Read a Charming Christian Fiction Book

The Carousel Painter is novel of romantic suspense set against a historical background, and was written by Judith Miller, one of the top Christian writers in America today. When Carrie Brouwer received the enviable job of painting carousel horses for a factory in Ohio, she believed her future was secure. But after an expensive necklace disappears from the home where she’s been staying, she’s caught up in a search for the truth that puts her entire livelihood—and her developing relationship with the factory manager—at risk. Can she lead police to the real culprit before she loses everything? The setting of this story is wonderfully crafted and the reader will be caught up in Carrie's search for the truth, as she works to uncover the mystery behind the stolen necklace. An excellent, cozy read for a nice, crisp, October night!

Explore a Collection of Autumn Stories

Upland Autumn: Birds, Dogs, and Shotgun Shells by William G. Tapply is a collection of twenty stories. William Tapply is a devoted and passionate grouse hunter who takes his 20-gauge Parker, his gundog, and a friend or two and roams the hills and valleys of New England every autumn, seeking an elusive bird not much larger than your hand. In these stories, he takes us along as he explores new coverts, tromps though old ones, makes great shots and memorable misses, and reminisces with old friends about hunting in the good old days. Reading through these pages, you’ll meet Tapply’s father who took young Bill along on hunts and taught him not only how to shoot, but also how to appreciate the woods, the waters, and an elusive little bird that has such a devoted following. You’ll also meet Bill’s father’s friends; men who helped establish the traditions associated with upland bird hunting. And of course you’ll get to hunt with Tapply’s dogs, including Burt his most recent Brittany.
Tapply’s knack for evoking the subtle, telling details of people, places, and things will hit home with every reader. If you yearn for crisp autumn days, blazing foliage, the tinkle of dog bells in thick cover, and the explosive whir as a grouse blasts into the air; if the smell of wood smoke, apple orchards, and gunpowder stirs something in your soul; then this book is for you.

Mad for the Mouse

Do you “Whistle while you work?” Do you find that when you wish upon a star your dreams come true? Or perhaps you are hoping that someday your prince will come. Do you long to be covered in pixie dust? If you have said yes to all of these, then chances are you are a Mousejunkie.
What is a Mousejunkie? This is a person totally immersed in the magic of Disney; a person who makes yearly (or more) treks to Disneyworld or Disneyland. We have a new book that is the best I have read on the Disney experience. It’s called appropriately enough Mousejunkies: Tips, Tales, and Tricks for a Disneyworld Fix by Bill Burke. While other guide books (i.e. Fodor’s and Mobile Travel Guides) give general information, this is the first book I have found that keeps it real. For example, Fodor’s and Mobile will say the temperature will be in the 90 degree range so wear light, loose clothing. Mousejunkies tells you that in August you will melt. They explain pros and cons of staying on property versus off, fastpasses, the various dining plans, and much more. In fact in just about a week I’ll be headed to see Mickey myself, so if you have time before then, stop by to wish me a supercalifragilisticexpalidocious time!

Yummy Treats with Bobby Flay

I was watching the Food Network yesterday during lunch and spent a nice half-hour drooling over Bobby Flay making homemade lamb chili with a red pepper relish, a cumin creme fraiche, guacamole and fry bread. It looked so delicious! When I returned to work, I was inspired to explore some other recipes in cookbooks written by Bobby Flay. One cookbook that caught my eye was Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries and Shakes. The book discusses all sorts of relishes and condiments to elevate the "classic burger flavored with salt and pepper" to the status of a gourmet meal. After you've mastered the burger, you can experiment with making the best French fries, whether they are grilled, fried, or oven roasted, or made from potatoes, sweet potatoes or plantains. You can then top off your meal with a scrumptious, creamy shake! The recipes in this book are easy to follow and have beautiful colored photograph illustrations. I love Bobby Flay's relaxed manner and way of teaching--this cookbook is perfect for any level of cook. If you aren't fond of burgers, the library also has several other Bobby Flay cookbooks you could try! Bobby Flay is the chef-owner of three Mesa Grill restaurants (in New York City, Caesar's Palace Las Vegas, and the Bahamas), Bar Americain, Bobby Flay Steak and Bobby's Burger Palace. You can discover more information about Bobby Flay by checking out his website at http://www.bobbyflay.com/.

Take a Hawaiian Vacation

Corson Hirschfeld's Aloha, Mr. Lucky is a humorous, irreverent look at life in Hawaii. The book's lead character is Star Hollie, a down-on-his-luck surfer and journalist trying to find some quick cash to pay off his debt to the infamous loan shark Mako. Star decides to run a personals ad to gather research for an article that he's writing about married women looking for extramarital fun. Star's daily interviews with beautiful and lonely women produce some unanticipated results, especially when he falls for one of the women and she ends up dead on the beach. Caddy MacConnell, the dead woman's geologist sister soon seeks Star out, to enlist his help in finding his sister's killer. Star and Caddy work together to find the killer, unraveling a bizarre conspiracy involving an ex-military sadist, two dim-witted Appalachian twins, and an unscrupulous financial backer who dreams of turning a rumbly volcano into the ultimate golf resort. Star Hollis' character is deeply flawed, which makes him a very appealing hero. He's charming, but recognizes his faults and doesn't believe he should fix them. The setting of the story beautifully describes the tropical lushness of Hawaii and the plot is fast-paced and entertaining. If you like reading Elmore Leonard or Carl Hiaasen, you will love reading this book!

New Cookbooks for Diabetics

As more people in the United States, and our community, are diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, more books are published to help these folks win the fight over this disease. The library recently received two new book donations to help with meal planning for diabetics. The first title, Diabetes Meal Planning Made Easy gives lots of tips on how to enjoy food while managing your diabetes. Author Hope S. Warshaw, a nationaly recognized expert on healthly eating and diabetes, acknowledges that meal planning can be one of the hardest parts of managing diabetes. This is a new edition of her best-selling guide, and it is divided into three sections: 1) basic nutrition and healthy eating goals for pre-diabetics and diabetics; 2) an explanation of each major food groups with tips and strategies on how to fit the food groups into your diet; and 3) how to put your healthy eating plan into action. The book is easy to read and would be a helpful guide for someone newly-diagnosed with diabetes or needing a "refresher course" on how to keep their blood glucose levels on target. I especially enjoyed the section on how to read food labels! So, once you've figured out how to eat when you are a diabetic, exactly what do you eat? Nancy S. Hughes' The 4-Ingredient Diabetes Cookbook gives lots of simple, quick and delicious recipes using just four ingredients or less! The book opens with some handy tips about kitchen tools and preparation basics. There are recipes for each food course, from beverages to snacks, vegetarian dishes, seafood, vegetables and fruit sides and desserts. The book has a big typeface and includes "Cook's Tips" on each recipe. The book also includes the Exchanges and nutrition information for each recipe and both books have been endorsed by the American Diabetes Association.

Learn to Love Dexter Morgan

Dexter by Design is the newest book by Jeff Lindsay, and is the fourth in the series starring Dexter Morgan. The books inspired the hit Showtime series, "Dexter," and this book is another entry in this intriguing series. Dexter Morgan is a character that you love and hate equally- by day, he's a blood splatter expert for the Miami Police Department, and by night he's a serial killer who only kills people that he can prove are bad through extensive research. This book was a revelation to me, as it's the only time I have ever felt sympathetic towards a killer. Dexter is cold and methodical, but has learned how to interact successfully in the world. To make things more complicated, his sister Deborah is a detective on the same force and is always doing research of her own. The story is interesting and its fascinating to see how Dexter stays one step ahead of everyone. If you want to discover a different take on serial killers, try reading this book. Don't feel bad if you sympathize with Dexter--it's allowed :)

Get Thrilled with Chelsea Cain

Chelsea Cain is one of the best thriller writers I have ever read. Her first novel, Heartsick, was so intense that it made me want to sleep with the lights on for a couple of days! Cain's novels feature Portland Detective Archie Sheridan and serial killer Gretchen Lowell. Heartsick details Gretchen's capture and torture of Archie, a bizarre sort of pyschological and emotional relationship that has become its own sort of twisted love affair for Archie. The second novel, Sweetheart, furthers Gretchen's story, and the newest novel, Evil at Heart continues to develop the saga of Gretchen Lowell's life as the "beauty killer." The unique aspect of these stories is that the interaction between Gretchen and Archie is a side story to the book's main action. These three books are the ultimate story of cat and mouse. If you like pulse-pounding action, a serial killer with a bizarre motivation and a detective unable to stop his fascination with a killer, try reading these books.