Booked Up

Be Ahead of the Curve...

2009-01-10T07:35:00.001-08:00

...and check out the books The Wall Street Journal predicts will be the hot titles of the year. Some of these books won't be published for months, but we think ahead here at MCMLS. Check the catalog to see if we have the book on order, and you can steal a march on your fellow patrons.

Do you have a prediction for the blockbuster books of 2009? Let me know in the comments!

You've seen the best...

2008-12-31T12:16:00.000-08:00

... and now it's time for the worst books of 2008, as chosen by Entertainment Weekly and Seattle Books Examiner.

Care to disagree? Leave a comment!

Best Books of 2008, Part Two

2008-12-11T14:19:00.000-08:00

And the lists keep rolling in!

Time's Best Fiction and Nonfiction

Stephen King's Top Ten Books

New York Magazine's The Top Ten Books

School Library Journal's Best Books 2008-- Great gift ideas for the little ones in your life!

NPR's Best Books of 2008-- I think that this is a must-see!

The New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books of 2008

Share your favorite book of 2008 in the comments!

Best Books of 2008

2008-11-14T09:33:00.000-08:00

The best books lists are starting to roll in!

Publisher Weekly's list
Amazon's list

I like to have a look at all of the lists and choose a few titles to read as a satisfying conclusion to the year.

Do you have a favorite title of 2008? Leave it in the comments!

Oprah's Newest Pick

2008-09-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is a compelling thriller, a heartwarming dog story, and a retelling of Hamlet, rolled into one critically acclaimed novel.
It's also now an Oprah's Book Club choice-- put a copy on hold now!

Nobody here but us tumbleweeds...

2008-09-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

Well..... that was quite a hiatus. Sorry about the radio silence there. We should be back to our regularly scheduled book-related programming shortly!

--Bookedupster

Arthurian Fiction

2008-04-14T16:17:00.000-07:00

I set out recently to read every novel I could find on King Arthur. I read through several classic texts on the subject (such as Le Morte De Arthur and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight). These books gave me an interesting foundation on the story of King Arthur, but I found myself enchanted with some of the modern interpretations of the legend. There are three fantastic modern novels that I would recommend to anyone that is interested in Arthurian legend.

The Once and Future King by T.H. White is a compilation of four (or sometimes five) novels about Merlyn's tutelage of the young Arthur. The most recognizable of these three is the winsome The Sword in the Stone, on which the Disney movie of the same name was based. One remarkable thing about these novels is that Merlyn lives backward, seeing culture and technology devolve, switching age and youth, and making first meetings sad and final. T.H. White writes predominately with a light hand, infusing humor and intentional historical inaccuracy into his engaging retelling of the Arthur story.

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley is written from the perspective of Morgaine, a pagan priestess trying to save her magical world from the influx of patriarchy and the new religion, Christianity. The story focuses almost entirely on the female characters from King Arthur's world; King Arthur and his knights only appear in relation to the women's stories. This novel is satisfying in its rampant unpredictability - relationships begin and crumble, worlds collide, and the ways of worship shift and meld together, but not how you would expect.

The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart is just the first installment of her Arthurian quartet of novels. The protagonist is Myrddin Emrys (Merlin), a young boy who lives as an afterthought with his unmarried mother in the court of his grandfather. Merlin meets a hermit who sees his latent psychic powers and teaches him how to use them. Merlin is forced to leave his grandfather's court shortly thereafter, and the novel follows his journey through kidnapping, adoption, and his eventual hand in the conception of Arthur, the great King.

-- Jessica H, MCMLS reference assistant

April BAM Challenge: Beauty

2008-04-14T15:25:00.000-07:00

For book suggestions, check out the BAM blog.

BAM Challenge-- The Missing Month

2008-04-14T15:10:00.000-07:00

I missed the BAM Challenge in March! The theme was "craft", which is a theme near and dear to my heart. I love to sew and embroider, and dabble in some other crafty pursuits. Since I didn't get a book read, I will share some of my favorite craft blogs.

Posie Gets Cozy

All Buttoned Up

Wise Craft

The picture above is of the yo-yo quilt that I am making.

Heart-Shaped Box O' Horrors

2008-02-27T12:33:00.000-08:00

I don't normally read scary books. I've read just enough to be able to feel I've done my official Readers' Advisory duty-- lots of Anne Rice, a smattering of Steven King, a few zombie books, a little Poppy Z. Brite....hold on. I have apparently read quite a few scary books, but my mind has enacted some selective amnesia to shield me from my choices. Scary books give me nightmares, and keep me up at night, imagining every bump and thump to be a bloody-toothed madman come to murder me in my sleep. Somehow I don't think my cats are going to come to my rescue, either.

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill scared the ever-lovin' be-jeebers out of me. I picked it up one evening, and actually put it down again because it seemed just too disturbing. But then I goaded myself on, with a whole "You can't read multiple books every month for the BAM Challenge, you indecisive weenie" line of logic. I started Heart-Shaped Box during the late afternoon on a Monday (because daylight keeps you safe, you know)and finished at 2 AM the same night. It seemed to make sense-- once you break the seal, you have to read the whole book straight through and then you will magically be protected from all spooky recriminations and nightmares that might ensue. No? I also have a signed pact with the monsters under my bed that if I keep my toes under the blanket, they will leave me be. No? Nobody else does this? Ah, well.

Joe Hill is determined to scare you stiff from the beginning. No slow build here-- Hill leaps right into the terrifying action within the first few chapters. Jude Coyne, a middle-aged rock star with a taste for macabre objects, buys a dead man's suit online. This suit is supposed to come with its own ghost-- the seller's step-father. Jude soon finds out that the item description was absolutely correct, but the ghost is only the tip of the horrifying iceberg. I won't say anymore about the plot, but I was pleased to discover that the first part of the book was scarier than the second half. My frayed nerves sang hallelujah, and I was actually able to go to sleep with the light off.

If you're a horror fan, or a devotee of films like The Ring and The Grudge, you should give Heart-Shaped Box a try. Hill's collection of short-stories, Twentieth-Century Ghosts, is also a good choice. I made it less than half-way through that one before I chickened out, so it's plenty scary. Now I am off to confront my obviously conflicted feelings about horror fiction-- I am sure that there will be therapy and possibly medication involved.

From Russia, With Love

2008-02-27T12:10:00.000-08:00

Mind-stretching. Depressing, enlightening, and somehow uplifting. That is how I would describe Russian literature.

My all time absolute favorite author-- no question, no competition-- is Dostoevsky. He gave us a crime story (Crime and Punishment) where we witness the murder, we know the who, what, when, where, why, and how, yet there is still suspense. The Devils (or The Possessed, depending on the translation) is a great work that left me completely confused until I was over halfway through the novel. Then things started coming together in a way that exhibited Dostoevsky’s mastery of storytelling. I’ve read the great five of his (Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, The Idiot, The Devils, The Raw Youth aka The Adolescent) and loved four of them. I thought The Idiot was average. Most of Dostoevsky’s works have a deeply philosophical element, the “big idea” that Nabokov dismissed in literature. The Idiot lacked the big idea, or memorable characters. Because Dostoevsky suffered from epilepsy, and the main character of this novel did as well, it may have been his most personal work, but it was his weakest, I thought.

Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita is one of the funniest and most clever books I’ve ever read. Using the character of the Devil performing in Moscow as an artist of black magic to depict life in Soviet Russia was genius. The devil is presented as Professor Woland, and in his entourage are Behemoth, a human-sized black cat that talks, and Azazello, who has fangs and wears a bowler hat. There’s a great revenge scene where Margarita makes a deal with the devil and becomes a witch, and she terrorizes all those who have been oppressing her lover. There’s really too much to say about this book for me to do it any justice here. It was in this novel that Bulgakov wrote the phrase “manuscripts don’t burn”. The novel is said to have influenced The Rolling Stones to write “Sympathy for the Devil”. It’s just a great book, one of my all time favorites, and can be read at the narrative story level enjoyably, and also at the metaphorical level.

Gogol is very strange. He’s probably most famous for Dead Souls which I have not read. I read a collection of his short works, which included “The Overcoat” and “The Nose” and this introduced me to Russian absurdist literature. I don’t have the skill to adequately describe this, but it’s very strange (some might say absurd).

Even though it has nothing to do with Mother Russia, Nabokov’s Lolita must be mentioned, as he is certainly one of the Russian greats. Lyrical and unforgettable.

Tolstoy has a fine reputation and he deserves to be mentioned, although after reading War and Peace and Anna Karenina I think he is vastly overrated. In War and Peace, Tolstoy places a character in danger, everyone thinks the character is dead, but then the character is miraculously found to have survived. Not once, but twice – to the same character. This seems a cheap ploy, and not something a great master should use, let alone repeat. Also, he wrote a passage from the perspective of a dog. I understand the dog is supposed to be the voice of the Russian people… but really. A dog? It is interesting to note that he is the author of The Kingdom of God is Within You which argues for pacifism in the face of violence, which led Gandhi to pursue nonviolent resistance in India against the British Empire. In fact, Gandhi consulted Tolstoy about this, and they became friends, or at least pen pals.

It seems the tragic nature of Russian history and life comes through in every Russian author’s works. Somehow, in spite of being attacked from all sides throughout history (from the Mongols to the Swedes to Napoleon to the Germans) and suffering horrible disasters and brutal leadership, the spirit and loyalty of the people cannot be crushed. It’s also worth noting that many Russians consider Moscow to be the third Rome (which explains some of the ostentatious architecture).

If you want tragedy with a hint of hope, nobody does it better than the Russians!

-- Peter Sheehan, MCMLS Assistant Branch Manager

Titles Mentioned

By Fyodor M Dostoevsky
Crime and Punishment
The Devils or The Possessed
The Brothers Karamazov
The Idiot
The Raw Youth or The Adolescent

By Mikhail Bulgakov
The Master and Margarita

By Nikolai Gogol
Dead Souls
The Overcoat and Other Tales of Good and Evil

By Vladimir Nabokov
Lolita

By Leo Tolstoy
Anna Karenina
War and Peace
The Kingdom of God is Within You

February BAM Challenge: Heart

2008-02-04T11:14:00.000-08:00

For book suggestions, take a look at the BAM blog.

New Oprah's Book Club Title

2008-01-30T09:33:00.000-08:00

Oprah's newest selection is A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle. You can read a synopsis and reviews at Books in Print. Go to the MCMLS online catalog to put a copy on hold.

Time Keeps on Slippin'...

2008-01-25T09:43:00.001-08:00

So-- I have to confess that I did not get off to a great start with my Book a Month Challenge choice. January's theme is "Time", and it seemed like a good opportunity to read a nonfiction title (I lean toward the fiction side of things). I chose Calender: Humanity's Epic Struggle to Determine a True and Accurate Year by David Ewing Duncan. The topic? Very interesting, a great vantage point from which to observe the way we humans interpret the world around us and how that has changed over time. The writing? Not so great. The prose seemed muddy and unclear. I kept rereading passages, expecting that I would get it eventually, but alas, that did not happen. I admit it-- I gave up, about 4 chapters in.

On a recommendation from a fellow librarian, I decided to read Scott Westerfeld's Uglies. It's a young adult novel, set in a future (Future? Future time? TIME? Get it?!! Of course you do! It's painfully obvious!) where everyone is "ugly" until their sixteenth birthday, when they receive surgery that makes them "pretty". The new pretties are the elite of society who party all night and mesmerize with their symmetrical loveliness. Tally Youngblood, the novel's 15-year-old protagonist, can't wait to be pretty, but her new friendship with another ugly named Shay threatens to postpone her pretty-making surgery indefinitely. Tally ends up joining a group of rebels called Smokies, who have discovered a troubling "side effect" of the pretty surgery. The Smokies are determined to live life a different way, and soon Tally finds herself immersed in their cause. I found the story engrossing and fast-paced, and I am in love with the slang Westerfeld uses throughout the novel. If something makes you uncomfortable, it's "nervous-making". If something is particularly cool, it's "bubbly".

The whole "let's make observations about our current culture through the vehicle of science fiction " idea is really one of my favorite things about the genre, and there is a wealth of social critique to be had in Uglies. Appearance--the increasingly radical things we do to look a certain way, as well as the question of who defines the cultural norm of appearance-- is certainly a hot-button topic in these 21st century days. Uglies also looks at what happens to both an individual and a society when that individual fails to fit in or conform. Is Tally a rebel and a hero, or a troublemaker whose nonconformity threatens to destroy the very world she lives in? Also, what do we lose as human beings when we attempt to create a uptopian society where everyone is supposed to be the same and equal? Can we truly create equality or will there always be those who are different?

Read Uglies, and let me know what you think.

Titles Read:
Calender: Humanity's Epic Struggle to Determine a True and Accurate Year by David Ewing Duncan

Uglies, Pretties, Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Further Reading:
The Giver by Lois Lowry-- This is another YA title, and another look at a uptopian, future society. I obviously love YA books, and I will tell you why. They are often better written than books intended for an adult audience-- a YA author has to try to capture and hold the attention of a twitchy, hormone-addled audience that would rather be doing something, *anything* else than reading. So YA novels tend to be beautifully concise and eloquent, full of heart and truth. The Giver is just such a book, and if you haven't read it, you should.

The Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood-- These are adult fiction titles, both dystopian and disturbing in what they unveil about the human psyche. The Handmaid's Tale is set in a theocratic society where women submit to men, and all interactions between the sexes are highly regulated. Oryx and Crake takes the dystopian theme one step further and is set in a future where humanity's obsession with technology and the manipulation of the natural world have ended in global catastrophe.

Are you participating in the Book a Month Challenge? Please post your review in the comments!

Calling all Jane Austen Fans!

2008-01-11T14:05:00.000-08:00

Oh, Mr. Darcy!
Starting January 13th, PBS will begin airing their Masterpiece adaptations of all six of Austen's novels. PBS is also providing resources for viewers interested in starting their own Jane Austen book club. Interested? The link is here.

January BAM Challenge: TIME

2008-01-03T06:52:00.000-08:00

The January Book a Month Challenge theme is "Time". Check out the BAM blog to see some suggestions for titles.

Book a Month Challenge

2007-12-28T08:01:00.000-08:00

Starting in January 2008, I am going to participate in the Book a Month Challenge. At the beginning of every month, a theme will be posted. Participants are asked to read a book based on the theme, and then post a review on their own website/blog or in the comments of the Book a Month (BAM) Challenge blog. I love that this is a very flexible set-up-- you don't have to read one particular "assigned" book, and you have all month to read and post. It's going to be exciting to see the spectrum of books chosen for each theme, and I suspect that the story behind why someone chose a particular book is going to be as intriguing as the actual book review. I can see my "to-be-read" list growing by leaps and bounds, because I love book suggestions that come from other readers.

Please participate in the BAM Challenge with me! Every month I will post the theme and my book review. You are all invited to post your book reviews here at Booked Up in the comments section of my post. Happy reading!

I'm So Thrilled!

2007-12-15T08:51:00.000-08:00

I thought for a long time that my favorite genre was mystery. However, I’ve discovered that what I really like is a good “thriller.” Most mystery/suspense stories fall into this category, but so do many books about war, intrigue, and illegal activities of all kinds. According to Wikipedia, the all-encompassing but sometimes uneven and poorly documented online encyclopedia, thrillers are a “broad genre of literature, film, and television” that is “characterized by fast pacing, frequent action, and resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more-powerful and better-equipped villains. Literary devices such as suspense, red herrings, and cliffhangers are used extensively.”

What I really like are strong characters who are trying to make things right. They can be male or female, police detectives or private eyes, cops or criminals, lawyers or their clients, game wardens or poachers, and so on. All of them must have some redeeming quality, even if it’s minimal and only temporary. Some of my favorites are Max Allan Collins’ Quarry, who is an independent hit man for the Mob, Wyatt, Garry Disher’s Australian bank robber, and Spenser, Robert B. Parker’s irreverent private investigator. Even though each of these men operates either outside the law or skate along the razor edge of legality, each is also quick-thinking, decisive, and committed to whatever action is needed to resolve the problems he faces.

On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoy the impulsive, lovable Stephanie Plum, Janet Evanovich’s hometown New Jersey bounty hunter. Evanovich has written a very entertaining series that combines humor, romance, mystery, and action into a tasty thriller stew. Another of these humorous antiheroes is John Dortmunder, whose thieving antics that always go wrong for everyone but him. Donald E. Westlake is the creator of this comic thief and deserves credit for bringing a bit of laughter into what could be a too-serious genre. By the way, I don’t include horror stories in my list of thrillers because I find believable stories about life may be horrible enough without the addition of the gruesome or macabre.

Other than those mentioned above, here are some of my favorite authors:

Elmore Leonard—Has written 33 crime novels, the first being The Big Bounce (1969), The Hot Kid (2005), and the latest, Up In Honey’s Room (2007). Often writes about the criminal rather than the cop. Originally wrote westerns. His westerns are among the best you’ll ever read. For a sample, read The Complete Western Stories of Elmore Leonard (2004). There are also several western novels.

James Lee Burke—Has 2 major characters: Dave Robicheaux (RO bih show), a deputy sheriff in New Iberia, Louisiana (Crusader’s Cross, 2005); Billy Bob Holland, an attorney and former Texas Ranger in Deaf Smith, Texas (In the Moon of Red Ponies, 2004).

Ben Rehder (RED er)—An Austin, Texas writer who writes about the experiences of John Marlin, a Blanco County game warden. Books are full of humorous characters and unexpected action. First book: Buck Fever (2002); latest, Gun Shy (2007).

Lee Child—Writes about Jack Reacher, former U. S. Army Military Policeman. First book, The Killing Floor (1997); latest book: Bad Luck and Trouble (2007).

Stephen Hunter—Writes about the Swaggers, father and son, Earl and Bob Lee. Often sets the scene in Arkansas (Hot Springs, 2000) and once in Oklahoma (Dirty White Boys, 1995). His first book, The Master Sniper (1980), is about the greatest Russian sniper during WWII. His latest is about Bob Lee Swagger, 47th Samurai (2007).

William Diehl (DEEL)—Wrote a 3-book series about Martin Vail, defense attorney in Chicago, Illinois. The first book, Primal Fear (1993), is one of the most powerful, disturbing crime novels you will ever read. It was made into a genuinely frightening movie, starring Richard Gere (lawyer) and introduced us to Edward Norton (really scary bad guy). The succeeding books in the series are Show of Evil (1995) and Reign In Hell (1997). Has also written 6 non-series books.

Bill Pronzini—Has written about 70 books, with 30+ books in his “Nameless Detective” Series, the latest being Mourners (2006). “Nameless” books are chronological, beginning with The Snatch (1971). His latest non-series book is The Alias Man (2004).

-- Tim, MCMLS Assistant Branch Manager

Have a favorite thriller? Leave it in the comments!

Reader Resources: MonsterLibrarian

2007-12-07T14:03:00.000-08:00

I am not the biggest horror reader, having been cursed with an overactive imagination. But somebody out there loves horror fiction, and the best-selling authors Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Anne Rice would surely agree. Monsterlibrarian is a great resource not only for die-hard horror fiction fans, but for those looking to just a dip a toe into the genre. There are book lists, reviews, and links to other horror resources. The reviews are broken up by subject-- "Chick Lit with Fangs", anyone?-- but there is also a comprehensive index. The "Coming Horror Fiction Releases" lets you know what's on the horizon. The Monsterlibrarians also include reviews of horror fiction for teens and scary books for kids, which is a nice addition. Check out Monsterlibrarian today!

What's your favorite horror fiction title/author?

Best Books of 2007

2007-12-04T14:11:00.000-08:00

The lists are starting to roll in as we count down to the end of the year. The top titles of the year include The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao, Tree of Smoke (also the National Book Award winner), A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, Then We Came to the End, and A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Publisher's Weekly Best Books of the Year

The New York Times 10 Best Books of 2007

Amazon's Best Books of 2007

2007 Book Sense Picks Highlights

The National Book Critics Circle Best Recommended Books

What's your favorite read of 2007?

New Oprah's Book Club Title

2007-11-27T14:31:00.000-08:00

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet is the newest Oprah pick. Set in the 12th century, this novel examines the building of a cathedral in Kingsbridge, England through the eyes of the many people involved in its creation. Put your copy on hold here.

Self-Help: Survivors of Child Abuse

2007-11-20T15:42:00.000-08:00

Most of our Genre Talk posts have covered reading for pleasure, and the types of books that we enjoy reading; but there are darker times in every person's life, when we need help, when we require assistance. Self-help books can be instrumental in providing assistance and support at a time when it is absolutely crucial, in a format that feels non-judgemental and confidential. For further help, I would recommend finding a qualified mental health professional (therapist, counselor, psychologist). In an emergency situation, there are many crisis hotlines that operate 24 hours a day every day of the year. Here in Montgomery County, Tri-County Mental Health operates a 24/7 hotline at 1-800-659-6994.

Child abuse and neglect are widespread problems. According to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, approximately 899,000 children were abused or neglected in 2005. We see the most extreme cases of abuse in the news-- children starved, locked in cages, or beaten regularly; but the majority of abused children simply grew up in unstable homes, where trust and empathy were lacking and they were emotionally abused or neglected. Many children are not even aware that they have been abused, until they reach adulthood and find themselves struggling with chronic emotional and psychological problems. Their issues can range from difficulties with anger, struggling to trust others, and low self-esteem to disorders such as depression, social anxiety, co-dependence, eating disorders, and alcoholism. For many people in this situation, finding peace and balance is a lifelong struggle. The following titles are intended to support those who are adult survivors of child abuse.

-- Bookedupster

Adult Children of Abusive Parents-- Steven Farmer

Farmer gives examples of dysfunctional families, drawn from real-life situations, and details the things that all dysfunctional and abusive families have in common. He also includes exercises for the reader to work through, for recovery. This book is really the best place for any adult survivor of child abuse to start.

Co-Dependent No More-- Melody Beattie

Merriam-Webster Online defines codependency as "a psychological condition or a relationship in which a person is controlled or manipulated by another who is affected with a pathological condition (as an addiction to alcohol or heroin)" Many adults who were abused as children find themselves struggling with co-dependency, since they never learned how to establish appropriate boundaries for themselves and others. This books identifies the hallmarks of co-dependency, provides real-life examples, and offers exercises to assist readers in overcoming this problem.

Alcoholics Anonymous-- Alcoholics Anonymous World Services

Not every survivor of child abuse becomes an alcoholic, but many develop addictive behaviors to cope with emotional pain and turmoil. AA is the original 12-step program, and has been helping people overcome addiction since the late 1930's. This text is often referred to as "The Big Book".

The Ten Habits of Naturally Slim People-- Jill H. Podjasek

So many weight-loss books are the same, filled with lists of what you're "allowed" to eat and what you should never even dream of eating, but this author chooses to focus on health and weight from a psychological perspective. She emphasizes addressing the mental and emotional reasons why people end up unhealthy and overweight, and walks the reader through the process of creating a healthy mind-body connection. I have included this title in this list because eating, like alcohol, is often used to dull the pain of past abuse, and building a healthy relationship with food is part of the road to recovery.

A Child Called It-- Dave Pelzer

Dave Pelzer suffered horribly under the abusive hand of his mother, and was removed from his home at age 12. At that time, his case was considered one of the most extreme cases of child abuse that had been seen in California. In this book, he details his childhood and how he survived. Reading a memoir like this can help remind survivors of child abuse that they are not alone.

Good Things Come in Small Packages: Short Stories

2007-11-08T13:25:00.001-08:00

I’ve never been much of a reader. I’ve always read what I had to for class and never made time for much else. I have found, however, that I can make time for short stories. They are faster and easier for me to read because I can read as many or as few as I’d like and always jump back into the collection when I have more time. If you’ve never sat down with a book of short stories, you should!

If you have someone that is a reluctant reader (like myself), short stories can often help. Many people think that short stories would only be something for small children, but the choices are endless. Some collections feature one author, while others focus on a theme, with stories written by various authors. There are short story collections for all ages. This format is especially popular in YA (Young Adult) literature. You can find YA short story collections dealing with everything from spirituality and human suffering to spooky Halloween stories to stories by guys for guys about teenage life and growing up; and some of them are rich and complex enough to be enjoyed by an adult audience.

-- Toni, MCMLS YA librarian

Here are a few recommendations of books that I’ve found interesting:

Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
By: Sherman Alexie
This collection features interconnected stories set on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington State. Characters overlap from story to story, creating a larger picture. You follow the characters on a literal journey across the country while at the same time see the spiritual, emotional, and life-changing journey that they endure. This short story collection is also excellent paired with Judy Blunt’s Breaking Clean and Edward Abby’s Desert Solitaire for a literary portrait of the American Southwest.

Come to Me
By: Amy Bloom
This is a collection of stories revolving around a few central characters. Each story can stand alone, but they are all intertwined. Bloom alternates her story lines, allowing you to follow each character’s journey through varying viewpoints. At only 192 pages, it’s easy to get caught up in the author’s world and read the book as a novel. At the same time, you feel satisfied at the end of each story, so if you need to put it down for the night or for 3 weeks, you can come back to the rest of the book easily. If you like her style of writing, check out her novel Love Invents Us.

Girl in the Flammable Skirt
By: Aimee Bender
In this collection of individual tales, each story pulls us into a single surreal feature, leaving the rest of the setting and characters in normal, every day situations. In “The Rememberer”, a woman watches her lover evolve backward from man to ape to turtle to salamander. Bender somehow makes the unbelievable plausible and the bizarre features of each story become allegories of our lives. They are somewhat serious, but with an overall feel of a dark comedy to them. Through the humor and surrealism, she holds a mirror to our own insecurities, our flaws, and our humanity. Just be ready to put up with oddities and fairly straightforward writing (which is helpful for those that aren’t into looking up vocabulary in dictionaries while they read for enjoyment…yes…I’m one of those kids who never did that either.)

Where I’m Calling From and What We Talk About When We Talk About Love
By: Raymond Carver
These books offer an all too honest look at life. If Aimee Bender’s bizarre paranormal tendencies don’t strike your fancy, check out Carver’s collections of short stories. He looks honestly at life and isn’t afraid to deal with difficult issues. He has a way of presenting a situation to allow you to see the heart of the issue without overtly describing what is going on. Instead, he describes little details to give insight into the human experience. Here’s an example of one of his stories, "A Small Good Thing".

Do you have a favorite short story? Leave it in the comments!

Literature for Chicks? Chick Lit!

2007-11-07T09:07:00.000-08:00

When I read a book, I want a happy ending. I really don’t want to suffer through the agony and angst and death and destruction, and get a so-so ending. I want to know right up front that everything will end well for the main character. All the problems will be solved and everything will be right with the world. That is why I read Chick Lit.

Wikipedia defines Chick Lit as featuring "hip, stylish female protagonists, usually in their twenties and thirties, in urban settings (usually London or Manhattan), and follows their love lives and struggles for professional success (often in the publishing, advertising, public relations or fashion industry). The books usually feature an airy, irreverent tone and frank sexual themes." The main feature of Chick Lit is there is ALWAYS a happy ending.

In addition to the predictable happy ending, Chick Lit features down-to-earth girls who have trouble with their credit cards, eat too much cake, forget to make their car payment or stumble, fall and break something. These are real women who struggle through their daily lives by making mistakes and learning from them. Chick Lit also showcases strong female protagonists who are career women, figuring out what life is about and how to make life what they want it to be.

At the crux of most of these novels is the handsome man. Whether it is the carpenter who is really a multimillionaire, the advertising executive who has a mean girlfriend, or the next-door neighbor’s son who has been out of the country attending medical school, the Chick Lit novel prides itself on creating a male protagonist that falls madly in love with the young woman just as she is-- no changes necessary.

-- Sarah, MCMLS librarian

The following titles are great introductions to the world of Chick Lit:

Can you keep a secret?-- Sophie Kinsella
The Sleeping Beauty Proposal-- Sarah Stroymeyer
Bridget Jones’ Diary-- Helen Fielding
Boy Meets Girl-- Meg Cabot
Dear Prince Charming-- Donna Kauffman
Last Chance Saloon-- Marian Keyes
Life A La Mode-- Linda Lenjoff
Passion, Betrayal and Killer Highlights-- Kyra Davis
Playing James-- Sarah Mason
Reality TV Bites-- Shane Bolks
Size 12 Is Not Fat-- Meg Cabot
Society Girls-- Sarah Mason

Read a great chick lit novel? Leave it in the comments!

And the winner is......

2007-10-25T08:46:00.001-07:00

Recent Award Winners

Doris Lessing is the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature for 2007.

Anne Enright is the winner of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction for her book The Gathering.

This year's National Book Award winner has not yet been announced, but you can check out the finalist list here.

Read an amazing award-winning title? Leave it in the comments!

2007-10-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

Why do people kill? Most of us will never truly understand how one human being can deliberately take the life of another. When we read about a murder in the newspaper we wonder - why? What was the motive? Perhaps knowing the motive and the circumstances of a murder somehow makes us feel a little safer because we can then make a mental checklist of what behaviors, or words, or places, or people to avoid. Is it even possible to safeguard ourselves against murder, or are we merely pawns of fate? The following books contain the stories of some very ill-fated people.

---- Kelley, MCMLS librarian

America's Most Hated Woman: The Life and Gruesome Death of Madalyn Murray O'Hair by Anne Rowe Seaman

Whatever happened to Madalyn Murray O'Hair? You may remember that she disappeared from Austin, Texas in 1995 along with her son Jon, and granddaughter Robin. Their disappearance was a mystery for years because Madalyn was so widely disliked that nobody cared enough to find out what happened to her. A newspaper reporter and a private investigator finally uncovered the shocking truth.

Judgment Ridge: The True Story Behind the Dartmouth Murders by Dick Lehr

Two popular Dartmouth college professors were brutally murdered in their home in 2001. But who killed Half and Susanne Zantop, and why? Read the tragic story of their deadly encounter with two "normal" high school boys from a neighboring town.

Confederacy of Silence: A True Tale of the New Old South by Richard Rubin

A writer returns to Leflore County, Mississippi to cover the murder trial of Handy Campbell, former Ole Miss football player. Campbell and an associate have been accused of killing a UPS delivery man. Are they guilty or is a there a miscarriage of justice in the works?

Science Fiction For People Who Don’t Like Science Fiction

2007-10-12T13:41:00.000-07:00

Do the words "science fiction" conjure up thoughts of space operas, aliens, and dragons? Then you haven't tried these titles!

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger combines very traditional sci-fi themes – time travel and progressive medical technology – with the trials and foibles of life. The story follows a time traveling man and the woman who will be, has been, and is his wife. At once a beautiful love story and thought provoking science fiction novel, The Time Traveler’s Wife can appeal to many different tastes.

The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon is a novel narrated by an autistic man named Lou Arrendale in the very near future. He and his autistic coworkers provide their astonishing pattern-recognition skills to a large company. A “cure” for autism is discovered, and the group is given an ultimatum – be cured or be fired. Elizabeth Moon writes tenderly and factually from Lou’s perspective, drawing from her experiences with her son’s autism.

How Like a God by Brenda Clough weaves ancient Sumerian myth with American suburbia. Rob Lewis is an ordinary man who awakes one day with the ability to read minds. His powers steadily grow until he is forced to leave his home because he is unconsciously distorting his children’s development. He drifts alone for years, trying to save people from his power, until he meets someone that can help him control it. This novel gives an imaginatively honest look at the limits of the very powerful.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke is more in the fantasy vein, but it did win the science fiction community’s prestigious Hugo Award. It takes place in 19th century Britain in the midst of the Napoleonic Wars. The practice of magic had fallen away and been replaced by the study of magic for hundreds of years in England. Suddenly, two very different men come forward as real, practicing magicians just in time to rescue their country (and give bored society a huge boost.)

American Gods by Neil Gaiman is the story of Shadow, a man released from prison the day after his wife died. He meets a mysterious character, and in his desperation begins to travel with him. Little does he know that he has now entered a battle between all the old gods of myth and the new gods of technology. Gaiman writes with dark, quick humor, and makes his incredible story believable.

-- Jessica H, MCMLS reference assistant

Have a favorite science fiction title? Leave it in the comments!

New Oprah's Book Club Title

2007-10-11T12:20:00.000-07:00

Love in The Time of Cholera tells the story of a love triangle that spans 50 years, and explores the many ways that we as human beings view love and marriage. You can put a copy on hold here.

I Heart Romance

2007-08-14T15:05:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make-- I love romance novels. From the torrid, trashy paperbacks of my youth, to the more realistic contemporary novels in my recent past, romance novels always have a place in my reading rotation. My latest obsession is Regency romances, set during the reign of the Prince Regent in England (early 19th century). Regencies tend to have lots of witty dialogue, farce elements like false marriages or mistaken identities, and an emphasis on romance versus explicit description ( although some Regencies are still plenty steamy).

--Bookedupster

Here are a few of my favorite authors:

Lisa Kleypas-- Try her Wallflower series-- it follows the stories of four girls who are not the toast of society, but who manage to find love and marry well.

Mary Balogh-- Balogh's books are excellent for people who love series and enjoy intertwined stories. You will see many characters appear and reappear in her Simply... and Slightly... series.

Eloisa James-- James' heroines are particularly spirited, and her stories are imaginative. I particularly liked the Four Sisters series.

Do you have a favorite Regency author? Leave it in the comments!

Great Book Resource for Avid Readers

2007-07-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

If you love to read ( and if you're reading this blog, I'm guessing you do!), you need to check out the website Fantastic Fiction. It's my favorite resource for upcoming titles for favorite authors-- you'll get projected release dates and a look at the cover art. Fantastic Fiction is also great for folks who love series. Under each author entry, the author's series are listed in order. I find the series listings in the actual books to often be incomplete, or difficult to decipher, so I turn to Fantastic Fiction for complete listings. Try it-- you'll like it!

If you love Janet Evanovich....

2007-07-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

....you might want to read The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz. A young female PI, a wacky dysfunctional family, and a mysterious disappearance all add up to a laugh-out-loud suspense tale. Put your copy on hold today!

New Oprah's Book Club Pick

2007-06-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides details the Stephanides family's journey from a small Greek town to a surburban American existance, and the journey of a single gene handed down through the generations to Cal Stephanides. Put your copy on hold today.

If you loved The Kite Runner.....

2007-05-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

..... you will definitely want to read Khaled Hosseini's new book, A Thousand Splendid Suns. It is an epic tale of Afghanistan told through the eyes of two women. You can read reviews here.

THE BIG READ

2007-05-25T13:09:00.000-07:00

Come join us and particpate in THE BIG READ, a program designed to encourage community members to connect to literature and one another. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan is this year's title. There are several library events scheduled that focus on The Joy Luck Club and Asian culture. Click here for more information on THE BIG READ.

Lean Mean Thirteen

2007-05-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

Janet Evanovich's newest Stephanie Plum novel is now on order at MCMLS! Click here to place a hold.

The Road: Oprah's Book Club

2007-05-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

The Road by Cormac McCarthy is Oprah's newest pick for her bookclub. It is also the recipient of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. You can read a description and reviews here.

Harry!

2007-05-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is now on order. You can place a hold though our online catalog, or call any of the MCMLS branches.

Welcome!

2007-04-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Booked Up! This is where you can find all the latest book news, book suggestions, and book-related information from the Montgomery County Library Memorial Library System. Check with us daily to see what's happening in the book world!