Coming To America

So, what would you do if you arrived in a foreign country with nothing but the clothes on your back and only $200 in your pocket? You've barely eaten in days, you don't speak the language, and no one is meeting you at the airport. In fact, no one knows you've arrived because no one even knows you exist. But let's up the ante a bit. The country you've just left, no, escaped is a better word, is torn by civil war. Friends, family, and strangers alike are being butchered, all in the name of someone's maniacal idea of revenge. You were lucky to make it out alive, and now, lost in a new land, you wonder if you'll ever see your mother and father again. The very thought you won't makes you cry. True story? Yes. It's called Strength in What Remains: A Journey of Remembrance and Forgiveness, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Kidder. He recounts the harrowing tale of Deogratias, a young man who spent six months running from certain death in his homeland of Burundi during the civil war that erupted there in 1993. After coming to America, his circumstances take a turn for the better when he meets ordinary people who develop a sincere interest in helping him forge a new life. With their support, Deogratias is able to resume his education (he was a third-year medical student in Burundi) and, in time, reconnect with his family back in Burundi, eventually returning there to visit them and oversee the building of a clinic. Strength in What Remains is a moving tribute to the redemptive power of human kindness in the face of human evil.

My favorites of 2009

In the past few weeks, I've seen several lists of the "best" books of 2009.  It would've never occurred to me to do so, but I was intrigued.  So, I'm a few weeks behind, but usually it's months or years, so I'm going to be proud of looking back at my reads of 2009 before, say, July.  I'm not bold enough to say that my selections are the "best" books of the year (nor will I even promise that these books were written in 2009, only that that's when I read them).  Yes, I've written about a couple of them before, and if you've already read them, you can skip over this.  But, if you've not read these books, maybe the second blog is be the charm.

The Gargoyle, by Andrew Davidson.  Okay, technically it came out in 2008, but it was late 2008.  Every time I've described this book to someone, I've felt compelled to say, "I know...it sounds weird, but give it a shot."  It's the story of a former porn star who loses everything after being severely burned in a drug and alcohol-fueld car crash.  In the burn unit, he meets a woman (who happens to be in the psych ward) who sculpts gargoyles and insists that they have known each other since medieval times.  I know...it sounds weird, but give it a shot.  (As an added bonus, it's one of the titles on Strong Starts, one of the featured lists for the Great Books Reading Challenge and can count as one of your 12 titles to win a prize!)

Home Safe, by Elizabeth Berg.  If I can't talk you into the slightly crazy vibe of The Gargoyle, try this cozier book.  It's about a recently widowed author who has a bad case of writer's block and becomes overly dependent on her daughter.  She also discovers $850,000 missing from her savings and has to figure out whether her husband was leading a double life. It's sweet and, like the title, safe, but a tender, cozy read.

Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts. Again, not a 2009 publication, but I only learned about it in 2009, so bear with me.  If you've not read this, gear up.  It's hefty at 936 pages, but the beautiful, elegant, and often thought-provoking prose is wrapped around a fascinating story about humanity amidst violence, poverty, and despair. Definitely worth a read. 

The Fixer-Upper, by Mary Kay Andrews.  It's the anti-Shantaram.  You know those days when you just need some comic misadventures to make you laugh?  Mary Kay Andrews is in my emergency kit on those days, and she didn't disappoint this year with this one.  It's a fun, light read that made it enjoyable to be amongst a grumpy old lady squatting in a moldy pink house, corrupt lobbyists, and FBI agents on the trail. 

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett.  There is quite possibly nothing I can say about this book that hasn't already been said.  It is as good as you've heard.  It is that interesting.  You will never want to eat chocolate pie again.  Just a head's up: follow my friend Martha's advice, and listen to this one, even if you don't normally do audio books.  The readers are outstanding and bring a whole new life to the story. 

Going Bovine, by Libba Bray.  Mad Cow disease has never been so much fun.  A teenaged loner goes on a quest to save the world and, perhaps, himself after being hospitalized with the disease.  His companions are a death-obsessed dwarf, a punk elf only he can see, and a Norse god trapped to immortality in the body of a garden gnome.  Really, how could you not want to read that?

The Story of a Marriage

I don't think I've ever used the phrase "achingly beautiful" to describe anything.  However, I just finished Andrew Sean Greer's The Story of a Marriage and when I was trying to come up with a succinct description, "achingly beautiful" just wouldn't go away.  So there it is: I have now used the phrase "achingly beautiful" to describe a book.  Are you curious about the book that prompted it?

It begins with the statement, "We think we know the ones we love," and then proceeds to tell the story of  Pearlie Cook, an African-American woman living in San Francisco in 1953, and Holland, her husband.  It is the story of the many ways in which they loved, but did not know, each other.  His aunts had warned her not to marry him; they said he had a bad heart, an illness that could not be cured.  She began to understand what his aunts had meant only years later when she met Buzz, a man he knew from his hospitalization at the end of World War II.  Pearlie, Holland, and Buzz all seem to live in fear of losing love, and fear of not being loved enough.  Greer's strength is in not making this tension over-the-top; there's a lovely subtlety and simplicity throughout.  As the book proceeds to what seems its inevitable conclusion, Greer reminds the reader that nothing is inevitable in love.

In the Queue

Rebels & Traitors by Lindsey Davis
Can romance survive amid radical thought and strange alliances? Gideon and Juliana are on opposite sides during the English Civil War, but they feel a strong attraction to each other.

The Wild Zone by Joy Fielding
Three men vie to see which of them will be the first to seduce a mysterious dark-haired woman. What they don’t know is that the sexy woman has a deadly, secret agenda of her own!

Slow Death By Rubber Duck: The Secret Danger of Everyday Things by Rick Smith & Bruce Lourie
Two wars, the economy, job loss, and now we have to worry about a host of things that surround us everyday!  The authors expose the corporate giants who manufacture toxins and the government officials who let it happen.

Branching Out

I have been on quite a nonfiction kick for, oh, about three years now.  Occasionally I will pick up a work of fiction that piques my interest and then it's right back to nonfiction (my next post will be on nonfiction that reads like fiction...shudder).  Recently I vowed to pick up a few thrillers that have been sitting on my shelf for quite some time.  Thankfully, I was not disappointed!

The first is Meredith Cole's Posed for Murder.  Lydia is an aspiring photographer trying to make it in the New York City art scene.  Her work is anything but conventional.  She read a work concerning cold case murders of unknown girls around the United States.  Lydia wants to assure that these girls are not forgotten, so she enlists the help of her friends as models to recreate the scene of each crime.  These black and white photographs catches someone's attention.  One by one each of Lydia's friends are murdered and posed in the same manner as her photographs.  The killer leaves a photograph similar to hers at each murder scene.  What connection can the killer have to Lydia?  Why would this person recreate the scenes that Lydia recreated with her models?

I also read Keith Thomson's upcoming novel Once a Spy.  The story centers on John Drummond who is an ex-superspy.  He has been around the world and seen many things, including knowing some secrets that the government would rather he keep to himself.  Unfortunately, Drummond has Alzheimer's and at least one undercover organization feels that he can't be trusted with such delicate information.  When Drummond's son Charlie enters the fray, the two find themselves dodging bullets, flying in helicopters and in high-speed chases.  The worst part is that they can't trust anyone, not even friends.  Thomson's book will be released in March.

Good ghost tales

I was never the kid who liked to tell ghost stories late at night.  I get too creeped out too easily for those.  Even the Ghost of Christmas Future from A Christmas Carol  always scared me a little.  As I finished reading Twenties Girl, the latest by author Sophie Kinsella (best known for her Shopaholic series), though, I realized that I've read some very good ghost stories lately.  Twenties Girl is the story of Lara, a slightly adrift Londoner, who is forced to attend the funeral of the 105-year-old Great-Aunt Sadie nobody really knew.  At the funeral, Lara is haunted by the ghost of her great-aunt as a 23-year-old flapper, who demands she stops the proceedings until her necklace is found.  Madcap antics and personal growth ensue.  It's a light, fun, and quick book, and an entertaining ghost story.

On the meatier side of things was Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger, author of the wildly popular The Time Traveler's Wife.  Like Twenties Girl, Her Fearful Symmetry begins with a death of an unknown aunt in London, but there the similarities between the two end.  Elspeth died at a young age and left her apartment and posessions to her 20-year-old American nieces, with the condition that they live in the flat for a year.  What they didn't count on was Elspeth's ghost being trapped in the apartment and trying to communicate with them, affecting their lives permanently. Fair warning: It wasn't as good as The Time Traveler's Wife, but if you're looking for a ghost story that will leave you feeling unsettled, this is a good one.  I couldn't shake the creeped-out feeling, and the question, "Who would DO that?!?" for a couple of days.

If nothing else, these two wildly different books helped me realize the range of good ghost stories out there.  If you're looking for one, check here.  Have you got a favorite ghost story?  Post a comment, or vote for it as a People's Choice Favorite in our Great Books, Great Libraries Reading Challenge.

Super Sleuths--Part 2

Welcome to part two of our Super Sleuths booklist headliners!
The authors on this list were chosen because they are award-winning pioneers in their field and because of their ability to entertain and enlighten.

Patricia Highsmith--This American novelist is most widely known for her psychological thrillers, especially her series featuring Tom Ripley. Her books have been adapted to film more than two dozen times--including Strangers on a Train which was done by Alfred Hitchcock himself!  She died in 1995.
Tony Hillerman--This award-winning American is best known for his mystery series featuring the Navajo Tribal Police.  His writing shows his appreciation for the culture, people, and beauty of the American Southwest.  He died in 2008.
Sara Paretsky--This American mystery pioneer revolutionized the genre in 1982 when she introduced a tough, smart, female private-eye known as V. I. Warshawski. Her books are about social justice, have wonderful supporting characters, and highlight in detail the great city of Chicago.

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Great Books--Super Sleuths January 2010

Washington-Centerville Public Library is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year--2010!  We will have great programs, author visits, and monthly lists highlighting Great Books.  January is Great Mystery month and our booklist is called Super Sleuths.  Here are three of the adult headliners:

Agatha Christie--This Brit is the world's best known mystery writer and the most widely published author of all time--outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare.
Michael McGarrity--This New Mexico native has been nominated for multiple awards including the Anthony, Dilys, and Spur. His series is full of great characters, lots of action, and immerses you in the culture and history of The Land of Enchantment.
Virginia Lanier--This Agatha Award nominee didn't publish her first book until she was 65. Her Bloodhound series features a strong female character and introduces us to the world of Search and Rescue. A must for any action buff and/or dog lover. Unfortunately the author died in 2003. A fantastic series!

Stay tuned for more great mystery writers and their super sleuths!

Check out more Great Books!