Take a Trip Into the Clouds

I have been watching many new movies lately and one that has made a huge impact on me is Cloud Atlas.  The movie explores six stories in the span of the almost three hours of film, but the movie is so intense and exciting that you don't even realize that three hours is over until you see the ending credits.  Tom Hanks and Halle Berry are two among the "star-filled" cast who star in the tales that weave in and out of each other, time, place and circumstances.  It does take a bit of time to get used to the jumps from storyline to storyline, but what stands out to me is the love story that manages to shine within the action.  The movie combines science fiction, drama, mystery, action and romance, all into one package, and the six stories resolve into a beautiful and believable ending.  The graphics are stunning and the acting is wonderful.  The movie is rated R, and is available on DVD at the library. 

Ready for Summer Fun?

     Tired of the same old summer activities? Wish you and your family could reconnect with nature? Not quite sure how to pull that off? My friends, you are in luck! Let me introduce you to The Down and Dirty Guide to Camping with Kids: How to Plan Memorable Family Adventures & Connect Kids to Nature by Helen Olsson. I know, I know, it’s a mouthful to say; but this tiny book is chocked full of juicy info for camping with the kiddos! Ms. Olsson has handily arranged her book in four different parts: Getting Started, In the Field, Activities and Adventures, and last, but certainly not least; Hygiene, First Aid and Safety. Even if you won’t be going camping until after the summer has wound down, I heartily suggest checking out this book now to give yourself an idea of what you are going to need to pull off a spectacular adventure.
     The first section covers the planning. When are we going? Where are we going? How long will we stay? What gear are we taking with us? What about food and water? Most importantly; what will I wear? If you have small children or, if you haven’t really been camping before, I would highly recommend going over this part of the book a couple of times to get yourself prepared.
     Once you’re all organized and have the kids psyched about spending time in the woods with all sorts of critters, parts two and three give you the low-down on how to actually pull this off. How do I set up my campsite? Part two tells you how and where to build your campfire, planning & prepping camp meals, how to clean up the camp kitchen and how to break down the camp. Part three deals with all the adventures to be had in the great outdoors. Activities like hiking, stargazing, fishing, swimming, rafting, and bicycling are all covered. Also in part three are the activities to stave off boredom: reading, coloring, bird watching, ghost stories, and don’t forget the crafts!
     Part four is all about hygiene, first aid, and safety. Chapter 8, for instance is titled: “Staying Clean in a World of Dirt”. This section of the book is dedicated to all the things that can go wrong and how to prepare for the aches, pains, and bugs that you will most certainly encounter on your trip. How do you navigate in the backcountry? What will you do if there is a thunderstorm? Can you drink the water from that lovely little stream? What about critters; big and small? All of these questions will be answered in this section of the book.
     Peppered throughout this book, Ms. Olsson has graciously included “Smart Tip” sections and various checklists to help a family get things together for their trip. In the back, packing checklists and lists of online resources have been included to help you plan a wonderful and, hopefully, meaningful trip with your family. Have fun and, Bon Voyage!

The Storyteller

I just finished reading one of the most interesting books I have read in a while.  The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult is a bit different than her usual family dramas.  This book stars Sage Singer, a wounded bread maker with a scarred face from an automobile accident that eventually killed her mother.  Sage is recovering from her own grief when she meets Josef Weber and his dog.  Josef is beloved by their community and Sage finds herself opening up to Josef until he asks her to help him die.  Sage's world comes crashing down when Josef confesses he was an SS officer and asks for her forgiveness, since Sage's family is Jewish.  Sage is torn between loving who Josef is now, hating him for who he was during the Holocaust, and wanting to turn Josef into the authorities for punishment.  Sage visits her beloved grandmother and listens as she tells her story of the Holocaust which is interwoven with a story that she wrote while living in Auschwitz and other camps.  The story-within-a-story format is beautifully written in lyrical prose and the story left me spellbound.  This novel is a very personal account of the Holocaust as told through one person and her immediate family and it is magnificent.  Once you start reading this book, you will have a hard time putting it down until you finish it!

Don of the Dead

Casey Daniels' Don of the Dead is the first volume in the Pepper Martin mystery series.  Pepper is beautiful and chic and never had to work...until her surgeon dad was convicted of fraud and sentenced to federal prison.  Her family fortune dried up and her fiance' left her for greener pastures, so Pepper was forced to take the only job she could get--tour guide in a cemetery.  The job is boring but Pepper is a good tour guide until she trips one day and hits her head on a mausoleum.  Suddenly, she begins to see (and hear) Augustino "Gus" Scarpetti, a mob don murdered many years ago.  Gus is unable to "move on" until he discovers who shot him, and since he is hampered by being a ghost, he decides that Pepper is the perfect substitute for his investigations!  Gus is a macho man who likes to be the boss, but he and Pepper team together in order to find his killer.  As Pepper delves deeper into the mystery, she uncovers more layers of mafia secrets and soon she becomes the object of a hit man too!  Will Pepper uncover the killer before the killer gets her?  Pepper is a spunky heroine and has her own share of romance issues.  This book is sure to please paranormal mystery fans.

Stick It Like You Mean It!

Stick It by T. L. Bonaddio is a fascinating new book that the library just received.  It contains 99 Do-It-Yourself duct tape projects.  The projects range from wallets and purses to necklaces and bracelets, ornaments and CD cases, and each is marked with 1 to 4 stars (one means a five year old could do it and four means adult supervision is helpful).  Each project has many pictures listed of the individual steps required to create the item and the

directions are easy to understand.  The book begins with a list and illustrations of techniques needed to create the products explored in the book.  I especially adore the duct tape flip flops---I believe I am going to have to make me some of those for the summer, since there are many wonderful patterned duct tapes available for purchase at your local hardware store!  This book would be the perfect basis for a summertime craft hour with your kids or a slumber party activity.  T. L. Bonaddio is writer, illustrator and designer who grew up in Scanton, PA and earned her BA in Printmaking/ Book Arts from the University of the Arts.  She enjoys creating books for children, teens and kids at heart.  For more information, visit her web site at tlbonaddio.com.

The Promise of Stardust

The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley is a book perfect for fans of Jodi Picoult!  The story is gripping and centers around one fateful day when Elle Beaulieu slips off a ladder, falls and hurts her head.  She is declared officially brain dead and her neurologist husband, Mathhew, prepares himself and her family to terminate her life support.  Suddenly, there is a wrinkle in the plan--after many miscarriages and a still birth, Elle is pregnant.  The situation changes as Matthew gets embroiled in a battle with Elle's family and his own mother over who has the right to turn off Elle's life support and terminate both her life and the life of her unborn child.  Each chapter describes one day in the life of Elle and her family after the accident, and the novel is a wonderful examination of characters.  If you love family drama and/ or a good ethical story, then this book will be perfect for you. 

Stretch Your Dollars With a New Wardrobe

I just discovered the most fabulous book today!  New Dress A Day:  The Ultimate DIY Guide to Creating Fashion Dos from Thrift-Store Don'ts by Marisa Lynch is a great resource to teach you how to find items at the thrift store and re-vamp them to make cute "new" pieces for your wardrobe.  With just a few well-placed stitches and some creativity, you can update an outdated castoff and make it into something flirty, fun and very comtemporary.   This book is handy, because it teaches you how to "ace" sewing basics and create DIY designer look-alikes.  There are several very clever ideas in this book, including how to make accessories like a garter belt from an old wedding dress, and suggestions for creating a stunning strapless dress from an old bridesmaid dress.  The book includes colored before-and-after photos, sidebars and sewing tips.  This book is a wonderful way to make your wardrobe dollars stretch by remaking flea market/ thrift store finds into something fabulous!

Beat the Tombstone Blues

So, the next time you stay at a bed and breakfast, think about this one simple fact--things are not always as they seem!  In Ken Hodgson's Tombstone Blues, Samantha Sterling is fleeing her new divorce and her old life in Houston, TX, when she becomes the new manager of the Sunset Bed and Breakfast located in historic Tombstone, AZ.  Sidney Munson and his life partner Michael run the bed and breakfast, with the help of Sydney's crotchety mom, Esther.  They enjoy gourmet meals with select guests under the beautiful Arizona sunsets, but as they are both in their fifties, hire Samantha to run the business for them so that they can take much-needed vacations.  Samantha arrives and is immediately suspicious of Sidney and Michael's excessive kindness and strange behavior.  Soon, the secret is out!  The Sunset Bed and Breakfast is a cover for a hit-man operation, and if Samantha wants to survive, she must learn the business too.  This is the basis for a hilarious, charming, action-packed story full of entertaining characters.  There are plenty of side stories involving the residents of Tombstone, and there is definitely room for a sequel.  Esther is as much fun as Grandma Mazur (Stephanie Plum's grandma in her series written by Janet Evonavich) and Sidney and Michael are zany as well as sophisticated.  The plot gets wild and woolly, so prepare yourself for a twisty ride. Ken Hodgson is a former gold and uranium miner, worked in a state hospital and owned an air compressor buisness.  He is an active member of the Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers.  He lives on a small ranch in northen New Mexico with his wife and prime editor, Rita alon with two spoiled cats, Sasha and Ulysses.

Go Barefoot in Paris

Ina Garten is one of my favorite chefs on Food Network.  On her "Barefoot Contessa" shows she prepares tasty meals for her fans, using ingredients she purchases from the stores near her home in the Hamptons.  In her book, Barefoot in Paris, Ina shows readers how to prepare simple, rich French dishes in your own home.  Many of these recipes are classics and share techniques with the recipes.  Barefoot in Paris is also filled with stories of Ina's love of the city, bustling outdoor markets, and variety of shops, from the local charcuterie (butcher shop) to the fromagerie (cheese shop). This book ccelebrates the food that you find on every corner of the city.  The book is filled with beautiful photos and in my opinion, the souffle' pictures are the best ones!  The resources section has great full-color pictures of French ingredients that the reader needs to try, which are included in the book's recipes.  This book is a truly magnificent celebration of French cuisine and how to prepare it.  If you are itching to try your hand at preparing a new style of cooking, this recipe book has great ideas for you to try. 

Heavenly Icebox Pies

Nothing says spring to me like a cool slice of pie!  Tempt your tastebuds (and your culinary skills) with Icebox Pies:  100 Scrumptious Recipes for No-Bake No-Fail Pies!  Author Lauren Chattman's book gives lots of examples of delicious, make-ahead desserts for the beginner to advanced cook.  The recipes are imaginative, fun, and perfect for entertaining, special occasions or as an everyday treat. Besides your usual lemon and chocolate pies, the book includes instructions for making Gianduia Pie (with hazlenuts and nutella), a couscous and apricot pudding pie and a fig and walnut pie!  There is even a handy end section on "Dressing Up" your pie which includes directions on how to make a variety of sauces and fun things such as sugared nuts and nougatine (almond brittle).  With great photos and detailed directions, this book is a sure winner for any pie lover!