Walking in the Garden of Eden. Mr. Craig Hassler is leading a class starting at the Webb Library Circulation Desk on Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon. Walk (rain or shine) for an hour all over downtown Morehead City observing the terrestrial and marine environments, history, businesses, City and State Port activities. Class fee is $10, if you get to the Webb Library using motorized transport, $5 for nonmotorized transport. If you'd rather not use cash, I'll accept tin or aluminum cans cut into shingles. 40 or 20 shingles depending on your mode of transport to the Webb Library. Video for creating the shingles and applying them is on Hassler's facebook site. Feel free to bring your cameras, video recorders and notebooks to class to record the beautiful sights and treasures of downtown Morehead City. No reservations are required.

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NEW MATERIALS

Adult


The Orchard Affair  by Lauren Willig 
From Booklist

Hot on the heels of The Mischief of the Mistletoe (2010), Willig’s engaging spy series continues with an adventure set in Napoleonic France. Fresh out of spy school, Laura Grey has been dubbed the Silver Orchid and sent to France to be a governess to the children of Andre Jaouen, the deputy minister of police. It is up to Laura to discover if Jaouen and the sinister inspector Gaston Delaroche are about to thwart a Royalist plot to put a prince of royal blood back on the throne. Working with the legendary spy known as the Pink Carnation, Laura is surprised to uncover where Jaouen’s loyalties truly lie when a respected artist, Antoine Daubier, is arrested by the dastardly Delaroche. After rescuing Daubier and being forced to flee France with him and the royal heir, Laura and Andre pose as a married couple in a troupe of actors and find themselves battling their powerful feelings for each other. Another delightfully delectable adventure from Willig, who expands her rich, appealing stable of characters with each entry.

The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore by Benjamin Hale  
Amazon.com Review 

Amazon Best Books of the Month, February 2011: From the first page of Benjamin Hale's exquisite novel, The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore, Hale’s linguistic talent locks the reader into their seat and sends them ticking up the roller coaster ride of Bruno Littlemore’s life. An unlikely narrator, Bruno is a chimpanzee trying to become a man--a process he sees as “equal parts enlightenment and imprinting your brain with taboos.” Bruno acquires a fervent love of language--and of primatologist Lydia Littlemore, with whom he develops a deep (and, yes, sexual) relationship until she falls ill. Comic relief comes in the form of Leon, a boisterous subway thespian, who introduces Bruno to the stage shortly before a murderous transgression results in Bruno’s return to captivity. With Bruno Littlemore, Hale has crafted a truly original narrator, holding a mirror on humanity with a razor-like precision that makes this stunning novel one readers will want to discuss the minute they turn the last page.


Young Adult

Emily the Strange: Dark Times  by Rob Reger and  Jessica Gruner 
Review

“There’s no doubting the lighthearted but darkly hued creativity on display. Pure black gold.”— (ALA Booklist )

“The book dresses up teen-identity issues in midnight-black humor and piles on so much persistent weirdness that oddball outsiders, goths in training, and other subversive types will find themselves positively smirking with glee.”— (ALA Booklist )

“A highly enjoyable read that will appeal to both readers new to the series and Emily fans alike.”— (School Library Journal )

“[Emily’s] sarcastic, nerdy individualism—with a hint of buried sweetness—will make readers want to spend more time with her.”— (Publishers Weekly )
See What I See  by Gloria Whelan 
From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—When Kate leaves the natural beauty of Michigan's Upper Peninsula for a scholarship to art school in Detroit, her intentions are twofold. She's set her sights on growing into the artist she's always known she could be, but she's also seeking her long-absent father's approval and affection. The second she'd never admit. In Kate's eyes, showing up on her father's doorstep is simply a means to an end. She has no money for housing and he lives in Detroit. Yet his status as a world-renowned artist-turned-recluse who unapologetically left the family years earlier complicates matters. When Kate arrives, she finds the man aloof and self-centered. She soon discovers that he dying of liver cancer and is racing against the clock to finish his crowning art show, and she has to decide how much of herself she's willing to sacrifice to help him. Detroit's air of lost possibilities serves as an apt background for this bittersweet story. Kate's tendency to view life through the lens of famous works of art and her continual references to the natural surroundings of her home help shape her into a unique, living and breathing character. Development of a few secondary characters and plots is not as strong, but the story as it stands is sweet and thoughtful and avoids neatly wrapped edges, as any title that captures the intricacies of family relationships must do.

Delirium  by Lauren Oliver  
Amazon.com Review 

Amazon Best Books of the Month, February 2011: Lena Haloway is content in her safe, government-managed society. She feels (mostly) relaxed about the future in which her husband and career will be decided, and looks forward to turning 18, when she’ll be cured of deliria, a.k.a. love. She tries not to think about her mother’s suicide (her last words to Lena were a forbidden “I love you”) or the supposed “Invalid” community made up of the uncured just beyond her Portland, Maine, border. There’s no real point—she believes her government knows how to best protect its people, and should do so at any cost. But 95 days before her cure, Lena meets Alex, a confident and mysterious young man who makes her heart flutter and her skin turn red-hot. As their romance blossoms, Lena begins to doubt the intentions of those in power, and fears that her world will turn gray should she submit to the procedure. In this powerful and beautifully written novel, Lauren Oliver, the bestselling author of Before I Fall, throws readers into a tightly controlled society where options don’t exist, and shows not only the lengths one will go for a chance at freedom, but also the true meaning of sacrifice.

Juvenile

Angus and Sadie  by Cynthia Voigt 
From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6–Two border collie puppies adopted by a Maine farm couple try to decipher what Mister and Missus really want and how to fulfill their role as faithful and useful companions. The pups are polar opposites. Angus is an alpha male with an abundance of self-confidence. Sadie is submissive, introspective, and dominated by her brother. Of course, Mister quickly believes that Angus is the more talented of the pair but Missus reassures Sadie that she is special, too. When Angus's bossiness reaches a peak, Sadie proves to be courageous and smart and he begins to respect her. There is an old-fashioned style to this story about the different personality traits in siblings and learning to respect those differences. The drama is slight–a sheep or two are rescued and two cat bullies are put in their place. Although Sadie is a very sympathetic character, Angus's cockiness borders on annoying, and Mister's attention to him at Sadie's expense seems chauvinistic. The leisurely pace of this story and lack of action may limit its appeal to only the most ardent dog-story enthusiasts.

Story Hour. There will not be a story time this coming Tuesday. Sorry. HOWEVER, there WILL be a Birthday Party for Dr. Seuss on Tuesday March 1 hosted by our good Library Friend, Laura Murphy!
To think that you'll see it on Evans Street! What fun, make sure to be here! (There's a rumor that there will be cake?)  Peggy will look forward to hearing all about the party when she returns from an extended trip to Hawaii.


Reads Like Dan Brown. Daniel Silva, Michael Crichton, Barbara Wood, Margaret George, Katherine Neville, David Poyer, Jonathon Rabb, Clive Cussler, Nelson DeMille, Thomas Gifford, Robert Ludlum, Steve Berry, Raymond Khoury, Lincoln Child, Robert Crais, Greg Iles, Dean Koontz, James Patterson, Morris West, Frank Peretti.  



NEW MATERIALS

Adult

Crown of Dust  by Mary Volmer  

From Booklist 

Alex is running away and hiding from her past. Disguised as a young man, she stumbles across a small, crude California mining town called Motherlode. It’s the height of the gold rush, and she blends in with the ragtag crowd of men looking to strike it rich. Emaline is the strong, robust town matriarch who runs the inn, controls the booze, and, as the only woman in town, supplies some feminine company for a price. Emaline takes a shine to Alex, gives her a room at the inn, and even lets her help in the kitchen occasionally. But when Alex finds a sizable gold nugget in the local river, word spreads fast, and the changes that come to Motherlode have a costly price, including the discovery of Alex’s true identity. Volmer’s first novel is a pleasant effort. What she lacks in plot she makes up for in interesting characters and atmosphere. 

The Charming Quirks of Others  by Alexander McCall Smith 

From Booklist

The seventh entry in McCall Smith’s series featuring moral philosopher Isabel Dalhousie finds the fortysomething Edinburgh resident drawn into an investigation of three candidates vying for the headmaster position at a local boys’ school. It seems that the selection committee has received an anonymous letter alleging that one of the three candidates has engaged in behavior that would cause the school serious embarrassment. But which one? As Isabel makes discreet inquiries about the candidates’ backgrounds, she learns that her much younger lover, Jamie, is anxious to give up his bachelor pad, marry Isabel, and move in with her and their toddler son, Charlie. But Isabel suspects that Jamie is not telling her everything about his sudden desire to make a mad dash for the altar. For Isabel, no decision is straightforward; there are always complications and nuances that must be given their proper due.

The Metropolis Case  by Matthew Gallaway
From Publishers Weekly

In his ambitious debut, Gallaway jumps backward and forward in time between two cities, spiraling in on four characters connected by music: Lucien, an opera singer coming-of-age in mid-19th-century Paris; Anna, an opera singer reaching the height of her career in 1960s New York; Maria, an extraordinarily promising young singer but a difficult student; and Martin, an aging lawyer whose love of music might save his life. The ties between them are at first so tenuous that readers may wonder when, how, or if their narratives will converge. But Wagner's Tristan and Isolde touches each in some way, as does, eventually, eternal life, a device that allows Gallaway to chronicle 1860s Paris and 1960s New York through the eyes of one character. Gallaway, a former musician, gives music a literary presence, intertwining opera and punk by illuminating their shared passion and chaos.

Young Adult 

Ship Breaker  by Paolo Bacigalupi  

From School Library Journal 

Grade 7 Up—A fast-paced postapocalyptic adventure set on the American Gulf Coast. Nailer works light crew; his dirty, dangerous job is to crawl deep into the wrecks of the ancient oil tankers that line the beach, scavenging copper wire and turning it over to his crew boss. After a brutal hurricane passes over, Nailer and his friend Pima stumble upon the wreck of a luxurious clipper ship. It's filled with valuable goods—a "Lucky Strike" that could make them rich, if only they can find a safe way to cash it in. Amid the wreckage, a girl barely clings to life. If they help her, she tells them, she can show them a world of privilege that they have never known. But can they trust her? And if so, can they keep the girl safe from Nailer's drug-addicted father? Exciting and sometimes violent, this book will appeal to older fans of Scott Westerfeld's "Uglies" series (S & S) and similar action-oriented science fiction.

Across the Universe  by Beth Revis 

From School Library Journal 

Gr 10 Up-Imagine leaving everything behind in order to be with the people you love, only to be left with nothing. Amy and her parents have been cryogenically frozen to be awakened in 300 years when their spaceship reaches the planet they will colonize. Unfortunately, Amy is unfrozen 50 years too soon. Her parents are too critical to the colony to awaken early, so by the time she sees them again, she will be older than they are. The culture on the spaceship is unfamiliar and everyone Amy meets is either an emotionless drone or lives in the mental ward. But there is little time for her to grieve the loss of her former life, because someone is thawing other colonists and leaving them to die. In order to find the murderer, Amy must join forces with Elder, the teenage future leader of the ship. But all of the inhabitants onboard have been told lies, and there are secrets that even Elder doesn't know. This compelling novel is told in alternating chapters from Amy's and Elder's points of view. Amy is a contemporary character in a fish-out-of-water situation, and her grief and fear are realistically depicted. And as Elder learns the truth behind the ship, he begins to experience a coming-of-age that is convincingly written. The mystery will propel readers along, and the budding romance between Amy and Elder set against the backdrop of a dystopian society will appeal even to readers who don't enjoy science fiction. Revis's thrilling debut novel hints at more great books to come

 

Juvenile 

  

Moon Over Manifest  by Clare Vanderpool  

From School Library Journal

Gr 5-8–History and fiction marry beautifully in this lively debut novel. It's as if readers jump off the train in Manifest, KS, in 1936 with Abilene Tucker, 12, the feisty, likable, and perceptive narrator. She is there to live with Pastor Shady Howard, her father's friend, while her father works on the railroad back in Iowa. An equally important story set during World War I is artfully intertwined. Since her mother went off on her own 10 years earlier, Abilene and Gideon have been alone. Though their life together is unsettled, their bond is strong. Shady's place is shabby, but he is welcoming. The mystery about Manifest and Gideon unfolds after Abilene finds a box filled with intriguing keepsakes. It includes a letter dated 1917 to someone named Jinx from Ned Gillen that has a warning, “THE RATTLER is watching.” This starts Abilene, with the help of new friends Ruthanne and Lettie, on a search to learn the identity of the pair. The story cleverly shifts back and forth between the two eras. Abilene becomes connected to Miss Sadie, a “diviner” who slowly leads her through the story of Ned and Jinx. Though the girl is lonely, she adjusts to her new life, feeling sure that her father will come for her at summer's end. The Ku Klux Klan and its campaign against the many immigrants working in the coal mines and the deplorable conditions and exploitation of these men provide important background.

Easy Readers

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead 

Amazon.com Review  

Product Description 

THE BEST SICK DAY EVER and the animals in the zoo feature in this striking picture book debut.

Friends come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In Amos McGee’s case, all sorts of species, too! Every day he spends a little bit of time with each of his friends at the zoo, running races with the tortoise, keeping the shy penguin company, and even reading bedtime stories to the owl. But when Amos is too sick to make it to the zoo, his animal friends decide it’s time they returned the favor.

More Read Alikes.  Here are a few authors that read like Janet Evanovich that you may enjoy reading.
Sarah Shankman, Sarah Strohmeyer, Marne Davis Kellogg, Linda Barnes, Joan Hess, J. D. Robb, Linda Howard, Donald Westlake, Lawrence Block, Carl Hiaasen, Susan Isaacs, Sharyn McCrumb, Lisa Scottoline, Rita Mae Brown, Carol Higgins Clark,  Diane Mott Davidson, Kathy Hogan Trochek, Sue Grafton, Judith Viorst, Donna Andrews.
Next Week we'll add a few more. 


Adult Book Discussion Group. Starting this week we will include upcoming book selections to be discussed by the Adult Book Discussion Group. The information can be found near the bottom of the blog, after all "New Materials".

Reminder. You can use the search box in the upper right to search all previous blogs.

 

New Materials

Adult

Buttons and Bones  by Monica Ferris 
Product Description

A new Needlecraft mystery from the USA Today bestselling author of Blackwork. Owner of the Crewel World needlework shop and part-time sleuth Betsy Devonshire heads for the Minnesota north woods to renovate an old cabin. But beneath the awful linoleum is something even uglier- the skeleton of a Nazi. Betsy's investigation yields the site of a former German POW camp, a mysterious crocheted rug, and an intricately designed pattern of clues to a decades-old crime.

The Weight Loss Cure  by Kevin Trudeau 
Product Description

By the #1 New York Times bestselling author Kevin Trudeau comes the last diet you will ever need. Imagine, you will lose at least 30 pounds in 30 days...with no hunger...no exercise...and no surgery!
An absolute cure for obesity was discovered almost fifty years ago by a British medical doctor. Tens of thousands of people used this simple, inexpensive, safe medical treatment and achieved miraculous, fast, and permanent weight loss. Stubborn area fat deposits melted away. Body reshaping of the hips, thighs, buttocks, and waist was so dramatic it appeared as if the patients received liposuction! Amazingly, this medical breakthrough has been debunked, discredited, and suppressed by the American Medical Association, the Food and Drug Administration, and other medical establishments throughout the world. Now, for the first time in fifty years, this revolutionary breakthrough discovery, which permanently cures the condition of obesity, is being released to the public.

More Natural "Cures" Revealed  by Kevin Trudeau 
Product Description

The United States Federal Trade Commission censored Kevin Trudeau’s first
book, Natural Cures “They” Don’t Want You to Know About. That book still
saved lives. Now, the #1 New York Times bestselling author delivers his
next blockbuster…. More Natural “Cures” Revealed: Previously Censored
Brand Name Products That Cure Disease.

This book:
• Explains why drug and food companies hide the truth about how their

products can cause disease.

 Young Adult

Amos Daragon: The Mask Wearer  by Bryan Perro 
Amazon.com Review 

Amazon Best Books of the Month, February 2011: Melding the best of mythology and fairytale, Amos Daragon #1: The Mask Wearer is the first book in a fast-paced adventure series for middle grade readers. Amos is a hero straight out of the Brothers Grimm--loyal, trustworthy, and very clever--outsmarting villains with their own nefarious schemes. In this classic story of good versus evil, Amos has been chosen as a Mask Wearer, tasked with combating forces of evil using the power embedded in four lost masks. Encountering gorgons, mermaids, nagas, and the Egyptian god Seth, Amos proves he is a fierce opponent and a steadfast friend. A satisfying conclusion sets the tone for the next book, and the mythology glossary at the end is an added bonus.

Picture Books

I'm Not  by Pam Smallcomb 
Amazon.com Review 

Amazon Best Books of the Month, January 2011: In I’m Not. two friends with very different personalities and talents celebrate the activities they each do well, and the one that matters most--being a true blue friend. Without becoming cliché, I'm Not. demonstrates that whether we are shy or outgoing, good at art or good at spelling, everyone brings something special to a friendship.

Use our online catalog. It's now faster than ever!!! and works like a charm. Go to:

http://connect.collectorz.com/users/webblibrary/books/view?viewFilterPanel=0

Do You Read David Baldacci? Here is a list of author's that read like Baldacci. 

Steve Martini,    Stuart Woods,      Nelson DeMille,    James Grippando, Stephen Cannell,    John Grisham,     Michael Connelly,    Kyle Mills,    Lisa Scottoline,   Scott Turow,    Brad Meltzer,    Sidney Sheldon,    Robert Ludlum,    Thomas Perry,    David Poyer,    William Bernhardt,    Joseph Finder,    Robert Tanenbaum,    Keith Ablow, Jeffery Archer,    Peter Benchley,    Dale Brown,    Dan Brown,     Lee Child,    Linda Fairstein,     Andrew Klavan,     Dennis LaHane,    T. Jefferson Parker,     Aimee Thurlow,     Frederick Forsyth,     Mario Puzo.

NEW MATERIALS

Adult

In Too Deep  by Jayne Ann Krentz 
From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. The cops just can't handle psychically powerful criminals who deal in weapons-grade paranormal artifacts. Enter the Jones & Jones detective agency. Known for his solitary habits, investigator Fallon Jones has taken on an assistant, Isabella Valdez, who displays some unusual talents of her own as she helps him dig through an ever-expanding mess of paranormal criminal activity. Krentz's latest Arcane Society novel is loaded with sexual tension between the tough-but-lovable Isabella and the normally dour Fallon, and the story hilariously alternates between inventive, deadly action and the amusingly gossipy smalltown characters in Scargill Cove, Calif., a supernatural nexus. Krentz (aka Jayne Castle and Amanda Quick) never rests on her laurels, carefully crafting a story that works on every level: as a detective novel, a paranormal thriller, and a romance.

Hubris by Michael Isikoff and David Corn
Product Description

THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE INVASION OF IRAQ
Filled with news-making revelations that made it a New York Times bestseller, Hubris takes us behind the scenes at the White House, CIA, Pentagon, State Department, and Congress to show how George W. Bush came to invade Iraq - and how his administration struggled with the devastating fallout. 
Hubris connects the dots between Bush's expletive-laden outbursts at Saddam Hussein, the bitter battles between the CIA and the White House, the fights within the intelligence community over Saddam's supposed weapons of mass destruction, the outing of an undercover CIA officer, and the Bush administration's misleading sales campaign for war. Written by veteran reporters Michael Isikoff and David Corn, this is an inside look at how a president took the nation to war using faulty and fraudulent intelligence. It's a dramatic page-turner and an intriguing account of conspiracy, backstabbing, bureaucratic ineptitude, journalistic malfeasance, and arrogance.

Islam  by Karen Armstrong
From Publishers Weekly

Readers seeking a quick but thoughtful introduction to Islam will want to peruse Armstrong's latest offering. In her hallmark stylish and accessible prose, the author of A History of God takes readers from the sixth-century days of the Prophet Muhammad to the present. Armstrong writes about the revelations Muhammad received, and explains that the Qur'an earned its name (which means recitation) because most of Muhammad's followers were illiterate and learned his teachings not from reading them but hearing them proclaimed aloud. Throughout the book, Armstrong traces what she sees as Islam's emphasis on right living (? la Judaism) over right belief (? la Christianity). Armstrong is at her most passionate when discussing Islam in the modern world. She explains antagonisms between Iraqi Muslims and Syrian Muslims, and discusses the devastating consequences of modernization on the Islamic world. Unlike Europe, which modernized gradually over centuries, the Islamic world had modernity thrust upon it in an exploitative manner. The Islamic countries, Armstrong argues, have been "reduced to a dependent bloc by the European powers." Armstrong also rehearses some basics about Islamic fundamentalism in a section that will be familiar to anyone who has read her recent study, The Battle for God. A useful time line and a guide to the "Key Figures in the History of Islam" complete this strong, brisk survey of 1,500 years of Islamic history.

Juvenile

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish  by Dr. Seuss
Amazon.com Review

"Did you ever fly a kite in bed? Did you ever walk with ten cats on your head?" Such are the profound, philosophical queries posed in this well-loved classic by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel. While many rhymes in this couplet collection resemble sphinx-worthy riddles, Seuss's intention is clear: teach children to read in a way that is both entertaining and educational. It matters little that each wonderful vignette has nothing to do with the one that follows. (We move seamlessly from a one-humped Wump and Mister Gump to yellow pets called the Zeds with one hair upon their heads.) Children today will be as entranced by these ridiculous rhymes as they have been since the book's original publication in 1960--so amused and enchanted, in fact, they may not even notice they are learning to read! (Ages 4 to 8)

Young Adult

The Charmed Return (Book 6 Faerie Path)  by Frewin Jones
Product Description

By the light of the pure eclipse, two worlds will be as one . . .
She was once a princess of Faerie, the seventh daughter of King Oberon. But sixteen-year-old Anita Palmer has no memory of the Faerie Realm; her true Faerie princess identity; her love, Edric; or her quest to save Faerie from a deadly plague that ravaged it. With the help of an unexpected ally, Anita must figure out a way to reawaken Tania, her Faerie self—but how?
Now Anita—or is she Tania?—doesn't know who, or what, to trust, including her own memories. With no time to spare, Anita must act. A thrilling final battle is soon to be waged that will affect not only her destiny but the fate of both Faerie and the Mortal World. Loyalties will be tested, true love questioned, and nothing is what it seems.