Literary Biographies: Shirley Jackson, A Rather Haunted Life

Shirley Jackson is one of my favorite authors. She is a writer who continued in the American Gothic tradition of Hawthorne and Poe, but kept her work uniquely her own: the horror, either psychological or supernatural, blended with postwar, suburban mundanity.

Jackson was a significant figure in 20^th century American literature, though often kept on the edges of mainstream literary canon. How many people have read the short story The Lottery, with its unflinching portrait of brutality and rituality in small American towns? Or how many people have seen either the 1963 or 1999 film adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House?

Last year we were lucky enough to see Let Me Tell You published -- a volume of Jackson’s previously unpublished and uncollected stories and nonfiction writings. This year, on the centenary of her birth, we get a biography from book critic and author, Ruth Franklin.

Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life is a meticulous, critical, empathetic work – not only a glimpse into Jackson’s motivations for her novels and stories, but also an exploration of the woman herself: someone who had a successful writing career but who struggled with marital issues, substance abuse, and personal and social anxieties.

Neil Gaiman writes of the new biography, “Ruth Franklin is the biographer Jackson needed: she tells the story of the author in a way that made me want to reread every word Jackson ever wrote.” I agree and would highly recommend it. It is nice seeing Jackson get her much-deserved due at the hands of a skilled biographer.

Below are a few other literary biographies I would recommend:

The Real Jane Austen / Paula Byrne

My Wars Are Laid Away in Books / Alfred Habegger

Beatrix Potter / Linda Lear

Flannery / Brad Gooch

And make sure to check out the New York Times Literary Biographies Reading List for even more suggestions.

Glenn Gould: A Life Off Tempo by Sandrine Revel

Glenn Gould: A Life Off Tempo by Sandrine Revel

I have long listened to the many, wonderful variations of classical composers done by Glenn Gould on piano. My first exposure to him was when I was flipping through classical vinyl records at a thrift shop when I stumbled across his Bach variations for 50 cents. Naturally, I grabbed it, took it home for a listen, and became an instant fan of Gould’s. From then on, he was one of the artists whom I always looked for when record hunting. But, I knew very little about the man until I picked up Glenn Gould: A Life Off Tempo by Sandrine Revel.

The story is not a straight forward one, with Revel intermixing typical documentary convention with surrealist interludes. These little interruptions could have detracted from the odd yet compelling story of Gould and make for fascinating breaks as we follow this quirky genius as he grows up from a boy to the intense and difficult classical musician we all know. The muted, cool colors on water color paper are wonderful to look at, each page beautifully done. The wonderful artwork does an excellent job of supporting the story of the intense, difficult musician. This is definitely one of the better graphic novel biographies that I have read and I would recommend it for any fan of classical music, of Gould himself, or of graphic novel non-fiction.

Cooking Comically: Recipes so Easy You'll Actually Make Them by Tyler Capps

Cooking Comically: Recipes so Easy You'll Actually Make Them by Tyler Capps

Food is a wonderful thing. As cook books are a way to make that wonderful thing, they too are great, except those books that simply give you a list of stuff and a list of directions. While utilitarian, such recipes do not inspire salivating. Cooking Comically is anything but a boring cook book.

Capps, owner of the website cookingcomically.com, has the stated goal of provided recipes that are easy, tasty, and cheap. He then delivers such foodly instructions in a way that resembles comic panels, complete with a black and white, snarky stick figure. He provides images of not only the end product, but the ingredients and the processes too. The stick figure adds pop culture references, jokes, and some excellent tips and explanations.

Capps’ Cooking Comically will not help you master the art of French cooking, or Italian, or any specific style. Instead, he aims to show the uninitiated what tasty things can be accomplished with only a little effort.  Personally, I feel fairly accomplished in the kitchen, I know which end of the spatula to hold and have been known to my friend and family to deliver some delectable dishes. I still learned from this book and added some recipes and tricks to my collection. Cooking Comically is entertaining, delicious, and an all-around solid cookbook. 

Spice Up Your Fall with Some Great Mexican and Tex-Mex Cookbooks!

 

Cookbooks are awesome!  Tasty, eye-catching, and fun to read!  So, explore the library's huge cookbook collection this month!

Mexican cuisine is primarily a fusion of indigenous Meso-American (area from Central Mexico down to Northern Costa Rica) cooking with European, especially Spanish, elements added after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire in the 16th century. The staples are native foods, such as corn, beans, avocados, tomatoes, and chili peppers, along with rice, which was brought by the Spanish. Europeans introduced a large number of other foods, the most important of which were meats from domesticated animals (beef, pork, chicken, goat, and sheep), dairy products (especially cheese), and various herbs and spices.

While the Spanish initially tried to impose their own diet on the country, this was not possible and eventually the foods and cooking techniques began to merge.  Mexican cuisine is an important aspect of the culture, social structure and popular traditions of Mexico.

Try some great Mexican recipes from the following authors:

Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America by Gustavo Arellano

Fiesta at Rick's: Fabulous Food for Great Times with Friends by Rick Bayless

Taco Loco!: Mexican Street Food from Scratch by Jonas Cramby

Knack Mexican Cooking: a Step-by-Step Guide to Authentic Dishes Made Easy by Chelsie Kenyon

Planet Taco: a Global History of Mexican Food by Jeffrey M. Pilcher

Simple Food, Big Flavor: Unforgettable Mexican-Inspired Recipes from My Kitchen to Yours by Aaron Sanchez

Antojitos: Festive and Flavorful Mexican Small Plates by Barbara Sibley and Margaritte Malfy

Dos Caminos' Mexican Street Food: 120 Authentic Recipes to Make at Home by Ivy Stark

Tacos: Recipes and Provocations by Alex Stupak and Jordan Rothma

Tex-Mex (from Texan and Mexican) is a term describing a fusion of United States cuisine and Mexican cuisines, deriving from the culinary creations of Tejanos (Texans of Spanish descent). It has spread from Border States such as Texas and others in the Southwestern United States to the rest of the country as well as Canada. 

Some ingredients are common in Mexican cuisine, but other ingredients not typically used in Mexico are often added. Tex-Mex cuisine is characterized by its heavy use of shredded cheese, meat (particularly beef and pork), beans, and spices, in addition to Mexican-style tortillas. Moreover, Tex-Mex has imported flavors from other spicy cuisines, such as the use of cumin, introduced by Spanish immigrants to Texas from the Canary Islands.  Tex-Mex is most popular in the state of Texas.

So, if you have a hankering for some Tex-Mex grub, these are some excellent books to try:

Chili Madness: a Passionate Cookbook by Jane Butel

Tex-Mex from Scratch by Jonas Cramby

The Southwest Table: Traditional Cuisine from Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona by Dave DeWitt

Eat More Tortillas by Donna Kelly and Stephanie Ashcraft

Enchiladas: Aztec to Tex-Mex by Cappy Lawton

Truly Texas Mexican: a Native Culinary Heritage in Recipes by Adan Medrano

Meatless in Cowtown: A Vegetarian Guide to Food and Wine, Texas Style by
Laura Samuel Meyn

Southwestern Vegetarian by Stephan Pyles

The Tex-Mex Cookbook: a History in Recipes and Photos by Robb Walsh

The Tex-Mex Grill and Backyard Barbacoa Cookbook by Robb Walsh

November's In the Queue

It's time to warm up with a great new book! You'll find chillers, thrillers and a little romance in November's In the Queue.

Fiction
The Twenty-Three by Linwood Barclay
The jaw dropping finale of the Promise Falls Trilogy points to the number 23. Working out why brings Detective Duckworth closer to death than he's ever been before.

The Spy: A Novel by Paulo Coelho
An unforgettable story of Mata Hari, a woman who dared to defy convention and paid the ultimate price. Her only crime was being an independent woman.

To Capture What We Cannot Keep by Beatrice Colin
Historical fiction at its finest. Set against the construction of the Eiffel tower this novel explores the relationship between a Scottish widow and a French engineer, who despite their differences in class and wealth meet and fall in love.

Conclave: A Novel by Robert Harris
The Pope is dead. 118 cardinals are about to hold the world's most secret election. These are holy men, ambitious men, and all have rivals. In 72 hours one will become the most spiritual and powerful figure on earth.

The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
The thrilling conclusion to a masterful trilogy. Kelsea Glynn has gone from awkward girl to a powerful and beloved Monarch. She chose to save her kingdom by giving herself to her enemy. Her regent vows to do whatever he must to rescue her.

I'll Take You There by Wally Lamb
An evocative and deeply moving story of how three unforgettable women changed the life of Felix Funicello. A radiant homage to resiliency, strength and power of women.

Swing Time by Zadie Smith
Dazzling and energetic this is a story about friendship and music, stubborn roots, and how we are shaped by these things and how we survive them. Two mixed race girls meet in dance class. One has talent, the other does not. As the girls grow and turn into women their paths diverge, but dance remains a part of their lives. 

New Books By Best Selling Authors

The Sleeping Beauty Killer by Mary Higgins Clark The Wrong Side of Goodbye by Michael Connelly
The Whole Town's Talking by Fannie Flagg
Tom Clancy True Faith and Allegiance by Mark Greaney
Curtain of Death by W.E.B. Griffin
The Midnight Bell by Jack Higgins
When All the Girls Have Gone by Jane Ann Krentz
The Chemist by Stephenie Meyers
Cross the Line by James Patterson
A Christmas Message: A Novel by Anne Perry

Non-Fiction

Jump: Take the Leap of Faith To Achieve Your Life of Abundance by Steve Harvey
Harvey shares the secret of his success and teaches you how to achieve the blessed full life that belongs to you.

To Pixar and Beyond: My Unlikely Journey With Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History by Lawrence Levy
The never-before-told story of Pixar's improbable success.

A Matter of Honor: Pearl Harbor by Anthony Sumners
A provocative story of politics and war, of a man willing to sacrifice himself for his country only to be sacrificed himself. Revelatory and definitive, this is an invaluable contribution to our understanding of the scapegoating of the admiral who was in command, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was in office the day 2,000 Americans died at Pearl Harbor. 

Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton

Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton

Kate Beaton has long been one of my favorite cartoonists, wielding a finely honed wit as she approaches significant cultural and historical movements with an eye towards humor that belies a sharp, sometimes critical perspective. When she came out with a children’s book, I was somewhat skeptical as this is a fair ways outside my usual reading material. However, I was not disappointed with the tale of Princess Pinecone and her stout Shetland pony.

We start the tale with Princess Pinecone wishing desperately for a horse to befit a great warrior. All around her others get suitably warrior birthday gifts; shields, horned helmets, etc. Her typical gifts of cozy sweaters are a great disappointment and she makes sure everyone knows her desire for a true warrior’s horse. The stubby legged, barrel shaped, tongue sticking out, farting when excited pony she gets is somewhat of disappointment. Undaunted she sets out to forge this pony into the toughest horse possible for the upcoming great battle. I won’t ruin the ending for you, but it is certainly cute and may involve a few fart jokes. It is a good book to read and a good book to have little ones try to read, if nothing else to that to hear them try out words like “flummoxed”.

As a side note, I got this book, along with many others, for my three-year-old niece last Christmas. Of the veritable stack she received, she settled on Princess and the Pony as one of her favorite stories. If you don’t trust my recommendation, perhaps you can believe hers!

Be Adventurous! Read a Children's Book!

October is Children's Literature month at the library so we are sharing our favorite books. 

For as long as I can remember, I have been an avid reader and frequent visitor to the library.  My mom would take us every week or two to check out books.  I even remember once, after the Blizzard of '78, walking in the street past the snow piles towering above our heads to get to the library on Salem Avenue.  

I loved solving mysteries with Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and traveling the South Seas with Pippi Longstocking.
I remember devouring books by Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume, and S. E. Hinton and reading classics such as White Fang by Jack London and Just-So-Stories by Rudyard Kipling. These library books opened so many new worlds for me and my siblings and had a huge impact on my life (I am now a librarian).
  
The following are some of my absolute favorites:

The Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Little House in the Big Woods
Farmer Boy
Little House on the Prairie
On the Banks of Plum Creek
By the Shores of Silver Lake
The Long Winter
Little Town on the Prairie
These Happy Golden Years
The First Four Years

Stormy, Misty's Foal and Mustang, Wild Spirit of the West 
by Marguerite Henry

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
  The Magician's Nephew
  The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe
  The Horse and His Boy
  Prince Caspian
  Voyage of the Dawn Treader
  The Silver Chair
  The Last Battle


Never underestimate the power of children's literature, and please remember how vital books and libraries are for a child's growth, enrichment, and down right fun.

2016 Dayton Literary Peace Prize Winners

The Dayton Literary Peace Prize (DLPP) began in 2006. The express mission of the award is to honor the advancement of peace through literature. The DLPP is the only annual literary award in the United States to take on this mission. Works of adult fiction and nonfiction promoting peace and humanity published within the past year are able to be nominated for cash prizes. It is a unique and prestigious award, and it is a Dayton original!
The 2016 winners of the DLPP offer an interesting range of subjects, which is not uncommon to the awards. Each year four books and one lifetime achievement winner are recognized.



Holbrooke Award Winner for Lifetime Achievement
This year Marilynne Robinson was selected to receive the Richard C. Holbrooke Lifetime Achievement award. Graceful and accomplished, ethical and humane, Robinson’s writing has for over thirty years reminded, encouraged, pushed, and sometimes prodded readers to do that right thing and, in the process, to become reacquainted with what a U.S. President (who would surely also have admired her work) called “the better angels of our nature.”

Fiction Winner
Viet Thanh Nguyen's debut novel The Sympathizer  is a profound, startling, and beautifully crafted story of a man of two minds, someone whose political beliefs clash with his individual loyalties. 
It is April 1975, and Saigon is in chaos. At his villa, a general of the South Vietnamese army is drinking whiskey and, with the help of his trusted captain, drawing up a list of those who will be given passage aboard the last flights out of the country. The general and his compatriots start a new life in Los Angeles, unaware that one among their number, the captain, is secretly observing and reporting on the group to a higher-up in the Viet Cong. A gripping spy novel, an astute exploration of extreme politics, and a moving love story, The Sympathizer explores a life between two worlds and examines the legacy of the Vietnam War in literature, film, and the wars we fight today.



Nonfiction Winner
Susan Southard wrote Nagasaki : Life After Nuclear War. Published on the seventieth anniversary of the bombing, Nagasaki takes readers from the morning of the bombing to the city today, telling the first-hand experiences of five survivors, all of whom were teenagers at the time of the devastation. Susan Southard has spent years interviewing hibakusha (“bomb-affected people”) and researching the physical, emotional, and social challenges of post-atomic life. She weaves together dramatic eyewitness accounts with searing analysis of the policies of censorship and denial that colored much of what was reported about the bombing both in the United States and Japan.A gripping narrative of human resilience, Nagasaki will help shape public discussion and debate over one of the most controversial wartime acts in history.

Fiction Runner-up
Delicious Foods by James Hannaham


Nonfiction Runner-up
Find me unafraid : love, loss, and hope in an African slum by Kennedy Odede and Jessica Posner


To place holds on the books or view last year's winners, please check out our new Dayton Literary Peace Prize booklist.

For more information on the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, please go to daytonliterarypeaceprize.org.

The One and Only Ivan: An Unforgettable Award Winning Crossover Novel

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate is one of my favorite novels. This is a story of hope and resilience. It illustrates how an unexpected friendship can change your life. It may seem odd that this hauntingly beautiful tale is told by Ivan, a silverback gorilla. However once you read it...you won't question it any longer.  Ivan lives at the Big Top Shopping Mall in a glass enclosure on display. People stop and watch him daily as he paints. Yes, Ivan enjoys painting. He is quite happy with his painting and enjoys talking with his friends. His friends Stella, an elderly elephant and Bob, a stray dog, enrich his life. 

His life begins to change when Ruby, a baby elephant arrives.  Ruby, as all children do, questions everything and, when she asks Ivan where he lived before he was at the Big Top, he begins remembering, and his life transforms. He does not recall being free, but he has a vague recollection of green bushes. As his past begins to resurface, Ivan starts painting pictures of what he recalls. One child notices, and as all children do, asks questions.

This NY Times best-selling novel is a Newbery Award winner. I urge you to read this book. If you can't get past the idea that this is a children's book, find a child, a grandchild, a niece, a nephew, and read it to them. You and the child will fall in love with Ivan and his friends!

If you are still apprehensive about reading a children's book, let me give you additional incentive. This is a fictionalized account based on a true story of Ivan, a gorilla who lived for nearly three decades in a shopping mall.  Public outcry helped the real Ivan get a new home at Zoo Atlanta, where he became a beloved celebrity for his paintings. This was made into a nonfiction story called, Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla. 

I urge you to make time to read this beautiful story. If you have time, read both books. 

  

October's In the Queue

You'll find dazzling debut novels, suspenseful thrillers and hot new books from your favorite author in October's In The Queue.

Fiction

Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood
A psychologically charged story inspired by Shakespeare's The Tempest.

The Mothers: A Novel by Brit Bennett
This dazzling debut novel is a surprising story of young love, a big secret in a small community and ultimately the things that end up haunting us the most. Nadia Turner's life is turned upside down after her mother commits suicide. When she lapses into self-destructive behavior it impacts not just herself, but also her community.

The Guineveres by Sarah Domet
Domet's debut is brimming with wisdom and intrigue as four girls with the same name, are left at an orphanage to be raised by nuns. Bound by their pain and secrets, the story details how the girls survive rejection from their families.

The Mistletoe Murder: And Other Stories by P. D. James
Here are four uncollected stores by Mystery Writers' Grand Master. These stories are destined to be a treat!

By Gaslight by Steven Price
A sweeping tale of hunter and hunted, a gothic novel which combines suspense with literary fiction.

Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple
A laugh-out-loud funny and heart-filled, day-in-the-life romp filtered through Maria Semple's brilliant microscopic eye.

The Girl From Venice by Martin Cruz Smith
In occupied 1945 Venice, a fisherman rescues a Jewish woman on the run from the Wehrmacht SS and chooses to protect her from the Nazis. His decision leads them into a turbulent love affair marked by danger.

New Books By Best Selling Authors

No Man's Land by David Baldacci
Moonglow by Michael Chabon
Night School: A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child
Chaos by Patricia Cornwell
Odessa Sea by Clive Cussler
Turbo Twenty-Three by Janet Evanovich
All the Little Liars by Charlaine Harris
Faithful: A Novel by Alice Hoffman
Night Watch by Iris Johansen
A Baxter Family Christmas by Karen Kingsbury
Twelve Days of Christmas: A Christmas Novel by Debbie Macomber
Paris for One and Other Stories by JoJo Moyes
Missing by James Patterson
The Obsidian Chamber by Douglas J. Preston
Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks
The Award: A Novel by Danielle Steel
Sex, Lies and Serious Money by Stuart Woods

Nonfiction

The Princess Diarist By Carrie Fisher
The Hollywood icon shares her life adventures including, her childhood, life on the sets of Star Wars and her struggles with bipolar disorder.

The Nine of Us: Growing Up Kennedy by Jean Kennedy Smith
An intimate portrait of the last surviving child of Joe and Rose Kennedy, which details her childhood and the strong work ethic instilled by her family.

Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love and Writing by Jennifer Weiner
Hungry Heart is about yearning and longing, love and loss, and a woman who searched for her place in the world and found it as a storyteller.

Forgotten Voyage: the Deadliest Maritime Disaster You’ve Never Heard Of

I just listened to two amazing audiobooks. These books had me staying in my car long after I reached my destination. These stories are  exquisite and the narrators are gifted story tellers.  I recommend you settle in your favorite chair and prepare for a wonderful listening experience.

Salt to the Sea by Ruth Sepetys 
Read by Jorjeana Marie, Cassandra Morris, Will Damron and Michael Crouch

In 1945 World War II is drawing to a close and bands of refugees attempt to escape the oncoming onslaught of the Russian soldiers, by boarding a ship to safety. Among the refugees are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find strength, courage and learn to trust one another as they journey toward freedom. Each hopes to recover something lost during Hitler's reign of terror. Told in alternating voices, this story will enthrall you and as you realize the story is a fictionalized account of the true story of the Wilhelm Gustloff you will hold your breath as you wait to learn the fate of the beloved characters. This is a story you will not soon forget.


The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne read by Derek Perkins

Truthfully I like this story, but I absolutely adore the narrator, Derek Perkins. Derek's voicing talent makes this a truly enjoyable read. I must confess,  I have never listened to a romance novel. This one was definitely worth listening too.
The story begins in an orphanage where a precocious 8-year-old girl,  Farah Leigh finds an injured 11-year-old boy named, Dougan of the clan Mackenzie and tends his wound. Farah names the boy her friend. She is his first friend ever and they become inseparable. In the way of children they vow to love each other forever and Doughan at the age of 13 handfasts with his Fairy. Unfortunately misfortune befalls them and they are separated. 17 years later Farah Leigh Mackenzie is a widow. Farah meets Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben. Dorian is wealthy villain and will fight to the death to get what he wants and to wreak vengeance on those who have wronged him. What he wants now is Farah Leigh Mackenzie. Farah has never met Dorian before and cannot understand why he is interested in her or her secrets. 

Woodcarving Books

This month the library is highlighting our Crafting and Home Decorating collection.  I've chosen my favorite craft: woodcarving!  First a few definitions and then on to the great resources here at the library.

Chip--a style of carving in which knives or chisels are used to remove small chips of wood from a flat surface in a single piece.

In the Round--a style of carving that is completed in its entirety and generally has a more "life like" surface and texture.  They can be any topic and any size.

Relief--figures are carved in a flat panel of wood in 3 dimension.  They project only slightly from the background rather than standing freely.

Whittling--a style where an object is carved from wood by repeatedly cutting small pieces from it.

No matter which style you prefer we have books for every woodcarver:

General Carving

Woodcarving: Techniques and Projects for the First-Time Carver by Everett Ellenwood

Woodcarving: 20 Great Projects for Beginners by John Hillyer

Wood Carving Basics by David Sabol



Chip Carving

Chip Carving: Design and Pattern Sourcebook by Wayne Barton

Complete Guide to Chip Carving by Wayne Barton

In the Round Carving

Carving Fantasy and Legend Figures in Wood by Shawn Cipa

Carving Caricature Animals by Desiree Hajny

Halloween Woodcarving by Cyndi Joslyn

Carving and Painting Christmas Ornaments by Betty Paddon

Carving in the Round by Andrew Thomas

Relief Carving


101 Artistic Relief Patterns for Woodcarvers by Lora S. Irish

Great Book of Carving Patterns by Lora S. Irish







Whittling

Complete Starter Guide to Whittling: 24 Easy Projects You Can Make in a Weekend--736.4 Comp

The Art of Whittling by Walter L. Faurot

The Little Book of Whittling by Chris Lubkemann

Tiny Whittling by Steve Tomashek

Whittling Pencils by Randy True

Specialties


Art of Chainsaw Carving by Jessie Groese

Make Your Own Walking Sticks by Charles Self


The Complete Book of Gourd Carving by Jim Widess and Ginger Summit

Carving Found Wood by Vic Wood