Fall means cooler days, back-to-school for many, and more time spent indoors. Perhaps cuddled up with a refreshing mystery...or international thriller...or dark paranormal romance. Try a new cookbook or learn a new craft. We have books for all these endeavors. New trade-ins are arriving daily at both stores!

September 23, 2009 - John recommends:

 Ubik by Philip K. Dick

             I’ve actually read almost everything Dick wrote and Ubik is both a favorite and one that I recommend to readers who haven’t read Dick before.  It’s fun and compelling but still offers his trademark reality-pulled-out-from-under-your-feet feeling.  Ubik tells the story of Joe Chip, who works for Glen Runciter’s security agency, which protects customers from telepaths and paranormal attack.  While on a job on the moon, Runciter is killed…or is he?  Odd messages from him keep appearing to members of the security team.  And objects start devolving, like Chip’s stereo that turns back into a Victrola.  And then there are the repeated advertisements for a miracle product named “Ubik.”

Kill the Competition by Stephanie Bond

If you enjoy reading about how a character thinks and grows, this book could be the romantic suspense for you. Belinda moves to Atlanta, Georgia to start over after a failed relationship. She's got to learn to live with: big city traffic, southern manners, sharing with girlfriends, carpooling, and murder. 

Dead End Dating by Kimberly Raye

I actually recommend the entire Vampire Love series of books, of which this title is the first.  Lil Marchette is a born vampire (as opposed to a made vampire) in a world where born vamps are snooty, rich, and pure-blooded. Lil wants out of that destiny. She lives in her own small apartment in New York City.  Rather than work for the family firm, she starts her own company-a dating service for other born vampires. Soon her clients include werewolves and other weres, made vampires, even humans. In each book in the series, Lil has to balance her passion for high end fashions, a hot made vampire named Ty Bonner, her nagging mother's desire for grandchildren, her clients' desires for the perfect date, and her desire to lead an independent life versus the costs of paying your own bills. While so many of us can identify with her problems, the real joy in these books comes from seeing her character develop strengths she never knew she had as she solves dilemmas and a mystery with each book.

Vampire Love series, in order

Dead End Dating

Dead and Dateless

Your Coffin or Mine?

Just One Bite

Sucker for Love

July 30, 2009 - Jean recommends:

Moonlight Warrior by Janet Chapman

Janet Chapman is well known among paranormal romance fans as the author of a series about time-travelling highland warriors who now live in the mountains of Maine. Moonlight Warrior is the first book in a new series that overlaps the previous one.

Kenzie Gregor is a soul warrior whose calling is to help displaced souls.  He moves to Midnight Bay, with Daar, the ancient wizard from the previous series, and a grumpy dragon called William.  Midnight Bay is on the coast of Maine and is in an economic and emotional slump caused by loss of jobs in fishing and lumber.  Kenzie buys land to set up his farm, from an impoverished widow and her petite, blond, divorced daughter.

Kenzie has a job trying to break through the embittered daughter’s heart.  Meanwhile, the town of Midnight Bay is about to be invaded by money and magic and overrun by huge work crews of manly men with Scottish burrs!

A Spy on the Bus: Memoir of a Company Rat by Margean Gladysz

Out of the Furrow: The Autobiography of Kalamazoo’s First Pediatrician by H. Sidney Heersma

I love reading memoirs and recently, to my delight, I discovered a blog located at www.100memoirs.com written by Shirley H. Showalter, a former college president who is now the Vice President for Programs at the Fetzer Institute here in Kalamazoo County.  If you like reading memoirs and people writing about their favorite ones check this site out.

Two local memoirs which are currently popular at Kazoo Books are A Spy on the Bus: Memoir of a Company Rat by Margean Gladysz and Out of the Furrow: The Autobiography of Kalamazoo’s First Pediatrician by H. Sidney Heersma.

During the last half of the 1940s Margean Gladysz worked for Greyhound, Trailways and other bus companies as a “spy” for management to report on the drivers, routes and anything else deemed appropriate.  About six years ago she discovered in an attic trunk the letters she wrote home almost everyday describing her adventures. The result was this charming memoir which some local book clubs have chosen to read.

This summer Dr. Heersma turned 100 years old which renewed interest in his autobiography which he published in 2002.  A fascinating read, Dr. Heersman tells a good story while coming off as an admirable man of integrity who has accomplished much in his life.   There is an abundance of fascinating local medical   history in the book which gives the reader a sense of how medicine has changed over the years.

Ice by Stephanie Rowe

Like many of you, when I find an author whose work I like, I tend to read everything that person has written. I liked Ms. Rowe's paranormal romantic comedies immensely. Her contemporary romances, like this one, seem a bit slow in comparison...but that may be unfair. She can draw an over-the-top character quite vividly. (See my review of June 30.) Making characters behave in a believable fashion is much more difficult. This book is good...but I wish she would pull out the stops and go back to romantic comedy.

Kaylie Fletcher lives a settled life, with a quiet, high-paying job, in a big city. She gets a phone call telling her that her mother has survived a mountain climbing accident that killed the other members of her family. Then the mysterious caller hangs up. Kaylie heads north to Alaska to discover the truth. Kaylie's best friend hired Cort McClain to fly Kaylie out to her friend's house. He hates snooty, rich women, which Kaylie looks like. She hates adrenaline junkies, like the family she left behind in Alaska and bush pilot Cort McClain. Sparks fly when they meet and continue as they get drawn into a double murder and a stalker who is after after Kaylie.

Will romance survive their prejudices? Can either change enough to satisfy the needs of the other? This is classic, escapist, summer reading.

July 9, 2009 - Nick is reading:

The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope 

One clue that indicates a person is a book lover is their attraction to a list of books and the joy experienced perusing it.  The July 13, 2009 issue of Newsweek contains a list of 50 books called “What to Read Now. And Why.” The list is based on the premise that the educated American needs “…to know which books---new or old, fiction or nonfiction—open a window on the times we live in…” 

The first title listed is Anthony Trollope’s The Way We Live Now, a novel published in 1875 and considered his masterpiece.  Supposedly this book mirrors much of what is going on in our society today, especially in the financial realm. One character is a ruthless swindler named Augustus Melmotte, who will remind you of our own era’s Madoff, who was just sentenced to life in prison.

I have ordered myself a copy of this book and will report back after I have read it.

The next four titles listed are: 

The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright 

Prisoner of the State by Zhao Ziyang 

The Big Switch by Nicholas Carr 

The Bear by William Faulkner

July 2, 2009 - Nick recommends:

One of the great joys of reading is discovering a series of books by an author which can keep you delightfully occupied for months.  During the past six months I have devoured almost three dozen titles by Susan Howatch and the mystery master Robert Parker.

By Susan Howatch:

The Starbridge Series: Glittering Images, Glamorous Powers, Ultimate Prizes, Scandalous Risks, Mystical Paths and Absolute Truths

The St. Benet’s Trilogy: The Wonder Worker, The High Flyer and The Heartbreaker

Between 1987 and 2004 Howatch published a series of nine books set in 20^th century England interrelated by characters and the theme of spiritual development. The first six books make up The Starbridge Series: Glittering Images, Glamorous Powers, Ultimate Prizes, Scandalous Risks, Mystical Paths and Absolute Truths.  The final three are part of The St. Benet’s Trilogy: The Wonder Worker, The High Flyer and The Heartbreaker. The heroes and heroines of these books are spiritual directors. It was a sad day when I finished the final page of the ninth book.  These books will appeal to anybody who believes one’s spiritual development can be as dramatic and interesting as any dimension of the human life.

The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert Parker

I don’t read many mysteries but I happened to read during a long plane ride The Godwulf Manuscript, Parker’s 1973 title which introduced his private eye Spenser, the Korean War vet, ex-heavyweight boxer and ex-state cop who lives in Boston.  The more I got to know Spenser the more addictive the books became. There are 36 Spenser titles with the next one coming out in October.  Spenser sees himself as an urban Thoreau who has worked hard to get to where he is. He lives by his own code which sometimes does not make any sense to anyone except Spenser and maybe the love of his life Susan. Spenser is tough and witty and basically a good guy. You do not have to read the books in chronological order to enjoy them.  I have already started to worry about running out of Spenser books.

June 30, 2009 - Jean recommends:

Date Me, Baby, One More Time by Stephanie Rowe

Must Love Dragons by Stephanie Rowe

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Hot by Stephanie Rowe

Sex & the Immortal Bad Boy by Stephanie Rowe

I recently picked up a copy of Sex & the Immortal Bad Boy, by Stephanie Rowe. It looked like a fun read-and it was!

"Page Darlington is finally free of the literal boss from hell-Satan. There's just one hitch: she's been cursed, and will soon lose her soul."

It turns out this book was number four of the series that all involve men and women who have worked for Satan (who is a hoot all by himself) and are trying to redeem themselves. There are dragons, curses, goblets of immortality, Satan falling in love and needing romantic advice from his minions, and the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. Satan as depicted in these books is something straight out of Las Vegas, gold chains, open shirt, and over-the-top theatrics. Add snappy dialogue and lots of foreplay and you have four very fun books.

If the Shoe Fits by Stephanie Rowe

I had so much fun with the previous four books that I ordered a copy of If the Shoe Fits, also by Stephanie Rowe. This is a contemporary romance with the main characters holding down day jobs while they try to design the ultimate running shoe. While this book is also humorous it is more a standard chick lit novel. There's a cadre of best girlfriends, and ex-husband and a current boyfriend all competing for Paris Jackson's affections. It is a very good read.

Lover Avenged by JR Ward

The newest novel in the brotherhood of the Black dagger series by JR Ward is Lover Avenged. Just out in hardcover, we have a used copy of it at each store. This was as good as any of her others and explains a lot about the politics between the vampires and the symphaths. The story revolves around Rehvenge, owner of the Zero-Sum nightclub. He uncovers a plot to kill Wrath, the Blind King of the vampires. Rehvenge falls in love and has to deal with his relationship/blackmail affair with the princess of the symphaths. There is more about Xhex and John Matthew. I think the resolution of that relationship will come in a later book. This book is a treat for all fans of JR Ward's work.

Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine

Fans of the Weather Warden paranormal series by Rachel Caine should keep an eye out for her Morganfield Vampires series. The heroine is a teenager in Texas who is smart enough for MIT but who is sent to a local college by her overprotective parents. It turns out the town is run by vampires. Book five of the series is Lord of Misrule. The simmering battle between Amelie and Bishop becomes full-blown. The entire town is at risk. Claire Danvers and her friends try to survive the battle without condemning their souls.

Forbidden by Suzanne Brockmann

Some old favorites for the summer-I picked up an old Suzanne Brockmann book called Forbidden and it reminded me why I like her in the first place. Kayla Grey travels from Boston to Montana to get the help of Cal Bartlett, the brother of her best friend Liam. Everyone thought Liam had died in South America (in an island nation) but Kayla just received word that he's still alive. The plot moves quickly with lots of drama and romance. At 245 pages, it is the perfect size for folks who need a book for a holiday weekend.

The Curse of the Giant Hogweed by Charlotte MacLeod

Don't forget the oldies! Last spring I read a Charlie Chan mystery. I'm about ready to read a Raymond Chandler mystery. Classic good mysteries are a great escape. Well, a customer told me about Charlotte MacLeod. She has written a number of mysteries involving amateur sleuths with wacky names solving wacky crimes. The Curse of the Giant Hogweed was published in 1985 and can be found in our mystery section at the Parkview store. Prof. Shandy, Balaclava College's best amateur sleuth, travels to England with a couple of colleagues to solve the case of the giant hogweed, a garden pest that threatens to overgrow England. This book is about as silly and as fun as they come.

-J.C.

June 30, 2009 - Gloria recommends Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore with Lynn Vincent.

This book is sweeping the country with a story told from the heart.  When Deborah Hall involves her husband in her volunteer work, he begins to see life from a different view.  His world of art and high society is far different from Denver’s street life of substance and survival.  Yet they find a common thread that brings them together as friends.

The story is told from both perspectives and let’s you see the transformation that each of them experience.  Lynn does an excellent job of writing this story.

This is a terrific true story that each of us needs to hear.

This is a wonderful murder mystery set in medieval (1360s) England.  Hugh de Singleton is a younger son who heads to Oxford to become a church man.  His roommate dies and bequeaths a medical book to Hugh.  Hugh's career is inalterably changed as he discovers a passion for medicine.

His first job is to provide medical assistance to Lord Gilbert of Bampton Castle.  Lord Gilbert later asks him to investigate a set of bones found in the castle cesspit.  Soon Hugh is chasing down leads about missing girls, jealous boyfriends, a missing knight and a roaming band of entertainers. 

The pacing of the language is wonderful.  Starr sets the tale carefully so the reader can easily catch nuances of social behavior and the power structure of the day.  The descriptions of food, clothing, homes and travel really add to the entire adventure.  We hand-sell this book easily because the author did such a fabulous job.  

April 6, 2009 - Jean recommends: The House Without a Key: a Charlie Chan Mystery by Earl Derr Biggers.

The house without a key is the home of Dan Winterslip. He’s a leading business figure in Hawaii, and from the traveling branch of a stiff Boston banking family.  The traveling Winterslips are not considered quite successful, no matter how rich and happy they become.  Visiting Dan is Miss Minerva.  She’s a woman of a certain age who came for a short visit that has lasted six months.  A beloved nephew is sent to retrieve her from becoming one of those Winterslips.  He’s staid, engaged to be married to a respectable woman, and he’s a young banker.  Within 48-hours Dan is killed and young John Quincy Winterslip joins the Honolulu Police force to try and solve his murder.  He meets Charlie Chan and discovers a whole new way of looking at the world.  Charlie tells John Quincy that the reason he is so good at solving mysteries is because the Chinese people are sensitive, like camera film.  Exposure to Charlie Chan teaches John Quincy to see beyond the surface of people and events.

Published in 1925, this book is the first is a six-volume Charlie Chan series of mysteries.  The reader gets lots of information about the social rules and expectations the characters were expected to live by in the mid-twenties.  I really enjoyed that view into the world of my grandparents.  I also was tickled by the Hawaiian’s reaction to people who come from other places and expect to remain the same, driven, full of a need to meet high standards and complete business.  I had preconceived notions about Charlie Chan because of the movies.  The book introduced me to subtleties in his character that the movies never came close to touching.  I hope you enjoy these books as well.

Midnight Reign,

book two of the

Vampire Babylon

series

March 31, 2009 - Jean recommends: the “Vampire Babylon” series by Chris Marie Green.  The series includes Night Rising, Midnight Reign, and Break of Dawn.

I started this series based upon a recommendation from a customer and I was well-pleased by the series.  If you are looking for another paranormal romance, this might not satisfy your needs.  If you want a paranormal story that involves vampires and mysteries, then this series is for you. 

Dawn Madison returns to Los Angeles to search for her missing father, called from her job as a stuntwoman by a mysterious firm of private investigators.  Her father, Frank, disappeared while working a case for Limpet and Associates.  His coworkers include Kiko, a psychic midget who dreams of making it big as an actor, and Breisi, a Hispanic woman who was also dating Frank. They take Dawn under their wing and help her fight the scary things that go bump in the night. 

She slowly discovers that the case her father was working on involves a possible den of vampires living underground around Griffith Park.  The vampires have been helping actors and actresses to extend their careers by becoming a vampire, faking their death, and returning with a new identity years later.  This may be what happened to Dawn’s ultra-famous mother who died when Dawn was a newborn.  For all of her 24 years she has been trying to live up to her mother’s legacy.  

Dawn has to find her father, come to grips with her mother’s legacy, discover how to conquer her addiction to serial casual sexual encounters, and find out the hidden identity of the mysterious Mr. Limpet. 

Ms. Green is continuing the Vampire Babylon series with a new trilogy arc.  Each trilogy will involve a central mystery that culminates in a resolution in the third book.  Her new trilogy starts with A Drop of Red.  I will read that and report back!

April 21 - Jean is sorry to report that I'm having a hard time finishing A Drop of Red.  The plot plods along, the characters aren't engaging and Ms. Green has an annoying tendency to talk down to her audience.  I don't need the differences between British and American terms carefully explained to me...complete with quote marks.  It slows down an already slow plot.

March 32, 2009 - Kalyn recommends: Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen

 In my spare time I enjoy reading the classics. I have recently made it a goal to read all the works written by Jane Austen. Over the months I have read: Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, and most recently, Northanger Abbey.

 In Northanger Abbey our young protagonist, Catherine Morland, visits Bath, the city of social highlight in 18th century England. There she learns the various do’s and dont’s of society as she interacts with her new friends, the Thorpes and the Tilneys. Isabella Thorpe and her brother John are the example of all that is foolish and superficial in human nature and the Tilneys, Eleanor and Henry, exemplify the ideal character, all portrayed with Austen’s famous tongue-in-cheek wit.

 When Catherine is invited to the Tilney’s country estate, Northanger Abbey, Catherine’s young mind gets the best of her as she suspects shady behavior of the father, Captain Tilney, in the setting of the dark and secluded abbey. Follow Catherine as she grows up, learning her imagination effects those around her and as she stumbles through the throes of young love.

March 19, 2009 - Gloria recommends: "Early Read" books to get your children excited about reading!

These are some highlights to beginning reading levels for pre-school and K.  The series have several titles to choose from.

Biscuit Books by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and Pat Schories ( I Can Read)

These stories are about an adorable puppy named Biscuit.  They feature 1 or 2 simple sentences about his puppy antics.  He has adventures with kittens, taking a bath, and following his mistress to school.  These are fun to read with wonderful illustrations.

Learning to Get Along by Cheri J. Meiners  This is a series of lesson books for the early read level.  Each page has 1 or 2 sentences.  These support all ten Domain Elements in the Head Start Child Outcome program.  Titles include: Be Polite and Kind, Join in and Play and Talk and Work it Out.

Beyond Early Read to First & Second Grade level.

Green Light Readers

Big Pig and Little Pig (English and Spanish) 

These are level 1 and offer a fun story of getting along even if you are different.  There are many titles available that work the student into a growing vocabulary and can be used in a dual language program.

Cocoa is a talking horse and loves to make trouble for Kate.  This is an early chapter book and perfect for the introduction into the short story.

Great illustrations on every page by Betsy Lewin.

Unimagined, a Muslim

boy meets the West

by Imran Ahmad

This author’s life story weaves threads of cultural, religious and class differences while he was growing up in London. It was a time of extreme racism and class separations.  He begins to wonder about why he is different, even when he feels like he is the same as his fellow students and friends.  He has trouble understanding Christmas break at school and the importance of gift giving.  He wonders about the fuss from his parents because he liked the Spam served at school lunch.

Now as an adult, he still wonders about differences in people’s cultural or religious belief and what makes us all human and brings us together.

Imran tells his story with a dry wit and humor that shows how children are shaped and mature into their beliefs.

The author has grown up believing in Muslim’s gentle way, while being immersed early in life into Western culture.  He finds his balance with humor and understanding human behavior.

Imran’s debut book was published in Great Britain in 2007.  The book has now become available in the U.S. and the author is making his way across the country spreading the message within these pages of his memoir.

He has a daunting task of giving 40 talks in 50 days traveling from Michigan to New York, Florida and California and states in-between.

I had the good fortune to be the bookseller at one of his first talks.  He tells the journey of getting published and how the publisher’s rejection letters thought the story would be more interesting if he had turned out to be a “terrorist”.

Another story was from his travels into America after 9/11.  As a business executive he made many trips to the U.S. before 9/11 and afterward he always planned on a 4 hour delay because of background checks, until he arrived with a copy of his published book under his arm and could show them his picture on the book and that he really was the person who wrote it.  Such are our fears and discriminations.

-Gloria Tiller

Woolbur

by Leslie Helakoski

Each year there’s a children’s picture book that really catches my eye.  As an adult, I think these are some of the best reads just for fun and reminding us of life’s lessons in simple terms.

This year my pick is Woolbur by Leslie Helakoski.  Illustrated by Lee Harper.  Woolbur is a little sheep that marches to his own drum.  Maa and Paa are constantly pulling their wool out at night and Grandpaa just says, Don’t Worry.

The great thing about Woolbur is his attitude.  After he decides to card the wool on his body that gives him that wild frazzed look, he exclaims, Isn’t it Great!

Everything he does against the norm is Great!

Things go from bad to Great, when Woolbur starts to get the other kids to follow his lead.

A great lesson for us all, after all.

Isn’t it Great!

-Gloria Tiller

All Over but the Shoutin'

by Rick Bragg
 

I generally spend my spare time, such as it is, reading book reviews.  I can get through a lot of books in a weekend.  I seriously pursue handfuls of newspaper clippings, collected from a friend who saves them for me. 

Reading the Kalamazoo Community Read book is always on my list too, but this year offered some challenges since Rick Bragg has written 3 memoirs about his family.  I decided on his middle book called Ava’s Man.  It’s about Charlie Bundrum, his grandfather, on his mother’s side.  All Over But the Shoutin’ was the story of his mother and it made him think more about her roots.  How much influence did Charlie have on his children?

We find that Charlie had a profound impact on everyone.  One of those truly unforgettable characters that live on in family tales told to children’s children.  Charlie was a constant worry for Ava as well as her constant love.  He bid on her lunch basket when she was 16 and he was 17.  Love at first sight from 2 culture backgrounds.  Charlie’s skill was with a hammer and his tools.  He was a strong focused man that could use a hammer and his tools like an artist.  He could calculate building figures in his head and put on a pretty good roof in decent time.

His children doted on their father, but the same could be said of Charlie, he doted on them.  Each child held a special place in his heart.  As child beget child, he would make more room in his heart.  They were his responsibility, his charge in life.  They would run to him for protection and most of the time, he would be able to provide.

The dark side of Charlie was not so much a part of him as it was a part of his place and time.  He grew up in Alabama, moving back and forth into Georgia as circumstance required, dragging his growing family with him.  It was depression times and moonshine (likker) times and poor people making a life rich in belonging to each other.

Rick presents the character of his grandfather through the telling of  the tales of Charlie remembered by his aunts and uncles and nephews and friends, all people who knew Charlie personally.  He died the year before Rick was born and he feels cheated from knowing this pivotal person in his family.  Someone who seemed to be the glue that kept things together yet was the cause of most of the things that made things fall apart.

These tales are certainly embellished memories of a beloved man in their lives.  This story makes Charlie a bigger than life presence today, but if each of us were to think about our own grandfather, wouldn’t our memories do the same.

-Gloria Tiller