Cats vs Dogs vs Sheep???

Mysteries have gone to the dogs and cats.  Most of these are your average animal in series like the Melanie Travis series by Laurien Berenson, Cat in the stacks by Miranda James and Pet rescue mysteries by Linda O. Johnston.  But then there are the thinking, talking animals who are often way ahead of their human.

Chet, a police dog school dropout must help his private eye solve the mysteries in the Chet and Bernie mystery series by Spencer Quinn.



Pepe, of the big brown eyes, must take care of Geri, who works for private investigator, Jimmy G in the first book of a Barking detective series by Waverly Curtis.


Mrs. Murphy the cat continues to solve mysteries with the help of Pewter the cat and Tee Tucker the corgi. They are always one step ahead of postmistress Harry. If only she could really understand what they are saying.  This series is a long time favorite of mine. The Mrs Murphy mysteries are by Rita Mae Brown.

 

 And what about the sheep?  Three bags full follows Miss Maple and the other sheep in her flock as they solve the mystery of who killed their shepherd, George. This book is by Leonie Swann.

Posted by Becky

Question of the Week: Have You Secretly Enjoyed a "Kids" Book?

The Wall Street Journal and Publisher's Weekly have both recently highlighted a trend of adults reading books marketed to middle school aged children.  As the WSJ article mentions:

Some children's-book authors are deliberately shaping their books for adults. Mr. Kinney, author of the mega best-selling series, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," said he first envisioned his illustrated books about a middle-school kid named Greg as wry cartoons for adults. His first draft was 1,300 illustrated pages. His publisher, Abrams, convinced him to target kids, arguing that the sassy young narrator would appeal to children, and adults would follow. 

Personally, I couldn't agree more that books that are supposed to be for fifth and sixth graders are some of the most delightful reads out there, especially in the fantasy and historical fiction genres. Do you have a favorite kid's book that you have enjoyed as an adult, or that you know an adult has enjoyed?

Palacio, R. J. Wonder. Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. 

Ten-year-old Auggie Pullman, who was born with extreme facial abnormalities and was not expected to survive, goes from being home-schooled to entering fifth grade at a private middle school in Manhattan, which entails enduring the taunting and fear of his classmates as he struggles to be seen as just another student.

Sage, Angie. Physik.  Katherine Tegen Books, 2007. 

Pulled through a glass that brings him back in time, Septimus Heap becomes the apprentice of an alchemist.

RIP Nelson Mandela, 1918 - 2013

An amazing long life well-lived will inspire coverage from multiple angles. A "Nelson Mandela" general keyword search in Sno-Isle's catalog brings up 69 entries, including a few additions I made this morning to 3M ebook holdings.  While no politically meaningful career can escape controversy and criticism in life, upon his death Mandela seems to be receiving unanimous acclaim from left and right.  Reading John Carlin's Invictus, the account of Mandela's use of the 1995 World Cup to rally the nation around the previously whites-only sport of rugby, I was struck with the astuteness of a man willing to learn the Afrikaans language and culture even of his jailers, co-opting enemies for the ultimate cause of justice and national unity.  Let's hope his successors can maintain that legacy.

As luck would have it, we have also had a timely enhancement of our collection related to South Africa generally, thanks to the Nysether Family's annual grant.  Publisher's Weekly, too, has a nice list of books related to Mandela. I will  reproduce a few titles here.

Sampson, Anthony.  Mandela: the Authorized Biography. Knopf, 1999. 

Mandela, Nelson. Conversations with Myself.  Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2010. 

Invictus: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation. Penguin Press, 2008. 

Best Books of 2013

Have you seen the winners of the Goodreads Choice Awards for 2013? They have 20 categories, plus a list of 20 nominees in each one. Whether you like biographies or paranormal romance, mysteries or humor, it's nearly impossible not to find something to read from these lists!

Check out the book trailer for The Light in the Ruins, one of the nominees for Best Historical Fiction.

What were your favorite books of 2013?

Question of the Week: What is your favorite time period in fiction books?

My favorite time period is actually not a time in history that I would have wanted to live through, but it makes for very riveting reading: World War II in Europe. Why? I love the suspense and action involved with spies and members of the Resistance. Aid raid sirens, ration books, secret hiding places--the horrors people had to live through are heartbreaking, but it fascinates me to read stories about people who fight back and triumph over evil.

I recently finished Snow on the Tulips, which is set in the Netherlands near the end of WWII, and it gripped me from the very first page. Cornelia wants nothing to do with the war after losing her husband on their wedding day, and she helps hide her younger brother Johan in a secret spot in her home, afraid of losing him to a German labor camp. Johan comes home one day with a wounded Resistance fighter named Gerrit, and Cornelia has no choice but to hide Gerrit and nurse him back to health. With the Gestapo constantly knocking on doors and searching homes, Cornelia lives in fear but can't bring herself to kick Gerrit out.

I'm in the middle of reading All God's Children, a story about an American living with her German relatives in Munich in 1942. She hides a Jewish family in her relatives' apartment while they're out of town, but things get complicated because a German army doctor is also living in the apartment. I can't decide which of the two books I like more!

What's your favorite time period? Are you a fan of historical fiction? Do you prefer to stick with contemporary stories? Or are you all about the future?

Question of the Week: Has a book ever deceived you?

Admit it:  there's nothing quite like the feel of a brand-spanking-new library book, complete with fresh plastic cover.  I satisfy my urge to be the first customer to read a library book by scanning the publishing magazines.  When I find something that sounds good, I see if Sno-Isle owns it, and Bob's your uncle.

Every now and then, the cover doesn't match what I expected.  When I got my copy of Vicious by V.E. Schwab, I couldn't for the life of me recall why I had requested it. 

The cover depicts a man in a trench coat standing on a balcony that overlooks a high-tech cityscape.  The man's skin is deathly pale and his veins are clearly visible.  Blood drips from his hand. This cover hints of near future and horror. Hey, wait!  It looks like Science Fiction or Fantasy!  I read Mysteries.  The book's summary must have been incorrect.  This isn't my cup of tea - or is it?

The book stayed on my nightstand for several days, until it was time to choose my next read.  I decided I'd give this a try.  Am I ever glad I did!  From page one, I was entranced and turning pages long into the night. 

 Two college roommates have an interest in physiology.  Victor decides to do his thesis on adrenaline; Eli's will focus on EOs (ExtraOrdinaries,or "super" people).  Now, Victor is a little jealous of Eli's thesis topic; it doesn't help that he's also dating the woman of Victor's dreams.  But now that Eli has chosen the better thesis topic, Victor has got to get in on the glory that's sure to follow his success.  The pair hypothesize that an EO can be manufactured by providing them with an NDE, a Near Death Experience.  Victor volunteers to go first, but things go wrong.  He comes back, but he isn't in any way better.  When it's Eli's turn, they know a bit more and can plan better.  Eli's attempt is successful:  he is an EO.  Victor is in a jealous rage, and nothing will stop him from achieving his own EO status, with or without the help of his "friend."

Would you know "evil" if you saw it?  Are you sure?

Tell me about a book that deceived you.   Were you glad you'd read it?

Shining a Light in Dark Places

"In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must also be present."  ~Francis Bacon

There's nothing as satisfying as a fast-paced, intricately-plotted thriller.  You choose it specifically to provide chills and thrills and send a tingle of fear up your spine.  Meet your next favorite novel of suspense:  The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes.

Harper Curtis is just about at the end of his rope.  In the midst of America's Great Depression, he is hungry, homeless, and being chased through his tent city by a vigilante squad.  It's not surprising, since he's just killed and mutilated a woman.  In his haste to get away, he ends up in a strange house.  When he opens the door, the scene is subtly different.  Where is he?  Or, more to the point, when is he?  The house becomes his home base from which he can go anywhere in time, increasing the number of potential victims, his shining girls. 

Kirby Mazrachi just barely survives the vicious attack on her.  She knows her attacker meant to kill and mutilate her; it was what he did to all his other victims.  She carries the impossibly long, ropey scars on her abdomen as if she requires constant proof of his intent to do her harm.  

Kirby becomes obsessed with finding the man who did this to her.  She teams up with an investigative reporter and, together, they work to unravel the clues.  Soon, they are literally racing against time to stop a serial killer in his tracks.  Can they stop him and survive? 

Be sure you start early, because you won't want to put this one down.

Question of the Week: What nonfiction book made you think you were reading a novel?

I'm not much of a nonfiction reader.  I'll read cookery, craft, and the occasional gardening book.  I enjoy reading these for the sake of thinking about the projects and recipes rather than actually engaging in any related activities.  I take a cerebral rather than active approach to such things.

Every now and then, I pick up something that is far different from my typical reading material, usually drawn by the cover art.  Oddly enough, I've always been pleasantly surprised by these spur-of-the-moment choices.   Variety is, after all, the spice of life.  Here are a few gems I've discovered in the unplumbed depths of the nonfiction shelves.

A Curious Man:  The Strange & Brilliant Life of Robert "Believe it or Not" Ripley

Robert L. Ripley is known best for his Believe it or Not franchise.  While growing up, he was teased due to a speech impediment related to his buck-toothed grin, and he was painfully shy as a result.  Ripley began his professional life as a cartoonist in the most serendipitous way, and luck seemed to be with him in every endeavor.  He was highly creative and considered an innovator; I was surprised to learn of some things that were attributed to him.  The story of Ripley's rise to fame and fortune is proof that fact is sometimes stranger than fiction. 

American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, Movie-making, & the Crime of the Century
This reads more like a mystery than a book about history.  I found myself surprisingly riveted by the facts presented about the rise of the film industry (did you know the major studios were in Chicago?), the Pinkertons, Clarence Darrow, and the story of the bombing of the Los Angeles Times Building in 1910. Highly recommended to anyone who thinks history is boring.

A Walk in the Woods:  Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
I think any of Bill Bryson's work could be included in this list, but I will include just one.  In this book, Bryson relates his experience of hiking the Appalachian Trail, basically on his own.  His description of preparing for and contemplating a bear attack will have you laughing out loud.  The information about our national parks in general, and the Appalachian Trail in particular, was very interesting. 

What nonfiction book made you think you were reading fiction?

Question of the week: Is a picture worth a thousand words?

I really enjoy books I call "adult picturebooks" and maybe you think of them as coffee table books.
Pictures, usually photographs, carry the story.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Underwater dogs by Seth Casteel shows dogs of all sizes and personalities throwing themselves into the water. The trick is the pictures are taken from below, under the water. Pictures tell it all.

 Flower Recipe book by Althea Harampolis give exact description of how to create flower arrangement.  You can see the individual flowers and woody materials and then step-by-step how to create an arrangement of which you can be proud. 

 Did you know there are only a few basic styles for birds nests? Avian architecture:how birds design, engineer  & build by Peter Goodfellows show all the basic steps with examples of nests and other structures from around the world.  Just how does a bowerbird make a bower?

Do you have a favorite picturebook just for us adults?

Posted by Becky

Returning home

Some authors write about many places and times.  Some have returned to the same place over many years. Some of these novesl are written years apart.   Here are a few such authors:

Kent Haruf writes of Holt, a small town on  the high plains of Colorado. Plainsong tells of  young, pregnant Victoriea Roubideaux taken in by the McPherson Brothers,  two elderly bachelors. In Eventide, Victoria is off to college and other town members are highlighted.  In Benediction, Dad Lewis comes home to die taken care of by his wife Mary and daughter Lorraine.

 

Ivan Doig continues to return to his home state of Montana. This house sky of sky tell of his own upbringing outside of Helena.  In Whistling season, brother and sister Rose Llewellyn and Morris Morgan teach at a one-room schoolhouse.  Work song has Morrie moving on to the Butte in it's copper heyday. In The bartender's tale, Tom Harry and his son live in Gros Verde in the 1960s. Doig has written of other places but he always seems to return to Montana.

Some other authors to checkout are Dennis Lehane writing on Boston, Richard Russo on upstate New York, Larry McMurtry on Texas.

Posted by Becky

Question of the Week: What Series Keeps You Coming Back for More?

I am a big fan of mystery series.  Some of my favorites are dark and gritty, and some are decidedly cozy and gentle.  Some are long-running, and some are just getting started.  There is one thing they all have in common:  characters I want to know better.  I'd like to share some of my favorites with you. 

  

Patrik Hedström Mysteries by Camilla Läckberg
Set in Fjällbacka, Sweden, each entry has proved to be gripping and satisfying.  The page-turning action is nicely paired with characters who develop in every outing.  Think Girl with the Dragon Tattoo with a teeny bit more heart.  There are four books in this fairly new series, the first of which is The Ice Princess.

Inspector Alleyn Mysteries by Ngaio Marsh
Marsh was a contemporary of Agatha Christie, and was often compared to her.  It is my opinion that Marsh was a top-notch mystery author whose work easily stands on its own.  Her classic mysteries are cozy without being twee, and her main character is someone you wish you knew in real life.  With 32 entries, this is a series for those who are looking for a long-term relationship.
 
Dr. Siri Paiboun Mysteries by Colin Cotterill
These charmingly funny mysteries are set in Laos.  Dr. Paiboun would like nothing more than to retire and enjoy life.  Unfortunately, at 72 years of age, he's been named the National Coroner and, in post-revolutionary Laos, you don't refuse such a job offer.  Paiboun discovers he has the ability to communicate with the spirits of the dead.  This can be quite handy - and frightening, too.  First up is The Coroner's Lunch.

What is your favorite series?  Why?

The Sense of an Ending

Do you enjoy a happy ending?  I think most people do, though some may disagree on what constitutes "happy."   The final chapter doesn’t have to be sappy to satisfy.   For me, when a mystery is solved and all the loose ends are tied up, I'm pleased, even if the good guys don’t catch the bad guys.  In fact, some of my favorite books have had decidedly unhappy endings!  Of course, I won’t mention any of those now because I’d spoil them for you, and that would be a heinous crime indeed.

Regardless of your ending preferences, here are some books that have plot twists aplenty and will keep you guessing until the end:

The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache finds himself investigating another murder connected to the people of the idyllic Canadian village Three Pines in this fifth in the cozy-yet-gritty mystery series.  Folktales, secrets, lies, love, and greed all play a part in this riveting entry.  There's a new family in town and they are competing for the same business as a well-established and much-loved bistro and antiques store.  When a hermit's body is discovered in the bistro, all eyes are on Olivier, the owner of the Bistro.  Could the newbies really want business that badly?  Here’s a free tip from me:  do not read this book until you’ve read the first four.
 
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larrson
Mikael Blomkvist had it all:  A partnership in a successful publishing company, the respect of his peers, and love of a sort.  He loses his credibility after publishing a story that leads to his conviction for libel and Blomkvist is asked to take a back seat within his own company due to the scandal.  He hunkers down to ride out the storm, until he is approached with a unique proposition that will put his skills as an investigative journalist to work again.  Blomkvist finds himself in need of specialized assistance, and that is where Lisbeth Salander comes in. She's brilliant and creative - and she comes with her own set of problems.  The pair must work together to solve a decades-old mystery.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
Larry and Silas, two boys from vastly different backgrounds, are friends in this tale set in 1970s rural Mississippi.  One night Larry takes a girl on a date, but the girl never makes it home. Of course, Larry is suspected in her death, although charges were never filed.  Silas moves away not knowing the truth of what happened to the girl who was friend to both boys.  Fast-forward twenty years, and Silas returns to his boyhood home as a constable.  Larry lives the life of a social outcast. When another girl dies and Larry is suspected, the two meet again.  Silas must bring the murderer to justice, whoever it is. 

Now, tell me about a book that kept you guessing till the end!

Question of the Week: What is your favorite horror read?

You didn't really think we were going to ask you about fluffy bunnies on the day before Halloween, did you?  Of course not.

I'm not really much into horror myself, though I did go through a Stephen King phase when I was a teen.  But lately, I've discovered an author who's books are so well written that I enjoy reading them despite being truly horrific!  I present to you Daniel Kraus, author of my favorite, Rotters.

Grave-robbing. What kind of monster would do such a thing? It's true that Leonardo da Vinci did it, Shakespeare wrote about it, and the resurrection men of nineteenth-century Scotland practically made it an art. But none of this matters to Joey Crouch, a sixteen-year-old straight-A student living in Chicago with his single mom. For the most part, Joey's life is about playing the trumpet and avoiding the daily humiliations of high school. Everything changes when Joey's mother dies in a tragic accident and he is sent to rural Iowa to live with the father he has never known, a strange, solitary man with unimaginable secrets. At first, Joey's father wants nothing to do with him, but once father and son come to terms with each other, Joey's life takes a turn both macabre and exhilarating.

Rotters is creepy.  Nothing paranormal at all.  Just straight up cringe-inducing horror.

So - tell us.  What's your favorite horror book?

Spooky...

It's that time of year when we all like to add a little bit of spookiness to our lives.  There are plenty of scary novels to read and movies to watch that will leave you hiding under your blanket - we've all got our favorites.  But what if you're the type that likes to get out and experience the fright yourself?

Then have we got the book for you!

Haunted Washington : uncanny tales and spooky spots from the upper left-hand corner of the United States - Adam Woog

Among the Pacific Northwest's many treasures is the Evergreen State, a state rich in eerie events. Haunted Washington, a collection of stories of ghosts, mysteries, and paranormal happenings, will leave readers delightfully frightened.

Haunted Washington includes dozens of stories, from the royal Native American ghost of Seattle's Pike Place Market to the haunted mansion that inspired horrormeister Stephen King's TV mini-series Rose Red - all of them guaranteed to send chills up the spines of even the most daring ghosthunters.   Each story includes notes on historical significance and local lore so that readers and visitors can learn more about each ghostly locale.



Read it - IF YOU DARE!

Question of the Week: What book has stayed on your mind long past the time you finished reading it?

I've read a few novels over the years that's done this, but most recently it was State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. Not only was the tone more melancholy than I'm used to reading, it provided a lot of food for thought. For instance, I've never really thought about whether women should be able to have children past normal childbearing age. Would my body be able to handle the physical demands of pregnancy and birth at age seventy? Would I be able keep up with a child, to handle the sleepless nights the first few months? Those questions then led to introspection about the ethics of pharmaceutical companies, the Amazon jungle, and the way that contact with the outside world affects indigenous tribes. And I'm still thinking about these questions, weeks later. 


Now, I'd really like to know - what book has stayed on your mind long past the time you finished reading it?

William Shakespeare's Star Wars

Quirk Books, the people who brought us Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, have partnered with Lucas Films to put out a somewhat silly retelling of the first Star Wars movie. William Shakespeare's Star Wars is the sort of book that made me chuckle when I paged through it, but it didn't really work for me until I listened to the audiobook. Such fun! 

Romantic Suspense, or Mysteries for Romance Readers

I don't know about you, but when I read a mystery novel, I enjoy those with some romantic elements as well. For this reason, the romantic suspense genre is one of my favorites. Here are a few romantic suspense reads you might enjoy...

Hard Truth - Mariah Stewart
Two children who mysteriously disappeared twenty-one years ago are the last thing on Lorna Temple's mind when she returns to her Pennsylvania hometown to sell the old family property in the wake of her parents' passing. But instead of memories, the fields where Lorna grew up yield something utterly chilling. All those years ago, when nine-year-old Melinda Eagan vanished on her birthday, her foulmouthed older brother, Jason, quickly became the lone suspect. Yet when he went missing, too, the case turned cold. But Jason, it seems, never got far: His bones have been moldering on the Temples' land for two decades. As far as the local police are concerned, the book is closed on Melinda's murder--and Jason's death is justice served. But Lorna refuses to let the dead rest uneasily. She turns to private eye T. J. Dawson to dig up the dirt of the past and see what lies beneath. Only there' s someone out there who hasn't forgotten--and who won't be the least bit forgiving about being exposed as a killer. In matters of crime, there are many versions of the truth.

Unforgivable - Laura Griffith

At first, Mia Voss thinks it's just bad luck when her already lousy day ends with a carjacking, but what seems like a random incident is followed by another sinister episode. A DNA expert, Mia has made it her mission to put away vicious criminals. Suddenly, she's become the target of one. And the only way to protect the people she loves most is to deliberately destroy her reputation and risk letting a killer walk free. Once, Mia trusted Detective Ric Santos, but that was before Ric let his turbulent past ruin his chances with Mia, the sexiest, most intriguing woman he's ever met. But he can tell when she's lying and when she's scared. The key to catching a sadistic madman lies within a long-buried cold case that has haunted Mia for years. Only she can uncover the truth, but first, Ric will have to get her to entrust him with her secrets . . . and her life.

Bone Cold - Erica Spindler
Twenty-three years ago Anna North survived a living nightmare. A madman kidnapped her, cut off her pinkie, then vanished. Today Anna lives in New Orleans, writing dark thrillers under another name. She finally feels safe. Suddenly Anna's quiet life takes a frightening turn. Letters start to arrive from a disturbed fan. Anna is followed, her apartment broken into. Then a close friend disappears. Anna turns to homicide detective Quentin Malone, but Malone's more concerned with the recent murders of two women in the French Quarter. But after a third victim is found-a redhead like Anna, her pinkie severed-Malone is forced to acknowledge that Anna is his link to the killer...and could be the next target. Now Anna must face the horrifying truth-her past has caught up with her. The nightmare has begun again.

Did You Miss Me? - Karen Rose
Baltimore prosecutor Daphne Montgomery pulled herself out of a damaged past to build a solid life for herself and her son. But after she helps to convict a killer, her confidence is shattered once again by the news that her son has been kidnapped. Daphne believes it's connected to the recent high-profile trial, and at first FBI special agent Joseph Carter agrees. But together they find the reality to be even more troubling, and it runs deeper than Daphne fears. With her son's life in jeopardy, she must unlock a dreadful secret about her past--and confront a truth that will change everything for those closest to her. And, if she survives, threaten the lives of everyone she loves.

Question of the week: What is your book equivelent of comfort food?

It's that time of year again...cold season!  And if you are like me, you need to have a couple of really wonderful books set aside to get you through those sick days.  One I always find soothing is The Princess Bride by William Goldman.  Maybe it is because it is set up as a grandfather reading to his grandson when he is sick.  Or maybe it is because the humor always cheers me up, or the fact I know love will win out in the end.

What are your comfort books?  And what is it that keeps you coming back?

Question of the Week: What book just scared you to death?

Confession--I cannot read scary books.  Nor can I watch scary films.  I'm a wuss.

That said, I must confess that there was a book that really shook me when I first read it a gazillion years ago.  I'm not quite sure why I read it, but it left quite an impression on me.  Here's the publisher's summary:

Holland and Niles Perry are identical thirteen-year-old twins. They are close, close enough, almost, to read each other's thoughts, but they couldn't be more different. Holland is bold and mischievous, a bad influence, while Niles is kind and eager to please, the sort of boy who makes parents proud. The Perrys live in the bucolic New England town their family settled centuries ago, and as it happens, the extended clan has gathered at its ancestral farm this summer to mourn the death of the twins' father in a most unfortunate accident. Mrs. Perry still hasn't recovered from the shock of her husband's gruesome end and stays sequestered in her room, leaving her sons to roam free. As the summer goes on, though, and Holland's pranks become increasingly sinister, Niles finds he can no longer make excuses for his brother's actions.

So, what books have scared the daylights out of you?

OK--several of you asked what this book was!  The Other by Tom Tryon

Question of the Week: What's Your Favorite Stormy Weather Book?

Do you like stormy weather?

I do.  I find dark clouds, raging wind, tumultuous seas, and driving rain exhilarating.  Add thunder and lightning, and I'm in 7th heaven.  Here are a few books that are perfect companions on a stormy day:

I stumbled across The Cloud Collector's Handbook while browsing the shelves at the Coupeville Library.  This self-proclaimed cloud catalog contains photos of each type of cloud and includes tips for how to find them so you can "collect" them.  This approach is similar to that of a birdwatcher "collecting" species they've sighted.  I recognized some of the clouds, but I also discovered many I'd never even heard of, let alone seen. 

Life of Pi by Yann Martel is one of my favorite books of all time.  It is the story of an extraordinary young man with an insatiable desire to learn about different faiths.  His father, a zookeeper, decides to move the family to America so they can have a better life.  When their ship is caught in a terrible storm at sea, Pi is left adrift in more ways than one.  The storm is just the beginning of this incredible tale of survival and human spirit.  This is the book that inspired the Oscar-winning film of the same name. 

Wet Grave by Barbara Hambly is the 6th in a series featuring Freedman Benjamin January.   January first met "Hellfire Hessy" when she was at the height of poplularity, attending balls with the likes of Jean Lafitte.  When her body is found in a rundown shack, it's clear she's come down in the world.  January and his dear friend Rose work together to track the killer, even through a powerful hurricane.

What's your favorite stormy weather book?

Passionately Pink

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease.  Susan G. Komen's foundation invites everyone to go "passionately pink for the cure."  Now that I've got you thinking about healthy breasts, let's move on to something a bit more fun:  books that have something to do with my favorite color (which is pink, of course).

Simply Spectacular Cakes:  Beautiful Designs for Irresistible Cakes and Cookies by Peggy Porschen
The cover art alone was enough to entice me into reading this.  Don't be daunted by Peggy's fancy work:  you really can make these yourself, even if you're a novice baker.  Now that's sweet!

The Sugar Cube:  50 Deliciously Twisted Treats from the Sweetest Little Food Cart on the Planet by Kir Jensen.
I chose this one just because of its pink cover.  I enjoy reading cookbooks, although I seldom actually cook anything.  Jensen's unusual flavor combinations seriously tempted me, though.

I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson
In 1972, Petra and her friend are among David Cassidy's biggest fans.  Petra enters a contest where the winner will get to actually meet the heartthrob face-to-face.  Fast forward three decades, and Petra is facing middle-age with an angsty teenage daughter.  As she's cleaning out a closet, she discovers the letter (hidden from her by her mother) informing her she won the contest.  And now, nothing will stop her from obtaining her prize.

Question of the Week

Have you ever read a book, just because you heard it was banned?

It seems that whenever somebody makes a fuss over something - a book, a movie, or a song for instance - there's a mad rush of people that hurry right out to take a look or listen and find out just what's so "horrible" about it!

I don't recall exactly how old I was when I heard just that about J. D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye."  I was probably in 9th or 10th grade.  Like any good, curious reader would, I found a copy of the book and read it.  I just didn't see what the big deal was!  And I'm pretty sure I wasn't damaged from reading it.

Enjoy the rest of Banned Books Week!

Celebrate the Freedom to Read!

We often take for granted our access to the books we want to read - everything we could possibly want is available, practically at our fingertips or at most a short wait away.  Each year, however, many books are challenged for removal from school or public libraries.  Banned Books Week is the time of year when we like to bring attention to this issue, and encourage people to stand up for the freedom to read.

The American Library Association collects data every year to determine the top challenged books of the year.  The top ten challenged books for 2012 were the following:

1. Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey.
         Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited for age group
2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie.
         Reasons: Offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group
3. Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher.
         Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, suicide, unsuited for age group
4. Fifty Shades of Grey, by E. L. James.
         Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit
5. And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson.
         Reasons: Homosexuality, unsuited for age group
6. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini.
         Reasons: Homosexuality, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit
7. Looking for Alaska, by John Green.
         Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group
8. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
         Reasons: Unsuited for age group, violence
9. The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls
         Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit
10. Beloved, by Toni Morrison
          Reasons: Sexually explicit, religious viewpoint, violence

If you're curious about all of the books that are challenged each year, archived lists are available on the Illinois Library Association website. 

They're a perfect resource when you're looking for something good to read!

Question of the Week

What book-related websites are your favorites? Are there any you just discovered?

If it wasn’t for Goodreads, I’d never remember what I’ve read and what books are on my to-read list. When someone comes up to me and says something like, “I can’t remember the title or author, but it was a coming of age story about a teen boy who lived in Oklahoma or Kansas”, I use NoveList Plus, one of Sno-Isle’s databases, and I am able to find the answer almost every single time.

 

 

When someone wants a list of books by a prolific writer, I find the fastest way to provide the info is by using Fantastic Fiction. And do you ever use Literature-Map?

 

A coworker just told me about BookDigits. According to their website, they "want to change the way you read and help you find your next favorite book. Traditional genres are too broad and vague to be useful, so BookDigits uses themes and special metrics instead." Check it out!

We'd love to know which sites are your favorites!



 

A Psychopath, a Broke Farmer and Renegade Chefs

I've always loved reading fiction, but I rarely touched nonfiction. I hate to admit that I never gave it much of a chance because I had this idea in my mind that it was dry and hard to get through. A couple of years ago, I decided to challenge myself to broaden my reading selections, and I quickly found out how wrong I was about nonfiction!

I recently finished Bootstrapper: From Broke to Badass on a Northern Michigan Farm by Mardi Jo Link. It's a funny memoir about a broke, newly-single mother of 3 boys who will go to any length to keep from losing her small farm in Michigan.

A new book I'm looking forward to is Anything that Moves: Renegade Chefs, Fearless Eaters, and the Making of a New American Food Culture by Dana Goodyear. According to the summary, the author "combines the style of Mary Roach with the on-the-ground food savvy of Anthony Bourdain in a rollicking narrative look of the shocking extremes of the contemporary American food world".











And I can't wait to read The Psychopath Inside: A Neuroscientist's Personal Journey into the Dark Side of the Brain by James Fallon. What happens when a neuroscientist finds out that his own brain scan matches the pattern of a psychopath?

What interesting nonfiction books have you read lately or are planning to read?

Visiting outer space through graphic novels

As a child, did you dream of being an astronaut?  Here are some graphic novels from author/illustrators who must have had the same dream.

TEEN ABADZIS
Laika  by Nick Abadzis

Laika was the first animal in space. We follow Laika with her lab technician and the engineer in charge of the program.

FIC AZZAREL
Spaceman by Brian Azzarello

Orson is bioengineered by NASA to withstand space travel.Now Orson wants to find the real meaning of his life.  By Eisner Award winner author of 100 Bullets, this is for "mature  readers"

TEEN YAGINUM
Twin Spica 1 by  Yagimua, Ko

Asuma is part of the first class of the Tokyo Space School founded after a horrible space accident which severely injured Asuma's mother.  Asuma may be the smallest in her class, but her brave heart makes her a leader.  Will Asuma and her friends actually become astronauts?  The story is told in twelve volumes This is a personal favorite of mine.





FIC CALERO
Ray Bradbury's the martian chronicles : the authorized edition by Dennis Calero

Calero brings Bradbury's classic stories to colorful life.

TEEN IWAOKA

Saturn apartments volume one by Hisae Iwaoka

Mitsu takes on his father's job as window washer on the outside of a giant space station that surrounds earth.  The job is dangerous, but allows a Mitsu a glimpse of how those with real status live.  Mitsu lives with his friends and co-workers on the lower levels. Everyone has abandoned earth. Mitsu wants to know what it is like down below where his father fell to his death.  This story is seven volumes.  I never knew a "window washer" could be so interesting.

What about aliens who visit earth?

FIC HOGAN
Resident alien, volume 1 Welcome to Earth! by Peter Hogan

An alien is stranded on Earth in Patience USA.  He hides out as a retired doctor, but is soon pulled into medical service when the local doctor dies.Then, he finds out he need to solve a mystery. This is volume one.  I am looking forward to more.

Posted by Becky