Never Tell...

Alafair Burke's latest novel, Never Tell stars my favorite heroine of hers, NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher.  Ellie and her partner Rogan are asked to investigate the death of 16 year old Julia Whitmore, a young lady who appeared to have everything.  The daughter of a famous music mogul and socialite mom, Julia attended the elite Casden school in Manhatten.  Julia's mom and dad are convinced that Julia's death is a suicide, so they pressure the NYPD to investigate her death as a homicide.  Although reluctant, Ellie and Rogan work to uncover a web of lies involving Casden, some homeless kids and family relationships to find out once and for all if Julia's death was indeed a suicide.  I enjoy Ellie Hatcher's character, because she is tough, strong, but doubts herself as a detective.  This novel is the fourth Ellie Hatcher novel, the first being Dead Connection.  Alafair Burke is a former prosecutor who now teaches criminal law and lives in Manhattan.  Check out her website at www.alafairburke.com for more information about the author!

In Love with Lavendar

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First let me say I am not a gardener. In fact, when I first moved into my house and was attempting to have a nice yard, a friend gave me a sign—“I tried but it died.” Truer words were never spoken. So, of course, since I lack a green thumb the two flowers I would most like to grow are peonies and lavender. I understand we don’t live in the correct temperate zone to grow either of these but that doesn’t stop me from longing for them. Recently I ran across a new book that has re-fired my desire for one of these.



The Lavender Lover’s Handbook by Sarah Berringer Bader offers the 100 most beautiful and fragrant varieties for growing, crafting, and cooking. With its intoxicating scent, wands of gorgeous purple flowers, lavender is one of the world’s most popular herbs. Lavender expert Sarah Bader introduces readers to 100 stunning varieties—from the continuous blooms of deep purple ‘Buena Vista’ to the incredible fragrance of ‘Grosso,’ the lavender often used in making perfume.


This is an essential resource for finding the best varieties with a complete checklist of the color, fragrance, size, and foliage of each plant-(And in the introduction it does offer not one but five different species of lavender that can be grown in hot, humid summers).


Whether you want to create a fabulous container garden, a dramatic border, or an exquisite herb garden, this rich primer gives easy, proven tips for growing, harvesting, drying, cooking, and crafting with this wonderful herb.


So armed with this knowledge I am going to try my hand at lavender. Check with me in a while to see how I’m doing.

Delve into the Life of Steve Guttenberg

We have the new autobiography of Steve Guttenberg entitled “The Guttenberg Bible.”  At first I was going to give this a mention in my weekly Sunday newspaper column but after flipping through the photo section in the book, I thought Steve deserved more of a mention.  In fact it wasn’t until I was looking at the photos I realized just how long a career he had and how very many big stars he had worked with.  And by now you might be wondering who is Steve Guttenberg.  Do the movies Diner, Boyd from Brazil, Police Academy, Cocoon, Short Circuit, Three Men and a Baby, and The Day After ring a bell?  He even starred in that terrible disco movie from the 80s, Can’t Stop the Music, which also starred Bruce Jenner, Valerie Perrine, and the Village People.      

     Guttenberg tells the unique story of his first decade in Hollywood, as he went from being a complete unknown to starring in some of the most successful blockbusters of all time. He spent his early days sneaking onto the Paramount lot and meeting more actors and casting agents than most aspiring actors ever would. Even before the hit Police Academy—which his manager said would be a flop—he had already worked with such luminaries as Lord Lawrence Olivier, Richard Widmark, and Gregory Peck. Later he shared the screen with actors such as Mickey Rourke and Sharon Stone long before they became household names.

Guttenberg has lived through the addictive pull of show business and worldwide celebrity (you’re no one until you have a stalker, he learns.) With a clear-eyed appreciation for the one-of-a-kind experiences that the celebrity lifestyle has to offer, he knew that his family would keep him grounded throughout it all. And his self-awareness and sense of humor about the ups and downs of fame make this book one of the most candid Hollywood stories to date.

Eat What You Love!

Most people recently get really upset when they are diagnosed with diabetes.  However, it is not "the end of the world" when it comes to never eating the foods you like again!  While I am not a doctor, treating diabetes  is all about portion control, being aware of what you are eating, and getting enough exercise.  The library has many books on good diets for diabetics and we have recently received another excellent one.  Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat with Diabetes:  A Mindful Eating Program for Thriving with Prediabetes or Diabetes by Dr. Michelle May is a wonderful book that aims to help diabetics feel better and make sensible (but enjoyable) food choices.  Dr. May's dedication page sums up the whole premise of the book, "May these words unlock the prison of restrictive eating and open the door to mindful diabetes care."  Dr. May teaches the reader how to practice "mindful eating," which is, in a nutshell, teaching the diabetic to not follow rigid nutrition rules and strict exercise regimes but rather making them aware of their beliefs, thoughts, and physical states in order to enable long-term lifestyle changes.  This book is great for any person trying to maintain a healthy weight, because it really does teach practical tools that anyone can use.  The biggest plus in this book is that it teaches the reader to be more aware of what, when and how he/she eats so that he/she can increase his/her satisfaction from the whole experience of eating and ultimately eat less and healthier foods.  There are also chapters on strenth training and the types of food diabetics should eat, and a wonderful chapter on stretching and "mindful movement."  This is a very well-rounded book that would be perfect for the newly-diagnosed diabetic or anyone struggling with this disease. 

Third Grave Dead Ahead

How many of you think of something funny when you picture the grim reaper?  Not what you usually do is it?  Now is your chance to practice that smile!  I just finished the third book in Darynda Jones' Charlotte Davidson series' (Charley for short), Third Grave Dead Ahead.  Charley is a private investigator who is also the grim reaper.  Now, that SOUNDS horrible, but that's not really a bad thing!  Charley's job is to help lost souls pass through her and get to the "other side-"  this is helped by the fact that she shines brightly (like a beacon), but only to dead people!  Besides her side job as the grim reaper, Charley also has an investigator office that's located across the street from her apartment and on the top of her dad's bar.  Her dad is a retired police man and her Uncle Bob still works for the force.  The stories are set in Minnesota, so if you are a fan of that region, this is definitely one of the books you want to read!  The funiest part of this book is that Charley does not want to fall asleep because Reyes, the son of Satan, keeps infiltrating her dreams whenever she does. Charley spends most of this book (the action takes place over two weeks) drinking huge amounts of coffee and trying not to fall asleep while driving, solving the mystery of a doctor's missing wife and helping a local biker gang find the person(s) killing their pets.  This is a hilarious ride of a book---if you love Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series then you are sure to fall in love with Charley Davidson.  It helps to read this series in order, so start with the first one in the series, First Grave on the Right. 

The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection

WCVPL Online Catalog

I just finished reading the newest installment of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and it was just as good as the rest of the books in the series!  Alexander McCall Smith's latest, The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection is set in Botswana as is the other books in the series.  The novel showcases the same familiar characters, with the addition of at least one new one!  Besides developments in their personal lives (Mma Makutsi and her new husband Phuti Radiphuti are building their dream house and one of the apprentices at the Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors is in trouble with the law), Mma Ramotswe has been having dreams about a tall stanger who waits for her.  To top it off, Mma Potokwane, defender of Botswana's orphans, has been dismissed from her post as matron of the orphan farm!  Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi have their hands full trying to "make everything right" and deal with a surpise visitor to the detective agency!  I enjoy how McCall Smith brings Botswana to life in this series and I feel as if Mma Ramotswe and the rest of the characters are family members to me.  If you enjoy cozy mysteries, learning about Botswana and its people, you will enjoy reading this series.  I suggest you start with the first book, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency,  as the events in the characters lives build on each other in each successive book.   

With the approach of hot summer days, we need something to do inside and take our minds off the heat.  We have some great new craft books that can be used with children.

Learn to Knook  is by the editors of Leisure Arts.  Knooking is the new knitting.  The exciting new Knook is a specialized crochet hook that creates true knitted fabric, while the attached cord completely prevents dropped stitches.  You’ll enjoy learning the basic technique from our clear instructions, which are written for both right-hand & left-hand stitching.  Photos illustrate each step to make learning a breeze.  Once you’re familiar with the Knook, you can make the three warm projects in this book—a scarf, a pair of cozy mitts, or a child’s colorful hat.  The Knook is great for beginners or anyone who would like to learn to knit the easy way.

Just Duct Tape It! is also by the editors of Leisure Arts.  Here’s a fantastic idea that’s really sticking around—creating with duct tape!  You’ll find it in dozens of colors and prints, but it’s not just another pretty tape.  Duct is still strong enough to hang tough, so why not make it into original handbags and wallets? You can fashion a bouquet of wild flowers or a bright bangle bracelet.  Headed to school?  Make magnetic wallpaper and matching accessories for the best-looking locker, ever.  Your friends will be amazed at your creative ways.

Stitched Whimsy by Heidi Boyd are playful projects in felt and fabric.  Making adorable hand-stitched things using the fabric you love has never been easier.  Renowned crafter Heidi Boyd has 20 adorable sewn, stitched, and felted projects, complete with clear instructions, helpful illustrations, and crisp patterns.  There is something for everyone who likes to create handmade items, whether you’re new to sewing or a long time stitcher:  Loads of projects featuring hot fabrics, tantalizing textures and embellishments that add just the right touch.

Sacre' Bleu

The one word I can say about Christopher Moore's new novel, Sacre' Bleu is...phenomenal!  If you are a fan of Moore's work (Bite Me, Fool, Practical Demonkeeping) you are very familiar with his brand of biting, sarcastic, off-beat humor and just plain weird books.  I am always greatly amused by his stories and Sacre' Bleu does not disappoint.  Christopher Moore's latest intrigued me because it is set in France during the time that the Impressionist movement was in full swing and stars some of my favorite art characters.  I love Degas, Manet, Cezanne and other Impressionists so this book thrilled me because it stars many artists I'd have loved to have met.  Moore's book brings these artitsts to life, and you can picture them on the streets of Paris, drinking and carousing and trying to make a living by painting.  The premise of Sacre' Bleu is that there is a twisted, bent Colorman who wanders around Paris with his partner, a beautiful lady, trying to sell paint colors (and especially the very expensive ultramarine blue) to painters.  The Colorman has a special relationship with the sacre' bleu color and needs artists to buy the color and paint pictures with it in order for him to keep living.  The Colorman and his partner inspire artists to paint brilliant canvases by preying on their emotions, stopping time and inhabiting other people's bodies.  I don't want to give away too much of the story, but I promise you it is a tangled web of events right up until the very last pages. This book is beautiful, haunting and perfect for the art fan---especially if you enjoy imagining the lives of the great Impressionist painters!  Read this book, and then check out other Christopher Moore books---you won't be disappointed!  Interact with Christopher Moore by e-mail at theauthorguy@gmail.com, on Twitter@theauthorguy or on Facebook.com/theauthorguy. 

Sharks and Wolves

I have been attractedd to animal-themed movies lately, and two of the most fascinating ones I have watched are The Grey and Dark Tide.  The Grey is the story of a group of rough-and-tumble men flying home from their job in the frozen Alaskan wilderness.  Their plane crashes and they are suddenly forced to battle the wills of nature and a pack of wolves in order to make it home to their families. This movie is full of heart-pounding action and is not for the faint of heart!  Dark Tide is the story of Kate, a shark expert, who "free dives" with great white sharks outside of shark cages.  Kate's life is good until a fellow diver dies from a shark attack as she watches.  She loses her will to dive until a wealthy customer arrives, wanting to experience his own swim with sharks.  The sharks in this movie are celebrated for their beauty, majesty and ferociousness and the underwater scenes with the sharks are breathtaking.  Both of these movies show the stark beauty of nature and celebrate the power of animals.  Both moveis are rated PG-13 because of graphic/ disturbing animal attack scenes. 

Deadlocked

Deadlocked is the new novel in the Sookie Stackhouse series written by Misssissippi native Charlaine Harris. This novel is as full of action and character development as the other novels in the series. In this book, the Vampire Queen shows up to wreak havoc on Sookie and Eric's relationship, and the book opens up with the death of a half-were girl on Eric's front lawn, very soon after Eric has fed on her.  Sookie and Bill Compton, the official Area Five Investigator,commit to solving the mystery, figuring out what the Queen wants and dealing with the outlaw fairies in the area.  Meanwhile, many of Sookie's friends are having problems of their own with marriages, proposals and new babies.  Sam also has a few plans that involve the bar, Merlotte's, where Sookie works, and these plans involve Sookie too!  The story is another great installment in thhis series that promises to get better and better.  I do reccommend reading these books in order as the characters' actions build on the events of the previous books. Connect online with Charlaine Harris at www.charlaineharris.com or at facebook.com/CharlaineHarris