Book Review: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Summary: Beth and Jennifer know their company monitors their office e-mail. But the women still spend all day sending each other messages, gossiping about their coworkers at the newspaper and baring their personal lives like an open book. Jennifer tells Beth everything she can't seem to tell her husband about her anxieties over starting a family. And Beth tells Jennifer everything, period. When Lincoln applied to be an Internet security officer, he hardly imagined he'd be sifting through other people's inboxes like some sort of electronic Peeping Tom. Lincoln is supposed to turn people in for misusing company e-mail, but he can't quite bring himself to crack down on Beth and Jennifer. He can't help but be entertained-and captivated- by their stories. But by the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late for him to ever introduce himself. What would he say to her? "Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you." After a series of close encounters and missed connections, Lincoln decides it's time to muster the courage to follow his heart . . . even if he can't see exactly where it's leading him.

Brittany's comments: I loved Eleanor and Park, so I was interested in reading something else by Rainbow Rowell. (Plus, I thought the cover was really cute, so I couldn't resist checking it out.) I had high expectations, and Attachments definitely did not disappoint! I enjoyed reading a book set in the '90s, and it was kind of funny to think back to all the panic about Y2K. I liked that the story was told in alternating chapters. The email exchanges from Beth and Jennifer were mixed in with chapters from Lincoln's point of view. This style of storytelling kept me reading because as soon as I read an email exchange, I wanted to read on to find out what Lincoln thought. I thought the characters were believable and their relationships felt very real.

Check this one out if you're a fan of romantic comedies or if you're just looking for a witty, charming story! I'll be reading more from this author in the future.

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Book Review: Waiting to Be Heard by Amanda Knox

Summary: In the fall of 2007, twenty-year old college coed Amanda Knox left Seattle to study abroad in Perugia, Italy for one year. But that November 1, her life was shattered when her roommate, British student Meredith Kercher, was murdered in their apartment. Five days later, Amanda was taken into custody and charged by the Italian police; her arrest and the subsequent investigation ignited an international media firestorm. Overnight, this ordinary young American student became the subject of intense scrutiny, forced to endure a barrage of innuendo and speculation. Two years later, after an extremely controversial trial, Amanda was convicted and imprisoned. But in 2011 an appeals court overturned her conviction and vacated the charges. Free at last, she immediately returned home to the U.S., where she has remained silent, until now.



Brittany's comments: I'm only a few years older than Amanda Knox, and I also spent time studying abroad in Europe and South America during my undergraduate years. Knox's story caught my interest, and I watched a lot of the media coverage of her trial and acquittal. Recently,  she has been giving interviews for the first time since being freed. She has also been back in the news after the Italian court called for a retrial. Knox is a very polarizing figure--almost everyone has a strong opinion on whether or not they believe she is guilty. I wanted to read her book to hear version of the events and learn about the actual evidence presented in the case rather than what the media was reporting. Knox tells her story in vivid detail and opens up to describe how this ordeal has affected her emotionally. She also discusses the effect it has had on her family and others close to her.

While the writing is not exceptional, it was better than I expected. I kept reading because the story was compelling and the events unfolded in an increasingly dramatic way. I read it quickly, even though it's nearly 500 pages long. Several color photographs are included to complement the writing. I recommend this for fans of true crime and for those who have followed the trial and would like to hear Amanda's story in her own words.

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Related books: 
Honor Bound: My Journey to Hell and Back with Amanda Knox by Raffaele Sollecito with Andrew Gumbel

A Death in Italy: The Definitive Account of the Amanda Knox Case by John Follain

Upcoming Events @ Your Library

High School Art Show
Tipton, May 6th-17th
High School Art Concert 
Tipton, May 16th, 6:00 pm
Tipton High School Art students' works will be on display at the library.

Computer Class - Free Online Library Resources
Tipton, May 13, 10:00 am
Windfall, May 29, 1:00 pm
Learn how to use the library's databases. Registration is required.

Civil War Display
Tipton, May 13-17
Stop by the library to see the display of Civil War items. Clothing, camping, and cooking items will be on display. Area children will visit the library to view the display.

Novel Characters Book Group
Tipton, May 20, 6:30 pm
Pick up a copy of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley from the Information Desk and join us for discussion and refreshments. Group meets in the library meeting room.

Computer Class - Free Online Photo Editing
Tipton, May 20, 10:00 am
Windfall, May 29 2:00 pm
Learn how to use online photo editors and apps to enhance your digital photos. Registration is required.

Click here to see more events on our May 2013 Happenings flyer.

For more information, please contact Tipton County Public Library at 

765.675.8761 or www.tiptonpl.lib.in.us.

Book Review: Size 12 and Ready to Rock by Meg Cabot

Summary: 
Summer break . . . and the livin' ain't easy!

Just because the students at New York College have flown the coop doesn't mean assistant residence hall director Heather Wells can relax. Fischer Hall is busier than ever, filled with squealing thirteen- and fourteen-year-old girls attending the first ever Tania Trace Teen Rock Camp, hosted by pop sensation Tania Trace herself--who just happens to be newly married to Heather's ex-boyfriend, heartthrob Jordan Cartwright. But the real headache begins when the producer of a reality TV show starring Tania winds up dead . . . and it's clear that the star was the intended victim.

Grant Cartwright, head of Cartwright Records, wants to keep his daughter-in-law (and his highest-earning performer) alive. So he hires his oldest son, black sheep of the family and private investigator Cooper Cartwright--who just happens to be Heather's new fiance. Heather should leave the detecting to Cooper. But with a dorm full of hysterical mini-divas-in-training, she can't help but get involved. And after Tania shares a really shocking secret with her, this reality suddenly becomes more dangerously real than anyone ever anticipated.

Brittany's comments: 
Meg Cabot is one of my favorite authors, and I was lucky enough to get to meet her when she came to Indiana on her latest book tour! Size 12 and Ready to Rock is the fourth book in the Heather Wells mystery series. The best way I can think to describe the series is part chick lit/part mystery. The latest book could be read as a standalone since a lot of the plot points from previous books are summarized, but I would recommend reading the other three books anyway because they are so much fun! Plus, it's always interesting for me to see characters grow over time and their relationships with other characters change. Heather is a charming, quirky character, and it's satisfying to see her overcome some hurdles and find happiness in her personal life. I felt that a few plot points in this one were predictable, but I was able to overlook that because I loved the characters and I enjoyed watching them unravel the mysteries.

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