Five Book Friday

June 5, 2015 peaadmin

And so, beloved patrons, we come to another Friday…a mercifully sunny one after the frigid temperatures of earlier this week. We hope this week’s selection of new books gives you some ideas for your weekend reading. Make sure to let us know your newest literary loves in the comments!

My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me: A Black Woman Discovers Her Family’s Nazi Past: Though not, perhaps, the most artistic of titles (or perhaps an overly-provocative one), Jennifer Teege’s book is still a fascinating one. At it’s heart is Teege’s discovery, as an adult, that her grandfather was Amon Goeth, the commander of the Plaszow concentration camp in Poland, portrayed by Ralph Fiennes in the film Schindler’s List. Teege’s biological mother was Monika Hertwig, who gave birth to Teege after a brief relationship with an Nigerian man, and put her into a Catholic children’s home when she was a month old. It wasn’t until Teege was in her thirties that she saw her biological mother’s picture on a cover of a book dealing with her relationship with Goeth that Teege began to realize her family’s complicated legacy. This book is not only the result of her research, but a deeply important reminder about how close we all are to the events of the past, and how much power that past still holds over us all.

Broadcast Hysteria: Orson Welles’s War of the Worlds and the Art of Fake News: Most of us have heard at least some of the story that grounds this book: in 1938, the Mercury Theater Company produced a dramatized version of H.G. Wells’ War of the World that treated the events as if they were happened in real time, and in New Jersey. The result was mass panic and one alleged death when a listener had a heart attack induced by fear of the imminent alien invasion. But how much of that story is true? A. Brad Schwartz looks at the letters that Orson Welles and his company received in the days and weeks following the broadcast and finds that what people feared wasn’t aliens, but the power of technology, specifically, the radio, to influence their lives. The book itself is an incredibly engrossing, readable story, and, like Teege’s book, has a number of wider implications, especially in our world of breaking news and constant updates.

Dearest Rogue: This is cheating, just as little, as this book came in at the very end of last week, after our last Five Book Friday post, but any time Elizabeth Hoyt comes out with a new book, I throw a little party, so we are including it in this week’s round-up. In this 8th installment in Hoyt’s Maiden Lane series, Captain James Trevillion is charged with protecting Lady Phoebe Batten, who is gradually going blind, and needs all the help she can get to allude the kidnappers who are pursuing her. There simply aren’t enough characters in romance who face issues that cannot be healed by love alone, whether that is emotional scars or physical handicaps, but in this book, Hoyt gives us a heroine who is vivid, strong, and utterly sympathetic–and also losing her sight. Her condition doesn’t matter a whit to James, and it won’t change the way that readers feel about her, either.

Finders Keepers: Stephen King’s newest. I personally don’t think much more needs to be said on the matter, but then again, I grew up thinking he was a family friend because so many of his books were in our house. In any event, this is another story in which King plays with the relationship between readers, writers, and the characters that bind them together, and feature the same three protagonists from Mr. Mercedes. I really don’t want to spoil too much more of this twisted, suspenseful, and genuinely unsettling book so…just put it on reserve today!

Anna and the French Kiss: This book is new to our shelves, but has been garnering praise from readers and romance writers alike (Maureen Johnson, author of the Star of London series, declared it “Very sly. Very funny. Very romantic. You should date this book”). Not only will those readers will a perennial case of wanderlust delight in the adventures of Anna, who is sent to a French boarding school by her father for a year, the hardest of hearts will not help but be softened by the relationship that develops between her and Etienne, a sweet and savvy half-English, half-French student…even though he has a girlfriend already. Does this mean he and Anna can only be friends? And would that be a bad thing, necessarily? This is a unique romance, that doesn’t rely on tragedy or special powers to keep its plot moving, but instead focuses on two people who genuinely enjoy and respect each other. I admit, I was skeptical going in, since so much high praise always makes me a little wary, but I have to admit, Stephanie Perkins’ book lives up to all of it.

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Fancy a Baileys (Prize for Fiction)? An If/Then Post…

June 4, 2015 peaadmin

Yesterday, it was announced that Ali Smith’s How To Be Both (which was also shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker Prize) was awarded the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction. Previously known as the Orange Prize for Fiction, the Baileys Prize is the only literary prize specifically awarded to women. The reason is for this is that, like it or not, while women make up a significant percentage of employees within the publishing industry and, obviously, a significant percentage of published authors, they are massively underrepresented in terms of leadership positions within the publishing industry, and in terms of prizes.

According to the Baileys Prize website,

“The inspiration was the Booker Prize of 1991 when none of the six shortlisted books was by a woman, despite some 60% of novels published that year being by female authors. A group of women and men working in the industry – authors, publishers, agents, booksellers, librarians, journalists – therefore met to discuss the issue.

Research showed that women’s literary achievements were often not acknowledged by the major literary prizes. The idea for the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction – previously the Orange Prize for Fiction – was born.”

The prize has had a major influence on the reading public and the publishing landscape, primarily within the past few years, as people have begun to question if “we” still need a prize for women (I am still not sure who this “we” is, honestly). A.S. Byatt and Zoe Heller have both publicly argued that ’cause’ this prize endorses is a specious one, as it treats women’s fiction differently from men. While I personally would love to believe that reviews and popular support of fiction is blind to either authors’ or characters’ gender/sex, the truth of the matter is that books about male characters win more awards than books about women, and books by men tend to win more awards than those written by women, despite the fact that women are publishing more books overall. See this graph from The Huffington Post for more details:

Why is this? Some argue that books about men deal in broader themes, or have more ‘sweeping narratives’…but is this because men make better characters, or because women’s books (both by and about women) get so easily slapped with the tag “chick lit”, and their themes and narratives are obscured by bright pink covers, despite the fact that they deal with real issues, serious subject matter, and focus on life-changing themes, as well? Is it perhaps because women have been kept out of so many jobs, so many roles in society that it is assumed that they cannot inhabit the same space as men in literature, as well? And if so, if this really a valid excuse? As Sarah Ditum said in The Guardian today, “It is a terribly simple, terribly important point, but art is how we show ourselves that we exist, and art is how we know each other. As long as women are patronised into obscurity, it is impossible to tell each other that we’re alive, impossible to work together to invent more just worlds for ourselves.”

So, as well all take a minute to ponder our position on this matter (and possibly consider Baileys a little bit, as well…), we offer you an If/Then based on the Baileys Prize, and its past winners….

If you enjoyed Ali Smith’s How To Be Both (and fiction by women…and Baileys….), Then be sure to check out:

A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing: Eimear McBride’s book was nearly never published–after being rejected by publishers for nine straight years, it was finally picked up by Gallery Beggar, “a company specifically set-up to act as a sponsor to writers who have struggled to either find or retain a publisher.” In a wonderful underdog story, the book went on to win the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year Award, the Goldsmiths Prize, the Desmond Elliott Prize and the Baileys Women’s Prize in 2014. This book is a prime reason why the Baileys Prize is so important–McBride’s book may not deal with sweeping or broad themes, but instead, it delves deeply into one women’s personal tragedy with an insight so searingly honest that it is both heartbreaking and beautifully cathartic. By no means an easy read, McBride’s work is shocking and wonderfully original, and deserves a much bigger audience, particularly in the United States.

May We Be Forgiven: On the surface, A.M. Holmes’ book (which won the 2013 Baileys Prize) is about brothers, none of whom are particularly lovable, and one of whom is is a vicious murderer. But in telling the story of their relationship, and the events that bring about their downfalls, Holmes is able to bring in a startling amount of philosophy, from Camus to Hedgier, whether its in the course of her narrative, or in the flashes of whimsy that fill this book (at one point, the firm of “Herzog, Henderson & March” is referenced, a tribute to the works of author Saul Bellow). The New York Times published a review that relentlessly compared Holmes to a number of male authors, and lamented that she didn’t write quite like them, but the Independent said, instead: “Homes is a very, very funny writer, brilliant at pinpointing the ridiculous nature of 21st-century living, and May We Be Forgiven has something of the feel of Catch-22 or The World According to Garp. Homes is a more engaging and empathetic writer than either Joseph Heller or John Irving, though, and she is immensely readable – I raced through these 480 pages faster than anything else I’ve read this year.”

The Song of Achilles: Madeline Miller’s book (winner of the 2012 Baileys Prize) is, broadly speaking, a retelling of The Illiad. But while Homer tells us what happened–specifically, that the death of his friend Patroclus sent the great warrior Achilles into a killing rage–Miller attempts to explain why these events took place. A scholar by training, she studied ancient Greek texts for any mention of Patroclus; and rather than giving us the story of the great warrior he became, she shows us the outcast child he was, making this story far more personal, the love between these characters that much more powerful, and the eventual tragedy of The Iliad that much more moving, even though the ending of this story was written thousands of years previously.

Here is the list of all the Baileys Prize (and Orange Prize) Winners. Come on in and pick out a winner today!

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Summer Reading… for Grown-Ups!

June 3, 2015 peaadmin

Theo Theoharis — Photo Credit: Boston Globe

June means summer and most people know that, for libraries, summer means Summer Reading Programs! Traditionally geared to children, these programs offer events and incentives to encourage kids to read over the summer. In Peabody, we do indeed offer some great Summer Reading Program opportunities for kids, but that’s not what this post is about. This post is about summer reading for grown-ups!

Each summer, the library offers a summer reading event for adults in the form of a literary discussion series. In response to demand for programs that offer the engagement and deep reading experience of college classes, these programs provide participants with opportunities to explore challenging works of literature in group settings with the guidance of a college professor. Delving into titles such as Ulysses and Moby Dick, now in its eighth year, Peabody’s summer reading series for adults always draws enthusiastic audiences and generally meets four or five times during the months of June, July and August.

This year, the library is pleased to offer the community the opportunity to explore William Faulkner’s Light in August with Professor Theo Theoharis. This Southern Gothic novel offers unending ideas for discussion, so we hope you will join us for this special opportunity to experience a different kind of summer reading; the kind where you will dig deep, think hard, and share ideas with other people who will open your mind to new ones.

Would you like to join the discussion? Registration is now open and books are available on a first-come first-served basis at the Main Library. The first meeting will be on June 29th at 7:30 p.m. in the Sutton Room. Thanks to the generosity of the Peabody Institute Library Foundation, there is no charge for the class.

The following is a list of the books shared in summer discussion programs past. If you haven’t read them yet, there’s no time like the present. But if you want to make the most of them, make sure to share them with friends:

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“The Romance Garden: Because every mind needs a little dirt in which to grow…”

June 1, 2015 peaadmin

Welcome, beloved patrons, to our Romance Garden, in which four devoted romance readers (who also happen to be library staff) share their current favorite book, genres, and characters. We hope this gives you some ideas for your own reading…because, as we said, every mind needs a little dirt in which to grow…

Bridget: Mine to Take by Jackie Ashenden

Jackie Ashenden delights in taking familiar tropes and shattering all her readers’ expectations. The result is always nothing short of incredible, and always keeps readers guessing as to precisely how these characters are going to make it together in the end. Her Nine Circles series (her first with a major publishing house) pushes the envelope until it nearly falls right off the proverbial table, but it is because she is willing to take such risks that this series succeeds as well as it does.

The series opens with Mine to Take, a dark, edgy contemporary romance that centers around Gabriel Wolfe, an unstoppable and nearly heartless business tycoon, who has spent his adult life plotting to revenge himself and his mother against the man who ruined both their lives. Now, after years of waiting, Gabriel’s chance has finally come, but in order to get to his enemy, Gabriel has to go through the man’s step-daughter, Honor St. James, who is a partner at the family firm (and, incidentally, the estranged sister of Gabriel’s closest friend).

From here, it would be easy for Ashenden to rest on her laurels and simply spin out a tale of love redeeming all wrongs, but she is too good a writer, and the stakes of her story are far too high. Both Gabriel and Honor suffered terrible emotion loss as children, and it left them both broken characters in many ways. The wonder of this book is how they manage to put themselves–and each other–together again. I love especially how Ashenden upends gender expectations in her stories: Gabriel comes across as the ruthless alpha-male, but he is hamstrung by his past and trapped by his own fears, and it is the seemingly well-behaved Honor who has the active role, putting together the pieces of the mystery surrounding her step-father and Gabriel, and, ultimately, being the only person strong enough to set her hero free. The second book in the series, Make You Mine, takes this theme even further, but that is fodder for another post.
While these books deals in very difficult subject matter at times, and certainly aren’t light reading, they are so emotionally rich and rewarding that they become unforgettable, and the characters are so vital and well-drawn that they linger even after the final scene has played out.

Kelley: The Highland Guard Series by Monica McCarty

For lovers of Scottish historicals, The Highland Guard series is the perfect blend of history and romance, with each book finding a seemingly invincible warrior faced with an opponent he cannot defeat: the woman who loves him. Described on Monica McCarty’s website as “Special Ops in kilts,” The Highland Guard is a secret army of Scotland’s fiercest Highland warriors. Recruited to fight for Robert the Bruce during the Scottish Wars of Independence, each guard member has a specialty such as hand-to-hand combat, swordsmanship, seafaring, or survival skills, and although the team is made up of members of opposing clans they learn to work together as brothers to achieve their common goal. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that they all just happen to be tall, rock-like with battle-earned muscle, and devastatingly handsome.

Each book in the series focuses on a different member of the guard and the woman who ultimately conquers his heart. In the The Chief, legendary and aloof swordsman Tor MacLeod meets his match in the selfless and open-hearted Christina Fraser; in The Hawk, unmatched seafarer Erik MacSorley falls for Lady Elyne DeBurgh who challenges him to be more than the charming façade he shares with the people around him; and in The Viper, the meanest and coarsest member of the Guard finds himself facing Lady Isabella McDuff, a revolutionary in her own right who not only doesn’t fear him but comes to love him instead.

Thanks to a Washington Post review by Sarah MacLean, I started my own exploration of this series with Book 9, The Arrow, so it is possible to jump into the middle of this series and still follow along with no trouble. The books are full of the danger of the wartime setting, but mingled with wit and humor, especially in the interactions of the guard members with each other. And of course these wouldn’t be bodice rippers without romance, secrets, misunderstandings, and plenty of sexual tension and steamy scenes in between.

Warning: The Highland Guard novels are addictive, so you won’t be able to stop turning the pages to find out what happens next… even though we all know how books like these end. And that’s exactly why we love them.

Melissa: The Love Letters by Beverly Lewis

If you’re looking for the literary dirt this blog post promises, Amish romances will not be where you find it. There’s plenty of dirt in literal Amish gardens, but very little in the popular romance stories that center on Amish people. The Love Letters is no exception.

Beverly Lewis is the mother of the “bonnet ripper.” Her first novel, The Shunning is widely credited for launching the Amish romance novel phenomenon in 1997. Even after twenty plus offerings, Lewis continues to publish some of the best written Amish fiction on the market.

The Love Letters centers on Marlena, a young Amish woman torn between the more liberal church of her parents and the conservative Amish sect of her finance. After agreeing to spend the summer helping to care for her grandmother, Marlena also finds herself in charge of her estranged sister’s infant daughter. As she grows attached to the baby and is more and more drawn to the more progressive Amish churches she encounters, things become tense between her and her long-distance finance. Intertwined with Marlena’s story is that of a young, special needs Amish boy, who craves his father’s approval and befriends a confused, wandering Englischer (non-Amish person).

A bit light on the romance and a bit heavy on the evangelism, The Love Letters is saved by the author’s smooth writing and likable characters. As Lewis herself has said, Marlena is one of her most “tender-hearted” leading ladies to date and a reader can’t help wishing her the best. As is almost always the case in a good bonnet ripper, things are wrapped up neatly and happily in the end. The romantic conclusion is a bit rushed, but still satisfying. A good choice for those of you who prefer your romances to be true comfort fiction and are willing to pass on the steamy details.

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At the Movies: Far From the Madding Crowd

May 31, 2015 peaadmin 1 Comment

My junior year of high school, our class was assigned to read Thomas Hardy’s Return of the Native. Most of the class moaned and groaned about reading another book about staid Victorian people in corsets and bowler hats strolling about being polite to each other. But instead, what we got was a book that changed my entire perception of literature, and historic literature, specifically.

Because Thomas Hardy didn’t write polite novels. He didn’t write traditional morality tales that showed young ladies how to marry well, or how a gentleman could succeed in life by remaining sober and wearing cravats. Instead, he talks about people who make mistakes; big mistakes–the kind that can change and ruin lives. He talks about people who feel passion, who act on that passion, and who thrive because of it. And he does it all in a way that makes you feel their needs, sympathize with the sorrow and the joy they feel, and to be willing to follow the story through all the mistakes and hardships and triumphs because these people are so real and so beautifully flawed that it’s impossible to turn away.

Granted, Hardy was not a fan of general polite Victorian culture, because he saw through the façade that people so earnestly tried to put around themselves. In his diary, Hardy noted: “If all hearts were open and all desires known — as they would be if people showed their souls — how many gapings, sighings, clenched fists, knotted brows, broad grins, and red eyes should we see in the market-place!” And those are the kind of characters he created.

Hardy also gave the women in his novels agency, realizing how trapped they were by the society in which they lived, and how little they were normally allowed to speak. As the great Bathsheba notes in Far From the Madding Crowd, “It is difficult for a woman to define her feelings in language which is chiefly made by men to express theirs.” To be fair, Victorian society was not all that taken with Hardy, either–there were rumors that a Bishop burned a copy of his last novel Jude the Obscure because he felt it too obscene to exist.

Which brings us to the real topic of this post, which is the newest screen adaptation of Far From the Madding Crowd, an enormous, gorgeous, and surprisingly faithful adaptation that captures the beauty of Hardy’s all-too-human characters, quirks of fate, and the stunning scenery he describes in detail. It was clear early on that this film was going to be a crowd-pleaser. As soon as Gabriel Oak made his appearance on the screen, shyly returning Bathsheba’s wayward scarf, someone near me muttered “Oh just pick him! Right now!”. And when Sergeant Troy strode onto the scene in his scarlet uniform and polished boots, I definitely heard someone in the back call out “Look out, he’s bad news!”. Which only goes to show the power of Hardy’s work–and the skill of the filmmakers to convey the spirit of the piece so well.

So for those of you who were swept away by Hardy’s love story, by the sweeping panoramic views of the lush scenery, or simply want to know more about the world of this book and the man who created it, here are some suggestions:

The Return of the Native: Because I just went on and on about this book, it seems silly not to put it on the list. Hardy’s sixth novel first appeared in serialized form from January to December of 1878, and opens with the arrival of Diggory Venn, a wandering reddleman (a man who sells the red dye with which farmers mark their sheep) to Egdon Heath. There, he encounters not only Thomasin Yeobright, a young woman with whom he is hopelessly in love (and who is engaged to the local innkeeper) and Eustacia Vye, herself an outsider who has recently returned to Egdon Heath to live with her grandfather. Though Eustacia is technically the wild and passionate heroine of this novel, my love is all for Diggory and Thomasin. Though Hardy had his own idea for how their fates played out, public response to their story, specifically, was so strong, he was forced to write the ending the public demanded…

The Woman in White: Wilkie Collins was another author who delighted in criticizing Victorian culture (particularly marriage laws that limited women’s status in society), and whose books were considered quite scandalous by conventional society. This novel, published fifteen years before Far From the Madding Crowd, deals with the mystery surrounding two young women: Laura Fairlie and Anne Catherick. The two could not be from more different worlds– Laura is the daughter of a wealthy family who is engaged to the handsome Sir Percival Glyde, while Anne is a troubled escapee from the local insane asylum–but the two woman are identical in appearance. The man who makes the connection between the two is Walter Hartright, the man hired to give drawing lessons to Laura and her sister, and man who steals Laura’s heart. This book is considered among the first modern mystery novels, though there is a wonderful romantic subplot to enjoy, as well, and is told through various characters’ letters and testimony, making the narrative that much more complex and fascinating.

Mansfield Park: Specifically this adaptation, with Frances O’Connor as Fanny Price and a charmingly young Johnny Lee Miller as Edmund. Though there are others that are perhaps more faithful to Jane Austen’s text (mostly because they are mini-series that have more time to deal with the material), this movie beautifully captures the character’s complexities, shortcomings and successes, and conveys the love story between poor but independent Fanny and the wonderfully caring, duty-bound Edmund perfectly. Like Far From the Madding Crowd, Mansfield Park is the story of two people who are meant for each other, but it takes a lot of effort, and a few twists of fate to get them to realize it. This adaptation also incorporates a good deal of Austen’s actual writings into the text, in the form of Fanny’s diaries and scribblings.

North and South: There is a very real chance that this is the most romantic mini-series adaptation ever made. On the plus side, though, like Far From the Madding Crowd, it also handles the setting and social commentary of Elizabeth Gaskell’s work, as well. The story itself centers on the privileged Margaret Hale (played by Daniela Denby-Ashe), whose father moves the family to the mill town of Milton. There, Margaret is shocked by the gruffness of the people and the general ugliness of the factories–and especially turned off by the mill owner, John Thornton (played by the incomparable Richard Armitage). But Thornton, and Milton as a whole, it seems, have some hidden depths…What makes this story so wonderful is not only how their love changes Margaret and John for the better, but how that love improves the world around them, as well.

Additionally, for those of you who enjoyed the folk songs that were an integral part of this movie, or traditional music in general, here are some CDs to check out: Kate Rusby is a sensational folk musician and songwriter who has really been at the forefront of folk revival in the UK. The King’s Singers are a choral group with a much more much more formal sound, but their repertoire includes a wide range of folk songs from around Britain–Try Annie Laurie and Watching the White Wheat for some great selections. For those looking for a different, more contemporary sound, Great Big Sea is a Canadian group whose roots are in sea shanties and folk songs. Check out The Hard and the Easy for some great examples.

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Saturdays at the South: Seed Exchange!

May 30, 2015 peaadmin

How does your garden grow?

You know how there always seem to be far more seeds in a seed packet than you really need for your garden? Most seed producers and sellers will put more than the average gardener will use into an individual packet to account for inevitabilities like dud seeds or crop failures, but for most of us with a small plot of land or, like me, window boxes and a few large pots, these seeds will pass their expiration date long before they ever get the chance to thrive in the dirt. Or maybe the irises, hostas or other easily dividable plants have reproduced and started to make your backyard look more like the jungle in Tarzan and less like The Secret Garden? We at the South Branch are offering a solution!

On Thursday, June 4th from 6-8PM, come by the South Branch for a Seed Exchange! This is a great opportunity to connect with other gardeners and not only exchange seeds, bulbs or cuttings that you have in excess, but to share gardening tips as well. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to try something new with very low risk. Not sure if you have enough shade for hostas? Curious to see if green beans will thrive in a box or pot? Stop by and see what other gardeners have to offer. You never know, what you bring might be just the varietal someone else was looking to try! (And if you end up with too much produce toward the end of the season we have a solution for that, too!)

As if that wasn’t inspiration enough, here are just a handful of the great gardening books we have on-hand at the South Branch to help you out!

Plantiful by Kristin Green

With a name like Green, this author might perhaps have been destined to write a garden book. If you’re looking for a more low-maintenance, perennial approach to gardening, this book is a terrific resource. The pictures are stunning and it offers an entire section on overwintering so that (barring another record-breaking New England winter) your plants will be waiting to burst forward come spring. A healthy references and resources section will tell you where to go next.

Small Space Vegetable Gardens by Andrea Bellamy

This book is filled with eye-catching graphics, detailed photos and great explanations that will take you from zero to veggies in no time (and, as advertised, practically no space, too!). Bellamy takes the novice through different types of spaces that can accommodate plants (complete with pros and cons for each), to constructing containers, to plant recommendations, to keeping plants healthy throughout the year. This book is full of great tips and tricks for creating green spaces that even experienced gardeners will appreciate. I can easily see this as a resource gardeners will come back to year after year.

Container Gardening for All Seasons by Barbara Wise

Small spaces are no problem with this primer on container gardening. Your porch, deck or even your house can look great all-year long with these seasonal suggestions.

The Kitchen Garden by Alan Buckingham

DK Publishing is known for great visuals and easy instructions and this book is no exception. This book is a great resource. Organized by crop and growing season, this book can get anyone started on the right foot to grow delicious food items that will end up in your kitchen.

Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch

This revised classic has a 100% organic philosophy that will allow gardeners to keep pesticides and chemicals out of their gardens (and, as a result, their food and flowers). This “Gardener’s Bible” will take you through nearly 400 plants with tips and suggestions on how to grow them. It will also offer the gardener essential knowledge on planning, planting and keeping the garden up as the season goes on. There’s a lot in here, but newcomers shouldn’t be intimidated as it’s easy to pick and choose what they’d like to learn.

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Five Book Friday

May 29, 2015 peaadmin

Happy Friday, Dear Blog Readers and Beloved Patrons!

Today, we present you with five new books on our shelves for your consideration. Hopefully you will find something to whet your reading appetite!

Scarlett Undercover: Jennifer Latham’s first young adult novel is a blend of some fantastic tropes: Scarlett is a 15-year-old Muslim American private detective in Las Almas, whose newest case involved a church-turned-tattoo parlor, genies, ancient curses and, most surprisingly, the secrets that lurk in her own family. The School Library Journal calls Scarlett the “heir apparent to Veronica Mars” (high praise indeed!), and Kirkus gave this debut a starred review for its smart blend of noir and paranormal.

The Well: This book is another mysterious mash-up of genres that is garnering a good deal of attention. Set on a farm in modern-day Britain that is rapidly running out of water, Catherine Chanter tells the story of a farm that has never suffered the effects of the drought, becoming an oasis in the modern-day desert. The Guardian says that this book is an odd blend of science-fiction and fairytale, but Publisher’s Weekly is heralding Chanter’s first novel as “Extraordinary”. Safe to say, this is a book guaranteed to keep you on your toes…

The Burglar Who Counted the Spoons: After a painfully-long hiatus, Lawrence Block’s much-adored, charming and sticky-fingered hero, Bernie Rhodenbarr, is back in his eleventh adventure. This time around, Bernie and his sidekick Carolyn find themselves wandering from manor house to museum on the hunt for an F. Scott Fitzgerald manuscript, and tracking down a killer in their spare time. Block’s decision to publish this unexpected series’ addition under his own imprint has led industry insiders to speculate whether we can expect more of Bernie’s adventures in the future….One can only hope!

The Rocks: Peter Nichols’ family saga opens with a single question–what happened in 1948 to drive two devoted honeymooners irrevocably apart, despite their living on the same island together for more than half a century? Though the question is a heavy one, Nichols’ keeps the tone of this book light and thoroughly engaging, even as he peels back the layers of this mystery and probes at the secrets that have remained hidden for years. The seaside resort where his tale is sounds like the perfect setting for a weekend-esacpe read– even Travel and Leisure gave this book a positive review!

Stalingrad: The City That Defeated the Third Reich: Professor Jochen Hellbeck’s history of the pivotal and devastating Battle of Stalingrad is so much more than a work of military history. By incorporating eye witness accounts from both Russia soldiers and civilians (including women and children, who are so often overlooked in wartime histories), as well as German soldiers and prisoners of war, Hellbeck brings the city, and the cataclysmic battle that took place there between August 1942-February 1943, to vivid life. Originally published to rave reviews in Germany, this book has finally been translated for the English-speaking market, and the Boston Globe has already declared this work a “stunning history” that reads like literature.

What will you be reading this weekend, beloved patrons? Let us know in the comments section!

Free for All

Five Book Friday

Fancy a Baileys (Prize for Fiction)? An If/Then Post…

Summer Reading… for Grown-Ups!

“The Romance Garden: Because every mind needs a little dirt in which to grow…”

At the Movies: Far From the Madding Crowd

Saturdays at the South: Seed Exchange!

Five Book Friday

"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." ~Frederick Douglass