As was noted in our Saturday post, the library is a place where you can come and select whatever you’d like, without judgement or critique–and we love hearing about books or films or music that you utterly adored. But today, we thought we’d offer a few suggestions from the Library staff about books that they have loved from our shelves (because we are library patrons, too!). So here is the first part of our ongoing series of staff selections for your reading pleasure. We hope you find something to savor!
From the Reference Desk…..
I first read Shadow of the Wind in high school and fell in love, but I didn’t even realize until years later that there were two companion books, too! They all correlate and share characters, but can be read in any order. Initially drawn to Shadow because of my love for the country of Spain and Zafon’s intriguing descriptions of Barcelona, the characters and the mysterious plot kept me reading. Any book lover who reads the Shadow of the Wind books will want to visit the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and take from something special.
The Seas by Samantha Hunt: Described as “weird, creepy, and beautiful”, this is a modern retelling of the Germany fairy tale Undine, about a sea creature who falls in love with a human knight; except this version is set is a cruel, unhappy fishing village where a nameless 19-year-old girl, who believes herself to be a mermaid, falls for a Jude, a fisherman who is unable to speak about his service in Iraq. This is definitely one of those books that toys with reality, with the best of results…
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett: On their own, both of these authors are simply irresistible, but when they combine their considerable powers, the results are hysterical, and surprisingly insightful. You see, according to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world’s only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner. But someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist…..
From the South Branch….
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire: Maguire is great at giving well-known characters an intriguing background and this take on Cinderella is no exception. Wonderfully written with a look at historical Amsterdam during the tulip boom, his story gives great depth to the tale we think we know.
All in the timing : fourteen plays by David Ives. A collection of funny, irreverent, one-act plays. Want to know what *really* happens when chimps are locked in a room with typewriters or when people invent their own language? Yeah, he’s got that. There are also some hauntingly sad, and creepily odd moments in these plays that makes the humor even funnier by contrast.
The other day, I read an article in Business Insider that talked about the “real” reason people buy e-readers. It wasn’t the ability to offer hundreds of books at your fingertips (making the loads for readers that travel so much lighter), or the opportunity to read free and steeply discounted classics, or the chance to read a book in any size font (great for books that never made it into large print), or even having an in-text dictionary available while reading books with insanely broad vocabularies (I’m looking at you China Mieville!). Nope, according to this article, the reason people like e-readers is so that no one can tell what you’re actually reading. It got me thinking about how people categorize their reading and the fact that, whether we like it or not, there is a certain level of pressure about what is and is not “socially acceptable” reading on the subway, or park, or any other public place where people can possibly judge you for your reading tastes.
As a librarian, and as someone who believes in wide access to reading materials of all types, this gets my ire up. As a human being it bothers me that people make assumptions and snarky judgments about someone based on what they’re reading. Reading tastes are as wide and varied as the people who enjoy them and they aren’t necessarily representative of who that person is or is not. Reading sci-fi doesn’t make someone a dork; reading romance doesn’t make someone a sap. It doesn’t even necessarily represent a genre preference or an author preference. Horizons can be expanded in any direction. Why should people be embarrassed for this?
In one of my classes for my MLIS, I was appalled to read about how librarians used to try and “guide” (i.e. force) readers into “correct” choices by telling them they should be reading “proper” literature. There was even a push to keep popular authors out of libraries because it wasn’t what people “should” be reading. Today, any librarian worth his/her salt today should have their hearts leap with joy because people are reading (no matter what or in what format), but readers now fear public judgment instead. In a Bustle article about narrowing down book choices to read, one of the “concerns” was: “will this book cover embarrass me in public?”
In one sense I’m glad that e-readers have enabled people to read what they want with less fear of being embarrassed, but I don’t see the need to be embarrassed by reading something you think you’ll enjoy in the first place. Therefore, the point of this little rant is to call for a ban on book snobbery, to recognize fellow readers as kindred spirits in the fact that they are reading for pleasure and to accept each other’s tastes. As such, here are some suggestions to read, in hard copy, in public, unabashedly. Borrow them freely knowing that we at the library will NOT judge you for what you read and your tastes will be respected:
I’m going to address the giant, handcuffed elephant in the room right off the bat, although frankly, given the popularity of these books, the new Grey sequel AND the movie, I wonder why people are even raising their eyebrows at reading this anymore. Over 100 million people worldwide can’t all be wrong…
There’s something about a book that has characters with lots of secrets that somehow makes people think that reading that book should be a secret. Time to let the cat out of the bag and bring this book out into the open. If you get the South Branch’s copy, you’ll be treated to a double-feature with this book followed by the sequel, Petals on the Wind.
Yes its another example of 100 million people can’t be wrong, but the Twilight series also brings to light an interesting note about YA books and the stigma attached to them. Some feel that YA books should be left for younger readers and aren’t suitable for adults. As someone who has already gone on record encouraging adults to read children’s books, I see no reason why adults can’t read YA books. And as a rebuttal to these naysayers, I offer you not one, not two, but three articles recommending great YA reads.
This book, and often fantasy in general is looked upon as not having any “literary merit” (though I’d defy anyone who’s read anything by Neil Gaiman to prove that comment). But fantasy, much like romance, has the ability to take people out of their norms (and sometimes out of their comfort zones) which may be exactly what the reader needs at that time. What are books for if not to give our minds a bit of a vacation?
I recommend this book, not so much because this title is considered a “guilty pleasure” but because it is a graphic novel and those are often categorized as “geek reads” or too “immature” for adults. Well, they’re not. There are plenty of graphic novels that deal with adult content and can be downright enjoyable for adults to read. And this article tells why far better than I could.
Before I sign off for this week, I’d like to thank my terrific friends who helped me think a bit outside the box and compile this list! My hope is that they, and all of you never feel the need to justify, make light of or be embarrassed by anything you read. Feel free to leave a comment about your favorite no-longer-guilty pleasure book. Till next week, dear readers, be proud to be readers, whatever your tastes are!
This past holiday weekend, your Blog-Manager Fairy Princess was in Savannah, as part of the World History Association annual conference. It was a terrific–if unnecessarily humid–trip, full of fascinating talks and interesting conversations, and lots and lots of book recommendations. There were a number of fascinating talks given about using alternative texts and materials in the classroom; my favorite was on the use of comic books as history text.
As literacy tools, comics are invaluable. They engage both the linguistic and the visual aspects of the brain, making connections between the two in ways that traditional texts and textbooks don’t. But they can also teach about aspects of culture that textbooks can’t, or won’t. One of the best examples of this, is the iconic heroine Wonder Woman.
Wonder Woman, made her debut in DC Comics in January 1942. She was the brain-child of psychologist William Marston (who, incidentally, invented the modern polygraph machine). Marston believed that women were more inherently honest than men, and generally more capable in stressful or dangerous situations. His goal in creating Diana Prince (aka Wonder Woman), was to present a heroine who was strong, confident, and successful as both a superhero and as a professional in a male dominated world. Under Marston’s guidance, Wonder Woman not only defended America from Nazis, evil monopolies, and corporate inequality, she also taught young people–young women especially–to stand up for themselves and believe in their own strength.
Marston, like his heroine, had to battle to convince DC Comics of Wonder Woman’s viability, despite high readership among both boys and girls. When DC formed the Justice League of America under Gardner Fox, Wonder Woman was made an honorary member…and the group secretary, who kept notes while the men went off to save the world. When Marston realized what was going on, he wrested back control of his character, and proceeded to write comics about what Wonder Woman actually did while acting as secretary–turns out she wasn’t behind the desk most of the time!
Following Marston’s death in 1947, the Wonder Woman franchise passed into the hands of Robert Kanigher, who began transforming Wonder Woman into the more sexualized, less assertive figure that we think of today. But it’s clear that studying the origins of Wonder Woman can help us tell a different story about contemporary social and gender issues in America than traditional textbooks permit.
This led to a discussion about another pop heroine of the same era–Nancy Drew. Nancy Drew was the brain child of Edward Stratemeyer, who created the Hardy Boys Series in 1926. The series was so popular that Stratemeyer decided to extend the franchise to girls–even though he believed a woman’s place was in the home. However, the series’ first primary author, Midred Benson, created a woman far different from Stratemeyer’s original idea.
Mildred Benson with her Nancy Drew books
The original Nancy Drew was sassy and feisty; she carried a gun, knew how to protect herself, and she did it well. Like Wonder Woman in many ways, Nancy lived in a kind of utopia where the Depression didn’t hurt, where war was far away, and where you could always have clean clothes and dinner. But she also provided a model for young girls that was wildly different from the woman she became. By the 1950’s, Nancy had a boyfriend to whom she deferred regularly, and learned to hold her tongue rather than speak her mind. Though the books were shortened in order make writing and reading a faster process, they also omitted a great deal of the power that Nancy originally had.
Learning about these heroines and their history was fascinating, and I love the idea that kids get to read these texts in their classroom. That discussion has led me through our catalog to learn more about them both, so I thought I would share my findings with you!
The Secret History of Wonder Woman: Jill Lepore’s book has been hailed as a landmark in pop culture history, and in the history of comic books as a genre. She details, in wonderfully accessible prose, the early years of Wonder Woman, as well as her emphatically unique creator, William Marston. Prominent in this story is Marston’s wives….yes, both of them. Though he was only legally married to Elizabeth, they both welcomed Olive Byrne into their home, and Elizabeth and Olive remained together after Marston’s death. These two women were critical to the creation of Wonder Woman (and Marston’s other inventions), and Lepore gives them their due in her fascinating work.
Wonder Woman unbound : the curious history of the world’s most famous heroine: Tim Hanley’s book covers the same time period as Lepore’s book, though in less depth, but also looks at her evolution over the course of the twentieth century, and the ways in which she challenged and conformed to expectations of the day. He also confronts some of Marston’s atypical themes of bondage that appear throughout the Wonder Woman comics; she is repeatedly tied up, chained up, or laced into a straightjacket, but escapes them all (and teaches other women how to break the bonds that hold them) because those who are keeping them captive are not worthy. It’s an interesting theme that is far more complex than many authors have considered–up until now.
The mysterious case of Nancy Drew & the Hardy boys: Authors Carole Kismaric & Marvin Heiferman trace not only the origins of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, but also consider their creators and authors, uncovering a story about social issues, feminism, and capitalism in America. They talk about the feuds inside Grosset and Dunlap over Nancy’s temper, the treatment of racial minorities in the books, and the need to keep up with growing readers who were increasingly fascinated by television. This is a book that will make you rethink what you know about quintessential American literature, but also the publishing market and commercialism in general. And that cover is just too good for words.
Girl sleuth : Nancy Drew and the women who created her Melanie Rehak discusses the origins of Nancy Drew, with a focus on the two women who were responsible for her: Mildren Benson, and Stratemeyer’s daughter, Harriet, who took over the franchise when he died. What emerges is a story about one fictional character, and how the expectations of generations were tied up in her adventures. This is a fun, perceptive read that makes each contributor to the Nancy Drew cannon a fully-realized character in their own right.
We’ve had a number of readers come in looking to fulfill their summer reading lists lately, and it got me to thinking…..When I was in school, I hated summer reading lists. Loathed them with a passion it is difficult to put into words. This is mostly because I refused to be told what to read, and under what time restrictions.
But now that I am…well, older than I was then…the problem is that there are so many books to choose, and so many lists and suggestions and conversations going on about them that sometimes the decision is just impossible!
More than anything, in the summer, I want to read a book that I’ve never heard of previously; that is completely different from what I read normally; that is surprising and challenging and will make my summer thoroughly memorable. And it turns out that there are those of you out there who feel the same way (This is why I love my job, in case you were wondering)!
So here, without further ado, is a list of off-the-beaten track suggestions for your summer reading list. Stay tuned to this list for updates and opinions to follow!
Glen David Gold wanted to write a biography of Carter the Magnificent (aka Charles Carter), but was unable to assemble enough information, and so he turned his sights on an historic thriller. I don’t want to give away too much, but the reader gets to follow Carter from his first performance to his last, from his show for Warren Harding to his acquaintance with Houdini, from the development of his stagecraft to his lifelong search for his true love, who was foreshadowed by a gypsy during his early vaudeville days. If you enjoyed this heartbreaking, redemptive, and constantly surprising novel, be sure to check out Gold’s mind-bending Sunnyside, featuring Charlie Chaplin, too!
I heard Sasa Stanisic speak at the Harvard Book Store when this book was released, and it remains one of the absolute highlights of my linguistic existence. He got up to read, looked at everyone and said, “I can’t wait to read this! I haven’t seen this translation before, so I’ll be reading it for the first time with you!” And his eagerness, his sheer delight, is evident in every page of this book. Stanisic’s book is a loosely biographical tale about a child refugee from Bosnia, named Alexander, growing up in Germany, whose Grandmother makes him promise to “remember when everything was all right and the time when nothing’s all right”. But Alexander is also a story-teller, so you never quite know where his memories end and his fantasies begin. Stanisic is one of those writers who can break your heart and make you giggle hysterically in the same breath and his book is pure magic. And he made a collection of things his readers had forgot. And my contribution made the list. Woot.
Dr. Who screenwriter and general all-around genius Mark Gatiss has crafted quite possibly one of the greatest series ever written in this spy-spoof and general send-up of Victorian literature, featuring the irresistible Lucifer Box of 9 Downing Street. In this installment, we learn of his adventures in 1890’s Italy and London, and his illicit affairs across the continent while investigating the strange goings-on around Pompeii. The second installment is set in Switzerland following the First World War and made me weep openly on a bus, but more about that some other time…
This series by the dynamic duo of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child has been making the rounds of the staff and patrons this summer, because they are insanely suspenseful and wonderfully, deviously creative, and scary and utterly ridiculous, all at the same time. These first two books feature monsters in t
he New York Museum of Natural History, the subway, and a gloriously magnetic, enigmatic FBI Agent named A.X.L. Pendergast who arrives to save the day. These aren’t books that are easy to describe (mostly because you end up feeling very silly saying “I’m reading about about monsters in the New York Subway), but I promise you will have no trouble diving in for more Pendergast!
Glen Duncan offers the Prince of Darkness a chance to speak for himself in this unsettling, thought-provoking, and fascinating work. Somewhat guilty over their centuries-long sparring, God has offered Lucifer something of a do-over. He gets the chance to inhabit a human body and try to redeem its soul. They agree on a trial period, and down goes Lucifer into the form of writer Declan Gunn (hardy har har). What follows is an account of Gunn/Lucifer’s reawakening that is sometimes a little-overenthusiastic in its extremes, but also full of some remarkably interesting insights into humanity and the real nature of Good and Evil. There’s no way the book can end without feeling somewhat predictable, but the final scene between Lucifer and Raphael makes the entire book worth every minute. For a debut, this is, ahem, one hell of a novel.
Hope this list gives you some inspiration for the upcoming holiday weekend, and be sure to keep the recommendations coming!
"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." ~Frederick Douglass
I first read Shadow of the Wind in high school and fell in love, but I didn’t even realize until years later that there were two companion books, too! They all correlate and share characters, but can be read in any order. Initially drawn to Shadow because of my love for the country of Spain and Zafon’s intriguing descriptions of Barcelona, the characters and the mysterious plot kept me reading. Any book lover who reads the Shadow of the Wind books will want to visit the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and take from something special.
The Seas by Samantha Hunt: Described as “weird, creepy, and beautiful”, this is a modern retelling of the Germany fairy tale Undine, about a sea creature who falls in love with a human knight; except this version is set is a cruel, unhappy fishing village where a nameless 19-year-old girl, who believes herself to be a mermaid, falls for a Jude, a fisherman who is unable to speak about his service in Iraq. This is definitely one of those books that toys with reality, with the best of results…
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett: On their own, both of these authors are simply irresistible, but when they combine their considerable powers, the results are hysterical, and surprisingly insightful. You see, according to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world’s only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner. But someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist…..
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire: Maguire is great at giving well-known characters an intriguing background and this take on Cinderella is no exception. Wonderfully written with a look at historical Amsterdam during the tulip boom, his story gives great depth to the tale we think we know.
All in the timing : fourteen plays by David Ives. A collection of funny, irreverent, one-act plays. Want to know what *really* happens when chimps are locked in a room with typewriters or when people invent their own language? Yeah, he’s got that. There are also some hauntingly sad, and creepily odd moments in these plays that makes the humor even funnier by contrast.
