Reviews

Try this: Google the phrase, "influenced by Robert Johnson" -- then see how long it takes you to work your way through the results. Johnson may not have invented the blues, but his guitar playing and singing have inspired generations of musicians.

Born in 1911, Johnson made just 41 recordings before he was poisoned and died in his late 20s. According to the story, he attracted the attentions of a woman who had come to see him play -- and also the attentions of her jealous paramour, who apparently slipped something fatal into an open bottle of whiskey.

Killer year is a killer story collection. Each and every one of these stories ended in a way the left me rocking in my chair thinking “holy smoke”. From the Papasan seeking vigilante justice on behalf of one of his go-go girls to the politician who thwarts an attempted suicide, the authors presented here are the ones to watch in the mystery and thriller genres.

Right now there are many, many vampire books on the shelves. If you like to read about other kinds of supernatural creatures try Patricia Briggs' Alpha and Omega Series. The series’ focus is mainly on werewolves, although a few other paranormal beings show up here and there.

Antonia meet Jazz. Jazz meet Antonia.

Antonia signed up for a peer counseling program at her middle school to lend an ear to students who need someone to talk to...not girls who wear black lipstick and holes in her clothes...on purpose. What was she getting into?

What does compassion have to do with what we eat?  Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Everything is Illuminated, makes the argument that the answer to this question does matter.  At least he’s betting on it as

I am really interested in supporting our local Kansas authors and I came across writer Tracie Peterson. She wrote The Long Awaited Child, a story of Tess Holbrook who desires deep in her heart to become a mother. She and her husband have tried everything under her doctor’s care. Tess feels hopeless until one day a friend of hers mentions adoption. Tess considers adoption, an idea with which she comes to terms with after much soul searching.

As is true with many of the titles I read, this one was recommended by a patron. Dewey is the sweet story of a kitty that was found in the book return box of the Spencer, IA public library one cold winter morning. The library director adopted the cat and the library became his home.

I found this book and author so inspiring that in order to do them justice, I felt compelled to share how I first became aware of the author and my response to hearing the author speak and reading the book.

This 2009 film may remind you of "2001: A Space Odyssey". Sam Bell (played by Sam Rockwell) is stuck on the dark side of the moon with only Gerty the robot for company. He gets occasional pre-taped video messages from his wife, but otherwise his three-year stint working for Lunar Industries mining fuel from lunar soil is devoid of human contact.

I'm not even sure how to describe this book. It is set in an apparently familiar place - 1980s England - but this is an alternate universe in which the Crimean War is still going on after 175 years, time travel by government agents called Chronoguards is commonplace, and people can not only travel to and live in books but can interact with characters who, like actors in a play, lead independent lives within their books in between the scenes in which they appear.