Goodbye Ozzie

If you're like me, you're going to miss seeing Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood in the net (or rather, halfway to the blue line). Osgood announced his retirement yesterday, which got me thinking about some of his career highlights. Remember the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs? Ozzie was put in goal after the Wings' starting goalie, Dominik Hasek, failed to deliver in the first round. He then went on to propel the team all the way to the Stanley Cup, beating Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins in the Finals. Relive the excitement in Forever Hockeytown!: How the 2008 Red Wings Reclaimed the Stanley Cup and celebrate Chris Osgood's amazing career. HM

What The Heck Is That ??

Ever been driving along a West Michigan country road and come across something that defies all logic? Ever seen strange lights in the U.P. sky or caught a glimpse of a caped crusader in Jackson? These urban myths, roadside attractions, and just plain local strangeness (I'm looking at you, Captain Jackson) are documented in Linda S. Godfrey's Weird Michigan: Your Travel Guide to Michigan's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets. With chapters such as "Bizarre Beasts" and "Cemetery Safari," Godfrey provides one-page profiles of Michigan oddities from Witchy Wolves to the Heidelberg Project. Published in 2006, this book has enjoyed a steady popularity among Michiganders, but if you haven't checked it out yet, I highly recommend browsing through it. Or better yet, take it with you on vacation this summer and explore Michigan in all of its weirdness. HM

More Great Recommendations

Looking for more great staff recommendations? Click on over to Oxford Public Library's new Teen Book Blog. Check out reviews on books, audios, and videos teen staff members have enjoyed! Learn what's new and what's hot in teen literature! Rediscover some old favorites! And maybe, just maybe you'll find your next great read.--AJL

Too good to be true.

A woman, after months of struggling,gets a dream job as an art gallery manager in Manhattan. The man who hires her says he is representing a wealthy and reclusive client. After a controversial exhibit the rep is found dead and the gallery stripped of all records. Of course the woman,Alice Humphrey is suspected by the police. Can she find out who set her up? Alafair Burke's novel Long Gone is suspensful and fast moving. A great summer read for mystery lovers. ML

Cool Down

I have a confession to make: when the temps start to soar and the weather gets unbearably hot, I like to pretend that I'm somewhere cold. And not just anywhere. I try to trick myself into thinking I'm in Scandinavia. In winter. So when I can't get down to IKEA, I find the next best thing is to turn up the air conditioning and curl up with some good Nordic crime fiction. Håkan Nesser is a Swedish author who sets his stories in a non-descript northern European country. In Mind's Eye, we are introduced to Inspector Van Veeteren, who has the uncanny ability to accurately assess a suspect's guilt within moments (19 times out of 20 anyway), much to the exasperation of his fellow detectives. His confidence waivers, however, when he meets a high school teacher who is accused of brutally murdering his own wife. The problem? The suspect has no memory of the night in question, and no idea that someone else is going to stop at nothing to make sure he never remembers. This is the first book in Nesser's Inspector Van Veeteren series. HM

My Latest Grievance

Frederica Hatch has had a bizarre childhood. Raised in a college dormitory by liberal professor parents, she has always been taught to speak her mind, and that she certainly does. Her pananche and insatiable curiosity has served her well, but nothing can prepare her for what will happen when her father's self-obsessed and incomparably theatrical ex-wife moves into the dorm next store. The language in this novel is particularly enjoyable, as is Frederica's clear-eyed and lovable narration. OEO

ode to eating locally

The Feast Nearby: How I lost my job, buried a marriage and found my way by keeping chickens, foraging, preserving, bartering and eating locally (all on $40 week) by Robin Mather has it all. It is an entertaining story of an unemployed woman, on her own who is commited to cooking and eating well on a budget. She moves to a small cabin in rural Michigan with her dog and parrot. It is fun to read and includes 150 recipes. Mather's background as a food writer shines. She makes friends and trades her homemade preserves for garden produce and even gets chickens. I especially liked that she shares her knowledge of local Michigan companies such as Williams cheese. STE