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Due in large part to my Scandinavian heritage and growing up in Minnesota, I have been fascinated with the story of the Vikings in North America. Most people are familiar with Leif Erikson's voyage to Vinland, but how much farther did Norse influence reach? In American Vikings , Martyn Whittock explores not only what we know about Viking exploration of North America, but also the many theories, legends, and controversies that have grown up around the subject. Whittock begins with the historical evidence surrounding the Norse settlements in Greenland and the archaeological discoveries at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, reminding the us that Viking exploration of the New World is no longer a matter of speculation but an accepted part of history. But even with this knowledge, there is still much debate as to the extent of the Vikings' reach. The book examines runestones, disputed artifacts, medieval sagas, Native American encounters, and the sometimes outlandish claims tha...

This was a new experience in reading for me for a couple of reasons. But first, the story: Blair Huntingdon and Proctor Gamble are detectives with the Rainbow Detective Agency. They argue a lot and they can't seem to agree on most things, but they also can't keep their hands off each other. Yes, they are the rainbow Detective Agency because they are gay partners as well as business partners. Their newest client is Alonzo Albertini - a gorgeous hunk of man. Well, maybe he's a man and maybe not. He claims to be an Italian fairy with magical powers. Not surprisingly, Blair and Proctor can't agree - Proctor thinks the man is a nut but Blair believes him. Their differences could mean disaster as their investigation will take them to interacting with a dark order of magicians, have them in touch with a chalice stolen from the Vatican, and a whole web of magical intrigue and magic. Part of what makes this book a new experience for me is because of the blend of story and sex. I...

John Scalzi has developed a knack for taking an utterly absurd premise, treating it with complete sincerity, and somehow creating a story that is both laugh-out-loud funny and surprisingly heartfelt. Monsters of Ohio continues that tradition. Richland, Ohio, is a small farming community that has seen better days. The town's largest employer is preparing to shut down, private equity has its sights set on what remains, and longtime residents are wondering what comes next. Mike Boyd returns home expecting only to help his family through difficult times, but instead finds himself caught in events that become stranger by the day. It starts with odd happenings involving local livestock before escalating into something that no one—not the townspeople, the authorities, or the readers—could have anticipated. Scalzi embraces the weirdness with enthusiasm, but beneath the bizarre surface lies a story about community, belonging, and deciding what kind of people we choose to be. One of Scalzi...

Cork O'Connor is trying to enjoy his retirement and hopefully teach his grandchildren the joys of spending time in God's Country - the Boundary Waters. But just before a planned trip, two different family members have had a troubling vision involving, they strongly believe, Cork. Adding to the concern is that Cork has been having problems with his heart.  While he's encouraged to stay home for this trip, Cork is determined to get into the Boundary Waters. Not surprisingly, Cork first sees evidence of someone who's not familiar with the etiquette for being the area. And when he discovers a body, he knows it's time to send the youngsters back and asks them to contact the local law enforcement. Meanwhile Cork is going to investigate on his own. What Cork encounters is a pair of brothers seeking a treasure hidden by their father decades prior. The dead man that Cork came across was a third brother who was slowing them down. To say these men are dangerous is downplaying ...

How to write a book for middle school boys - Lesson #1: Put the word 'Fart' in the title. Lesson #2: Include lots of fart puns through the book. Joan Holub's book Fartboy and Reeky Dog completes both lessons. Fart Boy and his classmates are on a special field trip to the museum, but someone gave our intrepid protagonist peanuts and garbanzo beans for dinner - an explosive combination! The resulting massive and stinky farts bring the dinosaur exhibits to life! Fart Boy and his friends have to find a way to stop the rampaging dinosaur bones - as well as the evil Dr. Gravypants - who is also in the museum with some evil plans. I've read a few different 'fart' books for middle schoolers and I was honestly a little underwhelmed with this. The fart humor was like a high-pitched squeaky fart - a little bit forced. Like a lot of books for school-aged readers, this is more than just fart and scat humor - readers might actually learn a little something while snickering...

Reacher! It feels good to have another Reacher novel in hand.  Jack Reacher can be a hard man to find when you want him but when you have the resources of the U.S. military intelligence at your disposal even finding Reacher is possible. Fortunately, General Susan Turner has that ability.  Turner needs to have someone look into an incident - off the record - in which one of her IT reports was killed in Colorado. Officially declared a mugging gone wrong, Turner suspects there's much more to it. And the fact that there is likely a breach in their internal communications suggests that it might be an inside job. Reacher, along with Turner and her most trusted aide, slowly unravel a multi-billion dollar scheme involving cutting edge technology.  Being unable to ask for much help, not knowing who to trust, severely handicaps the trio in their efforts to avenge the slain soldier and secure the military's communications once again. What is there to say about this? It's a Reacher n...