Fizz! Boom! Read!

It's almost time for the start of our Summer Library Program.  This year's theme is science based and called 'Fizz! Boom! Read!'.  Each week will be dedicated to a different topic like colors, weather, oceans and our five senses.  The weekly Storytimes (Tuesdays and Wednesday at 10:30 am) will reflect the theme of the week as will the craft projects.

Registration for the Summer Library Program will begin on Monday, June 2 and end on Friday, June 20.  Ages from preschool through 12th grade are welcome to participate.  Participants will be placed in one of three categories : Preschool, School-age (Kindergarten - 5th grade) or Teen (6th - 12th grade).  Even if your child can't read on their own yet, take part with the 'Read-To-Me' program.

Each child will set his/her own reading goals.  We recommend that the goal be set low enough for the child to realistically reach while leaving time for other summertime activities.

The last day to report on books that have been read is Friday, July 11 and the closing celebration for all participants who meet their reading goals will be on Wednesday, July 16.

Have a happy summer of discovery!

"Death of a Policeman"

     This latest installment of the Hamish Macbeth series by author M.C. Beaton finds our intrepid police sergeant at odds with his superiors. Hamish Macbeth has managed to keep his little station at Lochdubh open so far, but if Chief Inspector Blair has his way, Macbeth and the station will go the way of the dodo. Blair insists that Macbeth does nothing important on his beat, but the people of the small communities surrounding his station rely on him to settle disputes, look in on those who have no one, and to generally put up with all manner of nonsense from the locals. Blair has decided to send policeman Cyril Sessions to spy on Macbeth and gather as much evidence as he can to shut down the Lochdubh station. However, Macbeth is onto Cyril's game almost from the moment he arrives and he is having none of Cyril's nonsense. The only trouble is that Cyril is murdered while following Macbeth in the countryside. At first, it looks like Cyril is killed by a criminal drug ring operating in the highlands. Even while trying to solve Cyril's murder, Macbeth must try to save his station, deal with his lovesick policeman Dick, and his own pitiful attempts at romance.

    The author, Beaton, excels at her descriptions of the Scottish Highlands as well as the myriad of colorful local characters she uses to populate her books. While the ending is a bit of an out-of-nowhere twist, the last part of the book does seem a little hurried. Some may say that this series is getting a little tired, but fans of the series will not be disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed this book for what it is: a fun, cozy mystery and an easy read.

Share a Meal with Anne Burrell

If you are a food network fanatic like me, you will be happy to learn that the library has a copy of Anne Burrell's newest book, Own Your Kitchen:  Recipes to Inspire and Empower.  This book is about being in charge when you cook--this includes discovering how flavors work together, creating meals with the ingredients you have in your pantry and also how to feel confident and stress free when you are making meals.  Anne Burrell does these three things by sharing the recipes that she makes at home when she's relaxed and wanting to share

something good with her friends and family.  The 100 recipes in this book have been designed to teach the reader how to be comfortable with essential cooking techniques such as:  making an omelet, butterflying a chicken for an easy roast and how to bake focaccia bread.  She also offers tips, such as items that can be prepared ahead (marinades) or how to coax flavor out of a chicken by using a garlic rubdown.  The book contains seasonal as well as everyday recipes and ways to bounce back after you make a mistake.  Anne Burrell is the New York Times best selling author of Cook Like a Rock Star, and the host for many years of Food Network's Secrets of a Restaurant Chef.  She is co-host of Worst Cooks in America and host of Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell.  She is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, worked at Lidia Bastianich's Felidia and Peter Hoffman's Savoy and taught at the Institute of Culinary Education.  She currently lives in New York City.

Tales of the D'Artigo Sisters

By some interesting twist of fate, I just read two Yasmine Galenorn novels at the same time:  Shaded Vision and Crimson Veil.  Both are novels in the "Otherworld" series, and Shaded Vision comes in the series before Crimson Veil.  I listened to Crimson Veil in audio book form and read Shaded Vision in book form.  The narrator of Crimson Veil is Cassandra Campbell and she did a wonderful job with bringing the characters of the story alive.  The D'Artigo sisters are three half-Fae, half-human ex-operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency.  Camille is a witch, Delilah is a werecat and Menolly is an acrobat turned vampire. The sisters have been charged with finding seven spirit seals and keeping them away from a demon lord.  In Shaded Vision, the sisters are trying to find an arsonist who keeps bombing supernatural businesses such as the Supe Community Council and several vampire bars.  In Crimson Veil, the sisters are trying to stop Lowestar Radcliff (the demon in charge of a supernatural corporate power grab) from awakening Suvika, the lord of vice.  Both stories are full of complex characters and it is enjoyable reading (and listening to) how they interact with each other.  The novels are wonderful paranormal stories with romance and fantastical creatures thrown in the mix.  I do suggest you read the books in order as the events of each book build upon each other.