No Acceptable Excuse

D. S. Murphy's No Acceptable Excuse has the appearance of a self-published work and could have used some judicious editing and spell checking. However, I found myself riveted to the story. It is a searing drama about a family history of physical and sexual abuse and incest. This tale is set in the early part of the 20th century and centers around Lela. A neighbor, Sam, becomes obsessed with her and forces her into marriage--her nightmare begins and continues until Sam's death. Lela and Sam eventually have seven children, who all suffer at their father's hands. This is a brutal tale and even though it has been a month since I read it, I still think back on it. I feel for all the abuse that everybody that came in contact with Sam suffered. And upon reading about the incident that made Sam the way he was, I can understand Lela's forgiveness--which is really the theme of the book--but she is a much better person than I. I still cannot understand why no one ever called Sam out on his behavior, but then, insn't that the way with bullies?

Try a Taste of Thai

I have recently donned my "cooking hands" and dabbled with Thai cooking. I am a great fan of dumplings and chicken satay and was pleased when I received a bamboo steamer for my birthday! Wanting to broaden my horizons, I decided to check out the Thai cookbooks in the library. I enjoyed looking at the Complete Thai Cooking book by Hamlyn so much that I went ahead and purchased a used copy for myself. This book has beautiful full-color illustrations of 90% of the dishes listed in the book---the few pictures that aren't included are mainly of sauces or stocks. The book opens with a nice history of Thai cooking and a description of the equipment needed to make traditional Thai food. Also included is a glossary of "Cook's Terms" that defines many of the ingredients used by Thai chefs. Most of the recipes are on the left page of the book with a picture of the finished item facing it on the right page, and include the number of servings, the preparation time and the cooking time for the recipe. I can't pick out my favorite recipe, but I have decided to try the "Khun Tom's Pumpkin Soup" and the "Mushroom and Snow Pea Stir-fry" as soon as my cookbook is delivered. I really enjoyed exploring the dessert section of this cookbook---the coconut cream custard served in bowls made from banana leaves looks especially wonderful. If this book has made your taste buds salivate, try also Classic Thai Cuisine by David Thompson or The Food of Thailand by Sven Krauss.

Meet the Queen Mother

The Queen Mother by William Shawcross is the official and definitive biography of the woman. The author was given unrestricted access to the Queen Mother's personal papers, letters and diaries and offers us a portrait of unprecedented vividness and detail. Here is the witty girl who won the affections of convalescing soldiers during the First World War; the assured young Duchess of York helping her reluctant husband assume the throne when his brother abdicated and the stalwart Queen who refused to take refuge from the bombing of London, risking her own life to instill courage and hope in others who were living through the Blitz. The book shows a woman whose many interests included the armed services, the environment, horse racing and music; and whose wide circle of friends included everyone from the Sitwells to Ted Hughes, from Noel Coward to Charles de Gualle. And here also is showcased the dowager Queen--the last Edwardian, the survivor to both her family and the country throughout her long widowhood, representing her nation at home and abroad, the matriarch of the Royal Family.

Dexter is Delicious

When I picked up the first Dexter Morgan book, I never thought that I would enjoy reading about a serial killer. Or even "sympathizing" with a serial killer! Dexter is Delicious by Jeff Lindsay is the fifth novel in the series starring Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter expert with the Miami Police Department. Dexter is basically an okay guy--he only kills people who deserve it (like rapists, child molesters and murderers)--and he makes sure that they know why they are being eliminated from life. All is good in Dexter's life until his sister, Detective Deborah Morgan, is placed in charge of a child kidnapping case. As Deborah enlists Dexter's help in locating Samantha, they stumble onto a ring of cannibals and torturers. Meanwhile, Dexter tries hard to fit in to society and act like a normal human being, while hiding his Dark Passenger killing side. This book is certainly not for the squeamish, but if you can come to grips with the fact that you like Dexter, you'll certainly enjoy this book. Darkly Dreaming Dexter is the first book in the series--check it out and let us know if you like it!

It's Never Too Early to Plan for Halloween!

Some of our library's patrons may know that Halloween is my favorite holiday. I truly enjoy dressing up, trick-or-treating with the kids, watching scary movies, visiting haunted houses and throwing a great Halloween party! If you feel the same way I do (or just enjoy decorating your house for Halloween) check out Susan Cousineau's Spooky Halloween Crafts: 35 Hauntingly Easy Projects and Decorating Tips. Cousineau's projects are both unique and fun and range from "Monster Quick Crafts" and "Frightfully Fun Quick Crafts" to my favorite project, "Severed Fingers" created out of air-dry modeling clay that have been painted and scoured to make knuckle ridges. There are sections on Decorations, Favors and Gifts, Halloween Party Games and even Quick and Eerie Edibles. The book is packed with full-color pictures of the finished projects and a great index. I really like the fact that the book begins with a section on Tools & Materials and Painting Terms and Techniques. All of the patterns for the projects are included in the back of the book with instructions on how much the pattern should be enlarged (i. e., 120%). This is a great craft book for someone who wants to explore their "creepy" side for Halloween!

Cool Projects for Crafty Brides

The DIY Bride Crafty Countdown by Khris Cochran has 40 fabulous projects to make in the months, weeks, and even hours before your special day. This book is full of chic and offbeat crafts for every bliss-filled moment from bended knee to "I do." The instructions are clear, the book is filled with great color pictures, and I especially like the sidebar that tells you the project cost, and most especially, the time involved. While the invitation and thank you note ideas were clever, the project that struck me the most was a "Memorial Candle." The author stated that brides often asked for an unobtrusive way to honor deceased relatives and this was her solution. A great book for brides who really want to be involved in every aspect of their wedding!

See Through the Glass Rainbow

I absolutely love James Lee Burke's series starring Detective Dave Robicheaux. Burkes' latest, The Glass Rainbow, delivers on every aspect of the series that I find so wonderful. This latest novel is again set in hot, humid New Iberia, Louisiana. Being a Louisiana native, I especially enjoy the descriptions of the wonderful fried shrimp poboys, gumbo and pecan pie. James Lee Burke truly knows what it is like growing up in Louisiana, with his descriptions of the Giacano families control over New Orleans, the "privilege" of the old white aristocracy and their influence over the poor African-Americans in New Iberia and the politics involved in every aspect of life in Louisiana. Dave Robicheaux is a recovering alcoholic who works for the New Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office. His good friend, and former co-worker at the New Orleans Police Department is Clete Purcel, who currently works as a Private Investigator. Clete is the "bad boy" of the series as he uses alcohol, tobacco, food and hard living to mask the pain and suffering he sees every day while working his cases. Clete is the tool of his own destruction and his slow slide to death is clearly explored in this novel. The novel begins with Robicheaux interviewing a prison guard in Mississippi as he investigates the murders of two young girls that seem to be unrelated. Trouble begins as the murder trail leads to the Abelards, an aristocratic white family in New Iberia that has many secrets. Alafair, Robicheaux's daughter in the book as well as his daughter in real life who is also an author, plays a large role in this book. The mystery is gritty, but if you want to read about a realistic slice of life in Louisiana, you'll enjoy reading this book.

Get Handy With Instructables.com

I enjoy the fact that many of my friends and the library's patrons share websites with me that they find useful. One of these I recently explored is called Instructables. Located at http://www.instructables.com/ the website uses videos and pictures to show you how to make just about anything! According to the website, an instructable is a "step-by-step guide showing how you made or did something." The site is user driven, and the people who use it are encouraged to submit their own "instructables" to the site. If you are trying to figure out how to do a certain task, you simply submit the question to the community and then pick the best answer from the ones given. It's amazing what stuff you can find! With categories such as: Food, Living, Outside, Play, Technology and Workshop, there are plenty of projects here to keep you browsing for hours. I was particularly tempted by the "5 Minute Chocolate Cake" recipe that you cook in a mug in the microwave. I tried the recipe this weekend and it was delicious! I did "cheat" however and added some pre-made cream cheese icing to my finished cake. Check out the picture of my finished project, on the right. I really enjoy the fact that there are practical as well as whimsical Instructables on the site, and the projects range from easy to difficult. I think this site would be great to explore with kids. Check out the site and let us know which project tempted you!

32 Candles

I enjoy discovering new authors and Ernessa T. Carter is definitely a new one to watch! Her first book, 32 Candles was a treat for me, perhaps because the main character Davidia Jones is from a small town in Mississippi and grew up loving the John Hughes films created in the 1980's. The book title is a play on Sixteen Candles, one of Davidia's favorite movies, that has the storybook "Molly Ringwald-happy-ending" where the misfit girl wins the heart of the popular rich boy. Davidia idolized Sixteen Candles because she grew up being physically and mentally abused by her single mom, a prostitute in small-town Glass, MS. Davidia was always an outcast in high school but her troubles worsen when the Farrell family moves into town. The Farrell's own Farrell Fine Hair, the hair products plant that employs the majority of the residents of Glass. Davidia immediately falls in love with James, the oldest kid in the family and the one in line to inherit the Farrell Fine Hair plant when Mr. Farrell retires. Davidia is dealing with her crush until her mom starts having an affair with James's dad, soon to be a congressman. Victoria and Tammy, James' siblings immediately begin an intense hate campaign against Davidia which results in her running away to CA where she bcomes a singer in a 1940's-style nightclub. Davidia begins a new life, until people from her past begin to crop up and she must learn how to forgive and forget--or exact revenge? The book is a great story of discovery and growing up, written by a new African-American author, and Davidia is a delightful character. The reader learns to live along with Davidia and the experience is a wonderful thing to witness. Both the Mississippi and California settings are portrayed authentically and the reader delves into the world of nightclub singing along with Davidia. Ernessa T. Carter has worked as an ESL Teacher in Japan, a music journalist in Pittsburg, a payroll administrator in Burbank and a radio writer for American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest in Hollywood. She is also a retired member of the L.A. Derby Dolls roller derby league and graduated from Smith College and Carnegie Mellon University's MFA program. For more information on Carter, read her blog at http://www.32candles.com/.

Sizzling Sixteen

It is my fervent wish that Janet Evanovich never stops writing books in her Stephanie Plum series. These books are laugh-out-loud funny and give me the opportunity to share with other folks a new author (I'm always reading one of them in a public place when the person sitting next to me asks what book I'm reading that is causing me to laugh so much)! In this installment, Sizzling Sixteen, Stephanie's Uncle Vinnie is kidnapped because he owes too much money to his bookie. This is a big problem because with Vinne kidnapped Stephanie is unable to do her job as a bounty hunter and collect funds so that she can pay her rent! Even though Vinnie is a sleaze, bless his heart, he is related to Stephanie and she feels as if she owes it to him to try and rescue him. Of course, she has help from plus-size former prostitute Lula, her policeman on-again-off-again boyfriend Morelli, the elusive bounty hunter and private contractor Ranger, and the Bonds Office Manager Connie. The group performs several hilarious rescue attempts while Stephanie is chased (literally) by the bad guys hunting Vinnie and (figuratively) by Morelli and Ranger. I enjoy this series because it paints a realistic portrait of Trenton, New Jersey and its residents and the book characters are very enjoyable. One for the Money, the first book in the series is currently in production as a movie and if it resembles the book even a little bit the movie should be a real treat to watch.