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March 2010
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
(Reviewed by Heather)
F BROOKS (adult fiction)
This is one of my favorite books of all time. I love the way history and present day are woven together.
I enjoyed the history lesson and intricacies of the storyline. The story is about one of the earliest Jewish religious volumes to be illuminated with images, the Sarajevo Haggadah. The volume survives for centuries through war and more thanks to people of all faiths who risked their lives to safeguard it. Hanna Heath, a rare-book expert, is restoring the manuscript in 1996 Sarajevo. Interesting clues found in the volume: an insect wing, a wine stain, salt crystals, and a white hair lead Hanna and the reader to the history of the book.
The Zinn Reader: writings on disobedience and democracy by Howard Zinn
(Reviewed by Zeb)
973 ZIN (adult non-fiction)
This volume provides a comprehensive overview to the vast body of work from Howard Zinn. Each essay included contributes to the strength and scope of the entire volume though can easily be read individually; allowing the reader to choose certain areas or essays to focus on. The first three sections on race, class and war are just as important now as when they were written. The race and class section provide powerful examples that effortlessly relate to problems faced, and largely ignored, in the nation, while the section on war can be seen in the global context in which “just” wars are being waged today. The law section provides an overview of how laws are made to protect those in power, and prevent any challenges to that power, while the history section confronts a misrepresentation of American history promoting only the wealthy and upper class while consciously forgetting the underprivileged and those that have fought against government oppression and illegal imperialism. The last part of the book, means and ends, is an optimistic section showing triumphs individuals and small groups have made against long standing immoral institutions and values. All of this against a government ‘ruled’ by a constitution that says the citizenry may revoke the government’s power at anytime, while the government tries harder and harder to conceal that fact. Zinn creates a feeling of urgency to continue to campaign for change so that ours, and more importantly, future generations may live in a better world.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
(Reviewed by Dave)
F BRO (adult fiction)
Jane is an insightful narrator and gives plenty of psychological glimpses into her relationships with family, friends and love interests. She acts by a sense of justice, which she no doubt developed as a child, living under the torment of her guardian (her aunt by law), then in the girl’s boarding school that she is sent to, where conditions leave much to be desired. After her rough childhood, she begins employment at Thornfield Manor as governess, where, after a brief interval of contentment, her sense of justice and duty are tested nearly to failure. The principled Jane Eyre goes on to more trials and tribulations and Dickensian coincidences, eventually bringing her back to where she feels that she most belongs. A Victorian classic by Bronte sister Charlotte, it’s well worth the read.
The Glass Castle : a memoir by Jeannette Walls
(Reviewed by Chris)
362.82 WAL (adult non-fiction)
The Glass Castle is an amazing and sometimes almost unbelievable but true story of the challenging childhood of Jeannette Walls. I found her experience completely awe inspiring. She had to deal with many hardships that I could never imagine which could have easily been avoided if her parents had chosen a different path yet she holds no grudges or bitterness towards them for the poor decisions that they made. It is a true instance of a person choosing to make the best of a very difficult situation and overcoming many hardships with out blame or anger.
February 2010
The Ghostway by Tony Hillerman
(Reviewed by Jasmina)
F HIL (adult fiction)
The story starts with a shootout in a parking lot between Albert Gorman and an L.A. hit man. Gorman manages to escape, badly wounded. Navajo tribal detective Jim Chee finds himself on the case. His search for Gorman leads him to the residence of Hosteen Began, Gorman’s grandfather. Instead of finding answers, Chee finds Gorman dead and laid out in the proper ceremonial way. Hosteen Begay is nowhere to be found. Chee must use his knowledge of the Navajo way to solve the crime, even as it takes unexpected twists and turns. This book will keep the reader’s interests and has a satisfying end.
Come hear Anne Hillerman (Tony Hillerman’s daughter) discuss her new book Tony Hillerman’s Landscape: On the Road With Chee and Leaphorn. For more information click here.
Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean
(Reviewed by Heather)
F DEA (adult fiction)
Marina Buriakov, 82, is presently preparing for her granddaughter's wedding. She is also battling Alzheimer's. Marina is struggling to remember present day, but she does remember her youth as a docent for the Hermitage Museum as the siege of Leningrad began. The Hermitage's collection is packed away and sent to a safe hiding place. Meanwhile, museum staff and their families remain in the basement to avoid bombs and soldiers. Past and present are woven together. The reader gets a history lesson and can sympathize with Marina’s battle against Alzheimer’s.
Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
(Reviewed by Heather)
F JAC (adult fiction)
In the first book of this series, you meet a cast of female characters who meet weekly at Manhattan yarn shop, Walker & Daughter. Georgia Walker, shop owner, is a single mom raising a 12-year-old daughter, Dakota. When Dakota's father reappears the drama begins. Knitting club members are there for support but have dramas of their own to deal with. If you enjoy this book, read Knit Two and Knit the Season.
The golden spruce : a true story of myth, madness, and greed by John Valliant
(Reviewed by Pam)
333 VAI (adult non-fiction)
An engrossing story of a spruce tree in the forest of British Columbia's Charlotte Islands. This tree is a puzzle to scientists and is sacred to the Haida, a seafaring tribe based there. Vaillant recounts the history of logging in the area and the mystery of a shocking act of protest and what it means to the people there. Includes several pages of photographs.
Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs
(Reviewed by Heather)
F JAC (adult fiction)
Forty-nine year old chef, Augusta Simpson, hosts her own TV show, Cooking with Gusto! Suddenly a co-host is forced upon her, YouTube star Carmen Vega. Carmen is young, hot and very tight with the boss. Things aren’t working out, so the two are packed off to a corporate team-building weekend, complete with a New Age guide. When the chef doesn’t show up, Augusta gets to show her stuff and attracts some male attention of her own. For fans of chick-lit: this is a light read.
January 2010
Baking cakes in Kigali : a novel by Gaile Parkin
(Reviewed by Linda)
F PARKIN (adult fiction)
In this engaging novel Angel Tungaraza bakes and sells cakes from her apartment in Rwanda. Through her story and those of her clients the reader gains insight into the struggles faced by this country. Readers who enjoy the Alexander McCall Smith "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series will appreciate Angel’s insights and advice to her family, friends and customers.
Last night in twisted river : a novel by John Irving
(Reviewed by Pam)
F IRVING (adult fiction)
In the logging camp of a northern New Hampshire settlement in 1954, a 12yr old boy mistakes the local constable's girlfriend for a bear. Both the boy and his father become fugitives and are forced to live on the run. Their only protector is a river driver logger who befriends them and remains a constant in their lives. The story runs until the present time, covering many of the changes and upheavals of the last 50 years in America. Many sub- plots that will hold your interest.
Into the porcupine cave and other odysseys : adventures of an occasional naturalist by William W. Warner
(Reviewed by Pam)
508 WAR (adult non-fiction)
A born naturalist, Warner's adventures have taken him from the southernmost point of South America to North America's permanent Inuit community. Starting with the porcupine adventure as a child, he relates stories from the Guatemalan rain forest, the Florida Keys, a Maine lighthouse, some islands in the Pacific, and more. They all include animals and the natural areas they inhabit, and as the book jacket says: "Warner doesn't look at things, he looks into them."
The Vagrants : a novel by Yiyun Li
(Reviewed by Brianna)
F Li (adult fiction)
Set in 1979 Communist China, The Vagrants centers on the execution of counterrevolutionary Gu Shan. Her actions as a Red Guard and the controversy surrounding her death affect nearly everyone in her hometown of Muddy River. Yiyun Li creates a beautifully written story that has the reader feeling loss, hope, happiness and despair alongside each of the characters.
The Husband Habit by Alisa Valdez-Rodriguez
(Reviewed by Heather)
F VAL (adult fiction)
Vanessa, a talented chef in Albuquerque, New Mexico has a habit of falling in love with married men- at least she doesn’t know that they are married. She promises her sister that she will quit dating for awhile to figure out why she attracts the wrong men. Then along comes Paul, an Iraq War veteran, living right next door to Vanessa’s mother’s home. Sparks fly and Vanessa must decide what kind of relationship she wants with Paul. This book is a fun, light read. However, it does bring up some difficult issues, such as fighting in a war you aren’t sure you believe in and alcoholic parents.
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