I would place a bet that, if you asked ten Minnesotans what they were doing this summer, at least eight of them would say “Going to the lake.” Which lake? It really doesn’t matter, since we have over eleven thousand of them in the state. I have to admit that I am one of those eight. I have been going to the lake since I was a baby and while I spend a lot of my time fishing, there are still moments that can be captured for reading.
If you are among the two Minnesotans asked who does not go to the lake, perhaps reading about lakes (or lake-related stories…sort of) will get you in the north country mood.
Lake Woebegone Summer, 1956 Garrison Keillor
If you enjoy listening to Prairie Home Companion on NPR on Saturday nights, you should definitely give this book a try. Gifted humorist Keillor spins tales of the fictitious town of Lake Woebegone, a place where all of the stereotypes you’ve grown to love live and thrive. This story centers around a boy named Gary, who is just coming of age, and his Underwood typewriter. It’s funny, it’s very readable, and it’ll transport you back to growing up in rural Minnesota.
The Lake, the River, and the Other Lake Steve Amick
Okay, so not a Minnesota lake book. Michigan is the setting for this social comedy about a small town that is experiencing rather severe growing pains. The regular locals, who have lived in Weneshkeen their whole lives, come into conflict with ritzy rich folk coming for the summer, with migrant cherry pickers, and with men who make their living off the river. Several stories combine into one, examining how unlikely friendships can be forged in the most interesting of places.
Summer at Willow Lake Susan Wiggs
This one is for all the romance fans out there. Again, not Minnesota, but a story like this could happen anywhere. A young woman moves from her trendy New York home to an old resort camp, once owned by her family, to revamp a cabin for her grandparents, who want to spend one more summer filled with family memories. Since the camp is a mess, the woman has to hire a contractor to assist with the renovations and you can guess what happens next…
The Lake House James Patterson
This book is for anyone who has ever read the Maximum Ride series, or for anyone who likes their adventure novels with a little bit of a twist. This book is part of the story of six children who have had to fight to live normal lives since they were first released from the hospital. They live with different families now, but must come back together to keep themselves safe. The only place they have ever felt really safe is at the building they call the Lake House. The catch? These kids have wings…
Lake News Barbara Delinsky
Romantic New Hampshire, in the town of Lake Henry. Singer Lily Blake is escaping from a terrible picture the media has painted of her, though coming back to her hometown is no picnic either. She finds herself forming a friendship with the editor of the local paper, who used to be a bigwig in the newspaper industry himself until his career was abruptly ended. At first, the journalist only sees Lily as a subject for a future book, though that changes the more time they spend together. This book is a touching story that examines family relationships and the relationships of people living within a small community. And the conclusion is very satisfying.
The Lake Superior Images Craig Blacklock
This book is not a novel, nor is it something you can easily carry with you on vacation, but it certainly is beautiful. The images of Lake Superior were taken by Craig Blacklock and were first exhibited at the tweed Museum of Art in Duluth, Minnesota, August 22, 1993. Having picked up this book on a whim, I think I spent about two hours looking through it at home. The images are stunning and well worth turning the pages. If you can’t make it to a lake this summer, this book will satify all your lake-viewing needs.
Though summer is halfway over, August is the time for most vacations, before school starts again and once most summer programs have come to an end. Here at Meinders Library, our Summer Reading Program ends on July 30th, so if you haven’t had a chance to come and participate yet, you can at least join us for the last day, which will be a great celebration involving cupcakes and marshmallow sculptures. We look forward to seeing you there!
Have a safe and happy August and we wish you joy in all your travels!
If you have any questions, or you have a book you need to reserve or renew, give us a call at 507-825-6714. Summer hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday, from 10 AM to 8 PM, and Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM. We are not open on Saturdays from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Friday, July 24, 2009
June 25, New Bestsellers!
I know that summertime is not the usual time for reading, with all the gardening that needs to be done, the serious playing that must be accomplished, and various projects that can only be done while the sun is shining. However, I feel I must remind you, that it is one of the greatest pleasures in the world to sit outside in the sun with a glass of tea or lemonade and read a good book.
And in honor of the sunshine readers, here are some new bestselling releases currently in the library!
The Scarecrow, Michael Connelly
Budget cuts are the very beginning of this story, forcing newspaperman Jack McEvoy out of his job. As he works on a story detailed the ‘murder’ of his career, he studies a young drug dealer and discovers the confession is probably a lie. Now, instead of writing a story about himself, he’s writing to get an innocent out of jail.
Roadside Crosses, Jeffrey Deaver
California Bureau of Investigations agent Kathryn Dance is the star of this novel by Deaver, the third in the series. The story centers around a killer who uses social network blogging sites to pick his victims and is full of the twists and turns that Deaver fans look forward to. The plot will leave even the sharpest mind reeling. If you’d like to start at the beginning of Kathryn’s story, check out The Blue Nowhere.
Relentless, Dean Koontz
Never cross a book critic! Cubby Greenwich learns this the hard way in this new thriller by Koontz. The author, Cubby, tries to ignore a terrible review by a premier critic, but when he meets the critic in a restaurant, he can’t keep his mouth shut. His comments start a struggle with a sociopath that no reader will forget any time soon!
Gone Tomorrow, Lee Child
Jack Reacher has a decision to make in very little time. He makes it and triggers a series of events that land him in one of the tensest cases he’s had yet. Hairpin turns make this novel a real page-turner and a drool-worthy addition to the Reacher novels. If you haven’t read a Reacher book yet, start with Killing Floor.
Finger Lickin’ Fifteen, Janet Evanovich – Release June 23, 2009
The fifteenth book in the Stephanie Plum series, this book centers around Lula, Stephanie’s wheelman. And in Evanovich’s own words, “it all gets complicated after that. We're talking about barbecue gone bad, cross-dressing firemen, dancing hot dogs, etc.” This series is incredibly popular and if you haven’t read any of them yet, I recommend you start off with number one, One for the Money. Come in and see us, we can get you started!
Loitering with Intent, Stuart Woods
Stone Barrington gets to travel to Florida in this installment of Woods’ long-running series. The cop turned lawyer is looking for a young man who needs to sign some papers to sell a family business, but the young man has no wish to be found, much less put his name on anything. The book has romance and drama and will have any Woods reader excited for the next book! If you feel like starting at the beginning, try reading New York Dead.
And, of course, bestsellers don’t always have to be books! We’ve gotten nearly 20 new DVDs this month at the library, including a few new releases, and they are now available for checkout! DVDs are, of course, good for those rainy nights when it’s too wet to go outside or you’re too tired to do anything else. DVD checkouts are good for a week.
Gran Torino (R), Clint Eastwood
A Korean War veteran is forced to deal with his prejudices as he fights to defend himself and his neighbors, Hmoung immigrants, again a local gang. Clint Eastwood both directs and star in the movie, which has received star reviews by critics and movie-goers alike.
Wall-E (G), Pixar Studios
A sweet story of a robot who continues to clean up the earth, even though all of the people have left the desiccated planet. When the humans still alive in the galaxy send a probe robot named E.V.E. to see if earth is still habitable, Wall-E falls in love and ends up travelling to the stars and ultimately, bringing the humans back to Earth.
The Dark Knight (PG-13), Christopher Nolan
The sequel to Batman Beyond, the Dark Knight received critical acclaim and several Oscar nominations. Starring Christian Bale as Batman and the late Heath Ledger as the Joker, the movie is sure to please action and superhero fans alike.
If you have any questions, or you have a book or DVD you need to reserve or renew, give us a call at 507-825-6714. Summer hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday, from 10 AM to 8 PM, and Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM. We are no longer open on Saturdays from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
And in honor of the sunshine readers, here are some new bestselling releases currently in the library!
The Scarecrow, Michael Connelly
Budget cuts are the very beginning of this story, forcing newspaperman Jack McEvoy out of his job. As he works on a story detailed the ‘murder’ of his career, he studies a young drug dealer and discovers the confession is probably a lie. Now, instead of writing a story about himself, he’s writing to get an innocent out of jail.
Roadside Crosses, Jeffrey Deaver
California Bureau of Investigations agent Kathryn Dance is the star of this novel by Deaver, the third in the series. The story centers around a killer who uses social network blogging sites to pick his victims and is full of the twists and turns that Deaver fans look forward to. The plot will leave even the sharpest mind reeling. If you’d like to start at the beginning of Kathryn’s story, check out The Blue Nowhere.
Relentless, Dean Koontz
Never cross a book critic! Cubby Greenwich learns this the hard way in this new thriller by Koontz. The author, Cubby, tries to ignore a terrible review by a premier critic, but when he meets the critic in a restaurant, he can’t keep his mouth shut. His comments start a struggle with a sociopath that no reader will forget any time soon!
Gone Tomorrow, Lee Child
Jack Reacher has a decision to make in very little time. He makes it and triggers a series of events that land him in one of the tensest cases he’s had yet. Hairpin turns make this novel a real page-turner and a drool-worthy addition to the Reacher novels. If you haven’t read a Reacher book yet, start with Killing Floor.
Finger Lickin’ Fifteen, Janet Evanovich – Release June 23, 2009
The fifteenth book in the Stephanie Plum series, this book centers around Lula, Stephanie’s wheelman. And in Evanovich’s own words, “it all gets complicated after that. We're talking about barbecue gone bad, cross-dressing firemen, dancing hot dogs, etc.” This series is incredibly popular and if you haven’t read any of them yet, I recommend you start off with number one, One for the Money. Come in and see us, we can get you started!
Loitering with Intent, Stuart Woods
Stone Barrington gets to travel to Florida in this installment of Woods’ long-running series. The cop turned lawyer is looking for a young man who needs to sign some papers to sell a family business, but the young man has no wish to be found, much less put his name on anything. The book has romance and drama and will have any Woods reader excited for the next book! If you feel like starting at the beginning, try reading New York Dead.
And, of course, bestsellers don’t always have to be books! We’ve gotten nearly 20 new DVDs this month at the library, including a few new releases, and they are now available for checkout! DVDs are, of course, good for those rainy nights when it’s too wet to go outside or you’re too tired to do anything else. DVD checkouts are good for a week.
Gran Torino (R), Clint Eastwood
A Korean War veteran is forced to deal with his prejudices as he fights to defend himself and his neighbors, Hmoung immigrants, again a local gang. Clint Eastwood both directs and star in the movie, which has received star reviews by critics and movie-goers alike.
Wall-E (G), Pixar Studios
A sweet story of a robot who continues to clean up the earth, even though all of the people have left the desiccated planet. When the humans still alive in the galaxy send a probe robot named E.V.E. to see if earth is still habitable, Wall-E falls in love and ends up travelling to the stars and ultimately, bringing the humans back to Earth.
The Dark Knight (PG-13), Christopher Nolan
The sequel to Batman Beyond, the Dark Knight received critical acclaim and several Oscar nominations. Starring Christian Bale as Batman and the late Heath Ledger as the Joker, the movie is sure to please action and superhero fans alike.
If you have any questions, or you have a book or DVD you need to reserve or renew, give us a call at 507-825-6714. Summer hours for Meinders Library are Monday through Thursday, from 10 AM to 8 PM, and Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM. We are no longer open on Saturdays from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
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