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Your parents never leave you. You can shut them out of your life, but they'll haunt you and maybe haunt your marriage and then you'll discover that you ARE them.
So it happens for Jack Griffin, the protagonist in "That Old Cape Magic." He is on the way to Cape Cod to dispose of his father's ashes and then attend a wedding in which his daughter is maid of honor.
As the weekend unfolds, we flash back to Griffin's childhood, his college professor parents and their summers on Cape Cod. He seems to have no fondness for his parents, but he can't let them go.

Scott Mingus' new book, "The Louisiana Tigers.'

More than a dozen books have been written on York County in the Civil War in the past 10 years.

Add another one: Scott Mingus' newest work "The Lousiana Tigers in the Gettysburg campaign."

For a mini-review of the book, visit: York County's Widow Zinn to Confederate Gen. Jubal Early in new Louisiana Tigers' book: 'Are you goin' to destroy us?'

Columbia Malleable Casting Corporation workers at Second and Linden streets in Columbia are shown on the cover of the new book 'Columbia, Marietta and Wrightsville.' Molds they will use to produce iron castings are in the foreground of this Columbia Historic Preservation Society photo.

Arcadia Publishing has released a new photo book 'Columbia, Marietta and Wrightsville' whose name describes its contents.

For a mini-review about Frederic H. Abendschein's book on those river towns, click here.

I applaud the One Book, One Community selection committee for choosing "People of the Book" for this year's community read.

Geraldine Brook's historical novel tells the 500-year history of a Haggadah, or illustrated Jewish prayer book, and how Jews, Christians and Muslims repeatedly saved it from destruction, often at great personal risk.

Brooks is a masterful writer who won a Pulitzer Prize for "March," a novel about the absent father in "Little Women." Her other book, "Year of Wonders," is about a small English town visited by bubonic plague in the 17th century. I recommend them all.

So be sure to drop by the library or book store soon to pick up your copy. Then go to www.yorklibraries.org for a list of One Book, One Community activities.

Daily Record/Sunday News librarian Joan McInnis reviews "Still Alice" by Lisa Genova:

Alice Howland was at the top of her game. At 50 she had achieved her life's goals -- tenure as a professor of cognitive psychology at Harvard and much sought after as a lecturer. She was married
to a fellow Harvard professor and renowned researcher, and she had managed to
juggle her demanding work schedule with her roles as a loving wife and mother.

Her grown children were pursuing good careers, and her married daughter was hoping to make her a grandmother. Life was good until the day she suddenly experienced
confusion while on her daily run and had difficulty finding her way back home. Other
troubling memory lapses occurred, forcing her to seek a medical explanation. After intensive testing her doctor informed her that she was suffering from early onset Alzheimer's.

Philip K. Eberly's "Susquehanna Radio, The First 50 Years" is not a new book.

But it's a moment to recommend this 1992 publication, considering the recent death of Mr. Eberly, a pioneering regional radio exec.

The learn more about the book, its author and where to get a copy, click here.

Here are two reviews from reader Nancy Duncan:

I just read two books featuring lace, but they aren't how-to books.

The first one is "The Lace Makers of Glenmara" by Heather Barbieri.

After her mother's death and a failed romance, 26-year old Kate Robinson travels to her ancestral homeland of Ireland hoping to reinvent herself. After backpacking through the country she arrives on the west coast, in the seaside town of Glenmara.

I love the way Jhumpa Lahiri writes, and I love that I can get insight into the immigrant experience when I read her wonderful stories.

In "Unaccustomed Earth," she presents eight stories of Indian families, all of them different. But, of course, the people are just like any other people and the families have the same joys and problems.

The best book I read all summer was:
"Summer: A Spiritual Biography of the Season," edited by Gary Schmidt and Susan M. Felch Skylight Paths Publishing -- It's a collection of writings, short essays that capture the feel of the season. Some of the contributors include Ray Bradbury, Anne Lamott, Madeleine L'Engle, Carl Sandburg and many others. A good book to find a shady spot with a cool breeze and reflect. (P.S. Autumn, Winter and Spring are out by the same editors, all excellent books). -- Kathy Brunner, York
"Boomsday," by Christopher Buckley -- Free botox if you agree to suicide at 70! Meant to be satirical but have any of us actually read the health care reform bill? -- Sonia Huntzinger, York

What is the best book you've read this summer?
Tell us, and we'll put it on the books page of the York Sunday News and right here on Book Buzz.
Adults and children are welcome. Write the title and author of your favorite book and tell us in 20 words or less why you liked it. Include your name, phone number and the township or town you live in. Send to gfogal@ydr.com or tcook@ydr.com. Deadline is Sept. 7.

Susan Orlean's "The Orchid Thief" is the journalist's tale about a man who was convicted of poaching orchids from state lands in Florida -- and about how certain people are driven by their passions. It was loosely adapted to film in Charlie Kauffman-penned and Spike Jonze-directed "Adaptation."

The main narrative of the story follows John Laroche, the man who, along with two Seminoles, went into the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve to find and remove rare orchids. His plan was to breed them -- make them widely available, "save" them from other people needing to attempt to remove them, and make a lot of money doing it.

Patrick Radden Keefe will speak and sign copies of his new book, "The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream," from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the York County Heritage Trust Historical Society Museum, 250 E. Market St.

Below, Byron Borger, owner of Hearts & Minds bookstore in Dallastown, writes about the book and his own experiences:

I can remember the conversation like it was yesterday. I recall planning the subsequent protest/prayer vigil at York County Prison, the guns aimed at us there on Concord Road, the impromptu press conference. I recall the natural leadership of my dear friend and local United Methodist pastor, Joan Maruskin as she stepped -- pushed by the Spirit, she might say -- into the local and national limelight.

I will never forget the gladness in the moment we met the savvy and passionate -- -ticked off with righteous indignation, he might say --- small town lawyer, Craig Trebilcock. It was obvious that he was willing and able to speak to prison officials and TV reporters and the array of religious human rights advocates gathered at the prison.

It was early August 1993. It was one of the most important days in my life as it started an involvement with the local support group, People of the Golden Vision, gathered to demand fair asylum hearings for dozens of Chinese immigrants detained by the INS, sent oddly to our central Pennsylvania prison.

When "The Snakehead" author Patrick Keefe writes of that day, halfway through his sprawling epic of organized crime in Chinatown, climaxing in the study of human smuggling, including the Golden Venture detainees, my hands shook.

A review of "The Third Angel" by our staff librarian, Joan McInnis.

What a magical spell Alice Hoffman has created in "The Third Angel."

The reader, is quickly caught up in the lives of two sisters reuniting for the London marriage of the older, Allie. The hotel setting, once the residence of their mother during a London visit years before, foretells happenings that are out of the ordinary.

When it comes to ancient warfare, Steven Pressfield really knows his stuff.

I previously reviewed the Thermopylae-inspired "Gates of Fire," and I just finished his novel "The Afghan Campaign," which again proves the writer's ability to mix a contemporary fiction narrative with faithfully historical subject matter.

The book is a soldier's account of Alexander the Great's attempt to conquer the area that is now known as Afghanistan.

The Macedonian king had already taken command of all of Greece, moved through the Greek and Persian settlements in eastern Turkey and subdued most of the Persian empire.

But the harsh desert and mountain climates of Afghanistan still remained, the portal to his next wish of dominating India.

This Sunday (July 26), PCN (Comcast channel 21) will air programming featuring the late Pulitzer Prize-winning author Frank McCourt, who passed away on July 19 at the age of 78.

At 3 p.m., the network will re-air the "PCN Profiles" program in which McCourt spoke candidly about his life, achievements and inspirations. McCourt's speech during the Speakers' Millennium Lecture from 2008 will air on PCN at 4 p.m. Replays of the "PCN Profiles" featuring McCourt have also been scheduled to air at 10 p.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. Monday.

A son of Irish immigrant parents and native of Brooklyn, McCourt gained international acclaim after being awarded both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award for his memoir, "Angela's Ashes."

Scott Butcher's 'Gettysburg Perspectives.'

Prolific York author/photographer has written what one reviewer says is "one of the best, if not the best, photographic anthologies of Gettysburg."

And he has other books on the way.

For details, click here.

Jim Hubley's 'Off the Record.'

The York County Heritage Trust has received copies of longtime York Daily Record/Sunday News columnist Jim Hubley's "Off the Record."

The book, a collection of the late columnist's work, was previously believed to be out of print.

For more details and information about purchasing the book, click here.

A review from reader Nancy Duncan:

Filled with strong, believable characters, with a setting rich in history, "The Help" by Katherine Stockett is the best book to be published this year. I couldn't put it down.

Set in Jackson, Misssissippi, during the early 1960s when the civil rights movement is getting started, "The Help" is the story of black domestic workers in white households. Doesn't sound like much, right?

Well, the characters of Skeeter, the white woman who longs to escape Jackson, and Abileen and Minny, the "colored" women who tell Skeeter their stories, are so full of life that you want to know how this book will end. How will these women, and the other women who come to Skeeter with their tales, survive in this small town, where everyone knows each other's business, whether they are black or white? The telling of these stories must remain a secret, if word got out that the domestics were commenting on their white employers, the women, and their families, wouldn't be safe from retribution.

The times were changing and social and racial barriers were being broken down. Although change was slow to come in Jackson, humanity and respect rose to the top.

An excellent debut novel.

A review from reader Nancy Duncan:

Alice Lindgren is from a small town in Wisconsin where she lives with her parents and grandmother in the 1950s. She has no illusions of grandeur, she believes her life will follow the path of her parents, but a series of events in her teenage years leads her in an unexpected direction.

Loosely based on a biography of Laura Bush, the author attempts to understand why a quiet, bookish librarian would marry such a man as George Bush, or as he is called in the book, Charlie Blackwell.

The book is divided up by the houses Alice lived in. First her parents' house in Riley, Wisconsin; the apartment she lived in as a single, working woman; the governor's mansion in Wisconsin and finally the White House.

The last part of the book is the most introspective. At this point Alice is looking back and wondering what if, what if those events as a teenager hadn't happened, would her life have been so different? What lead her to this point, where she is struggling with the decisions her husband has made as president -- and is she complicit with them in her silence?

Until Laura Bush writes her own biography and gives us insight into the why and how of her decisions, we can read "American Wife" and think we know the answers.

Long-time York County lawyer Jeffrey C. Bortner has penned a lively look at York County's legal community.

And it provides useful information for serious inquirers about the local bar in the past 50 years.

For details about his work, available via York County libraries, click here.

From the Associated Press:

NEW YORK -- The setting was divine -- a duplex on the Upper East Side. The featured speaker, Nobel laureate Toni Morrison.

The subjects: sex, violence and profanity.

In other words, the stuff that books are banned for.

Some people just seem to string words together better than most of us. Rick Bragg is one of those people.
This beautifully written book tells the story of Bragg's father, a poor hillbilly of Alabama, who was an alcoholic and scofflaw, the "prince" of his milltown, Frogtown.

Dean Koontz's latest suspense novel, "Relentless," hits bookstore shelves June 9.

Let us know what you think, good or bad.

Send a short review to gfogal@ydr.com.

The first reviewer receives ... well, you get to see your review right here. Isn't that enough?

A review from reader Nancy Duncan:

The middle place is not a great place to be

I'm referring to the book "The Middle Place" by Kelly Corrigan. She describes this as the time in life where you are an adult with a spouse and children, but you are still a child of your own parents.

David Kushner's "Levittown."

David Kushner tells the story of York, Pa.'s Bill and Daisy Myers and the discrimination they faced after moving into a new house in Bucks County's Levittown in 1957.

Kushner's 2009 work draws from - and expands upon by bringing in many other sources -Daisy Myers' 2005 memoir "Sticks 'n Stones."

For more, click on the post: New book 'Levittown' tells about the Myers family's quest to live the American dream - in York, Pa., too.

A review from reader Nancy Duncan:

One of my favorite books is "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. When I heard about the new edition of the book, where zombies had been added to this tale of manners, I was a little leery about how the classic would fare.

I need not have worried.

A review from reader Nancy Duncan:

"Still Alice" by Lisa Genova is a well written, fictionalized account of a woman facing early onset Alzheimer's.

John D. Fair's work covers the storied growth of York Barbell.

Steroids use is back in the news with allegations that superstar Alex Rodriguez used the illegal drug as a member of the New York Yankees.

In "Muscletown U.S.A.," John D. Fair comprehensively covers Bob Hoffman and his company, York Barbell, and all they meant in the world of bodybuilding and weightlifting. He also writes about the York and York Barbell connection to early steroid use in sports. The Rodriguez controversy comes on the 10th anniversary of the publication of Fair's Penn State Press book.

For details about Fair's work and a York Daily Record/Sunday News story on the local steroids story, click here.

Sarah Byrn Rickman's book "The Originals" covers York native Aline Rhonie and other pilots of the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron in World War II.

The book has been around a few years but contains interesting material on female pilots who played an important role in World War II.

Aline Rhonie was one of the pilots. For more on this Renaissance woman, click here.

From reader Nancy Duncan:

In preparation for the July release of the next Harry Potter movie, I decided to re-read "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." It was a good thing I did.

This is a must-have for the Beatles fan, edited by June Skinner Sawyers; Penguin books paperback.

Think of this book as an MP3 version of the Beatles story. It's made up of bits and pieces, lots of them, from interviews the Beatles gave, to excerpts of their biographies and reviews of their music. A few writers even touch on WHAT IT ALL MEANS. In short, there is something for everyone.

Joan McInnis, York Daily Record/Sunday News librarian, reviews "A Fine Balance":

I didn't know a thing about the Indian movie "Slumdog Millionaire" before I went to see it, except that it was built around the concept of the TV show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire."

I expected a comedy -- talk about wrong expectations. And when I picked up a novel about India, "A Fine Balance" by Rohinton Mistry, I thought I might find some similarities to my revised impression of the movie. This time I was right on. And even more so.

Nancy Duncan, children's librarian at Red Land Community Library, reviews "People of the Book":

In 1996, after the bombing of Sarajevo, rare book expert Hanna Heath is asked to examine an ancient Jewish prayer book. During her examination, she removes several objects from the book. It is through the study of these objects that Hanna is able to trace the history of the book back to 15 BC Spain.

Nancy Duncan, children's librarian at Red Land Community Library, reviews "The Day the World Came to Town":

When U.S. air space was closed immediately after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, 38 commercial airliners, carrying more than 6,000 passengers, were forced to land in Gander, Newfoundland, a town with a population of 10,000.

A review of "The Art of Racing in the Rain" from Nancy Duncan, children's librarian at Red Land Community Library:

Ever wonder what your dog is thinking? This book will answer that question.

Nancy Duncan, children's librarian at Red Land Community Library, reviews "To Dance With the White Dog."

A short book about life, love and endings. Sam Peek is an old man whose wife of many years, Cora, has just passed away. Sam is lonely. He has children close by, and an elderly housekeeper who comes to his house more to visit than clean, but there is an emptiness to Sam's life.

In April, survivors from Darfur and five previous genocides will join anti-genocide advocates and people of conscience around the world to observe Genocide Prevention Month.

As part of Genocide Prevention Month, organizers have partnered with the American Booksellers Association to provide a list of "Books of Conscience" for suggested reading. The titles selected are based on book-seller recommendations, critical acclaim and sales.

Some of the titles include:

"A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide" by Samantha Power
"Night" by Elie Wiesel
"The Translator: A Memoir" bBy Daoud Hari
"Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond" by Don Cheadle and John Prendergast
"Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda" by Romeo Dallaire

Click here for the full list.

Review by Robert Cook

Okay, I'll admit the Kindle 2 is not for everyone. In fact, it's not for every book I want to read, but the 2 makes me believe that the electronic reader is here to stay.

What I Like About the Kindle 2:

Joan McInnis, librarian for the Daily Record/Sunday News, reviews "Cherie Blair: Speaking for Myself":

From a girlhood in working class Liverpool to wife of Prime Minister Tony Blair at No. 10 Downing Street, Cherie Booth Blair tells her remarkable story.

A review from reader Loretta Martin:

Being an avid fan of what to expect after death, I read a lot of what people have to say when they've supposedly returned from heaven and/or hell. Usually I opt for the so-called "true experiences," but when the fictional "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" was recommended to me, I decided to give the fictional version a chance.

Here is a review from reader Nancy Duncan:

Just like "Rebecca."

I mean that in the best sense. In "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield, we get a classic gothic novel, full of ghosts, haunted mansions and dark secrets. Setterfield has taken lessons from DuMaurier and the Bronte sisters.

"The Natural" is a 1952 novel by Bernard Malamud that was turned into a movie starring Robert Redford.

I've never seen the movie, but recently read the book, which was a quick, interesting read.

It's the story of Roy Hobbs, a baseball player whose promising chance for a major league career is abruptly halted when he's wounded by a serial killer who stalks pro athletes.

However, about 15 years later, Hobbs finally gets his chance as the newest member of the fictional New York Knights baseball team. His time with the club is rocky from the start, as the team has been on a long losing streak and morale is low.

Scott Mingus' book "Flames Beyond Gettysburg" is another link in a long chain of Civil War publications dating back to 2000.

That is, books linking York County and the Civil War.

Before 2000, well, the pickings were sparse.

For a working list, see: Stack of books on York County's Civil War past getting higher.

The Horn Farm Center for Agricultural Education and Kreutz Creek Library will sponsor a discussion of "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver at 7 p.m. March 2 at the Kreutz Creek Presbyterian Church social hall, 85 Old Church Lane, west of Hallam.

Participants will taste and discuss food made from recipes in the book.

A review from reader Nancy Duncan:

When I finished "The Reader," I wasn't that impressed with it. Then I went to Book Club.

As a Beatles fan, I open every book about the group or its members with anticipation. So it was with John Lennon The Life. I was not disappointed.

Steve McKee's "My Father's Heart" - a poignant story of growing up in York - is due out soon in paperback.

The York Catholic grad's site, www.steve-mckee.com, gives this summary of the book:

"An extraordinary story of an all-too-ordinary scenario: A father dies, a son remains, and the loss casts a long shadow across a generation. Rich in evocative detail of time, place, and family, it is a powerful memoir of love, forgiveness, and finding oneself."

And for those wanting a taste of its contents, click here.

Under my little brother's direction, I read "Generation Kill," a 2004 book written by Rolling Stone reporter Evan Wright, about the 1st Recon Marines who were at the tip of the spear in the 2003 Iraq invasion.

Cormac McCarthy's "No Country for Old Men" is a great read with themes that are at once ancient and timely.

The story, set in 1980 in Texas near the Mexican border, is about a law-abiding citizen named Llewelyn Moss who comes upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone bad and shootout. Moss finds a case full of money and, in a decision that would set his fate in motion, takes it.

Meanwhile, a sociopath named Anton Chigurh has broken out of a holding cell, killing a deputy. Chigurh begins his trek to recover the money, and no one will stand in his way.

York's Visiting Nurse Association just celebrated its 100th anniversary.

And the organization, now VNA Home Health, under Wellspan's umbrella has put forth a booklet recounting its many accomplishments.

Among other things, VNA provided employment and volunteer opportunities for women throughout much of the 20th century. For details, see First York visiting nurse made rounds on bicycle.

The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken, a Search for Food and Family by Laura Schenone.

Laura Schenone was a woman on a mission. She wanted to make the family's traditional ravioli, the one served at Christmas. But even after finding the family recipe, she wasn't satisfied.

Baron von Steuben's drilling of Continental Army soldiers prepared George Washington's army during the dark days of the American Revolution in Valley Forge.

But no authoritative biography has been written on Steuben since 1937. Until recently.

Paul Lockhart's "The Drillmaster of Valley Forge" is a fresh look at the Prussian military man and offer glimpses into the York County scene, where the Continental Congress was then meeting.

For more on Lockhart's work on Steuben, see York Town Square post: York-commissioned Baron von Steuben credited with shaping up Continental Army.

It's wonderful to receive books, but sometimes a gift is all about the presentation.
Christmas morning our oldest son, Mike, gave my husband and me a slim volume of poetry by Billy Collins. Then he proceeded to read one of the poems, "The Lanyard," about the love between mother and child. By the end we were laughing and crying and my husband was rushing for the box of tissues. That reading was the true gift.
Not to be outdone, our youngest son, Peter, opened his backpack and explained that he hadn't wrapped our gift, another book. But he didn't think that the cover was good enough and so, late on Christmas Eve, he rummaged through the old toy closet, found some ancient, but still usable tempera paints, and fashioned his own cover for "The Color Purple." He eloquently explained all of this, then brought out a book with a simple, beautiful cover.
I'm sure I'll enjoy both books. But the giving is what I'll remember.

A review from reader Beth Vrabel:

Take Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" and mix with the Olympics. Blend in all that's evil about reality televison, add a dash of "Romeo & Juliet," and you'll end up with something not nearly as irrestible as "The Hunger Games."

This book, despite being geared toward Young Adults (of whom, sadly, I am not), was so compelling and original that I flipped back to the beginning to read again as soon as completing the last page.

A review from one of our readers, Loretta Martin:

Walking past the book section of Wal-Mart the other day, I noticed a book with a title that caught my eye: "23 Minutes in Hell" by Bill Wiese.

Being a big believer in heaven, and having reading some pretty compelling testimonials of some people who have "visited" there, I immediately grabbed it so I could read about people who have "visited" the other side.

I'm talking about the Internet. People who have grown up with the Internet, as opposed to people like me who had to "learn" it, are much more likely to turn to the web in all things.

This was illustrated to me in "Harry, A History," by Melissa Agnelli. The Harry in the title refers to Harry Potter. Melissa Agnelli became the editor of the Leaky Cauldron, the most popular and well-respected fan site for all things Harry Potter.

Jen Hetzer of New Freedom reads Clement Moore's classic poem, 'The Night Before Christmas,' to her 2-year-old son Andrew at the Paul Smith Library of Southern York County.

Deborah Sullivan
York County Library System community relations director

We brought my son, Michael, home from the hospital on Christmas Day in a huge red stocking with furry white trim. Each year, we would root that stocking out, he would climb in, and we would take his picture -- always amazed at how much he had grown.

Around pre-school age, we started sprinkling "reindeer food" on the lawn to help guide Santa's sleigh to our house, and of course we set out a plate of cookies for our jolly visitor to eat!

Snuggling up to read Christmas tales, singing carols and driving around to see lights have all weaved their way in and out of our celebrations over the years, creating what I hope will become cherished memories.

If you or someone on your holiday gift list is an avid traveler -- or wishes they were -- head on over to the Explorer's Backpack blog to check out this list of recommended reading.

Artist Bradley Schmehl's painting of the burning Wrightsville Bridge in 1863 serves as the focal point of the cover of Scott Mingus' forthcoming Civil War book.

Scott Mingus' detailed study of the Confederate occupation of York County, 'Flames beyond Gettysburg, in late June 1863 is moving along the printing trail.

Another forthcoming Mingus work follows one of the brigades that visited York County. "A Spirit of Daring: The Louisiana Tigers in the Gettysburg Campaign" will come from the LSU Press.

Gloria Fogal is the Daily Record/Sunday News books page editor. Nancy Duncan is a Daily Record/Sunday News staff librarian and the children's librarian at Red Land Community Library.

Nancy: What do readers really want for Christmas? More books! So, Gloria and I came up with our top five books of all time. Believe me, it wasn't easy limiting myself to just five titles.

Here are my favorites, in no particular order.

"Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett

The building of a 12th-century cathedral and all it entails. A huge, spellbinding book with ambition, sex and the struggle for power -- all that you want in a novel that will last a long time. A wonderful choice for a long, cold winter.

Here is a review of J.K. Rowling's "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" by Deepti Hajela of The Associated Press:

"The Tales of Beedle the Bard" (Children's High Level Group, $12.99, 111 pages), by J.K. Rowling: Just in time for the holidays, J.K. Rowling has given Harry Potter fans a little gift.

As you prepare to buy books for gifts or just shop for something new for yourself, perhaps you'd like to consider what the New York Times book reviewers liked best of the hundreds of books they've seen this year. Here's a link to their picks http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/28/books/28bmaslw.html?_r=1&ref=books

One of my former college roommates is obsessed with something called Book Crossing.

You might have heard of it. Maybe from the stamp inside a paperback in your dentist's waiting room, the stickers on stacks of free books in a local coffee shop.

Here's how it works:

For the first part of my life I was a cat person. I enjoyed their independence and their superior attitude to all.

Then, five years ago my daughter brought home a puppy. It was the classic "isn't he cute, can we keep him" scenario. Well, I was hooked. I still love cats, but there is something about a dog's unabashed joy in life that gives them an edge in my estimation.

Gloria Fogal, books page editor, and Nancy Duncan, children's librarian, discuss Neil Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book."


Gloria: After watching a video of author Neil Gaiman reading the first chapter of his new children's novel, "The Graveyard Book," I knew I had to find out what happened to Nobody Owens, the boy raised in a graveyard by ghosts after his parents and sister are murdered. I was familiar with Gaiman, having read his decidedly weird yet engaging "Coraline."

Nancy: I knew nothing about Gaiman except that he was one of the "cool" authors of graphic novels, so I had no expectations when I began reading "The Graveyard Book." Maybe I should have done some research on the book first. It is catalogued at the library as JFiction-geared for children in elementary grades through middle school. It would take a special child to read and understand this book.

In September of 1939, Nazi bombers attacked Warsaw. One of the casualties was the Warsaw Zoo.

I've been a fan of English mystery writer Ruth Rendell since devouring one of her books lent to me by a friend years ago, "A Demon in My View." It is one of Rendell's excellent psychological thrillers. She also writes more conventional mysteries starring Inspector Wexford.

That was an unexpected find in Laura Lippman's "What the Dead Know."

After I read the first chapter of Hannah Tinti's "The Good Thief" on her Web site, I immediately went to amazon.com and ordered a copy.

"The Good Thief" reads like a Dickens novel, but with fewer characters (something I really appreciate at my age).

I am dead tired today (please don't tell my boss) because I stayed up past midnight reading "Breaking Dawn," the fourth book in the "Twilight" series.

I just don't get it. I don't understand why these books are so popular. There was a little bit of action in each book, but way too much conversation and way too little character development. By the fourth book, I really didn't care who lived and who died. I just wanted it to be over!

Here are some books in the science fiction/fantasy genre that I heartily recommend instead of "Twilight":

"The Giver" by Lois Lowry
"The Traveler" by John Twelve Hawks
"Interview With the Vampire" by Anne Rice
"The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger
"His Dark Materials" triology by Philip Pullman
"A Canticle for Leibowitz" by Walter M. Miller Jr.

Here are two book reviews from one of our readers, Marti Ronemus:

The two books I read this week couldn't have been more different. Let's start with everyone's current favorite, "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society," by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. It is set in 1947, immediately after the War, and in London and the channel island of Guernsey.

Oprah Winfrey has chosen David Wroblewski's "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" as her latest book club pick.

I went to Borders the other day with a 25 percent off coupon clutched in my hand. (Borders Rewards sent me the coupon for my birthday. Aren't they sweet?)

I knew just what I wanted to get -- "The Zookeeper's Wife." It's about a Polish zookeeper and his wife who hid several hundred Jews from the Nazis during World War II. It got very good reviews.

Truth and Beauty by Ann Patchett

This book left me in wonder. I had to wonder at the depth and strength of Ann Patchett's friendship with Lucy Grealy, a fellow writer, but more than that I had to wonder that Lucy didn't give up sooner.

They are both writers. They meet in grad school. Oh, and Lucy is missing a big chunk of her face.

I recently spent a vacation week plowing through the first three books in Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series.

I found the books overwritten and overwrought for the most part. Way too much dialogue for me and I didn't find any of the characters all that compelling.

Still, there was enough action to propel me on to the fourth book.

I've heard so much good stuff about this series. Is there anyone out there who feels the way I do about Bella, Edward and Jacob ... sorta lukewarm?

I was the blogger who was going to read all the Harry Potter books this summer. Well, here it is Labor Day, the official end of summer, and I have a confession to make. I only re-read the first one! What a disappointment. I have no excuse except that other books got in my way-specifically books by Stephenie Meyers.

I expanded my garden this year. I planted six tomato plants instead of two.

And after doing battle with a relentless groundhog and a legion of green hornworms, I managed a very nice harvest. (OK, I'm not ready to open a roadside stand, but there have been more than a few BLTs.)

Anyone who has ever tried to grow their own vegetables will get a chuckle from William Alexander's "The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden." (This book would make great winter reading. You know, right before the seed catalogs arrive.)

By BETH VRABEL
For the Daily Record/Sunday News

Area libraries are challenging readers to trade the muggy, late-summer days of central Pennsylvania for the bitter cold of winter in the Adirondacks as part of the annual One Book, One Community program.

This year's book selection, announced Wednesday afternoon at Pequea Valley Public Library in Intercourse, Lancaster County, is "The Grace That Keeps This World" by Tom Bailey.

Scott Butcher's "York's Historic Architecture" contains more than just pretty pictures about York County's intriguing buildings.

It puts forth all kinds of interesting factoids in the captions of its many photos.

For example, did you know that The Hermit House near Pleasant Acres in East York is so named because reclusive Curvin Houser subsisted there for years. He lived without modern amenities until well into the 20th century. The house 18th-century house is a private home today - with running water, plumbing and heat.

For more such tidbits from Butcher's book, see: Did you know? New photo book on York County's architecture gives fun facts, too.

I just finished reading Richard Engel's "War Journal."

Engel, who has been reporting from Iraq since the beginning of the war, pulls no punches in this graphic account of war from the frontline.

I think every American owes it to himself to become as informed as possible about Iraq and what America is trying to do there. Engel's book is a good place to start.

To read a review by one of my co-workers, click here.

Can anyone recommend any other good books about Iraq?

When you go as far back as 1200 B.C., it becomes difficult to reconcile history from myth.

And it can be especially difficult when you're talking about ancient Greek history because the monumental collapse of the Bronze Age around 1100 B.C. resulted in a period of dark ages until 800 B.C. Much of the writing that existed before the dark ages were lost.

The little that survived can be found in bits and pieces from certain sources -- and the poetry of Homer.

In "The Trojan War: A New History," Cornell professor Barry Strauss attempts to give a history of that great ancient war using not only those few surviving written sources but also using archeological findings and the things we know about the Greeks other regional cultures of that time period. Plus, there are the texts written after the dark ages period that refer to the mythology (for example, Herodotus, Thucydides and Virgil).

This review is by staffer Teresa Cook:

My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D.

Jill Bolte Taylor was a brain scientist, when, at the age of 37, she suffered a massive stroke. But as part of her brain shut down, the other part allowed her to feel a deep inner peace.

I fell in love with Markus Zusak's "The Book Thief." The minute I finished it, I started reading it again. It has bumped "Charms for The Easy Life" by Kaye Gibbons to No. 2 on my all-time favorite books list.

By BETH VRABEL
For the York Sunday News

What do a literature professor, a bookstore owner and a former librarian have in common? In addition to knowing a thing or two about books, they are often asked for recommendations from other readers.

Here are some favorite titles, recommended by those who've made a career out of knowing what constitutes good reading.

Our readers are: Colbey Emmerson Reid, York College assistant professor of modern
literature; Irene Ritson, owner of Recycled Reader Used Bookstore in York; and Suzy Hershey, former Village Library librarian and member of two local book clubs.

From short stories to fill up a free afternoon to fine literature to come back to again and again, here are some titles to add to your collection, and a few gift ideas for other readers in your life. Their picks:

One author I highly recommend checking out is Colson Whitehead.

Whitehead's style is often in the same vein as postmodernists Thomas Pynchon and Don DeLillo.

The three books of his I've read are "The Intuitionist," "John Henry Days" and "The Colossus of New York."

If you're planning to travel at all this summer, you may want to check out these books to help get you through the journey.

For more travel tidbits, tips and tales, visit Explorer's Backpack.

As part of my campaign to visit every York Library, I checked out the books on tape section at the attractive and easily accessible Red Land Community Library.

See see what I found there and to see a little library history to boot, visit York County libraries offer serendipity - and have done so for decades at York Town Square blog.

Voni Grimes recounts his long life in his autobiography "Bridging Troubled Waters."

Voni B. Grimes, respected community leader, has labored for months to write about his long life.

The result is a 90-page book with more than 20 photos of a life well lived.

For details, see: New book gives insight into community leader Voni B. Grimes at York Town Square blog.

Windsor's centennial book is a snapshot - well, hundreds of them - of small-town life in York County.

A 300-plus page history book packed with photos can tell much about a town.

This 100th-anniversary book of Windsor borough provides a busy side of a town that seemingly can best be described as sleepy.

For long post on this thick book, view: Windsor: Home of 'stately old houses that may appear to be miniature castles' at York Town Square.

Here is a review of "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by Marti Ronemus of York:

I just finished reading "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" and I have to talk to someone about it. I can't think of any superlatives strong enough to recommend it, but if you want a "good read" that is going to pass into our culture and become "literature," this would be it.

You may be familiar with chef Gordon Ramsay from his Fox reality show "Hell's Kitchen."

Or you may have seen him on the BBC America hits "Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares" and "The F Word."

But you really don't know him. Not until you read his book, "Roasting in Hell's Kitchen: Temper Tantrums, F Words and the Pursuit of Perfection."

Want to read a really scary book?

No, it's not a Stephen King, or a Dean Koontz or a Clive Baker.

It's a Richard Heinberg.

It was the perfect week for a beach book, even though I wasn't anywhere near the ocean. I was in my living room, in fact, when I would much rather have been biking on the rail trail.

But when the temps are in the high 90s with a heat index into the 100s, it's the perfect time to grab a book and stay in the air conditioning.

I couldn't take the peer pressure any more. I succumbed. I gave in to desire.

Daisy Myers' "Sticks 'N Stones," Mary Hamilton's "Rising from the Wilderness," and Carol McCleary Innerst's "York College of Pennsylvania" are three books that merit reading this summer - or any time of year.

For more details, see: Central Pennsylvania histories make smart part of summer reading stack over at sister blog, York Town Square.

"Here’s the Thing" … a perfect beach book!
What happens when an annual gal pal retreat turns into a Bohemian wedding/family reunion free-for-all? Hilarity, if you're reading Laura Rudacille’s debut novel, "Here’s the Thing," available at http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/.

I've been struggling to find time to read. So, when my mom passed "The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town" to me a few weeks ago, I was a little hesitant to accept.

I haven't read much of John Grisham, and I have stacks of other books I'm dying to delve into.
But, she is the woman who read to me night after night well into middle school and planted the reading seed in my soul, so I borrowed it.

Readers would rather curl up with a printed book than go online or read an e-book, a new Random House/Zogby poll finds.

Respected York Daily Record columnist Jim Hubley died Tuesday, but his work lives on for public enjoyment via his 1994 book "Off The Record, York County Life Through a Newsman's Eyes."

The 165-page book, published by the York Daily Record and the York County Heritage Trust, is packed with a sampling of the 1,300 columns he had written through 1994. It's out of print but is available via the York County Library System.

A sampling of his work is also available on the Web via the searchable blog yorktownsquare.com, particularly the post YDR columnist James A. Hubley: 'What I prefer is a simple, Jim.'.

Fred Rosenmiller made the news recently for his donation of scores of valuable bottles, a vintage vehicle and other items to the York County Heritage Trust.

It might not be as well know that he and other bottle collectors wrote the book on bottles, York County bottles: "Bottles & Jugs".

A novel about space invaders and body snatchers isn't typically my cup of tea. But then again, neither is a love story between a 100-year-old vampire and his teenage would-be prey.

And I'm currently reading that book for (I'm a little ashamed here) the third time. I'm talking, of course, about "Twilight," the young adult series that has made stay-at-home mom Stephenie Meyer a best-selling author.

Carol McCleary Innerst has written a book "York College of Pennsylvania" via Arcadia Publishing.

The title of pretty well explains the contents of this $19.95 picture book.

For a mini-reviews, see: New York College book provides insight into school, community on Yorktownsquare.com.

At the papal court, the thumbscrews are applied.

But wait!

The Pulitzer Prizes in literature, announced Monday, went to:
Fiction: “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,” by Junot Diaz (Riverhead Books)
General Nonfiction: “The Years of Extermination: Nazi Germany and the Jews, 1939-1945,” by Saul Friedlander (HarperCollins)

My family's had a bit of a baby boom recently, with our baby boy born a year and half ago, three weeks after my sister gave birth to twins. So now we have three toddlers running about — and getting into trouble.

Not surprisingly, my sister is heading to the bookstore this week to choose a parenting book or two.

Since this is my first blogging attempt, I thought I'd make a list of authors I'd recommend. Most of them are mystery or suspense writers whose books I've read for the mystery discussion group I attend at Borders.

Have you just finished reading a book you couldn't put down, or one that kept putting you to sleep?

We want to hear about it, good or bad.

Send your book review to gfogal@ydr.com and we will post it here.

While my husband watches basketball on television, my nose is in a book.

But now I’ve discovered that we literary types can get hyped with a March Madness of our own.

I've recently read two books related to the Battle of Thermopylae, one fiction, one non-fiction. Thermopylae was the battle in 480 B.C. in which 300 picked Spartans and a few thousand allies held a mountain pass for three days against the Persian army, which numbered in the millions or the hundreds of thousands, depending on whose account you believe.

Steven Pressfield's "Gates of Fire" is a novelization of the battle through the eyes of Xeones, a Spartan helot -- a type of serf, some of whom served the Spartiate warriors in battle.

Jodi Picoult's "My Sister's Keeper" sat on my bookshelf for a few months before I picked it up.
My sister read it first, then lent it to my mother, who gave it to me. The three of us don't always mesh in terms of book tastes, but the concept was intriguing, so I gave it a shot.

The novel's main character, 13-year-old Anna, was conceived to help her older sister Kate, who suffers from leukemia. Just after Anna was born, cells from her umbilical cord were donated to Kate to help her recover. As they grow up, Kate is in and out of hospitals battling her illness, and so is Anna, who donates blood, bone marrow and whatever else her sister needs.

Then, Kate needs a kidney.

“The Yiddish Policemen’s Union” by Michael Chabon.

Here is a review from one of our readers, Pamela Sowers:

I would like to share a book that I read and could not put it down until who done it in the end. The book is "The Blue Zone" by Andrew Gross.

Steve McKee

Steve McKee is a York Catholic grad and an editor for the Wall Street Journal.

His "My Father's Heart, A Son's Story" covers a lot of ground. It's a story about heart disease, the relationship between father and son, the painful aftermath of a loved one's death and a story about growing up in York in the 1960s... .

This masterful saga of life in 12th-century England by Ken Follett is epic storytelling at its best. The author weaves a rich and colorful tapestry of people, places and events surrounding the building of a magnificent cathedral in the medieval town of Kingsbridge.

“Can’t Buy Me Love – The Beatles, Britain, and America” by Jonathan Gould.

Since today is the 44th anniversary of the Beatles arrival in the United States on Feb. 7, 1964, I’m posting a review of a new Beatles book I just read.
When I, a true Beatlemaniac, started reading “Can’t Buy Me Love – The Beatles, Britain, and America” by Jonathan Gould, I was wondering if I’d learn anything new. I’ve read dozens of articles and books about the group, including Bob Spitz’s excellent biography, “The Beatles,” and the Anthology by the Beatles themselves.
But “Can’t Buy Me Love” gave me plenty new to think about.

Have you just finished reading a book you couldn't put down, or one that kept putting you to sleep?

We want to hear about it, good or bad.

Send your book review to gfogal@ydr.com and we will post it here.

Jeanette Winterson’s “Weight” is the smartest, most thought provoking entry in Canongate’s myth series that I’ve read so far (see the other reviews here and here).

Her book is based on the myth of Atlas and Heracles (aka Hercules), in which Heracles temporarily shoulders the weight of the world in place of Atlas so he can obtain three golden apples from Hera’s garden that was kept up by the Hesperides, Atlas’ daughters, and guarded by a 100-headed serpent named Ladon. Getting the apples was part of Heracles’ Twelve Labors.

Deception comes into play as first Atlas offers to deliver the apples himself, hoping to be forever relieved of his burden. Heracles, agreeing, asks that Atlas take the world so he can adjust his cloak. When Atlas does so, Heracles grabs the apples and runs.

Here's a review from one of our readers, Scott Mokris, 15, of West Manchester Township:

I’m an American! That’s what Bill O’Reilly’s new book “Kids Are Americans Too” says.

“Kids Are Americans Too” is an excellent book that tells kids what Constitutional rights they have and do not have. Bill O’Reilly does an amazing job telling kids about their rights and getting them interested in rights and the government.

Click on over to YDR's Explorer's Backpack blog to find out why this book is sucking much of my time lately and making me nearly laugh out loud.

Have you just finished reading a book you couldn't put down, or one that kept putting you to sleep?

We want to hear about it, good or bad.

Send your book review to gfogal@ydr.com and we will post it here.

By MEGAN ERICKSON

First I saw the tufts of hair at the tips of the ears, and then I saw a striped fore´head and finally a pink nose.

“Hey buddy,” I cooed to the stray cat peering at me from under my neighbor’s shed. “Aren’t you pretty?”

Soon his orange sibling appeared and they both perched on the wood railings, blinking at me in the sun. I took a tentative step and in a flash of gray, black, white and orange, they scurried back under the shed.

It turns out that a stray female randomly chose my neighbor’s yard as her den. My neighbor has been putting out food and water, and has tried to catch them to take them to a shelter, but no luck.

I worry about them getting under the wheels of a moving car, or between the teeth of a mean og, but I can’t take them in, as I have two cats myself, and how would I catch them in the first place?

That’s why the book “The Cat Who Wouldn’t Come Inside” by Cynthia von Buhler caught my eye. It’s a children’s book based on a true story about a woman who befriends a stray cat. The pages are actually pictures of sets she made out of clay and other materials. Buhler is an artist who has illustrated and written several books, but this book is her first as both author and llustrator.

After repeated invitations from friends, I have finally joined the GoodReads community. It's so cool.

Here's how it works:

You create a profile (free) and make a list of books you have read or are reading. You rate them according to a 5-star system and can write comments and thoughts about each. It's a little time consuming at first, especially if, like me, you read a lot.

You find friends (folks you know in real life or others you've met through the site) and add them to your network so you can see what they're reading and what they thought of it. If you're ever out of ideas for a book to read, just click on and viola! -- you're overwhelmed with recommendations.

I'm brand new to the site -- just created my profile and started listing some books last night -- but will let you know more cool things about the site as I discover them.

Happy reading!

This review of “Tonight on the Titanic “ (Magic Tree House) by Mary Pope Osbourne, is from Nevin Kara, a student at York Township Elementary School.

This book is about a brother and sister who travel in their magic tree house to different places. In this book they were on the Titanic boat. When they were on the Titanic, the boat crashed into an iceberg and started to sink. Jack and Annie tried to tell everyone on the boat to get off the boat. They met two children named Lucky and William and shared a life boat with them. Lucky and William gave Jack and Annie a small watch to thank them for saving their lives.

Nevin recommends "Tonight On the Titanic."

Necla Kara, a student at York Township Elementary School, reviews
“Junie B. Jones Smells Something Fishy” by Barbara Parks.

In this book Junie B.’s teacher tells the class that it will soon be pet day. Junie B. does not have a pet and tries to get a pet. She gets a worm, ants and a swatted fly. Then her grandmother goes fishing and brings home a dead fish. Junie B. puts a leash on the fish, but her mom said that it was not a pet. Instead Junie B. took a fish stick to school and won the best pet badge.

Necla recommends this book to readers.

Here is a review from one of our readers, Pat Long of West Manchester Township:

Recently I read "Monkey Girl: Evolution, Education, Religion, and the Battle for America's Soul" by Edward Humes (2007). It was 350 pages of fascinating narrative describing the Dover school board's attempt to introduce "intelligent design" into the public school and the resulting trial.

The second book I read from Canongate’s myth series (see the first blog entry here) is “The Helmet of Horror” by Victor Pelevin.

Like Margaret Atwood’s “The Penelopiad,” “Helmet of Horror” draws from Greek mythology. The acclaimed Russian writer has created a version of the story about Theseus and the Minotaur fit for the 21st century.

There are some ideas I look at and just think, “I wish I’d thought of that.”

That quickly came to mind when I heard about Canongate’s myths series, which employs contemporary writers to retell stories from mythology.

So far, I’ve read two books from the series: Margaret Atwood’s “The Penelopiad” and Victor Pelevin’s “The Helmet of Horror.”

Just finished reading "The Pleasure of My Company" by author/actor/good-at-everything guy Steve Martin.

I have to admit, I didn't know what to expect. My husband picked it up at the library, and even though I hadn't read any of Martin's other stuff, I thought it might be good. (I had watched the movie version of "Shopgirl," which was pretty decent, though I'm more of a happy-ending fan, honestly, and I didn't think it qualified.)

Anyway, the day "Pleasure" was due back to the library, neither my husband or I had read it yet, and I couldn't decide whether I should renew. So I figured I'd pick it up, skim the first few pages, and decide from there.

Raymond Sechrist's "Skinny Dipping in the Codorus" has been available to the public since 1991, but it merits a look by those who have never read about Sechrist's boyhood adventures... .

"When A Crocodile Eats the Sun," Peter Godwin's brilliant memoir of his family's experience
in present day Zimbabwe, refers to a native belief that whenever a solar eclipse occurs, the crocodile snuffs out the life-giving light of the sun. And it is an apt metaphor for Zimbabwe, where
the dictator Mugabe has driven a once economically booming country to collapse and snuffed out all opposition.

Multiply that abandoned feeling a few thousand times to understand the protagonists in two excellent books -- “Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier” and “What is the What.”
Both boys are torn from their families and never stop looking for home.

Looking for something spooky to read as Halloween approaches? Delve into the literary past and grab a collection of tales by Algernon Blackwood. You won't be disappointed.

There have been numerous collections of his short stories over the years. Some that you might be able to track down include "Best Ghost Stories of Algernon Blackwood," "Ancient Sorceries and other Weird Stories," "The Listener and Other Stories" and "The Best Supernatural Tales of Algernon Blackwood."

Whichever collection you pick up, make sure it includes his classic tale, "The Willows." (Although you could also go to this site and read the whole thing online).

Harry Read was the founder and first president of the York County Blind Center, now ForSight Vision.

Luther B. Sowers' fact-filled and enlightening "ForSight Vision, 75th Anniversary" booklet is available to the public at no charge at the blind center's Spahn Avenue location.

For details about the 30-page booklet, see The bees have been enjoying this garden, too. over at the local history blog, www.yorktownsquare.com.

I'm referring to the vampire series by Stephenie Meyer.

I've only read the first book, "Twilight," and have the second one in the pile of books by my bed.

I am hooked, though I can't imagine an ending that will be pleasing to both of the main characters.

Here's a review from Daily Record/Sunday News staffer Pam White:

"Interred With Their Bones" by Jennifer Lee Carrell

"The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones."
William Shakespeare

Over the years, groups and individuals ranging from true scholars to cult-like conspiracy theorists have questioned whether William Shakespeare was truly the author of the great works attributed to him.

They cite clues found in his plays and sonnets, in letters of the time, and the social structure of Elizabethan England, as evidence to support their contentions.

Likewise, there are those who have spent vast sums of time and money searching for long-lost Shakespearean manuscripts.

It is these two threads that author Jennifer Lee Carrell twined together to make "Interred With Their Bones" a gripping, action-packed mystery.

Have you just finished reading a book you couldn't put down, or one that kept putting you to sleep?

We want to hear about it, good or bad.

Send your book review to gfogal@ydr.com and we will post it here.

It’s All About Him (Finding the Love of My Life) by Denise Jackson

I’m a celebrity watcher. No, not just a celebrity watcher - I’m a nosy celebrity watcher. I’m the one who wants to know why Usher’s mother didn’t go to his wedding (either of them), what Faith Hill really said to that female fan who grabbed her hubby by his crotch as he left the stage, and whether Prince William is really going to ask Kate Middleton to marry him.

Here is a review from one of our readers, Judy Wolfman of York:

I just finished reading "Hands Upon My Heart," by local author Perry Foster, and all I can say is WOW! Perry's personal account of what he experienced before, during and after his quadruple heart bypass surgery is a gripping story that wouldn't allow me to put the book down.

"90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life” by Don Piper and Cecil Murphey

This book is not only for people who believe in heaven, but also for those who don’t.

The Rev. Don Piper was driving home from a conference when he was hit by a tractor-trailer. He and his car were so mangled that the police and EMTs pronounced him dead. As they waited for a coroner to arrive to officially pronounce him, the Rev. Dick Onerecker, another minister from the same conference, came upon the accident.

“The Dark Is Rising Sequence” by Susan Cooper

Nothing pushes a book to the front of the bookstore shelves more quickly than to use it as the basis for a movie.

The upcoming movie, “The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising,“ aroused my curiosity about the book upon which the flick is loosely based.

The movie follows the second of five books in Susan Cooper’s series known as “The Dark Is Rising Sequence.“

Originally published in the late ’60s and early ’70s, the Sequence is technically classified as teen fiction.

Though long past my teens, I found the stories to be an enjoyable read.

I can understand why Cooper refers to the stories as a sequence.

To follow the five intertwined stories to the ultimate conclusion, they must be read in order.

What to eat?

In this age of mercury-laden fish and E. coli-tainted spinach, aren’t we all asking what we should be feeding our families?

Marion Nestle to the rescue!

Whenever I want to read something just for fun, I reach for one of the books in Alexander McCall Smith’s The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series.

I just finished “Blue Shoes and Happiness” and, as always, it didn’t disappoint.

Scott Mingus has a new blog and a soon-to-be-published new book.

His specialty is regional Civil War history, fueled by his work on "Flames Beyond Gettysburg." His book will follow the expedition of Confederate Gen. John B. Gordon to the west bank of the Susquehanna River in late June 1863. ...

If you’ve ever wondered what goes on in the kitchens of fancy restaurants, or why people decide to spend their lives preparing food for others to eat, you’ll want to read Bill Buford’s book, “Heat.”

The York County Heritage Trust has just released a hardcover biography of J.W. Gitt, controversial owner of The York Gazette and Daily from 1915 to 1970.

Mary Allienne Hamilton, for years the foremost authority on Gitt, is the author of this 342-page book. She worked for Gitt in the 1960s and went on to a long career as journalism professor at St. Bonaventure University... .

When I attended a Penn State reunion in June, the speaker at our luncheon was Paul Levine, a fellow alumnus and former staff member of the Daily Collegian.

He was so entertaining that I decided to buy one of his books.

On my drive to work this morning, I had just turned off Mount Zion Road onto the entrance ramp to Route 30 when a gaggle of geese decided to cross the road in front of my car. As I slowed down to let the critters pass, I got to thinking about two of my favorite books starring geese.

I sat on the floor of the fiction section of Martin Memorial Library and stared. So many books, so little time.What lead me to the Mc section was a recommendation from another reader, but I couldn't recall the title (now I know it's "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy). What I found was "The Memory of Running," by Ron McClarty.

If your kids are already going into Harry Potter withdrawal and haven’t read Lemony Snicket’s “Series of Unfortunate Events” series, now’s the time.

"Eat, Pray, Love"

Yep, that about describes my day.

The minute I heard the title of Elizabeth Gilbert's book, I knew I had to read it.