A Lancaster County Christmas by Suzanne Woods Fisher

On their way to meet Jamie's father for a Christmas cruise, the red convertible went off the road and into the pond of an Amish family.  Consequently they were unexpected guests in the home of Mattie and Sol Riehl and son Danny.  Jamie and C.J. easily warmed up to Mattie who was petite and quiet as well as friendly and hospitable.  Sol was a large man and stern but this first impression of him changed as they came to know him.  Danny was an inquisitive child who liked everyone.  When he disappeared, C.J.'s training and experience in search and rescue was a great help to all.  And Jamie was able to help Mattie focus her attention on things other than worry.  The differences between Amish and 'English' are obvious in the story but more important are the relationships and bonds formed between between Jamie, C.J., Mattie, Sol, Danny and the local Amish community.  During their 'down time' from a busy schedule in the 'English' world Jamie and C.J. each had a chance with the help of their new friends to reflect on their own problems and possible solutions.  The Christmas holiday was not what they expected but maybe time in an Amish winter wonderland was what they needed. 

Reserve this book!

~Beth H.

Library eBooks Now Available for Kindle

The Public Libraries of Jefferson County are excited to announce that their eBook collections are now compatible with the world’s bestselling eBook reader, the Amazon® Kindle. Patrons can now download popular and classic eBooks to a Kindle device or any mobile device running the free Kindle app such as iPhone®, iPad®, Android™, and more. To access the more than 6,000 titles available for downloading, library patrons can visit the downloadable website at downloadable.jclc.org. For assistance, visit Homewood Public Library's Kindle Help page.

Kindle users can browse the county-wide collection of bestselling and classic eBooks from a PC or Mac computer, check out titles using a library card, and select “Get for Kindle” to deliver eBooks to their Kindle device or any device running the free Kindle app. Users who enjoy eBooks on Kindle will benefit from Amazon’s Whispersync technology that synchronizes notes, highlights and last page read between their Kindle and free Kindle apps. The Public Libraries of Jefferson County partner with OverDrive, Inc., a global leader in eBook distribution for libraries and schools, to offer this service.   

The Public Libraries of Jefferson County also offer eBooks and audiobooks for use on a PC or Mac computer as well as popular mobile devices such as the smartphone, MP3 player, and eBook readers like the Barnes & Noble® Nook™ and Sony® Reader.

A Turn in the Road by Debbie Macomber

Bethanne Hamlin has a difficult decision to make.  Six years ago her husband of 20 years, Grant, left Bethanne and their two children to be with a younger woman.  That did not work out for him and now he wants to reconcile with his first love.  But she is a changed woman.  To give her time to reflect and decide whether she wants this or if it is even possible, she agrees to accompany her ex mother-in-law, Ruth, on a cross country drive to Florida.  Ruth is going to attend her fiftieth high school reunion and hopefully get reacquainted with her high school sweetheart.  

Bethanne's daughter was recently deeply disappointed by her boyfriend's behavior.  She, too, has decided to go along for a change of scenery.  The places they go and the people they meet on the way make for an exciting trip for all three women.  When they get back to Seattle, Bethanne's son will be getting married.  Then Bethanne needs to have an answer for Grant and Max, the biker she met on the trip who gave her a new perspective on her life. 

Reserve this title in the catalog in large print, book-on-CD, and downloadable audiobook formats.

~Beth H.

Under a Maui Moon by Robin Jones Gunn

Carissa and Richard have been married for twenty-four years and raised a terrific son in Portland, Oregon.   What a wonderful time for them to become reacquainted.  But instead they have been growing apart.   They just weren't communicating or showing love for one another.  Then Carissa lost her job working for a group of physicians.  Before she left the office, one of the doctors offered her the use of his cottage on Maui for a vacation.  He and his wife would not be there again for several months.  Carissa made flight reservations and took off without talking to Richard or her sister or mother about where she was going or why.  Maui was a lovely spot for letting go of stress and lots of confusion.  The people she met there were hospitable and caring.  What better place to breathe in God's love and guidance.  What better place to rekindle a marriage.

Place this book on hold in the catalog. It is available in large print too. 


~Beth H.

Homewood Public Library Launches Online Book Clubs

Finding a Great Book to Read Just Got Easier

So many books, so little time!

For all those busy people, the Homewood Public Library has a new service: an Online Book Club that delivers books electronically. Each day, Monday through Friday, the library emails subscribers a portion of a book that takes about 5 minutes to read. They're able to read two or three chapters from a book during the week. If they like a book, they can check it out of the library. Each week the library features new books.

With 11 book clubs to choose from, there's something for everyone. Patrons can read Fiction, NonFiction, Romance, Business, Good News, Teen, Mystery, They can also listen to Audio Books in their email and there's even a PrePublication Club. You can start reading books in your email before they're even published. Now you can discover great books, even if you're too busy to visit the library.

Library Director Deborah Fout says, "This new service makes it easy for people to get back into the habit of reading. It only takes 5 minutes a day and it's fun!"

Currently subscribers are reading the following books: FICTION - Stay by Allie Larkin, NONFICTION - 703 by Nancy Makin, MYSTERY - Rogue by Frederick Ramsay, BUSINESS - Walk the Walk by Alan Deutschman, TEEN - Always a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough, ROMANCE - Living on the Edge by Shannon K Butcher, GOOD NEWS - Bathsheba by Jill Eileen Smith, AUDIOBOOKS - Ghost in the Wires by Kevin Mitnick, SCIENCE FICTION - Mission of Honor by David Weber, PRE PUBLICATION - Sad Monsters by Frank Lesser, THRILLER - Spiral by Paul McEuen

You can sign up for the service at the library or at our website: HomewoodPublicLibrary.org.

You can also forward the emails to your friends. It's a great way to stay in touch with friends and relatives that live in other parts of the country.