Saturday, March 31, 2012






While most history buffs and students know about the mass deportations of Germans, Jews, and Russians during World War II, little is known about Lithuania. Intellectuals, artists, teachers, and librarians (and their families) were forcibly removed from their homes and exiled to Siberia. Between Shades of Gray tells us about the horrors experienced by the Lithuanians from a teen girl's point of view. Ruta Sepetys effectively lays out the horror of war without getting too graphic. This book would make an excellent starting off point for World War II Lithuanian research. The author's note also list more resources for Lithuanian research.

Monday, March 26, 2012


Title: The Orphan Master
Author: Jean Zimmerman
Release Date: June 19, 2012

Talk has been buzzing in Library Land about  The Orphan Master by Jean Zimmerman. This historical fiction novel is set in 1663 New Amsterdam (now known as Manhattan), and features a motley crew of characters and vivid historical details. Look for my review coming soon...
And if you're wondering how I was able to get an Advanced Reader's Copy, I have joined the First Flights program by Penguin Publishers. It's easy and free to join and you can do so by clicking here: www.earlyword.com/firstflights.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012





Title: Faces from the Land: Twenty Years of Powwow Tradition
Author(s): Ben and Linda Marra
Genre: non-fiction
Composed of full-page and half-page color photos of various modern Native Americans dressed in traditional Native American powwow costumes. I never knew that powwow costumes were so colorful! The tribes represented are mostly from the American and Canadian Plains and western part of the continent. The photos were taken over a time span of 20 years but look timeless and elegant due to consistency in background and lighting.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Intro

Hi there and welcome to my blog! I was encouraged by a friend (you know who you are) to start this blog since I read a lot. Of course with work and family I don't get to read as much as I wish but I always manage to fit it in throughout my day.