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 Spring has sprung!!! I love the birds tweeting in the morning, the leaves popping out on the trees and the flowering trees. I wished they lasted longer, they are so pretty. April is a busy month. I am off to RT Booklovers Convention on the 10 th. That means you can look forward to our annual raffle – watch for details in the May newsletter. There should be some AWESOME stuff this year.
Who is going to be at the RT Booklovers Convention you ask… hmmm… Janet Evanovich, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Christine Feehan just to name a few. Okay, I don’t have time or room to name them all, but those are just a few of the authors that the booksellers get time with. No readers allowed, just booksellers and librarians. I am so excited because the convention is in Las Vegas and we will be doing some walks down memory lane. My daughter and sister are going with me and we used to spend time in Vegas when the parents lived there for a few years. This was back in the 70’s, so we are going way back.
 I’m sure most of you are aware that Aloha has a library, and recently they were accepted into the Washington County Library Cooperative. This has been a labor of love since 2011. Many volunteers have made this possible and the speed with which it was accomplished shows just how much a library was needed in the area. The library is ready to move into a permanent space, and they are in the midst of raising $350,000 by the end of May for renovating the new space. Please donate. Jan’s has supported the library since it’s inception and we are very pleased to do whatever we can to help them reach this goal. Checks can be made out to the ACLA and mailed to:
Aloha Community Library
PO Box 6561
Aloha, OR 97007
 Keep your eyes open for our raffle coming up in May. As usual, tickets will be $1 and all the proceeds will go to the Jan’s Literacy Program. To date, we have donated $275 worth of books to Chehalem and Kinnaman Elementary Schools. Elmonica Elementary just got us a list of books they would like and we should be dropping off a donation to them very soon. The focus of our program is to donate books to the libraries that the kids want to read – rather than have to read. We want to create readers for  life. The schoold have limited funds for purchasing books and often times those funds are allocated to Newberry and Caldecott winners, non-fiction and the like. That is great and there is nothing wrong with those books, but the kids go wild over Wimpy Kid and Elephant and Piggy. We want to make sure they have the books they love, along with the books they need. If you would like to donate a book, stop by the store and ask to see the school lists, or drop a donation in the bucket on the counter. Your support is greatly appreciated.
 What have I read this month…. I finished VIOLENT CRIMES by Phillip Margolin, and it was very good. THE BOURBON THIEF by Tiffany Reisz, this book comes out in July and you do not want to miss it. WOW!! Completely different from her other books.  THE KEENING by Margaret Pinard. Margaret is a local author, this is historical fiction and so good. Be watching because we will be having Margaret at the store in May. THE BRIDGE by Karen Kingsbury. I started reading this after watching the movie in December only to find out they did the movie in two parts and I had to wait for part two. The book is always better anyway. It was. That’s five books last month, it could be a record. I know I won’t get much reading done in April. There is no time to read at the convention.
Until next month, keep reading and have a good one.
Debbie
The Need for Enough Book Research
by Brian Laslow
 One day there I was, a self-employed security consultant sitting in his office when the phone rang. A potential client asked me if I wanted to discuss working with him developing the security program for a new medical marijuana production facility in my state. I didn’t even know my state had passed a law legalizing medical marijuana. Soon I found myself embedded in the medical marijuana industry.
After a short time I began to realize that the medical marijuana debate was a more controversial one that I had previously realized. Perhaps I just wasn’t paying attention. It occurred to me that the debate, along with my security knowledge, would make an interesting story. That began my adventure of writing the fiction based on fact novel The Marijuana Project. My goal became to write a fun suspense story that included security elements and the ethical dilemma surrounding the medical marijuana debate.
 When I started I thought that from my brief personal experience I understood enough about the medical marijuana debate to write intelligently. I was wrong. The more I learned the more clear it was to me that I knew very little. So, I conducted detailed independent research about the pros and cons of medical marijuana, inclusive of talking to many people involved on both sides and extensive reading on the subject.
In short (very short), the pro position is easy. Based on the overwhelming anecdotal evidence, there can be no doubt that medical marijuana can be of great help to counteract the effects of certain diseases, including cancer, epilepsy, and PTSD. To deny that treatment option in some cases, especially when dealing with children, is easily seen as cruel at best.
The con position is more complex. There has been no legitimate medical research performed using double blind studies to show what strains of marijuana with what percentages of CBD and THC in what doses is effective for the treatment of what diseases. How can the medical establishment as a whole be compelled to prescribe and support such medication, especially when doctors are being sued every day for bogus malpractice?
When I started this adventure I had no idea how much extensive research would be required. However, if I had not done it, the quality of my work would not be the same. Anyone with more than the rudimentary knowledge of the ethical debate would see right through it. In the end, because I recognized the need for enough research, I accomplished my goal to accurately and effectively describe the ethical dilemma surrounding medical marijuana.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
 Brian Laslow is the author of The Marijuana Project: a novel about medicine and morality. He has over 25 years of experience in the security field and holds multiple certifications. Since 2001, he has been an independent security consultant providing risk assessment, system design, project management, and ongoing security management services for a wide range of commercial, industrial, and government clients. The Marijuana Project is his debut novel.
Meet Brian at Jan's Paperbacks
Saturday April 2nd
11am-2pm
 WHAT WE FIND
by Robin Carr
I’m very excited about this new book by Robyn Carr! After spending considerable time in Virgin River, Grace Valley and Thunder Point, we are moving on to Sullivan’s Crossing, Colorado. This unique location, a campground near the continental divide, has captured my imagination and I’m already looking forward to the second book in this new series! –Sharri
Read the full book summary here
Order eBook online ($12.99)
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 THE DOLDRUMS
by Nicholas Gannon
This is book one of a series, suitable for ages ten years and up. Archer Helmsley wants to be a great explorer like his grandparents. Archer’s mother wants him to be a lawyer, like his father, and wants to rid Archer of any tendencies that resemble his grandparents. This story is about families, friends, adventures, mysteries and imagination.
As I said this is book one, the authors’ debut novel and I will be looking for the next book, I found this one quirky, fun and a bit suspenseful. I give it four and a half stars! -Jody
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Order eBook online ($9.99)
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 THE MARTIAN
by Andy Weir
I am not a SciFi reader, but I had heard so many great things about THE MARTIAN, both the book and the movie, that I decided to give it a try. I loved it! That doesn't mean that I understood everything - it can get very sciencey, but you would expect that from the diary of someone stuck on Mars. -Jill
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 THE CURIOUS CHARMS OF ARTHUR PEPPER
by Phaera Patrick
This is a delightful book! I thought about that phrase for awhile before I used it, I have never used that word to describe a book before but it fits this one.
Arthur Pepper is a widower, he likes his life tidy and organized, everything is done on schedule. On the one year anniversary of his wife’s death Arthur finally begins to go through her things. Arthur finds a beautiful charm bracelet that he does not remember his wife wearing and so begins an adventure. Arthur sets out to discover the stories connected to the charms, thinking to find out more about the woman that he loved and what he finds is…well you will have to read this “delightful” book to find out. – Jody
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 ROOM
by Emma Donoghue
This book is as compelling as it is disturbing – I simply could not put it down. Imagine being abducted and locked in a shed for over five years. Imagine trying to raise a child in that environment. Telling this story from the viewpoint of that child provides a most interesting perspective. As difficult as this subject matter is, I loved this book! It is a touching and heart-warming testament to the strength and resiliency of the human spirit! (I can understand why this book has been made into a movie.) Highly recommended. –Sharri
Read the full book summary here
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Email us your book reviews and we will post them in our newsletters!
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