GREAT READS

The American Heiress

Daisy Goodwin.

As I shelved a DVD of the PBS miniseries, "Downton Abbey," I wished for the second season to finally air! And then I saw her: a gorgeous young woman in a white ball gown, standing under a magnificent chandelier, silhouetted by a huge window. I immediately picked up the book, "American Heiress," by Daisy Goodwin and was surprised to see a comment on the back cover: this was the perfect book for anyone going through "Downton Abbey" withdrawal! I was hooked by the cover and entranced by the story......more

Recommended by Frazier Walker

The Story of Beautiful Girl

Rachel Simon.

The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon is a very touching story written to make you consider what it would have been like to be physically handicapped in the 1960's . The book follows the life of two residents of the School for the Incurable and Feebleminded, and the people they have contact with inside and outside the institution. The lives of these two people, one an African American deaf male (Homan) and the other, a Jewish female mute (Lynnie), will touch your heart and make you reall......more

Recommended by Kristi Burr

Super 8

From writer/director J.J. Abrams of the TV show "Lost" fame and producer Steven Spielberg - Super 8 is set in a small Ohio town in 1979 where a group of teenaged friends are working on a film about zombies using their Super 8 camera. While filming a scene near the train tracks late one night, the friends witness a horrific train accident that sets off a series of mysterious disappearances and the militarized takeover of their small town. The Deputy's son, Joe, is at the center of the story alo......more

Recommended by Cheryl Finnan

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

O'Malley, Bryan Lee.

I don't know about you, but I have a couple of teenagers and sometimes it's hard to find a movie that we can all watch together. I finally found one. Part live-action movie, part video game adventure, Scott Pilgrim vs The World chronicles a brief period in the life of 22 year-old Scott Pilgrim and his quest for true love with the literal girl of his dreams, Vanessa. He soon finds out that he must battle her "7 evil exes" from her storied past if he wants to move forward with her--all this while ......more

Recommended by Cheryl Finnan

The Weird Sisters

Eleanor Brown.

I have always considered my sisters to be weird (and, yes, I have always thought of myself as the normal one), so when I saw this book, "The Weird Sisters" by Eleanor Brown, I picked it up. Reading the summary and discovering that the story takes place in Columbus, Ohio, my hometown, I was sure the book was written for me. I am so glad I did. I loved this family and their eccentricities. The father, a Shakespeare scholar, constantly quotes from Shakespeare's plays. The mother is dealing wit......more

Recommended by Mitzi Fields

Bill Cunningham New York

Press, Richard

If you want to get the feel of big city life without leaving your armchair, just pop "Bill Cunningham New York" into your DVD player. Cunningham is a longtime photographer for the New York Times, known for his "On the Street" feature in which he photographs what trendy folks actually wear when they are out and about in the Big Apple. His photos always have a great sense of humor about them. This documentary follows the seventy-something Mr. Cunningham on the job. He's a real personality who ride......more

Recommended by David Healey

Spencer's Mountain

Most mornings at my house, the television is turned on as background noise and mostly I ignore it, not really caring too much about Hollywood interviews and fashion trends. Recently though, I stopped in my tracks when an old familiar tune began playing and I heard the words, "Goodnight, JohnBoy." There on my TV screen was the cast of the Waltons, all grown up and celebrating the show's 40th anniversary. That's right, 40 years. Feeling old? Although I had seen many re-runs of the Waltons over th......more

Recommended by Priscilla Garvin

The Cellist of Sarajevo

Steven Galloway.

This book opened my eyes. What was I doing in the early 90's? Thinking about my children, pets, house, job? The people of Sarajevo were under siege for four years. We heard about it on the news every day, but it did not become a reality for me until I read this fictional account of four people trying to survive in a city with constant mortars, sniper attacks, no electricity and no water. The simple act of walking across the city to get water for his children was a risk for one young man. A......more

Recommended by Mitzi Fields

Dear Lemon Lima

Phase 4 Films

"Dear Lemon Lima" is about a girl named Vanessa who writes in her journal to her imaginary friend Lemon Lima. Set in Alaska, Vanessa is half native Alaskan from the Yupik tribe, although she initially sees herself as more white than native. After having her heart broken by Philip, a private school sophomore who she worked with at an ice cream stand, Vanessa sets out to win him back by attending his prestigious school with a scholarship awarded to a gifted student with Native Alaskan heritage.......more

Recommended by Cheryl Finnan

The Name of the Star

Maureen Johnson.

Rory Deveaux plans to spend her senior year a boarding school in London, a far cry from her life in Louisiana. While Rory is hoping for an exciting year at Wexford, she gets way more than she bargained for. Rory's arrival coincides with the first in a series of brutal killings that mimic those committed by Jack the Ripper almost 125 years ago and her new school is located squarely within the murderer's range. In the midst of the panic, Rory starts seeing people that no one else can see, includi......more

Recommended by Amanda Krumrine