Reviews and Recommendations  Whatever It Takes                                   by Paul Tough     Whatever It Takes offers an engrossing look at one man’s solution to end world poverty. Geoffrey Canada grew up an underprivileged child on the streets of Harlem and struggled against great odds to successfully break free from the chains of poverty. Determined to give other children in that community the same chance, he devised a radical experiment targeting the poorest and least likely to succeed through a large-scale initiative dubbed the Harlem Children’s Zone. The project encompasses 97 city blocks of Harlem and serves 7,000 children through an interlocking web of services and programs that help level the playing field for this disadvantaged community. Told from the viewpoint of New York Times Magazine editor, Paul Tough, this book gives readers a thorough look at the difficulties facing poor communities and the efforts to transform them, while also presenting reasons to be optimistic about the future. --Yvonne Condron, Adult Services Librarian Midnight’s Daughter                           by Karen Chance   Midnight’s Daughter is about a dhampir, a half-vampire, half-human, named Dorina who has been asked a favor by her estranged father. This doesn’t sound like a big deal except the favor is for Dory to help capture her crazy uncle Dracula . . . the Dracula. On top of that, her father has assigned her a partner, the gorgeous vampire Luis-Cesare. Dory likes to work alone, but to capture the cruelest, most infamous vampire out there, Dory will take whatever help she can get. This is another good paranormal book by Karen Chance. It offers action and romance. Chance has another series out, the Cassandra Palmer series, involving some of the same characters in Midnight’s Daughter. If you like Midnight’s Daughter, you’ll enjoy the Cassandra Palmer series. —Marla Summers, Adult Services Librarian           Book of Fate                                                                                        by Brad Meltzer      Wes Holloway was once a cocky, motivated presidential aide, but one fateful day his life changed forever. Readers follow Wes on his journey to finally discovering what happened the day his face was forever disfigured by bullet fragments. Along the way, Wes discovers a secret code used in the White House, a covert group called The Three working within the government and, most startlingly, a man he thought died almost ten years ago. This book is quite riveting and keeps the reader guessing to the very end. A good thriller for mystery readers. —Marla Summers, Adult Services Librarian Q & A By Vikas Swarup                 The multiple award winning movie Slumdog Millionaire is adapted from this entertaining book. The book tells the story of how Ram,a poor illiterate orphan boy, goes on to win the show “Who wants to be a Millionaire?”. Ram is arrested as police think he has cheated as a person from Rams socio-economic status is not expected to know the answers to the questions asked.  Ram narrates to a lawyer how he knew the answers from his various life experiences. Those experiences show the resilience and optimism of Ram as he wins the money and is reunited with the love of his life. - Anna Kundu, Adult Services Assistant   Rebel Giants                                     by David Contosta   Parallel biographies of Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin provide a great tribute as we approach the 200th anniversary of their shared birthday. Born into different circumstances, they have more in common than one would expect, including difficult relationships with their fathers. And each took a few years in early adulthood to “find himself,” which may have later enabled them to powerfully impact the society of their time and ours. ---Judy Pedersen, Adult Services Librarian  Women of Silk                               by Gail Tsukiyama   Ms. Tsukiyama’s first novel tells a touching story of a young girl in China in the early 1900s. Pei is sold into the silk trade by her poor parents. She grows to adulthood and forms bonds with the other women who work in the factories. The tale is often sad, and Pei’s life is difficult but she never seems hopeless. The characters are memorable: the “auntie” parenting the young women in her charge; the eccentric cook who creates a private stash of provisions for the household; Pei’s parents and sisters; and her intriguing group of coworkers. —Judy Pedersen, Adult Services Librarian   The 6 Sacred Stones                       by Matthew Reilly       Matthew Reilly is a great action/adventure author. His latest book, The 6 Sacred Stones, follows the crew from 7 Deadly Wonders, headed by Jack West, Jr., an Australian super-soldier, and his team of adventurers. An ancient ceremony has been performed, setting off a series of events that could lead to the destruction of mankind. West and his team must find six sacred stones and place them into six ancient sites all over the globe. West and his team are racing against time as well as other powerful nations who want to gain the rewards given at each ancient site. Reilly has done another fantastic job of combining ancient history, warfare, and great adventure all into one book. —Marla Summers, Adult Services Librarian The Border: Exploring     the U.S.-Mexican Divide                 by David J. Danelo    David Danelo weaves a fascinating tale of colorful businessmen, shady characters, honest citizens, and government officials on both sides of the border to get a sense of the “real” story behind illegal immigration and the debate surrounding the U.S.-Mexican border, including narcotics trafficking and NAFTA. The author’s story diverges from the typical travelogue and offers social commentary and historical narratives to identify and explain the deeply set roots related to some issues. At one point, Danelo relies on his former Marine training to explore what it is like to slip back into the United States from Mexico. Throughout his 1,952-mile odyssey, the author finds answers for many intriguing social questions, yet he discovers many more social and political questions left unanswered. In the end, the book proved to be an enlightening, educational, and thought-provoking read on a highly charged subject of local, national, and international debate. —Tre Colvin, Adult Services Librarian  Do Gentlemen Really                        Prefer Blondes?           by Jena Pincott            In a series of short questions and answers, this slim volume looks at love and relationships. The topics vary from trivial (why do most people tilt their heads to the right to kiss?) to the sentimental (why do long-married couples look like each other?).  The results are sometimes an unsavory commentary on human nature: a tall man is more attractive to women, but a wealthy short man will do as well. And of course, there is an answer to that question about gentlemen and blondes. If you have an inquiring mind, you can use the bibliography to review the actual studies, or you can view this book as pure entertainment. —Judy Pedersen, Adult Services Librarian
The Last Musketeer                                       by  Jason
The Last Musketeer is the latest offering from the Norwegian cartoonist simply known as Jason.  Much like his past works, such as Meow, Baby! and The Living and the Dead, Jason takes his anthropomorphic animals and submerges them in a world that is a mesh of genres. This time around the seemingly ageless Musketeer known as Athos, now living in modern times, is thrown into a Buck Rogers-style adventure as he battles earth-invading Martians to save his honor and the freedom of the world! Jason’s signature humor translates easily enough as he relies heavily on visual jokes and his artwork has a deceptively simplistic look but is shockingly effective, especially when the story ends with a surprisingly emotional twist. Musketeer is easily one of Jason’s best stories and is one of the last books in his body of work to be translated by Fantagraphics. For fans, this one should not be missed. Recommended for mature readers. —John McNaughton, Adult Services Librarian
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