Summer Sleuths Adult Reading Program

This summer I worked at a public Library in both the reference and children's departement. Like all the California Public Libraries we had Catch the Reading Bug for preschool to preteens, Metamophosis for teens, but for adults we had the Summer Sleuths reading program. Adults had the opportunity to read ten books and get entered in a weekly drawing for gift certificates. At the end of the summer they got to have a sit down dinner party with a mystery entertainer and earn prizes and play games. As an employee I could not participate, but these were the books I read over the summer, The program lasted until August 2nd.

• 1. Moonstruck by Susan Grant
  See my review on my blog. This book rated an A+ in my book
  
  
• 2. Warrior Rising by P.C. Cast
  As a fan and reader of Mythology, I like her Goddess Summoning books in which she has modern world mortals meet Olympians. This book dealt with her version of The Iliad by Homer in which two middle age women who die have their souls transplanted into a dead Greek Priestess and her handmaiden. They help Achilles and his cousin. The book had an interesting twist, but it was not one of her better ones. I rate it a B.
  
  
• 3. Mistress of the Art of Death by Arianna Franklin
  This was one of the books that was part of the Readers Roundtable Adult book discussion group at the library I worked. Children are being killed and the Jews of Medevial England are being accussed. The King of Italy sends Adelia, a foresenics investigator along with a large Arab, and a Jew named Simon to protect her. Clues from dead bodies help solve this mystery. It was a hard book to put down definately an A in my book.
  
  
• 4. The Cure by Sonia Levitin
  I have always liked this author since I read Journey to America
  and The Return. This book is a mixture of sci-fi and historical fiction. The Year is 2407 and everyone wears a mask to emphasize conformity, and tranquility has been implemented via genetics, drugs, and therapy. Everyone also has a twin.

  16-year-old Gemm needs to cure his nonconformist desire to create music. He is sent back to 1348, the time of the Black Death in Strasbourg, France. Gemm lives the life of Johannes, the son of a wealthy moneylender in a small Jewish community. This book is similar to Lois Lowry's The Giverand deals with racism, conformity, and history. Definately an A for young adults.
  
  

• 5. The Singing Mountain by Sonia Levitin
  Many college students are seeking to find their place in life. Visit any campus and you will see religious groups trying to recruit them. I worked at an orthodox Jewish school and also had many orthodox Jewish neighbors when I lived in New Jersey. I went to a high school that had many Jewish students and had two classmates who were killed when their bus was blown up while visiting Israel so this book touched me deeply.
  

  Mitch Green is a California boy who has just graduated high school. He decides to take a trip to Israel before entering UCLA. In Israel, Mitch becomes involved with an orthodox group and learns more about his heritage and decides he wants to stay in Israel and live the orthodox life. His mom and his cousin Carlie make a trip to Israel to try rescue him and bring him home. The dramtic events in the final chapters help them to appreciate the unique heritage of their family.
  A wonderful and very thought provoking read for young adults definately an A.
  
  

• 6. The Serpent's Tale by Arianna Franklin
  This is a sequel to Mistress of the Art of Death. Adelia and her Arab protector Mansur are called upon by King Henry II to investigate the suspicious death of Rosamund Clifford who died after eating poisonous mushrooms. Adelia is also forced to work with Bishop Rowley Picot who is the father of her daughter Allie who she still has feelings for but marriage is out of the question.
  Not as exciting and hard to put down as the first book in the series. A B in my book.
  
  
• 7. Walk Away the Pounds by Leslie Sansome
  I bought this book because one of my favorite places De Lauers newstand was going out of business. It has some good information and the success stories are motivating reads. I did buy a pedometer step counter which lasted about 2 months and joined a local walking group. This book may work well for others, but the exercise routines, program and videos that I checked out from the library just were not my cup of tea. Probably because I do not get into using videos for workouts.
  Average maybe about a C or C+.
  
  
• 8. California Driver Handbook 2008
  Ok I am not the world's greatest driver. I did not learn how to drive until I was 21
  because I did not have access to a car until then. I still can't parallel park to this day. Library school and coming from out of state is expensive so I did not drive for at least 5 years. I made a rolling stop and got caught by a red light camera. Big fine $410 plus $19 to be allowed to go to traffic plus an additional $38 to the school. Well anyway in an 8 hour class you do go through the whole manual. listen. watch movies, and I did learn some things. I will be careful from now on.
  A for the book. Its explains things well and has some good illustrations.
  
  
• 9. Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs
  I eagerly waited for this book after reading the novella Alpha and Omega in the anthology On The Prowl. Anna is transformed into a Werewolf against her will and is abused by the pack. Charles Cornick is Salish (an American Indian tribe) and Welsh. His father is the head of all the werewolves in North America and he is sent to investigate Anna's pack. They fall in love and Cry Wolfdeals with their move to Montana. One problem that I found was that the book referred to incidents that happened in the novella a little too much and could be confusing for someone who did not read it. I would have also liked in there was something mentioned about Charle's heritage and his mother was supposed to have had powers. A lot about werewolf society was explained and made it interesting. I think the author would have done better to combine the novella in the same book. I may or may not read other books in this series. I would give it about a C or C+ average did not really do anything for me.
  
  
• 10. Turbulent Sea By Christine Feehan
  I was excited to read about the 6th magical Drake sister, Joley the spell singer and Ilya Prakenskii, cool, inscrutable, dangerously sexy, and working in the shadow of his infamous reputation—that of a secret Russian hit man on the payroll of a notorious mobster. Ilya has appeared in other books and is a man of mystery and a 7th son of a seventh son. Last night I watched the movie Hitman and I wondered if Ilya actually went to a similiar school. Bizare huh? I wish that more about his family and background was included but maybe that will happen in a future books. The video for the book is awesome, just Joley and Ilya look different then they are described in the book. A B+.
  
  

New White Buffalo Born

The white buffalo is sacred to most Plains Indian tribes and is often seen as a sign of great changes in the world. To some tribes it is a blessing. Others believe it is a sign of peace, prosperity, unity and hope.

On August 31,2007 in North Dakota, White Cloud, a female buffalo with albinism, gave birth to her 5th calf. The calf is a male and his name is Dakota Miracle.