Book Review: Chilling 'The Dinner'

Kelly Thunstrom, editor/publisher of 1776books.net, reviews 'The Beach Club,' by Elin Hilderbrand.

The past few years have seen books trending towards the psychological thriller.  Some, such as William Landay’s Defending Jacob and S.J. Watson’s Before I Go to Sleep are like giant puzzles, just begging for the reader to put them together.  Others, like Gillian Flynn’s phenomenally successful Gone Girl, practically make the reader feel queasy inside and want to take a shower at the end.  Herman Koch’s international bestseller The Dinner is a hybrid of the two styles. We start off with Paul and Claire, a husband and wife, getting ready for to go to an exorbitantly expensive restaurant with Paul’s brother and sister-in-law, Serge and Babette.  As Paul is the narrator (and he becomes an increasingly unreliable one at that as The …

• Photos (1)

Montco Mommy

Passing Down a Passion for Books

Montco Mommy's family has shared a box set of books for three generations now.

When I was little, I wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder. I read all of her books, and most days, I’d trade any of my modern day luxuries to be that little girl on the prairie. These days, when I’m sitting in thick Philadelphia traffic or watching my MacBook spin the “pinwheel of death,” I sometimes dream of the same thing. Sometimes, I wouldn’t mind giving up cable TV, electricity and laundry machines for the feeling of wide open spaces, working for the simplicity of survival and skipping out on all of our modern-day challenges. When I was little, my mom handed down her tattered and torn copies of all of Wilder’s books. She had a box set when she was a kid. I still remember the perfect penmanship scripted in pencil with her name on the …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

NPHS Honors Literature at First 'Lit Fest'

The Knight Crier at North Penn High School covered the events of the first-ever literature festival in the auditorium on Feb. 21

On Thursday, Feb. 21, juniors in North Penn High School's Honors English program celebrated prose and literature during its first-annual "Lit Fest." Students re-enacted scenes, competed in drama readings and a book cover design contest were just some of the events. According to Knight Crier executive editor Bridget Phillips, the event emphasized "literature’s position in the incredible English curriculum in our school and overall district." Read more of The Knight Crier's coverage of Lit Fest at this link. Subscribe to our free daily newsletter | Follow us on Facebook | Follow us @LansdalePatch| Follow us on Instagram | Check out our YouTube page|

• Photos (1)

The Best Gift I Ever Got Was a Book, and That Book Was _____

ReadKiddoRead asked authors, athletes and celebrities to share their favorite books.

Courtesy of the ReadKiddoRead Foundation Are you giving books to your kids as gifts? Which ones are you picking out for friends and family? ReadKiddoRead asked authors, athletes and celebrities to finish this sentence: The Best Gift I Ever Got Was a Book, and That Book Was _____. Pick up some of these favorites for the kids in your life, or browse through ReadKiddoRead.com for books that are sure to please any young person this holiday season. Mark Teixeira The best gift I ever got was a book; it was The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris. The book is The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, given to me by my friend and high school principal, Barry Fitzpatrick. While I can't single out any book as my favorite, this book stands out because …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Scare Your Kids Into Reading with These Books for Halloween

Check out ReadKiddoRead's list of the best Halloween books for kids.

All of us - adults, teens and children - enjoy a scary chill.  What better time of year than Halloween to indulge in stories that make our spines tingle?  It's the perfect time for your family to share some spooky stories each evening. To get you started, here are some Halloween books filled with ghosts and ghouls, wizards and witches, haunted houses and black magic that everyone can enjoy together.    PICTURE BOOKS for ages 2-6 The youngest children love the fun of Halloween: costumes, trick-or-treating and gentle tales of ghosts and goblins. Here are some books for this age group: GHOSTS IN THE HOUSE By Kazuno Kohara For ages 1-6 There are fuzzy pumpkin costumes in sizes as small as 6 months, so why not a Halloween board book for …

• Photos (1)
• Videos (3)

Letter: Univest Opposed to Library Underfunding

Univest Corporation Chairman William Aichele responds to the threat of underfunded libraries in Montgomery County

Think you don’t need a healthy public library system? Think again. The recessionary economy of the past few years has put tremendous pressure on public resources that depend upon local taxes. Budgets for public schools, public parks, a variety of community events and other community institutions have been threatened with underfunding or no funding at all. Of particular concern to us at Univest Corporation is the underfunding of our communities’ local libraries. The Indian Valley Public Library, the North Wales Area Library and the Upper Perkiomen Valley Library are prime examples. Next year, each of these important community institutions will be challenged to find new funding as money from state and local governments is expected to …

• Photos (1)

Summer Reading Lists for Preschoolers and Kids Ages 2-7

Patch has teamed up with James Patterson’s READKIDDOREAD program to bring you reading lists for every age. If you’re looking for some great summer reading options, check out this list of "The Best Illustrated Books" from James Patterson

Looking for a great book to read this summer? This list of illustrated books for kids ages 2 to 7 is so much fun. Plus it includes books young readers can start to read TO you! Read one, or read 'em all – post your thoughts in the comments. Or, if we missed your favorite book, tell us in the comments! Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton; illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld – Who do you think will win, Shark or Train? Blackout by John Rocco – A summer blackout can actually be a great party! Dog and Bear: Two Friends, Three Stories by Laura Vaccaro Seeger – Read about the adventures of best friends, Dog and Bear. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems – What happens when a pigeon volunteers to drive a bus? An engaging story in question and…

• Photos (1)

Reading is 'Fun'-Damental at North Penn

The annual RIF event, featuring Alice and her storybook friends, took place Wednesday at North Penn High School for first grade students

They're late! They're late! For a very important date ... at their library. First graders in the North Penn School District were taken to Storyland by Alice of "Alice in Wonderland," whose trip down the rabbit hole Wednesday at North Penn High School involved interactions with The White Rabbit, Arthur, Corduroy, Prince Charming, Little Critter, Officer Buckle, Tacky Penguin, Henry and Mudge, George and Martha, Officer Buckle and Winnie the Pooh. Characters from popular children's books make up the essence of the 21st annual program.  "Alice Takes North Penn to Storyland" has been the theme for each of those 21 years. Overall, RIF is celebrated in about 200 schools in Pennsylvania. The RIF event in North Penn is made possible by …

• Photos (37)