Great mystery series with a futuristic spin

I just read J.D. Robb's Innocent in Death and could not put it down. This is one book in a series of mysteries staring New York City lieutenant Eve Dallas. This series is set in the future but the baffling murder case of a ordinary and much-loved private school teacher could have taken place today. This series is written by well known Nora Roberts.

When You are Engulfed in Laughter

You've probably heard David Sedaris on Public Radio International's This American Life, or seen him on Late Night with David Letterman, or maybe you've been lucky enough to attend one of his live readings, and if so, you know that it's impossible to read one of his comic essays without also hearing his deadpan delivery--that is, if you can hear anything over the sound of your own laughter. Currently residing at number 2 on Publisher's Weekly non-fiction bestseller list, Sedaris's sixth collection of essays, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, does not fail to deliver the laughs as well as pulling you up short once in awhile and giving you something to think about. Sedaris has matured in skill and subject matter, and this latest collection really brings that home; although, don't worry, he's still in tune with the absurdity of everyday life and his family still puts the funny in disfunctional. In one of his essays, he mentions that he is being anthologized in high school textbooks (with judicious editing, of course), and so now he is influencing our American youth. In fact, my daughter, when her writing style was corrected by her freshman writing teacher responded, "but that's how David Sedaris does it". I dare you to tell a college freshman that David Sedaris's writing style is not worth imitating; actually, I dare you to tell anyone that, he's that good.

Find David Sedaris at the Adrian Public Library

More book reviews and comments from our Adult Summer Reading Program readers

There's still time to sign-up for the adult summer reading program "Pollinate Your Mind" at the Adrian Public Library. Four more weekly drawings will be held along with the Grand Prize Drawing and Special Prize Drawing on August 23rd. Read and win!

Here's what our reader's have to say about the books they have been reading:

A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer
*Highly recommend
*A real page turner
*4 out of 5 rating
"Forced myself to put it down."

Great Lakes, Great Breakfasts"
*Light & entertaining
*The bees knees (5 rating)
"It looked so good, I decided to buy it."

Buckingham Palace Gardens by Anne Perry
*Light and entertaining
*Highly recommend
*A real page turner
"Yeah, Thomas Pitt is back!"

Gus Grissom: the lost astronaut by Ray E. Boomhower
*Brainy but good
"Lots of 'NASA' and space lingo."
*Highly recommend
"All about the astronaut, his early life, the start of the space race. The personalities of all the astronauts, funny stories and the tragedy that took the life of Grissom & his 2 co-pilots".

Passion and illusion by Barbara Delinsky
*Highly recommend
*A real page turner
"I really got engrossed in this book. A very good read."

Book Review and Comments from Summer Reading Program Readers

The Adult Summer Reading Program at the Adrian Public Library began last week and readers are off and reading! It's great when our readers take the time to complete the Book Review & Comment cards for the books that they have read. Here are some titles and comments if you are looking for some recommended reading:

Blood Trail by C. J. Box
*Highly recommend
*A real page turner
"One of C. J. Box's best, with Joe Pickett."


Phantom Prey by John Sandford
*Highly recommend
*A real page turner
"Another winner in the Prey series."

For All My Tomorrows by Debbie Macomber
"Believable people in the book. I could relate. Slow going."

Comfort food by Kate Jacobs
*Light and entertaining
*Highly recommend

Stop in the library and sign up for the Adult Summer Reading Program "Pollinate Your Mind".
Local businesses have provided great prizes for reading incentives. Weekly raffles begin June 21st and a Grand Prize drawing will be held August 23rd. Fill out a Book Review & Comment card and you automatically enter a Special Prize Drawing to be held August 23rd.

The Welsh Girl

Author Peter Ho Davies, U of Michigan creative writing faculty, published The Welsh Girl, his first novel in 2007. The Welsh Girl takes place in remote northern Wales during the end of World War II. Esther, a young barmaid and daughter of a local farmer, dreams of escaping her provincial life and abusive boyfriend for London. In a POW camp built in the same town, a German soldier, Karsten, struggles with his decision to surrender himself and his men to the enemy. Karsten and Eshter find each other, fall in love, deal with issues of loyalty and search for their place in a world filled with turmoil.

Dorothea Benton Frank

Bulls Island, is Dorothea Benton Frank's newest novel and it is currently residing at the #11 spot on Publishers Weekly Hardcover Bestsellers/Fiction list. After twenty years main character Betts McGree returns to her childhood home, in South Carolina, to head up a development project on pristine Bulls Island. Betts encounters resistance from the environmental arena and deals with her estranged sister, father and her partner, J. D. Langley, on this project. The author fills this spirited tale with well-drawn out characters, including formidable Charleston doyenne Louisa Langley. Betts McGee and J.D. Langley were once engaged and Louisa struggled with her son dating below his social standing. When Betts's mother dies in a car wreck, a generations-old grudge—abetted by Louisa—flares up, and Betts flees from J. D. and South Carolina. In Bulls Island Betts addresses the question "Can you go home again?" Franks's novels take her readers to the low lands of the Carolina's where life moves at a slower pace. Click here for other Frank novel's.

Jane Austen, Masterpiece Theater and the Adrian Public Library

Remember Meg Ryan telling Tom Hanks in the movie "You've Got Mail" that she reads Pride and Prejudice every year? Her character says she is always in suspense to see if Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy will end up together. She says she revels in the language--words like "thither" ("thither"?...really?). Do you also remember the scene where Tom Hanks' character tries to read Pride and Prejudice, slams the book closed in frustration, waits a beat, then pulls it back to him for another try? Now, be honest, which camp do you fall into, Meg or Tom's? Do you revel in Jane Austen and her world or do you quite honestly wonder what all the fuss is about? If it's the latter, I urge you, be like Tom and give Jane another try. This winter and into spring PBS and Masterpiece Theater is running The Complete Jane Austen on Sunday nights. These are wonderful film adaptions of Austen's novels; believe me, you have not appreciated Pride and Prejudice until you've seen Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy--or maybe you've not appreciated Colin Firth until you've seen him as Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. At any rate, neither Colin nor the movie are to be missed; but if you did happen to miss it on PBS, we have the complete miniseries here at the library. But why stop at Pride and Prejudice? We have DVD's of Emma and Sense and Sensibility (in which Hugh Grant is equally as swoonable as Colin Firth) to name a few. In fact, if you do happen to be like Tom and want to give reading Austen another try, we have all of Jane Austen's books as well. So spend the rest of winter being caught up in Jane Austen's world--just don't let me hear you use the word "thither" in your everyday life.