Reads from the Road is a bi-monthly newsletter highlighting new additions to the bookmobile collection. Customers and staff submit reviews about books, DVDs, music CDs, and video gamers along with telling us whether they "Loved It," "Liked It," or "Loathed It". The newsletter and comment forms can also be found on the bookmobile.

Fiction:

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann (Adult Fiction)
Frank McCourt has called this book "a blockbuster groundbreaking heartbreaking symphony of a novel."  Many voices combine to tell an urban tale with the backdrop of the Twin Towers of New York. (A National Book Award Winner)

Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving (Adult Fiction and CD Book)
A book for Irving fans. The story spans 5 years in the lives of a father and son who flee murder and are pursued by an unrelenting sheriff.

The Leisure Seeker : A Novel by Michael Zadoorian (Michigan Author)
Two seniors have shared a wonderful life for more than fifty years. Now in their eighties, one suffering from cancer has chosen to stop treatment, her husband has Alzheimer's. These self-proclaimed "down-on-their-luck geezers" kidnap themselves from their adult children and doctors who seem to run their lives. They steal away from their home in suburban Detroit on a forbidden vacation of rediscovery.

The Help: A Novel by Kathryn Stockett (Adult Fiction)
The book explores the curious dynamics between white women in the Deep South and the black women who raised their children.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave (CD book)
A haunting novel about the friendship between two strangers - one an illegal Nigerian refugee, the other a recent widow from suburban London.

The Sacred Hearts: A Novel by Sarah Dunant (Adult Fiction)
Serafina, a 16 year old is ripped from a love affair and confined to an Italian convent. A book of passion, rebellion and friendship...

Love and Summer: A Novel by William Trevor (Adult Fiction)
A love story of sad consequences. The lead character is torn between an unsatisfying life and a hope of new love....

Nonfiction:

Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne (796.6 B)
Famed member of the rock group "Talking Heads," Byrne, reveals the pleasures of bicycling through inner cities while examining the wonders and problems of many of the major metropolitan areas he has visited.

Julie & Julia : 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell (641.5092P)
The author describes how a year long mission of mastering every recipe in Julia Child's 1961 classic, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," turns around a life of discontent

Great Architecture of Michigan by John Gallagher. (720 G)
This is a "great" book! - photos of Michigan landmarks presented and described in an entertaining manner.

The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki (Audio Book 658.11 K)
Turn your ideas into action. A guide for anyone starting anything.....

Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics:Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients by Ina Garten (641.5b G)
Great recipes, simple ingredients, "everything comes out right." - add wonderful photos and you have the perfect cookbook.

Children's Corner:

Preschool- Grade 2

Who's Been Here? A Tale in Tracks by Fran Hodgkins

Three children and their golden retriever go out to play in the snow. Willy, the dog, runs along and finds many different kinds of animal tracks in the snow. The children try to guess what kind of animal it is by the tracks. This book is both fun and informative. Enjoy this story for a great interactive story time. The surprise ending should bring you a good laugh!!

Grades 3-5

Spot the Plot A Riddle Book of Book Riddles by J. Patrick Lewis

How well do you remember your beloved picture books? This riddle book gives the reader clues to characters in well-loved picture books. Clever and fun, read this book at dinner time with your family and see who can guess the most clues correctly. P.S. - the answers are on the last page. Have fun with this book!

Grades 6-8

After The Train by Gloria Whelan

Whelan, a Michigan author, has written an interesting Holocaust novel. The setting is 10 years after World War II in a little German town. The horrors of the Nazi regime are still fresh in some of the villager's minds. Peter Liebig discovers a letter of his parent's that he was never meant to see. The book follows Peter through his discovery of how the war really changed the life of Germans and himself as well. A thought- provoking read.

The Bookmobile staff have selected these titles for your reading pleasure.  If you want to know more about any of these or similar titles, you only have to ask.  If you would like to submit a review yourself please talk to one of the bookmobile staff.