Ageless, Timeless Fiction at JCPL!

I’m not one of those women who hate to admit their age. I don’t advertise it, but if I it happens to come up in conversation, I’ll admit how old I am. I have, however, been known to be wrong about how old I really am. An honest mistake, so to speak. One year, as my birthday got closer, a friend of ours was visiting, and the fact that my birthday was a month away was mentioned. When asked how old my upcoming birthday would make me, I answered, “I’ll be thirty eight.” Several beats went by, and finally, my friend said, “I could be wrong, but haven’t you been thirty eight for an awfully long time now?” Hmmm…Maybe the age thing is more of an issue than I thought. When it comes to that subject, I guess I’m sort of on the same page with India Bishop, a thirty eight (really forty three) year old woman who has literally reinvented herself and then falls for a wealthy older man named Marcus Croft. The only thing missing from her life now is a baby, and when her attempts at pregnancy fail, she turns to technology, her life intersecting with the lives of Jules Strauss and Annie Barrow, leading readers into the hearts of women’s lives in unforgettable and tender ways in “Then Came You” by Jennifer Weiner.


I could describe this book as “not old” at the Jasper County Public Library. In fact, it’s NEW, and so are the following titles! Read on!


Banished from New York to the balmy seaside resort of Port Fontaine, Florida due to political fallout, forensic pathologist, Dr. Edward Jenner hopes that the change of scenery will do him good. Jenner’s hopes are dashed, however, when he finds himself embroiled in another death investigation, this one hitting close to home, because the corpse belongs to his former mentor, Dr. Martin Roburn. Putting the pieces together gets a little dicey when four more corpses turn up, seemingly tied to the murder of Roburn and an up and coming drug trade, common in the sleepy little town in “A Hard Death,” the sequel to “Precious Blood” by Jonathan Hayes.


With prominent canines, an uncommon affinity for plants like blood-wart and Dracula orchid, Vlad Servan dresses entirely in black and hails from Romania. Could it be that this friend of Abby Knight’s fiancé is truly a vampire? When a local woman’s corpse is found drained of blood, the search for a killer is on. With Vlad as suspect #1, Abby and her fiancé, Marco, must race against time to prove him innocent in “Night of the Living Dandelion: A Flower Shop Mystery” by Kate Collins.


Retired American schoolteacher, Dorothy Martin has chosen to live out her retirement enjoying the English countryside. Invited to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night at the fully restored Branston Abbey, a major storm blows through, dimming the festive nature of the party. When a tree blows over, revealing a human skeleton tangled within its roots, intrigue follows in “A Dark and Stormy Night” by Jeanne M. Dams.


These “not old” books from JCPL would be great ways to celebrate, say, your 38th birthday. Mark Twain had it right when he quipped, “There is no cure for the common birthday.” Not your 38th birthday? Mine, either, but I still plan to make a trip to JCPL, where the new fiction on the shelves are as ageless as we all are, because, after all, age is just a number, and you can never have enough to read, no matter how old you are!

You'll "Go Bananas" Over These New Non-Fiction Titles!

In the English language there are lots of ways to get your point across. Newspaper articles often recount escapades of people, just like you and me. Upon reading those stories, you might be inclined to say we’ve “gone bananas,” “lost our marbles,” “didn’t have both oars in the water,” were “loony tunes,” “totally bizarre,” or, as the famous candy bar commercial claimed in the 1970’s, “Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.”


Funny that someone would use this popular jingle as a title for her memoir. In “Sometimes I Feel Like a Nut: Essays and Observations,” Jill Kargman offers funny, insightful slices of life that entertain readers, tackling issues big and small with wit and laugh out loud humor. In this collection, she shares her experiences of life, love, hate, kids, work, school, and adventures in New York City from a wickedly funny perspective.


This new non-fiction title from the shelves of the Jasper County Public Library uses zany humor to keep you turning pages. Read on for more, great, new titles!


Living, as the author puts it, “a ridiculously good life” is what Nick Vujicic imparts with his new book, “Life Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life.” Vujicic, born without limbs but for a tiny foot, has learned to be a shining light of help and hope for others, inspiring family and friends by overcoming his disabilities and sharing his faith with others, living independently and becoming a model for anyone who is struggling for true happiness in life.


After a blistering hot summer, fall is making an appearance. If the cooler weather brings more of an appetite for “comfort food” to you and your family, check out “Semi-Homemade Comfort Food” by Sandra Lee. You’ll rejoice in this money saving, easy, breezy cookbook that is perfect for seasoned cooks and novices alike, featuring over 125 delicious recipes for everything from casseroles to side dishes and soups to desserts. Easy to prepare and pocketbook friendly recipes make this cookbook a winner!


The abortion debate has brought about more than a little controversy over the years, and with that debate, violence has escalated throughout history, particularly on the sites of many women’s health care clinics. On May 31, 2009, Scott Roeder took the law into his own hands and fatally wounded abortion provider, Dr. George Tiller. “The Wichita Divide: The Murder of Dr. George Tiller” by Stephen Singular presents the portrait of a violent act that was borne out of the war against late term abortions, a war that has been raging for decades where the key battleground is Kansas, home to Brown vs. Board of Education and some of the bloodiest conflicts of the Civil War.


Social networking is not just for the younger population. Believe it or not, people over 55 are the fastest growing user group on Facebook and becoming Twitter bugs, as well. Seniors (and I use that term loosely, being of the over 50 age group myself) can jump on the social networking bandwagon quickly and easily after reading “Facebook and Twitter for Seniors for Dummies” by Marsha Collier. This easy to use guide explains step by step how to use these forums in a user friendly style, supplying everything seniors need to function on Facebook with confidence.


So, “go bonkers,” “go gaga,” “go crazy” or “go bananas” if you need to, but, by all means, while you’re on the way, go to JCPL, where all of the new titles on the shelves will be “the WAY to go!”