Take Me home, Country Roads

When trash coal is set on fire it turns rose and orange and lavender. What’s left is called red dog. The road where Drema grew up, in East Beckley, West Virginia was a red dog road. In her new book, Running on Red Dog Road: And Other Perils of An Appalachian Childhood, Drema Hall Berkheimer recalls life with her grandparents. They were devout Pentecostals. Her father was killed in a coal mining accident, and her mother was working in a war plant in New York. Drema writes about everyday life, carefully blending sweet memories with crazy characters and Appalachian charm. If you wish to meet faith healers, gypsies,or snake handlers please pick up this book. DB  

Hand Me a Towel!

Are you looking for a way to jazz up a gift? Or maybe make something special to amuse your kids or grand-kids? Try a creation from The Lost Art of Towel Origami by Alison Jenkins. This fun book includes instructions to make towel animals, a birthday cake, a palm tree and more. Alison started out in fashion design and turned to a career in styling home interiors. She is a very crafty person and has also authored books on knitting, sewing and candle-making. If you would like to try some hands-on creating –sign up for our TOWEL FOLDING CLASS on April 11 at 7PM! DB

Being kicked out of the nest.

 Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney has written a funny and compassionate novel titled The Nest. The story of four middle aged siblings and their trust fund. The trust, which was intended by their father to be a modest help has ballooned into serious money, helped by the stock market. All the siblings desperately and secretly need the money, which unfortunately has been used by Leo, the oldest to pay off a waitress he injured while driving drunk. Although all the siblings are fallible, secretive and have all the unlikeable traits most humans do, the lovely thing about this novel is we like them anyway. How does this group of middle-aged New Yorkers work it all out? That is the charm of the novel. Read it and see! ML

Nordic Noir!

Helene Tursten has written a fine series featuring Detective Inspector Irene Huss, a compelling and flawed heroine. As in all character driven series we get to know Irene as a person, and so are interested in her life and the approach she brings to solving crimes. Also compelling is the sense of place, Sweden and Swedish culture. Police politics are observed and commented on, which adds to the complexity.
This latest installment, The Treacherous Net, explores the dark side of the Internet. Young girls, looking for a sense of adventure and acceptance are lured to unfortunate ends, and its up to Inspector Huss and her team to find the killer. ML

Waste Not!

In her new book, Waste Free Kitchen Handbook : a guide to eating well and saving money by wasting less food, author Dana Gunders has many realistic suggestions. She offers meal planning guides with shopping lists and food storage tips too!  Get the correct information about shelf life and expiration dates on various packaged goods. Find out if freezing left-overs is a good idea. There is even a small chapter on scrapping--for pets, the garden and the compost. Pick up this informative little book and start saving! DB,