Monday, October 31, 2005

Fall Book Review

Cover to Cover always has a great fall book review. The people there really know what they are talking about, and I never miss this event. Here's what they said in their mailer:

Our annual book review evenings will be held Tuesday, Novemebr 15th and Thursday, November 17th from 6:00 until 8:00. Cover to Cover staff will share the best of the Fall, 2005 publications for pre-school age youngsters through young adults. Parents are teachers are welcomed, and gift bags of book related items will be given to all in attendance. Light refreshments will be available.

Cover to Cover is also celebrating their 25th birthday with a 20% discount from November 7th - November 12th (And they usually offer this discount after the book talk for any new books you heard about and want to buy)

Recipe - Krystal's Reese's Peanut Butter Pie

We've had some great treats at our meetings, and we'd love to have your recipes. If you send them to me (Steph), I will post them on our web site. Here's one from Krystal:

Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie (makes 2 pies)

Crust:
1 bag oreos with cream scooped out, blended (generic work fine)
Put crumbs in bottom of two pie pans (approximately 1 cup each)
Melt 5-6 TB butter and pour over crumbs (just moist enough to mush)

Filling:
8 oz pkg cream cheese
½ cup sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
Stir together, and then add 12 oz Cool Whip

Divide in two, pour into two crusts. Let set up for a little while in fridge so fudge spreads easier.

Layer hot fudge on top (1 can sweetened condensed milk and ½ pkg chocolate chips makes a good hot fudge) of each pie. Top off with 12 oz Cool Whip.

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

November - Mysteries

We'll be meeting at Katherine Richardson's to talk about mysteries.

Please read the following books:

The Westing Game – By Ellen Raskin
One fateful day, sixteen people gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westing's will. To their surprise, the will turns out to be a contest, challenging the heirs to find out who among them is Westing's murderer. Forging ahead, through blizzards, burglaries, and bombings, the game is on. Only two people hold all the clues. One of them is a Westing heir. The other is you!

Bernie Magruder and the Bats in the Belfry – by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
A rare breed of bats invades Middleburg, Ind. (or have they?), that horrible hymn still rings from the belfry (but why?), and Bernie and his friends are determined to figure out why the town's gone batty in Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Bernie Magruder & the Bats in the Belfry

Assassin: The Lady Grace Mysteries – by Patricia Finney
It's the spring of 1569 and 13-year-old Lady Grace, the youngest lady-in-waiting to the Queen, finds herself at a glittering ball choosing amongst three suitors. But the Queen's generosity turns deadly as threats, dark secrets, and even murder descend on the Tudor court. And it is up to Grace to use her intelligence, stealth, and curious nature to solve the mystery that threatens the very lifeblood of England.

Flush – By Carl Hiaasen
On Father's Day, Noah visits his dad at the local jail. Dad is a feisty environmentalist with a short fuse. Convinced that the Coral Queen was dumping raw sewage into the harbor, he decided to take matters in his own hands. He sank the floating casino (at least temporarily), but ended up in the hoosegow. Noah knows that his dad was right about the sewage, even if his corrective method was a little over the top. To clean the slate and the harbor, he drafts a motley crew of friends to get the goods on the illegal dumpers.


For the fifth book choose what you want to read! Choose another mystery to read and then share it with the group. Here are a few titles to consider, but feel free to pick whatever you want, even a grownup mystery, and bring it to share with the rest of the group! (We haven’t read all of these books, they were recommended by different librarians, so please read at your own risk)

Ruby in the Smoke – Philip Pullman
A Book Without Words – Avi
Bird – Angela Johnson
Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery – John Feinstein
Shakespeare’s Secret - Elise Broach
Crooked River - Shelley Pearsall
And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie
Ravine – Janet Hickman
Wolf Rider: A tAle of Terror – Avi
The Dark Stairs – Betsy Byars
Falcon's Malteser, The: a Diamond Brothers Mystery – Anthony Horowitz
Acceleration – Graham McNamee
Whispers from the Dead – Joan Lowery Nixon
The House of Dies Drear – Virginia Hamilton