Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

The Booklovers Discussion group at the Tipp City Library is reading the award- winning book, Prep, by first time novelist Curtis Sittenfeld. Picked by Amazon.com Editor's Choice as one of the top ten books of 2005 in  Literature & Fiction, Prep is the story of a girls and boys boarding school located in Massachusetts. New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age announced that Prep was the award winner for 2006. Go to http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/16/books/review/16SCHAPPE.html to read one of the many reviews of this book. I also like to include a list to other various reviews http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/prep/.

Christmas at the Old Bailey

I enjoyed a little book the other day, A Rumpole Christmas by John Mortimer, who passed away in January 2009. Five short stories all based on a different way to spend Christmas. Living in London and wanting a change of scenery is usually what She who Must Be Obeyed is looking for in a holiday. One story that stands out is when they decide to spend the holidays at a health spa, poor Rumpole has to lose some weight. The defending barrister decides to do some of his own sleuthing and solve the murder of the hostess. You will find a sympathetic character in Rumpole, fighting for justice and for a soft touch, especially on the young. An easy read, and a comfortable one for the holidays.

Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang

When I started this book, the first chapter made me think twice about continuing with this "over-the-top" entertainer/writer. Is she just going to dribble on about the same old disgusting habits that make her famous, and do I want to really spend my time reading this junk, but then as I sloughed through another chapter she caught me, and I stayed up all night reading this latest little book, laughing all the way. OMG! I haven't had the chance to see her on TV, but she really can write funny, and I am always looking for my next funny book. For the same reason I like David Sedaris or Seinfeld, I do enjoy finding the funny in things, and I admire the people who can do it, even if it is crass and embarrassing.

Great Movies

I just watched two great movies back-to-back, mostly because I was home by myself this past weekend. The first, Young Victoria, is on DVD and available from our library system. The actors, Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend, play Queen Victoria and her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha so well. It is a beautiful film in exquisite accuracy to detail. One of the producers is Sarah Ferguson, and she is on the DVD featurettes explaining more about the Queen. After the film I reached up to find my copy of Queen Victoria: a Personal History by Christopher Hibbert, a gift from my brother, with more interest. I would like to dedicate a month of serious study of this fascinating woman.
The other great film is Bright Star with the actors Abbie Cornish and Ben Whishaw. This is the story of John Keats, one of the famous English Romantic poets, and his muse, Fanny Brawne. He meets her when he is only 23 and she is 18. They fall in love, but he is penniless and unable to marry. The scene beings in 1818, when  Fanny and her family make the acquaintance of John Keats. She is frivolous, interested in dancing and fashion; he is the serious philosopher, tending to his dying brother. He lends her books, and tries to teach her about poetry, as she confesses she is unequipped to evaluate. He begins to write love poems and letters to her. Through the two years they are to know each other, his grief over his brother's death is assuaged by her attention and devotion. Like many Jane Austen film's, the story is between the few people they know, in a small English town, and their real depths of discussion take place in the English country side, or by the fire in each other's homes. I would recommend this for aficionados of the Jane Austen films. This is one of the best of this genre. These letters were unknown until after Fanny Brawne's death at the age of 65. The director of this rich film was Jane Campion, and I was astonished by the beauty and the acting. Released in 2009, the DVD came out in 2010. I believe it was Andrew Motion's biography of Keats, 1987, that Jane Campion alluded to in the featurette at the end of the film.

Mistress Shakespeare

Karen Harper has written a first person account of Anne Whateley, lover of William Shakespeare, as historical fiction. Visit their collaboration in his world of theater and share in the passion the two of them had for each other and their work. Tipp City's Booklovers discussion group is Monday, November 22nd. at 7 pm. of this wonderful novel.

Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

Jonathan Franzen first wowed his audience with the novel, The Corrections back in 2001. Oprah picked it for her book group, but Franzen was afraid that men wouldn't read it if it was labeled on the cover as an "Oprah" book. Well, it went on the best-seller list, and this new one was named by Oprah again. This new book, Freedom, had been heralded as a work by a literary genius. I did find it interesting, but more important, I didn't like any of the characters. His characterizations were well done, his expressions well-written and original, and his study of American culture was spot-on. Maybe I just don't read enough by men authors, maybe I didn't relate to his political agenda, maybe I missed the point, but I wouldn't rate this as A that reviews gave him. Maybe compared to the bestseller style, Franzen's is more genius than most, but I probably am not impressed enough. Picking up some of the words from the back cover reviews: "satirical, brutal, merciless," true enough. The book paints a pretty depressing view of a couple who fall in love and create a family in American in the 30 years this book takes place. In regarding the beginning of the Berglund marriage, the autobiographer says, "He may not have been exactly what she wanted in a man, but he was unsurpassable in providing the rabid fandom which, at the time, she needed even more than romance." And the rest of the book goes on to explain what happens to a marriage when one partner is more in love than the other. I am sure there will be mixed feelings about this book.

The Good Good Pig

I read this book to a group of seniors. Christopher Hogwood was not only a good pig, but a very lucky pig. He was born the runt of a litter, rescued by Sy Montgomery, vegetarian and animal lover, and her husband, a Jewish writer who did not eat pork. He becomes famous in his rural town in New Hampshire as he learns to maneuver the gates and escape to the road. His home is so warm and inviting, but there are greener pastures and bigger gardens to explore. Soon he is enjoying spa treatment from the neighbor children, delicious slops from the gourmet restaurants, and photography sessions with the media outlets. Read this and find out what makes Christopher so good, and so good for Sy Montgomery.

Daphne by Justine Picardie

I just finished this interesting book by the British author, Justine Picardie. Any bibliophile who loved reading Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca would find this an interesting read. Mapping out how I even found this novel shows me that even using the computer can incorporate the serendipitous discovery of gold among the dross. Looking for movies about Daphne du Maurier in the library catalog, I found one simply called Daphne, and that put me on the quest to find the book. This book is not the book in the film but some of the same events are alluded to. The author is imagining Daphne in 1950 as she tried to write her biography of Branwell Brontë, Charlotte and Emily's young brother. Ms. du Maurier is in contact with a former librarian who has access to some of the Brontë manuscripts. Letters between them have survived and make interesting reading. Superimposed on these two lives is the researcher in modern day with a obsessive fascination with Daphne du Maurier as she imagines her thesis and how to conduct the research. The author points out in the acknowledgements, "Like the contemporary narrator of my novel, I became utterly possessed by the story, and obsessed by the paper trail of Bronte manuscripts and what passed between Daphne du Maurier and John Alexander Symington; like her, I burrowed through the catacombs of library archives and second-hand bookshops to discover lost or forgotten letters..." This was an enjoyable, but disturbing novel, as we learn of some of Daphne du Marier's own demons. We also become acquainted with the tie between James Barrie and the du Maurier family. After reading this novel I am interested in her latest, Coco Chanel: the Legend and the Life, 2010.

Carring for the world, one school at a time

September's Booklover's Book Discussion group at the Tipp City Library discussed Three Cups of Tea. This book has been on the bestseller list for what, 3 years now? "CARE, a humanitarian organization, operates 300 schools in Afghanistan, and not one has been burned by the Taliban." Greg Mortenson, of “Three Cups of Tea” fame, has overseen the building of 145 schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan and operates dozens more in tents or rented buildings — and he says that not one has been destroyed by the Taliban either.

Wednesday Sisters

Wednesday Sisters is the book for discussion in October for the Booklover's group. Next meeting is October 25 at 7 p.m. at the Tipp City Library. I would like to have some books at the meeting for preview of next year's list. Sign up for the Booklover's booklist on the library website to see the next year's ballot for the group.

Homeland Security Tale

     Dave Eggers has written a powerful book about Katrina and New Orleans and the mess that can happen when all hell breaks lose. Dave Eggers, the writer of "A Heartbreaking Book of Staggering Genius" hears the tale of a Muslim man who was detained at the Hunt Correctional Center by the FEMA forces and decides to follow up with his whole story in the book, Zeitoun.
     Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a Syrian American citizen, is a painting contractor in New Orleans who own various properties that he rents. Staying behind after the hurricane hit, he is able to navigate the streets in his canoe, looking for people and dogs in distress. He and his friends draw the suspicion of FEMA authorities looking for terrorists and eventually they all end up in Camp Greyhound without a phone call or legal counsel. A sad look at what fear can drive authorities in this country to do when disaster strikes.
     The Zeitoun Foundation was created in 2009 with the funds coming from the sale of this book by Dave Eggers. This book has won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for nonfiction. I was astounded by the story and humbled by the man's goodness. I hope it is read by many.

BookBrowse added to Tipp Library's databases

Tipp City Library has added BookBrowse to their subscriptions and I am trying to see what BookBrowse has to offer readers. Check out the readalike offerings at the end of a book summary and review. I was introduced to Jonathan Tropper this past winter, and found his book, This is Where I Leave You, delightful. After immersing myself in dark novels, I need a little lighter fare. From the BookBrowse feature on Tropper's novel I find a list of readalikes at the end:
Read-Alikes:


A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz
Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris
Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer
The Ask by Sam Lipsyte
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall
Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris

Interesting, now I have to read The Lonely Polygamist, I think Julie has made this the Tipp City read all my herself, she has recommended it to everyone. Now she has asked for my opinion. Since I am reading Freedom by Jonathan Frazen right now it might take a while to get to it. I like David Sedaris, but I like his performances the best. I caught a small introduction to Alexander McCall Smith's latest, Corduroy Mansions and found myself laughing out loud so I do want to get back to that when I can. Tell me what you like about BookBrowse.

Listening to Others

I love to get a good book  recommendation from a reader. Today's recommendation: You Remind Me of Me by Dan Chaon. The patron told me that he read it after he had read the new book by Frazen, Freedom, which is getting all the great reviews, and he said it is much better. I love to hear "the word on the street" if you will.

Sweetness in the Bottom of the Pie

Listed as a cozy title by Library Journal, I thought I'd post my reflection of the book. The main character is an eleven year girl, Flavia de Luce, worried about her father's innocence as he is taken off to jail. She becomes a sleuth extraordinarily precocious, fearless as she treks around the small English village trying to make sense out of disparate clues, like what does the town library know about her father's past? She goes to the library to look up old newspapers and the librarian sends her out into a boarded up place that holds old newspapers and a perfect trap. Our Booklovers Discussion group all loved this novel.

Cozy recommendations from Library Journal

I tried this once, to define cozy mystery . From the Library Journal the members of the Reading list have offered up this definition of cozies as an introduction to their list of the 22 Core Titles for libraries. "Cozies, frequently defined as mysteries where the violence occurs offstage, offer readers reliable pleasures. These books contain less violence, sex and gritty language than the norm, have an engaging tone (ranging from warm comfort to crabbily witty), and typically feature a sleuth who stumbles into his or her role--be that as a sideline to another job or as the presumptive village busy body."
From this list the Tipp City Library has copies of The Tale of Hill Top Farm by Susan Witting Albert,  Burglars Can't be Choosers by Lawrence Black, The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun, A Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie, Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley, The Cold Light of Mourning by Elizabeth Duncan, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith, and The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom. It looks like I have a nice little list to order from, as I know there are a lot of people who read mysteries. It seems like the fall is a good time to sit back with a nice cup of tea, a cozy sweater or afghan, and lose yourself in a mystery, preferably one that is not too scary.

Dayton Peace Prize

Today I found out that the Dayton Peace Prize 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award is being awarded to Geraldine Brooks. The Dayton Peace Prize in the "first and only U.S. literary award recognizing the power of the written word to promote peace." Geraldine Brooks is an Australian-born author who began her career as a journalist which took her to the Balkans during the war, and later into the Middle East. Her writing includes journalism, nonfiction and most recently, literary novels. She won the Pulitzer for her novel, The People of the Book. She and her husband, writer Tony Horowitz, live in Martha's Vineyard and Sidney, Australia with their two sons. I am so glad that her word is being recognized by this great group in Dayton. 

Agatha Christie

I have been mulling over my affection for Agatha Christie and her books. Years ago my mother shared her copy of Agatha Christie: an Autobiography with me and I devoured it. Mom said she had reread it every couple of years, and even bought her own copy of The Imitation of Christ to read. I was at my mother's house this weekend to see if I wanted any of my Mother's books, and I chose the autobiography, and all the paperback copies of Agatha Christie mysteries that Mom collected over the years. This is something my Mother gave me, her love of books and her devotion to Agatha Christie. It bonded us. We watched the movies together. Christie's novels made me love everything English even more than I already did. Somehow Mom knew me like no one ever did, "the girl who loved to read books." She predicted a career in English, which I abandoned, but slowly came back to after I hit 40. She shared a little of this with me in her later years, and I will always treasure her copy of the autobiography of Agatha Christie.

Caroline Graham

The Killings at Badger's Drift is the first novel by Caroline Graham in the Inspector Barnaby Mysteries. The plot is reminiscent of Agatha Christie, an elderly spinster sees something disturbing in the woods while searching for a wild orchid. Because she leaves the telltale sign, a ribbon on a pole by the flower, her close friend is sure she would have called her to gloat over the sighting of the "first" bloom. Her friend alerts the police to foul play when her friend's body is found and heart attack is listed as the cause of death. Inspector Barnaby has to sort through the villagers to determine the killer. This novel also brings to mind mysteries by Ruth Rendell, whose mysteries are a little darker and psychological in nature.

Midsomer Murders

Midsomer Murders is a British TV series that has been running since 1997, based on the novels of Caroline Graham. The series is available on DVD, of which I have seen about four seasons. I just noticed that John Nettles who plays the main character will be retiring at the end of the 2010 season. I thought I would read a couple of her novels in the Chief Inspector Barnaby series, and I just finished the last one that she wrote in 2004, A Ghost in the Machine. Tom Barnaby is a CID, Chief Inspector Detective, in the town of Causton. His office is responsible for investigating the murders in the surrounding country villages. This story takes place in Forbes Abbot, a small village where Mallory and his wife have moved since the death of his aunt. Many of Caroline Graham stories have a good introduction to the characters and the setting which gives it a sense of cosy mystery that is characteristic of Agatha Christie's mysteries. I would place it in the police procedural, with the police involvement about one fifth of the way into the story. I thought the book was well written, with a good plot. Plenty of mystery and suspense kept the action going.

Amish Grace

Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy by Doug Kraybill, Steven Nolt, and David Weaver-Zarcher is a book that was valuable to read for me. As a woman of faith who questions everything, it helped me to understand the Amish better, and to appreciate their faith walk. The authors were trying to impress upon the readers that it wasn't surprising that the community of Amish believers would forgive the man who murders their children, and that they even would go to his wife and family and forgive them also, meaning they would not hold a grudge against his family. The Amish community also reached out to this English (non-Amish) family in their time of need, financially and emotionally. This forgiveness offered so quickly was because this act of forgiving is a part of their everyday world, working on forgiving each other. One unique tradition of the Amish is to hold a meeting of members twice a year to iron out their grievances and to work on forgiving the members. The Amish know that it is unhealthy to hold grudges, and one other observance they honor is to refuse to take anyone to court. Although they do believe in letting the police and courts to carry out punishment for crimes, it is the duty of a community to forgive others if they are to expect forgiveness from God. The authors pointed out that it is not easy for the Amish to forgive, but something they believe in. This was an excellent book, easily read, and full of wisdom.

Big Read Dayton

It is that time again to vote for the Big Read Dayton Ohio for 2011. I have read two of the three. My recommendation for Still Alice is as follows:


I have read Still Alice by Lisa Genova. Although this is a book on
Alzheimer's, it is specifically early onset Alzheimer's, in a women who is
still working. I thought the book was excellent, and it addresses the
dilemma that many families are facing. We have not done a book like this.
It is very readable, a good choice to introduce Alzheimer's to the younger
crowd. I especially liked getting into the thoughts of the protagonist and
her fears and problem solving. The reactions of the different family
members was also very realistic. It is a difficult topic, but a timely
one. It is available in Large Print, paperback, and audio book on CD.
From her website:
http://www.lisagenova.com/
There is a list of awards for the book. The author is also listed as an
actress and speaker.
# 6 Top book group favorite of 2009 by Reading Group Choices
I think it is worth considering.

My recommendation for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is as follows:
 
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The Author, Rebecca Skloot, took ten years to research her book, and her compassion and personal attachment to the family really made the book more interesting. I also posted my review this year.

Eat This Book

Erica Bauermeister has written a slow, mouth watering novel about a cooking school in California. Hidden in the back of Lillian's restaurant, a group of strangers learn about Lillian's philosophy of cooking. Beautifully written, with richly drawn characters, it is a slow-paced novel for the foodie. We learn about each participant, but to be honest, not much plot. Delicious for a hot summer evening on the porch. I hope to see more from this author, as this is her debut.

Read-a-Likes for Little Heathens

In preparing a list of read-a-likes, I have included books that are either about the Great Depression, or about rural families.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: a Memoirby Bill Bryson, the story of his childhood in the fifties, with all the humor and candid observations that have made him a popular author, a feel-good book
This Heavy Silence by Nicole Mazzarella, a slice of farm life in Ohio in the 60's
Starting Over by Robin Pilcher, farm life in Scotland, with familiar realtionships going under changes
The White Earth by Andrew McGahan, a serious study of Austrailia, especially of the farm tragedy that haunts the storyteller from his early years
Stormy Weather by Paulette Jiles, a story of the Great Depression in Central Texas through the eyes of four women
A Student of Weather by Elizabeth Hay, farm life in Saskatchewan during the 30's, jealousy between two sisters, a first novel for this Canadian author
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, life in the circus in post-depression America, well-researched and fully engaging
The Painted House by John Grisham, a hard look at rural Arkansas in the 50's proves that Grisham's talent goes beyond the courthouse scene
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, gives us the inside story of one faily's attempt to eat only locally grown food all year long

April in Paris by Michael Wallner

Michael Wallner is a screen writer and a first time novelist from Germany. I especially enjoyed his afterword at the end of the book as he explains how he came to write this novel. While hiking along the cliffs on the Normandy coast the author comes across the remains of an old German bunker. He starts to imagine what a young German soldier would be thinking if he were a foreigner in a strange land. As I read the novel I am reminded at how infatuated this young man Roth is in everything French. He has learned to speak fluent French without a German accent and he enjoys his abilities to be taken as a Frenchman. This role that he has been assigned, the German who is hated on the streets of the one place he has always wanted to visit, joined with the temptation to disappear into the crowd and pass himself off as a native, is too much for him. Because he is young and naive he is unaware of the full danger he has exposed himself to. Because the novel takes place toward the end of the war, this is an unrealistic premise. He should have been more aware of the unrelenting brutality of the German soldiers against the traitors. Another good read about World War II.

I am reading a very fascinating book about World War II by Mary Lee Settle. Mary Lee Settle was an American author from West Virginia who won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel, O Beulah Land in 1956. This book, All the Brave Promises: The Memories of Aircraft Woman 2nd Class 2146391 (1966), is the story of a young American girl who is living in New York and she meets up with young British women who convince her to join the war effort before America declares war. She joins the war in England, as an aircraft woman 2nd class, in the country side of England with anti-air attack radar devices. For a person like me who is infatuated with World War II, it was an excellent book. It allows me to live vicariously the dangerous and interesting life of the British women in 1940's. Women were conscripted for war work, either in factories or behind the scenes in the military. It was difficult to live in crowded quarters with very little freedom. I had heard of the Land Girls, women who were recruited for farm work to keep the British from starving during the war, but I had not known that this was not a volunteer effort by the women. Everyone was needed to win the war, and Ms. Settle does a good job in relating how she endured the war in Britiain as an American citizen. Her experience of the crossing of the Atlantic in a convoy was harrowing.

Southern Cross by Jim DeBrosse

I wanted to read one of Jim DeBrosse's fiction books after I heard such great things about his writing. He is a writer for the Dayton Daily News, and maybe soon to retire. He is also the author of the book, The Secret in Building 26: the untold story of America's ultra war against the U-boat Enigma codes. The book I finished this summer was Southern Cross, a Rick Derek mystery, written in 1994. Rick Derek is a journalist going undercover on the boat, Southern Cross, in the Caribbean to investigate the diappearance of a young heir to the wealth of a Cincinnati family. He and his photographer get involved as more murders take place. Taut writing, with page-turning plot. Surprise ending. Well-written. I'm always up for a good mystery.

crazy summer

I have been reading, honestly, I just haven't been posting. I have been traveling, and when I get back to work, I am playing catch up. I slept for four days this weekend, and then one half day back to normal undid all my relaxation and I came home dog tired and didn't read anything.
The book for Booklover's Book Discussion is Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy by Donald B Kraybill et.all. That is coming up on August 23 at 7 p.m. I like the quote by Bill Moyers, Public Affairs Television, "A story our polarized country needs to hear: It is still grace that saves." I hope that we will have a lively discussion. The discussion questions are from the home page of the book. "All author royalties are going to Mennonite Central Committee for their ministries to children." The Fetzer Institute is noted on the home page of the book. "The Fetzer Institute advances love and forgiveness as powerful forces that can transform the human condition." The connection to the home page of the book is linked in the title of this blog page. I hope that you will have a chance to look over the discussion material before coming to the library for our meeting. Anyone is welcome, as we are always growing and changing in our group.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Grab this series this summer and read all three of the Millennium books by Steig Larrson, a Swede who died too soon. This book is on Lisbeth Salander's injury and arrest. Extremely limited as to what she can do from a hospital bed, she still manages to interrupt the investigation with her skills. As always, taut nail-biting thriller for the summer, that reads faster than you want. Check it out, at least put yourself on the list to reserve a copy.

Monday's Book Discussion

The book for June Booklovers Book Discussion at the Tipp City Library is Straight Man by Richard Russo. OMG it is funny, at least the first 1/4 of the book is. On my trip to the ALA Conference in Washington D.C. I had a plane delay and found to my delight that a last minute decision to include my copy of  Straight Man was a good one indeed. I kept putting my sticky note in to mark the pages of the quotes I wanted to remember. I even stopped to call a friend, because I thought she could relate to the information on marriages; it's so much better as we age and know what our spouse is going to say. Ah, the benefits of aging, finding one is a good sign. Anyway the book is about a tenured college professor and the relationships he has with his staff. Read it and LOL.

Tatania de Rosnay hits 1 million books sold in America

I read Sarah's Key in one sitting, riveted to my chair. It is a story I will never forget. Well written, I was easily drawn into the story of Sarah and her family in the summer of 1942, Paris. The Paris police arrive at their apartment early in the morning and tell them to come with the police. Sarah's young brother who is four, and too sleepy to cooperate, hides in a closet that the children have used for playing and hiding. Sarah thinks it is a good idea to keep him safe there and to tell their father to let him out later. Sarah and her mother follow the Paris police peacefully, thinking it will be well, then things suddenly appear to be all wrong, her mother panicks and calls for her husband to come out of hiding. This is a fiction story with an actual historical precedent which is hard to believe, especially since this was early in the war and should have prevented any future atrocities. There is a saying that I am reminded of saying "THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. THEN THEY CAME for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. THEN THEY CAME for me and by that time no one was left to speak up." Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) Niemoller I am also reminded of a quote that is on a blog I read: "I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound and stab us." Franz Kafka This is a book that will wound you if you have any heart at all, it will stay with me for a long time. Is there any connection between the Arizona law that allows the Arizona police to ask for identification and proof of American citizenship? Some people think so. And what about the children born in this country to illegal aliens? That is what this book is about, children born in France and abandoned by the French government in charge at the time. A very heavy book to discuss, and now on the best-seller list in America, not bad for a French author. Read it and weep.

Straight Man

We are reading Straight Man by Richard Russo for the Booklover's Book Discussion this month. The discussion is for Monday night, June  28 at 7 p.m. We have copies at the front desk, and a recorded copy on tape for those of you with tape players around. I still use the tape player in my kitchen. Anyways, this is a novel of an academia in New England. The protagonist, Hank Devereaux, is the middle-aged professor of English whom creates all the humor in this tender novel. Check it out this summer.

Another recommendation

Remakable Creatures was mentioned this week to me a a book that a patron could not put down. She said she recommended it to me because I had told her that I liked Jane Austen novels. Tracy Chevalier writes historical fiction by trying to recreate the lives of famous people and imagine their conversations, thoughts and feelings. That's a tall order, but her first novel, The Girl with a Pearl Earring was a masterpiece in itself. The story is about the famous Dutch painter, Johannes Vermeer. The author imagines a young servant girl working in the painter's studio, becoming his muse, and inspiring one of Vermeer's masterpieces. The painting became more popular, and when I visited the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam they told us as we bought our tickets that The Girls with the Pearl Earring painting was located at the Maurishuis in the Hague. I thought they must have been asked that question too many times.
This novel, Remarkable Creatures, is the recreation of the lives of English Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot, two spinsters interested in collecting fossils along the beaches near Lymes, England. I haven't read it yet, but it sound like a good summer read, walking along the beach is a must for me every summer.

Confessions of a Readaholic

As I was reading my copy of South of Broad, donated to me by Random House for my involvement in Book Groups, I was listening to Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. I know I picked that as just a fun read to listen to on my way to work, more of a summer read. I just want to say how different it was from my reading the novel, which I did last summer. The narrator of the Recorded Books version is Emily Gray. I always try to listen to the unabridged version, and this was a really good performance by the narrator. Every time she said, "In fact," she emphasised it so much that I could really feel the personality of poor Rebecca Bloomwood as she is stressing over the mess she has made of her finances. This book was written ten years ago, but it felt even more timely to me with the emphasis on personal finance that is airing on the TV so much these days. What would Clark Howard say to Rebecca? There's a scenario to think about. Anyway, I loved it even better to listen to, and if I didn't have so much to read right now, I'd just keep hanging out with Rebecca this summer to see how her life is going along. Oh yeah, I've gotta watch the movie again, too.

South of Broad

Pat Conroy's latest novel takes place in his own hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. His protagonist is Leo King whom we meet early in the book as a eighteen year old just beginning his senior year. The year is 1969, segregation has come to his school, the school where his mother is the principal and his father is a science teacher. His life has been troubled since his brother committed suicide, and he spent time in a mental ward. He also was arrested and on probation, and on top of all that he is ugly, and by eighteen all his friends are adults. His senior year changes all that, and the book is the story of the friends he makes in that critical time, and how he becomes the force behind the strangest mix of young people that Charleston has ever seen. A very likable novel, with poetic language, and memorable characters. Use the title of this post to link to Pat Conroy's website.

Review of book from Ohio history

Just heard a good review about a novel with some local history connection. Thought I'd pass it one. A patron just came in today and started talking about how good this books was. I'm attaching a review from a blog I follow in the title of the post. The Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez is about black slavey in southwest Ohio. When a patron comes in raving about a book that she just read librarians have to sit up and take notice. It's just part of the job description. Listen to your patrons. I love it when they like a book so much that they have to talk about it. For me, the real deal when it comes to bibliophilia, it is a highlight of my day to receive a good recommendation from a patron. I also like to listen when the staff shares good reads with me too. Yesterday Julie was telling me about the Lonely Polygamist by Bradley Udall. She says I have to read it, it's really out loud funny in parts. That makes a story special to me. Another one of my patrons was telling me that I had brought the book Marley and Me by John Grogan to his wife as part of our homebound delivery here at the library. He is in the nursing home, and as I walked by his door, he was reading the book. His wife brought it to him because she had enjoyed it so much. He said he was chuckling in some parts and was glad to have it for a change from the newspaper. Later in the day, my friend recommended Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen, written in a child's point of view. She said it was the best book she's read all year. All of these have to be placed on my To-Be-Read pile. Right now I'm reading Pat Conroy's latest, South of Broad Street. It has grabbed me from the beginning, the description gives me the immediate feeling of being in his home town, Charleston, South Carolina. I want to be with him, and he is making me see this place through his eyes. As I read I am amassed by his poetic language. "I carry the delicate porcelain beauty of Charleston like a hinged shell of some soft-tissued mollusk. My soul is peninsula-shaped and sun-hardened and river-swollen." I could read language like that all day. I wonder how many book recommendations will come my way today.

Non-Fiction Scientific Writing reads as fiction

The Immortality of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is a nonfiction book by a science writer. It is the story of an African American woman who died in the fifties of cervical cancer at John Hopkins Hospital. Her cancer cells were harvested for research and became the first human cells growing in a lab. Named HeLa, John Hopkins shared these cells with other research teams around the world and HeLa became the most widely used human cells used for research, eventually helping scientists develop the vaccine for polio as only the beginning of biomedical research. Skloot is revealing the woman behind the cells, her family and the medical practices of the fifties. The poor black family of Henrietta Lacks doesn't learn of the importance of her cells until the seventies. Rebecca Skloot brings the family to life in her book as she details the emotional trauma of hidden medical practices and their effect on the family. Excellent, engrossing, and remarkable reporting. Oprah has picked it up for a movie on HBO.

The Lost Symbol

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, his third Robert Langdon novel, is by far his best. True to his previous mysteries, Brown captures the hidden secrets found in a city, this time Washington D.C. Instead of the Catholic church he focused his attention on the Order of Masons, a secret society covering many centuries, with George Wahington being one of the most famous masons in American history. As I followed the mystery thriller I became interested in the truth of his work. This is part of the major appeal of Dan Brown's work. It is seeped in history and the occult. The occult stands for hidden, the secrets that behind the traditions. As any reader of historical fiction, I am drawn to the actual history. I want to know more about the undergound tunnels in our nation's capital. I timed my reading of the Lost Symbol to my actual visit to Washington, D.C. and that only added to my enjoyment of my trip. To learn more about the capital, try The Secret Architecture of Our Nation's Capital: the Masons and the Building of Washington, D.C. by David Ovason, 2000.

I learned that I like the way Sebastian Barry writes. I am drawn to the Irish voice, the colloquial words, and the utter beauty of his original phrases. I kept wanting to write down the most beautiful words he used, he was writing in poetry, or lyrical terms. I did not know anything about the Irish civil war, and that seemed to me something too hard to bear, as any war is. I suppose our civil war was similar, neighbor against neighbor at times. Barry certainly did a good job interpreting the voices of the dead Irish and their own turmoils. I liked the reference to Fred Astaire, it reminded me of how much my own mother was drawn to his talents on screen. The protagonist, Rosanne thinks that Fred Astaire was a saint.

"On one of those days God created Fred Astaire. Saturday maybe, since that was the day for pictures. When you saw Fred you felt better about everything. He was a cure. He was bottled in the films and all around the earth from Castlebar to Cairo, he healed the halt and the blind. That's the gospel truth. St. Fred. Fred the Redeemer." Now isn't that a beautiful metaphor.

My Life in France by Julia Child



My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a wonderful life Julia Child had, what a wonderful person she was in real life. I learned she had a wonderful husband who was behind her every move in writing and TV. This is a great book, full of wonderful stories of her marriage and career.



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Blueberry Muffin Murder

Joanne Fluke's mysteries are just good fun. If you're looking for something light, but still enough of a story then try one of Joanne Flukes mysteries in the Hannah Swensen series. Minnesota is the setting, and in the Blueberry Muffin Murder we are starting off in the middle of winter carnival. I know, I read a lot of cold books this winter, and this is aother one, just to remind me how serious cold can really get a person down. If you want a good look at Minnesota winters, check out the video, New in Town with Renee Zellweger. It's great fun and I especially liked the friendly neighbor ladies doing scrapbooking. With that in mind try a Hannah Swenson mystery and see if you don't enjoy the fun. Enjoy the recipes, too.

Steig Larsson's Millennium series

I am hooked. I am reading the second book in the Millennium series about Lisbeth Salander and I can't put the book down. It's unusual for me to read this type of book, but the book's characters are believable and the background that the author adds about his characters only makes it more interesting. The main characters have unique personalities, someone you wouldn't meet everyday. The vulnerabily of Lisbeth makes her more interesting. That most people are not drawn to her, that they find her 'weird' makes her character more sad. She is a loner, and not interested in what other people think of her, but we learn that she does care when she undergoes plastic surgery. The interesting mix of police, journalists, and detectives has the book standing on edge. The author has convincingly drawn the tension between the three entities well. What is being kept from each other, while the reader is privy to all three points of view, helps to create the tension. When will the police find out the real story, and what will they do with it? The story is well plotted. All three of Steig Larsson's books will make excellent movies, as proven by the release of the first. The videoes of the movie trailers can be viewed on utube.

Reviews of Snow by Pamuk

Pamuk has hitherto been an acquired taste in the West; but this sprawling, emotionally charged story, with its flashes of black comedy, could well secure him the readership he deserves. (...) To a Western reader, the logic of events will be as foreign as the cock-fights which seem to be the main after-dark entertainment in Kars. But in the excellent, sardonic Pamuk, they have a first-rate guide to the social tensions of provincial Turkey. - David Robson, Daily Telegraph

Snow in March

I finished Snow by Orhan Pamuk. The love story between Ka and Ipeck is fraught with self doubt and passion. It took me so long to read that I almost had a need to go back and re-read to understand all the relationships in the book. As beautiful as it was in places, better editing and perhaps a better job at translation could have perfected it. In translating, to perfect the beauty of the work, the essence of the word into English is better than word for word translating. Could it be that multiple meanings of the Turkish could have been better in a different translation? Some of the political story in the middle of the book was unnecessary, but the political realtionship between Blue and Turgut Bey's family was intregal to the story. Snow is what is keeping the city with its revolution cut off from the rest of the country, but it is the beauty of the snow that is also causing Ka to write his poetry again. The snow is actually hiding the poverty of the town. The small town of Kars, Turkey, is caught in its spiral of unemployment, poverty and general decay. Many of the buildings are in disrepair, empty and dark in the city being covered up with the snow. In the dark lonely city the reader is  shown the striking contrast between the old dark teahouses with few visitors and the homes with satellite dishes streaming television images to groups of family members as examples of life for the residents of Kars. Ka, once a political exile living in Germany, has returned to cover the story of the suicide girls. He is a poet who once had revolutionary ideas, is more interested in pursing his own idea of happiness now. His religion is unlike the radical Islam that the young Turks in Kars are interested in. This book could be compared to Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago, the story of the poet looking for love in the Russian Revolution. "Where Pamuk really excels in this novel is in the deftness with which he allows these forces to tug at one another. Like Dostoevsky, the literary forebear whose spirit haunts this book most palpably, Pamuk appears to value politics, among other things, as a great opportunity to let his characters rant in all sorts of productive ways." - Christian Caryl, The New York Review of Books New York Review of Books"

Dreamers of the Day-Dayton's Big Read

To celebrate Dayton's Big Read at the Tipp City Library we will hold our discussion of the book on Monday, March 22nd at 7 p.m. Copies of the books can be picked up at the front desk. The setting of this book is the Cairo Peace Conference in 1921. In the book we are introduced to Agnes, a former Ohio school teacher, on her first major trip of her life. The war and influenza have left her alone in the world, without a job, and enough money to embark to the Middle East to recreate the trip her sister had once taken and had written home about. Mistaken for her sister by T.E. Lawrence, she is swept up into the drama surrounding the Peace Conference. Nonfiction books to read along side this novel are T.E. Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom, Georgina Howell's 2007 book, Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert and Shaper of Nations, and Malcolm Brown's 2005 book Lawrence of Arabia: The Life, The Legend. These books can also be picked up at the front desk or reserved. Also recommended is the PBS special Lawrence of Arabia: the Battle for the Arab World. As much as I loved Mary Doria Russell's novel, Dreamers of the Day, I was inspired to read more of the history background to the storyline. Even the title of the book is taken from T.E. Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom, "Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that all was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, and make it possible."

Local Author visits Tipp City Library

Debra Gaskill attended our meeting of the Library Scribes at the Tipp City Library last Saturday. She came to promote her first novel, Barn Burner, and to share her experience with writing and getting published. She wrote her novel as part of her M.A. degree at Auntioch University McGregor. The meeting was productive, with many of the writers from Tipp City happy to interact with Debra. Ms. Gaskell is the Managing Editor of the Washington Court House Record Herald. Her novel is set in southwestern Ohio in the small fictional town of Jubilant Falls, home of a Christian college, and the setting of a kidnapping of a six year old little girl. Editor Addison McIntyr is beset with her own set of problems as she tries to take on the reporting of a story that hits her emotionally. The mother of the child is her close friend with child custody issues pending in her divorce proceedings. The mystery is a page-turner and well written. I am looking forward to her second novel.

Here if You Need Me by Kate Braestrup

Kate Braestrup loses her husband in a car accident. She has four children and she begins a new life, this time serving as a minister, something her husband had always wanted to do. She attends seminary, and begins serving as chaplain for search-and-rescue missions. This is the true story of Kate and her mssion to bring comfort to people she meets through her job as a chaplain to the Maine Warden Service. Join the Tipp City Library's book discussion on Monday, February 22nd, at 7 pm. Once again we will examine a woman's life choices and her continuing impact on her family and her world. Check our catalog

Challenger by another blogger, I am reading Snow by Orhan Pamuk, translated from the Turkish by Maureen Freely, 2004. It is a difficult book to read. The protagonist, Ka, visits his hometown Kars, in the middle of a snowstorm that cuts off the town from the rest of Turkey. He is only visiting; he has immigrated to Frankfurt, Germany. A poet, he returns to find a woman he remembers from his past as a schoolmate. Hearing she is single, he returns to ask her to marry him. As he travels through the city, he finds an inner happiness that brings forth his poems freely, writing them down in his notebook that he carries in his hip pocket. He is caught up in a revolution, with violent repercussions. The thoughts of the Islamic fundamentalists are told to him, a non-practicing Islamic. Halfway through the book, I am trying to stay with it.

The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo

A taunt mystery by a Swedish author is the first of a three-part series. Taking place outside Stockholm, the protagonist, journalist Mikael Blomqvist, has been asked to investigate the disappearance of a Vanger family member, Harriet Vanger. Harriet disappeared during a family get together on their island, cut off from the mainland by a unusual accident on the bridge. She was the sixteen year old niece of a rich and influencial industrialist, Henrik Vanger. Now almost forty years later, Henrick wants to try once again to have help with the investigation, and Mikael Blomqvist agrees, only because he faces a jail term for slander, and he needs time away from his magazine, Millenium, to give the magazine a chance to survive. Another one of my snow books for this winter, the book starts with the end of December, and the time is current. A good well-written novel. No gory stuff has appeared in the novel and I am half-way through. A link to the author's website is embedded in the title of this blog.

Then We Came to the End

Told in first person, Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris, is the story of an advertising agency's staff going through layoffs. We never know the main chacacter's name or sex, though it sounds more like a man than a woman. We voyeur through his eyes as he tells the boring details of everyday at the office, the games they play, and the "stress" they are under. Do they ever work? They love the creative part of their job, but he seems to point out that they do anything to avoid it. Ouch. He shares all the details of the lives of all the staff that is close to him, and some of what they are facing in real life. Midway through the book, the voice shifts to the boss, Lynn, and her own personal battle. Fairly interesting, but it is tough to get through in parts. I personally tried to start this book twice, but couldn't stay interested. I listened to the abridged audio version, and I enjoyed it better than reading.Check our catalog 

Terra Incognita: Travels in Antarctica by Sara Wheeler

Once Sara Wheeler become enchanted with the idea of traveling to Antarctica, she pursued it with a passion. It took two years to do it, but she went to Antarctica as writer in residence with the American National Science Foundation's artist program. That's no small feat, as she is a citizen of the UK. Pick this book for a good winter read, she will educate and entertain. Full of amazing facts about the Antarctic exploreres of long ago and science figures from today, well 1998, when this book was published. It also comes as a great audio book. Check our catalog:  http://seoipac.seo.lib.oh.us/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=12643NHU45290.3005&profile=tcp&uri=link=3100006~!165060~!3100001~!3100002&aspect=subtab6053&menu=search&ri=1&source=~!horizon&term=Terra+incognita+travels+in+Antarctica+%2F&index=PALLTI#focus

This is Where I Leave You

Jonathan Trooper has created a likeable, vulnerable, wounded character with his realistic family member, Judd Foxman. The family has just buried thier father and husband, and the father's dying wish was for his children to sit shiva for him.This ancient Jewish tradition gives a chance for the mourners to come to the home of the departed and offer their condolances to the family. This dysfunctional family hasn't seen much of each other, and putting them all in one house for a little more than a week is going to be more than anyone can really imagine, wrap their heads around, or just endure. But, life is funny, sometimes the impossible is really an answer to prayer, and this book gives us a week with the Foxmans, through Judd's eyes. Laugh out loud funny in parts, sensitive and sad in others, it is all about how life is messy, but hey, its the only one we've got. Reminisent of Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo, I give it a thumbs up, but be forewarned, there is a lot of foul language and plenty of sex.

A Fountain Filled With Blood

If you follow my blog, you know I am on the look out for a good intelligent mystery series, and I have found it with Julia Fleming-Spencer's Clare Fergusson. The first of the series, In a Bleak Midwinter was a good introduction. I especially liked the nail-biting drama toward the end. It kept me up turning the pages. Now this second in the series, In a Fountain Filled with Blood, I found a much more interesting character in Reverend Clare. She jumps off the page a full of action, and drawing the reader right along with her in all her daring attempts at half-killing herself. The friendship between her and the chief of police is heating up, but both of them are unable to admit it to each other. It is just an excellent mystery that kept me guessing up to the end.

Writer's Group host author visit

I am waiting for my copy of Barn Burner to arive. The author, Debra Gaskill is coming to the library on February 27 at 2 pm. She will be presenting on her novel, a mystery set in southwest Ohio. It is the first of a series with a reporter/sleuth, Addison MacIntyre, as the main character. Debra Gaskill is the managing editor for the Wahington Courthouse Record Herald, and has fifteen years in as a reporter. She uses her vast experience in Ohio to stimulate her imagination for her novel. She has also written for several newspapers in Ohio and national magazines. This is her first novel.

What are you reading on Monday?

I am reading Protecting Marie by Kevin Henkes. I did not know that he wrote Young Adult (YA) fiction. I know him from the Purple Purse queen, Lilly. He has a selection of Lilly the Mouse books for pre-kindergarten. Now I find a YA book, with a delightful girl, Fanny, who wants a dog. She begs her father for a dog. And he finds out how hard it is to grant her greatest wish. I love the part about Burger King. The father is almost sixty, a college professor, and artist and he cannot abide Burger King. He is rigid, but he loves his daughter. It's a wonderful study of a young teen's love-hate relationship with her father, something young girls might relate to. A good mother-daughter book to read together. Sometimes we just can't put our finger on where the relationship went bad, and Kevin Henkes does a good job of ferreting out those dark moments that hurt a child, especially when parents are so caught up in what they think is best for the child. Books help me to think more about relationships, that delicate balance we walk everyday.

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Reading, reading, reading

I have way too many books being read at the same time. The Princes in the Tower by Alison Weir to find out more about King Richard III. A Fountain Filled with Blood by Julia Spencer-Fleming to continue with the series, A Reverend Clare Ferguson Mystery.
One Year to an Organized Work Life by Regina Leeds. I am taking her advise for January, to make my bed everyday for 21 days, and if I skip a day, I have to go back and start the count all over again. I have been trying to get organized for 40 years, is there any hope? Hey, I keep my address book and my checkbook and my ATM card in my purse every day. That's a pretty good start. Now, to just write out my bills as they come in. Oh yeah, I also am reading Real Simple, the magazine. I am listening to Terra Incognito: Travels in Antarctica by Sara Wheeler on CD in my car. Quiz me on my knowledge of Antarctica, I am amazed how much she puts into the ongoing diary of seven months in Antarctica as writer-in-residence. They just celebrated Christmas and New Year's. Love it. But Julie says that's no help, I love everything. And another book, I received this from my brother for Christmas, Ghost Train to the Eastern Star by Paul Theroux. Travel by books, that's my motto. And I read all of the Harper's Magazine, August 2009. Good stuff there, especially the novella, Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro, which was included in the book of short stories by the same name that came out in 2009. Alice Munro is the winner of the 2009 Man Booker International Prize. This novella is the story of Sophia Kovalevsky, and it makes me want to read the biography written by Don H. Kennedy, Little Sparrow: A Portrait of Sophia Kovalevsky (Ohio University Press, 1983). Awesome story.