Reviews

Staff Review

Lessons From Tara

By David Rosenfelt
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by Colleen O.
Dec 6, 2015

If you have a love for animals, this book will come as a treat. David Rosenfelt and his wife, Debbie, share a passion for rescuing dogs from animal shelters. Tara was Debbie’s dog when the couple met, and the one that inspired David’s love for dogs. Over the years, the couple has rescued and adopted out over 4,000 dogs. At any time, they keep between 30-40 dogs in their own home in a rural area in Maine. Of course, keeping this many dogs in a house results in many hilarious stories of the dogs’ quirks and tales of keeping the (mostly senior) dogs healthy.

Staff Review

Mr. Nobody

By Jaco Van Dormael
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by Megan C.
Dec 5, 2015

There are so many fantastic things about Mr. Nobody that I would definitely recommend it, but there are also many annoying things that could turn someone off. So here is my endorsement, with caveats.

Staff Review

Horns

By Joe Hill
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by Diane H.
Dec 4, 2015

Don’t watch Horns if you can’t, or don’t want to, imagine Daniel Radcliffe as anyone but Harry Potter. Admittedly Horns has supernatural elements. And it does deal with moral issues – doing what’s right even if it means a personal sacrifice. But there the similarities end. Horns is a murder-mystery/dark fantasy/horror/revenge/love story.

Staff Review

Into the Woods

By Stephen Sondheim
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by Caitlin P
Dec 3, 2015

What a fabulous movie version of this amazing musical! This is arguably Stephen Sondheim's best musical with lyrics that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you rewind to listen to them again. Though I was nervous when the movie rights were sold to Disney, I was delighted to find they did not sugarcoat the potentially risqué topics of infidelity, child abandonment, and death.

Staff Review

The Art of Crash Landing

By Melissa DeCarlo
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by Helen H.
Dec 2, 2015

Despite her best efforts, I love Mattie Wallace. She often behaves badly, and she knows it. But it’s who she believes she is, so she behaves badly.

Staff Review

Rogue Lawyer

By John Grisham
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by Lisa J.
Dec 1, 2015

Sebastian Rudd, attorney at law, defends the impossible cases.  The ones where everyone knows that the defendant is guilty of the most heinous crimes.  The ones where no one else would even think of representing the defendant.  The ones where the public, the victims, and the jurors hate the defense attorney as if he is the one who committed the crime.  Sebastian Rudd is one of the few willing to represent the accused and ensure that they get a fair trial and sentence, even if it means putting his own life at risk.

Teen Review

A Thousand Nights

By E. K. Johnston

Rated by Library Staff (not verified)
Nov 30, 2015

Johnston weaves a beautiful tale of sisterhood and love, while re-creating the story A Thousand and One Nights. Similar to the original story, this is a desert setting and the king has taken 300 wives, one from each village, before coming to the village of our unnamed heroine. She asks her sister’s mother to help ready her for the king. She wants to take the focus off of her sister and offer herself to the king instead, in order to save her sister. She is swept away with the king, as he has chosen her, and taken to his palace.

Staff Review

Silence

By Thomas Perry

Rated by Library Staff (not verified)
Nov 30, 2015

Jack Till is a private investigator who helped a woman disappear six years ago. Now the woman’s ex-boyfriend is being set up for her murder, and Till must find her to prove to the District Attorney that she is alive. I really enjoyed the intelligent plot (in many ways, it resembles Narrow Margin, the 1990 film written and directed by Peter Hyams and starring Gene Hackman). When Till finds her, they have to avoid several attempts on their lives as they make their way back to Los Angeles. It is no

Staff Review

Total Surrender

By Rebecca Zanetti
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by Lisa J.
Nov 26, 2015

Jory Dean is the youngest of the Dean brothers, a family created by the Commander and genetically-enhanced to be super soldiers. They are also scheduled for termination in just a few days. Jory has been missing for two years and his brothers thought he was dead. However, he is being held by the Commander at a secret lab where his team is trying to disable the chip that was implanted by the Commander in Jory's spine five years ago and damaged during his capture. The Commander does not want to lose Jory's super soldier skills and believes that he can gain Jory's