Author Rhodes-Courter is back discussing foster care – this time from the perspective of the foster parent instead of as the child in care. This follow up spans her college years to present day.

Unfortunately, she finds that the foster care system hasn’t changed all that much since she was in care. Kids are still bounced around frequently and some are returned to dangerous situations. While kids are in her care though, she does her best to fight for them. She searches for services, advocates for better care, and loves on the kids as best she can. Some of the children she fosters have favorable endings to their stories, but not all. One is particularly gut-wrenching.

All the while, she is still working on how her past is merging with her present. Stories of Rhodes-Courters’ visits with her biological family are both disappointing and heartening.

Before they were household names, many of the now-famous actors mentioned throughout Homey Don’t Play That!: The Story of In Living Color and the Black Comedy Revolution were trying to get a foot in the door by way of stand-up comedy. The Wayans family, Jamie Foxx, Jim Carrey, and Eddie Murphy are just a handful of the names to be recognized in this book.

The reader is taken on a journey from Keenen Wayans’ early life, through his years producing In Living Color. To better explain the impact of In Living Color, the author includes many stories from early careers of African Americans in film and television, as well as the historical context of nationwide events and Fox’s foray into broadcast television.

Compiled from many interviews into a cohesive and easily-readable narrative, the author creates an intriguing read for anyone interested in African American history, television history, or those who simply enjoyed watching In Living Color.

Told from sixteen-year-old Starr’s point of view, this heart-wrenching story describes her life – how she feels bounced between two different worlds and how she never feels fully herself. Then her worlds slowly begin to collide when her childhood best friend, Khalil, is fatally shot by a police officer and he becomes a national headline. Full of emotions and a wide cast of characters, this story is well told.

The audiobook version of this contemporary fiction work is wonderfully read and highly recommended. It enhances the dialogue and gives life to the characters in a way words on a page cannot. Be prepared with tissues.

This title is also available in print and ebook.

Host of the popular HGTV show Fixer Upper, Chip Gaines, shares with readers his path to success as well as his stumbles. Chip lays out his adventures in being a landlord, owning a landscaping business and how it led him and Joanna to their real estate and home goods empire known as Magnolia. Fans of the show will enjoy learning more of Chip’s back story and seeing more of their personal lives as the couple makes Waco THE place to live in Texas. VCPL has both print and eBook copies for check out. 

Elsa’s best friend and superhero is her seventy-seven year old grandmother. The two are inseparable as Elsa thrives on her grandmother’s stories from the Land-of-Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas. When Elsa’s grandmother dies, she leaves behind a quest for the seven year old to give letters to people in her left she has wronged. Following her grandmother’s last request, Elsa’s adventure is full of beasts, monsters and the strange adults in her life. 

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry is a story about a little girl learning about the right to be different in a world where everyone is struggling to act normal. Backman’s storytelling remains as entertaining as his debut novel, A Man Called Ove. This title is perfect for readers and book clubs looking for a book that delves into life and death from both an older and younger perspective. VCPL has this novel available in book, ebook, audiobook and eaudiobook formats. 

It takes a little bit to get used to the author’s style of writing, but the subject matter is fascinating. The author, Rothstein, proposes that it was de jure, not de facto, segregation that separated Americans. What follows are details of historical federal, state, and local government actions woven with specific stories of individuals who were directly affected by such matters. For example, the author discusses temporary housing for the war (WWII) effort, zoning laws, and expressway construction, and how those directives altered lives.

A great read for those interested in social justice issues.

Before the Declaration of Independence, there was a post office system in what would become the United States of America. This in depth look at the Post Office describes the rise and fall of mail delivery systems, such as stagecoach and railroad, and provides historical lessons on the influence of the postal system on roads and transportation, literacy, the magazine industry, and more.

An excellent read for anyone interested in American history or those who enjoy trivia.

Accidentally on Purpose is Book 3 in Jill Shalvis’ latest series Heartbreaker Bay. The series invites readers to get to know the tenants and employees of an active apartment complex in San Francisco. Elle Wheaten is the manager of the building and she enjoys bossing everyone around. Everyone listens exceptArcher Hunt, a security consultant who rents space for his business in the building. Their mutual friends have all witnessed the tension between the two but have no idea that they have a history. Archer claims to want nothing to do with Elle but when Elle starts to date other men, Archer begins to sabatoge her dates. Readers will enjoy the pair’s witty banter as well as the lengths they go to in order to avoid committing to one another.

Readers who enjoy romances with close circle of friends will love this series. This book can be read as a stand alone but VCPL does own the entire series.  

“Hot pockets!” If you sang that jingle in your head when you saw Jim Gaffigan’s name as the author of this book, then you should read this book.

Gaffigan covers many types of food in this book, from fruits & veggies (no one REALLY likes those) to fast food to fancy food to Hot Pockets, (obviously), all with a great sense of humor and a little self-degradation.

The best part of reading this book is when you find you agree with what Gaffigan describes. You may think to yourself, “Yes! Wendy’s IS the best fast food chain!” or “Exactly! Who waits two minutes for anything out of the microwave to cool?”

Food: A Love Story can be finished in a day or two, and you will probably find yourself reading sections of it aloud to whomever is near.

This book can also be found in print.

Perfect for the knitter who feels comfortable with basic stitches, but wants to explore more patterns that can be created. Stitches vary from beginner to expert, so there is something new for everyone in this book. Directions for each stitch are listed in both written and charted formats. Knit Stitch Dictionary does not include item patterns such as scarves or afghans, but by learning new types of stitches, a creative mind will design her own. The final few pages provide information on needle sizes, gauge, starting and ending a garment, and how to read a chart.

Looking for an easy new stitch to try first? This reviewer recommends the Garter Diagonals.

Alzheimer’s at 38. It’s not what one would expect to happen, but Anna Forster is living that reality. But just because she’s been diagnosed, does not mean she has forgotten everything. Anna is determined to have, and end, things her way.

Eve, a newly single mother, shows up at Rosalind House, the assisted living facility, a few months after Anna. She intends to be the new cook, but she can’t help but become attached to Anna and the other residents. Told from alternating points of view, this story will capture the reader and perhaps provide a different perspective on person’s living with Alzheimer’s.

This title is available in print or ebook.

The speaker was Zak Ebrahim. The 1200 audience members jumped to their feet with tears and applause as the poised young man concluded his powerful nine minute talk. It was a TED conference in Vancouver, British Colombia. Also speaking that particular day in September 2013 were Bill and Melinda Gates, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Jehane Noujaim and the musician Sting but it was Zak’s talk that resonated with the listeners. They were transported back to the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center where six individuals were killed and over a thousand injured.

One of the masterminds of this heinous act was El-Sayed Nosair, who was serving time in the Attica Correctional Facility, a supermax New York State prison, for crimes related to the assassination of the leader of the Jewish Defense League. Considered a prime instigator of terrorists’ acts in the United States, El-Sayed was specifically mentioned in one of Osama bin Laden’s infamous video messages where bin Laden urged the world to "Remember El-Sayed Nosair."

El-Sayed Nosair was Zak Ebrahim’s father. Zak’s memoir, The Terrorist’s Son: A Story of Choice, was inspired by his heart-rending TED talk. Imagine moving more than twenty times during your childhood, not only being bullied because you are the new kid in school but because of the atrocious crimes committed by your father. This true account recalls in great detail being awoken at age seven, advised to put all his worldly possessions into a sheet by his panicked mother and the flight from their apartment in New Jersey to which he would never return. The trials and tribulations endured by Zak and his family are detailed in his remarkable journey to escape the legacy of his father’s choices.

At barely under one hundred pages, this is a "small book about big ideas", designed to be read in one sitting. Zak’s choice to reject his childhood indoctrination of bigoted ideology espoused by his father and to instead embrace a life of tolerance and empathy provides an ultimately hopeful story.

"I’ve spent my life trying to understand what drew my father to terrorism, and struggled with the knowledge that I have his blood in my veins. By telling my story, my intention is to do something hopeful and instructive: to offer a portrait of a young man who was raised in the fires of fanaticism and embraced nonviolence instead.”

Zak Ebrahim’s The Terrorist’s Son won the American Library Association’s Alex Award in 2015 for being one of the 10 best adult books of the year that also appeal to young-adult readers. A portion of the earnings the author received to write the book have been donated to Tuesday’s Children, a nonprofit organization helping communities affected by terrorism around the world.

On June 10, 1940, even the French Government officials fled in anticipation of the Nazi takeover of Paris, but Sumner Jackson stayed. He had a duty as doctor and “resident physician in charge,” and he intended to help all he could. Avenue of Spies, an historical account of an American living in Nazi-occupied France, gives the reader a glimpse into what it was like for one family in World Word II Paris.

Sumner Jackson was an American doctor who had fallen in love with a Swiss-born nurse, Toquette, when they were both working in a hospital during the First World War. By the time World War II began, Sumner and Toquette had a 12-year-old son together and were living in one of Paris’ finest neighborhoods, on Avenue Foch. At the onset of the war, Sumner sent his wife and son elsewhere for safety, and he spent most nights in the American Hospital where he worked. Eventually, wife and son returned, and both Sumner and Toquette battled the Nazis in their own ways.

Sumner’s personal rebellion against the Nazis began early on, when he hid Allied troops and other members of the resistance in the basement of the American Hospital. After hiding those who needed to escape, he often kept no record of their names, or officially recorded them as “deceased.”

The reader watches the Nazis advance through the eyes, ears and minds of the Jacksons. The Nazis are 150 miles from Paris, now closer. Hospitals and ambulances are being targeted by the German troops, and Sumner’s hospital paints over any red cross symbols that would announce their presence and intentions. “From the terrace of Sumner’s office… [he] could see flashes of light from bursting artillery shells splashing across the horizon. Hitler’s storm troopers were less than twenty miles away.”

Avenue of Spies: A True Story of Terror, Espionage, and one American Family’s Heroic Resistance in Nazi-Occupied Paris by Alex Kershaw reads more like a thrilling spy novel than a history lesson and draws on extensive interviews with Phillip Jackson, Sumner and Toquette’s son. This non-fiction selection includes a selection of photographs of the Jackson family, as well as images of many other high-profile names discussed in this book.

Travel back to the Great World War and globe trot the world with a colorful band of characters affectionately known as the Explorers Guild.  Published in October, The Explorers Guild is penned by Jonathan Baird and Kevin Costner, the famous actor and filmmaker, assisted by Stephen Meyer. Rick Ross is responsible for the fabulous illustrations.

This great adventure tome harkens back to the golden age of adventure writing in the similar vein of authors Jack London, Rudyard Kipling, Joseph Conrad and Robert Louis Stevenson.  The action revolves around the Ogden siblings: brothers John and Arthur, and their sister, Frances.  Each has a vastly different reason for searching for the lost city of Shambhala but all are of the upmost importance to the seeker, ranging from saving a life to saving the world. Broken down into five distinct sections, this high octane tale journeys from the “Ice Fields Wide and Wicked” to the desert sands of Southeast Mesopotamia to “secret waterways beneath Asia” to the bustling neighborhoods of New York City.  

The 770 page novel is almost split evenly between text and graphic storytelling. Kevin Costner shares the reason for the length of the book. “It is packed with illustrated comic panels by Rick Ross. His phenomenal illustrations fire my imagination.”  The images impart some conversation or historical fact necessary to move along the plot. As the book is full of comic book images, an assumption could be made that it is a book aimed at children.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  Many times the action is not suitable for younger readers. For example, the evil Sharif Al-Shar’s end is described as “The Sharif is last seen as a dark feather of blood over the village square” after a maid, in retribution for grievances out of counting, most of them unprintable, ignites a cannon to which the sultan is strapped to by Major John Ogden of the Fifth Dragoon Guards.

According to the authors, it took almost ten years to fully develop the storylines.  The word choices, while lengthy, are reminiscent of the time period. When Arthur Ogden claims responsibility for the book’s events, he writes, “I can tell you straight out that we are the victims of an ill-judged boast on my part made in a spasm of jealousy and wrath and of all thing patriotism; which boast has flung us far from the pleasure of Society and put us on term of intimacy with Death, as I say without exaggeration.” Arthur then promises to end his chronicle on a bright note of revenge. With such delicious writing, it forces the reader to journey to the end.

The extended title of the book is “The Explorers Guild Volume One: A Passage to Shambhala - Being an Introduction to that Secret Society And an Account of Certain Travelers in their Far-Faring Search for the Sacred City Yrs. 1912-1918.”  It is available from the VCPL in hardback.

Humans of New York: Stories is a photographic, storytelling blog that began on Facebook. When Brandon, the author, began this journey five years ago, he was simply taking pictures. Now he interviews the subjects of his photographs and has somehow created a safe place on Facebook for people to share their secrets. This book is a compilation of those stories. In this book, the reader meets people of all ages, with all kinds of stories to tell. The reader will laugh out loud, turn the page, and tear up.

While this book looks large, (426 pages of stories!), it can be read in one evening if the reader so chooses.

At its core, American Meteor is a story of America’s Manifest Destiny as it spread, like a “meteor,” west from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. This “meteor” metaphor is also often used for characters who burst upon history’s scene, tear, often violently, through life as meteors do the sky, and finally burn into oblivion. The narration is often poetic and well written, and while morals and lessons can be learned from it, it refrains from being preachy.

American Meteor, the latest work by award-winning author Norman Lock, is a finely crafted story of one man’s journey through the United States’ westward expansion. The story opens as Stephan Moran returns to consciousness in a hospital after being wounded during a Civil War battle, and briefly relates his experiences as a bugle boy for the Union, as well as flashing back to childhood memories in a New York slum and of fleeting sights of a man soon revealed to be Walt Whitman. Told in the first person as a series of rembrances to a friend, Jay, the episodes jump around in time, though they are all clearly dated, giving the impression that the reader is privy to a diary or memoir. Over the course of the story, the narrator encounters other famous men: General Ulysses S. Grant, General George Armstrong Custer, and Crazy Horse among them. Throughout, Stephan Moran is a witness to history, and never an actor until near the very end, allowing the reader to be witness alongside him.

True to a first-person narrative of rembrances, he embarks on tangents to elaborate on a point as fancy takes him. Where this may be a literary sin for many authors, it works for this type of story. As back stories, they add detail and color where necessary, and do not at all make the story disjointed. The details are gritty, but not so gory that they disgust, and given with a familiarity that implies the character’s experience. The tone, grammar, and vocabulary are archaic enough to grant a sufficient sense of authenticity, yet not so authentic that it becomes difficult or tedious for twenty-first-century readers to grasp.

The storytelling voice shifts about midway into the novel.  It is a gradual shift, so the reader may not notice the drop in nineteenth century tone. Whereas meteors flare and vanish, Lock’s characters will remain.

Overall, American Meteor is a well-wrought witness to legend.

The Martian is a story about a lone human battling against overwhelming odds. The Ares 3 manned mission to Mars has arrived on the Red Planet. On the sixth day, a vicious dust storm exponentially stronger than NASA anticipated hits the landing site, forcing the six man crew to abort their mission. Time is of an essence because if the MDV (Mars Descent Vehicle) is blown over on its side, all would be stranded. During the evacuation process, Astronaut Mark Watney is struck with an antenna and knocked unconscious. Watney pinwheels away from his team and ends up buried in the blowing sand. Since his spacesuit’s communication computer is destroyed in the accident, the crew believes Mark to be dead and reluctantly begins the voyage back to Earth. The future is bleak for Mark when he awakes and realizes he has been abandoned. He has no immediately viable way to contact NASA and he certainly does not have enough supplies to last until the next Ares mission is planned to visit Mars in four years.

Weir tells Watney’s story primarily through a mission journal which Watney writes as he documents his efforts to stay alive and figure out a way to get back to Earth. Comprising the first several chapters of the book, the logs spotlight Mark Watney’s irrelevant but often hopeful humor and makes it easy to root for the only survivor left on Mars. Author Andy Weir very capably intersperses Mark’s log entries with conversations going on in NASA and others involved in planning rescue attempts, along with the dilemma of whether or not to tell the Ares 3 crewmates on their way back to Earth that they left Mark alive.

A devoted history buff of manned spaceflight and self-declared space nerd, Weir studied orbital mechanics and astronomy to give his novel authenticity.  This attention to technical detail makes it all the more compelling for those who know enough about spaceflight to appreciate those details. Weir made Mark Watney a Mechanical Engineer and a Botanist which aptly supports Watney’s choices made in the new situations he faces. Simple but critical challenges abound. How does Mark breathe, eat, and drink when the mission supplies are exhausted? How does he pinpoint an air leak in the shelter? Is it even possible to get to an ascent vehicle destined for another mission which is thousands of kilometers away on Mars?

This is Andy Weir’s first novel and he originally self-published it in 2011. After skyrocketing to the top of Amazon’s science fiction list, it was published by Crown Publishing in 2014.  The film rights were then bought and it is now a major motion picture starring Matt Damon and directed by Ridley Scott. The Martian is available from the VCPL in hardback, audiobook, and as an ebook.

Some books grab you as soon as you start reading.  This was one of those.  I was crying at the end of the first chapter, although I don't usually like books that make you cry I was hooked.  The story was upbeat and enjoyable (I know it is a surprise after the crying).  Lynn has been a widow for about 2 years and is still struggling with grief.  She and her husband had built their home, the family plumbing business and their children's homes all on the same property and although she loves her home, she is lonely and struggles with grief.  The book begins with Lynn's son suggesting she sell her big house and build a smaller one beside his.  Lynn's house is on a lake and they are close enough for the grandchildren to walk to her house but not so close that they can see into each other's yards.  Lynn loves her home and has no desire to leave it.  She realizes she needs to make some changes but isn't really sure how.  Because of some physical symptoms she visits her doctor who mentions to her the idea of shared housing.  Lynn begins to investigate and decides this is something that will work for her.  She prepares her home and prays that God will send her the boarders she needs.  In unusual ways she meets Angela who is going through a divorce and Judith who's family home has become a historical museum after the death of her father.   Both women are looking for a new start and a new home.  They transition into this way of living fairly easily but there are some bumps along the road they have to work out as they each adjust and find what is best for all of them.  Each woman experiences healing and restoration as their friendship grows and new opportunities open up for them.

This book was enjoyable and inspiring.  If you like books about families or small communities this is one to add to your reading list.  I'm hoping it will become a series.

This tv series chooses to show the story of the affair in two distinct perspectives each episode. Viewers can catch differences in dialogue, clothing and actions when we see the story told from Alison’s point of view as opposed to Noah’s. I loved how the two sections varied each episode because it made both characters unreliable. Everyone remembers life differently and this show lets readers experience it during a curcial point in their lives. Mixed in with their forbidden love story is a murder mystery and for several episodes you dont even know who died or how. This tv show was captivating and I recommend this show to everyone who loves a good who-done-it mystery. I am anxiously awaiting Season Two. In January 2015, Ruth Wilson won Best Actress-Television Series Drama and Season 1 won Best Television Series-Drama at the 72^nd Golden Globes.

They were known simply as "The Lost Boys." Orphaned by the brutal civil war in Sudan that began in 1983, these young victims traveled as many as a thousand miles on foot in search of safety. Fifteen years later, a humanitarian effort would bring 3,600 lost boys and girls to America.

Carrie Davis is tasked with helping “The Lost Boys” find jobs once they reach America. This film shows Carrie struggle with keeping her distance as the boys acclimate with American society and struggle with the demons in their past. This film is honest and heart-wrenching. Stop by and place a hold on this DVD today!

MPAA rating: PG-13; for thematic elements, some violence, brief strong language and drug use.

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng is an account of a fictional family in a small town in Ohio.  The first glimpse of the family is in 1977 at their breakfast table.  To view the scene, one would assume everything is as it should be.  Cereal bowls, physics homework awaiting rewrites, lazy yawns, all of these one would expect to find on an early morning before school.  But this May morning, someone is late for breakfast.  The last thing a family would imagine is that the latecomer will never arrive.  Life will never be the same for the Lee family.

James, the father, is of Chinese heritage, born in California.  Marilyn, the mother, is a blue-eyed, blonde-haired woman from Virginia.  These details are important in the 1950s to Marilyn’s mother who declares, “Think about your children… You won’t fit in anywhere.  You’ll be sorry the rest of your life,” and in the 1970s to nosey onlookers with similar beliefs. The three children, Nath, Lydia, and Hannah, all have their own distinct personalities and secrets.  Everyone in this family has secrets from each other, more than likely due to a pact the parents made to each other just after they married, “to let the past drift away, to stop asking questions, to look forward from then on, never back.”  It is hard for family members to understand one another when no one asks the important questions.

This title is available in print and e-audiobook formats.

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is the expansionist dream of Sonny (Dev Patel), and it's making more claims on his time than he has available, considering his imminent marriage to the love of his life, Sunaina (Tina Desai). Sonny has his eye on a promising property now that his first venture, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the Elderly and Beautiful, has only a single remaining vacancy - posing a rooming predicament for fresh arrivals Guy (Richard Gere) and Lavinia (Tamsin Greig).

Evelyn and Douglas (Judi Dench and Bill Nighy) have now joined the Jaipur workforce, and are wondering where their regular dates for Chilla pancakes will lead, while Norman and Carol (Ronald Pickup and Diana Hardcastle) are negotiating the tricky waters of an exclusive relationship, as Madge (Celia Imrie) juggles two eligible and very wealthy suitors. Perhaps the only one who may know the answers is newly installed co-manager of the hotel, Muriel (Maggie Smith), the keeper of everyone's secrets. As the demands of a traditional Indian wedding threaten to engulf them all, an unexpected way forward presents itself. - Written by Fox Searchlight

As a fan of the first film, I enjoyed the sequel just as much as the original. The characters are still charming and fun. I think their advanced age gives them the freedom to get away with a few raunchy jokes without it being awkward or ruining the moment. Maggie Smith is an absolute treat to watch. For a moment, I almost cried but luckily I held it together until the end. VCPL has copies of this on DVD and BLU-Ray. Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)

New novellas in the Green Mountain, Harmony, Southern Belle Book Club, and Dare Island series!

From four contemporary romance stars, stories filled with first kisses, first dances, and happily-ever-afters…

Midnight Bet by Jodi Thomas: When cousins Rick and Lizzy Matheson of Harmony, Texas, wind up on the wrong side of an attempted shooting, they know they’re in deep. Still, the biggest danger is losing their hearts—Rick to an old flame and Lizzy to an old friend she’d never noticed before…

You’ll Be Mine by Marie Force: Will Abbott and Cameron Murphy are finally ready to tie the knot—as long as family, friends and a love-struck moose don’t get in the way.

Wrapped Around Your Finger by Shirley Jump: Maggie McBride is just one of the guys in the hard-knocks world of construction. Until she’s dared to ask Nick Patterson to a wedding, enticing her to knock down some walls—and risk falling in love.

Carolina Heart by Virginia Kantra: Determined to leave her wild past behind, Cynthie Lodge is forging a new life for herself and her daughters—one that’s man-free and drama-free. But when her high school crush shows up on Dare Island, he’s determined to make her break her rules…

I checked this book out because I am hooked on Marie Force’s Green Mountain series. The Abbott family is a large small town group that knows how to have fun! I loved reading about Will and Cam’s wedding! I had not read any of the other authors in this group before but I quickly fell in love with Shirley Jump’s characters so now I need to find the Southern Belle Book Club series. Maggie’s tomboy ways are no match for her best friend when he finally gets the courage to make a move. If you are in the mood for a few quick novella, I personally recommend check this book out!

Little People Dr. Jennifer Arnold and husband businessman Bill Klein tell the story of how they grew up, the many challenges they faced, including many surgeries, as well as bullying by others because of their small stature in a full-sized world.  We learn how they each grew to adulthood and created successful lives.  Each of them hoped to find someone to share their life with and create a family, and eventually they connected with each other, a couple that was meant to be, although it took a long time to happen.   It is a love story as well as a story of great personal courage and ambition for each of them.  Even if you have not watched the TLC show "The Little Couple" you will find this fascinating book well worth the read.  We learn of the heartbreak of fertility failures and the joy of adopting two children (also Little People), one a Chinese boy, Will,  the other a girl from India.  During Zoey's adoption, Jennifer comes near to death from medical issues.  They are just really likeable people who deserve great admiration for their accomplishments and endurance in the face of adversity.  Despite watching the show, I learned many things about them and their families that I was not aware of.  A good read to make you feel that if they can overcome obstacles, so can you!  (791.45 A)