Solo: A Modern Cookbook for a Party of One
Anita Lo
Release Date: October 30, 2018
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Amanda's Review:
Great cookbook with recipes for one, which can be difficult to find. Mostly pantry ingredients that I already have or that are easily accessible and won’t break the bank. Really well written, easy to follow instructions. It would be a 5 star cookbook if photos of the recipes were included. I need to know what my food is supposed to look like so I know that I’ve done it correctly!
The Girl with the Dragon Heart
Stephanie Burgis
Release Date: November 6, 2018
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Tirzah's Review:
This is the second book in the Tales from the Chocolate Heart series. It was fun to revisit this world full of dragons and not-so-nice fairies. The first book is my favorite of the two, but this one was still interesting. I recommend to those who enjoy magic, dragons, and chocolate.
Ways to Hide in Winter
Sarah St. Vincent
Release Date: November 6, 2018
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Mary's Review:
This is the author's debut novel and is of the thriller genre. The story is about a character who after surviving a life altering accident at 22, recuperates by retreating to a remote campground lodge where she works in the canteen. A student from Uzbekistan arrives in the middle of winter to stay at the park hostel clearly hiding from something. As she befriends him and becomes absorbed in his secrets she is forced to also confront her own. It's a powerful story about violence and redemption, betrayal and empathy, and how we reconcile the unforgivable in those we love.
This Is Marketing: You Can't Be Seen Until You Learn to See
Seth Godin
Release Date: November 13, 2018
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Cary's Review:
I really gained some insight from reading this book. Godin is a former Yahoo executive and marketing guru. As a business or service provider, rather than trying to attract “anyone” by trying to provide “everything,” his approach focuses on attracting a limited group by linking what services you want to provide with the personal “stories” they tell about themselves. If you give your users/buyers a more fantastic experience that hones in on their hobbies, buying habits, and world views, then they will happily broaden your net by bringing in friends and spreading the word. As service providers, we should try to be great for our user base and the fringe of that group, and expansion will follow naturally.
Something Like Breathing
Angela Readman
Release Date: January 19, 2019
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Krista's Review:
This is an interesting book which followed the friendship of two girls on a remote Scottish island in the fifties. The story mixed slice of life moments with a subtle amount of supernatural to form an engaging and interesting plot.
The Lost Girls of Paris
Pam Jenoff
Release Date: January 29, 2019
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Katherine's Review:
An interesting historical fiction novel about women who went to France during WWII as radio-operators for covert operations. I was worried that this would be very similar to "The Alice Network" which I had recently finished, but it is a very different book. The characters never felt completely 'real' to me, perhaps not as fleshed out as they could be, and I felt that sometimes a character did something or changed their opinion about someone much too quickly to be believable. I almost stopped reading this book half-way though when some critical information was revealed which made me unsure if wanted to continue. But continue I did, and I am glad that I know how the author ended her novel. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
The Familiars
Stacey Halls
Release Date: Feb. 7, 2019
Rating: 3 out 5 stars
Katherine's Review:
A fascinating look at a England in the 1600's. I found this book to be well-written but did feel like there were a few plot points that were never fully resolved. I enjoyed reading about this period of time and learning about how different life was for women. I have a lot of things pulling me away from reading right now, but when I picked this book it was very hard to put back down and it took priority - a sure sign of great book.
About the Author
Katherine is the Social Media Coordinator and has been working at EPL since 2008. She loves books, especially ones with unique plots and those written so well that she can't put them down.