A Good Yarn by Debbie Macomber

As time passed Lydia's shop became more popular. She worked hard at keeping a wide variety of yarn types and colors. And her classes have been a success, too. The latest class has attracted another mismatched group. Elise retired with dreams for an enjoyable time of travel and life in a new home. Only to find the money she put on that dream home disappeared. Bethanne began a lovely Valentine's day happily married. Then her husband told her he was leaving her for another woman. Courtney's mother died several years ago and now her dad is going to work in Brazil. So she is stuck living in Seattle with her grandmother for a year. And now they all signed up to learn to knit socks. That first lesson left Lydia wondering how this group was ever going to gel. The tension was palpable among these very tense females.
As Lydia had found knitting helpful, so did Elise, Bethanne and Courtney. Their life stories seemed to be unravelled but in time they each found themselves and one another while knitting socks.

Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants by Dav Pilkey

I read this book expecting to close it within seconds of opening it, but to my surprise it was interesting. The adventurous characters Harold and George kept me wondering what they were to conjure up next. They had vivid imaginations that reminded me of my childhood. Basically they were bored with the traditional teaching styles and were oftentimes up to mischief because of it. The moral of the story is to accept people for whom and what they are or are not. Great stress reliever for adults and the kid at heart.

B-Smile

This review was written by Bridget Turner (B-Smile), Adult Services Dept.

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Nichols Voted Alabama Library Association President-elect

Nichols Voted Alabama Library Association President-elect
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April 13-19 National Library Week: Reference Desk Video

The Gift of Fear by Gavin De Becker

I enjoyed this book and consider it to be very timely in today's violent society. According to the author, "True Fear is a Gift." The book is a common sense approach to personal safety. The book uses examples to show how different people have dealt with and reacted to violence. De Becker describes the traits that can lead to predicting violent behavior in family members, co-workers and strangers. He shows how people have been saved just because they chose to react based on their "gut feeling." He urges people to listen to their inner self and pay attention to the feeling of fear because it could save their lives. Everyone could benefit from reading this book because everyone interacts daily with people that could potentially be violent.

Temporary Husband by DiAnn Mills

Nebraska July, 1885
Nettie Franklin had decided that the best place to carry on her temperance campaign was at the saloon. Saloon customers and the saloon owner did not share her opinions and took offense at her abuse of their freedoms. It just happened that the saloon owner was none other than Judge Albert Balsh. When Nettie interuppted one of his customers and poured out his drink, the judge had had enough. When she would not pay for the drink she had poured out, she was arrested. While in jail she met a man named Riley O'Connor. The judge had warned him not to come back drunk to his town or he'd land in jail. Riley had changed and did not drink anymore. He came to Mesquite to thank Abe Wilkins for patching him up and putting his life on the right path. Unfortunately, his head got in the way of an iron skillet when a couple was fighting. Judge Balsh saw him staggering and threw him in jail. Riley insisted that he was not drunk but the judge would not believe him. He was mad at both Riley and Nettie and wanted to let them rot in jail. His wife was Nettie's best friend and she tried to help Nettie. Her suggestion: Nettie could marry and the judge would let her out. And then after several days they could have the marriage annulled. Maybe Riley would consent to be Nettie's temporary husband. But the plan would only work if the judge cooperated. But would he?

Alert! To Kill a Mockingbird tickets at Alabama Theatre

Homewood Library's tickets are SOLD OUT for To Kill a Mockingbird at the historic Alabama Theatre tonight at 7:00 pm.

However, tickets will be available at the door starting at 6:00 pm.

Tickets are $4 per person and popcorn and a soft drink are included. There will be a special appearance by Mary Badham, who played Scout in the 1962 film.

Join us!

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

Returning home from a business trip for a miserable job, an insomniac finds all his belongings in splinters on the street below after his high-rise condo explodes. He fakes terminal disease in order to attend support groups for the terminally ill, fights strangers at 2 a.m. and learns to make soap; and napalm. All thanks to a new friend in his life, Tyler Durden.

Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club is what would happen if young professional men turned anarchists re-wrote Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood. Fight Club begins as a small group of men try to fight their way out of perpetual childhood and American consumerism and grows into a nationwide terrorist organization. Only one of the men that founded it can stop it, and it may mean killing the closest person to them.

This is one of my absolute favorite books. It's only April, and I've already read it three times this year. It's a great way to cleanse your reading palate. It's a perverse and violent wake up call for the professional American male.

Mortal Instruments Book Two: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

If you haven't read book one, City of Bones, don't read this blog. It may contain spoilers...

In my experience, the second book in a trilogy is often nothing but filler and fluff. Some good information may be passed along to the reader, but the book as a whole is less interesting than the first and third. That is NOT the case with City of Ashes, by Cassandra Clare. So much happened in this book: Clary continues denying the attraction they feel for one another but Jace insists their impossible relationship isn't impossible; Simon makes a definite move for Clary, too, but then goes through some serious personal transformations and meets a sexy were-girl; Valentine is accelerating his plan against the Clave and wants Jace on his side; the Queen of the Seelie Court hints that there is something very different about Jace and Clary that no one has told them; and Alec, Isabelle, Simon, Clary and Jace all fight lots of demons and try to save the world from Valentine's evil plot. Whew!

Some of the existing plot lines are tied up in this second book, while many more are developed. It's going to be very difficult waiting for the next installment.