Ruby Red

Ruby Red     by Kerstin Gier

Gwyneth Sheppard was born into an eccentric family full of century old secrets and bursting with strange talents. Gwyneth can see ghosts, her Aunt Maddy has visions and her beautiful sophisticated cousin, Charlotte, has been studying and preparing for the time when she can travel back in time to solve the mysteries that surround her family. Unfortunately for Gwen, there was a mistake made and she is the one with the gene that will allow her to travel back in time. Without preparation and with quite a bit of animosity from those in this secret circle, Gwen is thrown into a new world with plenty of excitement and intrigue.

This is the first book in a trilogy written by Kerstin Gier. I am a little slow in finding this trilogy so all three books are out, but you may find you have to place them on hold if you want to check them out through the library. Even though I am not a big fan of time travel, I really enjoyed this book. The characters are believable and entertaining. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy, Sapphire Blue.

Lehi Family Week

Family Unity Through Reading!

November 1st - 22nd

1. Register on-line November 1st - 8th at

http://www.lehi-ut.gov/discover/library

2.  Print out a Reading Log.

3.  Read with your family for 20 minutes a day for 15 days.

4. November 22-26    Turn in your Reading Log at the Library front desk and receive a book for your home library!

Unbroken

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

Louie Zamperini, son of Italian immigrants, starts out his life as a incorrigible kleptomaniac who seemed to always be looking for trouble. As he grows into his teenage years, he turns his energy and enthusiasm into running for the high school track team. There, he finds his passion for life and a natural ability that propels him into legend status in high school tract events. Soon, he has his eye set on the Berlin Olympics. As the youngest runner on the the IS 1936 Olympic team, Louie did an admirable job representing the US, but he and others were looking forward to the 1940 Olympics, when he would have a little more maturity and would no doubt he setting new records.

And then war came. Louie finds himself drafted and assigned to be a bombardier on a B-24 bomber stationed in the Pacific. In May of 1943, his bomber is shot down and only three of the crew survive. Even though they are fortunate enough to survive the crash, they are left to drift in the ocean on a couple of two-man rafts, surrounded by sharks, starving and dying of thirst for over 40 days. Somehow, they survive only to be rescued by the enemy. As the story unfolds, we learn about the absolute horror and depravity that the POWs, who were captured by the Japanese, had to endure.

This is a captivating story that involves you in the life of Louie and has you cheering and then crying and wondering how he is going to survive. Laura Hillenbrand does an excellent job bringing his story to life.

New book in our Book Club Section!!

On September 23, I reviewed the book "Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown. We decided to purchase 5 more copies for our Book Club Section, they have arrived and are now available... So if you are looking for a book for your book club, this would be a great option.

The Light Between Oceans

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

Tom Sherbourne has survived the war on the Western Front but still struggles with the tragedies that take place in a war zone. He has learned to thrive in the isolated occupation of a lighthouse keeper and has taken the position on the remote island in Australia known as Janus Rock. Just as he secures this new position, he meets and falls in love with the outgoing Isabel, they marry and move out to the isolated island to begin their new life together. Isabel's one dream is to start a family, but over the next few years she is devastated by two miscarriages and a stillbirth. Shortly after the stillbirth, Isabel hears the cries of a baby and they find that a small boat has washed ashore that is carrying and dead man and a small but living baby.

Tom is torn over the choices before them, he wants to do the right thing and report the missing baby, but his heartbroken wife wants to claim the baby as their own. Choices are made and then they have to learn to live with the consequences. On the isolated island they live in their own world and they can almost forget the outside world, but after two years, they return to the main island and the choice they made two years ago comes back to haunt them.

This is a heartbreaking story, where there cannot be a happy ending for everyone. It is a well written story that captures your heart and makes you wish for happiness for everyone knowing that it is impossible to achieve.

November Great Reads for Girls

For November's Great Reads for Girls, they will be reading Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr.  So come and join in on our discussion and activity, For our activity, we will be making origami paper cranes and the supplies will be provided by the library.  This activity will be held on November 7 at 7:00pm. So make sure you go on to our library website and register for this fun event.

The Lions of Little Rock

Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine 

This is a well-written story placed in a time of unrest. In 1958 Arkansas, shy twelve-year-old Marlee sees first-hand her city and family divided over school segregation, But through her stalwart friendship with Liz, a new student who isn’t what she seems, Marlee finds strength and courage to take a stand. The two friends learn that they need each other desperately as they find themselves thrown into a melee of events that threaten to tear apart families and neighborhoods. Through the strength of their friendship, they soon realize that they are better able to deal with difficult adult situations together than they were on their own. “Lions of Little Rock” takes place one year after the true-to-life Little Rock Nine fiasco,  and is terrific historical fiction that reveals the power of friendship in overcoming social calamities as Marlee and Liz prove their courage as they fight against racism together.