It's a Date

There are so many fun, new books on dating at the library right now.  If you want to know more about online dating (Modern Dating: A Field Guide by Chiara Atik), date etiquette (It’s Okay to Sleep With Him on the First Date and Every Other Dating Rule Debunked by Andrea Syrtash and Jeff Wilser ) or just read a hilarious advice book (Love Him or Leave Him: But Don’t Get Stuck with the Tab by Loni Love) you can find it here. The library even has one for the science geek called Data, A Love Story by Amy Webb.  Amy took online dating to a new level as she tried and failed at online dating.  That didn’t stop her though!  She re-evaluated and re-analyzed herself and took a look at the data she could find on 1) what she wanted in a match and 2) what men were looking for.  She then scientifically went about taking this data and using it to great dating success.  So if you are thinking about dating, or just want a good chuckle, be sure to check out one of these books.  SG

Fatal Secrets

 

In his latest thriller, Mistress, James Patterson takes you inside the mind of a man obsessed. Ben Casper, Washington D.C. blogger, trust-fund baby and would-be lover is caught up in a murder mystery involving Diana Hotchkiss. Moments after he has left her apartment, she is dead. Was it suicide or murder?  Ben finds that Diana has been leading a double life. She has been involved with some dangerous and powerful men who intend to keep their secrets safe at all cost. The nation’s capital provides an intriguing setting and host of characters. Written in short staccato sentences showing thoughts racing in all directions, Patterson takes the reader into Ben’s frenzied mind and investigative plans. This is a captivating story. DB

The good, the bad, the ugly

Susan Nussbaum's novel Good Kings,Bad Kings is basically a story about teenagers. Teens who are alienated, funny and want independence. Except...these teenagers have a variety of mental and physical disabilities and live in a privately run state home for juveniles with disabilities. There are good people in the system like Joanne Madsen who is a clerk and disabled herself, and not so good, like the woman who trolls shelters for new patients. Since the institution is privately run for profit many abuses occur (the ugly).
The teens must depend on each other to navigate the system. Although it sounds depressing, it isn't. The author, herself in a wheelchair, wanted to write a novel that was funny, not sentimental and she succeeded. ML

Examining the Rainbow

What is your favorite color? Would you like to know the history, meaning and stories associated with it? In her new book, ROY G. BIV: An Exceedingly Surprising Book About Color, Jude Stewart wants to share all this information and more. She starts off with the basics: what is color, its history and the terms used to describe it. Then she jumps into the rainbow. Each chapter is devoted to a specific color. You can read it by chapter or skip around. There are also answers to questions about color, especially that pesky one--Why is the sky blue? Informative, entertaining, and of course---colorful!! DB

Andy Barber, longtime assistant district attorney in a small suburb of Boston, is the narrator of the story Defending Jacob by William Landay.  Jacob is Andy's fifteen year old son, who has been accused of a brutal murder.  The story follows the police procedural and trial, written in a true-crime style made believable courtesy of Landay's experience as a former assistant district attorney.  We also read about the nuances and dysfunctions of the Barber family which gives the story enough plot twists to make the story very engaging.  If you like a fast paced read you will enjoy this novel, which is also available in a very well done audio version.  SG

Cheeseburger in Paradise

Don't pack away your grill just yet -- did you know that September 18th is National Cheeseburger Day?  Check out some of our cookbooks here at the library, including Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes and enjoy the end of summer with some mouth-watering recipes.  HM

100 Years Apart

Sometimes the answers to the future lie in the past. That's what Amanda Rosenbloom owner of Astor Place Vintage believes. Her life is complicated. She's nearing forty, involved with a married man and about to lose her vintage consignment shop.When she finds an old journal hidden in some clothes she takes into sell, she becomes mesmerized with the characters and their adventures. Olive Westcott is a young woman trying to make a life for herself in New York City in 1907. Life for women back then was different and yet similar to Amanda's. While reading the diary, coincidences, dreams and reflections help Amanda find the answers she seeks. Stephanie Lehmann's book Astor Place Vintage includes photographs of New York City, circa 1900. For an intimate look at history and a working woman's story read this book. DB

Baby I'm Not A Monster

The title pretty much says it all here; Monster Knits for Little Monsters offers up 20 knitting projects for your little one in various animal themes.  Each pattern includes instructions for creating hats, mittens, and in some cases, booties and scarves.  There's even a pattern for "Alien Elf," -- come on, we all know that's supposed to be Yoda!  HM

The cost of intelligence.

In Marcus Sakey's Brilliance he imagines a world similar to our own, but a great shift is going on in the society. About one percent of the children being born are termed brilliants for their astounding mental abilities. When one brilliant or "abnorm" as they are called, makes a fortune on the stock market and succeeds in completely destroying it, the government institutes a policy of hunting down and killing abnorm terrorists. Nick Cooper is an abnorm who works for the government but starts to have doubts about what is is doing. This parable of an out-of control government spying on its citizens is particularly relevant to today. An engaging and thoughtful book with a propulsive plot. ML

Fiori di Como

Dale Chihuly is the master when it comes to glass. He is one of four American artists to have a one-person exhibition at the Louvre. If you’ve ever seen his work—you’d remember it! In Chihuly Bellagio his largest public installation is described in detail. It was a huge undertaking—2,000 pieces of hand-blown glass supported by 10,000 pounds of steel armature—all designed by Chihuly and lighting the lobby of the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The short companion DVD explains the process and provides and inside look of his studio. If you can’t make it to Las Vegas you can see some of Chihuly’s work right here in Michigan, The Flint Art Institute and the Frederik Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids have a few of  his beautiful pieces.DB

The Rolling Stones have a DVD out called Crossfire Hurricane.  It's a documentary on the start of the Rolling Stones which includes interviews with all of the band members, historical newscasts and concert footage, with a lot of the footage showing a very young Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.  The live concert footage was very enjoyable as it highlighted their songs showing their blues origins and also gives insight into what made Mick Jagger such a great performer.  What was really interesting was the spin on Keith Richards.  When he was arrested in Canada for possession of drugs the brouhaha was all about how the band would fall apart without him.  I always considered Mick Jagger the voice, and showman, of the Stones but the songwriting and music and the core of the band was more Keith than anyone knew - at least according to this video.  SG