Because Gladwell drives his point home with the use of dialogue, rather than empirical evidence, the novel is much easier to follow and difficult to put down.  Most importantly, the content is easily digestible for those without a background in social psychology, and serves as a great conversation starter with friends, family, and co-workers.

Personally, I found Gladwell’s second offering, Blink:  The Power of Thinking Without Thought to be his best book to date.  Blink can be summarized as an examination of our ability to make extremely accurate split-second decisions in a wide range of different scenarios.

Other releases by Malcolm Gladwell include Outliers:  The Story of Success and What the Dog Saw:  And Other Adventures.

Brian Brown

“Who brings a book on a road trip?” I said in a tone befitting of a snide adolescent boy.  “I do!  You just wish you were smart enough to read!” she exclaimed.  “Touche.  What is that anyway?” I replied.  “It’s Harry Potter.  How do you not know about Harry Potter?  This is the third time I’ve read it.”

She must not be that smart if it’s taken her 3 readings to understand a children’s book, I thought to myself.

A few days later, I found a copy of The Sorcerer’s Stone in my brother’s room.  I decided I would see what all the fuss was about.  Somewhere in the area of 6 hours later, I knew.

Harry Potter is awesome.

Now, 14 years later, I am priming myself for the culmination of one of the most beloved sagas of our time.  Rarely does a film adaptation of a novel satisfy the book-reading audience.  Harry Potter has managed this feat 7 times over, with an eighth surely to follow.  Where other books-to-film adaptations have failed to produce box office success (see The Golden Compass, Eragon, Chronicles of Narnia, Bridge to Teribithia, The Spiderwick Chronicles, and the list goes on), the Harry Potter series has flourished.

Although the adventure ends in theaters tomorrow, Harry Potter will continue to live on in our lives as we pass the story along to future generations.  I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience the world of Hogwarts as both a teenager and an adult.  It is comforting to know that as I grow older, I will always have a way to time-travel back to the day when I first discovered Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the wizarding world of Harry Potter.

Brian Brown

A series of books by Maj Sjowall and her husband Per Wahloo were brought to my attention (thanks, Brian) earlier this summer.  They feature police detective Martin Beck in ten crime stories set in the 1960-1970’s.  Martin is a rather dour, stooped, flawed man who slowly wins you over with his devotion to the victim.  Joining him in his quest is his best friend Kollberg and the pipe-smoking Melander who is known never to forget anything.  The first mystery in the series is Roseanna.  Read it and you’ll be hooked.

I read The Keeper of Lost Causes in 2 days recently.  I haven’t read a book that I literally couldn’t put down for some time.  I felt a sense of urgency to finish it, and at the same time, I dreaded the last page.  It is written by Denmark’s #1 crime writer Jussi Adler-Olsen.  Fortunately, it is being printed here in the U.S. - look for it the end of August (luckily for me, I received an advance reading copy).

Another book I am anxious to read is the recently published the hypnotist by Lars Kepler.  It is described as gritty, fast-paced, and impossible to put down.  Detective Inspector Joona Linna takes on a bizarre triple murder case.  She brings in the  hypnotist Erik Maria Bark to question the only surviving witness-a young boy who is barely holding on to life after over 100 stab wounds.   Bark reluctantly agrees to help but what follows is a long and terrifying chain of events. 

King’s patented brand of horror and suspense is on display here as he takes his time, revealing the vampire to us very slowly, building the suspense page by deadly page.   The setting is one of King’s favorites and most familiar – a small Maine town.

I carried Salem’s Lot with me on a ten day hike on the Appalachian Trail through central Pennsylvania in the autumn – perfect vampire weather.  It was a fun read and made a great companion on the hike until I happened to be in my tent reading by candlelight when I came to the part where Kurt Barlow reveals himself as the vampire for the first time.  A late season thunderstorm was brewing and here I was alone in the woods in the rain (a dark and stormy night-how cliched) and when lightning hit a tree about 30 yards away and split it, I was ready to abandon my gear and run out of the woods til I found the lights of civilization!  All bravery is situational and the bravest thing I did that night was put the book down and wait for another day to continue reading.  I finished the book several days later – again at night.  Perfect night time reading where your imagination can run wild and every little bump or creak or abnormal sound makes the mind race, “Is it him?  Is he coming for me?”

King’s books have, for the most part, not translated well into movies and Salem’s Lot was no exception – becoming a ho-hum movie of the week.  I wonder about King’s taste in movie adaptations as he was reportedly unhappy with Kubrick’s version of “The Shining” – arguably the greatest adaptation of a King novel ever.

Harry Moore

We are celebrating Roald Dahl Month with a cool window display (see photos).  Check out that giant peach and our groovy insects (James and the Giant Peach).  Kids can participate in the Roald Dahl Reading Dahlathon.  We have Official Reading Journals – pick up one, read any three Roald Dahl books, and win phizz-whizzing prizes!

Did you know that Roald Dahl is the world’s favourite children’s author?!  Everyone loves Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. If you haven’t read these splendiferous books, get cracking!

Here’s a revolting rhyme to get you going:

Jack’s mother said, We’re stoney broke!

‘Go out and find some wealthy bloke

‘Who’ll buy our cow.  Just say she’s sound

‘And worth at least a hundred pound

‘But don’t you dare to let him know

‘That she’s as old ad billy-o.’

I picked up this novel for two reasons:  a friend’s recommendation and the sheer intrigue that the title brings.  ALVP is a mixture of one part horror, one part humor, and seasoned with a fictional alternate history.  The major accomplishments of Lincoln’s life are still part of ALVP’s chronology, but with a new spin on the events that happened behind the scenes.

Honest Abe is a great protagonist and his supporting cast is easy to root for as well.  ALVP is a quick, easy read that leaves you wanting more.  I highly recommend this offering from Grahame-Smith.

-Brian

It’s as American as apple pie – a tall, frosty glass of lemonade on a hot day.  Soothing tart freshness on a sizzling afternoon.  We don’t get that many extreme temperature days in Bluefield (though this year could qualify as an exception!)  We’re called nature’s air-conditioned city for a reason.  90 degree temperatures bring out the Lemonade Lassies handing out cooling glasses of that citrus drink. 

 So, enjoy the tradition and also enjoy a new novel by Aimee Bender, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.  The book begins when 9-year old Rose bites into her  lemon-chocolate cake and experiences her mother’s emotions.  She soon realizes that this magical ability is a curse.  She feels the pain, loneliness, and despair of the people who prepare each food she eats. 

Rose was already a bit “different” .  Her family is made up of a  father who spends all his time working, a high-strung lonely mother, and a genius brother who has no friends.  Her new ability and it’s affect on her life causes even more problems.

I really like Rose and her strange family.  Aimee Bender has written a lovely book with mystery and magic.