by Agatha Christie
Prudence Cowley (better known as Tuppence to her friends) is in London looking for work after World War I when she bumps into her old school chum, Tommy Beresford.
He hasn't had any luck in finding a job after being discharged, either - and the young man is getting down to his last few pounds.
In an attempt to put a brave face on their difficulties, the two decide to place a classified ad in the paper touting themselves as two young adventurers up to any job, so long as it pays well.
That's when a mystery starts brewing for Tuppence and Tommy. The young adventurers are contacted for help in finding a young woman named Jane Finn, who has not been seen for five years.
More importantly, the secret papers she carried with her during the war have disappeared without a trace, too. When it turns out that various organizations want to get their hands on the papers for nefarious purposes, Tommy and Tuppence must pit their wits against an unknown adversary to find Jane Finn and restore the documents to the British government.
Agatha Christie does require readers of this merry chase to suspend their disbelief when it comes to some glaring coincidences in the plot, but overall this is an enjoyable light-hearted read by the Queen Of Crime. The Secret Adversary can be found in the adult mystery collection as well as the large print collection at the Prince George Public Library. An unabridged audiobook of this novel can also be downloaded from the library website onto an iPod, mp3 player, or computer.
reviewed by Rachel Huston, marketing and development assistant at the Prince George Public Library
Rollergirl: Totally True Tales From The Track
by Melissa Joulwan
When Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan first laced up her skates, she knew that roller derby was for her. A founding member of the Texas Rollergirls--the league that spear-headed the revival of roller derby as a modern sport - Melicious recounts stories of the beginnings of women's flat track roller derby in the United States.
For women who are curious about roller derby and are interested to learn more, Rollergirl does not disappoint. Melicious breaks down the rules of roller derby and explains them in simple, straight-forward way. She discusses everything from the dimensions of a flat track, to the gear people need to get started, to how to come up with a derby persona. Also included are biographical snippets of popular and well-known derby girls from various leagues across the United States. Her bubbly and feisty personality comes through the pages and readers will find themselves both snickering and wincing as Melicious describes the epic crashes, heated fights, and bitter disappointments in her career as a derby girl.
Readers who are interested in sports stories or those who are curious about the sport of roller derby specifically will find Rollergirl to be both informative and entertaining. For those readers who have heard about Prince George's own local roller-derby scene and want to learn more, Rollergirl would be an excellent read to help them understand the origins of the game and its rules. Rollergirl can be found in the adult general collection at the Bob Harkins Branch of the Prince George Public Library.
reviewed by Amy Dawley, teen librarian at the Prince George Public Library
The Road
by Cormac McCarthy
The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, is a post-apocalyptic horror novel about the fight for survival of the story's two main characters: a father and his ten-year-old son. The story begins with these two characters trudging their way down a deserted road, scrounging for food, hiding from those who would steal it from them, and heading towards "the coast", which the father hopes will be their salvation.
The reader is not told what caused this post-apocalyptic state; we are only told of its aftermath. Grey ash falls from the sky and blocks the sun; all animals, vegetation, and most people are dead, and those that remain struggle to survive in a world where little food remains and where many of the remaining humans are reduced to the most vile form of violence against each other: cannibalism.
The father clings to the faintest of hope that if he and his son can reach the coast, then things may be better there. He tells himself that this disaster may not engulf the entire world, and this thin hope keeps him sane and moving forward.
This story is about the love of this father for his son, and his desperation to protect him from danger and from losing faith in humanity. The son continually asks his father, "We're the good guys, right?" desperate to be reassured that it is so. Yet his father's actions towards other survivors they meet along their journey cast slivers of doubt in the young boy's mind.
The Road, by Cormac McCarthy, is an excellently written, heart-wrenching story about one man's struggle to hold on to his son, and his humanity, against all conceivable odds. Readers who enjoy novels in the post-apocalyptic or horror genres will find this book nearly impossible to put down.
Borrow this book from the Prince George Public Library or check it out as a book on CD. It is available at both the Bob Harkins Branch and the Nechako branch.
reviewed by Teresa Taggart,
readers' advisor at the
Prince George Public Library
