The Candy Bombers The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America's Finest Hour, by Andrei Cherny. A good narrative invites us to another time and place.  In "The Candy Bombers," we find ourselves in post-war, occupied Berlin.  When Soviet Russia blockades the city in June of 1948, West Berlin is cut off by land and sea.  Facing starvation or communist take-over, the situation looks hopeless.  The drama unfolds with the launch of an American airlift which delivers food, coal and, yes, even candy to the hungry residents of Berlin.  What begins as an unpopular stop-gap relief measure becomes instrumental in the spread of Democracy and goodwill between nations. Nancy

The Survivors Club: The Secrets and Science That Could Save Your Life, by Ben Sherwood. The author of "The Man Who Ate the 747" and a writer for the L.A. Times, investigates why some people live, and why some people die.  He travels the world to gain insight from people who have survived a variety of near fatal events including a mountain lion attack, Holocaust concentration camp, dropping six miles through the sky without a parachute, and ejecting from a fighter plane at sea level doing Mach 1.  Ben interviews an array of experts to understand the psychology, genetics and other incidentals that determine whether we live or die.  The second half of the book includes access to an online test to determine the reader's survivor profile and details how to interpret that profile. Enjoy! Lori

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. Imagine the United States in another time, ruled by an oppressive, totalitarian government.  In order to keep the people from revolting, they are required to participate in the Hunger Games each year.  Each district must send 2 representatives – a boy and a girl – to compete in the government run games which are broadcast on TV like an adventure-reality show, but the goal is to be the sole survivor.  Katniss volunteers to take her younger sister’s place in the games, but it has been a long time since anyone from her district has won.  Will she survive, and if she does, will life ever be the same?  This story is an edge-of-your seat page turner, recommended for teens and adults. Sue

The Definitive Collection/Judy Garland. This CD features a collection of songs recorded by Judy Garland between 1937 and 1945.  Most are solo recordings, but a few are duets, including a great one with Gene Kelly of “For Me and My Gal”.  Other favorites of mine were “Embraceable You”, “The Trolley Song”, “Blues in the Night”, and, of course, “Over the Rainbow”.  There are also some beautiful pictures of Judy and program notes.  An album that every Judy Garland fan will enjoy – more than once! Susan

The Private Patient, by P. D. James, is the latest James mystery featuring Commander Adam Dalgliesh.  Here, investigative journalist Rhoda Gradwyn is a patient at the exclusive (and elusive) Cheverell Manor, a private medical clinic in Dorset.  She has come to have a facial scar removed, and refuses to disclose its childhood cause.  When she is found dead the morning after her successful surgery, Dalgliesh is called in to sort through numerous suspicious characters, secrets in the past, several red herrings, and a great deal of psychological drama building up to the final scenes.

Work 101: Learning the Ropes of the Workplace Without Hanging Yourself, by Elizabeth  Freedman. Not just for newbies in the work world, this slim volume is chock full of practical advice for every work situation. What to say, what to do, what to wear, it’s all covered here in a straight forward and humorous style: imagine Dale Carnegie enlightening the crowd from The Office. Robert.