Reviews

Staff Review

Leviathan (DVD)

By Verena Paravel and Lucien Castain-Taylor
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by Michelle H.
Aug 18, 2016

A camera looks up at the sky as seagulls follow a fishing boat for the detritus left behind. Then the image topples. Birds are upside down, the water rushing above them. None of this is unusual within the context of Leviathan, which says a lot about how well the filmmakers prepare us to see the world reversed.

Staff Review

Monsters: A Love Story

By Liz Kay

Rated by Library Staff (not verified)
Aug 17, 2016

Monsters: A Love Story features Stacey Lane, a published poet and mother of two young boys who is left in a state of bereavement and confusion after the tragic loss of her husband. Stacey has writer's block and feels totally lost and angry until she receives an email that will change her life.

Staff Review

Meet the Author: Juliet Kincaid

By Juliet Kincaid
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by Helen H.
Aug 17, 2016

Juliet Kincaid taught writing for thirty-five years, including twenty-five years at Johnson County Community College. Now that she’s retired from teaching, Juliet devotes much of her time to writing and publishing fiction such as January Jinx and Fatal February, historical mysteries set in Kansas City, a place that could get downright deadly a hundred years or so ago. Why does Juliet write? you might ask. Simple answer: It makes her happy.

Staff Review

Agatha: The Real Life of Agatha Christie

By Anne Martinetti
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by Sarah As
Aug 16, 2016

Surely you’ve read one of Agatha Christie's detective novels, or seen a movie, TV show or play based on one of her stories. At the very least you are familiar with the one the Guinness Book of World Records lists as THE best-selling novelist of all time – Agatha Christie. I recommend you take a little bit of time and learn more about her in this new graphic biography by the talented trio of Anne Martinetti, Guillaume Lebeau and Alexandre Franc.

Staff Review

My Sunshine Away

By M.O. Walsh

Rated by Helen H.
Aug 15, 2016

Close your eyes for a moment and remember the gang. You know, the one from your old neighborhood. Those kids you ran wild with when it was OK to be kids outdoors. Now imagine an act of violence by an unidentified assailant against one of those friends, and you’ve got M.O. Walsh’s

Staff Review

The Great British Bake Off Big Book of Baking

By Linda Collister
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by Jed D.
Aug 14, 2016

Fans of Mary Berry, Paul Hollywood and all of the season 5 contestants will enjoy the “bakes” outlined in this photo-filled cookbook. The Great British Bake Off Big Book of Baking will show you, step-by-step, how to make the breads, pastries, biscuits, and cakes from the show, including some of the showstoppers and signature bakes. In between the recipes are short interviews with the contestants, hosts, and judges.

Teen Review

Every Exquisite Thing

By Matthew Quick
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by Chris K.
Aug 11, 2016

This starts off deep, but maybe faux deep. Then it gets heavier and heavier. In the best possible way. It gets authentic. As Nanette digs deeper and deeper to find her authentic self.

Staff Review

The Night Circus

By Erin Morgenstern

Rated by Library Staff (not verified)
Aug 11, 2016

When Le Cirque des Reves appears out of thin air, in the middle of the night, you can't help but be curious about what is inside. And once you step inside, you will not be disappointed. Intricately organized as an elaborate stage for two magicians - Marco and Celia - to compete on, the various tents and stages amaze the nightly visitors. However, the magicians don't know the full details of their competition, nor who they are competing against, and the story that unfolds is one of romance, magic and heartbreak. 

Staff Review

Meet the Author: Kristin Huston

By Kristin Huston
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by Helen H.
Aug 11, 2016

Kristin Huston works as a writer, freelance proofreader, and teacher. But it wasn't always this way. It wasn't until after law school that Huston realized there was no way she could ever practice law and went on to grad school, earning a PhD in English and History. She finally gave in to the yearning to write, and now spends her days scribbling quirky stories for adults and teens with elements of the creepy, fantastic, and unexplainable. Girls who take no prisoners, and the boys who love them, rock her world. She lives in Kansas City, although she loves to travel to warmer climates.