The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher

Penelope Keeling, daughter of painter Lawrence Stern, mother of three grown children: Nancy, Olivia and Noel, discharges herself from the hospital after suffering a heart attack at the age of 64. Although she feels there is nothing wrong with her, this brush with her mortality sets two of her children to thinking about their inheritance. Olivia, more concerned about her mother living alone than caring about money, unexpectedly finds the perfect solution when an old lover of hers dies. She arranges for his 18 year old daughter, Antonia, to stay with Penelope.

When one of Laurence Sterne’s paintings comes up for sale at about half a million pounds, Nancy and Noel, feeling the monetary strain of living outside their means begin to look with greedy eyes at the Shell Seekers, the only painting Penelope owns by her father. But the Shell Seekers is more than just a painting; it is a tie to the past.

Set in parts of England and Cornwall, the Shell Seekers takes us through the events of Penelope’s life from the heart aching destruction of World War II to present day. Following the weave of her life is the Shell Seekers; a link between past, present and future that just might tear this family apart.

Don't forget: you can place this book on hold by going to the JCLC online catalog

Three Men in a Boat (To say nothing of the Dog) by Jerome K. Jerome

On this trip down the river Thames, even for one who knows the area, you would never guess the book was published more than a century ago. "Three Men in a Boat" is as witty today as when it first arrived on the shelves.

Our three men: George, Harris and the narrator, Jerome and his fox terrier, named Montmorency, decide to take a cruise down the Thames to get away from "the stress" of their daily lives. But for these three aristocrats the trip is anything but idyllic. This is one of those books that will have you howling with laughter.This is one of those books that will have you howling with laughter of their exploits: From getting lost in hedge mazes, encountering monstrous cats and vicious swans, and all the problems of navigating a small boat with no experience, even cooking with a camp fire is more complicated than they expected.

You can find this book in our catalog. Just click this link, http://vulcan.bham.lib.al.us/ , click the Title tab, type in the book title and click the Submit button. Enjoy!

Knots and Crosses By Ian Rankin

The setting is Edinburgh, Scotland – late 1980s. Several young girls have been kidnapped and murdered in the city. It seems to be a case only Detective Sergeant John Rebus can solve as the killer is sending him cryptic notes containing a knotted piece of twine or two crossed matches. But his dedication is split as he is fighting to keep his home life together. To solve this case, Rebus must confront aspects of his past that he has tried to forget.

This is the first book of the Rebus series and they just get better and better. I would recommend if you are going to buy them to get a British copy as I have been told that the colloquialisms in American ones has been changed. However, don’t let this spoil your enjoyment of the books as they are still excellent reads.