How to Build a Girl

Not for the faint of heart (or critic of a well-placed curse word), Caitlin Moran has written another gem for the masses. I recently read Moran’s first foray into novel writing, How to Build Girl. I don’t want to receive any angry comments if someone takes my recommendation and runs with it, so please understand the book is a bit vulgar. However, it is also one of the funniest, well-written books I’ve read in 2014. I dare say it might even be my favorite book of 2014.

In case you aren't familiar with her, Caitlin Moran is an award winning columnist and author hailing from the UK. She has previously written for The Observer and The Guardian, but is currently a columnist for The Times, where she landed her first column at the age of eighteen. In 2011, she was voted Columnist of the Year at the British Press Awards. More importantly she’s becoming one of the loudest voices in the crowd for this generation’s feminist leaders. She’s brash, intelligent, and not afraid to share her thoughts.

How to Build a Girl follows the construction (or reconstruction) of Johanna Morrigan from age fourteen to early adulthood. After embarrassing herself on TV and feeling like the world is moving on without her, Johanna reinvents herself as Dolly Wilde—fast-talking and unafraid. Johanna uses her new persona to take risks and build her new life. She begins a rigorous course of music education by borrowing albums from the public library with the intent to become a writer for a music newspaper. Johanna, as Dolly, lands a job and the adventure begins. However, the deeper Johanna delves into her new life, the more she realizes that a new name, new look, and new music will only take you so far.

This book is one of the most awkwardly accurate portrayals of growing up that I've read. Though I can’t remember the exact quote, Moran spells out that building yourself comes from the bits your parents give, though you can’t totally be the girl they build, bits you collect and emulate, and bits that are inherently you—you need it all to build a girl. She said it much better than I can. If you become a fan of Caitlin Moran's through her fiction, I encourage you to check out her nonfiction book How to Be a Woman. To me, the two are a pair.

January's In the Queue

Start the New Year off right by reading a great book from January's In the Queue. 

Fiction

First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen
A beautiful lyrical story about the Waverly family and how they face the adversity that threatens their peaceful existence.

Agenda 21: Into the Shadows by Glenn Beck
Emmeline and David begin to doubt the system when their child is "relocated." They flee in a desperate attempt to find something they've never known: freedom.

The Last American Vampire by Seth Grahame-Smith
Vampire Henry Sturges returns and searches for a renewed purpose after his friend's shocking death. He is drawn into political intrigue when a mysterious European Vampire seems to declare war on the US vampires.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Rachel longs for the happiness she sees when she watches Megan and Scott Hipwell as she rides by daily on the train. She is shocked when Megan vanishes and a new woman appears in the happy couple's garden. This is a debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people's lives.

The First Bad Man: A  Novel by Miranda July
This debut novel is a tender, gripping, slyly hilarious story that is infused with raging sexual obsession and fierce maternal love.

Before I Go by Colleen Oakley
This heartbreaking debut novel is about Daisy,a young woman diagnosed with breast cancer whose new mission is to find a new wife for her husband before she passes away. 

The Third Target by Joel C. Rosenberg
New York Times reporter, J.B. Collins hears a rumor that Isis, an al-Qaida splinter cell, has captured a cache of chemical weapons inside Syria. Collins knows this is a story he must pursue, no matter the cost.

New Releases From Best-Selling Authors

Death of a Liar by M.C. Beaton
Twelve Days by Alex Berenson
Crash and Burn by Lisa Gardner
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Cold Cold Heart by Tami Hoag
Motive: An Alex Delaware Novel by Jonathan Kellerman
Dreaming Spies: A Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes by Laurie R. King
Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb
Prodigal Son: A Novel by Danielle Steel
A Spool of Blue Thread: A Novel by Anne Tyler

Non Fiction

Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad by Eric Foner
Three little known men took a stand for freedom against the Fugitive Slave Law. They were an abolitionist newspaper editor, a black minister and a furniture polisher who managed to lead 3000 slaves to freedom.

88 Days to Kandahar: A CIA Diary by Robert Grenier
Former CIA officer Grenier delivers an action-packed tale, rich in implication, of the post-9/11 race to unseat the Taliban and rout al-Qaida in Afghanistan.

A New Season: A Robertson Family Love Story of Brokenness and Redemption by Alan Robertson
Alan and Lisa Robertson reveal how they brought their marriage back from the brink of divorce, as they help other couples who are still struggling.

Best Christmas Books

It's the most wonderful time of the year! My favorite holiday season is Christmas! I don't go so much for the hustle and bustle, but I love the scents, sounds and sights. I believe that people treat one another better during the holidays and most are filled with good cheer.  If you are not yet in the mood for the holidays perhaps a beautiful Christmas story will fill your heart with love.

Here are a mix of new wonderful Christmas stories and a few classic Christmas stories which everyone knows and loves.  I still sit  and read these classic Christmas tales with my children, although they are getting older some stories are just too good to be read once and done.  I hope you'll take a few minutes of your time this holiday season and read a wonderful Christmas story with the ones you love. 

Wonderful Christmas Treasures:

The Christmas Train by David Baldacci
An adventure occurs when a journalist is banned from flying and now must travel by train to get home. Although the journalist is not happy with the change in travel plans, perhaps Santa has a reason for the madness. This is a truly wonderful holiday story.
The Shepherd, The Angel and the Christmas Miracle Dog by Dave Barry
A local Christmas pageant goes horribly awry, can Christmas be saved? 
This Year It Will Be Different by Maeve Binchy
An anthology of Christmas stories which reflect on the ways holidays are a catylyst to promote change.
The Christmas Cat by Melody Carlson 
This is a humorous and heartwarming story which begins when Garrison's beloved grandmother passes away a few weeks before Christmas. He arrives to sort out her belongings and finds 6 cats in need of homes. However his grandmother has special requirements for the cats new homes which gives this story its levity.
The Christmas Box By Richard Paul Evans
A message of miracles, hope and love.
A Magical Christmas by Heather Graham
Jon and Julie Radcliff's marriage is in trouble can the love they shared be found or will their family be torn apart over the holidays? A magical old-fashioned vacation may just be what they need to realize the love they share still exists.
Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas
Three people are about to discover that Christmas is the time of year when anything is possible.
Angels At the Table by Debbie Macomber
A delightful mix or romance, humor and mischief with a wonderful ending. 
No Place Like Home by Fern Michaels
When their dad puts their grandmother in a nursing home the children rebel and vow to break granny out in time for Christmas!
The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson
A wonderful book that will give you a fresh look at family and the holidays.
Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
A hilarious take on Christmas, this is not your child's Christmas story, but one designed for adults.

Classic Christmas Stories 
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
A Visit From St. Nicholas by Clement C. Moore
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
How The Grinch Stole Christmas By Dr. Seuss
The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
Letters From Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Little Match Girl by Hans Christen Andersen
Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies

Unbroken Read-Alikes

Have you read the book Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand or heard about the new Unbroken movie directed by Angelina Jolie coming out December 25th? Have you read about the same book being nominated for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize or seen the headlines about Louis Zamperini passing away in May at the ripe old age of 97?

If you haven't then you are truly missing out.

On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane's bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War. The lieutenant's name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he'd been an incorrigible delinquent.  As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, with a talent that carried him to the Berlin Olympics. But when war had come, he became an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and the unknown. 

This book is for you if you like World War II history, are interested in the Olympic Games, like competitive running, or love a hero who can't be held down.  This is a book about war so it can be harsh and even brutal but it is also a book about hope and you will be really glad you read it.

Now if you have read the book and loved it like I did, then try some of the following similar titles:

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel Brown--the story of the American rowing team that stunned the world at Hitler's 1936 Berlin Olympics.

No Ordinary Joes: the Extraordinary True Story... by Larry Colton--in 1943, the crew of the USS Grenadier rushed to save their submarine after a torpedo sent it to the ocean floor. Miraculously, they were able to bring it back to the surface, only to be captured by the Japanese. This is the story of four of the Grenadier’s crew.

The Last Stand of the Tin Can Soldiers by James D. Hornfischer--on October 25, 1944, off the Island of Samar, the USS Samuel B. Roberts and other small ships of a tiny fleet were the only thing standing between MacArthur’s vulnerable invasion force and the might of the Japanese Navy.

Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder--A story about the heroism inherent in ordinary people and a life based on hope.

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer--When journalist Krakauer barely crawled back from the summit in a storm on May 10, 1996, six of his fellow climbers hadn't made it back and were urgently struggling for their lives. This is a true account of the deadliest season on Mount Everest.

Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson--in 1991, two deep wreck divers found a WWII German U-boat off the coast of New Jersey.  No identifying marks were found and no historian, expert, or government had a clue as to which U-boat the men had found. Over the next six years, an elite team embarked on a quest to solve the mystery. 

Double Cross: the True Story of the D-Day Spies by Ben Macintyre--It saved thousands of lives and secured the most critical victory of the war and it is told from the viewpoints of the key players in the most successful spy operation of WWII.

Ghost Soldiers: the Epic Account... by Hampton Sides--On January 28, 1945, 121 6th Army Rangers slipped behind enemy lines in the Philippines in an attempt to rescue 513 American and British POW's including the last survivors of the Bataan Death March.

No Ordinary Men: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Hans von Dohnanyi... by Fritz Stern and Elisabeth Sifton--A theologian and a lawyer who fought against Hitler’s policies and paid the ultimate price.  

Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff--the untold story of an extraordinary WWII rescue mission, where a plane crash in the South Pacific plunged 3 U.S. fliers into the impenetrable jungles of New Guinea.

Paradise Road (DVD)--based on a true story, in 1942 a group Western women are captured by the Japanese. Over the rest of the war they suffer the horrors of being POW's and they rise above their circumstances by creating a vocal orchestra.

Phoenix Rising (Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences #1) by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris

Phoenix Rising (Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences #1) by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris

Enter Wellington Book, Esquire (or Welly as Eliza prefers to say) is an archivist, content in his case files and seeming encyclopedic knowledge. His new partner is Eliza D Braun, a New Zealander field agent with a preference for bullet-proof fashion and a penchant for clever devices, preferably those that explode in some manner. Together they must discern why Londoners have been disappearing only to return minus blood, bone, or skin and what this has to do with a nefarious secret society (aren’t the all) called the Phoenix Society.

Steampunk as a genre has been ending towards formulaic over the past few years, so it is especially wonderful to see a story that provides an excellent tale within that framework. The story itself has a nice little mystery with some interesting character development and more than enough explosions and gun fights to keep things exciting.

I would also suggest finding this on audio. James Langton narrates the story and does an excellent job with the various accents that occur. As a side note, I think it is an unwritten law that a librarian has to enjoy a character that is a librarian whose name is books. Thankfully Ballantine and Morris make it very easy to obey this law.  

December's In the Queue

It's cold and blustery but you can warm up with these great books from December's In the Queue.

Fiction
The Boston Girl: A Novel by Anita Diamant
An unforgettable novel about family ties and values, friendship and feminism which is told through the eyes of a young Jewish woman growing up in Boston in the early twentieth century.

You Know Who Killed Me by Loren D. Estleman
Amos Walker is shadowed by government operatives, at odds with the sheriff and struggling with his own addiction. Can he solve this murder case when everyone involved in the case is lying to him? 

Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz
The game is once again afoot in this thrilling mystery sanctioned by the Conan Doyle estate. This novel explores what really happened when Sherlock Holmes and his arch nemesis, Moriarty tumbled to their doom at the Reichenbach Falls. 

Woman with a Gun: A Novel by Phillip Margolin
A haunting thriller inspired by an unforgettable photograph. Stacey Kim is a photographer obsessed with finding answers.  When she discovers Megan Cahill is the woman holding a gun behind her back in her wedding photograph she's dying to know what happened. 

A String of Beads by Thomas Perry
This is an addictive, fast paced thriller about how abandoning the past can sometimes be the hardest thing to do, even when your life-and the life of those you love depends on it.

No Fortunate Son by Brad Taylor
How much is a single life worth? Unless the Taskforce can decipher the web of lies devised by their enemies, the United States is about to find out.

Dogwood Hill by Sherryl Woods
The strength of teh beloved O'Briens is tested when Aidan Mitchell moves to Chesapeake Shore. Can love and family triumph despite hidden secrets?

New Releases from Best Selling Authors

The Empty Throne by Bernard Cornwell
Cane and Abe by James Grippando
Tom Clancy Full Force and Effect by Mark Greaney
The Assassination Option by W.E.B. Griffin
Breaking Creed by Alex Kava
Robert B. Parker's The Bridge by Robert Knott
Trust No One by Jayne Anne Krentz
The Sacrifice by Joyce Carole Oates
The Rosie Effect by Graeme C. Simsion
Private Vegas by James Patterson
Insatiable Appetites by Stuart Woods

Nonfiction

Rainbow in the Cloud: The Wisdom and Spirit of Maya Angelou by Maya Angelou
This is a treasured keepsake as well as a beautiful triubte to a woman who touches so many. Rainbow in the Cloud reminds us that "If one has courage, nothing can dim the light which shines from within."

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: My Life 
by Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren shares vivid memories of work, love and family with her winning candor. Her wise voice speaks from the pages with riveting detail and her sharp humor.

The Burn: Why Your Scale is Stuck and What to Eat About It by Haylie Pomroy
Haylie Pomroy, creates a food-based, supercharged weight-loss plan for those who have hit a plateau and need to microrepair their metabolic function.

Mystery Award Winners 2014!

The 2014 Bouchercon World Mystery Convention was held last month in Long Beach, CA.  This is the top dog of mystery conventions because it gives out some of the most prestigious literary mystery awards. 

The big winner of the night was William Kent Krueger who won 3 out of the 4.

Ordinary Grace
New Bremen, Minnesota, 1961. It was a time of innocence and hope for a country with a new, young president. But for thirteen-year-old Frank Drum it was a grim summer in which death visited frequently and assumed many forms. Frank begins the season preoccupied with the concerns of any teenage boy, but when tragedy unexpectedly strikes his family-which includes his Methodist minister father; his passionate, artistic mother; Juilliard-bound older sister; and wise-beyond-his-years kid brother-he finds himself thrust into an adult world full of secrets, lies, adultery, and betrayal, suddenly called upon to demonstrate a maturity and gumption beyond his years. It is an unforgettable novel about discovering the terrible price of wisdom and the enduring grace of God. 

Here are some of the other talented winners:

--The Anthony Awards--for mystery writers and presented since 1986. The awards are named for Anthony Boucher (1911–1968), one of the founders of the Mystery Writers of America. 

Best Mystery Novel: Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
Best First Mystery: Yesterday's Echo by Matt Coyle
Best Paperback Original: As She Left It by Catriona McPherson
Best Critical/Non-Fiction Work: The Hour of Peril: the Secret Plot to Murder Lincoln before the Civil War by Daniel Stashower
Best Audio Book: The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith, read by Robert Glenister

--The Barry Awards--crime literary prize awarded annually since 1997 by the editors of Deadly Pleasures, an American crime fiction publication. The prize is named after Barry Gardner, an American critic. 

Best Novel: Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
Best First Mystery Novel: Japantown by Barry Lancet
Best Thriller: The Doll by Taylor Stevens

--The Macavity Awards--annual literary award for mystery writers. Nominated and voted upon by the members of the Mystery Readers International and named for the "mystery cat" of T. S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.

Best Mystery Novel: Ordinary Grace by Wiliam Kent Krueger
Sue Feder Historical Mystery Award: Murder as a Fine Art by David Morrell

--The Shamus Awards--awarded by the Private Eye Writers of America (PWA) and recognizes outstanding achievement in private eye/detective fiction. 

Best P.I. Novel: The Good Cop by Brad Parks
Best P.I. Paperback Original: Heart of Ice by P. J. Parrish
Best First P.I. Novel: Bear is Broken by Lachlan Smith

Full list of winners and nominees