The Cuckoo's Calling

I loved the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, but was disappointed with her first 'adult novel' Casual Vacancy. I suppose I wanted a more pleasant story line and a definitive hero who saved the day for everyone.  I was ill prepared for Rowling's verge into the child unfriendly land of Pagford, where heroin addiction, suicide, violence, rape and snobbery ran rampant throughout the town.  I was sure that my beloved author was unable to successfully transition to adult literature.  I am thrilled to be mistaken.  

The Cuckoo's Calling was written by Robert Galbraith, which is now known as a pseudonym for JK Rowling. I am actually happy she did this; since I was less than enthused with Casual Vacancy, I may not have picked this novel up and that would have been a grave mistake! 

I thoroughly enjoyed the strong characters she created and the well written story.   If you enjoy crime fiction novels, give this one a try, not because it is written by J K Rowling, but because it is a wonderful new addition to the detective crime investigation genre.  It is a mystery whose characters will lure you in and make you want their lives to be a bit better, especially the main character Cormoran Strike.  If you tried Casual Vacancy and did not like it,...do not let that keep you from trying this novel.  It truly was a wonderful read and I imagine if there is a sequel it will only get better.    

2013 Dayton Literary Peace Prize Finalists

As a continuation of my last blog, I wanted to introduce this year’s Dayton Literary Peace Prize finalists. The list is impressive. If I could carve out the time, I would treat myself by reading my way down the list so I could celebrate with the award recipient on November 3^rd. Did I mention Nick Clooney is the Master of Ceremonies?

Fiction
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain
A  day in the life story of an Iraq War hero. Also a finalist for the National Book Award.
The Coldest Night by Robert Olmstead
A coming-of-age tale that moves from the streets of New Orleans to one of the most physically challenging battles in the Korean War.
The Life of Objects by Susanna Moore 
Set in Germany on the eve of World War II, the story of one woman's journey of self-discovery as a continent collapses into darkness.
The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and nominated for multiple awards. A riveting portrait of a world rife with hunger, corruption, and casual cruelty but also camaraderie, and stolen moments of beauty and love.
The Round House by Louise Erdrich
A 13-year-old boy living on a reservation in North Dakota sets out with three friends on a quest for answers about an attack on his mother.
The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
A novel written by a veteran of the war in Iraq, The Yellow Birds is the harrowing story of two young soldiers trying to stay alive

Nonfiction
Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
Global change and inequality are given a human face via the residents of a makeshift settlement in the shadow of Mumbai’s luxury hotels.
Burying the Typewriter (currently on-order for WCPL) by Carmen Bugan
A Romanian girl’s bucolic life is upended when her father is arrested for political dissidence.
Devil in the Grove by Gilbert King
Devil in the Grove is the winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. A detailed chronicle of four black Florida men who, falsely accused of rape in 1949, were defended by civil rights crusader Thurgood Marshall.
Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden
The shocking story of one of the few people born in a North Korean political prison to have escaped and survived.
Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon
Solomon tells the stories of parents who not only learn to deal with their exceptional children but also find profound meaning in doing so. Solomon's startling proposition is that diversity is what unites us all.
Pax Ethnica (currently on-order for WCPL) by Karl Meyer and Shareen Brysac
From Kerala, India to Queens, New York, the authors explore regions noted for low violence, rising life expectancy, and pragmatic compromises on cultural rights, revealing how diverse communities manage to live in peace.

2013 Dayton Literary Peace Prize Finalists. Retrieved from http://www.daytonliterarypeaceprize.org/2013-finalists.htm

Trees of Life

I came across an article the other day that was talking about "tree" related books. I love trees and I love books and since trees make books, I thought it would make a good booklist to share, so here are some novels about trees, featuring trees, or that have tree in their titles. 
 

Classics

Cold Sassy Tree - Olive Ann Burns
--Young Will Tweedy becomes chaperone, co-conspirator, and confidant to his renegade grandpa and the old man's young new wife.  

Across the River and Into the Trees - Ernest Hemingway
--During World War II, Colonel Richard Cantwell, an American soldier, falls in love with a young Italian countess.   

The Bean Trees - Barbara Kingsolver
--Taylor Greer is a poor Kentucky woman who goes west to start a new life.  Hers is a story about love, friendship, abandonment, and belonging.

The Giving Tree - Shel Silverstein
--A young boy grows to manhood and old age experiencing the love of a tree which gives to him without thought of repayment.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith
--This novel follows young Francie, who is armed with her idealism and determination, as she struggles to escape from the poverty in Brooklyn during the early 1900s.

Newer Titles

The Courage Tree - Diane Chamberlain
--When eight-year-old Sophie, who suffers from a rare disease, vanishes during a camping trip, a desperate search is launched before it is too late.
  
Children of the Jacaranda Tree - Sahar Delijani
--In post-revolutionary Iran, follow three generations of families whose loved ones were murdered inside Tehran's prisons.

The Tree of Forgetfulness - Pam Durban
--This novel tells the largely untold story of a brutal Jim Crow-era triple lynching in South Carolina. It resurrects a troubled past and explores what led a community to choose silence over justice.

Like Trees, Walking - Ravi Howard
--Based on a true story, this tale of two brothers and how their lives are forever changed by the hanging death of a childhood friend.  
  
The Fever Tree - Jennifer McVeigh
--Forced to abandon her life of privilege in 1880 London and relocate to Africa, Francis Irvine becomes entangled with two very different men. 
 
The Tree Bride - Bharati Mukherjee
--Struggling to reconcile with her husband, Tara Chatterjee relates the story of an ancestor who married a tree at the age of five and who grew up to be a nationalist freedom fighter.
 
The Sandalwood Tree - Elle Newmark
--In 1947, as Britain loses its grip on India, Evie and her family hole up in a small village, where she discovers letters that lead her to a compelling mystery. 
 
The Crying Tree - Naseem Rakha
--When her 15-year-old son is killed, his grieving mother exchanges letters with the killer in a desperate hope to forgive and move on. This sparks an explosive confrontation when it is discovered by her husband.
   
The Language of Trees - Ilie Ruby
--After the breakup of his marriage, Grant returns home to Canandaigua Lake, where gossip is flying about the disappearance of a young woman, and finds himself involved in her search.
 
The Roots of the Olive Tree - Courtney Miller Santo
--When a geneticist arrives to study their unusual lifespans, five generations of the Keller family are shaken when revelations and shocking secrets come to light.

Lime Tree Can't Bear Orange - Amanda Smyth
--Celia was raised in Tobago. When her uncle does something unforgivable, Celia escapes to the capital. There she embraces her independence, but finds herself entangled with two very, different men. 
 
The Beach Trees - Karen White
--Ellie befriends a struggling artist who reminds her of her missing little sister, and so begins a long and painful healing process.

The Plum Tree - Ellen Marie Wiseman
--In the fall of 1938, 17-year-old Christine, a maid forbidden to return to the Jewish family she works for, confronts the Gestapo's wrath and the horrors of Dachau to survive and to be with the man she loves.
  
The Ginger Tree - Oswald Wynd
--In 1903 China, a restless young Scotswoman enters into an affair with a Japanese nobleman, beginning a scandal that spans two world wars. 
 
The People in the Trees - Hanya Yanagihara
--Joining a 1950 expedition to discover a lost tribe on a remote island, a young doctor proves a theory and finds fame and unexpected consequences.

 

“Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.”
― Kahlil Gibran

    

 “I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree.”
― Joyce Kilmer

Book Cover Art

Science fiction, in my opinion, is one of those genres that lends itself exceptionally well to art. Admittedly, some of the art that is produced for the genre is incredibly cliché, with ray guns, aliens, and spaceships garishly splashed across the cover. I have noticed that frequently, there seem numerous instances where the art does not seem to match what is inside the book.

But numerous, talented artists have made the amazing worlds come to life. An excellent and recent example is the episodic Human Division by John Scalzi, where every episode’s cover was painted by John Harris. On all 13 covers, the title and author dominate, but in the middle is a small yetexcellent example of sci-fi cover art. Each is done with a subdued palette and the minimalist subject matter relates beautifully to the story within.

There is also the cover for Leviathan Wakes, by James S.A. Corey. The artist, Daniel Dociu, makes excellent use of foreshortening, perspective, and scale to create a dynamic cover that truly works with the book.

What prompted this post is that I recently stumbled across this article from the rebooted Omni magazine (Omni was a sci-fi magazine that ran from 1978-1998 and is currently undergoing an online revival) that reveals some of the original art done by JohnSchoenherr for Frank Herbert’s 1965 Dune. While Dune may not have the cult following of Lord of the Rings or Star Wars, is it just as compelling and influential. The most notable attempts to visually capture Dune are by Peter Lynch (1984) and Syfy (2000), each with mixed reviews. But, the work by Schoenherr captures what I envisioned the planet to be when I first read it years ago. Apparently, I am not the only one to think that as Herbert himself praised Schoenherr for the accuracy of his work. Stylistically, the works are obviously dated to the 60’s, but that does not detract from the simple elegance with which he portrays Dune and the characters therein.

Best Romance Novels of 2013

Romance Writers of America announced the winners for the 2013 RITA^® on July 20. The RITA—the highest award of distinction in romance fiction—recognizes excellence in published romance novels and novellas. Listed below are the RITA winners, but there are more great romance novels that were finalists. If you like romance this is a no miss list.


Best First Book Winner
The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James
A Spellbinding and chilling gothic suspenseful romance novel that will entrance you from the beginning.

Contemporary Single Title  Romance Winner
The Way Back Home by Barbara Freethy
An emotional story about love romance and fighting for what matters the most.

Historical Romance Winner
A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean
A brilliantly crafted and deliciously seductive romance novel.

Inspirational Romance Winner
Against the Tide by Elizabeth Camden
A captivating and heart wrenching romance filled suspense novel that will keep you turning pages.

Long Contemporary Series Romance Winner
A Gift for All Seasons by Karen Templeton
A wonderful holiday read!

Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James
A ghost story, a romance and chilling suspense that will keep you turning pages.

Paranormal Romance Winner
Shadow's Claim by Kresley Cole
A fast paced love story, filled with one man's desire to win and protect his true love.
Romance Novella Winner
Seduced by a Pirate by Eloisa James
A short story filled with passion, pirates and secrets.

Romantic Suspense Winner
Scorched by Laura Griffin
A sizzling suspense novel filled with a steamy love story.

Short Contemporary Romance Winner
A Night of No Return by Sarah Morgan
A pleasant read for a cold winter night.

Young Adult Romance Winner
The Farm by Emily McKay
An intense, gritty and suspenseful read.

How familiar are you with the Dayton Literary Peace Prize?

Dayton, Ohio hosts the only annual literary award in the United States that recognizes the power of literature to promote peace. Nominations are accepted for both adult fiction and nonfiction for works written in the past year. The purpose of the award is to recognize works that have helped improve the quality of life by bringing attention to and better understanding of different religions, people, cultures, and political viewpoints. The goal is to recognize the role that literature has in fostering peace, then to encourage the reading and discussing of the literature to further the spread of tolerance and understanding.

In addition to the main prizes for fiction and nonfiction, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Committee (DLPPC) also awards the Richard C. Holbrooke Award. This award has the same criteria as the other prizes, but focuses on an author’s body of work rather than a single text—akin to a lifetime achievement award. Nominated works must have a central theme of peace, can include issues of human rights, must appeal to a large body of readers, and must have enduring value.

On August 12, the DLPPC awarded Wendell Berry with the Richard C. Holbrooke Award. Berry is the author of over 50 works of essays, poetry, and fiction. Berry is a full-time farmer residing in Kentucky with his wife, Tanya. His writing focuses on the relationship between humans, the Earth, and the need for harmony. Berry also espouses the importance of traditional values, community commitment, local farming, and strong local economies for the survival of the human race. His works are varied, impressive, and relentlessly poignant.

Last year’s award recipient, Tim O’Brien, will present the award to Berry on November 3, 2013.

In addition the Richard C. Holbrooke Award, Wendell Berry has been awarded the National Humanities Medal, the Cleanth Brooks Medal for Lifetime Achievement by the Fellowship of Southern Writers, and the Louis Bromfield Society Award.

For more information on the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, please visit:

http://www.daytonliterarypeaceprize.org/

For the Library’s holdings of works by Wendell Berry, please check our eCatalog.

"Mau Loa Hawai'i" (Forever Hawai'i)

Kahakauwila

A couple of months ago I moderated a book discussion about Sarah Vowell's book Unfamiliar Fishes.  It was an interesting read about Hawaiian history--before it became a U. S. state. Then last week a book of short stories arrived here at the library by a new and talented native Hawaiian author, Kristiana Kahakauwila.  Hmmm--I saw a theme forming.  So, here are some great titles about Hawaii and by Hawaiian authors.

Alan Brennert
--not a native but he has written two novels about Hawaii, Honolulu and Molokai. His newest book Palisades Park--came out this year.

James Jones
--his 1952 National Book Award winning From Here to Eternity has been made into a classic movie, a miniseries, and a TV series.

James Michener
--this Pulitzer Prize winning author's novel Hawaii was made into a 1966 film.

Deborah Turrell Atkinson
--she writes the Storm Kayama mystery series: Primitive Secrets, The Green Room, Fire Prayer, and Pleasing the Dead. A Hawaii resident for over 30 years, she lives in Honolulu with her family.

Kiana Davenport
--she was born in Honolulu, is of part Hawaiian ancestry, and the author of Song of Exile.

Allegra Goodman
--she was raised in Honolulu and graduated from Punahou School in 1985.  Paradise Park.

Kaui Hart Hemmings
--she was born and raised in Hawaii and her novel The Descendants was made into an 2011 Oscar winning movie.

Kristiana Kahakauwila
--she is a native Hawaiian and is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Western Washington University.  This Is Paradise is her first book.

Chris McKinney
--he was born in Honolulu and grew up in Kahaluu on the island of Oahu.  Queen of Tears and The Tattoo.
 
Tara Bray Smith
--she was born and raised in Hawaii and her book West of Then: A Mother, A Daughter, and a Journey Past Paradise is available from SEO.


Lois-Ann Yamanaka

--she is a Japanese-American author who was born in Ho'olehua, Moloka'i, Hawai'i.  Her many novels are available through SEO.


"Hawaii is not a state of mind, but a state of grace."
                                                        Paul Theroux

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson is possibly known to many readers as the writer chosen to finish the prodigious Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan. However, a read through The Way of Kings, the first of his Stormlight Archive series, demonstrates Sanderson's command of the genre.

In true High fantasy form, Sanderson has created Roshar, a harsh world, wracked by intense storms that have caused a unique, hard-shelled ecology. Cities and civilization are only where the landscape offers protection.

There are dozens of secondary characters but only a few that the story revolves around. There is Kaladin, the soldier/surgeon, made a slave for the one he didn’t kill. The assassin in white, Szeth, unstoppable, bound to his task, and weeping with every death. Dalinar Kholin the Highprince warrior whose honor and battle-weariness make him a target. And Shallan Davar, the thief and scholar with the artistic hand.

Much of this may sound like conventional fantasy, with some epic battle against a seemingly unstoppable evil right around the corner. Sanderson also blurs that virtuous and evil, that good and the bad line that seems so clear cut in so many fantasy tales, to include those of Tolkien himself. His distortion of this archetypal model makes the characters, despite their fantastical situations, much more relatable and believable.

Weighing in at just over 1000 pages Kings may seem daunting but one has to keep in mind that Sanderson is not only creating an entire world, complete with its own civilizations and ecologies, but also is placing four incredibly rich stories, each with their own context and background. Few storytellers can spin such a fantastic tale, much less do so in a way that does not flood the reader with details. Sanderson reveals himself a master at his craft as he carefully reveals the layers of his world, his characters, and their flaws and triumphs. For those that are fans of fantasy, The Way of Kingsis a must read.

The Shining Girls

Imagine yourself as a child playing outdoors when a stranger approaches, a man who limps toward you and offers you a prize from the pocket of his sports coat: a plastic pony with yellow hair, something a little girl would love. And even though your parents have taught you better, you accept it, because what little kid doesn't like getting a prize? Then, as the man turns to leave, he says something rather odd: Now keep this safe, alright? I'll see you when you're all grown-up. Look out for me, okay sweetheart? I'll come back for you. 

Grownups are weird, aren't they?

But weird doesn't begin to describe this particular grownup. Try dangerous. Try murderer. No, you don't know this, nor do you realize that in accepting this man's gift, you've just been marked. Years from now, when you're a grown woman and that long-forgotten stranger comes back for you--because it's really you he wants--you'd better run. Nothing gets the blood flowing like a little chase before the kill. After all, when your killer can hop through time as easily as walking through a door, your fate's already sealed.  

This is what awaits you, dear reader, in the pages of Lauren Beukes's mind-bending thriller, The Shining Girls. When a sociopath named Harper Curtis stumbles upon the find of the century in Depression-era Chicago--a house that allows him to travel through time--he begins a savage and impossible killing spree that spans decades. Like most serial killers, he prefers a certain type of victim: girls who shine, young women full of life and potential. But one of them, a spunky girl named Kirby Mazrachi, escapes death and is determined to identify her attacker and bring him to justice--just as he is determined to correct his mistake and snuff out her light once and for all.

Stranded

Alex Kava's thriller, Stranded takes us to a place many Americans have been, the highway rest stop. This is the place you stop when the road has gotten too long and you are a little weary. Perhaps you are almost home; you just need to make one more stop, get another jolt of caffeine and you can sleep in your bed in an hour or two. There's nothing too scary about a rest stop, well sometimes they are not very clean and if you are alone and it's dark you may hurry into the building and race back to your car. It's not that the rest area is not safe; but it can be just a little scary.

Alex Kava plays on that fear. What happens if the rest stop is not a safe haven? What happens when you stop and a stranger needs help? After you decide to help you realize you should never have rolled down your window. It's then you realize you have made the biggest mistake of your life. You are stranded and you don't have a prayer of a chance. 

In Stranded a cunning serial killer preys on unsuspecting travelers and forces them into a game of life or death. He naturally stacks the deck in his favor and no matter what choice they make they are bound to lose. While dumping a body he becomes fascinated by FBI Agent Maggie O'Dell and deems her to be a worthy adversary. Thus begins the game, only Maggie does not realize she is playing right into his hand.

This is the first Maggie O'Dell story I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters; their backstories and interaction together.  It is a wonderful story for the beach and daylight reading. I am not sure I would recommend it for reading as you drive to your next destination but if you do and have to stop at a rest area, lock your doors and don't talk to strangers.

Ahh, young love...

Over the past few years I have worked to expand my YA knowledge so I can better assist patrons and better understand what my daughter is currently reading. Not to mention, YA books are awesome! I came across a review a few months back about Rainbow Rowell’s latest release, Eleanor & Park, and I knew it was a must read. Anything that mentions punk rock and love is a must read.

The book takes place over the course of a single school year (really less) in 1986. The story is a love story, a coming-of-age tale, and a bit of a mystery all tied up in a lovely bow. The book captures the awkwardness of the teen years and first love, while also confronting some more serious issues like neglect, abuse, and the misery caused by high school bullies.

Eleanor and Park work hard to transcend the normal teen modus operandi by letting their hearts rule and their embarrassment take a backseat. Big, gangly Eleanor comes “home” after over a year of exile at a family acquaintance’s house to a sad domestic reality and a new school. On the bus she is forced into a seat with Park, half-Korean and quiet for purposes of survival. Park and Eleanor move around each other for weeks without speaking or interacting, but a common interest in comic books and song lyrics eventually pulls them together into a love that is both sweet and unprecedented.

Rowell does a very good job illustrating the survival techniques we all use to make it through a day or to deal with a particular situation. The agony and ecstasy of being a teenager is not lost in this story. Not to mention, her handling of family dynamics and what it means (and feels like) to go without is superb.  Eleanor learns that she is worthy of love. Park learns that he must be open to learning about a person beyond their clothing, hair, or possessions. Also, have your Walkman ready, because you will be inspired to revisit some bands.