Beastly

By Alex Finn...a retelling of a classic fairy tale...Beauty and the Beast only this one takes place in New York City, and the beast is a teenage boy who has it all, looks, money, and popularity.  He meets up with a witch who decides to make his outward appearance look just like his insides...and he ends up looking like a beast.  He has two years to have someone fall in love with him and kiss him to break the spell.  I really enjoyed the story.  It was fresh and new.  I can't wait to see the film that has been made based on this book.  I recommend this to teens and adults who enjoy a good romance and reading about someone finding themselves.

The Widow of the South

By Robert Hicks...recommended to me by several people I decided to listen to this book.  The characters are voiced differently and the book focuses on the town of Franklin, TN during the Civil War and after.  The McGavock farm is made into a Confederate hospital just before the battle that takes place in Franklin, TN...there the woman of the house, Carrie McGavock, meets men and boys who have been injured fighting the war.  Several years later a wealthy landowner decides to plow his field which is full of the dead from the war...Carrie makes a decision that will change the rest of her life.  I was moved by the different stories...while this was fiction I believed many of the reasons men and boys fight were addressed.  There were both Union and Confederate points of view.  There were people of the town whose lives were interrupted by the war.  It was a great book and I highly recommend!

A Modern Archives Reader

Basic Readings on Archival Theory and Practice...by Maygene F. Daniels and Timothy Walch.  Admittedly not for the average reader.  This book was published in 1984 and reprinted without updating in 2004.  There are many issues in archives that are not addressed, mainly the computer, digital records, etc.  But, as a book introducing one to the how and why of archives, this is a good beginning text.  Unfortunately if someone in the archival field wrote a book to update it is unlikely to sell many documents...better off e-publishing I guess.

You Slay Me

(Aisling Grey, Guardian, Book 1) By Katie MacAlister...I read the 4th book of this series because a library patron mentioned she was listening to it and LOVED the witty humor and fun subject material.  I decided to read the 4th book as well and loved it.  Once I finished reading book 4 I decided to go and start at the beginning to learn about the characters and enjoy it from the beginning.  Not a disappointment at all.  Still fun and witty.  Love Jim!  He is the most awesome character.  Love the steamy scenes between Drake and Aisling...if you blush easily, this may not be for you.  I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Public History

Essays from the Field edited by James B Gardner and Peter S LaPaglia...what a great book for someone going into the field of Public History.  Several essays on the different jobs, controversies, and issues facing those in the field.  Written by people already in the field they discuss how they arrived at their jobs and some of the challenges and rewards.  Loved the book....but would not recommend to the average reader.  If you love history and wonder what sorts of jobs you could manage with that love of history, this is the book for you!