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.