a tangled web...

Julia Glass's new novel The Widower's Tale tells the story of a family, its secrets and loyalties. The main character is Percy Darling, widower, settling into retirement with routines of the familiar. He has strained relationships with his two daughters who have coped differently with the tragic death of their mother three decades before. In the course of the book, Percy's life, family, and friends lives will all come together on a collision course, all will be changed. Glass writes affectionately and a bit satirically about family and change. Excellent! M.L.

Trivia Galore

Which city has the longest underground railway in the world? Which country has the lowest divorce rate? What is the hottest place on earth? Which artist has the most MTV awards? All these questions (and more) are answered in the latest edition of Top 10 of Everything. If you like Guinness records, this will be just the thing for you.

Don't miss The Red Pyramid

From the author of the popular Percy Jackson series comes an adventure of Egyptian proportions. In The Red Pyramid, the first volume in Rick Riordan's new Kane Chronicles, siblings Carter and Sadie must team up to save the world. The action begins immediately: In a failed attempt to "make things right" following their mother's mysterious death, the teens' father, Dr. Kane, blows up the Rosetta Stone and accidentally releases five Egyptian gods and goddesses trapped within. Now only Carter and Sadie have the power to stop the potentially disastrous events that have been set in motion. And time is fast running out.... Aided by a basketball-loving baboon and a very special cat, the teens must race to the Phoenix desert where Set, the god of chaos, is building a red pyramid that will give him the power to destroy and take over North America--and, very possibly, the world.

The action is fast-paced and the characters are well-developed. Woven into the story are bits of Egyptian history and plenty of mythology. The Red Pyramid ends with a cliffhanger, suggesting that first volume of The Kane Chronicles has only uncovered the very tip of the iceberg (or pyramid, if you rather). Even better than Percy and not to be missed!

Life in the Wake

Ayelet Waldman writes a story of two Maine families and the journey their lives take over four summers. Jane and Iris are matriarchs whose perspectives could not be more different. A sudden unexpected incident tries the resolve of these women and their loved ones as they struggle to find comfort. Waldman tells the story distinctly and sensitively in Red Hook Road.

More than a Dog Story

Marley and Me by John Grogan is a heart-warming story of the devoted love of a dog and master, most certainly, but it is much more. Grogan writes humorously and touchingly of his marriage, his neighborhood, and his career as well as the World's Worst Dog. Join us for a discussion of this book Thursday morning at 10!

New Resource Available

Reference USA is an excellent source of information that's now available for you to use in the library and at home. It has two categories--similar to the white pages and yellow pages of the phone book--with listings for residences and businesses that include lots of detailed information and great advanced searching options.

thinking about the past

Dancing Backwards by Sally Vickers. Violet Hethrington is traveling by ship from London to New York. She's going to visit a dear friend from her past who she feels she betrayed some years before. On the long trip she reflects about her past, her dead husband, her abusive first love and her life in general. She meets many characters on board that help her with this process. This novel is quietly intelligent and explores love, loss, and memories.

Tiny Tricksters

The candy-collecting holiday is drawing close--are you and your children ready to haunt the streets? If not, fear not! Best Ever Kids Costumes has plenty of ideas for all types of treaters: dragons, pirates, sharks, martians, butterflies, sheep, ghosts, and snow queens, just to name a few. The book has detailed instructions with photos and patterns to help you make the most out of your Hallowed Eve.

Funny Florida characters

Star Island by Carl Hiaasen is the latest in his list of adventures that take place in Florida. You might want to start with Nature Girl and Skinny Dip and move on through his list of novels, saving the new Star Island for last. Crazy characters get themselves into wild situations in all of Hiaasen's books. This new book involves a hostage situation in which a singer's double is kidnapped from a South Beach hotel. The problem is that the singer's fans aren't supposed to find out that she has a double.

Brain Games

As school gets underway, parents want their children to start off the new year on the right foot. This little book has lots of practical ways you can help your child be a better thinker, learner, and communicator. It has sections based on age, subject, diet, and activity. A small change could make a big difference.

Ghostly Happenings

Haunted Lighthouses is not for the weak or easily scared. These twenty-eight tales, featuring stories of deep waters, lighthouse keepers, and those lost at sea, just might keep you awake at night. Of special interest to Michiganders: the ghost light of Presque Isle and the mighty ghost ship of Lake Superior.