Summer Reading

Welcome to Summer Reading 2011! We have 291 people signed up to participate in the Summer Reading program! The bags are all gone, but you can still sign up for the program and be able to participate in the drawings! This week, 50 people read 122 books, which brings the totals for the summer to 225 books and 79 readers.

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The Kingdom By Cussler, Clive Author Blackwood, Grant 2011-06 - Putnam Adult 9780399157424 Check Our Catalog The thrilling new adventure from a #1 "New York Times"-bestselling author. The husband-and-wife team of Sam and Remi Fargo are used to hunting for treasure, but they aren't used to hunting for people--until an investigator friend of their goes missing, and they promise to search for him. What they discover, however, will be beyond anything they could have imagined. HPL patron: I would strongly recommend this book. …More

Immanuel's Veins By Dekker, Ted 2010-09 - Thomas Nelson Publishers 9781595540096 Check Our Catalog This story is for everyone--but not everyone is for this story. It is a dangerous tale of times past. A torrid love story full of deep seduction. A story of terrible longing and bold sacrifice. Then as now, evil begins its courtship cloaked in light. And the heart embraces what it should flee. Forgetting it once had a truer lover. With a kiss, evil will ravage body, soul, and mind. Yet there remains hope, because the heart knows no bounds. Love will prove greater than lust. Sacrifice will overcome seduction. And blood will flow. Because the battle for the heart is always violently opposed. For those desperate to drink deep from this fountain of life, enter. But remember, not everyone is for this story. HPL patron: A real page-turner. The romance and mystery serve as a backdrop to another story-the gospel. A wonderful allegory andan extremely entertaining, though-provoking read. …More

The Priest's Graveyard By Dekker, Ted 2011-04 - Center Street 9781599953342 Check Our Catalog Danny Hansen is a priest who lives by a law of love and compassion. It is powerful men and hypocrites who abide by legal law but eschew the law of love that most incense Danny. As an avenging angel, he believes it is his duty to show them the error of their ways, at any cost. …More

Lock and Key By Dessen, Sarah 2009-05 - Speak 9780142414729 Check Our Catalog The "New York Times"-bestselling author of "Just Listen" explores the heart of a gutsy, complex girl dealing with unforeseen circumstances and learning to trust again. …More

Blown Away By Dixon, Franklin W. 2006-06 - Aladdin Paperbacks 9781416911739 Check Our Catalog When Frank and Joe's friend Phil Cohen disappears after landing a job at Futron, a manufacturer of highly classified, high-tech military equipment, the Hardys investigate. HPL patron: I liked this book because it kept me reading and a good mystery. The author did a good job at writing this book. …More

Obit: A Mystery By Emery, Anne 2010-04 - ECW Press 9781550229059 Check Our Catalog Long ago, Declan Burke fled Ireland in the dark of night, started a new life in New York City, and has never looked back--until one morning he picks up the newspaper and reads the obituary of one Cathal Murphy. He sees at once that the obituary is not about Murphy at all, but is instead a coded summary of his own life and probably a thinly veiled death threat. After turning to an attorney for advice, Declan decides not to reveal his IRA past, but keeping old secrets becomes much more difficult after a burst of gunfire at a family wedding and the appearance of Leo Killeen, the commanding officer of Declan's former battalion in Dublin. The subsequent discovery of a body in a rundown Brooklyn flat brings other enigmatic characters onto the scene, including a woman nursing a grudge; a shady importer of Irish artifacts; the owner of a nightclub frequented by the New York mob; a sultry chanteuse; and Declan's hotheaded son Francis, whose resentment and criminal activities force Declan, the past master of self-control, to confront the suspicion that he has been manipulated all along by an unseen hand. HPL patron: An intriguing mystery about an Irish family and their connections with the IRA. Characterization is well done. …More

Mage of Clouds By Farrell, S. L. 2004-01 - Daw Books 9780756401696 Check Our Catalog DAW proudly continues the magnificent "Cloudmages fantasy saga that began with "Holder of Lightning. Here is Book II, "Mage of Clouds--set in the British Isles, rich with Celtic magic, ancient legends, and unforgettable characters. Nearly two decades after Jenna became First Holder, her daughter Meriel finds herself thrust into the hands of her mother's enemies. Suddenly she has become a pawn in a deadly game where lives are worth far less than the "cloch na thintri, the special stones through which all magical power is channeled. Will her mother trade everything she has fought for--and so many have died for--to save Meriel's life. Or will Meriel become a helpless sacrifice in a devastating struggle between her mother and her uncle? …More

Holder of Lightning By Farrell, S. L. 2003-01 - Daw Books 9780756401306 Check Our Catalog Introducing a bold new voice in epic fantasy fiction--this multigenerational trilogy saga is set in the British Isles, rich with Celtic magic, ancient legends and unforgettable characters. …More

The Fabulous Riverboat By Farmer, Philip Jose 1998-07 - Del Rey Books 9780345419682 Check Our Catalog Resurrected on the lush, mysterious banks of Riverworld, along with the rest of humanity, Samuel Langhorne Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain) has a dream: to build a riverboat that will rival the most magnificent paddle-wheelers ever navigated on the mighty Mississippi. Then, to steer it up the endless waterway that dominates his new home planet--and at last discover its hidden source. But before he can carry out his plan, he first must undertake a dangerous voyage to unearth a fallen meteor. This mission would require striking an uneasy alliance with the bloodthirsty Viking Erik Bloodaxe, treacherous King John of England, legendary French swordsman Cyrano de Bergerac, Greek adventurer Odysseus, and the infamous Nazi Hermann Goring. All for the purpose of storming the ominous stone tower at the mouth of the river, where the all-powerful overseers of Riverworld--and their secrets--lie in wait . . . …More

I Still Dream about You By Flagg, Fannie 2010-11 - Random House 9781400065936 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title A major new novel--the first in four years--by the irresistible bestselling author of "Can't Wait to Get to Heaven, Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!," and "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe." HPL patron: Enjoyed it immensely-kept me entertained throughout. …More

Begging for Change By Flake, Sharon G. 2003-06 - Jump at the Sun 9780786806010 Check Our Catalog CCBC Choices - 2004 A BookPage Notable Title Raspberry Hill, who once was homeless, vowed never to end up on the streets again. But after stealing from her best friend, she must finally confront the biggest of all her fears: is she really much different from her thieving father after all? …More

The Skin I'm in By Flake, Sharon G. 1999-02 - Jump at the Sun 9780786804443 Check Our Catalog So begins the story of Maleeka Madison, a child burdened with the low self-esteem that many black girls face when they're darker skinned. When Maleeka lays eyes on her new teacher, Miss Saunders, she encounters someone who, she feels, is worse off than she is. But Miss Saunders' skin, which is blotched with a rare skin condition, comes to serve as a mirror to Maleeka's struggle. Miss Saunders is tough -- she doesn't stand for the snickers and shouts that her students hurl at her. Through this example, Maleeka learns that she can stand up to tough-talking Charlese. And, over time, she can even accept Caleb's friendship, the unconditional acceptance he's been showing her from the get-go. Sharon Flake, an exceptional new talent, weaves a stunning tale of finding one's place in a world that judges others at face value. …More

The Sorcerer of the North By Flanagan, John 2008-11 - Philomel Books 9780399250323 Check Our Catalog Full of adventure, storytelling, magic, and deep characterization, this debut fantasy introduces the magic-practicing Rangers, protectors of the kingdom, and Will, a 15-year-old villager who has been chosen as a Ranger's apprentice. …More

Food Network Magazine Great Easy Meals: 250 Fun & Fast Recipes By Food Network Magazine 2011-03 - Hyperion Books 9781401324193 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title Along with 250 beautifully photographed recipes, the book delivers more than 100 great cooking tips from Food Network Kitchens, plus a helpful list of the chefs' pantry essentials. HPL patron: Very informing book. Great book for starter cooks and families on the go. Good dessert recipes for kids. …More

Choke By Ford, Darnella 2006-06 - St. Martin's Griffin 9780312348038 Check Our Catalog The one bright spot in Vanessa's life is her daughter, Kennedy, and her love for the piano. Kennedy is practicing to audition for an esteemed music academy that Vanessa can no way afford, but Vanessa will do anything to help her daughter succeed even if it means sacrificing her own chances for a better life. HPL patron: It was about a woman that lost her job then her house. She later finds a good man, but later loses her daughter. …More

Veganist: Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World By Freston, Kathy 2011-02 - Weinstein Books 9781602861336 Check Our Catalog The bestselling author of "Quantum Wellness" offers a fresh look at veganism, examining in detail 10 life-changing promises of a plant-based diet to physical and mental health. Includes a chapter on where and what foods to buy. …More

The Next Decade: Where We've Been . . . and Where We're Going By Friedman, George 2011-01 - Doubleday Books 9780385532945 Check Our Catalog The author of the acclaimed "New York Times" bestseller "The Next 100 Years" now focuses his geopolitical forecasting acumen on the next decade and the imminent events and challenges that will test America and the world, specifically addressing the skills that will be required by the decade's leaders. HPL patron: Scary! …More

Anansi Boys By Gaiman, Neil 2008-02 - Harper Perennial 9780061342394 Check Our Catalog Charlies dad wasn't just any dad. He was Anansi, a trickster god, the spirit of rebellion able to overturn the social order, create wealth out of thin air, and baffle the devil. When he dies on a karaoke stage, things get very interesting for Charlie. …More

Nasty Girls: An Urban Novel By Gray, Erick S. 2006-05 - St. Martin's Griffin 9780312349967 Check Our Catalog Camille, Jade, and Shy are best friends who have always had each others' backs until their drug-dealing boyfriends get caught up in a shooting that sends one boyfriend to jail. Jealousy, greed, revenge, and betrayal test the bonds of their friendship. …More

The Fountain By Grayson, Emily 2001-08 - William Morrow & Company 9780060184865 Check Our Catalog From the bestselling author of"The Gazebo" and "The Observatory" comes a beautifully crafted story of enduring love, loss and second chances. HPL patron: Great book! Romantic. …More

Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food By Greenberg, Paul 2010-07 - Penguin Press 9781594202568 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title 2011 James Beard Writing and Literature Award The history of four fish--bass, cod, salmon, and tuna--exposes a critical moment in our relationship with the truly last wild food we consume. HPL patron: Very interesting. It tells the history of 4 different fish that dominate our menus. World fish, farm raised fish, genetics, bio-tech revolution. …More

Dead Man's Chest By Greenwood, Kerry 2010-11 - Poisoned Pen Press 9781590587973 Check Our Catalog Phryne Fisher needs a rest. It's summer. She packs up her family and moves to Queenscliff, a quiet watering place on the coast. Where she encounters smugglers, pirate treasure and some very interesting surrealists, including a parrot called Pussykins. What is the mysterious Madame Selavey hiding? Where are the Johnsons, who were supposed to be in the holiday house? HPL patron: If you like women with power and no little clash of class, you will love Phryne Fisher. A bit of Australia and a recipe or two added to my pleasure. …More

The Kill Zone By Hagberg, David 2002-10 - Forge 9780312873349 Check Our Catalog When CIA career man Kirk McGarvey is named the agency's interim director, the occasion activates a 20-year-old Russian plot. The Cold War is over, but McGarvey is still a target for assassination by a brainwashed friend. HPL patron: Very impressive on characters and plot. Towards the end, a real page-turner. …More