Don't Forget.....

 

 

 

 

Barefoot to Billionaire: Reflections on a life's work and a promise to cure cancer

This is a fascinating, frank story. I had not heard much about Huntsman other than he was a big businessman and had built a large Cancer Research Hospital. He is evidence that America is the land of milk and honey--a boy can come from highly unfavorable circumstances in a poverty-stricken, broken home, and rise to become a billionaire. I was very surprised by some of the things he put into print, particularly in regards to certain Church leaders; Huntsman also takes jabs here and there at Mitt Romney. Other sensitive topics discussed are a daughter who died under tragic circumstances, a son born with a disability after a doctor failed to attend to Mrs. Huntsman's concerns, and an operation that led to impotence. Most notable in the book, however, are the underlying values that have led Huntsman to become the great philanthropist he is today. He discusses moral dilemmas he faced both in and outside the White House that served as learning tools throughout his career. An interesting read, though I did find the details of his many business transactions a bit heady. But they were an important part of the story and would be appreciated by people in that sphere.

Review from Amazon

The 13th Gift: A True Story of a Christmas Miracle

The 13th Gift: A True Story of a Christmas Miracle by Joanne Huist Smith

This is the first Christmas without their husband and father and the Smith family would like this Christmas season to just pass by them. Everyone that is, except for the youngest, twelve year old Megan. When the simple gifts from "True Friends" starting showing up on their doorstep each day, Joanne, the mother, just wanted to throw them away and pretend they weren't there. Eventually, the whole families curiosity was peeked and they had their own little mystery that they were determined to solve.

The miracle of this story is how an act of kindness was able to help bring this family together and help them begin the healing process and find joy in their lives again.

Don't Forget......

Our December Book Club will be this Thursday the 11th at 7:00pm and we will be discussing the book "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens.

We are having a Hot Chocolate Bar, Games and Prizes!

No children please.

The Princess Spy

 

The Princes Spy by Melanie Dickerson

Maragretha  has a new suitor, Lord Claybrook, and she is hoping that he will be the one. Maragretha doesn't mind her new suitor's company and she is beginning to wonder if she could learn to love him when an injured foreigner shows up at the castle.  She is the only one who can communicate with the stranger because she is the only one who speaks English.  The stranger warns her against Lord Claybrook and she has to decide whether to trust this foreigner and his claims against her suitor.

Colin (the foreigner) convinces Maragretha to spy on her latest suitor and she finds out that her family is in danger. The race is on as she goes to all lengths to get the help she needs and protect her family from the danger that is coming their way.

Unearthly

by Cynthia Hand

When Clara turns 14, her mother breaks the unbelievable news to her that she is part angel. For awhile, the news doesn't really change anything and life goes on as normal. Just before her 17th birthday, Clara begins having visions and then everything changes. The visions are partial glimpses into the future that help to reveal her "purpose". Clara's purpose leads her family to a new town, new school and a new life.

As if being a teenager isn't hard enough, along with trying to adjust to a new school and find new friends, Clara is consumed with trying to figure out what her purpose is. Her visions are not very clear and her mom is very vague and not very forthcoming with information, she insists that Clara will know what to do and what is right when the time comes.

I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading the next in the series, "Hallowed".

Walk To Beautiful

Jimmy Wayne Barber and Ken Abraham

Never in one place for too long, three year old Jimmy and his four year old sister, Patricia, were at the whim of their emotionally unstable mother. She rarely had a job but always seemed to have a boyfriend, there was never enough money for food but the alcohol and drugs were always present. The siblings were exposed to abuse and neglect and learned to depend on each other. When Jimmy was thirteen, his sister was married off to an older man and he was abandoned at a bus station, both were left to defend for themselves. After that, Jimmy bounced around between group homes, foster care and living on the street.

The summer before his sophomore year, Jimmy was living on the street and doing anything he could to earn enough money to eat. One day while looking for work, he met a couple who had a powerful impact on him and changed his life forever.

This is an incredible story about one boy's will to survive against all odds and the difference one person can make.

Lehi Library Book Club Book for December

Come join us for our December Book Club!
We will be discussing.....

 "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens

 

Thursday, December 11th at 7:00pm

There will be games, food and fun!

13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi by Mitchell Zuckoff

This is a factual account of the events that happened in Benghazi. The author is clear in establishing that this is not a political book trying to sway you one way or the other. It is based on facts from those that were actually there during the attack.

I thought the author did a great job setting up the background and the events that preceded and occurred during the attack on the diplomatic outpost and CIA annex in Benghazi where a team of six American security operators fought to repel the attackers and protect the Americans stationed there. It is an amazing story and I am grateful that we still have people who are willing to sacrifice and put their lives on the line to defend this country. The men who defended the outpost and annex are true heros and should not be forgotten.

There is some language in the book.

Don't Forget.....

Come join us for our first Book Club event tomorrow night .....

 

 

The Warrior Heir

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

Sixteen year old Jack lives in small town Trinity, Ohio where he has had the same friends and neighbors for most of his life. Other than a heart surgery when he was a baby and the medicine he has to take daily as a result of the surgery, his life has been pretty average.

On the morning of the school soccer tryouts, things are a little hectic at home and he forgets to take his medicine, something he has never done before. During tryouts, Jack has more energy and strength than usual and as a result, ends up sending his rival, Garrett Loebeck, flying across the field.

Then his eccentric Aunt Linda shows up and takes him and his two friends, Will and Fitch, on a fact finding mission looking for heirloom of on one of his relatives.  Things are not as they seem, and soon all four of them are trying to outrun a wizard that is determined to find the heirloom first.

The book is somewhat predictable but it is is a quick fun read.

Thanksgiving Reads for Intermediate Readers

The Night Circus

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Celia and Marco are pitted against each other when they are very  young. They don't know when the contest will begin, what the rules are or what determines the winner. They are not even told when the contest will begin. Throughout the years they read, practice and prepare for a contest that is totally unknown to both of them.

Finally a venue is chosen, a black and white circus that is only open in the evening. Others are unknowingly pulled into the contest and it goes on for years and their talents and imaginations are pitted against each other.  As they struggle to figure out what kind of game they are playing and what the rules are, they begin to fall in love and that only raises the stakes of the game.

This is a unique story with all kinds of twists and turns. I enjoyed reading this author and her original ideas.

The Secret Side of Empty

M.T. is an illegal immigrant that speaks perfect English and knows no other country than America. As she approaches the end of her high school career, she struggles with dreams of a future that cannot be because of her illegal status. She has kept her secret from her closest friends and as the reality of her future begins to weigh her down, she starts on a slippery slope downward that takes her on paths she never thought she would go.

Based on her own life, the author creates a story that draws you into the world of a young woman who is thrown into a circumstance that she has very little control of along with dealing with some of the struggles that many teenagers face as they travel through this tumultuous time in their lives.

Book Club Books!!

We have 8 new Book Club Books available at our library.....

Hester
by Paula Reed

 

 

The Cross Gardener

by Jason F. Wright

Hidden Empire
by Orson Scott Card

Rude Awakenings of a

Jane Austen Addict

by Laurie Viera Rigler

He is Legend
by Christopher Conlon

 

Hope at Dawn

by Stacy Henrie

 



Us
by Lisa Oz

Soul Healing Miracles

By Dr & Master Zhi Gang Sha

Liar Temptress Soldier Spy

Liar Temptress Soldier Spy by Karen Abbott

Liar, Temptress, Solider, Spy follows four women’s efforts to help their respective sides during the course of the Civil War. The women, Belle Boyd, Rose O’Neal Greenhow, Elizabeth Van Lew and Emma Edmonds each have a truly amazing story of how they used their talents and ingenuity to aid their side.

Rose, a Washington Socialite, was able to pry secrets out of many northern politicians and then pass it along to the leaders of the South.

Belle was a small town girl from what is now West Virginia.  She was determined to not let the war pass her by and inserted herself as a courier by carrying intelligence to her hero, Stonewall Jackson.

Elizabeth lived in Richmond, but supported the Northern cause. She was able to organize one of the most extensive spy rings ever established. Including infiltrating the White House of the Confederacy with her servant, Mary Bowser.

Emma had assumed the identity of a man, Frank Thompson, long before the war began and then enlisted and fought in many wars and also served as a field nurse and a spy, knowing that if she was ever discovered, she could be court martialed.

The author does a good job of bringing the women in this book to life and seeing them as real people fighting for something they truly believed in.

Book Club for Adults

Check out our new Lehi Library Book Club!

On November 13th, we will be meeting at the library to discuss the book,

"The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie".

So read the book and come join us for some fun!

I Become Shadow

I Become Shadow by Joe Shine

Fourteen year old Ren Sharpe is your typical teenage girl, that is until she is kidnapped and forced to join FATE (Future Affairs Training Education), a secret world organization that trains their recruits to protect future leaders. The four year training includes daily nerve-killing injections called "fire" and relentless physical training that leaves the recruits with no pain, no fear and an unwavering duty to protect whatever world leader they are assigned to protect.

When Ren finally "graduates" and is assigned her FIP (Future Import Person) things get off to a rocky start and Ren cannot quite seem to follow correct protocol. Eventually her FIP is attacked and leaves Ren questioning the very organization she works for.

This is a great quick read for Young Adults.

3 New Book Buzz titles added to the Utah State Library Collection

Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey - 15 copies available now

 

Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart--he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season's first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone--but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees.

 

Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom - 3 available now 

 

Orphaned during her passage from Ireland, young, white Lavinia arrives on the steps of the kitchen house and is placed, as an indentured servant, under the care of Belle, the master’s illegitimate slave daughter. Lavinia learns to cook, clean, and serve food, while guided by the quiet strength and love of her new family.

 

All the light we cannot see by Anthony Doerr - 8 copies available now

 

A blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.

To order one of these titles from the Utah State Library..... Click Here

 

Elephant Company

Elephant Company by Vicki Constantine Croke

J.H. “Elephant Bill” Williams, born in 1897, was a veteran of both World Wars. Before WWII started, he had taken a job in the jungles of Burma working with captive elephants moving teak wood out of the jungle.

This is a story of the incredible relationship he developed with the Burmese elephants. Once he started working with them, he realized how intelligent these elephants were and how mistreated they were in the teak industry. He developed an elephant school that had a more humane way of teaching the elephants how to work.

As WWII developed and moved into the jungles of Burma, Elephant Bill was able to use his skills and experience with the Burmese elephants to keep them out of the hands of the Japanese and then use these incredible animals to  help the allies defeat the Japanese in the jungles of Burma.

The book was a little slow in the beginning, but it was quite fascinating to learn about the elephants and how smart these animals really are.

Fun Halloween Picture Books

Here are just a few of the Halloween picture books available in our library! We have many, many more, but you may need to put them on hold because they are pretty popular this time of year. :)

Edge of Nowhere

Edge of Nowhere by John Smelcer

Seth Evanoff and his dog Tucker are thrown from his dad's salmon fishing boat in the middle of a storm. Miraculously, they survive the storm and end up on an isolated island. When Seth realizes that he is not going to be rescued, he begins a journey of island hopping and trekking through dangerous waters and terrain trying to reach his home.

Throughout the story, Seth begins to remember his Alaskan heritage and we learn a lot of Alaskan lore. It is in our Young Adult section but would probably appeal more to the higher elementary and junior high age.

Paper Boy

Paperboy by Vince Vawter

Set back in the early 60's this is the story of very resourceful 11 year old boy who struggles to get his words out, but throws the meanest fastball in town.  His one good friend is going to his grandpa's farm for the month of July and needs someone to take over his paper route. He knows it is going to be the hardest thing he has ever had to do, talk to strangers and collect payments for the papers, but he can't let his friend down.

This is a touching story of a young boy who faces a debilitating stutter and yet finds a way to communicate with the kids and adults around him. It brings to light a disability that is often overlooked and yet affects millions.

Jex Malone

Jex Malone by C.L. Gaber and V.C. Stanley

Jex (Jessica Malone) was willing to try just about anything to avoid spending the summer with her absentee father in the hot deserts of Nevada, but all of her efforts are in vain and she ends up spending the summer before her senior year in last place she wants to be.

Dreading her first long day (not to mention the whole summer) ahead, Jex gets a surprise visitor staring through the glass of her father's sliding glass door. She soon has three new friends sitting at her kitchen table doing the one thing her father asked her not to do, going through some of Detective Malone's official police files that he keeps at home.

The four girls soon find themselves trying to solve a thirteen year old mystery of the disappearance of a local teenage girl.

You'll find this book in our Young Adult section, it is a quick fun read.

FEARLESS

 

FEARLESS:  The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of

Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown

By Eric Blehm

Christian, Warrior, Navy SEAL, and American hero, Chief Adam Brown, in his final act of bravery, died trying to engage enemy fire away from his team who were pinned down and under heavy gunfire in a remote village in the Hindu Kush Mountains. In doing this, he saved the lives of his unit but paid the ultimate price.

As a young kid growing up in Arkansas, Adam Brown was adventurous and fun loving, the first one to jump off a bridge or take a dare. He was also the first to be kind to the new kid in town and the one who defended the underdog. After high school, he got involved in drugs and his life started a downward spiral that eventually landed him in jail.

This is an amazing story of a man who was determined to overcome a drug addiction and fight all odds to become part of the most elite team of the the Navy SEALs. He knew he could not do it alone, but with his faith in God and the support of a loving wife and family, he accomplishes the impossible.

This truly is an inspiring story of someone who overcame some really bad choices and addictions to accomplish a goal that most people only dream of.

Latitude Zero

Latitude Zero by Diana Renn

Tessa is relatively new to the cycling world, so when her cycling boyfriend talks her into joining him on a "bandit" ride during a local charity event, she soon realizes she is in over her head. Events continue to spiral out of control and Tessa is unknowingly thrown into a conspiracy that is about to rock the cycling world.

This is a fast paced novel that jumps from one crisis to another, even though some of the events are a little bit unbelievable, it makes for a fun and interesting read, especially if you are into cycling.

The Insider

The Insider by Sian Ann Beesey

Investigative reporter, Ben Cooper, has been living in a small village in Afghan for the last two months working on his latest project. Completely absorbed and isolated, he has had no contact with the outside world. Upon his return to his companies office in Kabul, he is devastated to learn that his twin brother was killed in a car accident. Ben's first goal is to get back to the US and his niece, Zoe, who is now his responsibility. The more he learns about the accident, the more suspicious he becomes and decides that everything is not as it seems.

This is a good clean suspense/romance that was an enjoyable read.  It is a little slow throughout and somewhat predictable, but I would read something from this author again.

Labor Day

If you're looking for something to read about Labor Day, here are a few options......

The Testing

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

Dystopian societies seem to be a very popular theme these days in the Young Adult genre. Even though they are quite predictable, I still enjoy reading them. The Testing definitely fits this criteria. Sixteen-year-old Malencia Vale is graduating from school and her one and only dream is to attend the University, but first she must be selected for and perform well in The Testing.

The Testing is about selecting future world leaders and specialists of various fields and Cia wants to show the United Commonwealth that she can help their post-war country become successful. Her excitement over her selection is dimmed when her dad, who was apart of the testing when he was young, warns her that The Testing is not all that it seems and to trust no one!

The Target

The Target by David Baldacci

Their last mission was deemed successful and they even received some awards for it, but it left Will Robie and Jessica Reel with some pretty powerful enemies. When the President finds himself faced with a potential crisis in North Korea and needs the best assassins America has to offer, he turns to Robie and Reel to get the job done.

I've read David Baldacci before and really enjoyed his books, this one was a little over the top in credibility but still worth the read.

It's That Time Of Year....Again

It's hard to believe summer is almost over!

Here are a few websites that will help you and your kids gear up and be ready for the new school year.

Reading Rockets

PBS Parents

Conform: Exposing the Truth About Common Core and Public Education

Glenn Beck explores the public education system here in our country and the new reform known as "Common Core".  He takes a deep look into how our education dollars are being spent and how the government is taking control of the education of our children. He backs up all of his in claims with footnotes, so I felt that the information was correct.

If you haven't understood what common core is or how it affects your children, this book is a good place to start.

An Invisible Thread

An Invisible Thread by Laura Schroff

Walking down the busy New York street just outside her apartment, Laura passes by 11 year old Maurice begging on the street. He is just one of the many homeless and she doesn't even think about him or his request for some change. For some reason, as she reaches the corner, she stops and then walks back to Maurice. This is the beginning of a mismatched friendship that will have a profound impact on both of their futures.

This is a touching story of how one person can make a difference in someone's life. There were a few things that I didn't like about the book, for example, the author keeps going in back in time to her abusive childhood and sometimes the segues were a little abrupt. Overall, I did like the book and would recommend it.

Dangerous

 

 

Dangerous by Shannon Hale

Maisie Danger Brown wins a week at a summer astronaut boot camp for teens run by the woman who built the world’s first (and only) space elevator. Maisie, the daughter of two scientists,  has always been homeschooled and she is looking forward to meeting and making new friends, but she is even more excited about the camp itself. She has wanted to be an astronaut for as long as she can remember and now she not only gets to go to space camp, but she gets to meet the scientist behind it all.

When Maisie's team scores the highest in the camp competition, they earn a ride on the space elevator, and Maisie finds that her life will be changed forever and she is not sure she is ready for the change.

Everything happens so fast in this book, I didn't feel like the author was able to really develop the characters, so I had a hard time connecting with them. And some of the scenarios were a little extreme. I did enjoy reading this book despite my frustration with the characters.

The Storyteller

By Jodi Picoult

Sage Singer is a baker by trade. She spends her nights baking at a local café in a quaint New England town and hiding from the loneliness and pain of losing both of her parents. She attends a weekly grief counseling group where she strikes up an unlikely friendship with an aging widower, Josef Weber, a former high-school German teacher and pillar of their community.

As Sage and Josef's friendship develops, Josef requests a favor from Sage that changes her life. The request has her delving into her grandmother's past and stirring up memories. Her grandmother, Minka, is a polish immigrant and holocaust survivor that would prefer to leave her past behind her.

This book is a reminder of the atrocities that are perpetrated in war and how those who are left behind have emotional scars that may fade but never completely go away.

My Animals and Other Family

by Clare Balding

Clare Balding grew up in a family where the animals were just as much a part of the family as the kids and the parents. They were her protectors, her friends and her heros from the time she was born and throughout her life. Her Father, a champion horse trainer, her mother and grandmother had very little time for her and her brother and so they were left to their own devices. She spent her childhood roaming the hills of their estate in the Hampshire Downs, getting into mischief and riding her ponies.

The book was a little slow and went into quite a bit of detail about horse racing that didn't mean too much to me. If you love animals, you will love this book.

Mila 2.0

by Debra Driza

Sixteen year old Mila just moved to a small town in Minnesota. She lost her father in a fire, her relationship with her mother is strained and she's trying to adjust and make friends in her new school. And if that isn't enough, she just found out that the life she is living is a lie.


As Mila tries to discover who (or what) she really is, she finds herself in danger and being pursued by two different groups of people. As she begins to uncover the truth, she finds that the one person she thinks she can trust, her mother, knows more than she is willing to tell.

The author does a great job in getting you involved in the story and keeps you wondering what is going to happen next.

The Pitcher

Nine year old Ricky has no idea he can pitch until he goes to a carnival with his mom and wins a prize for his mom. He has a lot of speed, but no control. Maria, his mom, can't afford to put him in pitching camps or lessons so she is trying to coach him herself by scouring the internet for pitching techniques and reading "how-to" books.

As Ricky draws closer to that critical cut-off date for tryouts for the high school team, they become desperate and try  to recruit their reclusive, alcoholic neighbor who once pitched in the World Series.

This book is about more than baseball. It's about fighting for a dream and a mother's love for her son. There is a little bit of cursing in this book, but if you can get past the language, it's a great read.

When Will The Heaven Begin?

When Will the Heaven Begin? This is Ben Breedlove's Story

Ben Breedlove was born with a heart condition, HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy), that put hime in and out of hospitals all of his life. It also meant that his heart could stop at any moment. When he was only four, he had a life threatening seizure. As he was being wheeled down a dark hallway of the hospital with his mom walking beside the stretcher, he was staring at the bright white light above him and was given comfort and peace. He later says of the experience "I know God wanted me to be calm during the situation and have a sense of peace, and not worry about anything that was going on during those moments.  Now that I look back at it, I get chills just thinking about it, because I know an angel was looking over me, literally."

Before his untimely death at the age of 18, he makes a video about his heart condition and his near death experiences and visions of heaven. He did not fear death, he actually welcomed it.

It is a touching story written by his sister, Ally Breedlove.

Under One Roof: Lessons I Learned from a Tough Old Woman in a Little Old House

An unlikely friendship develops between the construction supervisor of a major mall development in Seattle and a stubborn woman who is in her eighties and refuses to sell her little old house that sits right in the middle of the development.

Edith Wilson Macefield has known so many well-known people in her life, so many that it seems like fiction. In fact, Barry Martin is constantly wondering if her stories true or made up. She escaped from a Nazi prison camp and she taught a dance to Mickey Rooney and that is just a tiny glimpse of her experiences... Even though her stories are startling and diverse, the true value of this book is that of friendship and learning how to treat seniors.

Read a good book lately?

So.... have you read a good book lately? We would love to hear about it!
Click on the link below and fill out a Book Review Form and we will post your book review on our blog.

Click here to fill out a Book Review Form

Dying in the Wool

Dying in the Wool by Frances Brody

Kate, who's husband is missing and presumed dead in WW1, has a knack for finding people, but when asked to find her friend's father in a sleepy little village, who disappeared 7 years ago, she discovers that not everyone is who they seem and some of them are downright dangerous!

As her investigations continue into finding the whereabouts of Joshua Braithwaite, an aggressive, narrow-minded womanizer who was also the pillar of the local chapel, she questions his wife, Evelyn who was not sorry to see the back of him; Tabitha, his daughter, who blamed herself for not being there when he disappeared; Hector, Tabitha's fiance, who knew more than he admitted; as well as many others who have their own reasons for being glad that he was gone.

When someone is murdered at the mill, Kate sets out to find out whether there was any connection to Joshua's disappearance or if it was just a coincidence.

This is an old-fashioned mystery, set in the 1920's. The book was a little slow throughout and I had a little bit of hard time plowing through to the end.