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Bev Shaffer returns to the Learned Owl Book Shop (204 N. Main St, Hudson) on Saturday, December 4th with her newest cookbook, Cakes to Die For (Pelican). This celebration of all things cake includes clear, step-by-step recipes for hundreds of mouth-watering, eye-popping Layered Cakes, Baby Cakes, Cheesecakes, Coffee Cakes, Snack Cakes, and more. In her signature [...]
(Read in 2009) Brisingr, by Christopher Paolini. My best friend and I listened to this while working a puzzle. The narrator was quite good, although we did giggle sometimes at the likeness of some of the characters to Star Wars characters. But all in fun — there is quite a cast to juggle! This third [...]
Bucking the Sarge, by Christopher Paul Curtis. I listened to this one on CD while my best friend and I were working on various projects. This was one of those “saw it on the shelf, and it looked promising” choices. I had read “Bud, Not Buddy,” and “Elijah of Buxton,” and had enjoyed those. This, [...]
Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. I’ve already ordered Stones to Schools, if that is any indication on how much I enjoyed this true story of one man’s getting lost in the mountains of Pakistan — but finding an incredible need, purpose and friendships. Mortenson was on an expedition to [...]
The Other Wes Moore, by Wes Moore. An interesting — and true — story of two men named Wes Moore. They were about the same age, grew up in the same area and had similar backgrounds. But then, one became a Rhodes scholar, and the other is serving a life sentence without parole for murder. [...]
The Girls of Murder City, by Douglas Perry. Another good read for history fans, especially crime history buffs, as well as fans of the musical “Chicago.” The story concentrates on Maurine Watkins, a young, conservative woman from Indiana who moves to Chicago to learn about life and to become a police and courts reporter for [...]
Twilight at the World of Tomorrow, by James Mauro. I really enjoyed this accounting of the 1939 World Fair in New York City. The story behind this extravagant affair seems a good mix of the best and the worst of humanity. It was planned with the best intentions — a place dedicated to peace and [...]
The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch. Several people had recommended this book, and I finally got around to checking it out of the library. Wow. What an incredible, amazing read. This is a very inspirational, upbeat story. You might not think it, looking at the general synopsis. Basically, Pausch gave this lecture — part of [...]
Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives, by Thomas French. This book is a series of stories, more or less in chronological order, about the Lawry Park Zoo in Tampa, about its zoo keepers, its animal residents and more. French not only does a good job conveying the humanity of the animals in the [...]