Literary Latte Reviews

A Mercy by Toni Morrison. November 2008. Knopf

Reviewed by : Linnea Patrick

This is the story of a young slave girl given to a northern colonial merchant in payment of debt. She is never able to understand why her mother would let her go and keep her baby brother. This is a theme that continues from the Pulitzer prize winning book Beloved written in 1987. The voice of Florens is lyrical and full of passion. "I dream a dream that dreams back at me," she says. "Perhaps these words need the air that is out in the world. Need to fly up then fall, fall like ash over acres of primrose and mallow. . . . I am become wilderness but I am also Florens. In full. Unforgiven. Unforgiving. No ruth, my love. None. Hear me? Slave. Free. I last."

Preserving Summer's Bounty

A Variety of Pickling, Canning, and Preserving Books.

reviewed by: Ali Dyche, Friends of the Library board.

Preserving Summer's Bounty by Susan McClure is a quick guide to freezing,canning,preserving and drying what you grow. It is beautifully laid out, easy to follow and comprehend. The mouth watering recipes are reminiscent of the Ball book. I will definitely want to check this out again. Putting up: A Year Round Guide to Canning in the Southern Tradition by Stephen Palmer Dowdney is a book with truely unique recipes. It is one I will continue to use for the choices for peaches, green tomatoes, and bean dip! What Can I Do With My Herbs? by Judy Barrett is a wonderful compilation of the most commonly used herbs and a few exotic ones as well. It has good advice on how to grow them and possible uses.

Between Heaven and Hell

Between Heaven and Hell: A Dialog Somewhere Beyond Death with John F. Kennedy, C.S. Lewis and Aldous Huxley. Paul Kreeft. 2008

Reviewed by : April Canaday

As you may or may not know, Huxley, Lewis and Kennedy died within minutes of one another, and this book imagines what it would be like if they met each other in a type of Purgatory. One reviewer writes, "Kreeft writes out a very believable (and highly Socratic) debate between them. I highly suggest it. In the book, Kennedy represents the modernist; Huxley represents the eastern mystic; and Lewis represents the Christian. They debate about truth, Jesus, and textual issues. Lewis presents his Mere Christianity style of debate, avoiding the minor issues and focusing on the more important truths about God and Christ.One of my favorite lines from the book happens right after Kennedy complains that Lewis is too "black and white". Kennedy prefers the idea that everything is gray and that there is no absolute truth. Kennedy asks Lewis to demonstrate one thing that is "black and white", one absolute. Lewis responds, "I'll give you two... black and white."

The Awakening

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong is the second book in the Darkest Powers Trilogy. It begins right where the first book (The Summoning) left off. Chloe Saunders has discovered that she is a necromancer: she can see and raise up the dead. She has recently escaped from Lyle House with her supernatural friends: Derek, Simon, and Rae. However she and Rae were caught and imprisoned in a laboratory run by an organization called the Edison Group. This organization is a sinister group that wants to control and exterminate unstable supernaturals. Chloe Saunders escapes and finds Derek and Simon. They are now fugitives on the run from the Edison Group and are trying to locate Simon's dad, the only person who could possibly help them.

Reviewed by Fuxia

The Summoning

The Summoning is the first book of the Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong. Chloe Saunders wants to be a normal 15 year old but she has one problem: she can see ghosts. After an horrible encounter with a ghost she is sent off to Lyle house, a center for "disturbed" teens. At first Chloe just wants to get better but when her roommate disappears, Chloe begins to get suspicious about Lyle House and the other teens there. Why are they there? Who owns Lyle House? What is wrong with her? Step by step Chloe Saunders begins to uncover the truth about Lyle House, the residents there, and more her special ability.

Reviewed by Fuxia