Summer Reading

Welcome to Summer Reading 2011!  At the end of 6 weeks we had 365 people signed up.
This week, 16 new people participated and 58 people read 137 books, which brings the totals for the summer to 154 people and 792 books.

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Star Spangled Murder By Meier, Leslie 2004-06 - Kensington Publishing Corporation 9781575668369 Check Our Catalog Lucy Stone Is in the doghouse--with her next-door neighbor Mrs. Prudence Pratt. It seems that Kudo, the Stones' misbehaving mutt, has developed a taste for Mrs. Pratt's blue-ribbon winning chickens. When Mrs. Pratt is the victim of a hit-and-run, the Stones are suspected--and Lucy must find the real killer. …More

Wicked Witch Murder By Meier, Leslie 2010-09 - Kensington Publishing Corporation 9780758229298 Check Our Catalog As Halloween rolls around again in Tinker's Cove, Maine, a murderer is dishing out some very nasty tricks. It's up to Lucy Stone to unmask the killer. …More

Breaking Dawn By Meyer, Stephenie 2008-08 - Little, Brown Young Readers 9780316067928 Check Our Catalog 2009 Children's Choice Book Award Teen Choice Book of the Year New York Times -bestselling author Meyer returns to her teen vampire Twilight saga with this much-anticipated fourth book in the series. In this riveting novel, questions will be answered and the fate of Bella and Edward will be revealed. …More

The Miracle By Morris, Gilbert 2007-02 - Zondervan Publishing Company 9780310252344 Check Our Catalog Raising four strong-willed younger siblings after her mother's death and her father's imprisonment, seventeen-year-old Lanie Freeman never knows what new adventure will roll into view---such as her brother's wild idea to turn the family's old truck into a traveling store.The Freeman Rolling Emporium could provide the financial security Lanie and her family so desperately need, or it could tear them apart. Yet it's only a prelude to other changes. Author Brent Hayden's arrival in Fairhope breathes fresh life into Lanie's dream of becoming a writer. And then the hammer descends ...Lanie's father is diagnosed with cancer, and the faith and unity of her family are stretched to the limit. And on top of this shattering news, a crisis is about to strike that will rock the whole town of Fairhope---and shatter Lanie's dreams of love.The Miracle continues the story of a young woman's valiant struggle to uphold her faith, her family, and her dreams during the height of the Great Depression. …More

Let's Get It on By Nelson, Jill 2010-05 - Amistad Press 9780060763312 Check Our Catalog After opening a wildly successful "full-service spa" in Reno that caters to professional women (which turned the world's oldest profession on its head), Lydia Beaucoup and her friends Acey Allen and LaShaWanda P. Marshall decide to grow their business--with a new spa on a boat moored off the shore at Martha's Vineyard. In this unique haven for pampering, in addition to massage and reflexology, clients can purchase fabulous, multi-orgasmic safe sex from men specifically trained to please women. But selling sex is never easy--and insatiable clients, mob extortion, and a repressive federal government are just a few of the problems threatening to take down A Sister's Spa. Smart, sizzling, and wickedly funny, "Let's Get It On" is an outrageous tale of pushing traditional envelopes in pursuit of empowerment--and a witty, forthright look at what women really want. …More

Sexual Healing By Nelson, Jill 2003-06 - Agate Publishing 9780972456203 Check Our Catalog Nelson, bestselling author of "Volunteer Slavery" and "Straight, No Chaser, "has written a steamy and uproarious debut novel that tells the story of Lydiaand Acey, two successful midcareer professionals. But their career success ismatched by their romantic and sexual frustrations. HPL patron: Funny, witty, and smart; all women need a realistic break. …More

Hidden Witness By Oldham, Nick 2011-02 - Severn House Publishers 9780727869647 Check Our Catalog The new Detective Superintendent Henry Christie novel - When Detective Superintendent Henry Christie takes on the case of a brutal murder of a seemingly innocent old man, the investigation brings him into touch with old friend and FBI agent Karl Donaldson, who is trying to track down a hit man believed to have entered the UK illegally. It's obvious the two cases are connected, but it soon becomes clear there's more to the old man's murder than simple underworld retribution . . . …More

Now You See Her By Patterson, James Author Ledwidge, Michael 2011-06 - Little Brown and Company 9780316036214 Check Our Catalog A successful lawyer and loving mother, Nina Bloom would do anything to protect the life she's built in New York--including lying to everyone, even her daughter, about her past. But when an innocent man is framed for murder, she knows that she can't let him pay for the real killer's crimes. In a story of wrenching suspense, Patterson gives fans his most head-spinning, action-filled story yet. …More

Tick Tock By Patterson, James Author Ledwidge, Michael 2011-01 - Little Brown and Company 9780316037914 Check Our Catalog A rash of horrifying crimes tears through New York City, throwing it into complete chaos and terrorizing everyone living there. Immediately, it becomes clear that these offenses are not the work of an amateur, but of a calculating, efficient, and deadly mastermind. All too soon, another appalling murder leads Detective Michael Bennett to a shocking discovery that exposes the killer's pattern and the earth-shattering enormity of his plan. HPL patron:  Awesome.  James Patterson is a fantastic writer. HPL patron:  Great author, lots of suspense, plus human  interest. HPL patron: Not his best.  Too much violence. …More

A Girl, in Parts By Paul, Jasmine 2003-06 - Counterpoint LLC 9781582432854 Check Our Catalog Gritty and realistic, "A Girl, In Parts" is never sentimental about either poverty or childhood as it follows a young girl with limitless dreams and confidence in an uncertain world. First novelist Jasmine Paul has crafted an elegant coming-of-age story in 97 perfectly told vignettes. HPL patron: I am not alone. That was how I felt when I read this, that I wasn't the only person in the world to be a tomboy, or just different. …More

The Portrait By Pears, Iain M. 2005-09 - Thorndike Press 9780786278756 Check Our Catalog A New York Times Bestselling Author. An influential art critic in the early years of the twentieth century journeys from London to the rustic, remote island of Houat, off France's northwest coast, to sit for a portrait painted by an old friend, a gifted but tormented artist living in self imposed exile. Set against the dramatic, untamed landscape of Brittany during one of the most explosive periods in art history, The Portrait is rich with atmosphere, complexity, and detail. …More

A Child Called It By Pelzer, Dave 1995-09 - Health Communications 9781558743663 Check Our Catalog Abraham Lincoln High School Book Award Winner - 2005 This book chronicles the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games--games that left him nearly dead. HPL patron: Very emotional book.  Great read!  Really opens the eyes to child abuse.  Thank GOD the laws have changed. …More

The Privilege of Youth By Pelzer, Dave 2004-12 - Plume Books 9780452286290 Check Our Catalog The #1 "New York Times" bestselling author of "A Child Called "It"" now shares the missing chapter of his life. From high school to a world beyond the four walls that were his prison for so many years, "The Privilege of Youth" bravely and compassionately charts a crucial turning point in Pelzer's life that will inspire a whole new generation of readers. …More

A Brother's Journey: Surviving a Childhood of Abuse By Pelzer, Richard B. 2005-01 - Grand Central Publishing 9780446533683 Check Our Catalog The brother of the bestselling author of "A Child Called "It"" reveals the full story of his unspeakable parental abuse. HPL patron: Wonderful book!  Horrible to think that authoritative figures can be so blind as to the extent of the abuse occuring to these boys.  Shame on them. HPL patron: Makes me sad to read what he went through. …More

House [With DVD] By Peretti, Frank E. Author Dekker, Ted 2006-04 - Westbow Press 9781595541550 Check Our Catalog From the minds of bestselling suspense authors Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker comes an epic supernatural thriller that gives a new meaning to the phrase "haunted house," as two couples seek refuge from a maniacal killer in an old Alabama house. HPL patron:  A good thriller. …More

How to Kill a Guy in 10 Days By Perrin, Kayla Author Mott, Brenda 2007-07 - Avon Books 9780060884727 Check Our Catalog Hailey McGraw, Lexie Muller's best friend, is back in town . . . and Lexie is ready to party! These girlfriends have got a lot to celebrate--shy Hailey is newly single, and wild Lexie's about to hit the big 3-0--and they've got nothing on their minds but fun, frosty drinks, and the hot men hanging out at one of Miami's hottest clubs. But their night to remember turns memorable in a way they never expected when a hunk from the bar winds up stone-cold dead in the parking lot . . . and definitely "not" from natural causes. The dead guy's the (late) boyfriend of a friend. And when it becomes apparent that the cops are getting nowhere fast, Lexie and Hailey decide to do some sleuthing of their own. After all, they're both smart, imaginative, and fearless--and "nobody" runs faster in high heels. But diving deep into Miami's underbelly to confront drug lords, ex-cons, and gun-toting divas may be too much to handle for a couple of South Florida girls who just want to have fun . . . …More

The Hermit of Eyton Forest: The Fourteenth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael By Peters, Ellis 1987-01 - Headline Book Publishing 9780747200376 Check Our Catalog In this medieval mystery set in the cloisters of England, a strange series of events threatens the fragile equilibrium of life. Brother Cadfael must leave his herb garden and devote himself to tracking down a ruthless murderer. …More

A Day to Pick Your Own Cotton By Phillips, Michael R. 2003-05 - Bethany House Publishers 9780764227011 Check Our Catalog Continuing the story begun in "Angels Watching Over Me, " this novel brings the 1860s South to life with all the elements historical fiction readers love. Mayme and Katie, from entirely different worlds, are thrown together in the chaotic aftermath of the Civil War. …More

Lusitania By Preston, Diana 2002-05 - Walker & Company 9780802713759 Check Our Catalog Winner - 2003 ALA Non-Fiction Notable Selection In her riveting account of the torpedoing and sinking of the ship "Lusitania, " Preston recalls both a pivotal moment in history and a remarkable human drama. Illustrations. Maps. HPL patron: Very readable history of the sinking of the famous cruise ship, an event which moved the U.S. closer to joining the Allies in WWI.  Doesn't quite answer all the mysteries of the sinkingm, but provides the most likely explanations. …More

Black Hills By Roberts, Nora 2010-05 - Jove Books 9780515148046 Check Our Catalog A #1 "New York Times"-bestselling author takes readers deep into the rugged Black Hills of South Dakota, where the shadows hide secrets, hunters stalk the land, and a childhood friendship matures into an adult passion. …More

Chasing Fire By Roberts, Nora 2011-04 - Putnam Adult 9780399157448 Check Our Catalog Number-one "New York Times"-bestselling author Nora Roberts--America's favorite writer ("The New Yorker")--delves into the world of elite firefighters who thrive on danger and adrenaline--men and women who wouldn't know how to live life if it wasn't on the edge. HPL patron: A great insight into the world of smoke jumpers and all the dangers. …More

A Compromised Lady By Rolls, Elizabeth 2007-09 - Harlequin Books 9780373294640 Check Our Catalog As a girl she had been bubbling over with mischief. As a woman she seemed half lost in shadow. But Richard Blakehurst couldn't miss the flash of connection between them when his hand touched hers. It was as if he had awakened something deep inside her. Seeing Richard again brought back the taunting memory of their dance at her come-out ball. She "must" tame her wayward thoughts, because Thea doubted even her considerable fortune could buy Richard's good opinion of her if ever he learnt the truth.... …More

Empress of the World By Ryan, Sara 2001-08 - Viking Children's Books 9780670896882 Check Our Catalog CCBC Choices - 2002 This groundbreaking novel tackles teen sexuality head on. Nicola Lancaster spends a summer at a program for gifted youths who live like college students for eight weeks. During that time, Nic becomes friends with beautiful blonde Battle Hall Davies. She's everything that Nic isn't, but startlingly, the two soon become more than friends. HPL patron: Empress of the World is a unique story that tells of young girls who experience their sexuality, heartbreak, and friendships that will never die.  I enjoyed the story so much because it showed that it is okay to love someone with all you have regardless of sex. …More