44431 mtg library book 2014 final print web

Read Into

The Holidays

Montgomery City-County Public Library 2014

A History of “The Holidays” “The Holidays” are a time of family, fun, food and celebration to the peoples of many nations and cultures. Of course here in the US, the season begins with Thanksgiving and Black Friday and proceeds to Hanukkah, Christmas Eve, Christmas and Kwanzaa.

Throw in a smattering of Saints Days, New Year’s Day, Mawlid-alNabi (Mohammad’s birthday)and the Winter Solstice and there is a holiday for just about everyone! Did I mention a holiday that you aren’t aware of? Never fear, your handy Reference Librarian is here to sort out the murkier parts of this most festive time of the year.

To begin chronologically, we’ll start with Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving, a distinctly American holiday, is traditionally held on the fourth Thursday in November. It is a combination of many historical and cultural factors. While the age old tale of the shared feast in Plymouth might not be entirely historically accurate, it does provide a foundation for a shared day of thanks and a general harvest celebration to mark the end of one season and the shift to another. The food most often associated with Thanksgiving (turkey, cranberry sauce, dressing and pumpkin pie) were the foods used in the harvest celebrations in the north during the time of the Civil War but quickly became associated with the pilgrims once President Abraham Lincoln recognized it as a federal holiday .

Black Friday… for me is a day to stay indoors, away from all shops and stores; but for many, it’s the official kickoff of the holiday shopping season. Though nationally recognized for other reasons, this holiday is now associated with early morning shopping and huge discounts. Originally the term “Black Friday” was used to describe the stock market crash of 1869 (which did not occur on the day after Thanksgiving), now the term “Black” refers to the foreboding sense of doom and gloom that retail workers, general pedestrians and transit workers feel as the day approaches. If you choose to shop on this day, be warned, several accidental deaths have occurred on Black Friday, caused by overzealous shoppers.

Hanukkah (also spelled Hannuka or Chanuka) is an eight day Jewish festival known as the festival of lights. The origin of the festival comes from 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees, two noncanonical books of the Hebrew Bible. These texts tell of a wartorn group of Jews (the Maccabees) who miraculously managed to make one small container of lighting oil last for eight nights. In Modern times, Jewish families also exchange gifts, eat traditional foods (like potato latkes) and play games such as the dreidel in exchange for “gelt” (chocolate coins). Like many holidays, the roots of the celebration date back several millennia, but have many modern day additions .

Christmas was first recognized as a Federal holiday in the United States on June 26, 1870 , but its origins date back to the winter festivals of many ancient peoples. In its current incarnation, Christmas is a Christian religious holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus, but the traditions and cultural influences of Christmas are a combination of beliefs and rituals that pre-date Christianity itself. Christmas Eve, or the night before Christmas, is also an important holiday to many groups. In Europe, and in other parts of the world, the traditional Christmas gift exchange occurs on Christmas Eve rather than on Christmas morning.

Many practitioners of Christmas attended one or more church services and almost all who celebrate Christmas exchange gifts and share a large meal (lunch or dinner, depending on cultural

heritage and preference). Saints Days, or days commemorating the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Saints, occur throughout the year but several, including St. Stephen’s Day (also known as Boxing Day) and St. Nicholas’ Day (December 6th) occur during the traditional holiday period.

The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year and usually occurs on December 21st or 22nd. Though celebrated by many ancient peoples, it is not often recognized in the modern world, except by practitioners of New Age and Pagan belief systems. Historians believe that Christians in Rome chose the official date for Christmas by piggy-backing onto this ancient winter festival (and others that occurred around this time of the year). Astrologically speaking, this day marks the lengthening of the days and shortened nights and signals the eventual return of Spring .

Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday observed annually from December 26th through January 1st. Though rooted in traditional African harvest festivals, this is a distinctly African-American holiday first practiced to pay tribute to African traditions and as an alternative to Christmas. It was created by Maulana Karenga in 1966, a professor at California State University and member of the Black Power Movement. Though celebrated many different ways (the festival was meant to be altered), the core tenants of Kwanzaa remain the same: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith .

New Year’s Eve (December 31st), though not a federal holiday, is often celebrated with parties in the evening and an eventual countdown to midnight. Some associate this night with the consumption of alcohol and take caution when driving for fear of intoxicated drivers. A modern staple of this holiday is connected with the countdown, the dropping or rising, mechanically, of a large item (a ball, an apple, a peach, etc.) to signal the official end of December 31st and the beginning of January 1st of the new calendar year. January 1st is often spent with family and friends.

In the American south especially, certain foods are eaten to ensure specific traits for the new year, like Hopin’ John or black-eyed peas (for luck) and cabbage (for money). People also make resolutions around the first of the year, these goals, which are often quite lofty, can be anything from “lose weight” to “quit smoking” and are often forgotten by many as the new year wears on.

Mawlid-al-Nabi, which is also just known as Mawlid, is a celebration of the prophet Muhammad’s birthday. While the actual date of his birth is unknown, most Muslims celebrate this on 12 Rabi I of the Islamic Lunar calendar. Because of this, the date shifts annually on the conventional Gregorian calendar. In 2015, the date falls on January 2nd. Though celebrated differently depending on location and the type of Islam practiced, it is usually filled with feasting, the distribution of food to the poor, general celebrations, prayer, the reading and discussion of sacred texts and the application of henna (temporary tattoo like designs) to their women’s hands and feet .

Saying “Happy Holidays” isn’t about being politically correct; it’s about being inclusive and letting everyone know that it’s a time of celebration for us all, a time of love and peace and hopefully a time of not too much stress! So Happy Holidays everyone and read something nice this season!

By Suzanne Horton, Head of Reference and Information Services

From the Desk of the Library Director Season’s Greetings:

December 2014

Dear Montgomery: Welcome to the 2014 edition of Read Into the Holidays. As everyone knows, libraries provide an opportunity for people to tour the world through the written word. I am honored to have the opportunity to write these words to you, the reader, and welcome you to a world of exploration through the written word.

Often patrons ask our staff for recommendations on what to read next. The staff cannot provide that guidance without having a true love for the written word. Montgomery is truly blessed to have a Public Library staff that is well read, recognizes authors and can make such recommendations when requested.

The library is, as well, blessed to have users, City and County officials and a Mayor who value not only reading, but the process of life-long learning through reading and access to information.

Each member of the Library Staff submitted a review for this year’s book. These reviews represent their personal commitment to the process of learning and growing as members of our staff, but more importantly as members of the Montgomery community. Through the use of material that they have either listened to or read, the staff, Friends of the Library, Library Board members, and other citizens who wanted to be a part of this year’s compilation of reviews, we graciously submit to you our gift.

As you read during 2015, feel free to submit your review of a book to be included in the 2015 edition of Read Into the Holidays. This 2014 edition is a gift from our staff to you to cherish and share with other members of our community.

Our wish for you, our users, is that you have a safe and happy holiday season and the New Year proves to be prosperous beyond worldly possessions.

Enjoy!

Juanita McClain Owes Library Director

Leaders are Readers

Culture Worrier: Selected Columns 1984–2014: Reflections on Race, Politics and Social Change

by Clarence Page, (DC: Agate Publishing, c. 2014) Location: Forthcoming

“Culture Worrier”, Clarence Page’s collection of columns written over a 30-year span on race, politics, and social change, was published in September 2014 by his “home” newspaper, The Chicago Tribune. Page is a nationally syndicated columnist and a frequent contributor on cable and public television newscasts. He is widely viewed as a chronicler of American culture and the political history underlying it. In this volume, Page denominates himself a “culture worrier”, explaining that he “worr[ies] about those who claim more cultural supremacy than they deserve to claim.”

The publication of this 445-page volume coincides with the anniversary of Page’s first Chicago Tribune column. He writes with clarity on issues which he describes as ranging “from Vietnam to Afghanistan and from the Civil Rights Movement to the rise of Barack Obama.” He brings his readers a balanced perspective on the issues without compromising his allegiance to his own African American culture.

“Culture Worrier” provides the reader an objective compass and clear understanding of the issues of the day, including the values, beliefs, attitudes, and expectations shared by different societies and groups.

Many of the most talked-about issues create clashes between opposing cultures, whether based upon race, ethnicity, gender, politics, age, or religion. In his balanced, objective treatment of issues, Page clearly emerges as a culture “worrier” rather than a culture “warrior”.

The book includes a total of 179 columns, cataloged in 21 chapters, written by Page between 1974 and 2014. In them, he gives his readers the pros and cons of the issues without labeling those issues as black, white, conservative or liberal. Instead, he dissects the values he believes are being bolstered or diminished in our current discourse, and he speaks eloquently about the cultural traditions beneficial to every American.

Chapters 4 and 13, “Bill Cosby’s Culture War” and “Tea Party Culture Wars” respectively, are cogent explanations of Page’s concerns (or worries) about traditionally warring issues. For example, in one of the several Cosby columns, Page embraces Kweisi Mfume and Bill Cosby, the notion of self-reliance as a necessary - and sometimes absent - topic in national conversations about black culture. He ventures even further to denounce the commonly-held belief that self-reliance is antiliberal. Page’s self-reliance liberalism is a long-term and common presence in the African American community, and he encourages its deployment by those who have to benefit those who do not have.

As for the Tea Party, Page does not believe that the coincidence between the rise of the Tea Party and the election of a black President means that its members are motivated by racism. Having analyzed the Tea Party as a group consisting of more educated and more affluent persons that is commonly assumed, Page emphasizes that, like more liberal thinkers, Tea Partiers in general embrace Social Security and Medicare, send their children to public school and regard the tax system as “fair”. Page is clear on the Tea Party’s official resistance to all things Obama, but warns that its members are not crazies who lack political sophistication sufficient to influence elections.

In summary, Clarence Page sounds a clarion call for us to step back and view cultural issues from afar, then take our time deciding which side to take. His columns, taken as a whole, are an important reminder that there may be some legitimacy to most culture-based beliefs, if only we take the time to understand them.

Thomas McPherson, President, Library Board of Trustees

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Wild Sweet Orange Ride: Journeys Home by Julia Gregg (Vineyard Stories c. 2014) Call #: 910 GREGG Locations: All 10 locations

It takes considerable courage for a child to challenge the parental prerogative of setting rules of conduct, including strict parameters for associations outside the home. Court-mandated desegregation of Montgomery’s public schools in the mid-sixties forced a daily interaction between whites and blacks which provided sustained opportunities to question the accuracy of racist stereotypes and the wisdom of clinging to generational fears and conditioned beliefs. Among the 2,000-plus white students enrolled at Sidney Lanier High School between 1965 and 1968, Julia Hightower Gregg could not reconcile what she saw and experienced, when a few dozen black students joined them, with what she was supposed to feel and to think.

Nor could she complete her journey to full maturity without fully analyzing the differences and courageously choosing her heart’s direction.

Along her journey beyond Lanier and Auburn University - from student to teacher, writer, journalist, and founding member of a public charter high school in Indiana, which has consistently ranked among the top schools in the country – Julia has actively pursued enlightenment through exposure and relationships. Wild Sweet Orange Ride – Journeys Home is a wide-ranging collection of lyrical essays which reflect her passionate pursuit of places to feel “at home”, in harmony with a community of like-minded souls, and in uplifting communion with nature.

In Julia’s words: “[t]his is a collection about the search for place. The paradox that comes with the tenderest of our loves – for regions, for passions, for our children or our mates – is that the most wonderful experiences can also be the most searing. If we are willing to be open to an introspective journey, we can learn, finally, to balance and to breathe.”

Commendably included in this candid collection are poignant recollections of how she, her family, and her all-white community reacted to school desegregation and how that experience has informed her journey. It is a perspective most overlooked in the vast array of books about the civil rights movement.

There is so much more for readers, particularly those who feel a comforting kinship with Julia’s evident love of language in all its magnificent breadth and beauty. Frequent travelers to the reliably welcoming beaches along the Gulf Coasts will revel in the sensory familiarity evoked by the essays inspired by her annual trips there for rest and renewal. Parents will connect readily with the several essays which describe all-toofamiliar challenges in rearing a boy-child to manhood. Southerners will proudly note Julia’s wistful contrasts of the hospitable region which nurtured her with those distant stops along her journey. Those who stayed in, or returned to Montgomery, in time to challenge outdated traditions and to participate in its evolutionary renaissance, will feel even more at home. Anyone still longing for that contentment unique to finding and loving self cannot help but be emboldened by Julia’s journey.

The reviewer practiced law in Montgomery for 25 years before becoming a municipal court judge and a United States Magistrate Judge. She entered Sidney Lanier High School as a sophomore and graduated with the author in the Class of 1968.

Delores R. Boyd, Retired Magistrate Judge

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Another Season: Coach’s Story of Raising An Exceptional Son by Gene Stallings and Sally Cook, (Little, Brown & Company, c. 1997) Call #: B STALLINGS Locations: Coliseum, Morgan, Lowder, Lewis, Governor’s Square, Pike Road, Pintlala, Ramer

Gene Stallings is the retired football coach of the very successful University of Alabama Football program , however, more important than his success as a coach is his allegiance to being a husband and father.

Another Season traces Coach Stallings historical memory of the challenges of balancing his family responsibilities with that of being a coach. Coach Stallings is not just a husband but more importantly a father who cares for his children and faced the ultimate challenge of raising a special needs child.

This is such an uplifting story; story might be a misleading word as it is a biography of his life in story form. To be told that your newborn child is mongoloid is devastating, however Coach and Mrs. Stallings never allowed those words impede their effort to teach John Mark everything he needed to know to survive. But the interesting thing surrounding their teaching John Mark was that John Mark taught them everything they needed to know about loving others regardless of their frailness.

John Mark not only was born with Down’s syndrome he had a heart defect as well. Coach and Ruth Ann were told that he would not live to see his first birthday, but John Mark lived until he was 46 and was able to hold down a paying job as well.

As you read the book you will find encouragement and will be inspired to slow your pace in life down to take time for your family. This is exactly what John Mark taught Coach Stallings. Coach Stallings shares how he believes that in coaching he would often push his players a little too far, or discipline his players a little too harshly; but as he began to struggle with the rearing of John Mark he learned patience and tolerance. As a result of John Mark’s special needs, he learned to listen more, be more understanding and to give his players an opportunity to come along with their athletic skills a little slower. He found a way to help the young men who played for him by understanding their differences, their needs and then working to meet them where they were and not require them to measure up to his expectations. Once he had accomplished this level of counseling he then found these young men trying even harder to be better students and better men which would ultimately make them better men in the community where they lived.

This is a must read for anyone who is struggling with a special needs child or plan to work with children with special needs or actually with any child. This book is also one that could assist a minister in family counseling, a pastor who could use a story to share with his congregation. It is an inspiring read that could help so many of us in our daily walk in life.

This is not a new title, it has a 1997 copyright date but it is a great find. Check it out and read it in its entirety, it is very informative and gives you an opportunity to see Coach Stallings through a different lens.

Jaunita Owes, Library Director

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Sgt. Reckless, America’s War Horse by Robin Hutton, (published by Regnery History, c. 2014) Location: Forthcoming

Even if you’re neither a horse lover nor a fan of military history, you’ll enjoy this true story of how a pony-sized mare, bred for Korea’s racetracks, became a carrier of ammunition and wounded soldiers. At only 13 hands, she was a good 12 inches shorter than the 16 hands of our modern Thoroughbreds, but she displayed the same great heart as Seabiscuit, another small horse who earned glory.

Robin Hutton did extensive research for the project and fell in love with this intelligent and incredibly brave mare, driving the author to successfully lead a campaign for a monument at the National Museum of the Marine Corps and at Camp Pendleton. She provides details about the training and the difficulty of providing sufficient nutrition for a horse in a war zone. How would you fare if you did your job under constant fire, targeted by the enemy because of your value in hauling ammo up treacherous terrain, often without any human assistance? Reckless found her way repeatedly, under fire so intense that her fellow Marines would remove their own flak jackets and place them on her to protect her.

It is certainly astonishing that she survived the Korean War, but less so that she received her sergeant’s stripes along with a blanket full of medals for courage under fire. Reckless returned to Camp Pendleton with the 5th Marine Regiment in 1957 and spent her remaining years with her comrades, sharing their beer and peanut butter and being her unique self. As a young boy said of her, Reckless wasn’t just a horse, she was a Marine.

Mary McLemore, President, Friends of the Library, Board of Trustees Drift: the Unmooring of American Military Power by Rachel Maddow (NY: Crown c. 2014) Call #: 306.2 MADDOW Location: Morgan

First confession: I dislike Rachel Maddow. I have watched her on television and read some of her articles and columns. I find her typical of the humorless, snarky progressive, but I tried to approach this book with an open mind and stick to the book itself and its premise and theories rather than the author.

Second confession: The writing is better than I expected. Her style veers into “cutesy” when Maddow is trying to mock others, but relatively straightforward when discussing historical matters such as Iran-Contra.

She pretends to be concerned about military personnel, but she doesn’t like the military much, and she especially doesn’t like the “secret armies” created by the C.I.A. and private contractors such as Blackwater. I don’t disagree that the militarization of our society carries consequences, but I am baffled that she doesn’t find the militarization of individual government agencies and local police departments far more dangerous to us.

Do read the book. If nothing else, you’ll learn something about what progressives consider worthy of note.

Mary H. McLemore, President, Friends of the Library, Board of Trustees

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The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg (NY: Random House c. 2013) Call #: F FLAGG Locations: Morgan, Lewis, Lowder, Coliseum, Gov. Square, & Pike Road CD F FLAGG (Morgan)

I was first aware of Fannie Flagg as the funny lady on many TV game shows in the 1970’s. Born in Birmingham, writer/actress/comedienne Fannie Flagg, may be best known for her book, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, for which she later wrote the screenplay that became the film Fried Green Tomatoes in 1991. (She received an Academy Award nomination for that screenplay.) For my 2011 Read Into the Holidays contribution, I read, reviewed, and recommended one of Ms. Flagg other novels, Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven.

This year I enjoyed reading her latest novel published in 2013, The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion, and recommend it as well. In a series of short chapters, reminiscent of her other novel that I reviewed, Ms. Flagg tells the separate stories of 2 funny, proud, amazing women – Sookie, a recent empty-nester, lives in modern-day, well-to-do Point Clear, Alabama and Fritzi, the eldest of 4 girls, lives in small town, workingclass Wisconsin of the 1930’s and 40’s. Both are grounded in family, yet both embark upon a journey of self-discovery and adventure. Ms. Flagg allows us to take the journey with these ladies, laughing and crying along the way. The use of short, rotating chapters assured me that I was never far from either character for very long. Eventually, their lives merge in present day with an unexpected outcome. And it is truly unexpected because, after all, Fannie Flagg is adept at weaving stories with the right blend of fiction and history, lots of plot twists (i.e. the mysterious letter) and characters with eccentricities – relatable, quirky characters like all of us have probably known before. I underscore that point from my personal experience, having once lived near Point Clear. I found Ms. Flagg’s descriptions of the population, landscape, and landmarks so recognizable that it was quite entertaining to follow Sookie’s development in particular. Not to shortchange Fritzi’s story, I learned much through this character’s history-tinged storyline illustrating how communities and many women supported the war effort in World War II. In my own childhood I heard stories about some of my older female relatives who followed similar career paths as Fritzi as members of an elite arm of the U.S. Air Force, the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs, as they became known. I believe that women in today’s military can trace much of their current success to the bravery and persistence of women just like the character of Fritzi. After the 2 women’s personal journeys merge in present day, you become a spectator at the touching, tearful, sweet “last reunion” – it is not one to be missed. If you are a fan of Southern literature, add this title to your reading list. Highly recommended.

Vivian B. White, Assistant Library Director

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Easy Unique Monique) by Maria Rousaki (Miller Book Publishers, c. 2003 Call #: E ROUSAKI Location: Morgan

Unique Monique wants so badly to be different and stand out in school, but wearing uniforms just doesn’t help. She complained daily to her mom, “I don’t want to wear my uniform!” Unique Monique thought the uniform was the ugliest piece of clothing with the ugliest colors, brown and blue. So one day while in the attic Monique comes across her mother’s old trunk and finds all sorts of clothing, hats, glasses, scarves, accessories and much more. Monique begins to wear the items found in the trunk to school which is not accepted by the principal because she’s breaking school rules. Monique quickly gets tired of everything she does being banned by the Principal so she decides to be herself. As Monique stands in front of the class to talk about their homework assignment everyone noticed that there was something unique about Monique.

This book is filled with big colorful pictures that help bring the story to life. Unique Monique was used for my Dads and Daughters story hour to help the girls understand that it’s ok to be yourself because what shines out the most is individuality.

Fredriatta Brown-Greene, Librarian II, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library Pete the Cat Saves Christmas (Harper, c. 2012) Call #: E LITWIN Locations: Morgan, Lowder, Lewis, Coliseum, Governor’s Square, Pike Road

Pete the Cat is back with yet another catchy tune in Pete the Cat Saves Christmas. Santa gets sick with a cold the day before Christmas. In fear of Christmas being cancelled, Santa calls up his friend Pete the Cat for help. Santa asks Pete the Cat to deliver all the toys to all the good boys and girls. “I’ll do it!” says Pete, “And although I am small, at Christmas we give, so I’ll give it my all.” Pete packs the mini bus up with all the gifts and off with the reindeers house to house he went. After delivering the last gift, Pete and the reindeers returned to the North Pole where Santa, the elves, and town were waiting to celebrate Pete the Cat for saving the day. Throughout the story Pete the Cat sings the tune, “Give it your all, give it your all. At Christmas we give, so give it your all.” Pete the Cat Saves Christmas is a good book for story time during the Christmas holidays and you can’t forget the catchy tune that he sings about giving it his all to save the day.

Fredriatta Brown-Greene, Librarian II, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff (Harper & Row, c. 1985) Call #: E NUMEROFF Locations: Morgan, Pike Road, Lewis

Children ages four to eight will enjoy this delightful, beautifully illustrated book. This book is referred to as a circular because of the repetitive actions of the characters. This book illustrates the consequences of a little boy who gives a traveling mouse a cookie. The illustrations are very cute and cartoon like. The artist, Felicia Bond, has done many children’s books, including the others in this series by Laura Numeroff. Some of these titles include: If You Give a Dog a Donut, If You Give a Cat a Cupcake and If You Give a Pig a Pancake (all available at the Montgomery City-County Public Library).

Norkeshia Brown, Library Page, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library

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Tomas and the Library Lady by Pat Mora (Dragonfly Books, c. 1997) Call #: E MORA Locations: Lewis, Morgan, Pintlala, Ramer

This is a story about Tomas Rivera and his adventures in the library as a young child. On his first visit to the library, Tomas meets a nice librarian who encourages him to read. Thomas bubbles over with excitement when the librarian lets him use her library card to check out books. Thomas finds himself enjoying the library so much that he stays all day. The library lady is very inspiring, encouraging, and her positive influence causes Tomas to enjoy visiting the library. Tomas and the Library Lady is a wonderful book. This is a great story. The illustrations are beautiful. This is a must-read for preschoolers and first graders!

Yusuf El Shabazz, Library Assistant I, Rufus A. Lewis Regional Library The King’s Taster by Kenneth Oppel Illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher (Harper Collins, c. 2009) Call #: E OPPEL Location: Morgan

What’s the best job for a dog? Digging holes? Riding in cars? How about eating? In this uniquely illustrated picture book Kenneth Oppel introduces Max who is one hard working dog; he is the official “King’s Taster”. He gets to test and taste all the King’s food before the King tries it. Max and his owner, the King’s personal chef, try to feed the fussy King with no avail. The King is new, and very young, and never hungry for the delectable food he is served. The chef tries new recipes and travels the world looking for something the King will eat; but he still refuses! He even turns his nose up at French fries, pizza and tacos!

But don’t worry, the chef and his dog have their happily ever after, and everyone gets to eat!

Suzanne Horton, Librarian III, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library So Many Butterflies! by Bergen, Laura (New York: Simon Spotlight/Nickelodeon, c. 2010) Call # E BERGEN Locations: Morgan, Lowder, Lewis, Coliseum, Governor’s Square, Hampstead This ready-to-read book has an adorable way to help young readers learn to count and learn their colors with the help of the butterflies Dora and Boots encounter. The fascinating illustrations and story line are intriguing for first time readers.

Maneia James, Library Assistant I, Morgan Library

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Llama Llama Holiday Drama by Anna Dewdney (Viking, c. 2010) Call #: E DEWDNEY Locations: All 10 locations

The “Big Special Day” is on the way. You just don’t know how hard it is to wait when you are little.

Just think, this day is the greatest day that is better than your own birthday. Can you guess what it is? You know…It’s Christmas! Christmas is coming which means gifts, gifts and more gifts. I can remember when I was little, Christmas seemed to take so long to come.

Llama Llama is the main character of this cute little rhyming story. The story will give a glimpse into the drama of Llama Llama’s holiday. Are you ready? Here we go. Llama Llama is counting the days before Christmas. He‘s down to days 16..15..14..13.. Holiday music is in the air, colorful lights are everywhere and it’s snowing outside. Mama Llama looks for gifts. They shopped and shopped until Llama Llama dropped.

Gifts for family and friends will be wrapped. How many more days? Llama Llama asks. Days 12..11..10..9..Making special gifts for Mama, baking cookies and stuffing stockings are fun. The big day is coming when? 8..7..6..5. more days. Decorating this and decorating that. There is so much going on to get ready for Christmas. Time is going so slow..w..w..w.

Days 4..3..2..Oh, by now, this waiting game has become too much for Llama Llama. Mama Llama checks out what’s going on and decides it’s time out. She needs to rest from all this hustle and bustle. Mama Llama quietly sits by the undecorated tree with Llama Llama. She gives him some hugs and kisses. Mama Llama tells Llama Llama she knows that waiting has been really tough and hard. Wishing and wanting gifts is good, but we must never forget the real meaning of this special time of the year. Our greatest gift is having each other to love. This is an adorable picture book with colorful illustrations that will capture the attention of children. I recommend this book as a great read to make your own wonderful holiday drama.

Joan Means, Branch Head, Governor’s Square Branch Library I See Kitty by Yasmine Surovec (Roaring Brook Press, c. 2013) Call #l: E SUROVEC Location: Hampstead

This is an adorable story of a little girl who wants nothing else in the world than a kitty cat. From seeing them in a pet store to finding them spread across the various pages of the book, children will love this enchanting picture book. Many of the pages feature a ‘hidden’ kitty, a great learning exercise for children to find the hidden kittens as well as counting the number of kittens found. This book can easily be paired up with others to form a lesson about pets.

Children can relate to the antics of Chloe as they follow her day through play-time, outside visits, and even bath time in finding animals. She offers a curiosity about the world, finding ‘hidden’ objects or pictures in ordinary things, and simply adds a dash of cute even in her dreams. This book is a definite must-read for children and adults of all ages.

Kathryn Powell, Librarian I, Hampstead Branch Library

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Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin (Harper c. 2010) Call #: E LITWIN Locations: All 10 locations

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes is a popular children’s book with a “groovy” song. All the young children find the Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes book exciting and engaging when grooving to Pete’s song.

Pete decides to take a walk in his brand new white shoes that he loves so much, but something happens.

Along Pete’s way, his shoes change four different colors, but nothing brings Pete the Cat down. Pete keeps walking along and singing his song. I recommend this groovy and adventurous book for story time or any Pre K-2 graders.

Margeret Smith, Library Page, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library Mia and the Tiny Toe Shoes by Robin Faley (Harper Collins, c. 2012) Call #: E FALEY Locations: Coliseum, Governor’s Square, Hampstead, Lewis, Morgan, Pike Road

This is a delightful story about Ms. Bird’s dance class. Ms. Bird asked one of her best dancers, Mia, to help with a group of younger animal dancers. Each animal performed some of the dance steps well, but could not perform all steps. Mia came up with a solution that helped all of the dancers. This is a funny story!

Minnie Stringer, Librarian I, Rufus A. Lewis Regional Library Mouse of the Year by Katharine Holabird (Grossett & Dunlap, c. 2007) Call #: E HOLABIRD Locations: Coliseum, Governor’s Square, Lewis, Lowder, Morgan

This is a story about a mouse, Angelina. She came across an announcement regarding a “Teacher of the Year Award”. As a result, Angelina, along with her friend, Alice, decided to send in their acting teacher’s name, Miss Lilly. They submitted an application; citing outstanding points about their teacher. When their teacher won the award, Angelina and Alice were surprised at the unexpected consequences that came with winning the award.

Minnie Stringer, Librarian I, Rufus A. Lewis Regional Library

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Juvenile The Case of the Missing Marquess: an Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer (Philomel, c. 2006) Call #: JM SPRINGER Locations: All 10 locations

Meet Enola Holmes, sister to famous sleuth Sherlock Holmes and his brother Mycroft. After their mother’s mysterious disappearance from home, Enola decides to strike out on her own. Out-maneuvering her crafty brothers gives Enola the confidence that she can become her own mystery solver. Armed with a substantial sum of money and several clever devices that she keeps hidden on her person, Enola heads to London and comes across exciting adventures that are both dangerous and mysterious. All the while she tries to find her mother, and at the same time attempts to avoid her over-protective brothers.

This series is perfect for mystery fans of all ages, but will likely appeal to tweens and teens. These stories include adventures, secret codes and ciphers, and puzzling mysteries that will keep the reader baffled until the very end. Fans of Sherlock Holmes will enjoy reading about this spunky 14-year-old who is more like her brother than she cares to admit.

Lauren Kiefer, Librarian I, Bertha Pleasant Williams Library Rosa L. Parks Ave. Branch The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick Press, c. 2006) Call #: JF DICAMI Locations: Morgan, Coliseum, Lowder, Hampstead, Pike Road, Lewis, Ramer, Bertha Williams

This book is on the summer reading list for Dozier Elementary School. One of my girls checked it out, read it and left it with me to return to the Library. I looked at the cover and the title and thought it might be interesting reading. So I started to read to see what it was about. It began with “Once, in a house on Egypt Street…” and I was hooked. The story is about a porcelain rabbit that this little girl, Abilene Tulane, treats as if he were real. She dresses him everyday in a different fine silk suit, places on his arm a watch to keep up with the time she’s away and sits him in the window to watch as she goes to school and comes home. He even sits at the dinner table while the family eats supper and stares blankly at the tablecloth because he is not high enough to see over the table.

One day, the family goes on a cruise and Edward goes overboard and is lost at sea. After many months, he is rescued by a fisherman who takes him home to his wife. He doesn’t get to stay with Nellie long, for when their daughter learns about him, she puts Edward in the trash. He ends up at the bottom of a landfill, but is dug up by a dog named Lucy, who carries him to her master to make rabbit pie. Lucy’s master, Bull, is a hobo who takes Edward along with them for many years until one day Edward is kicked off the train and finds himself without an owner again.

For many years, Edward goes from place to place until one day, he gets banged against a table and shatters. An old doll mender puts him back together again and sits him on a shelf for sale. He lives on the shelf year after year hoping someone will give him a home again.

This is one of those stories that you can’t wait to see what happens in the next chapter. The chapters are short and easy to read and kids should love reading it.

Rebie Morris, Administrative Assistant, Administration

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Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say (Houghton Mifflin, c. 1993) Call #: JE SAY Locations: All 10 locations

This book Grandfather’s Journey, is about a young man’s memory of his grandfather’s life journey to America and Japan. He experienced many people, place and things along the way. The more he traveled, the more he longed to see new places, but decided to settle in California and never thought about returning back to Japan. He later returned to his home country, Japan, and married his sweetheart. He missed being in America and moved back with his wife and daughter to California. I found this to be a wonderful book to read to my toddlers, but it has a sad ending.

Shirley Toston, Librarian I, E L Lowder Regional Library Who was Rosa Parks? by Yona Zeldis McDonough (Penguin Group, c. 2010) Call #: JB PARKS Locations: Coliseum, Governor’s Square, Lewis, Lowder, Morgan, Pintlala, Williams

I found this book to be very interesting. Although, it is classified as a Juvenile Biography, I would recommend it to readers of all ages. The book gives a detailed view of Rosa Parks’ life which includes the struggles that she endured while growing up during segregation. In addition, details of the event of her refusal to give up her seat on the bus to a white man are given. The book’s illustrations are very vivid. Therefore, the reader will enjoy pictures that distinctively describe events that coincide with the book’s text. This book is highly recommended anyone wanting to know anything about Rosa Parks.

Roderick Wilkerson, Library Page, Bertha P. Williams Library Rosa Parks Avenue Branch File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents by Lemony Snicket (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, c. 2014) Call #: JM SNICKET Locations: All 10 locations

Note: This review of Lemony Snicket’s case files should only be read by parties interested in challenging themselves to solve 13 mysteries investigated by young Mr. Snicket. Parties who are not interested in literary sleuthing, a term which here means “playing along with the main character,” should find reading material that would better suit their less-than-inquisitive natures, such as the ingredient list on a box of crackers.

File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents is considered book 2.5 in the “All the Wrong Questions” series by Lemony Snicket, aka Daniel Handler, following Who Could That Be at This Hour? and When Did You See Her Last? All three are prequels to Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events. In the previous “All the Wrong Questions” books, Snicket investigated the theft of an ugly statue and the abduction of a beautiful girl in the bizarre village of Stain’d-by-the-Sea. In File Under, he takes on 13 small cases that are not related to the previous books.

Also unlike the previous books, File Under offers readers an opportunity to solve the case on their own and then turn to the back of the book for the resolution of each case. If this format sounds familiar, that’s because Snicket is intentionally copying the format of Donald Sobol’s classic Encyclopedia Brown books.

The mysteries in File Under are fair-play mysteries, a term which here means that readers are exposed to all of the clues at the same time as the protagonist. As a result, readers who pay close attention to ferret out the truth in each case will be gratified when they verify their conclusions in the book’s Sub-file B.

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While the mysteries provide a fun challenge, the real pleasure derived from reading this book comes from spending more time with the quirky townspeople of Stain’d-by-the-Sea. Snicket’s friends, including reporter Moxie Mallahan, librarian Dashiell Qwerty, and short-order cook Jake Hix, all return to help Snicket with his cases. He also, once again, butts heads with the Mitchums, a married and constantly bickering couple, who are Stain’d-by-the-Sea’s only, and woefully incompetent, police officers. The multiple-case format introduces readers to even more daring or dastardly denizens of the town. All of them make Stain’d-by-the-Sea an intriguing place to visit, but you wouldn’t want to live there.

Matt Williams, Librarian I, Pike Road Branch Library House of Hades by Rick Riordan (Disney/Hyperion Books, c. 2013) Call #: JSF RIORDAN Locations: Coliseum, Lowder, Morgan, Pike Road, Lewis

Some series get stale and repetitive towards the end, but Rick Riordan has a knack for keeping the story fresh and the characters evolving. House of Hades is the 4th book in the Heroes of Olympus Series. We find Percy and Annabeth have fallen into Tartarus and must find a way to reach the Doors of Death. The Doors of Death allow for monsters entrance into the mortal world and only by finding a way to close it from the inside can they stop Gaea, the Greek earth goddess, from unleashing hell on the mortal world. Each of our heroes finds new strengths as they face unimaginable foes and challenges. Watch Frank, Hazel, Piper, and Leo face their deepest secrets, their past, and learn to control their powers. There is a little more light shed on romantic feelings between characters, and some of those may catch you off guard! Can the crew on board the Argo II manage to come together as a team without their leaders? Will Percy and Annabeth be able to withstand so much despair in the House of Hades? They each have surprising assistance along the way. We can only hope the Romans and Greeks put aside their difference and years of distrust to join together to defeat the earth goddess. The ending is heart stopping and I freely admit to screaming during the last 10 pages. I cannot wait to find out what happens in the 5th book in the series, The Blood of Olympus.

Beth Woofin, Library Assistant I, E L Lowder Regional Library

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Young Adult (YA) Terrier (The Legend of Beka Cooper, Bk 1) by Tamora Pierce (NY: Random House, c. 2006) Call #: YA SF PIERCE Locations: Morgan, Lewis, Coliseum

Tamora Pierce is widely beloved for her young adult fantasy books, and, in my opinion, the Beka Cooper trilogy is possibly the best reason why. Though it takes place in a fairly standard medieval fantasy universe, this book stands out. How often does a medieval fantasy star a young woman training to be a police officer? I adore the language of the story – Beka, having grown up in the worst part of town, narrates in a distinctive accent, complete with gutter slang. And I can hardly express my love for Beka as a person and as a role model for teen readers. She’s tough yet achingly compassionate, driven by ideals of justice and good, and struggles with a humanizing stutter that threatens to derail her career. She’s an extremely relatable heroine who wrestles to rise above the dark world she lives in, and wins every bit of my love and respect by the end of the trilogy.

Terrier is part of Tamora Pierce’s Tortall universe, and in fact Beka is the ancestress of an important character from her landmark Song of the Lioness series. Reading those first will illuminate the frame story involving Beka’s descendant, but it’s not a necessity to understanding the story; I had read only a few Lioness books over a decade before, and had no trouble following. While the Beka Cooper books form a trilogy (Terrier is followed by Bloodhound and Mastiff), each is a self-contained story, without cliffhangers. So give Terrier a shot; I’m willing to bet you’ll be back for more!

Elizabeth Belyeu, Library Assistant I, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn (Bantam, c. 1991) Call #: YA SF ZAHN Locations: Morgan, Pintlala

Timothy Zahn returns us to the Star Wars universe in the gripping first novel in his Thrawn Trilogy.

Five years after the events of Return of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker is a full-fledged Jedi Knight, Han and Leia are married and are expecting twins, and the New Republic fills the void left from the death of the Emperor and the collapses of the Empire. The return of Grand Admiral Thrawn interrupts the New Republic’s peace, a dark Jedi aims at kidnapping Leia’s children to raise in the dark side, and Luke must discover what type of Jedi Order he wishes to bring back. Fast paced, full of action, Zahn brings to life all that fans love about Star Wars.

This is a great read for Science Fiction fans of all ages and a great re-read for those Star Wars fans who want to remember the Expanded Universe before the impending “Disneyfication” of the franchise in 2015.

Stephen Deloney, Library Assistant I, Circulation Department, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library

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The Color Purple by Alice Walker (Orlando, Fla.: Harcourt, [2006], c. 1982) Call #: YA F WALKER Locations: All 10 locations The Color Purple is a touching story told through the eyes and diary entries of Celie, a young woman who has been married off by her “father” to an older, abusive farmer named Albert, whom she simply refers to as “Mr.” Celie lives in a world of racism, abuse, and sexism in the Deep South during the mid to late 1900’s.

As a woman of this time, she is poor and uneducated, bound by the confines of racial discrimination and poverty. Trapped in her life and in her mind, the only comfort she feels is in talking to God. As a teen, she is abused by her “father” and as a result, bares two of his children who are taken away from her and adopted by a religious couple performing missionary work.

Celie’s sister Nettie is introduced to readers as a young woman who sees herself and her sister as all each other has. As a result, “Mr.” actively separates the sisters and denies them any contact with each other for years. Celie is truly alone until a worldly woman named Shug Avery blows into town and her life, unlocking things for her that she never dared or knew were there or possible. Under Shug’s care, Celie finds her voice and her strength to stand up to her husband and live her life the way she sees fit. After leaving her husband, Celie’s life flourishes and the happiness she was so long denied is given to her in the arms of her sister and her long lost children.

Christine Flynn, Library Page, Governor’s Square Branch Library Secondhand Shadow by Elizabeth Belyeu (Astraea Press, c. 2014) Call #: YA SF BELYEU Location: All 10 locations plus Override

For the last several years, paranormal romances have been all the rage. For the most part, I have kept my distance from the genre. It is just not “my thing”, but I decided to give this book a try – mostly because I know the author. I am so glad that I did! The book puts a spin on classic vampire mythology and mixes it with modern day drama and the results are a compelling love story full of interesting characters and many, many nerdy references. Sure, I could be biased, given that the author is a library employee at the Morgan Library, but I believe this book is destined for wider fame and popularity. The pace was just right and it kept me reading happily late into the night and I literally could not put the book down for the last 5 chapters. This book is SO much better than Twilight (Meyer). I hope it gets just as much acclaim. Bravo, Elizabeth!

Suzanne Horton, Librarian III, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library

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Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (Quirk Books, c. 2011) Call #: YA M RIGGS Locations: All 10 locations

Aside from his parents having a lot of money, Jacob Portman is just a regular teenager. He hates his job and has few friends, and his grandfather’s strange tales just don’t make sense. But everything changes one day when odd events and a cryptic message from his grandfather lead Jacob to a small island off the coast of Wales where he finds an ancient dilapidated house with an odd assortment of old pictures.

What Jacob discovers there leads him on a perilous journey through time and space that he never imagined possible. His journey leads him to all parts of the world, and he gains knowledge about himself that he never would have learned by leading a “normal” life.

Adventure abounds in this novel that includes a fresh take on time travel, and readers will love the old photographs that tell unique parts of the story. While they are considered young adult fiction, the Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children novels will delight tweens and adults as well. The author is currently working on the third installment in the series.

Lauren Kiefer, Librarian I, Bertha Pleasant Williams Library Taylor’s Trials by Betty Chesnutt (Betty Chesnutt, c. 2011) Call #: YA F CHESNUTT Locations: Morgan, Lewis, Lowder, Coliseum, Governor’s Square, Pike Road, Hampstead

This book is about senior high school students who are 15 and 16 years of age, and is written by an Alabama author. The story begins with two female friends. Conflict arises when one friends tells the other a secret, and ask her not to tell anyone. The student being told the secret swears that her friend can trust her not to tell anyone. However, the friend betrays her by sharing the secret with other students. As a result, the other students begin bullying the girl on Facebook. Bullying led to a loss of friendship between two friends. The friend that suffers from the bullying relies on scriptures in the Bible to cope with the challenges and embarrassment which she endures, as a result of bullying from her peers. The book mentions names of places in Montgomery, AL where students hang out after school. In addition, Eastdale Mall and the Pike Road Community are noted in the book. This is a must read for those interested in learning the impact and seriousness of bullying.

Edwina Martin, Library Assistant I, Rufus A. Lewis Regional Library

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Burn My Heart by Beverley Naidoo (NY: Amistad, 2009, c. 2007) Call #: YA F NAIDOO Locations: All 10 locations “However, while Mugo’s grandfather was away from home, a family of mzungu had arrived in an oxcart. The mzungu man, the head of this family, had a piece of paper called “proof”. It said that he had paid money for this land and that it now belonged to him! Grandfather’s younger brothers had protested that there must be a mistake. They showed the mzungu man the place where their ancestors were buried near the grove of sacred mugumo trees. This was their land, their sacred place. Their family had lived here under their mountain Kirinyaga for generation after generation. But…” (p.39)

This story is about friendship of two very different boys that grew up together in this land under Mt. Kenya in South Africa. The land had been occupied by Mugo’s family for generations, then Mathew’s family brought proof that it was now their land. Mugo’s family was allowed to stay to help work the land and they were given a small income and a place to live. So, Mathew and Mugo grew up together; Mugo was older and stronger and taught Mathew many things when Mathew was home from boarding school. At the time of the story, both boys are entering their teens. The setting for the story is around the Mau Mau uprising of the 1950’s and featured an atmosphere of anxiety in the lives of the colonial British who had come to homestead under Mount Kenya. The colonial whites have all the power in the beginning of the Mau Mau rebellion with no accountability. But then something happens in the story that causes all of the labor on the farm to come under suspicion.

This book is for 12 to 18 year-olds. The story is graphic in some areas, but only as necessary for the reader to get a feel of the fear and anxiety. There are two stereotypical characters in the story: one a rich, white bully and one a spoiled weak child. The hero of the story is Mugo’s father, Kamau, which means “quiet warrior”. He has tried all his life to work within the rules of the white man, “wazungu”, only to find out that he too was dispensable. The title of the book “Burn My Heart” refers to a piece of advice from the cook as they all are being driven away from the mountain “This fire, it’s bigger than all of us, my son. But don’t let the fire eat your heart! Do you understand?”(p.194) Mugo is not sure if he can keep it from eating his heart.

This story will stay with me for a long time, and I think it is because of the heart-felt cry, “This is our land, our sacred place.” Before reading this, I did not know about the history of South Africa’s Mau Mau uprising in the 1950’s. The author, a white South African, wrote an afterword to the story that was very helpful to understand the turmoil of the period. Interestingly, she started writing about apartheid as a student because she did not want to be part of the problem. She was detained without trial when she was 21. Since released, she now lives in exile in Britain. Her first children’s book Journey to Jo’burg was banned in South Africa until 1991.

Sharon Phillips, Librarian II, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library

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Non-Fiction One Nation: What We Can All Do To Save America’s Future by Dr. Ben Carson with Candy Carson (Sentinel HC: 4th Edition, c. 2014) Call #: 973 CARSON Locations: Morgan, Lowder, Coliseum, Pike Road

One Nation: What We Can All Do To Save America’s Future is a sequel to Dr. Ben Carson’s best seller, America The Beautiful. In his current book, Dr. Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, addresses those things that he believes are wrong with America and recommends what he believes to be a solution to each problem using the Bible to back up his solutions. In fact, at the beginning of each chapter, he uses a quote from the Bible that addresses the problem discussed in that chapter.

Some of the major problems discussed by Dr. Carson are disunity, political correctness, elitism, bigotry, education, and a decline in morality. Some of the more specific problems addressed by Dr. Carson are Obamacare and the exploding national debt.

Dr. Carson indicates that if every American would do their part, the problems that America faces could be solved. Every American must become an educated, well-informed citizen willing to respectfully disagree and compromise and use the knowledge and wisdom that they have to make the decisions that must be made to solve the current and future problems that America faces.

Tommy Anderson, Collection Development Librarian Belle by Paula Byrne (UK: William Collins, c. 2014) Call #: B BELLE Locations: All 10 locations

The selection that I am reviewing is one that our book club,” Rosa Parks Page Turners”, recently selected to read. It is entitled Belle by author Paula Byrne. The book is a biography of a black girl who was raised by her white father’s uncle, William Murray and his wife Elizabeth. The author states throughout the book that there is very little information on Belle. The author’s account reveals that Belle was born in England in 1761. Her parents were Captain John Lindsay and his black slave mistress Maria. Belle was conceived during the Captain’s naval adventures in the West Indies. This was a time when slaves were being treated very inhumanely, and black women knew that their lives would include being raped, and working tirelessly for their masters. Lindsay married a Scottish woman, but sent his illegitimate daughter to live with his uncle.

She was brought up alongside her beautiful cousin Elizabeth, and treated as if she was an equal even though she was a mulatto. Her great uncle truly loved her, and protected her from the cruelties of the times. He was an aristocrat and judge who ruled in favor of many whites against slaves who were unjustly accused. However, there was conflict in his behavior toward blacks as evidenced in the gracious treatment of his niece who was of mixed blood. The book is written like a documentary detailing the atrocities of slavery in England, the wickedness of individuals who treated blacks as property, and the leading abolitionists who opposed this evil. Belle’s saga is not unique by any means. Even though there is not much concrete evidence fine tuning her life, her overall existence can be seen through the lives of countless others who endured slavery. Keep in mind while reading this book that it does not flow like a novel, but is mostly documentary. There are many individuals and historical facts mentioned. As a result of reading this book, I became more aware of some things that occurred during this time period. Ms. Byrne’s account has heightened my interest in seeing the film production when it comes to the theater.

Shirley Ford Bridges, Library Assistant I, Bertha P. Williams Library Rosa Parks Avenue Branch 17

Break Out! by Joel Osteen (NY: FaithWords, c. 2013) Call #: 248.4 OSTEEN Locations: Morgan, Coliseum

In Joel Osteen’s book, Break Out, he discusses the 5 keys to help you to go beyond your barriers.

Consider God, not your situation. We have what it takes to overcome and rise above any problems that we may face in life. Osteen offers sound advice for focusing on faith and overcoming our own mental barriers to achieve inner and outer peace. Joel Osteen is a world renowned author who has written God-centered selfhelp books since 2004.

Brenda Davis, Librarian II, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library The Years of Lyndon Johnson: Passage to Power by Robert Caro (NY: Knopf, c. 1982-<1990>) Call #: B JOHNSON Location: Morgan

One of the most compelling biographical series you will ever want to read is Robert Caro’s The Years of Lyndon Johnson. So far, there are four books in this series: Path to Power, Means of Ascent, Master of the Senate and the most recent installment Passage to Power. Johnson is a very complex man who is difficult to get a read on. He could be compassionate, but he could also be ruthless when crossed. More than anything, Caro takes a look at Johnson’s unbridled ambition to make it to the top of the political world. In Passage to Power, Caro deals with Johnson during the years 1960-1965. This, of course, encompasses his term as Vice President under John F. Kennedy. Even though the book only deals with five years, there is a lot of ground to cover. It deals with Johnson’s failed attempt at the 1960 presidential nomination, and the maneuvering to get him on the ticket. It also covers how he went from holding a position of great power, Senate Majority Leader, to being virtually forgotten as Vice President and how psychologically devastating that was to him. It deals with Johnson’s tumultuous early days as President in the wake of JFK’s assassination and the early part of his administration. Finally, it takes a look at Johnson’s relationship with the Kennedy brothers with special focus on his epic feud with Bobby. All of this sets up what should be a very fascinating fifth installment when Caro will go in depth on Johnson’s handling of Vietnam.

James Greer, Branch Head, Ramer Branch Library

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Power Thoughts: 12 Strategies to Win the Battle of the Mind by Joyce Meyer (NY: FaithWords, c. 2010) Call #: 248.4 MEYER Locations: Morgan, Lowder, Lewis, Coliseum, Governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Square, Hampstead

Thoughts are powerful and they affect every aspect of our lives whether we notice it or not. Your actions are a direct result of your thoughts and this book is perfect encouragement on how to live, grow, and enjoy life through positive thinking, living stress free, and finding victory in transforming your thought life. It uses 12 strategies that encourage readers how to use the power of positive thinking to tackle and overcome the obstacles and challenges in relationships, health, career, and everyday activities. It focuses on how to renew your mind and gain control over your thought patterns that hinder the true perception of what God intends for you to grasp on the path He has for each of us. Joyce Meyer discusses how to maintain the right attitude through every situation, discipline yourself, adjust and regroup, and to retrain your mindset one thought at a time. She shares stories, testimonies, trials, and victories of how the change of thought patterns transforms lives and helps you stay in tune with God. You can choose to be doubtful, stressful, fearful, and defeated or instead choose to take a different approach and become confident, persistent, and purposeful as you reach your full potential towards your destiny. You become what you think and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impossible to live a positive and successful life with a negative mindset. When you change your thoughts you change your world.

Positive thoughts produce a positive YOU! Yasmine Harris, Library Page, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library The Art of War by Sun Tzu (Sunzi) (Boston: Shamblaha, c. 2009) Call #: 355.02 SUNZI Locations: Morgan, Coliseum, Hampstead

The Art of War is a must read for every administrator, mid-level manager, or anyone with aspirations of being in a leadership capacity. The book expounds on human nature and behavior. The importance of strategic planning is emphasized. Additionally, some of the main principles emphasized in the book include confusion, manipulation, half-truths, and befriending when seeking a desired position and/or outcome. The Art of War allows one to understand the mindset of some individuals in powerful positions. It allows one to understand that some individuals attain powerful positions by solely having the power of influence. Effective leaders are trusted and respected by their subordinates. The vast majority of the principles in the book are clear and concise. However, some require re-reading in reaching a plausible conclusion. The Art of War is written from a military standpoint. However, principles in the book can be helpful in a variety of settings. For this reason, The Art of War is a wonderful book for intellects to converse about, analyze, and form connections in everyday situations.

Khalilah Hayes, Librarian II, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library

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Thrift Store Saints: Meeting Jesus 25¢ at a Time, Chicago by Jane Knuth (Loyola Press, c. 2010) Call #: 261.8 KNUTH Locations: All 10 locations

This book is based upon the real life experiences of the author as she was a volunteer. Like many that we meet, she starts off thinking that she could run the thrift store better than it is being run but, as life does, she soon learns differently. The people in this book grab your heart and sometimes just will not let go. I still think about them—and I read the book for our book club several months ago!

I really enjoyed this book because, in some ways, it was better than my Sunday School lesson. In my own life I have learned that help, or a solution, will not come one minute too early—as it did in times they really needed more volunteers. Or as in the time when, and this brought me to tears, a woman was only a volunteer for a short length of time—just long enough to help another woman and her family in a major way. Thrift Store Saints is a great book, in my humble opinion, and I would highly recommend it. It’s a quick read, but I would advise having a box of tissues nearby if you are in any way tender hearted.

Julia-Ann Jenkins, Branch Head Librarian, E L Lowder Regional Library You Can Begin Again: No Matter What, it’s Never too Late by Joyce Meyer (NY: FaithWords, c. 2014) Call #: 248.8 MEYER Locations: Morgan, Lowder, Coliseum, Governor’s Square

If ever a book was written for encouragement, this was definitely the one. This faith based book holds the spiritual principles you need to begin again. Often times we are faced with challenges that make us feel inferior. We feel as if we are stuck or we can’t move any further in life. This book takes the challenges and smashes them. Joyce Meyer uses real life examples of people who have faced similar challenges; these people chose to change their whole outlook on life and begin to move forward. Meyer also takes different stories in the Bible and gives examples of how God turned their situation from what seemed the end to the beginning of a new life. You Can Begin Again takes a life application approach and gives your insight while relating it to scripture. This book assures you that no matter how bad your past or present circumstances are, it’s never too late. Don’t let that dictate how awesome your future will become because you can truly begin again.

Angellica Jones, Library Assistant I, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library Remembering Whitney by Cissy Houston (NY: HarperCollins, 2013) Call #: B HOUSTON Locations: Morgan, Lowder, Lewis, Coliseum, Governor’s Square

She was known as “The Voice”. Her voice was of note to anyone that heard her. To her fans she was a goddess, a vocal powerhouse and the undisputed queen of ballads. But to her mom, Cissy Houston, she was just Nippy. This book tells the story of Whitney’s life through the eyes of her mother, the woman that knew her best. Whitney’s life, as we may know, is not the full story, but to read the story of this remarkable talent from the eyes of her mother can definitely shed some light into her many mysteries. The life of Whitney Houston has been a fascination for years, and since her passing this is truly an opportunity to hear someone get the story right.

LeBaron Judkins, Library Page, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library

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Facing Your Giants: A David and Goliath Story for Everyday People by Max Lucado (Nashville: W Pub. Group, c. 2006) Call #: 222.4092 LUCADO Locations: All 10 locations

Do you have worries that gnaw at you night and day? In Max Lucado’s book, he goes into the many “giants” that David faced, both literally and figuratively. In this history of David, one of the greatest kings of Israel, we see that he came upon different kinds of hardships throughout his life. How he dealt with them and how he relied upon God made experiences that we can learn from today. David’s giants, much like our very own, could be overcome by a Lord that loved him (and loves us!).

I would recommend this book for any adult, teen, or preteen who is struggling with any problem or “giant.” I would also recommend it for someone who is interested in the life of David and the mercy and grace that God showed him over and over. This makes a very uplifting read that is sure to have you overcoming your own giants!

Lauren Kiefer, Librarian I, Bertha Pleasant Williams Library Rosa L. Parks Ave. Branch

Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune

by Paul Clark Newell, Jr. (NY: Random House, c. 2014) Call #: B CLARK Locations: All locations except Pintlala Empty Mansions is the incredible story of the not-so-famous, but fabulously wealthy, Clark family. W. A. Clark, Huguette’s father, began life in a poor family, but with his determination and entrepreneurial spirit he became, during the Guilded Age, one of America’s most wealthy men. He had a keen sense of knowing how to invest as all of his prospects became extremely successful. He died at an early age and left behind two families; his first wife and children, and his second wife and children. Huguette was from the second family and she had one sister who died as a child. It is believed that Huguette never recovered from this tragedy, which may have assisted in her being a loner in life. Huguette was very close to her mother, and they traveled extensively to California and Europe. Her mother loved art, fine antiques, jewelry, and grand mansions and this interest was transferred to Huguette who continued this compulsion after her mother’s death.

Huguette disappeared from public life in the 1980’s, even though she lived for 30 more years. She spent most of this time in near isolation, visiting with only a few friends, a few family members, and her caretakers. During this time she began giving away tens of millions of dollars to people she met and to various institutions who took advantage of her generosity. In her later years, she moved to a hospital, despite being healthy and owning several posh estates, and lived in a small, single hospital room with no view. This is where the doctors moved her even after she gave this hospital enough money to bring it out of bankruptcy.

This is a poignant look at how some people’s lives are affected by their wealth. Yes, wealth brings certain entitlements, but sometimes it may bring a certain mistrust of others. Huguette lived a seemingly happy, yet secluded life, and died at the age of 104. Her great fortune was tied up for years while people tried to get their share. You will find that justice finally did prevail, and that the people who truly deserved a part of her estate did receive their just reward. This was a most interesting book and I recommend it as a good read.

Wes Little, Librarian I, Coliseum Boulevard Branch Library

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Better by Mistake: The Unexpected Benefits of Being Wrong by Alina Tugend (NY: Riverhead Book, c. 2011) Call #: 155.2 TUGEND Locations: Morgan, Lowder

We all make mistakes; it’s the nature of being human. Some mistakes are large, some small, but all are different from the way we intended something to happen. Quite often, we beat ourselves up over even the slightest deviation from our intended action or outcome. But what if we changed the way we look at mistakes?

What if we accepted that mistakes will happen, and embraced the lessons to be learned? That is the premise behind Alina Tugend’s book, Better by Mistake.

In her book, Tugend details the different responses to mistakes, and discusses what leads each of us to feel that way. Did we fail, or just not try hard enough? Can we learn from our mistake and do better next time, or is the mistake just proof that we lack the necessary skill or ability to succeed at the task? These are just some of the reactions we can all have when we make a mistake, and this book explains how rethinking our mistakes—accepting them as part of growth and advancement instead of failure and regression—can be beneficial to us. Indeed, this book may be the key to moving forward in your life’s work, relationships, or any other area that you occasionally make mistakes in. Of course, I may be mistaken...

Greg Loggins, Library Assistant I, E L Lowder Regional Library All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot (NY: Random House, c. 2014) Call #: B HERRIOT Locations: Morgan, Lowder, Ramer, Coliseum

All Creatures Great and Small is a passionate autobiographical account by James Herriot of his early years as a veterinarian in a remote area of the Yorkshire Dales during the 1930s. The eccentric Siegfried Farnon hires young James, and together they run a practice that deals mostly with cattle and farmers. The farmers have their own conclusions about cow diseases and some bizarre (non-scientific) treatments for them. It is up to James to prove his worth and convince them of his new found skills.

This book captures the essence of real people. It brings insight into the wondrous relationships that people have with their pets or farm animals. The clinic’s experiences with runaway pigs to lavishly spoiled lapdogs make for laugh out loud fun. There is also the brutal work of farming and the simple integrity of those who struggle to survive on the land. Here, the loss of a cow can mean the difference between surviving another year, or financial disaster. Through it all, from the wildly comic to the poignant and touching, is the joyously told story of the relationship between man and animal. The narration is rich and textured. Also included are accounts of Mr. Herriot’s clumsy courting of his future wife and other amusing side adventures.

Whether you read this book for the animals, the people, or the vet’s practice, you will enjoy this gem.

Desiree Maurer, Technical Services, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library

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Christmas with Southern Living, Des Moines, IA by the Editors of Southern Living Magazine (Oxmoor House, c. 2010) Call #: 745.5941 CHRISTMAS Locations: All 10 locations

I don’t know about you, but when Christmas comes, I am always looking for new ideas to decorate my home and I love new recipes to cook. I really love Christmas. It’s the best time of the year not only to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, but to spend time with your family. Decorating your home with lights, ornaments, tinsel and a beautifully decorated tree set the ambiance of warmth for the holiday.

This is the season for eating. Turkey and dressing with all the trimmings, ham, green bean casserole, potato salad, and congealed salad are expected during this time. Sweet potato pie, pound cake and red velvet cake are some of the best dessert choices.

You want to try something different this year? Why not check out what Southern Living has to offer in choices for decorating your home. Let’s do something different for dinner. Tradition is fine. Let’s add a little spice and flavor to the menu. This book is packed with an array of colorful pictures of great recipes, easy entertaining, festive decorations and great gift ideas to help inspire you this holiday season. Remember Christmas is not Christmas without good people and great food. Merry Christmas!

Tabitha Pack, Library Assistant I, Governor’s Square Branch Library Montgomery, Charleston SC by Carole A. King (Arcadia Pub., c. 2011) Call #: 976 KING Locations: All 10 locations Montgomery, written by Carole A. King and Karren Pell, is one of the most exciting books that I have enjoyed in a long time. This book took me back to my childhood when I used to walk from my home on Holt Street to visit my grandmother who was living in Trenholm Court. This book displayed many of the historical businesses, schools, homes, churches, etc., in words and pictures. The book displays pictures of what Montgomery looked like in the past and brings you up to now.

I remembered many of the old businesses that were located down town. The St. John’s Episcopal Church was one of my landmarks that I used when traveling to Trenholm Court. As a child, I played on the Capitol grounds, the park at Old Alabama Town and on the back of First Baptist Church located on North Ripley Street across from Trenholm Court.

This book also talks about citizens who owned businesses and buildings downtown, including Market Street. Today, we know this street as Dexter Avenue. On Market Street, you had all kinds of wholesale and retail businesses. Montgomery’s Market Street was the place to be for shopping, purchasing food, window shopping, restaurants, movies, banking, doctor and dentist offices, hairdresser & barber shops, shoe parlors, feed stores, etc. Whatever you wanted or needed, you could find it on Market Street. Steam boats brought in cotton and goods to be sold downtown. Slaves were also brought in and sold on Market Street. Today in downtown, many buildings are being renovated to better serve the citizens. We are proud of our Biscuits Baseball Stadium, the Alley which consists of many great restaurants, and our River Front Park area. Many of the old buildings are being turned into loft apartments and businesses.

In the past, all Montgomery Public Schools, restaurants, bus stations, parks, water fountains, restrooms, public libraries, and department stores were segregated but today all schools are integrated and you can visit any park and eat in any restaurant that you desire. You can now live in any area of town as long as you can make the mortgage payments. Today, we have come a long way. The past was rough but the future is bright as long as we respect one another and communicate.

I recommend this book because it contains great history and has fantastic pictures of the past and today. If you enjoy reading about Montgomery and seeing what downtown looked like in the past, then this is the book for you.

Gertie Scott, Branch Head, Coliseum Blvd. Branch Library 23

Mystery Blackberry Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke (NY: Kensington, c. 2014) Call #: M FLUKE Locations: Coliseum, Hampstead, Lowder, Pike Road, Pintlala

Have you ever read a book and felt like the characters come to life in front of you? The Blackberry Pie Murder did it for me. I could imagine being Hannah Swensen. She was driving to work on a rainy, stormy day down a dirt road with very little visibility in front of her. Then she tries to swerve to miss a tree branch and ends up hitting someone and killing them instead. Where did the man come from and what was he doing on this deserted dirt road this time of day? Who is this man and why did their paths cross? Hannah did the right thing and called the police and the ambulance and waited on them to get there. Next thing you know you go to dinner with your mother who is every other day changing her mind about the color of the dresses of her bride’s maids, the food served at the reception, and the type of flowers used for the wedding. While you are at dinner your sister’s husband is the cop who has to arrest you for vehicular homicide. Now your sister and her husband aren’t speaking. He was just doing his job, but that doesn’t matter to your sister. You are trying to run your company, The Cookie Jar, and be successful while doing it.

There is another secret in this mystery taking place. Who is the girl living with Winnie and is that really Jennifer, her long lost daughter? What part does she have involving the mysterious man coming to town that Hannah hit, or does she have a part? Does she know the man that was hit? Why is she pretending to be someone that she’s not if she is really not Winnie’s daughter and why is Winnie so willing to help out this girl?

Joanne Fluke also grew up in a small town in Minnesota just like Hannah, her character, in the book.

She has moved to California where she continues to write books. She writes with a seriousness and humor about fictitious murder mysteries. All her books have tons of yummy recipes ready for you to try out. She tends to write so fluently that you just don’t want to put the book down until you have solved the mystery with Hannah and Mrs. Fluke. This selection is also available as LPM FLUKE at Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library; CD M FLUKE at Rufus A. Lewis Regional Library and on Overdrive: Kindle Book, E Pub Book, and Overdrive Read. Other books by Joanne Fluke are Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, Strawberry Shortcake Murder, Blueberry Muffin Murder, and various others.

Mary K. Christie, Library Assistant I, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library

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Six Years by Harlan Coben (NY: Dutton, c. 2013) Call #: M COBEN Locations: Coliseum, Governor’s Square, Hampstead, Lewis, Lowder, Morgan, Pike Road

Six Years is a story of romance filled with suspense and unexpected surprises and incidents. Jake and Natalie are madly in love with each other. Jake considers Natalie the love of his life. However, he discovers that Natalie is marrying another man, Todd. Jake is stunned and heartbroken over the news, and finds it unbelievable. Therefore, he attends the wedding. Natalie makes him promise that he will never contact her again. Six years after Natalie’s marriage to Todd, Jake discovers an obituary in the newspaper announcing Todd’s death. Due to Jake’s undying love for Natalie, he breaks the promise that he made to Natalie and attends the funeral. Jake discovers that Todd’s widow is not Natalie, but an older woman. After further investigation, Jake learns that Todd and his widow (who is not Natalie) had been married more than a decade.

As a result, Jake’s life becomes chaotic and full of turmoil and danger as he searches for the truth and Natalie.

The reader will be spellbound with the turn of each page as the truth is revealed about Natalie.

Glenda Walker, Branch Head, Rufus A. Lewis Regional Library & Bertha P. Williams Library Rosa Parks Ave. Branch Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (NY: Crown, c. 2012) Call #: M FLYNN Locations: Morgan, Lowder, Bertha Williams, Hampstead, Coliseum

In Gone Girl, writers, Amy Elliot & Nick Dunne live in New York. Both lose their jobs and relocate to North Carthage, Missouri. They have been married for 5 years, and are getting ready to celebrate their anniversary, like most married couples do, when Amy becomes a missing person. Nick, clueless about his wife’s where abouts, becomes the number 1 suspect in her disappearance, with his in-laws giving him all their support along with his twin sister Margo at his side. They don’t believe he would murder Amy because he loved her.

I enjoyed reading this twisted, thrill seeker novel. It was told through the eyes of Amy Elliot & Nick Dunne, and you don’t know who to believe. This novel will be coming to the Big Screen in 2014 starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Don’t Miss It! It is also available in LPM at Morgan and CD M at Pintlala.

Sabrina D. Wells, Library Assistant II, Extension Services

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Media A Woman’s Work: Street Chronicles by Nikki Turner (Westminster, MD: Random House Audio, c. 2011) Call #: CD F WOMAN’S Locations: Lowder, Pintlala

These are four short stories about a thrilling street life, by writers Kesha Starr, Tysha, Lakesa Cox and Monique S. Hall, featuring four strong females whose values seem different than the normal which lead them into trouble and show how a woman’s work is never done trying to correct the wrong decisions that they made in their life. Dying to be a star was the first story and most entertaining to me which deals with a young girl who wants to be a professional singer, even without her parent’s blessing. So if you are into urban novels I think you will like this book on CD. Courtney Baker, Library Assistant II, Hampstead Library A Brother’s Honor by Brenda Jackson (Don Mills, ON: Harlequin Books, c. 2013) An E-Pub book on Overdrive.com Location: The Montgomery City-County Public Library website (www.mccpl.lib.al.us) Also available LPF JACKSON @ Morgan, Lewis

The Granger brothers left their home in Virginia as soon as they could. There were too many bad memories there. Their mother was murdered and their father was serving time in prison for her death. Jace, the oldest, was a lawyer in California. Caden was an accomplished and famous musician. The black sheep of the family was Dalton. He was a ladies man (older ladies) and he did not have any problem using these ladies for his own personal needs. What the other brothers did not know was that Dalton was a very rich man.

When their grandfather, Richard Grangers, calls them back to Virginia to see him, they find out that he is critically ill and in the hospital. Richard wants them to promise to take over his company, Granger Aeronautics and make it the top company in Virginia. When the brothers agree and promise, Richard Granger passes away.

The story takes a turn when the brothers find out that Granger Aeronautics is in the red. They must figure a way to keep the company open and fulfill their grandfather’s last wish. They call on Shanna Bradford, a consultant and troubleshooter who saves companies from closing. Immediately Jace and Shanna feel an attraction towards each other, but it must be strictly business between them because it is not only the company they are trying to keep open, but the employees who have been there for many years who may lose their livelihood.

The book is the first in a series of books that will look into the lives of the Grangers. Brenda Jackson still keeps the romance in the storyline, but this book also looks at a family who drifted apart and are brought back together not only because of a grandfather’s dying wish, but to aid their father and bring the brothers together as a family again.

Cherlyn Hall, Library Assistant I, Coliseum Boulevard Branch Library

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Gold, Artist New Edition Location: Hoopla (www.mccpl.lib.al.us or hoopladigital.com) CooleyHighHarmony, Artist Boyz II Men Location: Hoopla (www.mccpl.lib.al.us or hoopladigital.com)

While browsing through the Hoopla music collection, I came across the album Gold by New Edition.

Gold is an album of New Edition greatest hits like, “Cool It Now”, “Count Me Out”, “N. E. Heart Break” and “Can You Stand the Rain.” If you are a fan of this R & B group there are more surprises on the “Gold” album for you. After feeling like I struck gold with Hoopla, I continued my search for another R&B group Boyz II Men, and found the album CooleyHighHarmony. This album includes hits like “Motownphilly”, “Please Don’t Go Away” and “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday.” Listening to this album had me up dancing and thinking about my Jr. High dances and wanting to watch the movie House Party II over again.

Zella’Ques Holmes, Librarian II, Head of Circulation, Juliette Hampton Morgan Library Wife Extraordinaire by Kiki Swinson (Prince Frederick, MD: Recorded Books, c. 2014) Call #: CD F SWINSON Location: Morgan

Kiki Swinson was born in a small town in Virginia. Her first novel, Wifey, was about her life. It was published in 2004. The book was so successful that it became a five book Wifey series. She has written over 10 books since then. I chose Wife Extraordinaire as my Read into the Holiday’s choice for 2014.

Wife Extraordinaire is about two couples who sign up for the reality show, Trading Wives, to win $10,000. Leon and Troy are friends who convince their wives Charlene and Trice to switch places. Leon wants a break from Charlene and Troy plans to divorce Trice once they win the money.

I listened to Wife Extraordinaire on CD and found it funny and entertaining. There was a different reader for each character in the book, which I loved, because it gave me the opportunity to imagine the person. Wife Extraordinaire on CD really seemed like a reality television show. In my opinion, the moral of the story is “Be careful what you wish for”. I recommend this book to adults who love laughter, intrigue, and urban fiction.

Shondra Mixon, Library Assistant II, Technical Services Babayaga by Toby Barlow (Old Saybrook, CT: Tanker Media, c. 2013) Call #: CD F BARLOW Location: Morgan

What’s better around the holidays than a little intrigue and murder? Sometimes you need to cut the stress (and joy) of the holiday season with some gritty, unrepentant prose. I don’t lightly call works of fiction “literature”, but this title is an exception. This is a richly detailed and poetic piece of word-art that incorporates folklore, modern espionage and a sordid, complicated tale of love and betrayal. Oh, and murder, lots of it. Some scenes are not for the faint of heart as they can get rather graphic and sexual, but all relate to the story and are therefore not gratuitous. A main portion of the plot takes place in 1959 in Paris and revolves around an American ex-pat named Will who works for an advertising agency. Will becomes entangled with the CIA and other operatives working in Paris. Fear not, this isn’t just a spy novel. The story also weaves supernatural elements into the fray with the introduction of the beautiful Zoya and the crone like Elga who are members of an ancient group of witches known as the Babayaga. These witches (of Russian origin) prey on men and society and Cold War Era Paris is ripe for the picking!

Toby Barlow is an impressive talent and I highly recommend this book if you enjoy supernatural romances, mysteries or spy novels. This selection is also available SF BARLOW at Morgan, Lowder and Hampstead Libraries.

Suzanne Horton, Librarian III, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library 27

Pretty Boy Problems by Michelle Grant (Prince Frederick, MD: Recorded Books, c. 2012) Call #: BOT-CD F Location: Lewis

Michelle Grant is one of my favorite authors and I am honored to review any of her works. I have decided to choose my favorite book from the Montgomery series. The title of the book is Pretty Boy Problems.

This book has really been a page turner for me. Mrs. Grant had me mesmerized about what she will pull out of her hat next.

Avery Beauregard Montgomery, a naturally charming good looking man who has become accustomed to having his way with women, meets Delany Mirabelle Richards by chance in his sister’s apartment.

Beauregard thinks they have an instant connection and he knows that Belle is not like any other women he has ever met before. Belle is fascinated by him as well but she doesn’t want him to know that. Belle finds out about something Beauregard does not want her to know and she decides not to fall for his pretty boy charm.

Then during the sickness of her father, she sees another side of him, which intrigues her. She decides to find out more about the man she deemed as a playboy.

The more Belle learns about Beauregard she decides within herself to give him a chance. Not only does she give him a chance at romance but she also gives him an opportunity to change his life, forever. That opportunity is a new job and a way to show that he is more than a pretty boy: he has brain, too. Can they mix business with pleasure and make it work or will it all turn sour?

Angela Watts, Library Assistant I, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library Love in Play by Zuri Day (Prince Frederick, MD: Recorded Books, c. 2012) Call #: CD F DAY Location: Lowder

Dominique Clark is the full-figured, vivacious, and sassy chief editor of Capricious Magazine by day.

By night, she is the devoted single mom to her ten year old son, Justin. Between her demanding schedule at work and being a single mom, there is not much room left for herself or a relationship.

Although Dominique’s career is demanding, that does not keep Dominique from supporting her son, and that means attending his football games. Justin loves playing football, and he never stops singing praises about Coach Mac.

While supporting her son, Dominique meets smooth ex NFL Player Jake McDonald, also known Coach Mac. Dominique cannot believe the chemistry between her and Jake, but she really does not want to start a relationship because she doesn’t want her heart broken again; and she doesn’t want Justin to suffer through another failed relationship. She keeps her heart guarded, but Jake begins to break her down day by day.

Dominique and Jake both have insecurities they need to overcome. Will Dominique’s and Jake’s insecurities keep them from having a beautiful relationship?

This is the first audiobook I ever listened to and I must say, I am very happy I decided to choose Love In Play.

Stacie Williams, Librarian I, E L Lowder Regional Library

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Fiction A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (NY: Bantam, c. 1996) Call #: SF MARTIN Locations: Morgan, Lowder, Lewis, Coliseum, Governor’s Square

The source material for the critically acclaimed show bearing the same title, A Game of Thrones is the first book in this dynastic high fantasy epic known as A Song of Fire and Ice. The story follows four great houses (Starks, Lannisters, Baratheons, and Targaryens) in their quest for supremacy over the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros after the ruling king, Robert Baratheon, dies under mysterious circumstances. However, the tale does not just satisfy through a plot of political intrigue and magical forces, but through the characters and their development within the story. The Starks are an old and noble family, but their honesty may not be best suited for the deadly game of politics. The Lannisters are a wealthy and ambitious family with their beauty only matched by their ruthlessness. The Baratheons are the ruling family of the Seven Kingdoms and have strengthened their rule through a political marriage with the Lannisters; however, dark secrets within the Lannister family could destroy an already fragile alliance. Lastly, the Targaryens, the former ruling family who was banished after Robert Baratheon’s rebellion, are forming their own alliances outside of the Seven Kingdoms to retake their birthright. All the while, an ancient and sinister force threatens their entire existence.

George R.R. Martin’s magnum opus is already considered a classic by many fantasy readers. Many non-fantasy readers have also become enthralled with this story as the characters’ complexity and moral ambiguity create a sense of looming doom and apprehension. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy or historical fiction.

Devon Beaty, Library Assistant I, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library In the Company of Others by Jan Karon (NY: Vikings, c. 2010) Call #: F KARON Locations: All locations except Hampstead

In the Company of Others is the second book of the Father Tim Series, the first being Home to Holly Hill. Jan Karon also wrote the beloved Mitford Series, in which Episcopal priest Timothy Kavanaugh was the central character. Now retired, Father Tim and his wife Cynthia travel across the Atlantic on a long-anticipated vacation to his ancestral home in Ireland. Father Tim has been there once before, but is eager to show Cynthia the Irish countryside.

Following a dreary rainy ride from the Sligo Airport, the two of them settle in at a Bed and Breakfast called Broughadoon, run by Liam and Anna Conor in County Sligo. Father Tim is happy to be back among the Irish in his ancestral homeland, and is especially impressed with Catharmore, a 19th -century estate that was Liam’s childhood home. They meet what turns out to be a colorful cast of guests, including a group of widows from Atlanta, several cheerful fishermen, and the resident Jack Russell terrier, Pud, who bids Father Tim stop his work and play with him.

Father Tim and Cynthia are ready to combine sightseeing with genealogical research, when they find themselves at the center of several burglaries where they are staying. Cynthia walks in on the thief ramsacking their room. The intruder frightens her when he jumps out the window, causing Cynthia to re-injure her already-sprained ankle and be off her feet. Not to be defeated about her dilemma, she and Tim quickly become involved in the problems of Anna and Liam and their extended relatives. The family who owns Broughadoon is hurt by a rebellious daughter, Bella, and a distant mother, Evelyn, a bitter old woman who is an alcoholic with serious health problems. Father Tim and Cynthia try to help them reconcile with each other.

Cynthia discovers a journal handwritten by Liam’s ancestor, a doctor who had lived in the 1860’s,

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and she and Tim enjoy reading it together. Later, the owner’s prized possession, a valuable painting that he inherited from his father, is stolen from the B&B. The journal provides them with a clue to help solve the mystery of the missing painting and more.

The story is rich in detail about Ireland, its culture, and its people. I could almost hear the Irish lilt in some of the dialogue and this made the story real for me. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a happy ending.

Anita Berry, Librarian I, Governor’s Square Branch Library Cut and Thrust, by Stuart Woods (NY: Putnam’s Sons, c. 2014) Call#: F WOODS Locations: Morgan, Coliseum, Governor’s Square, Lewis, Lowder, Pike Road

Woods is a Georgia native, and a number of his characters have their origins in Georgia, now dividing his time between New York City, Florida and Maine. Most of the action in his various novels takes place in New York, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. By my last count he has written 58 books, though that total may have gone up by the time you read this. He has several on-going series, and the characters of those series all “know” each other and often show up in another character’s series. Cut and Thrust, I believe, is Woods’ 30th Stone Barrington title. Woods started with a bang: his first novel, Chiefs, published in 1981, won the Edgar Award, and he continues to pump out successful and bestselling novels today, and, it seems like, every day.

Woods started Barrington out as an NYPD police detective, presumably with early, honorable retirement from a gunshot to the knee in the line of duty, but there are frequent hints this is not the whole story. Over the years, Barrington evolved to a somewhat shady attorney or fixer, to a successful attorney, to a partner in one of New York City’s most prestigious law firms, to a billionaire trust baby (or husband, as the case may be), to a behind the scenes Kingmaker.

In the current title, Cut and Thrust, Barrington is maneuvering to determine the Democratic nominee for President, and the plotting and intrigue move swiftly, with appearances by Hollywood movie stars, assassins, CIA operatives, homicidal ex-s, murder, and political corruption, along with advice on the best wines and whiskies, the best hotels in New York and Los Angeles, the best automobiles, and the best private jets. A truly egalitarian person might be offended, but Woods manages to make it all amusing and charming, and he is a deft story teller, and this one, as all Woods’ novels, is highly entertaining.

If you have to take a relative to Pri-Med and plan on spending a few hours in the waiting room, this is a perfect book to take with you. It is readable and fun and doesn’t require you to pay a whole lot of attention for two hours or so, so in this scenario, you might want to take two or even three Woods’ titles.

Advisory: Includes some adult themes and scenes.

Tim Berry, Head Librarian, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library

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Big Girl Panties by Stephanie Evanovich (NY: William Morrow, c. 2013) Call #: F EVANOVICH Locations: Morgan, Lowder, Lewis, Governor’s Square, Coliseum, Pike Road, Hampstead

Big Girl Panties is not your average romance novel. Meet Holly, a chubby recent widow, who drowns herself by eating her feelings. Just when she thought her day couldn’t get any worse, she is trapped sitting next to a so called “demi-god” on a plane for a few hours. No one was more displeased than Logan Montgomery.

Logan was tall, dark, and handsome with a body given to him by the gods. The one thing they both shared on that plane was their pure hatred for being in coach on a long plane ride. Seeing that Holly was clearly in distress, Logan tried to comfort her as they were preparing for take-off. Once she was finally soothed of her fears, Logan offers up his service as a personal trainer. He is so used to training athletes that his passion was slowly dying for his job, and he felt that Holly would be the challenge that he would crave. He loved turning his “ugly ducklings” into swans. As Holly and Logan began the weight loss and fitness journey neither one of them could’ve seen the love affair coming. As Holly was losing weight she was gaining confidence and a sense of who she really was, Logan had no choice but to notice. Holly was more than his experiment, and he couldn’t wait to devour her. Holly often questioned Logan’s actions, and she later found out exactly where he lied. Stephanie Evanovich’s book revealed a whole new meaning to “put your big girl panties on and deal with it”. This book is filled with sarcastic humor, and romance. It’s a quick and enjoyable read.

Zipporah Bonney, Library Assistant I, Governor’s Square Branch Library Losing to Win by Michele Grant (Waterville, Maine: Thorndike, c. 2014) Call #: LPF GRANT Locations: Lewis, Morgan

After surviving Hurricane Katrina and The Gulf Oil Spill, Carissa Wayne, along with the people of Belle Haven, Louisiana, are trying to get their lives back on track. English Teacher Carissa agrees to appear on the weight-loss reality show, Losing to Win. After agreeing to do the show, Carissa realizes that her ex-fiancé, Malachi Knight, a former NFL star, is also appearing. In addition, other acquaintances from her past are appearing on the show. She must now figure out how to become a winner. Readers will be surprised at what she is willing to do to win.

Doris Brown, Library Assistant I, Rufus A. Lewis Regional Library The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher (NY: St. Martins, c. 1984) Call #: F PILCHE Locations: Lowder, Pintlala, Louis, Lewis, Coliseum

This is an enjoyable book, and I found the characters quite interesting, especially the main character, Penelope Keeling. The story takes you through the life and experiences of Penelope both past and present.

The author is able to make you feel a relation to Penelope as a person and after reading the book, someone you’d love to have met. Penelope possesses a generous, giving soul but at the same time, she’s a very strong woman. This book confirms the points that we should never take the simple things in life for granted; live life to the fullest and don’t dwell on the material aspects. Penelope’s life journey was both remarkable and ordinary.

Dina Campbell, Secretary, Administration 31

11/22/63 by Stephen King (Waterville, Maine: Thorndike, c. 2011) Call #: LPF KING Locations: Morgan, Lewis, Coliseum, Governor’s Square, Bertha Williams, Ramer, Pintlala, Pike Road, Hampstead

This novel is so farfetched that I felt like I was wasting my time reading it. Only the historical aspect of Lee Harvey Oswald made it interesting. Since this is a novel I wonder how much of Oswald’s story is made up. Now I have to sort out the fact and fiction. King repeatedly uses the words obdurate and harmonic throughout the book. It grew quite tiresome and many of the comparisons for harmonic did not connect with me.

In the back of the book are Final Notes, Citizen of the Century, and Afterword. These seem like notes that Stephen wanted to work into the novel or alternate endings. He probably needed to get some cash flowing and just threw it together and sent it to the publisher.

Thomas Davidson, Library Page, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library No Easy Catch, the Carmen Sisters Book One by Pat Simmons (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, c. 2014) Call #: F SIMMONS Locations: All 10 locations

Shae Carmen is coming off a bad romantic experience. She discovers that the man she was dating is married. After this, she moves to St. Louis to start a new job as television reporter. Rahm Maxwell is a star baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals and has also had a life-changing experience. He was the victim of an attempted carjacking. He decides to use this event to get closer with God. When Shae meets him, the two quickly fall in love. Everything is going fine until Shae encounters an unexpected twist. See if she and Rahm have a happy ending.

Diane Griffin, Librarian I, Ramer Branch Library Summer Vows: A Hideaway Wedding by Rochelle Alers (Waterville, Maine: Thorndike, c. 2013) Call#: LPF ALERS Locations: Morgan, Lewis

It all starts when Ana Coles chooses to take the role of CEO in her father’s company even against his wishes to prove that she can run a big music company, being that she is a young lady. When she takes over the reigns as CEO of Serenity Records, Ana Coles signs a recording artist to their label. That starts a rivalry that targets her for death.

Her safety becomes an issue and she has to go into hiding. One of her family member hires one of his dear and devoted friends to become her bodyguard, U. S. Marshall, Jacob Jones. Ana and Jacob are forced into hiding and she has to learn to live outside of her luxurious comfort zone. She unwillingly follows Jacob to his vacation home in the Florida Keys until whoever is threatening her life is caught. Once she gets use to Jacob’s rules, she finds herself becoming more drawn to him. As time goes by she begins to fall more and more in love with Jacob.

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When the time comes for them to get the person that had put the hit out on Ana’s life, she and Jacob had to move from the Florida Keys to Cannamore Cay where they were forced to live as husband and wife.

Things got really hot and heavy for the both of them. While living as husband and wife they fell deeply in love with each other. They decided that when everything was over that they would stay married.

After being in Cannamore Cay for three weeks, the guy was captured and killed. They were free to come home to the states.

This is a really good book to read. It’s a love story that ended happily ever after.

Celia Hendricks, Clerk III, Administration Cop Town by Karin Slaughter (NY: Delacorte, c. 2014) Call #: F SLAUGHTER Locations: Pike Road, Lowder, Morgan, Lewis, Coliseum, Governor’s Square

Karin Slaughter’s books take place in Atlanta, Georgia and involve the Atlanta Police Department. This particular novel is set in the early 1970’s when the police department was first allowing minorities to join the police force. As you can imagine, that has angered all of the white men on the existing police force. The main characters of the book involve 2 women police officers. Maggie has been on the police force for a year and her 2 brothers are both distinguished police officers. Kate, an attractive Jewish female, has just joined the Atlanta Police Department. Kate is treated harshly by everyone on the force, including the women. Please read this book to find out what happens to Maggie, Kate and the other police officers. The book does contain offensive language, sexuality and discrimination.

“I’m not sure why I’m so drawn to heroes who do bad things and to villains who think they’re the good guys, but I do find that moral ambiguity and conflict makes for great characters.” -Barry Eisler Jeanine Hughes, Library Assistant II, Pike Road Library

Sanctuary Cove: A Cavanaugh Island Novel by Rochelle Alers (NY: Forever, c. 2012) Call #: F ALERS Locations: Coliseum, Lowder, Morgan, Ramer

Deborah Robinson is a widow whose husband died while saving a student at his school from drowning.

Deborah now has to raise her two teenaged children, Whitney and Crystal, as a single mom. She decides to move to Sanctuary Cove, a small island town in South Carolina. Deborah can remember wonderful childhood memories with her grandmother in Sanctuary Cove.

Deborah decides to open a bookstore next to her best friend Mable’s bakery. The bookstore will have a wide variety of books, with a section for coffee and pastries from the bakery. Deborah needs some help with setting up the bookstore. She places an ad in the local newspaper.

Asa Monroe answers the ad. Asa has a past that he is trying to run from. His wife and son were killed in a horrific traffic accident. Asa leaves his position as a doctor in a major hospital in Dover, Delaware and comes to Sanctuary Cove to forget. He doesn’t stay in one place very long. When he arrives in Sanctuary Cove, he only plans to stay three months before moving on to another place. He is waiting for a response to a position in Africa where he will offer his services to help people in a distant village with his medical expertise.

Asa spots Deborah in the local restaurant and realizes that he must meet her. He follows her to the

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bookstore. He answers her ad for part-time help. Once Asa is employed at the bookstore, emotions arise and he is beginning to have feelings for Deborah that he thought would never arise. Deborah also shares these feelings, but she is hesitant because she feels that she will be disloyal to her husband’s memory and the time that they shared together.

Deborah eventually gives in to her feelings and lets Asa know, and they share two wonderful months together. Asa finally receives notice about the position in Africa and has to leave soon. How will he tell Deborah and her family after realizing that they are now the most important people in his life?

Sanctuary Cove is a must read. There are many highs as well as lows. This is a small, close-knit town, and the residents are there for each other and are prepared to help in any way possible. Also available LPF ALERS at Governor’s Square and Lewis.

LaRuth Martin, Librarian II, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library The Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux (NY: Pocket Book, c. 2001) Call #: F DEVERAUX Locations: Coliseum, Morgan, Pintlala, Lewis

This book is kind of a bittersweet novel about three women who meet accidentally on their twenty first birthday in a DMV in New York. Nineteen years later, one of the women sends a letter to the other two, so that they may meet in Maine to celebrate their fortieth birthday together. When the women meet, they find that each of them has had their share of pain and heartache in life. While out one day having lunch, the women “run” into this fortune teller who asks them, if you could go back in time and change your life, would you? If the women found that they could have a happier life, would they be willing to keep that life? If they chose to keep the new life, they could not remember anything about the old life and could not change their mind once they have chosen the new life. It is a bittersweet novel, because two of the characters had terrible wrongs done to them, but find love and happiness with their new lives. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Kesha McClain, Library Assistant I, Coliseum Branch Library

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Debbie Doesn’t Do It Anymore: a Novel by Walter Mosley (NY: Doubleday, c. 2014) Call #: F MOSLEY Locations: Coliseum, Governor’s Square, Hampstead, Lewis, Morgan, Pintlala

How does one value their own life? What makes us into the individuals we are today? Can we live to live or do we live to survive this journey called life? Within this book Walter Mosley gives you an understanding of life and death; what it means to truly be in this world and not even know it. As you read the pages of this book you will get a feel for a young woman’s life, which has never really experienced life but just merely survived within it. I think the author wanted us all to feel her happiness and sadness; he wanted us to understand that just because we exist in this world doesn’t mean that we truly live in this world. I would not recommend this book to readers who would like to think outside of the box, but to readers who would like to live in a box with nowhere else to go.

Laquisha Thomas, Library Assistant II, Pintlala Branch Library The Prodigal Son by Kimberla Lawson Roby (NY: Grand Central Publishing, c. 2014) Call #: F ROBY Locations: All 10 locations

The Black’s children are all grown up. Alicia has two failed marriages under her belt and Matthew, her brother, isn’t doing much better. His whirlwind high school romance has turned into a rotten marriage with a psychotic wife. Of course, his wife’s behavior is a result of his mother calling the Department of Human Resources and getting their child taken from them, as well as other things.

Curtis, on the other hand, is dealing with his estranged son who is now a part of the Black family. He is trying his best to be a good father and make up for lost time, but he has other things on his mind. His heart is sincere about his new found relationship with his estranged son, but he is heartbroken and despondent about Matthew. After Charlotte, Matthew’s mother, stirred up so much trouble the family has not been the same since.

The Prodigal Son is Kimberla Lawson Roby’s latest book. It has everything that we have come to love about her books. Love, romance, extortion, hatred, and vengeance are just a few things that happen in this book. This is a hot-off- the- press, edge of your seat book that is hard to put down. This is Roby’s best page turner yet!!

Alicia Walton, Library Assistant I, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library, Media Services

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Rasputin’s Shadow by Raymond Khoury (NY: Dutton, c. 2013) Call #: F KHOURY Locations: Governor’s Square, Hampstead

Raymond Khoury was born in Beirut Lebanon in 1960. His family left Beirut to escape war in Lebanon when he was 14. They moved to Rye, New York. He later returned to study architecture. After graduate school, the war broke out again and he evacuated to London. He got a graduate degree in finance from the Institute of Business Administration in France and became an investment banker. After three years, he began to write screen plays. Encouraged by a co-worker, he wrote Last Templar which was translated into 38 languages.

Rasputin’s Shadow became his sixth novel.

Rasputin’s Shadow covers a time span from 1899 with Misha’s Journal entries until the present. Many government agencies are involved (FBI, CIA, NYPD, Secret Service). There are also a few Russian spies. Main characters include: Leo Sokolov aka Kerill Sislenka and his wife Daphne Koschey, a Russian mercenary/spy who has multiple aliases, and Larisa Tchoumitcheva, the Russia double agent who works at the Russian consulate. The name of Rasputin and Misha appear in the journal entries. Sean Reilly and Nick Aparo are the chief FBI detectives looking for Sokolo and Koschey.

Rasputin’s Shadow opens with a scene in a copper mine in the Ural Mountains of Russia. For some reason, the workers turn on themselves and end up killing each other. The mine suddenly explodes. We learn that ultimately all of this was due to a device made by Misha, a man of science, and Rasputin. Rasputin wanted to create a machine that showed his power. Sokolov defected from Russia to hide his knowledge of the secrets hidden in his Grandfather’s journal. One day he made a mistake. He went to the Russian Consulate to be in a protest and was seen on camera by the Russians and the American authorities who were looking for him. Now both groups knew where he was. This began a bad time for Sokorov. Several days later the Russians came for him. Koschey, the mercenary, was sent to America to get Sokolov and his mind-altering machine. Meanwhile, a “member” of the Russian embassy staff came to get Sokolov while another “member” kidnapped his wife on the way home from work. The staff member was seen falling from Sokolov’s 6th floor window, which got the FBI and the NYPD involved.

Reverting from current times back to the journal in 1916, this thriller is a book that cannot be put down. This book may sound like science fiction, but these devices are rumored to actually exist. Be on the lookout for more books by Raymond Khoury. Also available: CD F KHOURY at Pintlala Library.

Mary Wilhoite, Librarian II, Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library

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NOTES

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Montgomery City-County Public Library Board of Trustees Thomas McPherson, President County Appointment 321 N. Anton Drive Montgomery, AL 36105-2112 Phone H #834-9636 Phone W #264-7919 F #264-7917 Cell #202-5533 edrs@knology.net Term Expires: June 1, 2016 Catherine Wright County Appointment 3865 Colline Drive Montgomery, AL 36106-3357 Phone W #420-4252 H #277-9956 Cell #315-6854 cwright@trenholmstate.edu Term Expires: June 1, 2018 Ham Wilson, Jr. County Appointment 2532 Jamestown Lane Montgomery, AL 36111-1209 Cell #263-1447 hwilson@ball-ball.com Term Expires: June 1, 2015 Gary Burton, Secretary County Appointment 13812 U.S. Hwy 31 Hope Hull, AL 36043-5104 Phone H #288-7414 Phone W #281-9439 Cell #315-2235 Fax #281-9419 garyburton1@charter.net Term Expires: June 1, 2018 Amy Knudsen County Appointment 2926 Jamestown Drive Montgomery, AL 36111-1211 Phone W #244-2587 Phone H #834-1808 Cell #549-5005 Amy.Knudsen@aronov.com Term Expires: June 1, 2016 Betsy Atkins County Appointment 201 Laurel Springs Court Pike Road, AL 36064 Phone H #260-0998 Term Expires: June 1, 2017 Paulette Moncrief County Appointment 4216 Green Meadow Drive Montgomery, AL 36108-5010 Phone H #288-5584 Cell #399-2456 Pmoncrief5584@charter.net Term Expires: June 1, 2017 Mary McLemore President, Friends of the Library 122 Laurelwood Drive Pike Road, AL 36064-2213 Phone H #277-0039 Cell #652-8285 mary_mclemore@mindspring.com Term expires: September 21, 2016

Katie Bell City Appointment 3613 Winterset Court Montgomery, AL 36111-3361 Phone H #284-1800 Cell #318-1509 Fax #284-4002 katierb@charter.net Term Expires: June 1, 2016 ShaKenya Calhoun City Appointment 4155 Lomac Street, Ste. G Montgomery, AL 36106 Phone W #272-4400 shakenyac@aol.com Term expires: September 21, 2017 Jim Earnhardt, Vice President City Appointment 4013 Meredith Drive Montgomery, AL 36109-2344 Cell #202-7154 jme@knology.net (H) Term Expires: June 1, 2017 Courtney Williams City Appointment P.O. Box 2069 Montgomery, AL 36102-2069 Phone W #241-8054 Fax W #241-8254 mcw@chlaw.com Term Expires: September 21, 2016 Janet Waller City Appointment 2307 Allendale Place Montgomery, AL 36111-1636 Phone H #264-8923 Cell #504-250-1219 jmwaller@earthlink.net Term Expires: September 21, 2018 Julia Henig City Appointment 301 Brown Springs Road Montgomery, AL 36117 Phone W #273-4405 Cell #451-5040 jhenig@baptistfirst.org Term expires: June 21, 2015 Chester Mallory City Appointment P.O. Box 6056 Montgomery, AL 36106-0056 Phone W #262-7773 Cell #303-4802 cmallory@mindspring.com Term expires: September 21, 2018 Vanzetta McPherson President, Library Foundation 321 N. Anton Drive Montgomery, AL 36105-2112 Phone H #834-9636 Cell #462-6696 judgemcpherson@knology.net Jaunita Owes, Library Director City-County Public Library P.O. Box 1950 • 245 High Street Montgomery, AL 36102-1950 Phone #240-4300 Fax #240-4977 jowes@mccpl.lib.al.us

Leslie Sanders City Appointment P.O. Box 160 Montgomery, AL 36101-0160 Phone W #832-3301 llsanders@southernco.com Vivian White, Asst. Director City-County Public Library P.O. Box 1950 245 High Street Montgomery, AL 36102-1950 Phone #240-4300 Fax #240-4977 vwhite@mccpl.lib.al.us

Montgomery City-County Public Library Foundation Board Carl Barker, President ServisFirst Bank One Commerce Street, Ste. 200 Montgomery, AL 36104 334-223-5800 (W) 334-652-1294 334-223-5858 (Fax) cbarker@servisfirstbank.com Term expires April 2015 Lynn Beshear, Executive Director Envision 2020 600 South Court St., Ste. 311 Montgomery, AL 36104 334-269-0224 (W) 334-462-0220 (Cell) lynn@envision2020.org Term expires April 2015 Brian L. Davis, P.E. General Operation Manager ALAGASCO – Montgomery Division 435 Lee Street Montgomery, AL 36104 334-241-4202 (W) brian.davis@energen.com Term expires September 2015 Jim Hodgson, CPA Moody & Hodgson 900 South Perry Street, #C Montgomery, AL 36104 334-834-5205 (W) jch@moodyhodgson.com Term expires April 2013 (Board Treasurer) Sam Martin, President and CEO Maxwell Group, LLC P.O. Box 284 Montgomery, AL 36101 334-240-9423 (W) sam@themaxwellgroupllc.com Term expires April 2013 Christopher Vucovich, Registered Rep Vucovich & Associates 8135 Old Federal Road Montgomery, AL 36117 334-239-9110 (W) 334-467-5438 (Cell) christopher.vucovich@AXA-advisors.com Term expires April 2015

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Derek Parrish, Investment Banker 1 Commerce Center, Ste. 600 Montgomery, AL 36104 334-239-4612 (W) 334-313-2117 (Cell) cdp1953@gmail.com Term expires April 2014 (Board Vice President) Sheron Rose, Director Human Resources Team Relations, Gov’t Affairs Hyundai Motor Mfg Alabama, LLC 700 Hyundai Blvd.

Montgomery, AL 36105 334-387-8004 (W) 334-714-4426 (Cell) sheronrose@hmmausa.com Term expires April 2014 Leslie Sanders, Vice President Alabama Power P.O. Box 160 Montgomery, AL 36101-0160 334-832-3301 (W) llsanders@southernco.com Term expires July 2015 Frank Wilson, Esq. 504 South Perry Street Montgomery, AL 36104 334-263-2560 (W) frank@frankmwilsonpc.com Term expires April 2014 Vanzetta McPherson U.S. Magistrate Judge (Ret.) 321 N. Anton Drive Montgomery, AL 36105-2112 334-834-9636 (H) 334-462-6696 (Cell) judgemcpherson@knology.net Term expires July 2015 (Board President)

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Thomas McPherson, Jr., President MCCPL Board of Trustees P.O. Box 251121 Montgomery, AL 36102-1121 334-264-7919 (W) 334-202-5533 (Cell) 334-264-7917 (Fax) edrs@knology.net Jaunita Owes, Director Montgomery City-County Public Library 245 High Street Montgomery, AL 36104 334-240-4300 (W) 334-354-6333 (Cell) 334-240-4977 (Fax) jowes@mccpl.lib.al.us Catherine Wright, Chairman Finance Committee, MCCPL Board of Trustees 3865 Colline Drive Montgomery, AL 36106 334-420-4252 (W) 334-315-6854 (Cell) cwright@trenholmstate.edu

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Locations: Juliette Hampton Morgan Memorial Library 245 High Street Montgomery, AL 36104 240-4999

Pike Road Branch Library 9585 Vaughn Road Montgomery, AL 36064 244-8679

Coliseum Boulevard Branch Library 840 Coliseum Boulevard Montgomery, AL 36109 271-7005

Pintlala Branch Library 255 Federal Road Pintlala, AL 36043 281-8069

E L Lowder Regional Library 2590 Bell Road Montgomery, AL 36117 244-5717 Governor’s Square Branch Library 2885-B E. South Boulevard Montgomery, AL 36111 284-7929

Ramer Branch Library 5444 State Highway 94 Ramer, AL 36069 562-3364 Hampstead Branch Library 5251 Hampstead High St. • Suite 107 Montgomery, AL 36116 244-5770

Rufus A. Lewis Regional Library 3095 Mobile Highway Montgomery, AL 36108 240-4848 Bertha Pleasant Williams-Rosa Parks Branch Library 1276 Rosa Parks Avenue Montgomery, AL 36108 240-4979

www.mccpl.lib.al.us