Lethal Legacy

In Lethal Legacy by Irene Hannon, Kelly Warren never believed her father committed suicide. She has found new evidence and brought it to the police. When Kelly has a life-threatening event of her own, Detective Cole Taylor digs deeper looking for further evidence. He discovers information linked to a long buried secret that Kelly didn't even know. Will they be able to discover the truth while keeping Kelly safe?     SAL

Welcome to the Feast!

It's seventeenth-century England, and John's mother is accused of witchcraft. The two flee their village to seek refuge in the woods, where she imparts to him knowledge of an ancient ritual, a great feast celebrating the gifts of the earth. She dies from starvation shortly thereafter, and John is sent to work at Buckland Manor, where his innate culinary gift is discovered. He cooks for the lord of the manor, for visiting nobles, even for the king, and eventually rises to the position of head cook. When the lord's daughter, Lucretia, refuses to eat, John cooks to entice her out of her fast. The two fall in love, but the English Civil War ensues, and Lucretia is already promised in marriage. Pagan and Christian traditions collide in John Saturnall's Feast by Lawrence Norfolk, a sweeping tale of love and legend. Beautiful imagery and captivating details bring the story to life, while descriptions of culinary treats make one's mouth water. Norfolk's unique and sensuous blending of history and myth will appeal to those who love Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall (2009) as well as to his own devotees.

A little glimpse at Heaven

If you're looking for some thought provoking concepts about the hereafter, this book may be it. Concetta Bertoldi, author and psychic medium, has published her third work entitled Inside the Other Side. In it she describes how her ability to contact the deceased has allowed her to help the living. She shares thoughts, inspirations and comforting stories about her audiences and select readings. She talks about life lessons, soul contracts, soul link groups and the connection between this world and the next. The book is definitely informative and uplifting.  DB

Knowledge is Power

You may have stopped by the Library and seen the beautiful reference books we have on display.  The book that started it all is Anatomica: The Complete Home Medical Reference Book.  Visually appealing, you can find illustrations on everything from “Infection: viral replication” to the illustrations of the brain.  Sounds strange I know, but you won’t be able to tear yourself away from browsing this book.  New to the collection is the revised and updated Michigan Trees: A Guide to the Trees of the Great Lakes Region.  If you come across a tree in Michigan you can refer to this book, which has illustrations of leaves, twigs, flowers and shoots and nuts.  Notes are sprinkled throughout.  For example did you know that hickories belong to the same family as walnuts?  Next on my list of visually appealing reference books is anything published by Dorling Kindersley, aka DK.  Stop by and check out their Smithsonian series of reference books, such as Earth or Animal.  For fun see if you can locate the pink-tailed skink (hint: an adorable little reptile).  SG

Heartbreak and Loss

Fourteen-year-old June is a loner whose favorite activity is going to the woods in her lace-up boots and Gunne Sax dress and pretending she's a medieval falconer. It's the 1980s, and the only person who understands June is her gay uncle Finn, a famous artist dying of AIDS. June's visits with him in New York listening to Mozart and exploring the city have made her older sister Greta jealous. A popular girl with a starring role in the school musical, Greta treats June cruelly, hiding her devastation that they are no longer best friends. In the end, Finn's final creation, a portrait he painted of June and Greta, along with his secret lover, Toby, serve to unite the sisters. Carol Brunt's novel, Tell the Wolves I'm Home, is both a painful reminder of the ill-informed responses to a once little-known disease and a delightful romp through an earlier decade. Library Journals LLC

Sacrifice and Love

When the Kitchen God gets caught criticizing the Jade Emperor's management of Earth's affairs, his punishment is to uncover the mysterious workings of the human heart.  To achieve this, he decides to follow one couple, Bian Yuying and Hou Jinyi -- from the Japanese occupation, through Mao's Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution, and ultimately to death -- telling their story of love, compassion, and forgiveness.  Sam Meekings' Under Fishbone Clouds is a beautifully written testament to the strength and power one can derive from love in the most desperate of conditions.  HM

Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee is a fascinating look at compulsive hoarding and the disorder that affects millions of people.  Learn all about the psychology behind this compulsion and follow the stories of several sufferers as they slowly learn how to modify their behavior and live without obsessing about their stuff.  Drs Frost and Steketee have studied the hoarding phenomenon for over 15 years and they include children in their studies.  It is interesting to see how these problems arise in youngsters and how families handle this behavior.  A very readable psychological story it is recommended to anyone interested in the human mind, obsessive compulsive disorders or hoarding. SG

Flying Home

The flu, and the auto-immune disease that followed has killed just about everyone. The country has descended into chaos. To survive in this kind of world, one must do hard things, kill or be killed. And yet, Hig, the central character still yearns for love and connection among the brutal realities of life. The setting of this novel is a chillingly realistic, post-apocalyptic world, yet there is still beauty and hope. A fine storyteller and writer, Peter Heller's The Dog Stars will transport you to a different place. ML

Ready to Retire?

If you’re thinking about retiring in the near future, 65 notable people are willing to give you some sensible advice. Read what Gloria Steinem, Jimmy Carter, Jane Fonda and many others have to say about their “Golden Years”. This collection of thoughts and stories offers some insight and practical suggestions to those of us nearing the second half of life. 65 Things To Do When you Retire by Mark Evan Chimsky is easy-to-read and amusing. A good first guide to help with retirement planning. DB

A Tale Told Well

The year is 1960, and the protagonist at the center of this novel, The Bartender's Tale,is Tom Harry, a beloved, no-nonsense bartender in Gros Ventre, MT, a sleepy town in remote northern sheep country. Tom is also a single father working long hours, trying to raise his 12-year-old son Rusty, in this enjoyable, warmhearted story about fathers and sons, growing up, and big life changes. Rusty is the narrator of the novel, and Doig  brings the young man's voice and perspective skillfully to life here. Rusty is puzzled by most of what he sees in the adult world, and there is little he can be sure of, except the love of his father. Doig poignantly captures the charm and pathos of Rusty's efforts to understand this complicated and often baffling adult world. Doig is famous for celebrating the American West, and he also beautifully captures the cadences and details of daily life in this Montana town. Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC

.