Secret Servant by Daniel Silva

Gabriel Allon, master art restorer and sometime officer of Israeli intelligence, is sent to Amsterdam to purge the archives of a murdered terrorism analyst, Solomon Rosner. While in Amsterdam he uncovers a plot to kidnap Elizabeth Halton, daughter of the American Ambassador to England. Warnings to British authorities are not acted upon in time and Allon gets to the scene just as Elizabeth Halton is being kidnapped by terrorists. We follow Allon as he and his team crisscross Europe in hopes of rescuing her before the terrorists kill her.

Silva has given us an exciting novel that provides some background on the plight of the Islamic and Israeli world in the East and throughout Europe. -Reviewed by Rosie

Aristrocrats: Caroline, Emily, Louisa and Sarah Lennox,1740-1832 by Stella Tillyard

Through excerpts from the many, many letters the sisters exchanged, you meet four 18th century woman in this book and, in a way, listen in on their conversations with one another. The oldest, Caroline, though “vastly frightened” elopes with a man her family disapproves of adamantly. Emily marries twice, has 22 children (half of whom survive to adulthood), and loves to gossip, gamble and spend money. Louisa, referred to by her sisters as “that sweet angel”, marries the wealthy owner of the Castletown estate in Ireland. Sarah has something darkly independent, even perverse, in her nature. She gains the admiration and love of the future king of England, but ends up marrying Bunbury who doesn’t love her as much as she doesn’t love him. You can find this book on the shelf with the call number 929.2 Lennox. - Reviewed by Nancy

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Early in the 1900's, a brother and a sister leave their village in Greece to escape a Turkish invasion. As immigrants, they arrive in the U.S. and wind up in Detroit, Michigan, where another relative had previously emigrated. Their romance becomes the kernel for a family saga that spans three generations.

Eugenides narrates his tale through the character of Cal, a hermaphrodite who carries a rare genetic mutation that begins to manifest when she/he reaches puberty.

In the beginning of the book, during the flight from Greece, the author painted a very gruesome picture of the burning of Smyrna - my mistake was to read it at night before going to bed - however, most of the novel was very entertaining. The author created some enjoyable characters that were quite believable.

For me, the ending was a little disappointing in that the threads of the story seemed to snip off rather than gracefully weave together, but overall, I would recommend this book to older teens and adults. - Reviewed by Joyce

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace--One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson

One man can make a difference! Greg Mortenson is a mountain climber who failed in his attempt to ascend K2 in 1993. As a result, he was cared for by villagers in a remote mountain area of Pakistan. As he recovered from his failed climb, he came to understand the culture and issues facing these poor villagers. He learned that: " The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest. The third time you share a cup of tea, you become family."

David Oliver Relin recounts Greg’s vision to help reduce the results of poverty in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Greg kept his promise to his caretakers by raising money to build schools and bridges and improve the quality of life. As the founder of the Central Asia Institute, Greg’s humanitarian mission has extended throughout the world.

This book is an inspiring tale of perseverance and of the kindness of a courageous man. - Reviewed by Deb

Dick Francis

If you have not read a Dick Francis novel, now is a good time to start. Francis takes you behind-the-scenes into the world of horse racing with a number of different characters: jockey, trainer, owner, accountant, artist, and private investigators, to name a few. Dick Francis was himself a professional steeplechase jockey winning more than 350 races and a grand champion in 1954. He won the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award for Best Novel three times. Readers of any age who enjoy a good mystery will appreciate the detail of the racing world and the story lines.

If you like to start at the beginning, Dead Cert, was his first racing novel, but there is no need to read them in order. He wrote 36 novels and for years every March I would await the newest selection. Each title stands on its own and rarely does a character appear in more than one novel. The mysteries are fast paced with a strong appealing protagonist in his 20s or 30’s who is honorable with a high moral sense, and a high pain tolerance generally due to his rigorous and demanding years as a jockey.

With the renewed interest in horse racing after the Kentucky Derby and interest in Big Brown, this author is especially appealing. Francis is a consistent and reliable author, who writes a good story and is perfect for a summer read. -Reviewed by Rosie

Watchmen by Alan Moore

Watchmen by Alan Moore is considered one of the greatest graphic novels of all time; it is the only graphic novel to have made Time magazine's list of top 100 novels of all time. Reading it, one can see why it is so highly thought of, and rereading it, one can find new details that escape notice the first time around. Moore has set us up with a story that is surprisingly detailed, interlocked, and complex but makes sure to lay out all the details of the story in such a way that, as long as one is paying attention, it is not hard to follow at all.

The story does begin to feel a bit dated because the time period it takes place in is receding further and further from our thoughts; it was published in the late 80s and took place in 1985; 20 years later 1985 might as well be 1285 for some readers. However, it is perhaps saved from being completely obscured by the passage of time because the 1985 the story takes place in is not the 1985 we all lived through; it is a 1985 where superheroes are quite real and where one, who can create matter at will, has completely changed the course of history, technology, and the like. He is also the one thing keeping the world from mutually assured destruction, and therein lies the entire problem.

The story plays out like a mystery, and while there are superheroes and some superheroics, the costumed crime-fighters are presented in a very realistic way – far more realistic than in your average comic book – as is their impact on the world. The mystery unfolds and gets deeper and more complex, and in the end, it is solid detective work and investigation, not super powers, that gets the job done. There is no 4-color comic book ending where good is right and evil wrong, but instead the motivations and actions of multiple individuals are both called in to question and supported by the results, if not the means.

This is a thinking person’s graphic novel, and it well deserves the accolades it has accumulated over the years. - Reviewed by John

Eden's Outcasts: the Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Father by John Matteson

Sharing a birthday and almost sharing the same day of death, the story of Louisa May Alcott and her father, Bronson Alcott, is complex and intertwined. Most readers will know Louisa May Alcott as the author of Little Women. Fewer readers will know about her father, Bronson, who was a teacher, philosopher, starter of a utopian society, and friend of Emerson and Thoreau. Matteson expertly explores their relationship – a relationship complicated by Bronson’s career faltering while his daughter became more and more famous. Highly readable and full of fascinating historical detail, this biography won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Biography. – Reviewed by Sarah

The Tompkins County Public Library will host a reading and signing by Pulitzer Prize winner John Matteson, Saturday, August 16, 2008 at 1:00 PM in the Borg Warner Community Meeting Room. Eden’s Outcasts is a complement to the 2008 Community Read selection, March by Geraldine Brooks, which tells the story of the absentee father from Alcott’s Little Women. Copies of Eden’s Outcasts will be available for purchase from the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation on the day of the event.

Chinese Fiction

Celebrate the opening of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games by reading some Chinese fiction books from the Tompkins County Public Library. From historical family sagas to modern-day mysteries set in China, our reading list has something for everyone. Each month librarians create thematic reading lists for those looking for a good book to read. To sign up for our monthly booklist newsletter service, please visit http://www.booksite.com/texis/scripts/bookletter/addnluser.html?sid=6631. To view the Chinese fiction booklist, please click on the title, "Chinese Fiction" above. - Posted by Adult Services Staff

Dog Days: Dispatches from Bedlam Farm by Jon Katz

If you like dogs and farms that have animals on them with names, then this is a book for your enjoyment. The cover drew me to this book. There is a resting Border Collie laying down near some summer flowers. This of course is unusual because these dogs are very active. In this non- fiction book, Katz chronicles his days at his farm in upstate NY. He calls the farm Bedlam Farm.

His insights about his animals including 4 donkeys, 1 large steer and one cow, a flock of sheep and 4 dogs along with a cat called Mother, a rooster and hens are very funny. But he also conveys many pearls of wisdom about his move from an urban area, his love of dogs and his new place in the farm community. Katz reveals his deep connection to his wife Paula who mostly lives downstate but visits often. -Reviewed by Patricia