Page Turners

October 2007

Archives

Silence of the Songbirds by Bridget Stutchbury
Nonfiction 2007

According to some estimates, songbird populations have declined by half in just the last 40 years. These migratory birds lead a fascinating double life, traveling from Canada's northern forests to Central and South America and back again. The scientific research that uncovers birds' lives is related in an accessible and entertaining manner. A list of suggestions ordinary people can follow to help ensure bird survival adds a hopeful note. Stutchbury is a biologist and professor at York University in Toronto.

Reviewed by A. Reader

Sweetness in the Belly by Camilla Gibbn
Fiction 2005

Lilly is English by birth, but raised in Morocco and then in Ethiopia. She adapts to her surroundings despite her background and becomes a devout Muslim. As she enters adulthood in the early 1970s, political upheaval forces her to flee to London where she feels like an outsider. A beautiful story of race, religion and exile.

Reviewed by KLS

Watch Your Back! by Donald E. Westlake
Fiction 2005

Prepare to laugh out loud as you read this 12th comic escapade featuring the dour burglar John Dortmunder. Dortmunder and his delightfully quirky cohorts plan the perfect heist, but first they must contend with the gangster types who are taking over their favorite meeting place, the O.J. Bar and Grill.

Reviewed by Lucy