and turns. Definitely a great love story and something a little different from a "normal" James Patterson novel. Try it--you'll like it!

--Chris R.

The Enchantment Emporium: a summer reading club review

2009-06-28T09:20:00.001-05:00

The Enchantment Emporium is a quick read as you get so caught up in the story that it is over before you know it and leaves you wanting to know more.

--Aubry W.

Stained Cotton: a summer reading club review

2009-06-27T09:44:00.002-05:00

Stained Cotton by Quentin Carter. This book is a real page turner. Once you start you won't want to put it down!! It is one of the best books I have ever read and I look forward to reading all of his books!!

--Miesha W.

Albums to listen to for free!

2009-06-26T09:47:00.001-05:00

What do Moby, Bjork, and Danger Mouse have in common? Well you might say their electronic, syncopated beats, or even their strange personalities. Or you even might say that you could find them all in the library, which would also be correct. But right now you can also listen to exclusive first looks at their new albums over on NPR music. I'm leaning toward Danger Mouse as my favorite.

And now for something completely different...

2009-06-25T12:29:00.003-05:00

Jaded. That's how I was feeling after reading too many mysteries and book reviews of mysteries. I would start books and not finish them because I could figure out not only what the ending would be but also what would happen on the way there.

Then, just as I was about to chance the uncertain waters of general fiction, an uncommon mystery came along. It's The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. The heroine/sleuth is 11 years old, lives in a crumbling ancestral estate, and is passionate about poisons. She's Flavia de Luce. She has her own online fan club, and she is the most intriguing and entertaining fictional character I've met in ages.

If you haven't read it yet, lucky you! You have a treat in store. Even non-mystery readers will find a lot to enjoy within its pages.

Alexandria: [a Marcus Didius Falco novel]: a summer reading club review

2009-06-25T09:07:00.000-05:00

If you enjoy murder mysteries and Roman history then you'll surely be attracted to this book. The main character Falco and his wife are on vacation in Alexandria, Egypt (around A.D. 72). The Head Librarian of the ultimate Library of its time is murdered mysteriously and Falco is picked to solve it. Ms. Davis' insights, attention to detail, with some humor, all mix into a great read!

--Paul R.

Nevermind the vampires, here come the werewolves

2009-06-24T13:23:00.000-05:00

I grew up in a household that was a little obsessed with Halloween. And who could blame my stepfather? He was born on the day where (supposedly) the veil between the world of the living and the dead disappear. So I was brought up with Dracula. And even Rockula. My mother made me read Bram Stoker's Dracula before I went to see the movie. Ditto for Interview with the Vampire. So when the latest vampire craze came around, I had already read Twilight and Undead and Unappreciated as well as some of Laurell K. Hamilton's earlier books. But recently I've turned my attentions to werewolves. There are plenty of werewolves in vampire stories, including Sookie Stackhouse and the Undead and Unwed series (Mary Janice Davidson has written some stand alone werewolve stories elsewhere), but stories that are chiefly about werewolves are more id than superego, more animalistic than unnatural, and I like that sort of unformed sentimentality.

Patricia Briggs is my new favorite author, starting with Moon Called. The series female lead is Mercedes Thompson, VW Mechanic and Shapechanger. She is not the werewolf, but she grew up with them. She lives next door to the local packs leader, Adam. She also used to have romantic entanglements with Samuel, another dominant werewolf. Sparks fly. There are three other books in the series as well as a spin off series about Samuel's brother and his mate. Other books in this milieu include:

Magic Bites is the magic version of the Evanovich series on Stephanie Plum. Strong woman. Check. Gorgeous men. Check. Mystery. Check. Add werewolves and magic and they are definitely good books.
Wolfsbane and Mistletoe is a collection of short stories that have two things in common: werewolves and Christmas. It has a range of authors, from Charlaine Harris to Donna Andrews.
Blood and Chocolate is a young adult novel by Annette Curtis Klause. It is about a girl who wants to be like a normal teenager, but the once a month changes and the pack get in the way. Her other problem? Her human boyfriend doesn't know what she is. Will he still love her when he finds out? Intended for teens, this book has themes that resonate with adults.

Aunt Dimity's Death: a summer reading club review

2009-06-23T09:26:00.000-05:00

Aunt Dimity's Death is the first in the series followed by Aunt Dimity and the Duke which takes place before her death! After that the reader feels compelled to read all the books in the series.

--Lucille H.

Acheron: a summer reading club review

2009-06-22T09:07:00.000-05:00

Part of a continuing series of reviews by our patrons.

Acheron blends action, mythology, betrayal and love into a book you will burn the midnight oil to finish.

--Jared D.

Innocent In Death: a summer reading club review

2009-06-19T20:41:00.002-05:00

Innocent In Death: Nora Roberts might write an intriguing romance novel, however as T.D. Robb she writes a compelling series set in 2060. Character Eve Dallas is a New York cop that leads you through murder investigations while balancing marriage, high society, publicity and competition with such ease that you are reading past midnight to reach the suspenseful conclusion. I can't wait to read the next adventure of Lt. Eve Dallas.

--Sherry W.