Something whimsical

Looking for something fun to read? Try Shanna Swedson's series: Enchanted Inc, Once Upon Stilettos, Damsel Under Stress and Don't Hex With Texas

These three titles feature Katie Chandler, a small town girl from Texas now living in New York. Katie was warned that strange people live in New York City but she seems to run into the strangest, like a flying gargoyle, mischievous fairies and a very powerful bad wizard. The weird thing is no one else seems to give these people a second glance. That's when Katie finds out she have a very powerful gift, the ability to see through the disguises the magic world wears to blend in and appear normal to humans.

When Katie accepts a job working for MSI Inc. life as she knows it will never be the same. These easy to read books are a little bit fantasy, a little bit romance and a whole lot of fun!

Let me know how you enjoy them!

Mary S.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

I really must thank the "Bookies" book club for selecting this book to read for the April discussion - otherwise I might never have read it. I had read the reviews, knew it was a popular choice for readers of all types, but the description just did not do it for me. Once I started, however, I was hooked.

Told from the perspectives of three different women, The Help takes place in Jackson Mississippi in the 1960's, when the winds of change are just beginning to blow and civil rights are moving to the forefront of the American conscience. Aibileen is an older, wiser black woman who has spent her life raising her employer's white children. She is strong, faithful and intelligent. Her best friend is Minny, younger, spirited, and has a reputation for being mouthy and difficult (among her white employers.) Skeeter is a member of the white gentry, who grew up on a cotton plantation and was raised by her mother's black servant, Constantine, and whose friends are now hiring "help" of their own. The three women take turns narrating the story, as they become tied together in a manner that none of them could have anticipated.

A few readers I know had a difficult time getting into the story; once they made it through the first few chapters, they were invested. This is a powerful story of love, courage, empowerment, sisterhood and survival. This is a great read for a book club or just for your own enjoyment. It is hard to believe that this is Kathryn Stockett's first novel - I cannot wait for her next offering!

Abraham Lincoln : Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

I first heard of this book while listening to a speaker talk about the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois and my first thought was that sounds ridiculous! The author, Seth Grahame-Smith, claims that the idea came to him while he was in a bookstore, looking around at what people were reading. He noticed a display on Lincoln, and another on the Twilight series and the idea just clicked. He said it was his "chocolate and peanut butter" moment.

I have to admit I was skeptical when I first picked up the book. I've only read one other book that he had written, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and thought it was okay but not that great. I've enjoyed reading some of the vampire series that are available and I love historical fiction, so I thought I'd at least take this one home and look at it! I was really surprised that I really enjoyed this book! Grahame-Smith takes the things we know about Lincoln's life and introduces vampires in a totally believable way... if you believe in vampires that is! His stories and the use of photos in the book made me run to my computer and check to see what actually happened. I would recommend this book to any reader who likes to read horror and/or historical fiction.

Staff Picks! Staff Picks!

Here are a few titles that have been recently recommended by the fine readers on staff at the Three Rivers Public Library District:

Tell No One by Harlen Coben - Eight years ago, Dr. David Beck's wife, Elizabeth was kidnapped and killed while they were on their honeymoon - so why suddenly is he receiving emails that could only be from her? With the cops now breathing down his neck, how can he prove his innocence and figure out the mystery at hand? A suspenseful read.

Blue Diary by Alice Hoffman - What I enjoyed about this book was the "what would I do" question. Jorie and her husband have what appears to be a storybook marriage. They are loved by townspeople and one of those families you can count on for anything. Then comes a knock on the door that changes their lives forever. What would you do? Could you stand by your man?

Sweethearts Knitting Club by Lori Wilde - This is a romance about a small town and high school sweethearts meeting up again after the bad boy goes to jail and ends up the sheriff of the town is not as good as every one believed he was.

A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel - Essays from novelist Kimmel on her unusual childhood growing up in a tiny town in Indiana. This book is funny and touching, and reminds me of my own childhood here in Minooka!

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - Circus animals, romance, unforgettable characters (including an elephant!) and a memerizing plot make this book one to savor. Best of all, it has one of the best endings to a story I have ever read!

Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang

Chelsea Handler, known for her E! network television show, Chelsea Lately, had produced another book detailing her irreverent take on life. Following her successful My Horizontal Life and Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, her new title takes off where the others left off.

In this particular book, Chelsea seems to have settled down quite a bit - she has a steady boyfriend (who is the president of the E! Entertainment Network) and even shows her softer side when she decides to adopt a dog. Her family plays a central role in many of the exploits as well. The conversations that take place between herself, her siblings and their father are particularly memorable. Despite the relative calmness of her escapades, she is still hilarious...if you like her sort of humor in the first place. If you find her a bit too much on television, this book might not be for you. However, if you are looking for a few laughs, don't mind salty language or sarcasm, give this one a try.

Happiness Key by Emilie Richards

Tracy DeLoche wasn't looking for a fresh start when she headed for Happiness Key, Florida, after her divorce. Hoping to remove the tenants and sell the property as quickly as possible, she certainly did not want to plant any roots in the area. However, when one of her tenants passes away soon after her arrival, she becomes far more involved in her tenants' lives than she ever planned, and in the process, learns to open up and live again herself.

This book has a little bit of everything in it - romance, mystery, humor, suspense - which all wraps up with my personal favorite - a happy ending! The main characters all come from very different backgrounds, which leads to tension among the neighbors at first, but they all learn to overcome and get along in spite of this. Overall, this is a story of friendship and sisterhood, but all of the side plots help add some pizazz and keep the book moving along.

If you enjoy this book, I would recommend Emilie Richards' earlier work, particularly her Donoghue sisters books, The Parting Glass and Whiskey Island.

Wealth Watchers by Alice Wood

After a freak brain injury caused author Alice Wood to have to relearn many basic skills, personal accounting among them, she developed this personal finance system based on the principles of the Weight Watchers healthy living program. Because I am very familiar with the Weight Watchers philosophy, and can always use some financial guidance, I thought this book sounded very intriguing.

For those of you not familiar with the basic tenets of the Weight Watchers program, it basically assigns point values to foods, based on its calories, fat, fiber, etc. Each person has so many points that they can use on a daily basis, so they must budget their points to ensure they have enough quality meals to get them through the day. Wealth Watchers works much the same way, except instead of points, individuals work out what their "DDI" - (daily disposable income) is and attempt to stay within these guidelines to maintain good financial health. If they want something above and beyond the daily DDI, they must save for it.

Wood's book does a good job of laying out the basic tenets of the program, and includes some background information on how she ended up needing the program in the first place. Roughly half the book is a space for journaling your finances, so the book itself is a quick read. As with the Weight Watchers program, this book provides the tools for financial health; it is up to the reader to utilize them! I would recommend this book to those who are looking for a technique to get their financial lives in order - this book provides a simple solution for a complicated issue.