Hello again. Sorry it's taken so long to get this new column up, but I've been busy reading, reading and reading! There is so much great stuff out there, from non-fiction to great books by first time authors. I also just got horses, so I am spending a lot of time reading the guides to Florida's Horse Trails . I have been looking at Florida On Horseback: A Trail Rider's Guide to The South And Central Regions by Cornelia Bernard Henderson. It is a real help in locating a wonderful place to take the horses and ride other areas of Central Florida. Also, we have a great veterinary book for horse owners to help you know when to call the vet and how to treat minor problems at the barn. Boy! I just finished Jodi Picoult's newest novel, Change Of Heart . She is one of the best fiction writers today. I have loved every one of her books, and this latest effort is no exception. I know I'm always saying this, but you have to read this book! Put a hold on it today! She is so popular there are always lots of holds on her newest releases. But fear not, gentle reader, the Lake County Library System will have lots of copies of this book, and you will not have to wait too long for your copy to arrive. The plot concerns a death row inmate named Shay Bourne who will change everyone's life he comes in contact with, from Michael, a Catholic Priest who comes to visit him, to Maggie and ACLU lawyer who are trying to grant Shay's last wish … to donate his heart to a little girl who is failing fast and needs a new heart. You just have to read this book. Jodi Picoult is one of the best writers today in my opinion. Her books are always timely and thought provoking, so much so that I immediately checked out The Gnositc Gospels by Elaine Pagels which explains about the Gnostic Christians who were persecuted by the early Roman Church. It has been very, very interesting, and even though it is an older book, published in 1979, it is absolutely interesting.

Hope you all were able to attend the author's luncheon in April at Lake Receptions with Angela Hunt. She was a really fantastic speaker, funny, warm and very open and honest about the turns her career has taken. I was totally captivated during her talk. Her books have always been popular among not only just our Christian fiction fans, but the general reader as well. She is a classy lady!

I just finished one of the best books I've ever read in the self-help genre. It's called What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love And Marriage . The author is Amy Sutherland, who has written articles for

The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Boston Globe. She wrote an article for The New York Times about her experiences with some of the exotic animal trainers at Sea World, especially the dolphin trainers. She had applied some of the cutting edge theories about animal training to her relationships with her husband, her mother and even strangers in grocery store lines. I just loved this whole book! Did you know that almost universally now all animal trainers of exotic animals, horses, and even small animals like dogs, no longer use any negative response whatsoever for unwanted behavior? You will laugh out loud at how the animals at the exotic training facility played tricks on the first year students, who are not allowed to touch, or even talk, to the animals the first year of the student's training. I could not put this 168 page book down no matter what. Now, I know that some of you are saying to yourselves “Oh, Lee always says that about a book she thinks is fantastic,” but this time I really, really mean it when I say, “You have to read this book!.” Do you have a spouse, child, mother, neighbor, boss, co-worker or any pets? If you did not answer “yes” to any of the previous questions, you still need to read this book! I promise you will find it as fascinating as I did.

I am hearing a lot of buzz about Child 44 by Tom Rob smith. This book is fast-paced and very exciting. It concerns a detective investigating a possible serial killer during the last days of Stalin's rule. This very atmospheric and enthralling book is supposed to be the next big, big hit in best sellers. Get on the holds list now, because the reviewers from Library Journal said libraries would need multiple copies to keep up with demands; at the same time libraries have seen some serious cuts in their budgets, so they can't buy as many books as they would like.

Hope you are having fun with the pretty spring weather. Florida is so changing; it's really hot one day, and cooler the next. When it's too hot to garden or golf, what to do?? Why, read of course!

Sue Henry's new book just came out, Degrees Of Separation , her newest in the Jesse Arnold series. Ms. Henry's books are great, and this one has interesting factoids about earthquakes in Alaska and, of course, there is a dead body in there somewhere. I just really enjoy her characters, and her books are very fun and entertaining to read when one wants to relax and enter a whole different world. Let's face it, Alaska is as different from Florida as it gets, except we both have lots of mosquitoes (theirs are bigger). Hope you all get a lot of time to read, because there are so many cool books coming out.

See you next time … happy reading!