I Heard It On NPR!

Open the door and fall into a good book!
author unknown


Couldn't have said it better myself! How else to welcome the
cooler weather?

I enjoy listening to NPR, the music, the news, the chat, and especially the books. What I enjoy even more is when the book(s) they are talking about can be found right here in our library. Love that.

Here's some books I heard about on NPR:

Thomas Friedman's 'Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution and How It Can Renew America.'

It's (way past) time for a green revolution and Friedman wants Americans to lead the way. The title says it all-the world is hot, flat and crowded and unless we address these issues where will the world be, what will the quality of life be, in the twenty-first century? Friedman wants America to get its groove back and shares with us how he thinks we can do it.

Curtis Sittenfeld's American Wife

Fictional account of a Republican first lady who finds she doesn't always agree with his political decisions, sees him for what he is, stands by his side because what else can she do? Yeah, you will find yourself wondering is this really about Laura Bush?

Annie Proulx's Fine Just the Way It Is: Wyoming Stories 3

Proulx shares her love of Wyoming in her third volume of stories. Her description of this state are beautiful and as always, her writing style is gritty and her stories will take you are a trip to the west, past and present.

Bob Woodward's The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008

The title says it all....and if it weren't for the fact this is non-fiction you might think you were reading a political suspense novel. As usual, Woodward has given us information-while feeling it is all true we wish it wasn't.

Jane Mayer's The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals

The events of September 11, 2001 left our country's most powerful leaders shaken. Decisions made from that date show a government whose legacy will be remembered as one of the most disturbing chapters in our history. Mayer also gives us a hard look at the media and how it has presented the news the last six years.

Oliver Sack's Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain

Fascinating stories by a famed neurologist who found out how the power of music affected patients' lives. He explains the power how music can have a peculiar power over us and shares his studies with music on some of his patients, and the results, both successful and unsuccessful, are amazing.

Lynne Rossetto Kasper & Sally Swift's Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper: Recipes, Stories, and Opinions from Public Radio's Award Winning Food Show

This is one of my favorite types of book: food, stories and sharing. What could be better? I dare you to take this book out and not be tempted to make the fried hard-boiled eggs! Oh yea, you read right.

Turn on NPR, listen to some cool jazz, grab your favorite beverage, put your feet up and fall into a good book. Happy Reading!

A Little Magic for a Summer Night

Anyone who says they have only

one life to live must not know how

to read a book.

Author Unknown

Garden Spells

Sarah Addison Allen

Here is one of the best way to spend one of those last summer nights; a little whimsy, a little magic, a little enchantment and a lot of love. The Waverley sisters of Bascom NC, have always been as different as night and day. Sidney, the younger sister, left home right after she graduated without a goodbye: she despised everything about Bascom, the house, the magical garden and her sister, while Claire, the older sister, loved everything about it. Claire started a catering business-which quickly became the busiest one around. The main reason for that is the magical garden behind the family home where it is believed that Claire puts a little something magical in her foods that have quite an effect on people. There is also an apple tree that seems to have a mind of its own, tossing apples at people which, when eaten, can cause them to have the most fabulous dream or a horrible nightmare.

Claire has the surprise of her life when one day her sister Sidney shows up with her five-year old daughter,Bay-who Claire didn't even know existed. It's been ten years since the sisters have seen or talked to each other and Claire knows that something happened for Sidney to return home and waits for her sister to tell her. For Bay this is heaven! She falls in love with everything just like her Aunt Claire.

Find out how the Waverley sisters learn to come together, heal the wounds from their past, respect each other and realize that what they give to each other is love. I wanted to spend more time in Bascom with Claire, Sidney and their delightful cast of characters who will make you smile when you're done and leave you feeling good.