I recently loaded this to my kindle on the recommendation of a friend, I planned to slowly ready it over the course of a week. Unfortunately that did not work out I read the entire book in one sitting then loaded the sequel and read that entire thing right after that. Sandman Slim is the story of a wizard who was banished to hell by his friends, he survived in hell fighting in gladiator pits and eventually escaped and now he wants answers and revenge!  Make no mistake this is popcorn fare but it sure was fun reading these books and it’s a good addition to the urban fantasy genre.

~John

The Countess is an historical fiction novel that depicts the life of
Countess Elizabeth Bathory de Ecsed, a countess from the renowned Bathory
family of Hungary.  She has been labeled as the most prolific female serial
killer in history, but evidence of her crimes is questionable.  She will
always be remembered as the "Blood Countess" or the "Blood Queen" who was
accused of torturing and killing hundreds of girls and young women.  She was
never convicted, but was imprisoned in a bricked in set of rooms in the
Csejte Castle until her death.  Johns' story is carefully researched and
brings a unique perspective on Bathory's life.

~Julie Hildebrand

After reading Pillars of the Earth I am on a historical fiction kick.  I am now listening to The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory.  I am really enjoying it!  I have seen other books by this popular author, but this is my first time reading her.  The characters are described with such art that you feel you are watching the scenes unfold.  What would it be like to be betrothed at nine years old, to be married at twelve, and to be a mother and a widow at 13?  The political scheming that manipulates the lives of women, using them as crated swine to produce offspring to jostle for political power, is hard to believe, but Gregory makes it believable, and fascinating.  The constant drama keeps the reader thirsty for more.  Pass me the ale!

Julie

Cormac McCarthy is probably  one of America’s most unique authors, his style of writing, his reclusive nature and the fact that his books are very good are what helps him remain unique. McCarthy’s stark novels typically do not have happy endings and his sparse use of punctuation and style of writing make his books difficult to read.  I would say his two most accessible books are The Road, and No Country for Old Men.

The Road is a story of a man and his son trying to survive after a devastating event brought the world to its knees. They contend with starvation, brutal weather, and bands of roving cannibals. This might sound kind of bleak and believe me it is, but it makes for a good tale I highly suggest this book and will be leading a Book Discussion Saturday, May 1st at 2:00 PM. If you are interested pick up a book at the front desk.

John Long

This book was so much fun to read! It follows the exact same story as the classic Pride and Prejudice book but Seth Grahame-Smith turned the characters into Martial arts masters that fight hoards of flesh eating zombies everyday. It really adds a fun exciting twist to Pride and Prejudice that I think can be enjoyed by all ages. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a good gory zombie romance!

Kriztina

The Lovely Bones has been released as a movie. You can watch the trailer below.

The book is about a 14-year-old murder victim, Susie Salmon who was raped and killed by her neighbor. Susie goes to heaven where she observes how her death has affected her friends and family.

Her father suspects the neighbor, but goes crazy because he can’t prove anything.

Some parts were gripping, others forgettable.  I have a feeling the movie will be better than the book.  I can’t wait to see it.

~Julie

The action begins six days after a series of explosions devastated Washington, D.C., targeting the National Counterterrorism Center and killing 185 people, including public officials and CIA employees. It was a bizarre act of extreme violence that called for extreme measures on the part of elite counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp and his trusted team member, Mike Nash. Now that the initial shock of the catastrophe is over, key Washington officials are up in arms over whether to make friends or foes of the agents who stepped between the enemy's bullets and countless American lives regardless of the legal consequences. Not for the first time, Rapp finds himself in the frustrating position of having to illustrate the realities of national security to politicians whose view from the sidelines is inevitably obstructed.

Mitch Rapp is back. A very fast paced, heart pounding political thriller.

Becky

Tim O'Brien artfully weaves truths and half truths in a stunning series of connected stories all based on a fictional squad he was a member of in Vietnam. The great majority of the stories are a mixture of gallows humor mixed with moments of stark violence and tragedy. I picked the book up not knowing it was fiction and it was only half way through when he started talking about the merits of truth that I began to doubt myself. A quick check verified that it was indeed a "Fiction" book.
Truth or not I think that the feelings the soldiers in this book felt are probably pretty close to what a lot of the soldiers who served in Vietnam felt and I didn't put the book down until i was on the last page.

Thursday, January 28th  at 5 PM I will be leading a book discussion centered around this book. Feel free to join us books are available for checkout at the main desk.

John