Animal Weapons: The Evolution of Battle

Animal Weapons: The Evolution of Battle by Douglas J. Emlen

Summary: The story behind the stunning, extreme weapons we see in the animal world--teeth and horns and claws--and what they can tell us about the way humans develop and use arms and other weapons In Animal Weapons, Doug Emlen takes us outside the lab and deep into the forests and jungles where he’s been studying animal weapons in nature for years, to explain the processes behind the most intriguing and curious examples of extreme animal weapons—fish with mouths larger than their bodies and bugs whose heads are so packed with muscle they don’t have room for eyes. As singular and strange as some of the weapons we encounter on these pages are, we learn that similar factors set their evolution in motion. Emlen uses these patterns to draw parallels to the way we humans develop and employ our own weapons, and have since battle began. He looks at everything from our armor and camouflage to the evolution of the rifle and the structures human populations have built across different regions and eras to protect their homes and communities. With stunning black and white drawings and gorgeous color illustrations of these concepts at work, Animal Weapons brings us the complete story of how weapons reach their most outsized, dramatic potential, and what the results we witness in the animal world can tell us about our own relationship with weapons of all kinds.  Angie's Comments: A fascinating look into why animals develop weapons such as fangs or horns. I couldn’t believe a good, interesting book could be written on this topic, but Douglas J. Emlen proved me wrong! Using anecdotes, information from his studies and from other researchers, Emlen creates an engaging book about animal weapons. He also discusses times when weapons have appeared then disappeared from animals. One of the best parts of this book is that Emlen extrapolates from the animal weapons to human-made weapons. It is an interesting glimpse into the development of naval warfare, the Cold War, and other human-made weapons. I recommend this book if you are interested in biology, evolution, or military history. Request this item

The Psychopath Test

The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry by Jon Ronson

Summary: They say one out of every hundred people is a psychopath. You probably passed one on the street today. These are people who have no empathy, who are manipulative, deceitful, charming, seductive, and delusional. The Psychopath Test is the New York Times bestselling exploration of their world and the madness industry. When Jon Ronson is drawn into an elaborate hoax played on some of the world’s top scientists, his investigation leads him, unexpectedly, to psychopaths. He meets an influential psychologist who is convinced that many important business leaders and politicians are in fact high-flying, high-functioning psychopaths, and teaches Ronson how to spot them. Armed with these new abilities, Ronson meets a patient inside an asylum for the criminally insane who insists that he’s sane, a mere run-of-the-mill troubled youth, not a psychopath—a claim that might be only manipulation, and a sign of his psychopathy. He spends time with a death-squad leader institutionalized for mortgage fraud, and with a legendary CEO who took joy in shutting down factories and firing people. He delves into the fascinating history of psychopathy diagnosis and treatments, from LSD-fueled days-long naked therapy sessions in prisons to attempts to understand serial killers. Along the way, Ronson discovers that relatively ordinary people are, more and more, defined by their most insane edges. The Psychopath Test is a fascinating adventure through the minds of madness. Angie's Comments: Interesting look at the “psychopath industry” and several examples of possible psychopaths. Ronson makes this book a lot about his reactions and emotions, which makes for a more personal book. It also shows that when using checklists such as Hare’s psychopath checklist, you need to be careful about how you use it. Through the checklist and Ronson’s reactions, you learn that there is a continuum and everyone has some characteristics of psychopath (without being a psychopath). People have different views of how to treat psychopaths and how to identify them. This book was well-written and contained a lot of information about the development of research and treatment for psychopaths. The book is definitely more a pop psychology book that uses anecdotes to discuss some facets of psychopathy.  Request this item

It's All Too Much

It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living A Richer Life with Less Stuff by Peter Walsh

Summary: When Peter Walsh, organizational guru of TLC's hit show Clean Sweep and a regular contributor toThe Oprah Winfrey Show, appeared on national television shows and told people how they could reclaim their lives from the suffocating burden of their clutter, the response was overwhelming. People flooded Peter's website (www.peterwalshdesign.com) with success stories about how his book had changed their lives. Peter's unique approach helped people everywhere learn to let go of the emotional and psychological clutter that was literally and figuratively choking the life out of their homes. With his good humor and reassuring advice, Peter shows you how to face the really big question: What is the vision for the life you want to live? He then offers simple techniques and a step-by-step plan to assess the state of your home, prioritize your possessions, and let go of the clutter you have been holding on to that has kept you from living the life you imagine. The result is freed-up space, less stress, and more energy for living a happier, richer life every day. Angie's Comments: Having just moved, I felt I could use this book! With a different layout and space available for my stuff, I have been wondering how to fit it all in. It’s All Too Much is a great guide for deciding how you want your home to be. Peter Walsh asks you to imagine what you want your house to be like. He provides sample Room Function Charts to fill out for each room, in which you answer questions like what is the current function of the room, what it needs to contain, and so on. The room function chart is a way of deciding what you want the room to be used for, and from there you decide what should be in the room. So instead of trying to wade through things, you have a plan of action. The tips in this book are helpful, although I won’t be using every one of them. I will be using the room function chart as I adjust to my new place! It’s a good idea that I wasn’t smart enough to think of! Request this item

Did She Kill Him?

Did She Kill Him? A Torrid True Story of Adultery, Arsenic, and Murder in Victorian England by Kate Colquhoun

Summary: In the summer of 1889, young Southern belle Florence Maybrick stood trial for the alleged arsenic poisoning of her much older husband, Liverpool cotton merchant James Maybrick. The “Maybrick Mystery” had all the makings of a sensation: a pretty, flirtatious young girl; resentful, gossiping servants; rumors of gambling and debt; and tor-rid mutual infidelity. The case cracked the varnish of Victorian respectability, shocking and exciting the public in equal measure as they clambered to read the latest revelations of Florence’s past and glimpse her likeness in Madame Tussaud’s. Florence’s fate was fiercely debated in the courtroom, on the front pages of the newspapers and in parlours and backyards across the country. Did she poison her husband? Was her previous in-fidelity proof of murderous intentions? Was James’ own habit of self-medicating to blame for his de-mise? Historian Kate Colquhoun recounts an utterly absorbing tale of addiction, deception and adultery that keeps you asking to the very last page, “Did she kill him?” Angie's Comments: Did She Kill Him? broke my heart. The book is well-written and flows smoothly.  Author Kate Colquhoun does a fantastic job of placing the affair in the context of the time period. It is a glimpse into the feminism of the 1800s. The first 90 pages concentrate on the lives and marriage of the Maybricks. The rest of the book focuses on the evidence, the trial of Florence Maybrick, and the rest of Florence’s life. Did Florence kill her husband? Or did she at least try to kill him? I still don’t know, and Colquhoun keeps her opinion to herself. The events in this book haunt me. No matter who did what, it wasted people’s lives and destroyed a family. I keep wishing it hadn't happened, or that the people involved acted differently. But those are futile wishes.  If you like true crime stories that don’t have a good answer, this is the book for you.  Request this item

Only Enchanting

Only Enchanting by Mary Balogh

Summary: The Survivors' Club: Six men and one woman, all wounded in the Napoleonic Wars, their friendship forged during their recovery at Penderris Hall in Cornwall. Now, in the fourth novel of the Survivors' Club series, Flavian, Viscount Ponsonby, has left this refuge to find his own salvation—in the love of a most unsuspecting woman.…  Flavian, Viscount Ponsonby, was devastated by his fiancée’s desertion after his return home.  Now the woman who broke his heart is back—and everyone is eager to revive their engagement. Except Flavian, who, in a panic, runs straight into the arms of a most sensible yet enchanting young woman. Agnes Keeping has never been in love—and never wishes to be. But then she meets the charismatic Flavian, and suddenly Agnes falls so foolishly and so deeply that she agrees to his impetuous proposal of marriage. When Agnes discovers that the proposal is only to avenge his former love, she’s determined to flee. But Flavian has no intention of letting his new bride go, especially now that he too has fallen so passionately and so unexpectedly in love. Angie's Comments: Only Enchanting by Mary Balogh is another entry in her Survivors’ Club series. Agnes is scared of love and passion, and she has devoted her life to staying away from it. Agnes is a strong character who can withstand the problems of life. Flavian is a strong character who has learned to live with his traumatic brain injury. He doesn’t always understand himself or remember past events, but he challenges Agnes to feel passion. The families of both Flavian and Agnes are interesting and complicated. Even though Flavian’s brother died before the book began, he plays a large role in the plot. This is a sweet romance, not as steamy as some of Balogh’s other books. Ultimately, this book shows that life is a series of decisions, and sometimes you make good decisions and other times you have to live with the decision even if you don’t want to!  Request this item

The Best American Mystery Stories of the 19th Century

The Best American Mystery Stories of the 19th Century edited by Otto Penzler

Summary: With stories by Washington Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mark Twain, Louisa May Alcott, L. Frank Baum, Edith Wharton, Stephen Crane, and Jack London, The Best American Mystery Stories of the Nineteenth Century is an essential anthology of American letters. It’s a unique blend of beloved writers who contributed to the genre and forgotten names that pioneered the form, such as Anna Katharine Green, the godmother of mystery fiction, and the African-American writer Charles W. Chesnutt. Of course, Penzler includes “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” recognized as the first detective story, and with thirty-three stories spanning the years 1824–1899, nowhere else can readers find such a surprising, comprehensive take on the evolution of the American mystery story. Angie's Comments: This is a large volume of mystery stories! The introduction by Otto Penzler gives readers background on the development of the mystery genre. Each story has an introduction by Otto Penzler that contains author biographical information and a view of the story in the development of the genre. The background alone is worth reading the book. The stories are widely different, so some I enjoyed more than others. Some were short, some were longer. Some were more violent, while others were more psychological. There were even a few that were comic. If you love reading mystery fiction written in the 1800s, I highly recommend this book.  Request this item

The Laws of Murder

The Laws of Murder by Charles Finch

Summary: It’s 1876, and Charles Lenox, once London’s leading private investigator, has just given up his seat in Parliament after six years, primed to return to his first love, detection.  With high hopes he and three colleagues start a new detective agency, the first of its kind.  But as the months pass, and he is the only detective who cannot find work, Lenox begins to question whether he can still play the game as he once did. Then comes a chance to redeem himself, though at a terrible price: a friend, a member of Scotland Yard, is shot near Regent’s Park.  As Lenox begins to parse the peculiar details of the death – an unlaced boot, a days-old wound, an untraceable luggage ticket – he realizes that the incident may lead him into grave personal danger, beyond which lies a terrible truth. With all the humanity, glamor, and mystery that readers have come to love, the latest Lenox novel is a shining new confirmation of the enduring popularity of Charles Finch’s Victorian series.  Angie's Comments: A good historical mystery! This shows the seedy underside of Victorian England, and involves peers and common criminals alike. The relationships among Lenox and his family/friends are complex. This story does not involve much violence (much of the violence takes place off scene). If you like historical mysteries, you should check this book out!  Request this item

Wild

Wild by Sophie Jordan

Summary: A good girl goes fabulously bad in the final book in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s sexy New Adult romance series, in which three Ivy League suite-mates seek higher knowledge of just how far they can go. Months after her boyfriend dumped her, Georgia can still hear the insults he hurled at her. Boring. Predictable. Tame. Tired of feeling bad, she’s ready to change her image, and go a little wild. What better way to prove her ex wrong than a hot night of sexual adventure at the secret campus kink club? In the shadowy den of the kink club, she unexpectedly runs into Logan Mulvaney, her friend’s little brother. A player extraordinaire too hot for his own good, he may be younger, but the guy is light years ahead when it comes to sexual experience. Now he’s telling her to go home—“good girls” don’t belong here! Georgia is tired of having others define her. She’s going to teach Logan a lesson he won’t forget—one white hot, mind-wrecking kiss . . . that leads to another . . . and another . . . and. . . . Realizing she’s way in over her head, Georgia runs. Only Logan won’t let her go. Everywhere she goes he’s there, making her want every inch of him. Making her forget who she is. Who he is. And just how wrong they are for each other.  Angie's Comments: This is another entry in the New Adult genre. Wild ends the Ivy Chronicles series. There is a lot of steamy scenes in this book, so beware! Georgia is a sweet character who realizes in this book that she needs to become her own person and not be an extension of her mother. She has some growing pains, but it is great to see her grow up in this book. There is also an epilogue that wraps up the entire series. I recommend this book for romance readers who like a lot of heat.  Request this item

Craft Fail: When Homemade Goes Horribly Wrong

Craft Fail: When Homemade Goes Horribly Wrong by Heather Mann

Summary: Poor Bridgit, who overestimated the size of her head—her homemade frilly lace shower cap came straight down to her chin. And who can blame Lindsey for thinking “glitter shoes” sounded like a cool, easy project instead of what it turned out to be: a puddle of sparkling glop. And really, whoever posted that incredible Spaghetti-Stuffed Garlic Bread on Pinterest should be sued. When Mindy pulled hers from the oven, it looked like a “hot mess of intestines streaming out of doughy flesh.” Mmmm, thank you, Pinterest! Written by Heather Mann, publisher of CraftFail.com, her hilarious blog with millions of page views and hundreds of thousands of followers, CraftFail celebrates the creative process, but from the other side. This is the stuff that gets the “A for Effort” and LOL for outcome. But once the laughter dies down, it also inspires a warm feel-good respect for crafters who aren’t afraid to fail. After all, even if there’s not a mortal alive except Martha who can make a Waxed Heart worthy of hanging in your window to catch the sun, why shouldn’t many try? When it goes wrong, why shouldn’t the rest of us enjoy this Epic Fail? And then look at all the full-color photos that document it. Home decor fails, fashion fails, holiday fails, food fails, kid crafting fails— as one anonymous crafter said: “It wasn’t supposed to end this way.” Luckily for us, it did. Angie's Comments: I laughed out loud many times while reading this book! Each craft fail features the pictures of the Pinterest version and the Craftfail version. The pictures were fantastic, and the comments made me laugh even more. I feel much better about myself about this book, as someone who occasionally attempts crafts and often fails at them. If you craft or attempt to craft, this book is for you! Request this item

Winter Brides

Winter Brides by Denise Hunter, Deborah Raney, and Betsy St. Amant

Summary: Happily ever after begins today. The honor of your presence is requested at three winter weddings . . . A December Bride by Denise Hunter When Layla O'Reilly and Seth Murphy make their engagement public, she knows it's only to convince a major client that she's high-society enough to work for his agency. Seth has secretly loved Layla for years, but she’s never given him the time of day. For Layla, this romantic illusion is the chance to save her career. And for Seth, it's the chance to finally win her heart. A January Bride by Deborah Raney Novelist Madeleine Houser arranges a temporary office in a local bed and breakfast to escape the distracting renovations on her own house. Although she's never laid eyes on the inn's owner, an unlikely friendship blossoms between them as they leave daily notes for each other, and before long, Maddie finds herself falling for her mysterious host—a man likely many years her senior—and a man she's never even met. A February Bride by Betsy St. Amant History repeats itself when Allie Andrews escapes the church on her wedding day—wearing the same dress passed down for generations of women in her family, all women with histories of failed marriages. Allie loves Marcus but fears she's destined to repeat her family's mistakes. When thrown unexpectedly together for a wedding months later, Allie and Marcus discover their own story might be far from over. Angie's Comments: This book contains three novellas about winter brides. All three stories are heart-warming. Each novella has discussion questions at the end, so it is an easy book club read. If you are interested in serious reads, check out A December Bride and A February Bride. A January Bride, while dealing with serious issues, has more comedy. The novellas have a Christian background. I recommend this book for readers of Christian romance.  Request this item

The Life We Bury

The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens

Summary: College student Joe Talbert has the modest goal of completing a writing assignment for an English class. His task is to interview a stranger and write a brief biography of the person. With deadlines looming, Joe heads to a nearby nursing home to find a willing subject. There he meets Carl Iverson, and soon nothing in Joe's life is ever the same. Iverson is a dying Vietnam veteran--and a convicted murderer. With only a few months to live, he has been medically paroled to a nursing home, after spending thirty years in prison for the crimes of rape and murder. As Joe writes about Carl's life, especially Carl's valor in Vietnam, he cannot reconcile the heroism of the soldier with the despicable acts of the convict. Joe, along with his skeptical female neighbor, throws himself into uncovering the truth, but he is hamstrung in his efforts by having to deal with his dangerously dysfunctional mother, the guilt of leaving his autistic brother vulnerable, and a haunting childhood memory. Thread by thread, Joe unravels the tapestry of Carl’s conviction. But as he and Lila dig deeper into the circumstances of the crime, the stakes grow higher. Will Joe discover the truth before it’s too late to escape the fallout? Angie's Comments: I really enjoyed this book! The friendships are really a good part of this book: between Joe and Carl, Joe and Lila, and Lila and Jeremy. The mystery is not very mysterious, but the fun is in discovering the truth and seeing Joe’s determination to do right by his brother Jeremy and his interviewee Carl. In one or two places, the plot is a bit strained (like how the diary was deciphered), but otherwise the book was fast-paced and believable. Joe and the others discover that things aren’t always what they seem. The ending is very happy. I recommend this book for fiction readers who like developed characters, a little mystery, and happy endings.    Request this item

Sugar's Twice as Sweet

Sugar's Twice as Sweet by Marina Adair

Summary: He's trouble she doesn't need . . . Thanks to a cheating fiancé, Josephina Harrington's perfect life just crashed and burned. Moving in with her overbearing parents is definitely not an option. No, she needs to prove she can make it on her own. And she will-by turning her great-aunt's old plantation house into a destination getaway. She's just not expecting her contractor to be so hands-on-and so totally irresistible. . . . but everything she wants Bad-boy golf champion Brett McGraw figured his hometown of Sugar, Georgia was the perfect place to lay low and get his life back up to par. The leggy blonde with a pint-sized pup is the kind of sweet 'n sassy trouble he never saw coming. She doesn't know a nut from a bolt and before long, he's renovating her house . . . as she steals his heart. Can he convince Josephina that his womanizing ways are in the past and he's ready for forever? Angie's Comments: Sugar, Georgia, has some very interesting characters, especially the Granny Mafia! This is a sweet romance about finding out who you are and what you want to do in life. Brett is, underneath everything, a really nice guy, and Joie is learning who she is. I liked the witty and cute banter between the two. This is recommended for romance readers who like small town settings, odd characters, and some occasional spice.     Request this item

Proof Positive

Proof Positive by Archer Mayor

Summary: Ben Kendall was a troubled man. Coming back from Vietnam with PTSD and scars that no one else could see, he hid away from the world, filling his house with an ever-increasing amount of stuff, until finally, the piles collapsed and he was found dead, crushed beneath his own belongings. But what at first glance looks to be a tragic accidental death of a hoarder, may be something much more—and much deadlier. Ben’s cousin, medical examiner Beverly Hillstrom, unsettled by the circumstances of his death, alerts Joe Gunther and his Vermont Bureau of Investigation team. Ben, it seems, brought back something else from Vietnam than personal demons—he also brought back combat photos and negatives that someone else wants desperately to keep from the public eye. When Beverly’s daughter Rachel made her cousin Ben—and his photos—the subject of her college art project, some of those photos appeared on the walls of a local art gallery. This in turn resulted in the appearance of a two man hit squad, searching for some other missing negatives. With Joe Gunther and his squad trailing behind the grisly research results of the hit team, and the deadly killers closing in on Rachel, Gunther has little time to find and protect Rachel before she ends up in the same grisly state as her cousin before her. Archer Mayor's Proof Positive is another enthralling installment in the Joe Gunther Series. Angie's Comments: This was a good book that focused mostly on the mystery. Great for readers who like police mysteries. Although it is one of a series, this can be read as a stand-alone. I loved the very last page!    Request this item

The Phantom Killer

The Phantom Killer: Unlocking the Mystery of the Texarkana Serial Murders by James Presley

Summary: Set in the rowdy, often lawless town of Texarkana shortly after WWII, The Phantom Killer is the history of the most puzzling unsolved cases in the United States. The salacious and scandalous murders of a series of couples on Texarkana's "lovers lanes" in seemingly idyllic post-WWII America created a media maelstrom and cast a pall of fear over an entire region. What is even more surprising is that the case has remained cold for decades. Combining archival research and investigative journalism, Pulitzer Prize nominated historian James Presley reveals evidence that provides crucial keys to unlocking this decades-old puzzle. Dubbed "the Phantom murders" by the press, these grisly crimes took place in an America before dial telephones, DNA science, and criminal profiling. Even pre-television, print and radio media stirred emotions to a fever pitch. The Phantom Killer, exhaustively researched, is the only definitive nonfiction book on the case, and includes details from an unpublished account by a survivor, and rare, never-before-published photographs. Although the case lives on today on television, the Internet, a revived fictional movie and even an off-Broadway play, with so much of the investigation shrouded in mystery since 1946, rumors and fractured facts have distorted the reality. Now, for the first time, a careful examination of the archival record, personal interviews, and stubborn fact checking come together to produce new insights and revelations on the old slayings. Angie's Comments: I had only heard a little about these murders and knew that the murders might have inspired the urban legend of the hookman (the one where a teenage couple is parked in lovers lane and they hear of an escaped convict…). I really enjoyed the first half of the book. James Presley, nephew of one of the investigators, creates an atmosphere and provides great details about the murders and the fear that they inspired in the community. In the last half of the book, Presley argues that one man is the murderer. He goes into great detail about the movements and alibis of the man. The details were slightly overwhelming. Is the man really the Phantom Killer? Presley thinks so, although others may disagree. This book really shows how humans haven’t changed in the past sixty years. The Phantom Killer is recommended for true crime readers.    Request this item

Safari

Safari by Parnell Hall

Summary: The new Stanley Hastings mystery caper, which takes the ever-loquacious private detective on safari in Zambia . . . What could possibly go wrong? Stanley Hastings on safari? I don’t think so. Neither did Stanley, until Alice’s small inheritance—coupled with scrimping on a few luxuries like food and rent—allowed them to book a group trip to Zambia. Now the New York PI is hiking with lions, canoeing with hippos, and having close encounters with elephants and giraffes. It’s a dangerous safari. The leader is a reckless, gung-ho, great white hunter who delights in leaping from the jeep with a hearty “Come on, gang, let’s see where this lion is going!” And a series of bizarre accidents quickly dwindles the group’s numbers. Why was the guide’s young spotter foolish enough to walk under a sausage fruit tree . . . just as one of the huge sausage fruits fell? How did the leaves of a poisonous plant wind up in a tourist’s salad? Are these really accidents? A stabbing tips the scale. It’s murder, and the only policeman in a hundred miles is a park ranger (whose only murder case was that of an ivory poacher shot dead in plain sight). It’s up to Stanley to crack the case . . . if he can just avoid being eaten by a lion. Angie's Comments: This is my first Stanley Hastings novel, and I will be reading more of the series! Stanley Hastings is a character many people can relate to. The book is not scary, and is more comedic than anything. I recommend this book for readers of lighthearted, cozy mysteries.  Request this item