The Sixth Lamentation by William Brodrick
The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
The Little House by Philippa Gregory
More Than You Know by Beth Gutcheon
Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris
Philosophy Made Simple by Robert Hellenga
Kiss Me While I Sleep by Linda Howard
The Red Dahlia by Lynda LaPlante
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte by Laura Joh Rowland
The Legend of Holly Claus by Britney Ryan
In the Land of Second Chances by George Shaffner
Chinaman's Chance by Ross Thomas
Crossworld by Marc Romano [793.732 Rom]
Who's Your Caddy? Looping for the Greats, Near-Greats and Reprobates of Golf by Rick Reilly [796.352 Rei]
The Teammates: A Portrait of Friendship by David Halberstam [796.357 Hal]
The 8:55 to Baghdad by Andrew Eames [915.6 Eam]
The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup by Susan Orlean [920.02 Orl]
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard [B R67m]
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls [B W1547]
The Dragon Rider [book-on-CD] by Cornelia Funke
Nicholas Nickleby [9-part VHS set] by Charles Dickens
Linus and Lucy: The Music of Vince Guaraldi performed by George Winston [Compact Disc 781.65 Gua]
Keith Jarrett at the Blue Note by Keith Jarrett [Compact Disc 781.65 Jar]
Delicate Sound of Thunder by Pink Floyd [Compact disc 781.66 Pin]
Leonard Bernstein's New York by Leonard Bernstein [Compact disc 782.14 Ber]
2007 Reviews
2006 Reviews
2005 Reviews
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Recent Reviews
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Keith Jarrett at the Blue Note 
by Keith Jarrett
Done live, this is one of Jarrett's best performances. No real "cuts" stand out, just the album as a whole. Whether you're new to jazz or a real aficionado, it's definitely worth a listen.
reviewed by Barbara R.
patron of the Gere Branch Libraries
August 27, 2008
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The Land of Second Chances
by George Shaffner
If you haven't met the miracle traveling salesman Vernon Moore, you're missing a series of very special books. In The Land of Second Chances starts the series that continues with One Part Angel and the newest, The Widows of Eden. Philosophic, moral, humorous, and touching -- join the townspeople of the fictional Ebb, Nebraska (just south of Beatrice) as they try to figure out just who Mr. Moore is and what will happen next.
reviewed by Barbara R.
patron of the Gere Branch Libraries
July 19, 2008
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The Glass Castle
by Jeanette Walls [B W1547]
This is childhood memoir that trumps and triumphs at every turn. Walls grew up learning how to survive in an impoverished and itinerant environment fostered upon her by wildly self-indulgent parents. She survives by learning how to be responsible for herself even at the tender age of four. Her mother, who fancies herself a misunderstood artist, seems to believe that children should just raise themselves. And her father, Rex Walls, a self-anointed, alchoholic "genius", even goes so far as to steal and seemingly prostitute his daughter, to serve his various addictions. Yet, the real wonder is that Walls has lived to tell the tale.
This is a book that transcends ordinary biography and enters the realm of literature, so astonishing is its tale.
reviewed by James W.
patron of the South Branch Libraries
May 30, 2008
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The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte
by Laura Joh Rowland
Charlotte and Anne Bronte are off to London to prove they are indeed seperate authors writing under their own pen names. While there, they happen across a murder that puts them in the center of a mystery that Charlotte feels compelled to flush out. A mysterious man is asking questions and Charlotte finds on more than one occasion a bit of an attraction to him. The story sets the whole Bronte family in peril as the plot thickens and the Crown is threatened. Fun and lively imagination by this author. I hope she has more mysteries to solve in the future.
reviewed by Kris J.
patron of the Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries
Apr 21, 2008
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Dragon Rider
by Cornelia Funke
The story of the Dragon Rider comes to life when actor Brendan Fraser tells the colorful tale of the silver dragon Firedrakes quest for his ancestral homelands before humans take over their current valley. On his journey Firedrake takes his friend Sorrel the Scottish brownie and he picks up an orphaned boy Ben, who becomes the Dragon Rider. Other characters work to help them find their way and many conflicts try to deter them from finding the dragons ancient home. If you know of a reluctant young reader, I highly recommend listening to this book. The characters are unforgetable and the story tells a timeless message.
reviewed by Kris J.
patron of the Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries
Apr 14, 2008
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The Little House
by Philippa Gregory
Most avid readers will know Philippa Gregory as a historical writer centering around the Tudor era in England but she has also written a little known gem set in the 20th century. In the Little House, a young working couple are asked by his parents to come and live down the lane from them when the cottage comes up for sale. This makes it hard for the young couple to live their own lives and have any privacy. This is a page turning surprise of a novel.
reviewed by Kris J.
patron of the Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries
Mar 11, 2008
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Nicholas Nicholby
by Charles Dickens
STOP! Before your VCR is no longer useable you need to see the Royal Shakespeare Company stage production of this wonder Dickens story. The adventures of Nicholas Nickleby are brought to life with this excellent show. Nicholas struggles to support his family and make something of himself in only the hardships that Dickens can illustrate. You will love this and the wonderful actors!! [A 9-tape VHS set]
reviewed by Kris J.
patron of the Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries
Mar 11, 2008
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The 6th Lamentation
by William Brodrick
In modern times, an elderly man knocks on the door of the Larkwood Abbey, requesting sanctuary. The Church accepts the former Nazi -- with regret -- and attorney-turned-monk Father Anselm is dispatched to find out why the Church in Rome directs him to be given sanctuary now as it did in the past. At the same time, young Lucy is trying to work out her grandmother Agnes' story, knowing only that Agnes was in the same death camp that the now-safely-sheltered Nazi ran. And Agnes is dying. Putting the two stories together involves a little Dan Brown, a little John Grisham, and even a little Sue Monk Kidd but manages to stay wholly original. A real page-turner, particularly for those who like World War II mysteries.
reviewed by Barbara R.
patron of the Gere Branch Library
Feb 13, 2008
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