Brightly Woven

Recommended by a patron, Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken is a fantasy tale of wizardry and magic. In Sydelle's small mountain village, it's hasn't rained since she was a small child, until young wizard Wayland North comes and ends the drought. As his payment, he requests Sydelle accompany him as he travels to the capital where he hopes to prevent a devastating war with neighboring countries. Sydelle has the rare ability to repair North's cloaks with out destroying their magic, but Sydelle suspects there are other reasons he took her. As they travel, Sydelle learns more about North's mysterious illness, the world of wizards, and her own great powers. Of course, there is also a developing romance between the two. While there is a nice ending, some things are left unanswered, leaving many hoping for a sequel. I personally like that it can stand alone.  A great choice for fans of Kristin Cashore and Tamora Pierce.

The Lady and the Poet

Lest the reader thinks The Lady and the Poet by Maeve Haran a slightly silly novel by the title, the Lady really was a titled Lady. The poet was John Donne, author of "no man is an island," etc.  Ann More was headed for a life at the court of Queen Elizabeth I and marriage to wealthy man. At age 14 Ann goes to live with her Aunt and Uncle. Her Uncle is high up in the government, the keeper of the Lord Privy seal. Donne was not considered a desirable suitor, being poor, Catholic and a poet. The couple does marry in defiance of her rich, influential family, who completely cut them off, financially and socially.

This enduring but unlikely love has given the world some of the most beautiful love poems ever written. Some
of Donne's poems are included in the novel. The Donnes remained married until Ann's passing. John Donne went on to become the Dean of Saint Paul's cathedral, London. He wrote a very short but clever phrase about their early marriage. "John Donne, Ann Donne, undone." Donne never remarried. The Lady and the Poet is British author Maeve Haran's first historical novel.

The 5th Witness

Michael Connelly is one of the authors whose books I place on hold as soon as I know they are coming out and The 5th Witness is his newest.  The economic downturn has put a dent in the practice of successful defense attorney Mickey Haller, known to readers for working from his Lincoln town car. To keep his practice in business Mickey turned to providing foreclosure defense. When his very first foreclosure client, Lisa Trammel, is arrested for the murder of her bank's mortgage broker, Mickey finds himself back in the courtroom working on a highly publicized case.

Much of the book takes place in the courtroom focusing on the strategies and tactics of both the defense and prosecution.  If you enjoy great legal thrillers, this is a great choice. If you've read Connelly's previous books featuring Mickey, you'll be intrigued by his potential change in career direction introduced at the end. I know I'm looking forward to the next book featuring Mickey Haller. But next up for Connelly is a return to Harry Bosch in The Drop due out in November 2011.

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Belly had always measured her life in summers. It seemed to her that winter was only a boring prologue to the magic and excitement that was to come when the weather got warmer. For years, she has spent summers on the beach with her family and two of her close guy friends. The two have always seen Belly as a sister figure. This summer, however, they realize that she is in fact a girl. It is a summer she’ll never forget, full of changes—expected and unexpected.

With The Summer I Turned Pretty author Jenny Han has given us another great novel about the changes that happen as we are growing up. The story is told through the thoughts of our main character Belly. We are able to feel her embarrassment, frustration and love. It is the perfect read as you wait for your own summer story to begin!

The Happiness Project

I have a habit of reading books about year-long personal experiments. The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment by A.J. Jacobs, The Year of Yes by Maria Dahvana Headley, Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine. My list could go on. When I saw The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin come through the library for the tenth time, I decided I needed to read that one as well.

Gretchen Rubin was not an unhappy person, but she felt like she could be happier, so came up with her idea for a happiness project. Each month she plans to take on new resolutions in different areas of her life: parenting, marriage, work. By December she will try keep them all. Of course, she can't keep all the resolutions all of the time but through the process she finds out what works for her and develops 12 personal commandments and four "splendid truths" to maximize her happiness.  At the end of the year, Gretchen is, in fact, a happier person, and her friends and family have found themselves positively impacted as well.

The Happiness Project is an easy, interesting, and enjoyable read that includes bits of research, tips, advice, and feedback from readers of the author's blog. Those looking to start a happiness project of their own will find this a useful read. If you're like me and don't plan to start a project, there are still tips and ideas you can easily incorporate into your daily life.

Up Against It

Up Against It is the first book by author M.J. Locke. Set on an asteroid colony in the not too distant future, the novel is considered “hard science fiction,” meaning it includes scientific detail and scenarios that could logically occur.

On the colony, Phocaea, a low gee outpost, live many thousands of people, including Geoff Agre, a teenager who rides rocket bikes with his friends to salvage the methane ice crystals that power the colony. Earth has become a refugee camp after an ecological breakdown. Life in the colonies is televised by small mobile cameras that are everywhere. The resulting ‘reality show’ is then sold for vast amounts of money to support the colony.

Geoff’s brother Carl is killed in an act of sabotage that may have been caused by the Martian mafia. The mafia is trying to gain a monopoly of the colony’s business. Jane Navio is Phocaea’s resource manager, a 100-year-old who looks and acts about 50. Most people take medication to extend their lives. Jane has to investigate Carl’s death and the sabotage of the methane plant. This is a good science fiction read where the characters keep you interested.

Summer Reading Program

Registration for the Prairie du Sac Library's summer reading program begins at the library and online June 9. We have something for all ages!

One World, Many Stories
for pre-readers through 5th grade

READ...about New York, the mountains or Timbuktu, the Rainforest, jungle or Kalamazoo! Summer is the perfect time to see the world at your library! Prizes will be handed out as you complete each week's reading requirement of just 20 minutes per day! Read extra to enter the random prize drawings!

You Are Here

for grades 6-12

Choose a reward for every 2 hours you read, up to 12 hours and also be eligible to win great prizes (like water park passes) in our WEEKLY prize drawings! Every 2 hours you read earns you an entry - no limit on hours!


Novel Destinations
for Adults
Read 2 hours each week and be eligible to win prizes in our weekly prize drawings. There are no limits on number of entries! NEW this year: the first entry for ALL adults earns a pass to a Wisconsin "novel destination" (one of 11 participating historic sites or museums).

Thirteen Reasons Why

Our June book of the month, selected by Jenni, is Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why. High school student Clay Jensen finds a box of cassette tapes at his doorstep. What makes it even more mysterious is that the tapes were recorded by Hannah Baker, Clay's crush, who recently committed suicide. If Clay listens to the tapes he'll find out why Hannah killed herself, and what role he played. While listening to the tapes can't bring Hannah back, Clay learns that even small actions can have huge consequences.

June Mystery Book Club

The library's Mystery Book Club will meet Thursday, June 9 at 6:45 p.m to discuss mysteries by Susan Wittig Albert, writer of Cozy mysteries. She has three different series that are engaging and witty with a relaxed pace. Copies will be available on display in the library. New members are always welcome!