BPL Blog
Posted by JGranatino on Mon, Jun 05
In the early 1900s, radium was considered the new "wonder" material although many of its effects were still unknown. As the world turned its attention to WWI, hundreds of young women, some as young as 13, were employed in three studios in New Jersey, Illinois and Connecticut painting luminescent dials for watches and aeronautic equipment. Unknown to the girls, this paint contained a minute amount of radium. The young women were reassured that the paint was completely safe and were trained to "...
Posted by JGranatino on Mon, Jun 05
Lovers of historical fiction/fantasy such as Gabaldon’s Outlander series and time travel novel such as Nifenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife will be captivated by the story of Beatrice Trovato, a gifted 21st century neurosurgeon who is mysteriously transported back in time to medieval Siena. Supporting herself as a scribe in the Ospedale Santa Maria della Scala, Beatrice will meet and fall in love with Gabriele Accosta, a gifted Sienese artist commissioned to produce a fresco...
Posted by JGranatino on Thu, Jun 01
In this novel, Lisa See explores the lives of Chinese ethnic minority, the Akha people, in a remote Yunnan village. Li-yan, one of the few educated girls on her mountain, is among the first to reject the rules that have shaped her existence. When she has a baby outside of wedlock, rather than stand by tradition, she wraps her daughter in a blanket with a tea cake hidden in her swaddling, and abandons her in the nearest city. Haley, as she is now called by her adoptive parents in America, grows...
Posted by JGranatino on Fri, May 26
Beckford is a typical sleepy town in England, surrounded by a river whose peaceful pools hide treacherous weeds and rocks beneath the surface. The town has a history dating back to the days of witches who were drowned in the river’s black waters. A local woman writing a book on the river's history is found floating in the “Drowning Pool” but was it suicide or a murder meant to keep secrets hidden? Hawkins uses different character voices to tell the story where even the upstanding citizens have...
Posted by JGranatino on Wed, May 24
Lisa Scottline is well-known for her mysteries, but she and daughter Francesca have also written several humorous essay/memoirs as a mother-daughter team, comparable to Erma Bombeck or Nora Ephron. While looking for a light audiobook to offset commuter gridlock, Does This Beach Make Me Look Fat? True Stories and Confessions helped lighten the mood with their characteristic self-deprecating take on everything from dealing with rodent control, diets, relationships/dating and family. It’s hard not...
Posted by JGranatino on Mon, May 22
A terrible virus has transformed most of humankind into “hungries”, a zombie-like state. A group of scientists and military personnel has been ordered to northern Scotland where the last transport disappeared, ostensibly to gather samples for study as they desperately seek to find a cure. Dr. Samrina Khan has taken charge of one of their researchers, a young but brilliant savant named Stephen Greaves whose secret nighttime forays has led him to investigate a nest of child “hungries” exhibiting...
Posted by JGranatino on Mon, May 22
Traveling though Andalusia with his wife and three year old daughter, Steven Nightingale becomes captivated by Granada. Originally intending to rent a house, he and his wife ultimately decide to purchase and renovate a house in the historic Albayzin neighborhood, which, along with the palace-fortress known as the Alhambra, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. As he explores the charming carmens and winding streets of his new neighborhood, he studies the period of the ...
Posted by JGranatino on Wed, May 17
Amy York is leaving her Connecticut home soon for her freshman year of college. Before she goes, her father imparts some wisdom on selecting the perfect man as he doesn’t want anything to stand in the way of her pursuing her dream as a journalist. He explains a whimsical sorting of utensils to guide her to choose the right partner - the steak knife. Amy and her college friendshave fun navigating their way through their dating experience of spoons, forks and the ever so desirable, knife. It...
Posted by JGranatino on Wed, May 17
More than 35 million people currently have Hashimoto’s Disease, the fastest growing autoimmune disease. With Hashimoto’s, the body is attacking the thyroid leaving the patient with often debilitating symptoms. Brain fog, memory issues, weight gain, extreme tiredness, adrenal fatigue and poor gut health are just some of the symptoms that some patients may experience. Sadly, most physicians treat this condition with a synthetic medicine and don’t concern themselves with addressing the symptoms....
Posted by JGranatino on Wed, May 17
Life for 25 year old twin sisters, Ava and Zelda Antipova, was never easy. They came into the world receiving the other’s name and that set the stage for their dysfunctional life with an alcoholic mother and a father with a second family. An act of betrayal by the two people closest to Ava sends her fleeing to Paris abandoning her twin who is stuck alone to take care of their mother who has dementia. To make matters worse, the family vineyard is flailing. But now Zelda is dead so her mother...
