Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917

I knew absolutely nothing about the largest man-made explosion before the atomic bomb. I would venture to guess that not many people know anything about this disaster. The author of Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917, Sally M. Walker, did a wonderful job of researching this piece of history.

The city of Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada was a thriving port in 1917. With more than 45,000 people living in Halifax it was a major “jumping-off” port for ships carrying troops and supplies from North America to the countries involved in World War 1.

Because Halifax had a deep harbor, it could house ships of all sizes. The railroad stretched across the harbor area allowing the easy access of freight to the ships.

On the opposite shore from Halifax lays the settlement of Dartmouth. An unusual aspect of the harbor is its very narrow entry.

The inexplicable accident that caused the ship carrying explosives to ignite, devastated this close-knit community.

Read Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917 to find out  just how the accident occurred, how many people died, and how people for all over the Northeast rallied to help the survivors.

Out of Sight, Out of Time

Ally Carter's fifth book in the Gallagher Girls series will delight fans! Out of Sight, Out of Time is a complex mystery. Cammie has been found! She has been missing for an entire summer when she mysteriously ran away from the Gallagher Academy for Girls( the spy academy). Where was she found? In Europe! Everyone of her friends is angry with her--angry that she ran away, angry that she didn't include them, and angry that Cammie could have died.

Poor Cammie's memory has been altered. She is bruised. There are deep scratches on her arms. She has obviously been tortured yet she recollects none of it.

It is up to Bex, Zach, Liz, and Macey with the help of Cammie's Aunt Abby and her mom to solve the mystery of Cammie's summer that wasn't.

Shelfari: Book reviews on your book blog

A Million Suns

Beth Revis’s sequel to Across the Universe continues the saga of the doomed spaceship Godspeed on its mission to colonize Centauri-Earth three hundred years into the future.

Elder is now the leader, but he refuses the title of Eldest to show that he is not like former rulers. Instead, he has given the people their freedom. Their freedom from the mind-numbing drug Phylus has the entire spaceship acting differently. The Feeders aren’t tending the crops. The food supply is drastically in jeopardy. Revolt is in the air as people are being killed and the messages found on their bodies convey this message: “Follow the leader.”

Why is Bartie, one of Elder’s best friends suddenly questioning every decision Elder makes? Why is Amy so terrified of Luthor? Will Amy get to see her parents again? Will it be necessary to awake Orion from his frozen slumber to lead the ship? Can Orion ever be trusted? How will Elder learn how to lead his people?

A Dog's Purpose

I love the cover of W. Bruce Cameron’s book A Dog’s Purpose: A Novel for Humans. I love the cover because it shows the dog thinking. Anyone who has owned a pet knows that as the owner, you often wonder what the dog could be thinking!

In Cameron’s book, the reader is delighted to learn the dog’s perspective as his main character is the same dog soul reincarnated several times throughout the book. As the dog gains knowledge, that learning often benefits him or her in his next life with humans.

I found myself thinking of memorable family pets from childhood and recent ones. The ties that bind people to animals are very strong. Any animal lover will enjoy this title!