Reviews

In 78 short pages, Klein explains the challenges facing Puerto Ricans before, during, and after Hurricane Maria. We know from spotty news coverage that many are still without power and water, but Klein presents the even bigger threat posed by billionaires that want to turn Puerto Rico into a tax haven paradise. Complete with surfing and support from local government officials.

Red Land Black Land is a historical exploration of ancient Egyptian civilizations that discusses religion, rulers, and artifacts, but also focuses on the daily lives and experiences of ancient Egyptians – peasants and pharaohs alike. Some of the topics I found most interesting centered on the smaller details of life, like how people viewed pets, how clothing was made, what foods were popular, and what people did in their spare time. 

Sometimes you want to play a game that is deep and meaningful, with intricate gameplay and insight into human nature, that will draw you in for weeks on end.

Sometimes you just want some cute fluff you can knock out in a matter of hours.

This is definitely the latter.

Johnson County Library and The Writers Place are pleased to announce that Rebecca Schier-Akamelu has won the short story category of our writing contest on the theme of MUSIC with "From One to the Next".

Rebecca writes from Overland Park and has previously been published in A Long Story Short and The Kansas City Star. She is also a voiceover artist and a proud wife and mom.

From One to the Next

Birds inhabit every corner of our planet and represent freedom to many people throughout the world.  In this impressive book, photographer Joel Sartore shares images of captive birds from his work with the National Geographic Society on the Photo Ark project—an undertaking to document every living species in the world’s wildlife sanctuaries and zoos.  His photographs inspire wonder as you flip through these pages.  The accompanying text by Noah Strycker offers fascinating information about the world of birds.  The diversity---10,500 species of birds at last count; the sp

Wow. This little book packs a punch. One of the Boys is short, quick reading, deceptively simple, and deeply affecting.

The twelve-year-old narrator has always revered his affable, charismatic father. After witnessing a "war" of separation and divorce, he desperately wants to be "one of the boys" with his dad and older brother when they decide to leave Kansas for New Mexico. He wants to be there to experience his dad's promised freedom to be like a kid again. So he does what it takes to make it happen.

Hello and welcome to our new release roundup for the month of July! If this is your first time, we take a brief look at some of the well-reviewed titles that we either love or have heard great things about.

I loved this book! Clare is a recent college graduate engaged to be married but is starting to have second thoughts. The weekend of her wedding, Clare has several chance encounters with a stranger named Edith, an elderly woman who happens to be staying at Clare's wedding venue. Clare's conversations with Edith change the trajectory of Clare's life. Without giving away any plot details, the book alternates between Clare's present and Edith's past. As Clare searches to uncover the mystery of Edith's past, she learns more about herself and what's im

I think I would have come around to romance novels years earlier if I had only realized how much angst could precede the genre's requisite happy endings. Hate To Want You nailed both angst and satisfaction.

Jane Goodall is a living legend and one of the women I most admire. Her chimpanzee research during the 1960’s at the Gombe National Park in Tanzania is the subject of this National Geographic documentary. The film features never-before-seen footage from her early years of research.