Take a trip through time

Hi. I'm on vacation and haven't been reading as much as I usually do. Today I finished "The time traveler's wife" by Audrey Niffenegger. Wow. I found it hard to get started, due to all the jumping around through time. Once I got into it I loved it. It's the love story of Henry and Clare. Henry, a time traveler, first meets Clare when she is six years old. It follows their lives as they meet, fall in love and marry. And all the while Henry is jumping forward and backward through time. And one of the neat things about it - Henry is a librarian.
If you're looking for a good book, I would suggest this one. Then find yourself a bit of shade and enjoy. In this heat you might forego the shade and find yourself a coffee shop and an iced coffee, at least that's what I did. Happy summer reading and enjoy the upcoming long weekend.
KarenPiglet

Great Weekend Reading

It has been a busy week at the library, and most delightful to me has been the number of fiction books we have checked out. I think everyone is reading this summer! I hope you have a couple you want to include on your menu. I have been relaxing with a mystery this week. I am reading Wild Fire by Nelson DeMille. I think I am just enjoying the plot driven writing and quick humour. Write a comment on our blog, we would love to hear from you!

"Playing James"

Hi. This week I'm reading a book that a family member lent to me (the library also carries this book). It's called "Playing James" by Sarah Mason. If I had to describe the main character, Holly Colshannon, I would say she's the British Stephanie Plum. From the start this book had the feel of a Janet Evanovich novel. Holly is a newly appointed crime reporter with a local newspaper. She is assigned a police detective to work with, on a special feature, and he does not like her. It's funny and a light read. I'm really enjoying it. It would be a good summer read. Enjoy.

A brand new book

Hi. This week I got to do something that doesn't happen very often. I was the first person to read a new library book. I read "Let the northern lights erase your name" by Vendela Vida. A young woman, Clarissa Iverton has just lost her father. On the day of his funeral she discovers that he wasn't her biological father. Her mother left the family when Clarissa was 14, and was never heard from again. She sets out to Finland, and on to Lapland in a quest to find her biological father. It was an interesting read, full of twists and turns. I only had a week to read it, since there are other holds on it. It's not very long and easy to read in a week, even if it is nice out. I hope you'll enjoy it.

Waiting for Harry Potter?

During the wait for the next and final Harry Potter (ie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), I've picked up some other popular young adult authors, my favourite so far being Philip Pullman. Pullman approaches the genre by resurrecting the Victorian gothic tradition in writing that was popular in the first half of the 20th century . Recently, I've read "Count Karlstein", which features an evil Count, two adorable orphans, a secret heir and a demon huntsman. This is the type of tale that the Brothers Grimm would be proud of.
His "Sally Lockhart, Victorian Mystery Series", begins with "The Ruby in the Smoke" and follows a a smart and daring orphaned girl who is pursued by villains in search of a cursed ruby. The story is rich in historical details and full of the atmosphere of the grimy underbelly of London in the 19th century.
"The Golden Compass" , is the first book in the His Dark Materials series, also by Pullman. The fantasy novel concerns an alternate earth where your soul is visible as a pet-like creature, and children are being captured to experiment upon. All of Pullman's novels feature strong female characters, and 11 year old Lyra is no exception.
These are great books to share as a family, or to curl up with alone.

Reading Out in the Sunshine

Read and relax, this is the best time of year to just enjoy the out of doors and what better company than an absorbing book. This week my hold came in for The Quest by Wilbur Smith. With a week to complete it, The Quest moved to the top of my pile and I dove into the adventure. There are four books in the complete series, River God, The Seventh Scroll, Warlock and The Quest. The series has been fun reading, with action filled plots, memorable characters and the mystique of ancient Egypt. Place your hold today!

Ahhh - summer at last

Hello. Well it's finally summer, so I guess I've officially started my summer reading. This week I read Snow Flower and the secret fan by Lisa See. All I can say is wow! Set in 19th century China, it's the story of two girls, Snow Flower and Lily, as told through the eyes of Lily. At age 7 they enter into an arranged friendship, or laotong, that is meant to last them a lifetime. We follow them through the years as they grow up, marry and have children. Together they survive person tragedies, a typhoid outbreak and war, but when Lily feels betrayed, it may be the end of their friendship. Lily sums it up saying "Not only had she not been a faithful laotong, she had not even been a very good friend". Can their friendship survive? It has great descriptions of life in China at that time. Personally I found the description of having their feet found, a little hard to read - "Only through pain will you have beauty. Only through suffering will you have peace". If you haven't read this book, you are in for a treat.