"Zombie Blondes" by Brian James

Honestly, the best thing about "Zombie Blondes" is probably its title.  But I'm an ecstatic, huge, major league fan of the title, so the book has lots of room to breathe for me and still be a good read. 

Young Hannah Sanders has spent the past several years fleeing from town to town with her father, a down-on-his-luck ex-cop who spends his waking life devising ways to outrun bill collectors and his past in general.  It's a sad, hopeless tactic, and it never works for long.  Eventually, your past always has a way of catching up with you. 

As soon as Hannah sees Maplecrest, the latest town on her shared journey with her father, she finds it even bleaker than most towns she has seen.  It seems more houses are for sale, with dark windows and overgrown lawns, than are occupied.  Add to the mix a fast friend with wild theories about the town's dwindling supply of residents, and Hannah begins counting down the days until her dad decides to run yet again, and she can put the town behind her forever. 

However, things start to look up for Hannah.  The popular girls are paying positive attention to her.  A studly jock football player begins to warm to her.  Hannah may just stand a chance of fitting in, after all.  But the closer she gets to "them," the more dire her friend's warnings become.  Is there really anything to the warnings?  Could the popular kids at Maplecrest High REALLY be the living dead?  They seem so perfect...

There are a number of things that are less than stellar about "Zombie Blondes" - one-dimensional characters (including main character Hannah, who seems almost impossibly passive), and plot points that seem far-fetched and almost too convenient to be true (Hannah's dad leaves town for two weeks to pursue work just as things in the story really start to pick up).

But there are plenty of things that make "Zombie Blondes" worth reading - some very fun plot twists and a central mystery that grows more mysterious as the novel progresses, then comes into focus spectacularly in a fiery final act.  There is so little zombie action in the book that I began to wonder if "zombie" was just another way of referring to a member of the popular cliques in every high school that are willing to do whatever it takes to conform and be "perfect."  This doesn't prove to be the case (or maybe, at least partly, it does), but the book carries a few interesting subtexts throughout.  A surprise, twist ending fits well into the classic horror tradition, and leaves the door open for a sequel.

"Zombie Blondes" isn't going to revolutionize the world.  Heck, it's not even great literature.  But it's a lot of fun - especially past the half-way point when things really begin to click with the story. 

"Lost Empire" by Clive Cussler (with Grant Blackwood)

If you want to sit on the edge of your seat of jump from under those blankets this book is a must read.

From the opening pages in their scuba suits Sam and Remi Fargo, archaeologists by trade, adventurers by misfortune, head into adventure at the sight of an age old ship wreck.  With clues from the interior of the bell they uncover and help from their intrepid staff of "good natured nerds" the mystery spreads from Tanzania, Zanzibar, into rainforests and to Indonesia.  Sam and Remi face death many times as other searchers pursue them into jungles, to the ocean floor and into hidden caves to recover the "treasure" before they do.  At one point a large boulder hovers over Sam as he lays in a pit put there by a surprising adversary.

To quote the book: "Failure is death."

Put on your seat belt and take the ride to find the LOST EMPIRE!

Submitted by a Berryville Library patron as part of the library's Adult Summer Reading program.

American Chica: Two Worlds, One Childhood by Marie Arana

In American Chica: Two Worlds, One Childhood, Marisi builds a bridge between Peru and North America, between her artistic American mother and her Peruvian father, an engineer.  She grew up in Peru, surrounded by her father's family, learning of ghosts, spirits, and traditions.  She sees everything that happens around her, making acute observations about politics and society.  She is a child of Peru, educated by her American mother.  A visit to Montana to meet her mother's people solidifies her identity as a gringa, like her mother.  She is now two whole people living in one body.  A move to the United States a few years later challenges that self-image, since she is promptly labeled a "Spic," the only Latina in a New Jersey suburb.  Marisi-turned-Marie is a child of two cultures, rich in both Spanish and American heritage, but at the same time neither one nor the other.

Marie Arana, the editor for The Washington Post's Book World, tells her story in a way that made this reader forget she was reading nonfiction.  The family history she uncovers in the reserach for the book challenges who she thought she was, but at the same time confirms who she is: a bridge.

Submitted by a Berryville Library patron as part of the library's Adult Summer Reading Program.

The Artist Who Painted A Blue Horse

One of my favorite children's authors is Eric Carle. This latest book is definitely not  disappointment!.
 The colors are amazing! Little children are excited to see the bright animals. Such imagination!

"Rosemary's Baby" by Ira Levin

What hasn't been said about this hallowed work of modern horror? Indeed, the plot and basic structure are familiar in such a general way that most may simply pass the book over altogether. This is a shame, as Ira Levin's work of creeping domestic malaise and encroaching paranoia truly is a masterwork. The movie (also a classic) holds so closely to the book that people who have seen it will likely find themselves picturing the events of the movie as they read. But the book stands alone, and deserves a look for the uninitiated!

For those unfamiliar with the story, young Rosemary and her husband Guy are able to snag an apartment in an incredibly desirable New York building. Once they are established, the elderly neighbors insinuate themselves in the couple's life - particularly Guy. After a particularly horrible dream to which she wakes up with scratches, Rosemary finds that she is pregnant. What begins as a happy occasion slowly devolves into paranoia as Rosemary begins to suspect the worst of her neighbors but finds no sympathetic ears to which she can tell her story. The ending is rightfully legendary, and must be read to be believed.

"If the Witness Lied" by Caroline Cooney

For the Fountain family, the last two years have been like living a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions. First, the matriarch of the family finds out she is pregnant, a bit of happy news tainted by her also being diagnosed with cancer. Her choice is unbelievable - take chemo to save herself (but lose the baby) or try to carry the baby to term (but lose her own life in the process). After she chooses life for her baby, the entire family is thrust into the middle of a firestorm of media attention and a heated national debate.

Baby Tristan is born happy and healthy, and after his mother dies the family tries to move past the pain and get on with their lives. A distant aunt insinuates herself into the family, and Mr. Fountain is more than happy to have the extra help. Just as things get back to normal a tragic accident robs the Fountain children of their father, leaving them orphaned, and placing young Tris squarely at the center of blame. The media has dubbed him "The Baby Who Killed Both of His Parents." Is his future doomed before it even gets started? And can his other siblings band together in time to protect him, or will he be lost to the grinding gears of a heartless media forever?

"If the Witness Lied" is a short, blunt, gripping read. The unification of the Fountain children as they attempt to face their past while establishing their future is incredibly moving - I found myself in tears by the end. Part domestic drama, part horror story, and part murder mystery, the book has elements that will appeal to most, and is an incredibly satisfying read.

"Stranger, Seducer, Protector" by Joanna Wayne

Jacinth Villare is making a go of reclaiming her family heritage in a crumbling New Orleans mansion willed to her by a grandmother she never met, and filled with secrets darker than her wildest imagination. When a hunky neighbor moves in and seems to be too good to be true, wheels are set in motion towards a shattering climax that reveals family ties truly do bind...even from beyond the grave.

Part of the Harlequin Intrigue series, this was my first foray into the world of the venerable publisher of paperback romance novels. I found it surprisingly engaging. The romance elements were not overdone, and the mystery at the heart of the story was just raw enough to keep me on the edge of my seat, but tame enough to allow me to truly enjoy the ride I was being taken on by skilled author Joanna Wayne. I can't think of a better way to recommend the book than to confess that I can't wait to read more from the series!