Brian Meehl

One of the cleverest plots I've encountered. This is a blend of urban fantasy and historical fiction that moves seamlessly between present day and 1907. Imagine being drunk at a party, pulling an extremely dumb stunt that embarrasses your girlfriend to a point where she is so angry she leaves. You wander upstairs where your friend's twin sister is playing an antique oboe that lands you in Carlyle Pennsylvania more than 100 years earlier. If that isn't enough, you end up attending the Indian School there and becoming a part of their famed football team. All of this overlays the original mystery-what happened to Arky and Iris' mother who vanished a year ago. I like the historical perspective, the involvement of famous people from the early days of football, the way time flows differently in 1907 and that this story continues in two more installments. I've ordered the next one already.… (more)

Booktalk: Jake's dad is a collector. But he doesn't collect stamps or state quarters or anything like that. He collects...toilets. And chamber pots. And toilet plungers. Anything having to do with toilets or plumbing. Jake's dad wants to open an ATM: an American Toilet Museum. It's his greatest dream. But Jake doesn't think that's such a great idea. Who would want to see a toilet museum all the way out in little-town Patience, Kansas? Then Jake's dad buys something special on E-bay. It's the first toilet plunger ever made and it was made right in Patience, Kansas by Jake's great-great-great grandfather. Unfortunately there is a curse associated with that first-ever plunger. It is said that if the plunger ever came back to Patience, the town would be wiped off the map. Jake is really concerned now. He's afraid for the whole town. What could possibly happen? He's too scared to even sleep in his own house! Jake needs to figure out what to do before the curse runs everyone OUT OF PATIENCE.… (more)