In the Queue

Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron

Jean Patrick Nkuba, a Rwandan boy, dreams of becoming his country's first Olympic medal contender in track, but when the Hutu-Tutsi tensions explode, he must run to save his life.

Lost Saints of Tennessee by Amy Franklin-Willis

This story of a Southern working-class family follows Ezekiel, 42, and his mother, Lillian, from the 1940s to the 1980s as Ezekiel goes from anointed son to unhinged middle-aged man. His decline begins with the mysterious drowning death of his twin brother and the subsequent divorce from his wife.

Thinking Small: The Long, Strange Trip of the Volkswagen Beetle by Andrea Hiott

The Volkswagen came to symbolize American freedom and the power of thinking small. This is the story of the ungainly little car that began with the vision of a group of men who designed the car in 1923. Despite all odds, it became the most profitable and most beloved automobile in the world.

A Delicious Read

In general, I don't recommend a book until I finish it.  I have a lot of very well-read friends and I don't want to stake my reading reputation on an unknown quantity.  And yet, 25 pages into a recent book, I started alerting friends, "Put this on hold!  You must read it."  White Truffles in Winter by N.M. Kelby struck me as a luscious, elegant, warm read about the life of Auguste Escoffier, a renowned French chef from the early 20th century, and his wife, Delphine.  While I was somewhat nervous about having made a recommendation so soon into the book -- equivalent to recommending a meal after the appetizer -- I'm pleased to report that by the dessert and coffee course of the book's end, I was equally as enthusiastic as I had been at the onset. 

Kelby elegantly wove a story that begins as Delphine is dying, bereft of a dish named for her.  She is anxious that the world will not believe that her husband truly loved her unless he names a dish for her.  Her concern is compounded by the number of dishes he created for and named after others, especially the other women in his life (including actress Sarah Bernhardt and opera soprano Nellie Melba -- of the peach and toast fame).  Escoffier resists, insisting that there is no dish that can adequately capture her.  Instead, Escoffier spends his time working on his memoir, which Kelby fleshes out with extended scenes from Escoffier's past. 

Like a good meal, a good book is often difficult to describe to those who have not yet experienced it and, like different flavors, what appeals to one person won't necessarily appeal to another.  So, with that caveat, I highly recommend this to fans of historical fiction, love stories, and foodies.  Bon appetit!

Twas the Night Before....

Twas’ the night before Christmas and all through the house,  the only creature stirring was me, not my spouse.

The family and guests were all snug in their beds,

while I sat reading a tale full of dread.

The horror of family and Christmas dinner not cooked right,

had led me to find a book full of fright.

It was scary. It was awesome as I turned each new page,

never thinking that this might not be the right day. 

I was thinking of cleaning and cooking my plight

with a houseful of guests it’d take all my might. 

But the book it called out to me, “Read me instead!

Sit down and read.  Don’t rest your head.

In a flash I knew, just what to do.

I took a minute for me, take a minute for you.

Enjoy your holiday even with a big crew and when the company begins to drive you insane,

just yawn and say,"Sorry I didn’t sleep on the plane."

Then go grab your book or even your nook and hide in your room.

This’ll help you survive any pending doom.

As you read you’ll adventure far from this land

and not make it back until it is time for the ham.

So forget the fighting, the chaos, the kid with the sneer.

Just read a good book and have a Happy New Year!

Here are a few titles to keep you aware that the holidays are not nearly as horrifying as these books.
I'll begin with Stephen King's Full Dark, No stars.  His collection of 4 longish horror stories will keep you up as you wait for ole' St. Nick to bring you presents.  This is an excellent collection of grisly tales you'll want to read when you need a good fright.

Slay Ride by Chris Grabenstein is a holiday horror novel.  It begins when Scott Wilkinson calls for a car service to take him to the airport. How was he to know the maniac behind the wheel is out to get revenge on the man (Wilkinson) who ruined his life.

The Bad Place by Dean Koontz a spine tingling thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat as you hope protaganist, Frank Pollard,  can resolve the mystery of his blood covered hands when he wakes. 

I'd Know you Anywhere by Laura Lippman is a thriller. A murderer on death row contacts his only victim who survived and lets her know, "I'd know you anywhere." Can she protect her family and herself from the madman?

I have to confess, The Silence of the Lambs is one of the all time scariest horror novels written. Many have seen the movie, but the novel is even better.  Thomas Harris creates characters that are  believable, intense and frightening. When Clarice Starling an FBI trainee is placed on the case of a serial killer not only is she trying to get into the killers mind, but she must use the help of Hannibal, the Cannibal to give her clues to stop the grisly murders. This book will keep you awake and turning pages.

If you are looking for a lighter horror story try Christine Feehan's, The Twilight Before Christmas. It is a suspenseful holiday tale. A dark shadow is accidentally released and must be contained or destroyed by the Drake sisters. This is a suspenseful, passionate story with just enough horror to make you smile.

The Queen of the Dragons is Gone

I just found out that one of my favorite fantasy authors died.  Anne McCaffrey also known as the "Dragon Lady", died November 21, 2011 at the age of 85. She is known for her Dragonriders of Pern novels which are a combination of fantasy and science fiction which were the first adult speculative fiction books I read as a child.  These books set me firmly on the path to reading and loving fantasy fiction.  Try Dragonflight the first in her Pern series. Her son Todd McCaffrey is also an author and the two collaborated on the New Adventures of Pern series starting with Dragon's Kin. 


There will never be another Anne McCaffrey but try one of the following tales about dragons and help me celebrate her work and her life.

Touched by Venom--Janine Cross
Dragon in Chains--Daniel Fox
Havemercy--Jaida Jones
Dragon Champion--E. E. Knight
Joust--Mercedes Lackey
His Majesty's Dragon--Naomi Novik
Dragon Prince--Melanie Rawn
The Dragons of Babel--Michael Swanwick
Dragon's: Worlds Afire--R. A. Salvatore
Bones of the Dragon--Margaret Weis

There are also a lot of great childrens and teen books about dragons.  Try one of the following great reads:

The Fire Within--Chris D'Lacey
Dragon's Milk--Susan Fletcher
Dragon Rider--Cornelia Funke
Wizard of Earthsea--Ursula Le Guin
Eragon--Christopher Paolini
Dealing with Dragons--Patricia Wrede
Dragon's Blood--Jane Yolen
The Last Dragon(graphic novel)--Jane Yolen and Rebecca Guay

For more about Anne McCaffrey and to read the eulogy by her eldest son, go to her website.

Full Dark, No Stars

He's still the king, folks--Stephen King, that is, and in his latest short-story collection, he demonstrates why he's the master of the twisted and the bizarre. Full Dark, No Stars consists of four novella-length stories, each of which is guaranteed to get under your skin. In the first, "1922," a farmer plots to murder his wife to prevent her from selling a land inheritance, and he even manipulates his teenaged son to help him. Yes, the evil deed is committed, but it most certainly does not go unpunished. Let's just say that if rats, real or imagined, give you the willies, you may want to skip this story. Next up is "Big Driver," in which King plays on every driver's worst nightmare: being stranded on an unfamiliar road. This time, a mystery writer on her way home from an author appearance finds herself with more than just car trouble when she suffers a flat tire and is offered "assistance" by a giant of a Good Samaritan. In "Fair Extension," a cancer patient in the last months of his life is granted a miraculous turnabout when he strikes a deal with a rather strange man who sells "fair extensions" for a "fair price." However, gaining an extra fifteen years of life doesn't come cheap, and you may be shocked at just who ultimately has to pay this so-called "fair price" and what that cost entails. In the final story, "A Good Marriage," a woman's nondescript marriage of more than twenty years unravels in the blink of an eye when she discovers that her husband has been hiding a horrific secret from her the entire time. Yes, Dear Reader, be careful if you poke around your husband's things when he's not around: you may not like what you find. All in all, King still knows how to tell a story, and he certainly knows how to take the ordinary and drop it on its head. Give Full Dark, No Stars a read. You won't be sorry...or then again, maybe you will.

My Favorite Books of 2011

2011 was another very good year for readers.  Plenty of new titles came out and many new authors staked their claim in my ever-growing list of favorite authors.  I feel that I branched out and read some works I wouldn't have had interest in, say, a year ago.  Since I love lists, I'd like to share with you some of my favorite titles of 2011.

James Madison by Richard Brookhiser- I've always been fascinated by early US history, so this was a natural choice.  Madison's relationship with Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe is fascinating as they agreed on most things, but also set personal differences aside (especially Madison and Monroe) to create the Virginia Dynasty.

Darkness, My Old Friend by Lisa Unger- Fragile, the first in Unger's The Hollows series, was one of my favorite novels of 2010.  The sequel did not disappoint!  This is a fantastic suspense novel and Unger does a terrific job of creating characters the reader cares about.  I especially enjoyed the scenes about the town psychic, Eloise, who played a smaller role in Fragile.

The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman- This is a suspense novel that does a wonderful job of upping the tension each chapter.  But, like Unger's writing, Lippman does a great job of creating interesting characters.  The plot centers around five children who wander the woods during summer break and find an old man who lives alone.  The ensuing tragedy, coupled with the now grown-up children not knowing what really happened, makes for a startling tale.

Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante- It still amazes me that this is a debut novel.  LaPlante has created a story in which Dr. Jennifer White, who suffers from Alzheimer's, is accused of murdering her best friend.  The stunning part of this novel is that it's told from White's perspective.

Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens- I placed a hold on this title as soon as it was announced.  Still Missing was my favorite debut novel of 2010 and Stevens follows it up with another compelling thriller.  Sara Gallagher was adopted at an early age and decides to finally learn about her parents.  We quickly find that "never knowing" may be a good option.

The Informationist by Taylor Stevens- Another debut novel!  Stevens does a magnificent job of creating heroine Vanessa Munroe, who travels the world gathering information for various clients.  She is sent to Africa to track down a missing girl in this debut with twists and turns.

Fair Play by Tove Jansson- Ok, I'm cheating here.  This isn't really a 2011 title, but it is the first translation of this work, so we'll keep it here.  I'm new to Jansson and have started looking for her other works.  The writing is nothing less than stunning.  We look into the lives of two artists, Jonna and Mari, through short vignettes.  The way in which these seemingly mundane moments in their lives help create who they are is a testament to Jansson's fantastic ability.

A woman who knows how to write

Several months ago, Nobel laureate V.S. Naipaul infamously opined that women authors are inferior.  He argues that women's "sentimentality, the narrow view of the world" leads to them writing "...all this feminine tosh."  Of course, he quickly asserted, he didn't mean any of it unkindly.  When I read the article, I quickly jotted down a list of women authors whose work consistently astonishes me, in part because of its lack of sentimental "tosh."  Writers like Geraldine Brooks, Barbara Kingsolver, Louise Erdrich, Marilynn Robinson, Toni Morrison, Margaret Atwood, Kate Chopin (who was excoriated for her lack of sentimentality), and Jamaica Kincaid all jumped to mind.  One who didn't, but ought to have is Anne Enright, Man Booker prize-winner for The Gathering and Irish author extraordinaire.

Enright has published a new book.  The Forgotten Waltz poses, for me, an interesting question: Can you like a book if you don't like the characters?  There isn't anyone in this book who reads as particularly sympathetic.  I found myself reading the book increasingly frustrated by the characters.  Gina, the narrator and protagonist, is a 32-year old married woman who embarks on an affair without much buildup or apparent cause or remorse.  Sean, her married lover and father of a 12-year old daughter who's somewhat cryptically referred to as "not quite right", has clearly done this before.  The supporting cast are not particularly more sympathetic.  I did not feel a connection with any of the characters but despite that, or perhaps even because of it, I was completely engrossed by the book.

While I did not particularly care for the characters, and the plot itself is rather unremarkable, Enright's writing is breathtaking.  There is very little sentimentality, but a great deal of evocative prose.  Simple sentences are used to convey much more.  One of the most striking examples for me came in the days after Gina's mother's death. Gina wanders through her mother's home, noting that the mirror is the cleanest thing in the house because it refuses to hold on to the past.  Enright's writing is crisp and meaningful, and that it was a written by a women doesn't make that particularly noteworthy.  Enright is one of a tradition of great depth and great breadth: excellent women authors. 

Incidentally, for a little fun, check out this quiz that The Guardian put together to see if you can determine whether a passage was written by a man or a woman.  They've dubbed it "The Naipaul Test."  Perhaps it could also be named "The Enright Test."

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

We already had a little snow (let's forget about all the rain for a few moments.) this year, which makes me want to tuck myself under a blanket by the fire and read a nice light hearted book.  This year I've chosen a few books from our library display table and read quite a few new Christmas stories,...so if you are one on the long waiting list for The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson, (no spoiler alert here) keep waiting. It is a lovely, funny, laugh out loud, excellent feel good book.  It's about family, love and coping.  A perfect cozy read for this time of year.

There was a new story that came out, that I had concerns it would be, well more naughty, than nice.  Do not let the name keep you away.  It is a wonderful story.  The title is His Mistress by Christmas by Victoria Alexander.  It is a historical romance. The protaganist merely wants an affair, she's been married and doesn't want to do it again.  Her would be paramour falls head over heels for the lovely lady and goes from rake extraordinaire to a gentleman who would not deem to besmirch the honor of the lovely lady.  It is cute, funny and lighthearted.  An excellent cozy romantic read.

If you are in the mood for some classic Debbie Macomber try 1225 Christmas Tree Lane, Touched by Angels are return to an old favorite Mrs. Miracle.  All excellent feel good romances that will make your toes curl as you curl up with a good book.

If you want a little intrigue with your cozy read, try Holiday Grind by Cleo Coyle. The coffee house barista finds santa dead near her store. He was checking his list twice and found some who were naughty. She begins to investigate and puts herself in a bit of trouble.  Can she solve the case before she finds herself in the grind?  Read it for yourself. I'm sure it's one you'll enjoy. 

Anyway you slice it the holidays are right around the corner.  If you would like a nice cozy read or a murder mystery with a holiday flare stop by our library and find a good book on our holiday display table.There's Dashing through the Snow a holiday mystery, A Cat on Jingle Bell Rock, The Christmas Clock and who could forget the Christmas Box.  Pick up a good read and take a few minutes from the hustle and bustle to enjoy a little quiet, just you and a book.

Not Sure What to Read? Try Our Reading Suggestion eNewsletters!

Are you wanting to find a new author to read, but not sure where to start?  It can be a daunting task with all of the great books out there.  Did you know the library offers reading suggestions that are delivered straight to your email?  We've recently changed the look of our service and have even added some newsletters to our offerings!  Try Fiction A-Z or NY Times Fiction Bestsellers if you enjoy everything Fiction.  Maybe you'd prefer Nonfiction by trying our New Nonfiction and NY Times Nonfiction Bestsellers lists.  The separate genres are covered with our Chick Lit, Fantasy, Mystery, and Romance lists.  We even have a Business and Personal finance list!

Teens and children are covered, too!  Try our Teen Scene newsletter if you're looking for some great Young Adult titles.  Picture Books and Fiction for Kids are excellent if your child is just starting to read.

Click here if you'd like to check out the weekly, monthly and bi-monthly booklists you can receive from the library!  Click the checkbox next to the lists you'd like to receive and then enter your email address at the bottom.  It's that simple!

In the Queue

Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell

As Alfred the Great lies dying, his son Edwardhas been named his successor. But there are other Saxon claimants to the throne.

Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George

Inspector Thomas Lynley is surprised when called on to investigate a drowning that seems like nothing more than an accident. He soon learns there is much more to the case than he first thought.

Extra Virginity: The Sublime & Scandalous World of Olive Oil by Tom Mueller

For millennia, olive oil has been a food, a medicine, a beauty aid, and a vital element of religious ritual.  Now Mueller offers the sacret history and profane present of this substance.

2011 National Book Award Winners Announced

The winners of the 2011 National Book Awards were announced on November 17th.  There was a stellar group of finalists in the fiction and nonfiction categories.

The winner for Fiction went to Jesmyn Ward's Salvage the Bones.  The book portrays a family during the build up to a hurricane threatening their Mississippi town.  The children must help each other as their father, a notoriously hard drinker, shows little regard to the impending disaster.

Other finalists in Fiction included:

The Sojourn by Andrew Krivak
The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
Binocular Vision by Edith Pearlman


The Nonfiction winner was Stephen Greenblatt's The Swerve: How the World Became Modern.  This book describes the importance of an ancient book, On the Nature of Things by Lucretius, which helped fuel the Renaissance.

Other finalists in Nonfction included:

The Convert: A Tale of Exile and Extremism by Deborah Baker
Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention by Manning Marable

Visit the National Book Award website for information on this year's award winners and nominees.

The Night Strangers

I recently finished The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian. This is a very creepy novel with some terrific twists and turns.

The story begins with a harrowing sequence in which Chip Linton, a commercial pilot, attempts a daring crash into the Lake Champlain when his plane malfunctions.  Bohjalian's detailed description of the events during this sequence alone make this book worth reading.  The attempt goes horribly wrong and Chip leaves his Philadelphia home with his wife, Emily, and twin daughters for a new start in a small New Hampshire town.  Chip's struggles with post-traumatic stress syndrome make for a good backdrop to the key elements of the story: the creepy Victorian home the family moves to and the inhabitants of the small town. 

The new home contains a lot of secrets, including small items that the family finds throughout the home and the coal chute door in the basement.  The door is shut by 39 carriage bolts, the same number of victims in Chip's plane crash.  Chip quickly becomes obsessed with the oddities throughout the home.  The town of Bethel holds its own secrets.  The family notices that most of the houses, including their own, have a greenhouse.  A good portion of the town is populated by practicing herbalists who take their craft very seriously.  Emily is also disturbed by the way the some of the inhabitants have taken a deep interest in her twin daughters.  Are the townspeople simply showing sympathy for a family that's gone through a lot, or do they have other plans?

The Man Who Broke into Auschwitz

Take one brash British army soldier, put him in a WWII POW camp near Auschwitz III, and give him the "opportunity" to witness firsthand the savagery of the Nazis, and you've got The Man Who Broke into Auschwitz by Denis Avey (with Rob Broomby). Denis Avey was just twenty-one when he enlisted, not for King and Country but, as he put it, "for the sheer hell of it, for the adventure." Adventure he got. And hell? Enough to last a lifetime. Avey saw combat against the Italians in North Africa, but when German panzers arrived, his luck went downhill in a hurry. Captured, he was transferred from one POW camp to another until he wound up in Oswiecim, Poland. Auschwitz. Avey did time in E715, a POW camp near Auschwitz III, and he couldn't believe what he saw on a daily basis: "People talk about man's inhumanity to man, but that wasn't human or inhuman--it was bestial. Love and hate meant nothing there. It was indifference. I felt degraded by each mindless murder I witnessed and could do nothing about. I was living in obscenity." There was, however, one thing he felt he could do, and it was a foolhardy thing indeed: sneak into Auschwitz III and see the conditions of the camp and its inmates firsthand, and, as Jewish prisoners were constantly begging Avey and his fellows to do, tell the world what he saw. If he lived, that is. How Avey accomplished this and the larger story of how he managed to survive the war make for some white-knuckled reading. Only now, some seventy years later, has he felt the burden of all he saw and endured begin to lift. Of Auschwitz Avey wrote, "A part of me died in there but I stayed angry even when there was little I could do. I admit I have left it late but now people are prepared to listen and I want my story to do some good, that's all I ever really wanted."

The Importance of Reading Whatever You Want

A child recently came to me and asked for help finding a non-fiction book.  She wasn't looking for something specific, but thought maybe a biography would be a good place to start.  She liked reading, she told me, but an adult told her that she reads too much fiction.  After asking, I found this was not assigned reading for school, but reading on her own time for fun.  I quietly helped her find a biography that she seemed somewhat interested in and bid her farewell.  I readily acknowledge that I wasn't witness to the conversation that took place between this girl and the adult, so perhaps I have misunderstood what lead up to it.  But, when kids average eight hours of screen time a day, and in a year when new reports show the lowest SAT reading scores in history, and while math and science scores are going up in Ohio, reading scores have gone slightly down, is it really necessary to tell a kid that she's reading the wrong things or the wrong way? 

Various studies have shown that reading -- any reading -- has a positive impact across all areas of life.  If you haven't seen any reports on the impact of summer reading, they're pretty convincing.  Kids reading even a few books over the summer months do measurably better in school the following year.  Beyond that, there's a growing field of research in the psychology of fiction indicating that reading fiction improves empathy.  This is all not to mention that there's an awful lot of fact that you can pick up from reading fiction.  How do I know about the Cairo Conference and its impact on modern-day Iraq?  Not from the History of the Middle East class I took in college, but because of the fiction book Dreamers of the Day.  I only know anything about the Sarajevo Haggadah -- or even what a Haggadah is -- because of Geraldine Brooks' People of the Book.  Kids can learn a lot about pioneer life from the Little House series and if you've never been around a kid who's read The Magic Treehouse books, you're in for a treat.  From this series alone, my seven-year-old daughter has gleaned information on everything from the mummification process in ancient Egypt to dinosaurs to how many different types of noses Leonardo Da Vinci had categorized (if you're curious, I think it's seven but I'm not exactly sure because I haven't read the book).  And, if your kid likes the Percy Jackson books, get that kid ready for Jeopardy because Greek mythology questions pop up all the time on that show.  

If you remain concerned about the balance between fiction and non-fiction, remember that fiction can also be a great doorway into non-fiction.  Your kid is in love with The Diary of a Wimpy Kid?  Use it as a springboard to talk about other kids who have kept diaries and given us valuable information about life in another time or place, like Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl.  For some, non-fiction is going to be more appealing, and that's great to encourage, too.  Either way, treat reading books for pleasure the same way you would treat watching movies or TV for pleasure -- it's okay if they're not all documentaries.  Sometimes, it's fun to just escape in a story. 

I guess, at the core of it, my point is this: read what you want.  To paraphrase S.K. Ranganathan, for every reader there is a book and for every book there is a reader.  If your reader has found a book to love, embrace that and use it as a platform to introduce new books -- don't rip it out of her hands. 

It's a Jungle Out There!

My family and I just watched  The Elephant in the Living Room? It is a wonderful documentary. It's told with heartfelt concern for animals and their owners.  It is a plea that people not own exotic animals or at least that they remember that exotic animals are wild and not tame. They may be raised by people but they still possess animal instincts and will act on them. They are animals.  This film held my family captive for several days. I did not have the opportunity to watch it in its entirety in one sitting.  My family insisted I watch the rest of the film and then they went one step better. They watched it again with me.  Quite a statement for the documentary, if you ask me. The movie highlights what can happen when a family takes home a cute little alligator or a precious lion cub and it grows up.  The story of Lambert broke my heart. 

After watching the video I looked through our library collection and found a few books on similar subjects.  Wild Times: Tales from Suburban Safaris by Tim Harrison is excellent. Tim gives short glimpses of his life as an exotic animal control expert. This includes some of his most interesting experiences.  If you enjoy wildlife or are an animal activist, or even a normal citizen from Dayton, Ohio you might want to read this book and learn for yourself that there really is a jungle out there. It may even be in your neighborhood.
Forbidden creatures : inside the world of animal smuggling and exotic pets  written by Peter Laufer is another very educational and  intriguing book. Laufer uses his renowned journalism skills and investigates the world of exotic animals. He thoroughly explores the world of exotic pets and presents an unbiased view of how owners, sellers and smugglers operate and tries to answer the question, "Why do people want an exotic pet?". 

The thing I found most interesting is I watched the movie and read the books before Terry Thompson released his wild animals in Zanesville, Ohio.  Hopefully people are now more aware that there is a suburban jungle out there. If you want to learn more read these books.

World Cup Caliber Authors--Japan

This is the final week of our tribute to the Women's World Cup by featuring authors from the winner's countries. The 2011 winner was Japan. The Japanese Women's National Soccer Team has appeared in a total of six world cups but never placed better than the quarterfinals.  Earlier this year they stunned the U. S. and the world and became the first Asian team to win the coveted championship.
Help celebrate their victory by reading one of the following talented authors of Japanese ancestry.

Kazuo Ishiguro--this Japanese-English author is best known for his 1989 Man Booker Prize winning novel The Remains of the Day but three of his other novels have been nominated as well.

Haruki Murakami--this Kyoto-born writer is an important writer of postmodern literature and has won numerous awards for both his fiction and nonfiction.  He's also the author of one of this fall's most talked-about books, 1Q84.

Kenzaburo Oe--born in 1935 in the village of Ose, he is a major figure in contemporary Japanese literature and he won the Nobel Prize in 1994.


Hiromi Kawakami--born in Tokyo, she is known for her offbeat fiction but is also a literary critic and provocative essayist.

Yukio Mishima--this author, poet, playwright, director, and actor was nominated for the Nobel Prize three times.  He committed ritual suicide in 1970 at the age of 45.

Julie Otsuka--this Yale graduate has written two novels based on the experience of her family members in Japanese-American internment camps during WWII.

Ruth Ozeki--this Connecticut born novelist, filmmaker, and Zen Buddhist priest has won the Kiriyama Prize and the American Book Award for her works.

Nina Revoyr--this Japanese-American novelist and multiple award winner has written four fascinating novels about small-town Wisconsin, the silent film era, girl's basketball, and Los Angeles.

Fiction, take me away!



Image from http://curezone.com/upload/Art/bookworld_small.jpg



During the month of November, we tend to turn our attention to the things in our lives for which we're thankful.  If you're on Facebook, chances are you've seen daily updates from people who are chronicling gratitude during this month of Thanksgiving.  A friend of mine has taken a unique spin on this and devoted her monthly status updates to chronicling the books she's grateful for.  I thought this was a great idea and we got into a discussion about some of the books that have been particularly noteworthy to us, for whatever reason.  We agreed that there are a few good books that transcend the pages and take root in our lives.  I'm going to borrow directly from Robin here, because I believe she said it better than I could: "our favorite books don't exist as objects to us, but instead as places that we go to when we're reading them -- as real as the rooms in our houses, they are places that are special to us and that make us feel a way that we don't feel when we're anywhere else."

Recently, I've been in a bit of a book rut.  Maybe it's because it's the time of year when I tend to switch gears from heavier literary fare to fluffier, cozier reads.  Whatever the reason, I have been drawn away from the stack of books I have waiting for me (all of which sound very interesting, but none of which sound really appealing right now) and toward some classics like A Wrinkle in Time, The Secret Garden, and The Anne of Green Gables series.  Each of these books has the ability to take me away from whatever is going on in my life at that moment and transport me to a different experience.  It's not exactly that I feel like I'm where the characters are (although I defy you to read Diana Gabaldon's Outlander and not feel like you've been transported back to 18th century Scotland along with Claire), but that I'm someplace completely apart -- someplace I can only get by reading that particular book.  Erin Morgenstern's debut novel, The Night Circus is the most recent book that completely immersed me in a different world. 

These fiction doldrums I've been in for the past week never last very long.  I imagine that within a week or two, I'll be diving back into my stacks of new books.  Until then, I'll happily go back to the books that take me away -- and that is something I'm thankful for.

In the Queue

Until Thy Wrath Be Past by Asa Larsson

With the spring thaw, a young woman’s body is discovered in Sweden’s Thorne River. Rebecka Martinsson, a prosecutor in nearby Karuna, wonders if it is the spirit of the same young woman who has been haunting her dreams.

The Silver Lotus by Thomas Steinbeck

Captain Jeremiah is an American merchant who faces storms and pirates on a regular basis. While traveling to China, he meets Lady Lee, known as the Silver Lotus. Love blooms and their adventures help shape and define the North California coast.

I Didn’t Ask To Be Born: But I’m Glad I Was by Bill Cosby

Cosby returns with a collection of wacky insights on the human condition. This book features some hilarious situations: his first date at age 15, encouraging his daughter to marry an NBA player, and how he deals with a grandchild who thinks he’s Godzilla!

How do you find new books to read?

It occurred to me today as I looked at the stack of books waiting to be read, that I don't remember what most of them are about or why I decided to check them out.  I'd like to think this isn't due entirely to my diminished short-term memory capacity, but rather because I found some books to read that haven't been getting a lot of press.  What to read next is always an interesting challenge: I want a book that has characteristics I know I'll like but that isn't exactly the same as every other book I've come across lately. 

Fortunately, I'm surrounded by news about new books every day.  More than that, I'm surrounded by book reviews every day.  On a given day, I might read a few dozen different book reviews.  As I write, I'm staring down about 10 journals I need to get through, but I actually look forward to it, because each is filled with review after review of new book.  I read reviews in trade journals like Kirkus or more public sources (Entertainment Weekly has consistently good book reviews, as does -- believe it or not -- People).  Those reviews and previews are usually how I get into the position I am now.  I have 8 books at home that I'm not sure I ever would've picked off the shelf, but the reviews were interesting enough to make me want to read them.  There's nothing like a good review from a source I trust to make me overcome my perpetual judgment of books based on their covers.

Some of the reviews I trust most, though, are from personal sources.  Friends, family, and (one of the perks of being at a library all day) coworkers are constantly telling me about what they've read recently that they think I might like.  They're able to do this because they know what I tend to like. 

Where do you turn for book suggestions?  How do you find what you're going to read next?  Do you grab them off the shelf or do you have a network of fellow readers who provide suggestions?  If you don't have that network, let us play that role.  You can fill out a personalized reading list request and within a few days we'll send you a list of books we think you'd like based on your reading interest.  We're like personal shoppers for books.  Give it a try and let us know what you think!

Marriage Secrets Lead to a Happy Marriage?

In a world filled with a love ‘em and leave ‘em mentality a new book has emerged. It is entitled, The Secret Lives of Wives. I read the book and knew I’d write about it, but I’m still trying to figure out if I liked it. Iris Krasnow has written several books on the subject of marriage. Her first book, Surrendering to Motherhood was a NY Times bestseller. Her latest book is in essence a marriage manual. Some, who are against marriage, may call it an expose’ on marriage.

Krasnow interviewed 200 women who have been married anywhere from 15-70 years. This is truly remarkable considering the divorce rate for first time marriages in America is 41% and climbing every year.  Oh, what a sad story. Krasnow speaks with many women to discern how they managed to beat the marriage odds. What did they do differently to have their marriages last decades? You will have to decide for yourself if what they did is worth the long lasting marriage.

This is a tell-all book and it includes a few interesting secrets to a happy marriage. Some of the secrets may astound you. Some of the veteran married women advise making out with your old boyfriend. One meets privately with her college boyfriend and has for years and another has a long standing affair with her gardener. Another takes a separate vacation. She leaves her spouse at home and goes on her own vacation.  He usually takes a vacation too, they just go to separate destinations.

Krasnow writes that, "To expect one person, man or woman, to make you happy for the rest of your life is a ticket to divorce." Look for excitement and fulfillment outside your marriage. Make yourself happy and your marriage will be happy too!  I do not buy into the idea of cheating on your spouse as helping you maintain a happy marriage, but I can see how taking a class or finding a hobby you enjoy would make a positive impact on your life.

IF you are looking for a quick read that presents unique options on what it means to be married this may be the book for you. IF you have a more traditional view of marriage this book may offend you.  Krasnow does not condone the choices of the women interviewed, but presents their options for a happy marriage and leads the reader to investigate their own morals and own inspiration for happiness. She presents ancedotes from her own life along with those from the women she interviewed. The stories flow together seamlessly and will lead you to think  for yourself about what will make your marriage happier.

World Cup Caliber Authors from the United States

This week we are celebrating the runners-up of the Women's World Cup by highlighting writers from the United States.  Since there is not enough time or space to cover all of the states, we are choosing the states from where most of the ladies on the team hail:  New Jersey and California.

From suspense and thriller novelists Mary Higgins Clark and Harlan Coben to award-winning children's author Sharon Creech, New Jersey is birthplace and home to many talented writers.

Edna Buchanan--this Paterson, NJ, mystery author and journalist won the 1986 Pulitzer Prize for reporting.

Janet Evanovich--this NY Times best-selling author is most well known for her wacky Stephanie Plum mysteries set in Trenton.

Laura Anne Gilman--this New Jersey born science fiction, supernatural romance, and fantasy novelist was nominated for 2009 Nebula Award.

Belva Plain--this novelist lived in Millburn and died in 2010 at the age of 95. At the time of her death there were over 30 million copies of her books in print.

Philip Roth--this Newark literary novelist has won two National Book Awards, three Pen/Faulkner Awards, and the Pulitzer Prize.

California is full of great writers including science fiction and fantasy greats Kage Baker and Greg Bear and 2-time Nebula Award winner Catherine Asaro. Try one of these other gifted authors from the Golden State.

Nevada Barr--this writer grew up in Johnstonville and writes mysteries starring Anna Pigeon, a female law enforcement ranger for the National Park Service.

James Ellroy--this Los Angeles native wrote gritty crime novels including L. A. Confidential and The Black Dahlia.

Shirley Jackson--this queen of psychological horror was a San Francisco native and wrote the short story "The Lottery" and the novel The Haunting of Hill House.

Maxine Hong Kingston--this Chinese-American writer and professor from Stockton won the National Book Award in 1981 for China Men.

John Steinbeck--born in Salinas, this author penned the Pulitzer Prize winning The Grapes of Wrath, the often filmed East of Eden, the tragic novella Of Mice and Men, and many other classics.  He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.

Don't believe the hype -- discover the magic for yourself

When the reviews for a particular book read as though they're trying to top each other in their hyperbole, each struggling to be the most glowing, the most effusive in its praise of a book, I get suspicious.  Yes, I love finding a well-reviewed book just as much as the next person; it's nice to know going in that others have found it worth the time.  Still, a little too much praise and I start to get a little suspicious that's it a case of the Emperor's New Clothes, where everyone is just afraid to admit they didn't like it as much as the last person so they have to like it even more.  I've been burned before (I still won't cop to some of the best-reviewed books that I absolutely couldn't stand...unless you ask, in which case I'll share)...and I am, apparently, far more conspiracy-minded when it comes to book reviews than I had realized. 

Still, despite my trepidation based on the incredible reviews, the public clamor, and the fact that the book was optioned for a movie before it was even released, I was pleasantly surprised by The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.  In addition to providing yet another title to my growing list of reasons to think that that sometimes the best books are, in fact, by first-time authors, The Night Circus also managed to prove that, sometimes, you can actually beat the expectations game.

The world of The Night Circus and its cast of characters were far more unique than you might suspect from the many comparisons to Harry Potter and Twilight that have been made.  And, if I can digress for a moment, I would like to implore book reviewers to stop comparing every book with some element of fantasy to Harry Potter and Twilight  They were blockbusters in their own rights without question, but not every book that involves a bit of magic should be compared to them.  If you want the Hollywood pitch of this-meets-that, I'd argue that you should think Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell meets Something Wicked This Way Comes.  Comparisons aside, Morgenstern has crafted a world of dreamy wonderment with the Cirque des Reves.  Her writing was so evocative that I could swear I tasted the caramel corn and heard the music.  I was immersed completely in the world she created and I want to go back.  If only I can get the reveurs to tell me where it will be next...

Darkness, My Old Friend

I recently finished Lisa Unger's latest title, Darkness, My Old Friend.  I first found out about Unger through last year's Fragile, which I wrote reviewed in a blog post.  To say I couldn't wait for this latest offering is a bit of an understatement.

This story returns to the sleepy little town simply called The Hollows.  Jones, the police officer from Fragile, returns along with his wife Maggie, though Jones plays a more prominent role than Maggie in this story.  The story begins with Willow Graves, who has moved to the Hollows with mother, skipping school one day and wandering through the woods behind Hollows High School.  What she sees there sets off a chain reaction that affects several people, including Jones, throughout this small town.  Jones must figure out how Michael Holt fits in to what Willow sees.  Holt has returned to the Hollows to solve the mystery of his mother who disappeared from town when he was young.  And what about Paula Carr, who wishes to take her children and leave the abusive relationship with her husband?   

The intriguing character of Eloise, the local psychic who often helps the police, returns for the second Hollows offering.  She sees a vision and warns the ever skeptical Jones that he may be in trouble.  But he may need to seek her assistance more than he wishes.  Unger has a teriffic way of tying together all of the seemingly independent stories in Darkness, My Old Friend.  I was impressed yet again with her storytelling and will look forward to her next book.

The Best Staged Plans

There comes a point in everyone’s life where you take stock of where you are. I think somewhere there is a checklist that includes: marriage, children, home, career and at the end of the list happiness. Every now and then I look at the list and say yes I’ve got that I’m doing well. Silly but true, I love to have my to do list filled out and checked off. Sandra Sullivan, in the book Best Staged Plans by Claire Cook, has her own to-do list. She sets goals and gets them done. She has a great job, great husband, 2 kids and a beautiful home. She has decided it’s time to move on with her life (and her husband’s). Her kids are grown and the house is tying her and her husband down. So naturally they have to sell it. The house is an old historic home that needs some work. Yet although her family has agreed to cooperate and get the house ready to sell, they always find something else to do when it comes time to work. Thwarted by her retired husband and bat cave son she takes a job in Atlanta. Her life as she sees it is a mess and so she has to cut her losses. It isn’t until she sees a homeless woman near where she works that she realizes what she has. She looks at her life through different eyes and sees how wonderful it is. She has a home, a great husband and loving children. So what if the house doesn't sell, is it the end of the world?  Is this enough to throw away all the good things?  Is telling her family how much she loves them enough?  Is it too late to get back what she gave up?

This is a wonderfully witty story about growing older, facing life’s changes and learning happiness is all around you. If you enjoy reading chick lit, you have got to read this story. The story flows smoothly and will make you laugh out loud.  Claire Cook takes chick lit to a new level. She does not just give us a feel good story, but gives us life lessons along the way.  This is a truly delightful and enchanting story.