Love in a Nutshell

I absolutely adore the humor and effervescent writing of Janet Evanovich!  Her latest book, Love in a Nutshell, is a collaboration between herself and Dorien Kelly.  The story is a light-hearted romance with a bit of a mystery thrown in to make the plot more entertaining.  The story is set in Keene's Harbor, Michigan, where Kate Appleton escapes to her parents'summer home after her husband leaves her and she is fired from her job as a magazine editor.  Kate is desperate to find a job in order to earn much-needed cash to renovate the summer home into a bed-and-breakfast business, but the only job she can find is with Matt Culhane at his local brewery.  Someone is sabotaging Matt's business and he hires Kate to discover the culprit.  The only problem is, Kate begins to have feelings for her employer---will they get in the way of solving the mystery?  This is a great story filled with romantic suspense, small-town antics, secret sabotage and lots and lots of beer.  I especially enjoyed reading all about how beer is made and the "secrets" behind a small-town brewery.  This is a very quick and fun read!

Meet the Duchess of Windsor

I first became interested in the Duchess of Windsor when I read a book about her jewels that were being auctioned.  I had heard the tale of Edward VIII who gave up the throne of England for “the woman he loved,” but did not know much about the woman herself.  I wound up reading two biographies of her and was fascinated.  Now I have a new biography to read.  It is entitled That Woman: the Life of Wallis Simpson Duchess of Windsor by Anne Sebba.  “That woman,” as she was referred to by the Queen Mother, became a hated figure for ensnaring a British King and destabilizing the monarchy.  Born in 1896 in Baltimore, Bessie Wallis Warfield endured an impoverished and comparatively obscure childhood that inflamed a burning desire to rise above her circumstances.  Neither beautiful nor brilliant, she nevertheless became one of the most talked-about women of her generation, and inspired such deep love and adoration in Edward VIII that he gave up a throne and an empire for her.  Wallis lived by her wits, while both her apparent and alleged moral transgressions added to her aura and dazzle.  Accused of Fascists sympathies, having Nazi lovers, and learning bizarre sexual techniques in China, she was the subject of widespread gossip and fascination. In death, the Duchess became a style icon and a symbol of empowerment, a woman whose unequivocal aim was to win the game of life.

Celebrate National Library Week With Us!

National Library Week 2012 is April 8 - April 14, 2012!  Visit the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library this week and explore one of the many programs the library has available for you!  From learning about Cyber-Bullying to sharing cookies and punch with library staff, this is a great time to come visit us and see what the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library has to offer.

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty

Joshilyn Jackson has written another wonderful mother/ daughter drama in her new novel, A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty.  The author of Gods in Alabama, the novel is both bittersweet and elegant as it explores the life of "Big," who had her daughter Liza when she was fifteen and Mosey, her granddaughter, who Liza had when she was fifteen.  They all live in a small town and are looked down upon because of their young births, and Big works hard to make a life for all of them.  Liza is a flirtatious play girl until she suddenly has a stroke and Big is forced to care for her as well as Mosey.  The book is a tense mystery, when a baby's bones are dug up from under the willow tree and the whole town begins guessing whose baby it was.  Mosey and her friends decide themselves to try to solve the mystery so they can figure out who their family members really are.  The book is told in alternate chapters by Mosey, Liza and Big and this makes an interesting read.  The challenging part is that Liza is unable to speak, so she is stuck trying to figure out how to communicate what she knows, to her mom and daughter.  It's a fascinating story and an example of great writing!  If you love Jodi Picoult, try also reading Joshilyn Jackson--you won't be disappointed!