A CHANCE IN THE WORLD by:  Steve Pemberton   This new nonfiction book is now available at the Genoa Branch Library.

Raised with the name Steve Klakowicz, Steve always wondered about his origins.  Taken from his mother at age three, Steve had no memory of his family.  He spent his childhood with two abusive, foster families.  His only respite was school.  He excelled scholastically and won a full scholarship to Boston  College.  Eventually he was able to find out who his parents were, although both had died at young ages.  When he found out who he "really was" he legally changed his last name to the name of his father's family.  Even though he did find his family, his path was still filled with pain and heartache.  It is a testament to human nature that Steve was able to rise above his terrible beginning and become a man of integrity.  He is now married and is a loving father to three children.  He works as the  Divisional Vice-President and Chief Diversity Officer for Walgreens.

Reviewed by Mimi Fintel - Branch Manager, Genoa Branch Library



SEA GLASS by:  Anita Shreve    This 2002 book by Anita Shreve is available at the Genoa Branch Library.
After reading "The Pilot's Wife" by Anita Shreve, I wanted to try another one of her books so I picked up "Sea Glass."  I enjoyed this book although it was not as "addictive" as "The Pilot's Wife."  We had learned in book group that the house described in "The Pilot's Wife" has appeared in 4 other books by Anita Shreve.  This is one of the books that uses that same house but there any comparison stops.  This books has 5 main characters.  At first they seem to have nothing in common other than they live in the same town but eventually their lives become intertwined.  One of the characters, Honora lived in the house on the beach and each morning she scours the beach for sea glass.  She likes to imagine where the glass traveled from, who owned it, and what it was.  The pieces of sea glass are like the characters in the booky.  Each has a different story and gradually Honora finds out the history behind each of them.  This was a pleasant read. 
Reviewed by:  Mimi Fintel, Branch Manager - Genoa Branch Library.

following atticus

FOLLOWING ATTICUS by:  Tom Ryan and now available at the Genoa Branch Library.
This new nonfiction book tells about the adventures of Tom Ryan and his 20 pound dog, Atticus, as they hike the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  During one winter the man and his dog attempted to climb 96 mountain peaks in 90 days.  This isn't just a book of courage and perseverence but also a book about love and respect.  The communication between these two is remarkable.  Tom Ryan's descriptions are so vivid you feel like you are hiking and seeing the beautiful scenery he and Atticus encounter.  This is great book for dog lovers, hikers or anyone who thinks they can't pursue a dream because they are "too old."
Reviewed by Mimi Fintel - Genoa Branch Library


IS EVERYONE HANGING OUT WITHOUT ME? (AND OTHER CONCERNS) by:  Mindy Kaling and now available at the Genoa Branch Library.

Mindy Kaling is an Emmy-nominated writer, an actress on NBC's The Office and now the author of her first book.  In this book Kaling gives us an irreverent look at her life from a quiet, obedient child with a bowl cut to her present success story-  with plenty of chuckles along the way.  Besides being funny, this book was interesting when she described her upbringing by her immigrant parents. 

I give this book a thumbs up! 

Reviewed by Mimi Fintel - Branch Mgr. - Genoa Branch Library

MAN SEEKS GOD by:  Eric Weiner - nonfiction now available at the Genoa Library.

Eric Weiner, a non practicing Jew, went on a quest to find "his God"after an emergency room visit.  His journey took him from Las Vegas to investigate the Railians, the world's largest UFO-based religion, to Israel to study Kabbalah to Nepal meditating with Tibetan lamas and China to unblock his chi and to Turkey where he learned to whirl like a dervish.  In the end, Weiner found he was Jewish at heart but with a little Sufism, Taoism, Franciscan with a hedonistic streak thrown in.  On his way to find God he also found himself.

I found this book to be a little slow at times but overall quite interesting. I enjoyed learning a little more about other religions.  You may too!

Reviewed by:  Mimi Fintel, Genoa Branch Library



The Eighty-Dollar Champion by:  Elizabeth Letts and now available at the Genoa Branch Library.

This uplifting, fast read will leave you smiling and possibly wanting to go out and buy a horse!  Snowball was a champion jumper in the late 1950's.  He was an underdog that took the  world by storm!  He was rescued by Harry de Leyer as Harry locked eyes with the horse through the slats of a truck waiting to take the plow horse to the slaughterhouse.  Harry saw something in that horse's eyes that prompted him to spend eighty dollars to purchase him.  Harry's children named him Snowball.  With much love and care, Snowball blossomed into an attractive stead and soon was used to give riding lessons to young girls at a boarding school where Harry worked.  After several years, Harry decided to sell Snowball but Snowball was having none of it.  He returned home countless times jumping numerous fences to get there.  Finally Harry decided to keep Snowball and begin training him to be a jumper.  That was the beginning of a wonderful career for Snowball as a champion jumper.

I give this book a definite thumbs up!  reviewed by:  Mimi Fintel, Branch Manager-Genoa Library