by Marlette, Doug
A terrorist attack on the Institute of Modern Art in New York City triggers memories for a New York City newspaper columnist of a church bombing during the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi. Carter Ransom struggles to put both of these events into perspective as the KKK’s Grand Imperial Wizard is retried for the church bombing. The events from the past are told through a series of flashbacks, but Ransom family secrets from the past are about to come to light. Was there a cover-up involving Carter’s father in the first trial? Magic Time will draw you in with two fascinating stories of the past and present. It may also give you new enlightenments on life during the civil rights era.
- reviewed by Cassandra, Mint Hill Branch, PLCMC

by De Castrique, Mark
Mark De Castrique begins a new and unique series with Blackman’s Coffin, deftly blending two powerful stories of greed and murder in the mountains around Asheville, NC. Sam Blackman, former Chief Warrant Officer in the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the U.S. military, lost a leg and a piece of his soul in Iraq. He is about to be released from the VA hospital in Asheville with a big question mark hanging over the rest of his life. Sam is surprised when ex-marine and fellow amputee Tikima Robertson visits him with vague hints about an opportunity. Then Tikima is found floating in the French Broad River, leaving people wondering why. Blackman’s Coffin is a vibrant mix of North Carolina’s western mountain history, colorful characters, and an exceptional tale.
- reviewed by Susan, Independence Regional, PLCMC

by Buffett, Jimmy
No pirates, no Caribbean, and no boats, just a pig in a greenhouse on top of a four-star hotel in New York - - how can this be a Jimmy Buffett book? Only Jimmy could come up with this light-hearted tale of a pig looking for her brother while avoiding capture by an evil chef named “Butcher.” The crazy cast includes a soccer player, a designer, the mayor, a pastry chef, and a flock of “pigilante” pigeons. It’s a typical Jimmy Buffett crew adrift in Manhattan, floating along with a pig dressed in a dog costume. This is poolside reading at its best for both teens and adults.
- reviewed by Thea, South County Regional, PLCMC

by Blanchard, Ken; Don Husten, and Ethan Willis
The respected author of The One-minute Manager has written another easy-to-read and easy-to-understand book to help inspire the entrepreneurial spirit in its readers. He and his co-authors have us follow a new business entrepreneur (a fictional parable) through preparation, setup, growth, and maintenance of his business. As readers, we get the benefit of this new entrepreneur’s one-minute summations of lessons learned as well as insight and practical advice coming from personal and business mentors such as Sheldon Bowles, Peter Drucker, Michael Gerber, and Charlie “Tremendous” Jones. The end of the book includes a nice list of suggested readings and a list of the Top 20 Attributes of Successful Entrepreneurs.
- reviewed by Heidi, North County Regional, PLCMC

by Child, Lee
In Nothing To Lose, Lee Child’s twelfth Jack Reacher novel, Reacher feels the exact dip in the road between Hope and Despair, Colorado every time he crosses it. Although the two towns are only twelve miles apart, the difference in the soul of each town is as big as the difference between, well. . .hope and despair. When Reacher arrives in Despair, all he wants is a good cup of coffee before he passes on down the road. Unfortunately, the coffee is served with hostility, a vagrancy charge, and a ride out of town. Reacher takes his abusive treatment personally and the adventure begins. He finds an ally in Officer Vaughan of the Hope Police Department. Together, they begin to uncover the many secrets in the company town of Despair. Lee Child presents another explosive chapter in Jack Reacher’s story, Nothing To Lose.
- reviewed by Susan, Independence Regional, PLCMC