For those of us who like to take things apart and see how they work, there’s a new book: How Music Works by John Powell.  A little science, a little psychology… now I know why a piece of music with no lyrics can actually make you cry. 

The Agatha Awards honor traditional mysteries like those written by the great Agatha Christie.  So these mysteries contain no explicit sex and no excessive gore or gratuitous violence. Some of you are saying, "That doesn't sound exciting!" but some of us like a quieter mystery. The 2012 awards were announced on May 4th and the winners are below.

I read many genres, and I find that even when I am not reading a romance novel I appreciate a romantic subplot in a book.  Many novels in the mystery, fantasy, paranormal, and women’s fiction genres do include elements of romance, although the romance is not the focus of the plot.  The Romance Writers of America’s RITA Awards even include a category for this: Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements.  Although these novels lack the typical plotlines (and covers) of a romance novel, they should please romance readers looking for something a little different without branching out too far.  Request one today!

Join us as we read the classic Russian novel, Anna Karenina, this summer.  At our first meeting, Monday, June 4, 2012, at 6:30 pm, we will discuss Parts One and Two of this famous work by Leo Tolstoy.  We will also talk about several film versions of the book as we move through the story over the summer.  Summary from library catalog:  Regarded by many as the greatest novel ever written in any language, Anna Karenina relates the doomed love affair between the sensuous and rebellious Anna and the dashing officer Count Vronsky.  Set against a vast and richly textured canvas of nineteenth-century Russia, Anna's tragedy unfolds with relentless force as she rejects her passionless marriage to the aging official Karenin and must endure the hypocrisies of society. 

TV shows like CSI, NCIS, Bones, and Criminal Minds dramatize forensics and criminal investigations, but how do the script writers figure out how to accurately portray different scenes? They ask the experts. 

Title to be discussed:  Readers Choice.  Date of the meeting:  Tuesday, June 12, 6:30pm.  Read a good book of your choice and come prepared share it with the group.

If you are tired of all the bad news in the world, stop and read Heroes for My Daughter by Brad Meltzer. Meltzer tells the stories of 60 remarkable people, each highlighting an admirable quality and each dedicated to making the world a better place. They range from two relatively unknown women collegiate baseball  players who are  listed as "Champions," to the "Unconventional" Temple Grandin, an autism activist. You will feel better about the human race for having read it.

  Agony Of The Leaves by Laura Childs is the latest installment of her Tea Shop Series.  Set in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina there is local ambience as well as tea lore and history.  The stor