A Court of Thorns and Roses

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Feyre, a young hunter, kills a "special" wolf in the woods near her home to use for meat and to provide for her family.  Soon after she skins it and sells the hide, a huge wolf-like creature crashes through her door demanding she pay for what she has done to his friend.  She is given an offer between death or living her life in the Fae Realm of Pyrthian.

She is thrust into a gorgeous world of magic, monsters, fairies, unlikely friends, love, and a place where all of her dreams and desires come true, but it all comes with a price.

I loved this book!!  This really is a great story set in the Fae Realm and has strong characters. It has been called a cross between Hunger Games and Beauty and the Beast, and I definitely saw comparisons to both.  Can she win the creature's "heart" in time?

There are beautiful and scary creatures alike, and I couldn't believe how much I was rooting for the "bad" guy in this story.  If you like fantasy, folklore, and fairytale retelling this is really a great story - check this out! 

*Note - there are some pretty steamy romance scenes in this book.  It is found in our Young Adult section of the library.

Come join us for our.....

Happening today at 1:00 pm!

Accused

Accused: My Fight for Truth, Justice & the Strength  to Forgive By Tonya Craft

The story of an ordinary woman who on May 30, 2008, was accused of a horrible crime: molesting three children--friends and classmates of her own children.  Tonya knew she was innocent, but unfortunately the truth offered little protection.  With frightening speed Tonya was arrested and charged with 22 counts of child molestation.  The situation seemed hopeless, but somehow she found the strength to fight.  This book is about more than Tonya's shocking trial and fight for justice.  It is also an example of undying love, faith, and forgiveness.

I found that this book was simply fascinating.  At first I chose to read this book because it looked interesting and I was especially curious about how she was able to forgive despite such awful circumstances.  I wasn't expecting to be drawn in and feel like I was experiencing the whole situation alongside Tonya.  It was devastating to hear how the legal system failed so completely for her, and how she had to fight to prove her innocence, rather than innocent until proven guilty.  Overall it was a good book and I came away with more than I thought I would.

You can find this book in the nonfiction section of the library.

Teen Scene

Yes!!...We are still having Teen Scene even though it is Fall Break.

So come and join us tomorrow afternoon at 4:00pm!!!
 

The Orphan Keeper

The Orphan Keeper by Camron Wright

This is an incredible story of a seven year old boy who was kidnapped from his home in India, sold to an orphanage and eventually placed for adoption in America.

This book follows Taj's journey from his boyhood in India, where poverty and hunger are just a way of life and then a heart wrenching tragedy when he is taken from his family and sent to a country where he doesn't know the language and has to figure out how to survive in this new world.

As a teenager, recently graduated from high school, Taj doesn't remember his boyhood in India, and hasn't really thought much about it till now. Taj seems to be at a cross roads in his life where he can't seem to move on to the next step in life until he figures out who he really is and where he came from.

Based on a true story, this is an amazing story of resilience, a mother's love, and a quest to figure out a young man's past.

Join us tomorrow night for our Library Book Club

The War that Saved My Life

The War that Saved My Life

By Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

9 year old Ada has never left her one room apartment.  Her abusive mother is too humiliated by Ada's twisted foot to let her go outside. So when Ada's little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada sneaks out to join him.

So the adventure begins for Ada, her brother Jamie and Susan Smith the woman who is forced to take the two kids in.  Ada, who was born with a club foot, has been physically and mentally abused by her mother.  She has taught herself how to walk, and later will teach herself  how to ride a pony.

Set during World War 2, I was not excited to read this book, so many people recommended it I decided to give it a try.  I was not disappointed.  The characters are complex and well drawn in this story, love and hate abounds in all three of the main characters.  Each has their own set of problems or disabilities that they are trying to overcome.  This is a beautiful told story that I missed when it was over!

Category Five

Category Five by Philip S. Donlay

Dr. Lauren McKenna, a meteorological scientist with the Defense Intelligence Agency, is responsible for the deployment and tracking of a Doppler Imager that detects global weather patterns that could affect military operations. The story begins in Bermuda where Lauren and her team are trying to evacuate the Island before a potential "Super Hurricane" hits.

Lauren is in constant peril and must be saved by the story's hero, Donavan Nash with whom Lauren has a somewhat torrid past. Donavan Nash is a pilot who owns EcoWatch, a privately funded Rescue and Recover operation. Mr. Nash has several secrets of his own and they are quickly revealed as the story unwinds.

Good book, with  a "good action" plot, character interactions and relationships, and lots of techno-gadgets. The downside was the overblown world-ending danger (everything was the worst, the biggest, the scariest) with highly unlikely solutions. But because our main characters only do things perfectly, expertly, and smarter and better than anyone else, everything works out in the end. Combine all off this and it just puts this book a little over the top. 

Amazon Review

Secrets She Kept

Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke

Wow, this was an amazing book! The author evenly balances dual storylines to draw in the reader. In the 1970s, Hannah embarks on a journey to learn more about her emotionally distant mother. Her plotline alternates with that of her mother, Lieselotte. Lieselotte's story is set 30 years earlier when she was a young teen in Germany. Unlike other dual storylines I've read where one is stronger than the other, both Hannah's and Lieselotte's stories were equally strong and compelling. The author creates well-paced tension that swells to a crescendo as Hannah learns the truth about Lieselotte at the same time that the reader learns the truth from Lieselotte's point of view. As one would expect from this time period in Germany's history, there are difficult passages to read and the claustrophobic atmosphere felt real and chilling. I thought what ultimately happened to Lieselotte was surprising because it revealed something unexpected about one character's actions. The fact that not everyone got a typical happy ending was heartbreaking. I loved how the author included a real historical figure to share a lesson about forgiveness. This story was heavy at times but ultimately filled with hope because of Hannah's journey. I highly recommend this book and this author!

Amazon Review