Aaron Cutler Memorial Library

All American Girl
by Meg Cabot

This book is the best. Meg Cabot makes you feel like you know all the characters.
 

Murder List
by Julie Garwood

A little mystery...a little romance.
 

A Prayer for Owen Meany
by John Irving

Excellent story!
 

The Alchemist: Warrior of the Light
by Paolo Coelho

Simple fable, simple truths. Great message to follow.
 

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
by J. K. Rowling
 

Into the Wilderness
by Sara Donati

Great characters! Didn't want it to end.
 

Junie B. Jones and the Monster Under the Bed
by Barbara Park

Made us laugh.
 

I have three:

Dive From Clausen's Pier
by Ann Packer

Did not want to put it down! Felt I was reading about my friends and would not see them again once I finished the book!

It's Not About the Bike
by Lance Armstrong

Tells about his trials and tribulations of cancer and the Tour de France. Great book and quick and easy to read.

Art of Mending
by Elizabeth Berg

Great book and author.
 

The Sugar Camp Quilt
by Jennifer Chiaverini

Excellent book about courage and the underground railroad supporters.
 

Widow of the South
by Robert Hicks

This historical novel, based on a true story, recounts the battle of Franklin as well as the incredible story of Carrie McGavock, a woman who quite literally honored over a thousand dead soldiers by creating a cemetary on her own land for them. It's an amazing read.
 

Best Read of 2005...

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
by Christopher Moore

In this tale, we find an imaginative fictionalized account of what Jesus did between birth and his ministry from his childhood pal Biff. (In my head, the voice of Biff was provided by Chris Rock, possibly the influence of Dogma.) Despite being incredibly witty and fun to read, the book did make you stop and think about how things really might have been for Jesus.
 

Best Teen Read of 2005...

Elsewhere
by Gabrielle Zevin

This was an interesting take on reincarnation. When Liz Hall finds herself on a cruise ship in the middle of nowhere, where everyone wears white nightgowns, and her cabinmate has a hole in her head, she thinks she must be dreaming. But Liz soon realizes she's dead and on her way to Elsewhere, a place where you age backwards until you are a baby and are sent back to earth.

Just the thought of aging backwards and all its ramifications will keep you busy for a while. All in all, a very enjoyable read.
 

Best Children's Read of 2005...

Al Capone Does My Shirts
by Gennifer Choldenko

Moose's family moves to Alcatraz where his father is a guard, and his sister can go to a special school. The warden's daughter ensnares all the other children in her plots to profit from the famous criminals at Alcatrz, while Moose takes care of Natalie so his mother can work and they can get Nat into that school. In the end, Al Capone is the one who helps get her in.

This is a wonderful book with many great discussion points--sister with autism in the 30's, mother that's manic depressive, 12 year old boy with too much responsibility, father who hides from the situation, families living on Alcatraz Island, etc. I highly recommend it for young and old alike.

This Newbery Medal Honor book has one of my favorite library quotes:
Favorite lines: "So, what happened?" Scout asks. "With the shiv in the library book?"..."Like I said, somebody sliced up a guy. Maybe killed him...That's the thing about the cell house library," I say, "it's a high-risk operation." "Really?" a girl asks. "Books are overdue," I explain, "they lock you up. They have a special cell for it. Overdue library book cell. If it's more than 10 days overdue, they put you in the hold. Solitary confinement." "No kidding?" the fat kid asks. I can see him fingering his library book, which I'm guessing is past due."

I wonder if we could get one of those...