Guest Review of "The Confessor (Gabriel Allon, #3)" by Daniel Silva

This guest review is by Shirley Ayres.

The Confessor (Gabriel Allon, #3) (2003) by Daniel Silva

Israeli Mossad Agent Gabriel Allon is in Venice restoring a 16th century altarpiece by Bellini located in the San Zaccaria church.  Allon, using his undercover name of Mario Delvecchio and speaking only Italian, learns about the murder of his old friend, Professor Benjamin Stern, who had been working secretly on a book about the Catholic Church during World War II.
Gabriel’s search for the assassin takes him throughout Europe and the Vatican.  Even the Pope is a character in this spy thriller.
Silva knows how to keep his readers on the edges of their seats, turning pages late into the night.  Very good reading with great characters.

Summer Reading Fun!

          It's summer at the Bradley Beach Library and you know what that means: Summer Reading!! The kickoff party was last weekend, but if you missed it, don't worry--there is still time to sign up.
          This year, everyone who signs up for the program gets a passport booklet and all sorts of other cool things. Every week, if you come into the library with your passport, a librarian will stamp it and enter your name into the weekly raffle for that week's super awesome prize. Some examples of the prizes include gift cards to local restaurants like Fins, light-up lanterns from Stewart's Hardware and a top-secret mystery basket. You could win those prizes just by coming in and visiting us at the lovely library! 

         If you want to win even more prizes, you can read and color in the pictures in the passport. Each picture represents either one book or thirty minutes of reading and is worth five points. There are prizes to be won at different intervals. For example, when you reach 50 points, if you come in and get your passport stamped, you will get a prize. The same goes for 100, 150, 200, 250, 400 and 500 points.
          Even if you don't read as much as you'd like, or if you just want to earn even more points, there are all sorts of neat activities that you can do, such as attending a library program or making a homemade bird feeder that will get you closer to earning a prize.
          Every week is themed to a certain genre of book and while you do not have to read books of that genre, many of the activities of the week will be centered around that theme. For example, this week's theme is horror and today's afternoon movie is "Jaws."
          On August 16 at 11:00 am, we are having our Summer Reading Finale, where we will celebrate the achievements of everyone who participated in the program and play some fun games.
          So, come into the library to get your passport and start your summer reading today!

Guest Review: Stephen Crane: A Life of Fire by Paul Sorrentino

[This review was written by Rita Campbell]

Stephen Crane: A Life of Fire
by Paul Sorrentino

Stephen Crane told his stories in printed prose, color always emphasizing the mood of the protagonist, the bleakness or beauty of the setting. 

Like music stirs the human heart, color enhanced the telling of his tales.

"Maggie of the Streets" ambles along the bleak, black streets of the NY Bowery searching, searching for happiness. The street lights outline her figure as she slinks along, despairingly. 

Or "Red Badge of Courage," the young, frightened soldier Henry Fleming stares at the smoke-filled sky and battlefield cluttered with dead soldiers, grey and red-stained lying all about. Through the mist of dark clouds a host of white light, the rounded Sun draws his eyes, fills him with a sense of a new day. 

Color in moods; color that framed the tale, the wonder of color, is Stephen Crane. 

[Thank you, Rita!]