Blood of the Prodigal

Blood of the Prodigal by P. Gaus mystery novel Paul Gaus paints a picture of Amish life in Ohio and how interactions with "Englishers" can get complicated, especially for young people wanting to see more of the world beyond their ordered, plain existance. An Amish man is murdered and a pastor and a professor that the Amish trust are asked to figure out what happened. This is a fairly clean book for a murder mystery and should appeal to Ohioans in particular. This is the first in a series of Ohio Amish mysteries.

Dog Days

Dog Days by Jon Katz audiobook If you have to be trapped in a car with the family, I recommend bringing an audiobook like "Dog Days" or a James Herriot compilation. Katz (Ha! A man named cats writing about dogs) tells of his misadventures on a farm in Vermont or upstate New York. I never was completely sure which state it was in, but it doesn't matter. Each chapter can stand alone, which is good for when you have to make rest stops on the highway. Along with dogs, we encounter elderly neighbors, donkeys, sheep, and more. This must be book 2, because he refers to his "other" book at the beginning of this one. (First dog book: 1) Dog Year. Second dog book: 2) New Work of Dogs. Third dog book: Dogs of Bedlam Farm. Fourth dog book: Dog Days. I am not completely certain that I have this order right, though). His book is endearing, sweet, and witty.

President Obama on Free Speech

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

In an address to the United Nations: “As president of our country, and commander-in-chief of our military, I accept that people are going to call me awful things every day,” Obama said. “And I will defend their right to do so.” For that, he received cheers in the cavernous hall. The president worked to explain — before a sometimes skeptical audience that has never completely bought into the U.S. idea that even hateful speech is protected — why the U.S. values its First Amendment so highly. “We do so because in a diverse society, efforts to restrict speech can become a tool to silence critics, or oppress minorities,” Obama said. “We do so because given the power of faith in our lives, and the passion that religious differences can inflame, the strongest weapon against hateful speech is not repression, it is more speech — the voices of tolerance that rally against bigotry and blasphemy, and lift up the values of understanding and mutual respect.” He said Americans “have fought and died around the globe to protect the right of all people to express their view.” http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/national_world/2012/09/26/before-u-n--obama-champions-free-speech.html

Do You Wear Diapers?

Do You Wear Diapers? by Tanya Roitman and Harriet Ziefert, Inc. board book ages 2-4 Toddlers may wonder - "Do tigers wear diapers? Does anyone else wear diapers"? Here is the answer book. No. The answer is "no". Only humans wear diapers. Others poop in or near their own habitats. If your family is full of doctors and nurses or biology teachers, then this a good book for your family. I don't recommend it for a genteel grandmother to read or for someone else who is easily grossed out. Half of my audience laughed and the other half thought it was icky. In case you were wondering: There are NOT pictures of poop, but there are illustrations of various animals. Readalike: Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi

Kitty Kitty

Kitty Kitty by Michele Jaffe Young Adult Mystery Jasmine is the coolest, hippest teen around. She is a modern day Nancy Drew, except when she is stuck wearing a squirrel costume in Italy. This is a hilarious, smart-alecky book filled with today's slang, instant messaging, etc. Since I am not a young adult, it took me a while to get some of her put-downs. Did I mention that cats absolutely adore her? This is probably a good book for a reluctant reader as the 17 year old character is full of angst against her father, fashion conscious, and perky.

Desert

"Maybe God created the desert so that man could appreciate the date trees, he thought". From The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

Croak

Croak 1 by Gina Damico Young Adult Fantasy Fiction Lexington is a disgruntled teenager. Actually, it is worse than that. She has a big chip on her shoulder, but no one can say why. She is sent to live with her biker uncle to straighten her out. It turns out that he is the Grim Reaper! One of the grim reapers, anyway. The reapers' job (of course) is to take the souls of the dead to the afterlife. Lex becomes a reapers' apprentice. This is the job she was meant to do. This is a smart alecky book with a nod to classical mythology. Since the author called it "Croak 1" it is obvious that this is book one in a trilogy or longer.

Unveiled

Unveiled: How an American Woman Found Her Way through Politics, Love, and Obedience in the Middle East by Deborah Kanafani narrated by Suzanne Toren adult autobiography audiobook A well educated daughter of a Syrian American lawyer is interested in exploring her Middle Eastern roots. She takes a job with a nonprofit organization promoting understanding of the Arab world. Eventually she falls in love with a man whose first duty is to the love of his life - Palestine. She tells about Middle East politics from a personal point of view. She is not particularly religious nor loyal to any particular political stance except for PEACE. She works toward understanding and peace between Israel and Palestine and the West and the Middle East. Eventually her marriage dissolves and she finds herself without custody of her children. Through her experiences, the listener comes to understand a little bit the frustration that westerners have with sharia law. She also tells the stories of a number of courageous Middle Eastern women, including Queen Dina of Jordan and Suha Arafat, the wife of Yasser Arafat. It is/was certainly a world with which I am not familiar. It is interesting to hear another perspective than what we generally get from the American media.

Summer reading, etc. 2012

What have I checked out of the library so far this summer? Ghost Flower by Michele Jaffe. YA suspense fiction. This book has the creepiness of the Flowers in the Attic books. An 18 year old homeless girl is hired by a pair of rich siblings to impersonate their dead cousin. This seems like a good deal to Eve, but will they now bump her off for the money? Jaffe keeps the reader guessing. 7/30/2012 9:31:34 AM _____ Along the Way. Autobiography by Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez. This father and son actor team tell about their lives on and off set. Daytonians will be interested that Sheen attended Chaminade High and lived in Dayton. He mentions Brown Street, WSU, UD, and Kettering. 7/24/2012 1:14:31 PM _____ Contagion. Video. What if a new virus hit the Earth leaving one in three people dead? How long would it take to make a vaccine? Would riots ensue? Would school be cancelled? This is a realistic look at the possibilities. 7/13/2012 11:34:23 AM _____ Cat Who Turned On and Off. Audiobook. Lillian Jackson Braun. Qwill is a crime solving newspape writer and Koko is his Siamese cat partner. In this delightful installation Qwill is investigating the antiques neighborhood. Has someone taken the antique dealers' competition too far? Is someone murdering for rare treasures? Find out! 7/11/2012 2:40:15 PM _____ Goddess Test. Teen Romance Book. Aimee Carter. This is a modern take on the Greek mythology of Persephone and Hades. Kate is a teenager who is acquainted with death through the lingering illness of her mother. Can she withstand a number of trials to make a deal with death? 7/7/2012 4:47:37 PM _____ Lockdown. Audiobook. Walter Dean Myers. This author is a master storyteller and the reader, J. D. Jackson does a great job with narrating. Fourteen year old Maurice is in juvenile detention for having stolen prescription pads from a doctor's office. Is he doomed to a life of crime or can he turn himself around? The book is gritty, yet authentic as it debates the current situation of inner city children. 6/29/2012 1:41:25 PM _____ Gone Away Lake and Return to Gone Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright. Children's book and audiobook. What if you found an abandoned neighborhood complete with spooky old houses, furniture, and more? It is a This Old House and Antiques Roadshow dream as well as that of some New York children. Newbery Honor Book. 6/27/2012 9:18:34 AM _____ Everything Must Go. Video. Will Ferrell. This is a sad, thoughtful, movie about a man who loses his job, his wife, and his home. Is it all bad, though? Now he has time to talk to the people in the neighborhood and assess what is important. 6/27/2012 9:10:23 AM _____ War Horse. Video. This movie follows the life of a British horse during World War I. He is captured by the Germans, then falls into French hands, back to German control, etc. It reminds me of Black Beauty. 6/26/2012 12:22:20 PM _____ Yo Gabba Gabba the Dancey Dance Bunch. children's video. Psychedelic, man. Far out! If you have watched all of the Doodlebops, watch this next. 6/26/2012 12:21:08 PM _____ Mighty Wind. Video + Soundtrack on CD. We watched this fake documentary about 1960's folk singers and enjoyed the music very much, then we checked out the soundtrack to listen to in the car. In particular, the novelty song "Old Joe's Place" and the title song are toe tapping fun! 6/25/2012 12:48:45 PM _____ Mockingjay. Book #3 in the Hunger Games. Katniss has become the symbol of the revolution, but who can she trust? Is she still just a player in someone's game? 6/21/2012 11:49:26 AM _____ Movie. Talking Picture. in Portuguese with subtitles. This is a tour of the history of Western civilization up to 2001 as seen through the eyes of a Portuguese professor and her young daughter as they take a cruise around the Mediterranean. 6/18/2012 12:46:53 PM _____ Movie. Descendants with George Clooney. A family is changed forever when the mother is in an accident and in a coma from which she will not recover. The Dad has to stop

being the "backup parent" and become THE parent. It is a thoughtful film with a great Hawaiian soundtrack. 6/18/2012 10:12:33 AM _____ Book. White Truffles in Winter. This work of historical fiction is based on the life of Auguste Escoffier, a master chef whose work influenced French and English cooking forevermore. Some of his dishes are disgusting and others sound wonderful. Many other historical figures also appear including Prince Bertie, Kaiser Wilhelm, and Sarah Bernhardt. 6/14/2012 2:44:42 PM _____ "Catching Fire" book 2 in the Hunger Games series. Without meaning to, Katniss has become a symbol of rebellion against the Capitol. What will transpire in District 12 and the rest of the country? 6/14/2012 2:35:41 PM _____ Video "The Way" staring Martin Sheen and written by his son, Emilio Estevez. A father decides to walk El Camino de Santiago, a pilgrim's path in France and Spain in memory of his son who died on this historic trail. The walk is a spiritual journey as well as a physical one. Sheen, a Dayton native, gives a great performance. 6/14/2012 2:34:26 PM _____ Audiobook "13 Gifts" by Wendy Mass. Twelve year old Tara is banished to her mother's home town for the summer while her parents are on a research trip to Madagascar. Odd things are happening in this town. Is this like Eerie, Indiana, or is it all in Tara's head? Somehow she is trapped into leading a scavenger hunt. Can she get the items before the summer is out? Sometimes silly, sometimes serious, Tara deals with the quirky characters the best she can. 6/14/2012 2:31:43 PM

Fairy Godmother

Fairy Godmother
by
Mercedes Lackey
adult fantasy fiction
http://www.mercedeslackey.com/biblio_series.html
Book 1 in the 500 Kingdoms Series

Everyone knows the Cinderella story, but what if Cinderella's Prince never came? I guess she had better find an apprenticeship for herself.