Uma recommends "Between Two Kingdoms"

Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad is a profound chronicle of survivorship explored in a fierce, tender, and inspiring way of what it means to begin again. It is an awesome, graceful and tear-jerking book that delivers a clear view into the kingdom of illness.  We plan many things in life and sometimes it doesn't go as planned. In this book Jaoud portrays her personal story of life and death and how she handled the situation with courage.

I recommend this book as a good memoir of a life interrupted.

ADULT

 

 

 

 

Natalie recommends "The Daevabad Trilogy"

I am someone who will always look for a good fantasy book or series to try.  Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmirilion, Game of Thrones, and the Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs to name a few.  I picked up The City of Brass because it sounded like a good story.  

Nahri's life is thrown into a world of magic, conflict, and a world of myths after she unintentionally summons Dara, a Djinn (or Daeva as he prefers to be called).  From there, she is pulled from her life in Cairo and brought to Daevabad, a place plagued by division.  Along the way she finds out that she is a Nahid, a magical healer, and a Shafit, someone who is half human and half Djinn.  She finds herself making through her life in Daevabad after she is forced into an arranged marriage with the king's eldest.  All the while, Dara finds himself on the side of his people, who wish to overthrow the king and hopefully save Nahri.  And then there's Prince Ali, who finds himself in a new situation after he is exiled.

The Daevabad Trilogy mixes Middle Eastern Myth, action, love, and a pinch of historical fiction and is recommended for anyone looking for a good fantasy series.

Adult/Fantasy

Alicia recommends "The Handmade Charlotte"

Written by Rachel Faucett, The Handmade Charlotte Playbook: Crafts, Games, and Recipes for Families to Do Together Throughout the Year is exactly what the title implies with over 100 activities.  This book is for families with children under 12, grandparents and parents looking for activities and creative outlets for the kids. The book is arranged alphabetical but also includes several indices including projects, seasonal, holiday and recipe types.  Filled with color photos and step-by-step directions, even those who are not very crafty can create a fun, wholesome project with their kids.  Try the Hot Potato Game, the tasty cucumber cakes, or get adventurous and make a unicorn puppet.  Recommended for all ages.

Martin recommends "Charlie Brown's America"

If you think the classic comic strip featuring Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, Charlie Brown and the rest of the gang was just for children, this book will prove very enlightening.  In Charlie Brown's America: The Popular Politics of Peanuts, history professor Blake Scott Ball details how comics legend Charles Schulz tackled topics of gender, religion, racism, the Vietnam War and the environment all within the confines of his daily four-panel strip.

Recommended for those who like to dig deeper into their pop culture and those who grew up with the Peanuts strip which ran for over six decades in newspapers in America and around the world.

Adult / Nonfiction

Natalie recommends "Trejo: my life of crime, redemption, and Hollywood"

Going into this, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I am familiar with Danny Trejo and some of his roles, but I never knew a whole lot about his personal life. This story is a real one, filled with tragedy, addiction and the road to recovery. He didn't hold back punches with what he went through or where his mind was at growing up.

Though a bit of a quicker read for me, it was a great read and brutally honest. I'm glad that I was able to give this book a read and would recommend it for anyone looking for a good memoir/autobiography. 

ADULT

Uma Recommends "The Power of Positive Thinking"

The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale

The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale teaches the importance of believing in oneself and having the right attitude in life. Peale emphasizes the fact that success lies in the mind and that breaking the habit of worrying can help you take control of your life. Through faith and positive thinking, your life can be happy. This is a great book to help change our outlook on life.

ADULT

 

 

Natalie recommends "The Missing Sister"

The seventh book in Lucinda Riley's Seven Sisters sees the six sisters trying to find out what happened to the seventh sister the Pa Salt never got to find.  With a picture of an emerald ring and an idea of who they're looking for, it's a game of cat and mouse as each sister tries to locate and contact the (adoptive) mother of Mary Kate, the young woman who was supposed to be the seventh sister.  They along with Mary Kate are looking for answers that brings them to New Zealand, Canada, England, and Ireland.  

And much like the previous books in the series, we get to see the life of a character from the past.  This time Nuala, a young woman from West Cork, Ireland during the 1920's, where tensions between the Irish and the British are at a high.  Nuala meets Philip, a young man who's father has ties to the British side of the conflict and had been through the traumas of war.  She is tasked to get whatever information she can while assisting him (she has medical training and he physical trauma including an amputated leg).  Along the way, a friendship between the two sparks, but end in tragedy.  As well as tensions during Ireland's fight for independence during this timeframe.  I enjoyed this section as I am a sap for a good Irish/Ireland based stories, and this section definitely explores an interesting time period in Irish history.

It also explores Merry's past a bit.  And while I may have mixed feelings about Merry in the present (of the story), more so towards the beginning, it was interesting to see what her life was like before then.  It helped explain why she was so evasive and how she connected to the six sisters.  It also helped explain the relationships she had with Nuala, her mentor Ambrose, and Pa Salt.  

This was a good addition to the Seven Sisters series, and it's definitely worth a read.

And while I thought this would be the final book in the series, there does appear to be a planned eighth about Pa Salt coming out in 2022.  However, it is also worth noting that Lucinda Riley sadly passed away June 11th of this year after battling cancer for a few years.  So depending on how far she may have been before her passing may determine when/if this eighth, and probably last, installment will get released.​  

Adult/Fiction/Historical Fiction