Pageturners

The Weird Sisters

2012-01-11T14:00:00.000-08:00

The Weird Sisters, by Eleanor Brown; Putnam, 2011

Reviewed by Shilah Gould

Three adult sisters return simultaneously to their childhood home in a midwestern college town and grow closer. In this home, books are a passion (there is no problem a library card can't solve) and TV is something other people watch. This is a very nice, uplifting book, with loads of Shakespeare thrown in! Adam & Eve by Sena Jeter Naslund is dramatic and intense and filled with religion, warfare, space exploration, and love stories all mixed together. Set against the searing debate between evolutionsts and creationists, Adam & Eve is a thriller, romance, and an adventure. It will take some time to digest when you're done. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen tells the love story of Catherine Morland and Henry Tilney. Although lighthearted, this book is at its core a serious, unsentimental commentary on love and marriage, 19th-century British style. Of all of her novels, this is Austen's most explicitly literary in that it is primarily concerned with books and with readers.

The Known World

2011-10-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

The Known World, by Edward P. Jones; Amistead Publishing, 2002

Reviewed by John Wrobleski

This 2004 Pulitzer Prize winning book is set in Virginia, 20 years before the beginning of the Civil War. The Known World has painful descriptions of a sordid time of our history, detailing life under slavery. Despite the despairing conditions, some endearing relationships emerged, and hope for a better future persisted. Meg Mullins' The Rug Merchant is an outstanding story of an immigrant from Iran who opens a Persian rug company in New York City. The story evolves through the end of his marriage, and a love affair with a college student. The author presents an interesting portrait of the life of an elderly customer. To lighten things up, try Barrel Fever, by David Sedaris. This book has personal essays and stories from the author's life, which are often hilarious. You are guaranteed a whole lot of laughter while reading the wild descriptions of eccentric family members and friends.

Fat Girl: A True Story

2011-10-18T10:41:00.001-07:00

Fat Girl: A True Story, by Judith Moore; Plume Publishing, 2006

Reviewed by Cheryl Maglosky

Judith Moore's Fat Girl: A True Story is a searingly honest account of what it is like to grow up fat, feeling unloved, unpopular and lonely. Ms. Moore cuts to the chase, with intelligence, insight, and humor...and without apologies, excuses or pretext. She won this reader's respect and admiration. Honest. Humorous. Heartbreaking. Those three words define Anne Lamott's storytelling in Imperfect Birds. This novel examines the challenges of parenting, growing up, and being a family. Fortunately, this book moves beyond the middle class-middle aged angst that Lamott is well known for in its narrative of a family dealing with a teenaged daughter's drug abuse. Inside of a Dog, by Alexandra Horowitz, is a fine combination of the author's scientific expertise and love of dogs. She brings us in to the world of canines, while making us aware of our human biases, and deconstructing the popular myths about these delightful creatures. The book was informative and revealing, and it enhanced my understanding and appreciation of dogs.

A Friend of the Earth

2011-10-18T10:11:00.000-07:00

A Friend of the Earth, by T. C. Boyle; Penguin Books, 2001

Reviewed by David Sachi

A bad time is had by all in this imaginative look into the near future of 2025. The world is ravaged by the effects of global warming, and haunted by the futility of environmental activism. In A Friend of the Earth, author T.C. Boyle spins his yarn around his favorite themes: obsessive hygiene, compulsive consumerism, uneasiness in the natural world, and fear of technology--all with a healthy dose of humor. I also recommend Ian McEwan's The Innocent, an intriguing story of an ordinary Englishman who gets caught up in post-war intelligence mania, and discovers how exhilarating and tragic life can be. For a real closer-to-home change of pace, try Olympic National Park--A Natural History, by Tim McNulty. This author traces the geologic history of the Olympic mountains, and explores present day flora and fauna within the park boundaries.

The Lacuna

2011-08-29T15:02:00.001-07:00

The Lacuna, by Barbara Kingsolver; Harper Publishing, 2009

Reviewed by Barb Sachi

Kingsolver's eloquent novel--The Lacuna, transports us to Mexico and the era of Diego Riviera and his wife, Frida Kahlo, as they house revolutionary Leon Trotsky, and try to prevent his assassination. The story is seen through the eyes of a young writer, narrated in the form of letters, diary entries and newspaper clippings. Amazing book! In a different direction, I read The Last Dickens, by Matthew Pearl. This story centers on Charles Dicken's tour of the U.S. during a time of rampant opium trade in China and Britain. There is also a murder to solve. The writing is in period style, and I found it to be somewhat uninteresting. For a real change of pace, I read Tracy Kidder's Strength in What Remains, which explores the reasons of ethnic violence in Rwanda and Birundi. Kidder's main character 'Deo' has fled the genocide, lands in New York City, and makes his way from living in Central Park, to Columbia University, through the kindness of caring people. His goal is to return to Africa in peacetime and build clinics.

The Unbearable Lightness of Scones

2011-08-29T14:35:00.001-07:00

The Unbearable Lightness of Scones: A 44 Scotland Street Novel, by Alexander McCall Smith; Anchor Publishing, 2010

Reviewed by Deborah Daline

I started out Alexander McCall Smith's series with this one--his fifth book, but found it to be no less enjoyable, and was able to play "catch up" with "Scones" enjoyable characters, including Bertie, the overprotective mother, Bruce the Egotist, and Matthew--who was rescued from drowning by a dolphin.The neatly interwoven storylines include the ups and downs of a young, newly married couple and an artist who finds himself saddled with too many dogs. Wallace Stegner's Angle of Repose consisted of two stories--past and present--that are woven together with a satisfying tie-together at the end. The story centered around a retired, disabled professor who delved into the life story of a pioneering grandmother. I was intrigued by the title, and the fact that it won the Pulitzer Prize. Information, by Martin Amis, told the story of a "literary" author who's jealousy rears its ugly head toward another author who reaches the 'bestseller' list. I've heard Amis has a cliche phobia and a 'quirky' style.

Born To Run

2011-08-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

Born To Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen, by Christopher McDougall; Vintage Publishing, 2011

Reviewed by Joy Wentzel

This is the world of the ultramarathoners--a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners. I enjoyed the McDougall's perspective and knowledge of ultrarunning, how running has evolved over the years (not all in a positive direction), and how inspirational it is to know that we are Born To Run. For centuries, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico have practiced techniques that have allowed them to run hundreds of miles without rest, or chase down game. This superhuman talent is matched by remarkable health and serenity, with a much higher immunity from disease. I also enjoyed The Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease. This book reinstilled the fact that literacy and the love of reading opens the world to us. I also appreciated its list of recommended books. And now, for a wildly popular novel of murder, mystery and mayhem, there is The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, by Steig Larsson. I wasn't overly impressed by the writing quality of this book, but I trudged through it.

Intrusions

2011-08-15T10:54:00.001-07:00

Intrusions, by Ursula Hegi; Touchstone Publishing, 1997

Reviewed by Anne Holman

I highly recommend this humorous and original novel-within-a-novel that offers fascinating parallel stories between the author's novel and her own life. Ursula Hegi's Intrusions is an innovative exploration of doubts, choices and ambiguities between her book's characters, and her own existence. Reality and fiction merge in her writing and living. If you're looking for a great read that is 'deep as a too dark night sky', try Ahab's Wife, by Sena Jeter Naslund. This is a gripping depiction of life in Kentucky, Nantucket, and aboard a whaling vessel during the early 1800's. The book is written from the viewpoint of an independent-minded and curious young woman. I also enjoyed The Secret Papers of Madame Olivetti, a warm, fragrant and languorous 'escape' to a coastal village in southern France. This book is perfect for a too long winter.

Remarkable Creatures

2011-06-30T10:35:00.001-07:00

Remarkable Creatures, by Tracy Chevalier; Plume Publishing, 2010

Reviewed by Angela Tuuri

Remarkable Creatures recreates the true story of two women in the 1800's in Lyme Regis, England who make remarkable scientific finds. These two women--Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot, struggle to make inroads in the very male-dominated field of paleontology. Their fossil finds open the scientific minds to the world of the dinosaurs and the extinction of species, and establish the women's (eventually) esteemed position in that scientific field. If you are looking for a very enjoyable read that is set much closer to home, try the classic book The Egg and I. Set here on the Olympic Peninsula, author Betty McDonald tells the very funny, touching tale of 1920's newlyweds who persevere with hard work and a survivalist mentality. Sandra Dallas' book Whiter Than Snow shines because of the author's wonderful abilities as a storyteller with folktale qualities. I especially liked "Prayers For Sale".

Remember Me?

2011-06-30T10:12:00.000-07:00

Remember Me?, by Sophie Kinsella; Dell Publishing, 2009

Reviewed by Tina Lakenes

Sophie Kinsella's heroine Lexie wakes up in a hospital bed and soon realizes that she has lost the past three years of her life in Remember Me?. Amnesia has robbed her of recent memories, but the 'new' things she discovers about herself--shiny new hair, pearly white teeth, ultra-toned body and fine manicure helps to soften the blow. She doesn't recognize herself, and her new life...including her handsome husband, or her posh loft apartment. Will she find her 'way back'? I stayed in the Kinsella mode with The Undomestic Goddess, the story of an overworked lawyer who makes an expensive error and loses her job. This former lawyer becomes a maid for a family, and decides she is happier not being overworked (in the legal profession) after all. I was intrigued by Kevin O'Brien's novel Last Victim. Twenty years after a group of teenagers caused the disappearance of a classmate, the ill-fated group is killed by hit men who make the murders look like suicide.

The History of White People

2011-06-10T10:55:00.001-07:00

The History of White People, by Nell Irvin Painter; W.W. Norton & Company Publishing, 2011

Reviewed by Renee Bush

I love it when the study of history shows that a so-called universal truth that has been around forever turns out to really be quite new. Painter's latest book The History of White People examines the history of “whiteness” as a racial category and rhetorical weapon: who is considered to be “white,” who is not, what such distinctions mean, and how notions of whiteness have morphed over time in response to shifting demographics, aesthetic tastes, and political exigencies. The author focuses primarily on the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and how the concept of race based on skin color is largely an invention of the Victorian era. For a change of pace, try The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery, about Renee--the concierge of a "snooty-type" Parisian apartment building, who hides her brilliance under a frumpy exterior. My Stroke of Insight, by Jill Taylor, really "hits home" with me. I read this book right after my own mother suffered a stroke. When the author's analytical left brain is damaged, she learns that her here-and-now right brain has a lot to teach her.

The Knitting Circle

2011-06-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

The Knitting Circle, by Ann Hood; W.W. Norton & Co. Publishing, 2008

Reviewed by Anne Ficarra

Here is one novel where I wasn't crazy about the chapter-by-chapter character format at first, but eventually appreciated it. Ficarra's The Knitting Circle is a book centered on coping with loss, friendship and yes, knitting. While mourning the death of her young daughter, Mary Baxter--the main character--learns to knit, and discovers that knitting soothes without distracting. The story is well-written and hangs together throughout, but I wish the author would have given more complete details of the knitting patterns. Another enjoyable read is After the Workshop, by John McNally. This funny story reminded me of John Irving's The Water-Method Man in the way the character describes what happened to him. The book includes cool quotations about and by writers on the art of writing. Now, I'm saving the best for last here--Birdology, by Sy Montgomery. I loved this book! Sy really kindled my interest and appreciation of birds. Her essays are engaging...I feel like I really know her. I was completely blown away by the intricacies of bird life, how smart they are, and how important they are to our environment.

The Greatest Game Ever Played

2011-05-13T15:16:00.001-07:00

The Greatest Game Ever Played, by Mark Frost; Hyperion Publishers, 2005

Reviewed by Vivian Chapin

The Greatest Game Ever Played is a highly recommended story of Francis Ouimet, a former caddy who rose to become the first amateur to win the U.S. Open golf tournament--at age 20. Ouiment grew up poor, across the street from the "blue-blooded" country club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Despite his father's disapproval, Ouiment taught himself to play golf. Author Frost jumps between the story of Ouiment and British golf champion Harry Vardon, who came from a similar background, yet also rose to become a golfing great. Ouiment's and Vardon's golfing duel at the 1913 U.S. Open provides this book an exciting climax. Nancy Marie Brown's The Far Traveller is an intriguing story about Gudrid, a Viking woman who sailed from her homeland (Norway) to the far reaches of the West and the Middle East, hundreds of years before Columbus and other European voyagers did. Recent archaeological findings support this fascinating book. Also, try the Devil's Brood, by Sharon Kay Penman. This is a well-written novel of the last days of Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their dysfunctional family.

Cutting for Stone

2011-05-13T11:29:00.000-07:00

Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese; Vintage Publishing, 2010

Reviewed by Macy Mullarky

I highly recommend Cutting for Stone, a complicated story of twin boys who live very different lives, but share a common heritage. This is a far-sweeping novel that moves from India to Ethiopia to an inner-city hospital in New York City over decades and generations. Sister Mary Joseph Praise, a devout young nun, leaves the south Indian state of Kerala in 1947 for a missionary post in Yemen. During the arduous sea voyage, she saves the life of an English doctor bound for Ethiopia, who becomes a key player in her destiny when they meet up again at Missing Hospital in Addis Ababa. Seven years later, Sister Praise dies giving birth to twin boys: Shiva and Marion, the latter narrating his own and his brothers story. I also recommend Hilary Spurling's nonfiction book Pearl Buck in China: Journey to the Good Earth, which is a fascinating accounting of Pearl Buck's life, with an emphasis on her early years. Buck had a harsh childhood which affected her future writings. Another great read is Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, by Helen Simonson. This is a charming story of a cross-cultural relationship between a middle-aged Englishman and a Pakistani woman.

Sanctuary

2011-04-27T13:16:00.001-07:00

Sanctuary, by Beverly and David Lewis; Bethany House Publishers, 2007

Reviewed by Stephanie Boyles

Sanctuary is an exciting mystery/romance about the problem of keeping secrets, and how they can catch up to you. The Lewis' heroine, Melissa James, seeks sanctuary (rest and safety) in Amish country, dreading the secret that defines her life. Author Beverly Lewis (co-writing with her husband David) has tweaked her trademark style with a refreshing edge of suspense, plot twists, and has carefully sidestepped the 'fairy tale ending'. I recommend the book. Nicholas Sparks' True Believer, and his sequel At First Sight--are quite interesting, and in my opinion--should be read together. The story and main character reminded me of the lead character (Patrick Jane) on the TV show The Mentalist, using science and logic to disprove amazing claims. It tells of the journey of New York Jeremy, discovering love and what to believe in a small North Carolina town. Here's another recommendation in the "Sparks Mode"--Dear John is the story revolving around the young love between a girl and a soldier. Will their love survive (or not) the separation caused by 9/11, and his deployment during the Iraq War? Will she wait for him?

House As A Mirror of Self

2011-04-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

House As A Mirror of Self, by Clare Cooper Marcus; Nicolas-Hays, Inc. Publishing, 2006

Reviewed by Jim Buckham

I recommend this enlightening examination of self through insights of our housing choices. Author Marcus presents an eye-opening study of peoples emotional ties to their houses, apartments, cottages, trailers and other types of dwellings. What, exactly, makes a house a home? House As A Mirror of Self includes many interviews of people in their domestic settings over a 10 year period. They show how their dwellings generally reflects their emotional ties with other people, and may even be substitutes for close or strained relationships--even unresolved issues from childhood. I will never look at a house in the same way! On the other hand, I found Anita Amirrezyani's Blood of Flowers was unfortunately disappointing. The time frame of the story was fascinating, but the story itself was otherwise lacking. If you are looking for fascinating insights to the past, present and future, try Wisdomkeepters: Meeting with Native Spritual Elders, by Steve Wall and Harvey Arden. It demonstrates how we mourn lost opportunities while retaining hope as we move forward.

Saltwater Taffy

2011-03-09T11:04:00.001-08:00

Saltwater Taffy, by Eric Delabarre; Seven Publishing, 2011

Reviewed by Bob Gray

When I heard that the recently released book Saltwater Taffy by Eric Delabarre is about the adventures of young teenagers and takes place in Port Townsend, I quickly ordered four copies for our teenage grandchildren.

Much to my surprise, when I started reading the book to make sure that it was suitable for our grandchildren, I couldn’t put it down. It was terrific! It’s about teenage friends on a treasury hunt encountering unusual characters and fun locations in and around Port Townsend.

While the book is also described as containing poignant life lessons for the five young friends, I found that the lessons were wonderful reminders for readers of all ages.

I highly recommend this book for the young readers in our lives and if you can borrow it before they pass it around to all of their friends, you will also very much enjoy this treasure hunting adventure.

One last note, we are very fortunate that this book takes place in our wonderful hometown and that a film of the book will be made here in 2012. This should help attract many visitors to Port Townsend with great economic benefits. This book and film should add to Port Townsend’s wonderful literary as well as film history. It’s very exciting.

Family Album

2011-01-27T13:18:00.001-08:00

Family Album, by Penelope Lively; Viking Adult Publishing, 2009

Reviewed by Sarah Fairbank

Penelope Lively's Family Album features a large, lively family with some secrets. The main character wants a blissful childhood for her six children--a real "old fashioned" family life. But there are cracks in the facade. The father is distant, and the mother has inexplicable emotional outbursts. All is not well. The now-grown children have tried their best to maintain the ''blissful" illusion--each at a cost--with lingering effects on their adult lives. I found this novel less convincing/compelling than many others the author has written. But the book's family was definitely amusing; with dysfunctional, interesting characters. The Sunday Philosophy Club, by Alexander McCall Smith, features Isabel Dalhousie, an editor for a philosophical magazine. Isabel writes long passages about ethics, death and suicide. There are four other fun characters, including a housekeeper, fox, a girlfriend/niece and a young man she has the hots for. I found the nonfiction book Derek Jarmen's Garden to be very beautiful and moving. This is the story of a young filmmaker/artist with AIDS who purchases a fisherman's cottage in Dungeness, Kent, in England--a location that has the least rainfall and the longest growing season in Britain. This journal is full of plant choices, garden images, and moving stories. It is a joy to read and learn from.

Worst Case

2011-01-27T12:33:00.000-08:00

Worst Case, by James Patterson; Grand Central Publishing, 2010

Reviewed by Tina Lakenes

Author Patterson chooses an unlikely character as his serial killer in Worst Case: Francis X. Mooney, a 'do-gooder' lawyer who believes in changing the world for the better. He believes in rescuing people from poverty, donating to humanitarian causes, and increasing social equality. Mooney kidnaps wealthy young adults, then kills them when they are not socially aware. Detective Bennet teams up with FBI agent Emily Parker--an 'abduction specialist' to catch the killer. Jen Lancaster, author of Such a Pretty Face, her personal experiences in weight loss in with a fictional character. Jen's main character has tried many different directions--Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, surgery and hiring personal trainers. Does she finally find a comfortable 'success'? Yes. At what cost? This book covers a plethora of weight loss and health issues, and is not for the faint of heart. The Search by Nora Roberts is an intriguing yarn about a woman ("Fiona") who is the 'escaped' near-victim of a serial killer. That situation may be harrowing enough, but Fiona is now targeted by another serial killer who is taking revenge for the capture of the original killer.

Night Fall

2011-01-12T12:13:00.001-08:00

Night Fall, by Nelson DeMille; Grand Central Publishing, 2007

Reviewed by H. Payson

Now here is a book that's well worth reading. In my opinion, Night Fall is DeMille's best, from beginning to end--and what a satisfying ending it has. Conspiracy theorists will love it. The book's premise is controversial, concerning an investigation of the July 1996 crash of flight TWA 800, a Boeing 747 bound for Paris which exploded off the Atlantic coast of Long Island, killing all 230 passengers and crew members. There are 200 eyewitnesses who swear they saw a missile lift into the clear night sky and bring down the airplane, a charge dismissed by the CIA as an optical illusion. DeMille's fictional detective tracks down the facts and the witnesses, culminating in a climax that is truly thought provoking. For a change of pace, try Dear Money, by Martha McPhee. Every author or wannabe writer needs to read this book. It's not often you can get a dual perspective from a single character. Juli Zeh's murky In Free Fall, is a wonderful, scientific murder yarn, set in Eastern Europe is a very different detective story. Highly recommended.

Claude & Camille: A Novel of Monet

2010-12-29T11:41:00.000-08:00

Claude and Camille: A Novel of Monet, by Stephanie Cowell; Crown Publishing, 2010

Reviewed by Chris Loechel

Claude and Camille is an excellent story told in retrospect by Claude Monet in his 70's, centering on Monet's infatuation with Camille Doncieux, who was first glimpsed at a train station en route to Paris. Monet tracks her down months later, and convinces her to become his model, and eventually his lover. Camille's family strongly objects to her affair with the 'starving artist', just as Monet's father objects to his son's career. The couple finds solace in the company of Monet’s fellow aspiring painters: Renoir, Pissaro and more. You become totally immersed in the loves and lives of the Impressionists and the lifestyle of nineteenth-century Paris. I also recommend The Swan Thieves: A Novel, by Elizabeth Kostova. This book is very different than her previous novel "The Historian", but is a terrifically interwoven story about a psychiatrist and his mindset after he stabs a famous painting. Be sure to read the reliably good Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer. This is a delightful story composed of letters written during World War II in Britain. It makes you want to go meet all of the characters involved, and visit the memorable settings on the Isle of Guernsey.

Mindless Eating

2010-12-29T11:08:00.001-08:00

Mindless Eating, by Brian Wansink, Ph.D; Bantam Publishing, 2010

Reviewed by Tina Lakenes

Ah...it's a New Year, and many of us are making resolutions for weight loss--again. If you are seriously trying, I recommend Dr. Wansink's book Mindless Eating. This is not so much a diet book, but a book that offers suggestions for being more mindful of what you are eating. Nutritional science and marketing professor Wansink explores some of the psychological aspects of overeating to explain why we in fact consume more than we believe we do. The author finds the greatest value in retraining one's mind and its perceptions by devices such as making sure one's plate contains at least half vegetables or salad. He suggests that a dieter will automatically eat less in social situations by being the last to start eating and the first to finish. He assesses the dangers of food shopping in bulk-portion stores, where shoppers are encouraged to overindulge. For a change of pace, try The Girl Who Played with Fire, the late Stieg Larsson's intriguing sequel to "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". This story deals with Sweden's sex slave trade, and explains more about the main character's tragic childhood, and the ongoing search for her as a murder suspect. For a romantic departure, try HRH, by Danielle Steele. Princess Christinna meets and falls in love with an American doctor while volunteering for the Red Cross in East Africa. Trouble ensues when she is not allowed to marry him--a commoner.

The Anthologist

2010-11-10T12:57:00.001-08:00

The Anthologist: A Novel, by Nicholson Baker; Simon & Schuster Publishing, 2010

Reviewed by Nancy Shepley

I recommend Baker's The Anthologist, a hilarious account of a "poet" who is trying to write an introduction to his anthology of poems. The main character, Paul Crowder, is a failure at life, who has lost the two things that he values most--his girlfriend, and his ability to write. He stumbles through his woeful personal life, credit card debt, frequent finger injuries, and skewed and sordid views of poets and poetry. Colm Toibin's The Blackwater Lightship is the account of an Irish family coming to terms with the death of a son, and a brother dying of AIDS. These tragic losses helps to heal divisions and misunderstandings among the various family members. In a different direction, try The Quick and the Dead, by Joy Williams. This novel centers on the friendship between three young women, their various attitudes and adventures taken singly, and together.

The Sugar Camp Quilt

2010-11-10T12:34:00.000-08:00

The Sugar Camp Quilt, by Jennifer Chiaverini; Simon & Schuster Publishing, 2006

Reviewed by Martha "Marty" Richards

The Sugar Camp Quilt is a fine historical fiction novel, set in Creek's Crossing, Pennsylvania in the years prior to the Civil War. Author Chiaverini's seventh book in the "Elm Creek Quilt" series centers on the operation of the Underground Railroad, and the use of quilts as "markers" to show the way to freedom. I enjoyed the wonderful characters and the storyline. Ann Hood's The Knitting Circle has very compelling characterizations of a group of women (and two men) who knit to deal with loss, grief and healing. I also enjoyed Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout. This very well written series of short vignettes feature a central character--Olive Kitteridge--who is often brash, outspoken, yet strangely sympathetic as she injects herself into daily life in a small East Coast community.

My Own Country

2010-11-10T12:04:00.000-08:00

My Own Country: A Doctor's Story, by Dr. Abraham Verghese; Phoenix Publishing, 1995

Reviewed by Mary Grace Swift

I am recommending two books here by Dr. Abraham Verghese. They are both excellent, but My Own Country: A Doctor's Story, is a standout for it's masterful prose. Dr. Verghese has the eye, ear and the voice of a novelist, and the compassion of a healer recounting his experiences as the doctor from Africa who comes to the U.S. to do battle with AIDS in east Tennessee. In the course of the book, he has to come to term with a new country, his failing marriage, and dealing with infectious diseases, including the growing 'plague' that becomes known as AIDS. I also highly recommend Dr. Verghese's novel Cutting for Stone, focussing on twin boys, their adoptive parents, and their life's journey from India, to Africa, and to the U.S. Another recommendation is The Orchid Thief: A True Story of Beauty and Obsession, by Susan Orlean. This nonfiction book is a John McPhee-ish account of Florida, orchids, and people with a passion for these exotic plants.

Liquor: A Novel

2010-11-10T11:39:00.001-08:00

Liquor: A Novel, by Poppy Z. Brite; Three Rivers Press, 2004

Reviewed by Peter Gritt

Cult horror novelist Poppy Z. Brite's book Liquor: A Novel, features the experiences and many obstacles facing two young men--"foodies"--who attempt to open a gourmet restaurant in New Orleans. The restaurant's entire menu features alcohol in one form or another, blending culinary passion with Big Easy politics and lots of intrigue. If you are an artist-at-heart, and love to dabble in oil pastels, take a look at Oil Pastel, by Ken Leslie. This is a very informative book for beginners and experienced artists alike, offering plenty of good tips in the use of this medium. Author Paul Theroux serves up another great travelogue--this time in Kawloon Tong, which involves the Chinese takeover of Hong Kong. I have read all of Theroux's books in our library, and truly appreciate his "non-sugar coated" approach to travel.

Working The Sea

2010-09-28T22:34:00.001-07:00

Working the Sea: Misadventures, Ghost Stories and Life Lessons from a Maine Lobsterman, Wendell Seavey; North Atlantic Books, 2005

Reviewed by Jim Tolpin

I enjoyed Wendell Seavey's Working the Sea, a lively portrait of an old-school Maine lobsterman. The story covers his life, and his transition from an unquestioning harvester to environmental activist. And what a life...from a two-room schoolhouse to college; from boatyards to back alleys; from strikes to plenty of soul searching. Here is a humble fisherman who has evolved into a great storyteller. Another fine book of the sea is Jack London's The Sea Wolf. London's classic novel is set aboard a sealing schooner in the early 1900's, as seen through the eyes of a young, intelligent, but naive "landlubber". This is a great coming-of-age story. I also enjoyed The Wayfinders, by Wade Davis. This is an eye-opening, insightful investigation into the lives of Third World people who are confronted with profound globalism and exploitation.

In Working the Sea, Wendell Seavey paints a lively portrait of life both off and on the shores of Maine. Journeying from a two-room schoolhouse to the College of the Atlantic, from boatyards to back alleys, and from labor strikes to soul-searching road trips, he is accompanied by not just fisherman, but by professors, psychiatrists, and environmentalists. A man of humor and humility, open to both nature and the supernatural, Wendell Seavey is living proof that fishermen are indeed the best storytellers.

Tailspin

2010-09-28T21:54:00.000-07:00

Talespin, by Catherine Coulter; Putnam Adult Publishing, 2008

Reviewed by Cathy Parkman

If you're looking for a good book full of thrills, chills, political intrigue and a little romance, try Catherine Coulter's Talespin. Yeah...it is relatively mindless, but it kept me pageturning at the beach. The heroine is on the run, and heading for refuge in a remote area when she witnesses a plane crash. An interesting variety of good, bad and demented characters flesh out the intrigue. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi (yes--a very short name) is an interesting story about a teenage girl traveling alone--and unchaperoned--on a transatlantic voyage in 1832. Charlotte's adventures and experiences aboard the ship have a profound impact on the rest of her life. Another enjoyable novel of adventure (add place and love to the mix) is The Hungry Tide, by Amitav Ghosh, set in the Sundarban archipelago--coastal islands off India. A female American biologist studies rare and endangered river dolphins has a life entwined with local tradition/culture, tides, weather and men.

The Horse Boy

2010-09-28T21:17:00.001-07:00

The Horse Boy, by Rupert Isaacson; Little, Brown & Company Publishing, 2009

Reviewed by Tyler Buckham

Rupert Isaacson's The Horse Boy is the story of a father who takes his wife--a psychology professor--and young son on a quest to Mongolia, in hopes of healing his son's autism. Their real journey through Mongolia is full of intense challenges, and amazing rewards. Their last-ditch effort against the child's autism leads the parents to shamans, and the somewhat unorthodox therapy found in the repetitive rocking from horseback riding. I also enjoyed Changes, by Jim Butcher, a delicious, fast-paced blend of humor, horror, action and emotion. The stakes are always high, the plot twists surprising, and the language is a delight. Tana French's Faithful Place is a very well-written novel about an Irish undercover policeman who visits the dysfunctional family he had left 22 years earlier. Tensions run high as he tries to find answers to an unsolved death.

The Piano Shop on the Left Bank

2010-09-01T11:19:00.001-07:00

The Piano Shop on the Left Bank, by Thad Carhart; Random House Publishing, 2002

Reviewed by Jim Tolpin

I enjoyed The Piano Shop on the Left Bank, by Thad Carhart, a witty and fascinating autobiographical story of an expatriate American in Paris, who discovers his way back to the piano--his childhood passion. In the process of his rediscovery, he learns French customs, new skills in playing the piano, and the intriguing history and inner workings of the instrument. Ian Oughtred's A Life in Wooden Boats offers an enjoyably deep look into the life (personal and professional) of an influential, contemporary designer of small rowing and sailing craft, who specializes in adapting pricey boat designs of the rich and famous into those for more "financially challenged" amateurs. I also enjoyed A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle, a pleasing "coming of age" story for people of all ages. I consider it a "breakout of the mold" type of book. One quotable take-away was: "You're given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself."

Time for Tea: Tea & Conversation with 13 English Women

2010-09-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

Time for Tea: Tea and Conversation with 13 English Women, by Michele Rivers; Crown Publishing, 1995

Reviewed by Lauren Brown

I found Michele Rivers' nonfiction book Timefor Tea: Tea and Conversation with 13 English Women to be surprisingly engaging, with unique explanations of why English society has so steadfastly preserved its teatime traditions. Rivers offers a series of candid interviews from the thirteen women of various backgrounds, who range in age from six to eighty. There are lots of tempting recipes to try too. Another interesting nonfiction book (with sometimes excessive detail) is James Herriot: The Life of a Country Vet, by Graham Lord. This book was published shortly before Herriot's son wrote his father's biography, and offered a lot of information about Herriot that I hadn't known before. I also enjoyed A Highland Christmas, by M.C. Beaton. This was the first book I'd read by this author, and offered an inviting introduction to the cozy village world of Scottish Constable Hamish MacBeth.

The Day the Red Baron Died

2010-09-01T10:29:00.001-07:00

The Day the Red Baron Died, by Dale M. Titler; Walker & Company Publishing, 1970

Reviewed by Karen Hamilton

For those readers interested in World War I intrigue, try Dale Titler's book The Day the Red Baron Died. This "oldie" book offers plenty of background about the notorious flying ace Baron Manfred von Richthofen, his many victims, and definitive proof about what ended his reign of terror in the skies during the Great War. We now know who--and what--was responsible for his demise. In another "historic" vein, I enjoyed Wallis and Edward--Letters 1931-1937, edited by Michael Bloch. This book provides the details of before, during and after the British abdication crisis, as expressed by the two major participants. For something closer to home, try A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson. Bill and a companion rediscover America on the historic Appalachian Trail, encountering struggles and plenty of natural beauty along the way.

The Secret Scripture

2010-08-18T15:40:00.001-07:00

The Secret Scripture, by Sebastian Barry; Penguin Books, 2009

Reviewed by a library patron
I highly recommend The Secret Scripture, a deeply sad story...with a (mostly) happy ending. You just can't beat the Irish for individual human 'experience' and writing quality. Sebastian Barry, a contemporary Irish writer, uses two contradictory narratives against each other in an attempt to solve the mystery of a 100-year-old Roseanne McNulty, a mental patient locked up for decades in an asylum in western Ireland. Mystery, corruption, tragedy, emotion--this book has it all. I also recommend Richard Yates' Revolutionary Road. This novel has a difficult subject matter, but is well worth the read. It has excellent development of the characters through their various responses to a profound and sudden tragedy. On the flip side, I cannot recommend All Other Nights, by Dara Horn. All in all, I found this book somewhat disappointing. The use of a race and religion through a Jewish-American viewpoint during the Civil War seemed like an interesting premise, but the novel turned out to be nothing special.

A Lost Lady

2010-08-11T12:29:00.001-07:00

A Lost Lady, by Willa Cather; Book Jungle Publishing, 2009

Reviewed by Stephanie Achten

I'm exploring three 'classics' here from two very different genres, starting with (my) highly recommended novel A Lost Lady, by Willa Cather, first published in 1923. Cather's story is set in Nebraska, and features Marian Forrester, a classy older woman adored by the book's young, innocent male narrator. His lifelong friendship with Marian evolves, exposing her life's reality that causes her to slip from her "pedestal". I decided to explore another Willa Cather novel, O Pioneers--the story of a Swedish immigrant family, enduring hardship and heartache while trying to tame the prairielands of Nebraska during the late 19th century. For a real "classic" change of pace, I read Thomas Harris' The Silence of the Lambs. Clarice Starling, an FBI agent-in-training is working against the clock to try and stop a serial killer who is preying upon young women.

The Husband

2010-08-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

The Husband, by Dean Koontz; Bantam Publishing, 2007

Reviewed by Joi Reed

Be sure to tighten your seatbelts with this one! Don't miss Dean Koontz's The Husband, a hard driving thriller about an ordinary gardener who evolves into a ruthless avenger as he tries to save his kidnapped and ransomed wife. Mitch Rafferty leads a mundane life, caring for rich people's gardens. This existence radically changes when deadly serious kidnappers demand $2 million for the return of his wife. But how can a gardener come up with that amount of cash? If your literary taste includes British whodunits, try And Justice, There Is None, by Deborah Crombie. This is excellent Brit mystery writing, with a superb narrator. Loved it! For a very different change of pace, consider Brokeback Mountain, by acclaimed author Annie Proulx. This story revolves around the tumultuous lives of two young men who fell in sex/love one summer in the wild backcountry of Montana. Read the book...see the movie.

The Beach House

2010-08-01T10:02:00.000-07:00

The Beach House, by Jane Green; Plume Publishing, 2009

Reviewed by Christie Johnson

Set in Nantucket, The Beach House is the story of a financially-strapped widow and the home she turns into a bed-and-breakfast. Her paying summer guests are a wide spectrum of flawed, fragile personalities weathering love's turmoils, all hoping to capture a relaxing, renewing experience at the seashore. Keeping with the "sea" theme, I took a literary voyage with Robert Parker's Sea Change is this author's typical style of murder mystery, set in New England and Florida, featuring flashy seacraft and high society. If you're looking for a 'candy bar' of a book, try Full House, by Janet Evanovich. This is true summer reading, written in her 'Stephanie Plum' style, but it features a different cast of loopy characters.

The Outsider

2010-06-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

The Outsider, by Penelope Williamson; Simon and Schuster, 1996

Reviewed by Kathleen Hawn

This cover art made Penelope Williamson's book look like a schmaltzy romance on the outside, but inside was one the best books I've read in a very long time. Set in 1887 Montana, The Outsider is a compelling novel of intolerance, mayhem, faith, and self-determination, seasoned with a good splash of passion. Mix rigid, sheep-raising Amish with amoral gunslingers (or "shootists"), conniving cattle ranchers and their minions, and you'll have a tasty stew of complex characters. Read the book, then see the movie. I also recommend The Far Traveler: Voyages of a Viking Woman, by Nancy Marie Brown. I've always been intrigued by the Vikings, but this well-documented tale--with recent evidence (in 2005) of Gudrid's existence and influence, gave me a much better understanding of this brazen Norse culture. For a real change of pace, try World Made By Hand, by James Howard Kunstler. Set in America's near future, in a world of post-Peak Oil, post-pandemics and technology's collapse, this novel is filled with intriguing, earthy characters who are determined to survive and rebuild a sense of hope and community, even in the midst of societal chaos and despair. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel to this book, which will be available in September 2010.

Nineteen Minutes

2010-06-09T20:26:00.000-07:00

Nineteen Minutes, by Jodi Picoult; Washington Square Press Publishing, 2008

Reviewed by Sally Lovell

I recommend Nineteen Minutes, Jodi Picoult's riveting tale about a long-bullied teenager who eventually snaps, and takes out his revenge by killing ten people in his high school. Flashbacks reveal how years of persistent bullying eventually leads the teen into a world of violent computer games and dark emotions, which manifest in tragedy. Sharyn McCrumb's mystery If I'd Killed Him When I Met Him is a good pageturner with lots of clever, funny dialogue. This story offers a medley of marriage-and-divorce scenarios, and amusing commentary on romantic relationships. If you're looking for true-life stories of contemporary senior citizens (age 70 and older) in America, take a look at Coming of Age, by Studs Terkel. This book is created from interviews, but the interviewer's questions are omitted. This technique produced choppy storytelling, but offered very interesting "nuggets" here and there.

My Abandonment

2010-05-29T10:20:00.001-07:00

My Abandonment, by Peter Rock; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing, 2009

Reviewed by Jennifer Nielsen

I highly recommend My Abandonment--Peter Rock's insightful and engaging novel. This is the first book I've read in which the main characters are a homeless father and daughter. The two have created an elaborate, functioning shelter in a cave, and make occasional, wary ventures into the 'civilized' world. But one small mistake turns their makeshift existence upside down. I also enjoyed J.R. Moehringer's Tender Bar, an interesting memoir about a boy growing up with an eccentric (but loveable) family and group of friends in Manhasset, New York, near where my husband grew up in Port Washington on Long Island. If you are looking for another engaging, interesting (however depressing) read, try The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. This novel of World War II Germany is focused on a foster child, Liesel, from the point-of-view of "Death".

The Likeness

2010-05-20T19:50:00.001-07:00

The Likeness, by Tana French; Penguin Publishing, 2009

Reviewed by Allison Danner

A detective goes undercover with a very unique identity--as a murder victim. Cassie, the detective, is a virtual twin to the body of a young woman found in the ruins of an old stone cottage near Dublin. Posing as the injured (but alive) college student, Cassie is able to solve the mystery of the woman's death. The Likeness is one of the best books I have read recently. Kathy Reich's Death du Jour is an interesting story with a main character who solves murder mysteries in Quebec and South Carolina. Interesting information about a nun and a cult is revealed. A man is convicted for a murder he didn't commit in Jeffrey Archer's novel A Prisoner of Birth. The wrongly accused man works to prove that he is innocent, and also seeks revenge in the process.

City of Thieves

2010-05-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

City of Thieves, by David Benioff; Viking Publishing, 2009

Reviewed by Heidi Kane

Two unlikely companions join forces toward two common goals--survival during the siege of Leningrad during World War II, and the search for eggs among the starving populace. City of Thieves is a compelling (and sometimes humorous) novel centering on a naive 17-year-old who was caught looting a German paratrooper's corpse. Lev, and his acquaintance Kolya, are spared from execution on the condition that they acquire a dozen eggs for the colonel's daughter's wedding cake. Bestselling author James Patterson's novel Sail centers on a mother's last-ditch effort to bring her dysfunctional family back together. However, her well- meaning interactions go terribly wrong. Everything that can happen, does. On the lighter side, you might take a look at Julie Kenner's book Aphrodite's Kiss, who's central character gains the chance to become a superhero, with the ability to fly and have x-ray vision. These new skills might come in handy, but would they become a blessing, or a curse? If given the choice between having super powers, or giving them up for true love, what would you choose?

Terminal Freeze

2010-05-04T20:25:00.001-07:00

Terminal Freeze, by Lincoln Child; Doubleday Publishing, 2009.

Reviewed by Chris Little

Quite frankly, Terminal Freeze was outside of my normal reading comfort zone, with it's terrifying creature/monster, an isolated Arctic location, and a mostly clueless cast of characters. However, author Lincoln Child has created a riveting thriller with a pervasive mood of chaos and fear, that made for a great escape book to begin the summer. James Grippando's Intent to Kill is another great summer vacation book. It is well-written, with no heavy thinking required. It's a fairly lightweight read, with an entertaining and plausible storyline. For a dramatic change of mood, try Ten Degrees of Reckoning, by Hester Rumberg, a heartwrenching story of loss, courage, and survival on the sea. In 1993, a freighter altered its course slightly and tragically ended the young Sleavin family's three year round-the-world sailing trip. Keep the Kleenexes close by...

The Great Gamble

2010-04-28T21:54:00.001-07:00

The Great Gamble, by Gregory Feifer; HarperCollins Publishing, 2009.

Reviewed by Jeff Youde

Former Moscow NPR correspondant Gregory Feifer offers this very interesting, retrospective critique on the Soviet Union's invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, based on first hand accounts. In The Great Gamble, Feifer points out the parallels between the ill-fated 1980's Soviet intrusion into that country, and the present American involvement, which (he feels) is undermined by our entanglement in the second front--Iraq. I also enjoyed In A Sunburned Country by travel writer Bill Bryson, offering a humorous, sometimes whimsical take on one man's travels across the vast Australian continent. For something closer to home, the Cascade Alpine Guide: Stevens Pass to Rainy Pass, by iconoclastic climber Fred Beckey, will offer our region's wanderers lots of details about various high country routes. This book is a Northwest classic.

The Chase

2010-04-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

The Chase, by Clive Cussler. Berkley Publishing, 2008

Reviewed by Kathi Johnson

For this adventure, author Clive Cussler sets his usual characters and storylines (NUMA, Dirk Pitt, etc.) aside, introducing detective Isaac Bell to solve the mystery. The Chase involves the 1950 reappearance (literally) of a submerged, circa 1906 steam locomotive, prompting the reinvestigation of a ruthless bank robber who left a trail of murdered witnesses during his two-year crime spree. In a different direction, I found Mercedes Lackey's book Fairy Godmother to be an interesting perspective on the 'occupation' of--yes--fairy godmother. The main character must do her utmost to preserve Tradition, but chooses to bend the rules a bit to explore romance--a choice that isn't allowed in the job description. I also read 3:16, by Max Lucado. This is an in-depth look at each word and phrase in this famous Biblical verse from John. It makes you think again about what it says and means, no matter how well you think you know it.

The Book Thief

2010-04-14T14:00:00.001-07:00

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. Alfred A. Knopf Publishing, 2007.

Reviewed by Patron

Death narrates this story of Liesel, a young girl in Germany, just prior to, and during World War II. Liesel has tragically lost her father, mother and brother, and ends up in foster care with a colorful working-class family on Himmel (Heaven) Street, on the outskirts of Munich. The Book Thief was a very moving book--I cried while reading it. I also enjoyed The Renegades: A Charlie Hood Novel, a fine murder mystery by T. Jefferson Parker. The main character (Charlie Hood) must prove that the police can be dishonest too. In a similar vein, Easy Prey is an entertaining Lucas Davenport murder mystery by author John Sandford. Davenport solves the mystery of a top model's death, which is complicated by several more murders before the end of the book.

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built

2010-04-08T14:46:00.000-07:00

Tea Time for the Traditionally Built, by Alexander McCall Smith. Anchor Publishing; 2009

Reviewed by Diane Allen

Precious Ramotswe, my favorite female detective in Botswana, continues to use her special people skills to close a case in Tea Time for the Traditionally Built, Alexander McCall Smith's 10th novel featuring this main character. Precious unravels problems involving deliberate sabotage in a talented local soccer team. I also enjoyed The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday, another novel by Alexander McCall Smith. This book features philosopher Isabel Dalhousie, who investigates a doctor accused of fraud. Elizabeth vonArnim's classic novel Enchanted April is a delightful story about four women who go to Italy for a special holiday. They start out as strangers, but become good friends. (This book was made into a movie, which is now available on DVD at our Library.)

Low Country

2010-03-31T11:11:00.001-07:00

Low Country, by Anne Rivers Siddons. Harper Collins Publishing, 1998.

Reviewed by Sally Lovell

I recommend Low Country. Anne Rivers Siddon's story is more than just a tale about a family or a marriage. It is more about the development of environmentally sensitive areas, and its effects on wildlife habitats, communities, and human relationships, particularly those of Caroline, the main character. I also enjoyed the book The Alibi, by Sandra Brown. The main character in this story faces intriguing ethical issues. There is also a mystery surrounding the motives of the woman who has the "alibi". Dream Country, by Luanne Rice, is a good story which focusses on parents and their young children, and the trauma they all feel when separated prematurely. This book also includes wonderful descriptions of Western landscapes.

Loving Frank

2010-03-04T11:29:00.000-08:00

Loving Frank, by Nancy Horan; Ballantine Books, 2008

Reviewed by Sharon Hoyer

Nancy Horan's first novel, Loving Frank, is a disturbing, fictionalized memoir of Mamah Borthwick Cheney, best known as the woman who wrecked Frank Lloyd Wright's first marriage during the early 1900's. Despite the title, this is not a romance, but is more of a deep exploration of the emotional stress of love affairs and divorce, especially when scandals become the stuff of headlines. Gina Barreca's It's Not That I'm Bitter, is kind of cute, kind of funny, sometimes deep, but...overall a bit disappointing while it presents little stories of life in our times. In a similar vein of life issues--but with a very different presentation--I highly recommend My Grandfather's Blessing, by Naomi Remen. There is so much wisdom and beauty in this book. WONDERFUL!

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

2010-03-04T11:00:00.001-08:00

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, by Jamie Ford; Ballantine Books, 2009

Reviewed by Claudia B. Wagner

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a moving story of generations; Henry, a Chinese boy, whose sweetheart--a Japanese girl--is relocated to an internment camp in 1942, and Henry's son, Marty, who helps him revisit those memories and put them to rest. It illustrates life and bittersweet first love during the early years of World War II in Seattle, Washington. Good reading for Northwesterners. Penelope Lively's Passing On is an understated, literate and enjoyable read of cross-generational influences. The main characters, Helen and Edward, have buried their domineering mother, and now begin to understand themselves and to live life more fully. I also enjoyed Under A Flaming Sky; The Great Hinckley Firestorm of 1894, by Daniel James Brown. This book is derived from eyewitness accounts and government documents of a range fire (combined with dry forests and drought) which took hundreds of lives, including the author's great grandfather. Of special interest--my own grandmother and great-grandparents survived this tragic event.

Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science

2010-03-04T10:34:00.000-08:00

Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science, by Atul Gawande; Picador, 2008

Reviewed by Cheryl Maglosky

Dr. Gawande's outstanding book Complications" A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science is full of anecdotes, insights and perspectives on the medical system from an insider. The author's honesty and revelations are appreciated, and serve to demystify and humanize doctors and their work. Dr. Gwande is brutally honest about his mistakes and the limits of medicine, and takes you through the thought processes of physicians when making life-altering decisions. He also raises ethical questions you won't often hear discussed. Unaccustomed Earth, by Jhumpa Lahiri, is a re-read for me. Indulging in a 'second course' of this book gave me the opportunity to return to the exquisitely rendered places, the cultures, and characters in these short stories, and was no less rich an experience than the first visit. Despite (and because of) not being able to travel at the moment, I picked up Gutsy Women: More Travel Tips and Wisdom for the Road, by Marybeth Bond. I was pleasantly surprised to find this book full of fresh perspectives, insights, and unexpected information and suggestions for traveling women.

Dark Places

2010-02-24T10:06:00.001-08:00

Dark Places: A Novel, by Gillian Flynn; Shaye Areheart Books, 2009

Reviewed by a Patron

I recommend Gillian Flynn's latest novel Dark Places, a very well-written story that is as good as her first book, Sharp Objects. Out of financial desperation, the selfish, hardened main character, Libby, becomes involved with a strange secret society which forces her to reexamine a past family tragedy. The book is full of extremely unlikeable characters, and shows the fallibility of traumatic memory. Leonard Downie Jr.'s The Rules of the Game seems too close to the real machinations of U.S. politics to be an enjoyable read. This author is a former executive editor of the Washington Post, so he knows Washington D.C. intrigue firsthand. On a lighter note, Valerie Laken's Dream House was easy to read. This book is full of psychological intrigue surrounding a couple's purchase of a dilapidated house that only one of them wants, and the resulting, irrevocable changes in their lives.

Sex, Death & Oysters

2010-02-17T12:39:00.000-08:00

Sex, Death & Oysters, by Robb Walsh; Counterpoint Publishing, 2007

Reviewed by Lauren Brown

Restaurant critic and author Robb Walsh presents Sex, Death & Oysters, a surprisingly enjoyable tour of oyster geography, history and culture. Walsh's five year quest for the perfect oyster takes him on far-flung culinary journeys through North America, Ireland, England and France. Lots of oyster facts, recipes and humor, as well as suggestions on the best beverages to accompany your meal. Ben Yagoda's intriguing nonfiction book, The Sound on the Page: Great Writers Talk About Style and Voice in Writing, is an eye-opening exploration of writing and choices, going beyond mechanical competence to the territory of Art. If you're looking for a good story to read for content (not style), try A Breath of Snow & Ashes, by Diana Gabaldon. This novel (also audiobook) is a part of an extensive saga, but it was enjoyable on it's own (after a bit of acclimation!)

The Glister

2010-02-10T11:16:00.000-08:00

The Glister, by John Burnside; Nan A. Talese Publishing, 2009

Reviewed by Paul Rogland

I highly recommend reading The Glister, a very well-written "horror light" story set in the coastal village of Innertown. Burnside's engaging novel revolves around the mysterious disappearances of five teenagers, and the ensuing coverup. It is a cautionary tale that illustrates how greed and an indifference to suffering are the real horrors of modern life. Chuck Palahniuk's Pygmy is the story of young North Korean terrorists who are embedded in a small American town with plans to wreak havoc in the United States. Despite the subject matter, the book has humor and a strong undercurrent of timely truth. I also read As Time Goes By, by Abigail Trafford. This book takes a look at various types of relationships that retirement-age people have, and how they have been altered from traditional patterns. Of interest, but not recommended as an "engaging read".

The Seven Daughters of Eve

2010-02-03T09:47:00.000-08:00

The Seven Daughters of Eve: The Science That Reveals Our Genetic Ancestry, by Bryan Sykes; W. W. Norton & Company, 2001

Reviewed by J. Anne Holman

Now here is a true scientific mystery, marvelously written by the man who did much of the original work on decoding mitochondrial DNA. The Seven Daughters of Eve describes how genetic evidence from all humans tested (so far) can be traced from seven major groups that originated from one woman. With a subject matter that could have been dry and dull, this book is well written and clearly explained, and the British humor kept me laughing. Gina Kolata's Flu is an exhausting review of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. Kolata's journalistic background comes through the story in careful reporting of the names, title and qualifications of the people searching for the origins of this deadly illness. As a scientific report, it was very complete; as a flowing story, it began to drag. By midway, I'd had enough of The Flu, and the politics that surrounded it. As a change of pace, I read Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love. Here's yet another take on food, memories, longing, loneliness, and being lost in foreign lands. This story is blended together with words and images that held my attention and stirred my memories. Good, deep humor was generously sprinkled on top.

Beach Girls

2010-01-26T21:10:00.000-08:00

Beach Girls, by Luanne Rice; Bantam Books, 2004

Reviewed by Carole L. Huelsberg

Luanne Rice's Beach Girls is the story of three youths whose growth and sturdy bond endures life's challenges, strengthening their friendships over the years. This book is more sentimental and less suspenseful than Rice's previous novels. In a different direction, I suggest reading The Ultimate Gift, a novel by Jim Stoval. The main character--Jason--is given lessons about living a meaningful life, which are the prerequisites to meet the requirements of his multi-billionaire great uncle's will. Mark Spragg's An Unfinished Life is the story of three generations caught in dysfunctional, broken family relationships. The ten-year-old girl initiates the healing between her mother and her estranged grandfather, gradually easing the pain caused by poor choices in her mother's past relationships.

Stones From The River

2010-01-22T10:52:00.000-08:00

Stones From the River, by Ursula Hegi; Simon and Schuster, 1995

Reviewed by Amy Heath

An Oprah Book Club choice, Stones From the River is a vivid picture of small-town life in Germany between World War I and II. Author Hegi tells her tale from a female dwarf's perspective, examining the human spirit, particularly in the face of fear. Order, obedience, conformity and rigid class differences are forced on the community through ideology and religion. Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love is the author's effort to restore her emotional health. Gilbert eats her way through Italy, while fulfilling her strong desire to learn Italian. She then prays/meditates her way through India, ending up in a loving relationship in Indonesia. She shares wonderful insights and techniques along the way, seasoned with great humor. I also recommend Labyrinth, by Kate Mosse. This tale suggests parallels between the present and the past, set in the southwestern region of France. It is a Holy Grail story with an interesting twist. (For more information on this topic, readers might want to also read Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Baigent, Leigh and Lincoln for supplemental information about this region and its history.)

The Tribe of Tiger

2010-01-13T15:48:00.001-08:00

The Tribe of Tiger: Cats and their Culture, by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas; Simon and Schuster, 1994.

Reviewed by Kathryn Holmes

Elizabeth Marshall Thomas' book The Tribe of Tiger: Cats and their Culture offers insightful observations of the social lives of domestic and wild cats, from lap loving tabbies to lions and tigers. Of special interest are the descriptions of the author's time spent in African bush country with prides of lions and native tribesmen. I also recommend the book Tricky Business, by Dave Barry, which is a light, humorous story of characters aboard a Florida gambling ship, whose lives change quickly when a gangland doublecross and robbery extinguish the fun. There is more than meets the eye in The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living, by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I want to read this one a second time to absorb the wisdom that lies at the conversational crossroads between a Buddhist monk and an American psychiatrist.

Murder on K Street

2010-01-06T10:53:00.000-08:00

Murder on K Street, by Margaret Truman. Ballantine Books; 2007.

Reviewed by Linnea Patrick

In Murder on K Street, Margaret Truman explores the world of the power brokers, lobbyists and influence peddlers in our nation's capital. This book is the last--her 23rd--book in Truman's "Capital Crimes" series. The story revolves around a Maryland prosecutor who helps to find the killer of a U.S. Senator's wife. The quest is personal, since the Senator was the prosecutor's closest friend in college. Bestselling fiction writer John Grisham presents The Last Juror, a story about a 23 year old small town newspaper publisher in Mississippi who covers a murder trial. As the trial progresses, the jurors are murdered, one by one. Michael Connelly's mystery novel, The Narrows, is the story of a female FBI agent and an unemployed Los Angeles cop who team up to track down a serial killer. They discover the killer is a former FBI agent who is stalking and killing his former proteges.

Queen Isabella

2009-12-30T10:37:00.001-08:00

Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England, by Alison Weir; Ballantine Books, 2006

Reviewed by Alice Fraser

Queen Isabella is a compelling and accessibly written account of Isabella of France's marriage into the English royal family. Her husband, Edward II, was bisexual, launching Isabella into situations that pushed the conventional boundaries of her time. This is an interesting portrayal of a charismatic and politically astute woman, and her subsequent rise to power. Lord Jim, by Joseph Conrad, is a classic story of Jim, and his momentous personal struggle with ethics, as seen through the eyes of Captain Marlow. Although this book requires some fortitude to wade through the more viscous half of the narrative, Conrad's writing is full of brilliant descriptive passages. The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde, is yet another classic book to enjoy. It is the engrossing story of Dorian Gray and his life of progressive corruption. The novel plays heavily on the themes of beauty, love, death, and morality, and ends with a gruesome twist.

A is for Alibi

2009-12-18T08:41:00.001-08:00

A is for Alibi, by Sue Grafton; Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1982

Reviewed by Mike Hamilton

A is for Alibi is a top notch story about Kinsey Millhone, a twice-divorced private eye. Sue Grafton has created a well developed plot studded with interesting places and real characters. Another very good choice is Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, by Mary Roach. How do you write a readable, and quite amusing book about cadavers? This author does, and makes an excellent read by taking a unique approach to issues surrounding death. For a change of pace, try C.S. Forester's The Hornblower Series. The series chronicles the career of Horatio Hornblower, from midshipman to top admiral in the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The book offers a good glimpse at life in England and other parts of the world at that time.

The Girl With No Shadow

2009-12-09T22:04:00.000-08:00

The Girl With No Shadow, by Joanne Harris; Black Swan Publishing, 2008

Reviewed by Cathy Colson

If you enjoy modern fairy tales, read The Girl With No Shadow, the sequel to Joanne Harris' bestselling book Chocolat. The characters have evolved; the romance between Vianne and Roux continues. Do they finally get it together? This book is full of magic and chocolate, with plenty of romance and a contest of wills. Craig Lesley's River Song is the modern-day story of Indian tribes that have historically lived along the Columbia River. This book tells of the process through which they lost all but 40 acres of their ancient homeland. Friends, Lovers, Chocolate, by Alexander McCall Smith, is a very peculiar mystery. This story revolves around the recipient of a heart transplant who needs to find the family of the donor to understand his recurring nightmares. Isabel is a kick!

Comfort Food

2009-12-02T09:41:00.000-08:00

Comfort Food, by Kate Jacobs; Putnam, 2008

Reviewed by Diane Allen

Comfort Food is a tasty novel about the competitive lives and occupations of two television cooking mavens--Augusta "Gus" Simpson, and former beauty queen Carmen Vega, who are forced to work together. This rivalry spices up the show, and a rating battle begins. Born on a Blue Day is an interesting memoir written by Daniel Tammet, an autistic savant. Tammet shares his life story, and recounts his meeting with Kim Peek, who was the inspiration behind the movie "Rainman". Tammet was also featured as "Brainman" in a BBC documentary. Hot House Flower and the 9 Plants of Desire by Margot Berwin, is an intriguing blend of botany, betrayal, strange people and exotic locations that enhance the story's magic and thriving romance.

The Ingenious Edgar Jones

2009-11-25T11:22:00.000-08:00

The Ingenious Edgar Jones, by Elizabeth Garner. Random House Publishing, 2009

Reviewed by Paul Rogland

Set in Oxford, England during the 1800's, The Ingenious Edgar Jones is a well-written and unique story of a young boy and his exceptional talents, and the impacts these talents have on his family. I also enjoyed the "noir" storyline of Amberville, by Tim Davys, about a city which is populated by stuffed animals who exhibit the range of human motivations and characteristics. This book also incorporates spiritual conflicts and paradoxes. The Sacred Book of the Werewolf, by Victor Pelevin, is a stimulating, fun and profound read. Pelevin is widely considered as one of the best Russian novelists. His writing is creative, funny, and tightly constructed.

People of the Book

2009-11-18T18:48:00.000-08:00

People of the Book, by Sally Fallon. 2007

Reviewed by Colleen McCaffrey.

This book provides a wonderful, fictionalized account of a modern day discovery of historic Jewish illuminated texts in Sarajevo. This storyteller weaves historical events from 1400 AD to present day. I also recommend the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall-Smith, is a great, light summer read, with well-defined characters and an exotic location. I also enjoyed Unaccustomed Earth, by Jhumpa Lahiri. This beautifully written book of short stories covers the immigrant experience in America. The characters are so vivid that they seem to come directly off the page.

Pillars of the Earth

2009-11-13T09:16:00.000-08:00

Pillars of the Earth
Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett. William Morrow. 1989

Reviewed by Mariah Watson

Be warned...this is a long book (almost 1000 pages of small print). Set in medieval twelfth century England, this book weaves the tale of a monk named Philip, who sets out to build a huge cathedral, with Tom, the mason who becomes the architect of the structure. It is a fun, interesting book. I also enjoyed the well-written A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini. It shows the disturbing reality of women's lives in Afghanistan. The story unfolds through the interwoven lives of two women who end up married to the same abusive husband. It's sad, but a good read. I highly recommend reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver--a true, fascinating story about a family who sets out to eat locally and seasonally for a year. This book also includes many interesting facts about growing vegetables, tips for planting, and recipes. Kingsolver's fine writing has literally changed the way I think about food.

Summer Reading Program Winner 2009

2009-10-30T10:52:00.000-07:00

Nourishing Traditions: the Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition. by Sally Fallon. 1999

reviewed by Brooke Forman

This book provides a great foundation for eating healthy. Every receipe I have made was delicious. I also enjoyed Sign with Your Baby, by Garcia W. Joseph. It helped my baby to communicated with me and we enjoyed the mustache man!

Now just for me, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. The description of the footbinding was a little hard to take but totally worth it. This is a love story worth reading.

Winds of Dune

2009-09-16T19:54:00.001-07:00

Winds of Dune. by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Tor Books. 2009

Reviewed by Library Patron

If you like to read about Frank Herbert's world of Dune than "Winds of Dune" might be just the thing for you. It's written by his son Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. It takes place immediately following "Dune Messiah" and before "Children of Dune" is set to begin. (Both by Frank Herbert) The authors have done a wonderful job of helping to fill in gaps in the life of Paul Atreides, also known as Muad 'Dib. We are treated to stories of Paul's youth, aiding in our understanding of how he came to be Emperor of the Known Universe. The duo of writers have also fleshed out the other characters as well helping to create a fuller image of the world of Dune and it's inhabitants. As an avid "Dune" fan, it's nice to have Brian and Kevin scouring Frank's notes so that the humble reader might have more of the dots connected creating a much larger, brighter picture for us.

The Time Traveler's Wife

2009-09-10T15:37:00.001-07:00

Time Traveler's Wife. by Audrey Niffennegger. 2003 Reviewed by Patron Ali Dyche

This book is unique in the sense that it covers many genres at once. It is the story of a man who can travel through time due to a genetic twist, so it's sci-fi/fantasy right? Yet it also is about his wife and what she goes through and their enduring love, so it is as well, a romance. I kept finding myself laughing throughout the story at dating anecdotes and such, so, is it humor too? And was it drama that caused the tears to roll at just the right times? A truly all encompassing and well written novel. Cheers to Audrey Niffennegger and her debut!

Tracy Kidder 's Surviving in the City, Against All Odds

2009-09-02T10:23:00.001-07:00

This looks like a very good book for the book club . I have it on order and can say more after I have actually read it .But all the reviews indicate that it is a multileveled book of a real story that had to be told .
Thanks, Beth Mackey

Literary Latte Reviews

2009-08-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

A Mercy by Toni Morrison. November 2008. Knopf

Reviewed by : Linnea Patrick

This is the story of a young slave girl given to a northern colonial merchant in payment of debt. She is never able to understand why her mother would let her go and keep her baby brother. This is a theme that continues from the Pulitzer prize winning book Beloved written in 1987. The voice of Florens is lyrical and full of passion. "I dream a dream that dreams back at me," she says. "Perhaps these words need the air that is out in the world. Need to fly up then fall, fall like ash over acres of primrose and mallow. . . . I am become wilderness but I am also Florens. In full. Unforgiven. Unforgiving. No ruth, my love. None. Hear me? Slave. Free. I last."

Preserving Summer's Bounty

2009-08-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

A Variety of Pickling, Canning, and Preserving Books.

reviewed by: Ali Dyche, Friends of the Library board.

Preserving Summer's Bounty by Susan McClure is a quick guide to freezing,canning,preserving and drying what you grow. It is beautifully laid out, easy to follow and comprehend. The mouth watering recipes are reminiscent of the Ball book. I will definitely want to check this out again. Putting up: A Year Round Guide to Canning in the Southern Tradition by Stephen Palmer Dowdney is a book with truely unique recipes. It is one I will continue to use for the choices for peaches, green tomatoes, and bean dip! What Can I Do With My Herbs? by Judy Barrett is a wonderful compilation of the most commonly used herbs and a few exotic ones as well. It has good advice on how to grow them and possible uses.

Between Heaven and Hell

2009-08-14T13:37:00.000-07:00

Between Heaven and Hell: A Dialog Somewhere Beyond Death with John F. Kennedy, C.S. Lewis and Aldous Huxley. Paul Kreeft. 2008

Reviewed by : April Canaday

As you may or may not know, Huxley, Lewis and Kennedy died within minutes of one another, and this book imagines what it would be like if they met each other in a type of Purgatory. One reviewer writes, "Kreeft writes out a very believable (and highly Socratic) debate between them. I highly suggest it. In the book, Kennedy represents the modernist; Huxley represents the eastern mystic; and Lewis represents the Christian. They debate about truth, Jesus, and textual issues. Lewis presents his Mere Christianity style of debate, avoiding the minor issues and focusing on the more important truths about God and Christ.One of my favorite lines from the book happens right after Kennedy complains that Lewis is too "black and white". Kennedy prefers the idea that everything is gray and that there is no absolute truth. Kennedy asks Lewis to demonstrate one thing that is "black and white", one absolute. Lewis responds, "I'll give you two... black and white."

The Awakening

2009-08-03T20:17:00.001-07:00

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong is the second book in the Darkest Powers Trilogy. It begins right where the first book (The Summoning) left off. Chloe Saunders has discovered that she is a necromancer: she can see and raise up the dead. She has recently escaped from Lyle House with her supernatural friends: Derek, Simon, and Rae. However she and Rae were caught and imprisoned in a laboratory run by an organization called the Edison Group. This organization is a sinister group that wants to control and exterminate unstable supernaturals. Chloe Saunders escapes and finds Derek and Simon. They are now fugitives on the run from the Edison Group and are trying to locate Simon's dad, the only person who could possibly help them.

Reviewed by Fuxia

The Summoning

2009-08-03T20:16:00.001-07:00

The Summoning is the first book of the Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong. Chloe Saunders wants to be a normal 15 year old but she has one problem: she can see ghosts. After an horrible encounter with a ghost she is sent off to Lyle house, a center for "disturbed" teens. At first Chloe just wants to get better but when her roommate disappears, Chloe begins to get suspicious about Lyle House and the other teens there. Why are they there? Who owns Lyle House? What is wrong with her? Step by step Chloe Saunders begins to uncover the truth about Lyle House, the residents there, and more her special ability.

Reviewed by Fuxia

2009-07-24T15:16:00.000-07:00

Breath

Tim Winton

Farrar, Straus, Giroux 2008

Reviewed by Keith Darrock

With writing as raw as a drying reef and smooth as a peeling left point, Breath delivers on every level. Set in rugged Western Australia in the 1970's - two boys searching for adventure are taken under the wings of a legendary big wave surfer. What they tap into will change them forever. Breath is one ride you don't wanna miss.

2009-07-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

The 19th Wife: A novel. David Ebershoff. Random House. New York. 2008

Reviewed by patron: Catherine Robinson

This is a well written "mystery" about polygamy in Utah. The story moves back and forth between Brigham Young's 19th wife and a modern day 19th wife. The story is especially insightful about the effect of polygamy on the men and the children as well as the women.

Summer Reading

2009-07-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

Borderlines. Nevada Barr. G.P Putnum's Sons. 2009

Reviewed by patron: Kathleen Kenneweg

First, I love reading mysteries set in the National Parks, the ones I've visited and the ones that I have yet to discover. Second, I enjoy her lead character, Anna Pigeon, who solves the mysteries despite being surrounded by the inept gang of male park rangers. If you have ever worked at one of these parks you know what I mean!

Happy Fourth of July!

2009-07-03T11:39:00.000-07:00

America America. Ethan Canin. Random House. 2008
Reviewed by Pauline Carter

Here are two books I got from "book club" table at Lynnwood library. America America by Ethan Canin is a Richard Russo type novel of politics and family life in a midwestern town. Named a 2008 "best books of the year" book by Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and other papers. John Updike liked it. I really enjoyed it. The next is Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris (2008)which I just started but looks great. A first novel by a woman who lived in Saudi Arabia and also a "best books" choice of Washington Post. It is a mystery set in Saudi Arabia so lots of interesting and new to me info about that country. Excellent writing in both.

Cris Wilson adds: If you don't have the time to read David McCullough's John Adams this week check out the HBO Miniseries starring Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney as the spirited Abigail. There is also an interview with David McCullough at his home and in his "writing shed." Port Townsend residents will love this feature.

Literary Latte Reviews

2009-06-21T14:20:00.000-07:00

This summer our patrons are sending in reviews to earn Literary Latte coupons. We will post them here. Cheers to reading diversity!

Bill Bryson. Mother Tongue.

reviewed by: Lauren Brown

While some of this history of English is familiar territory, it is told with Bryson's trademark humor and offers a few insightful nuggets. Lauren also recommends, When You Catch an Adjective, Kill It, She says, "This is a usage book, very entertaining, that challenged many of my long-held preconceptions."

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

2009-06-11T19:01:00.000-07:00

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. Dai Sijie and Ina Rilke. Anchor. 2002

reviewed by: Jennifer Nielsen

I picked up Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress from your staff picks shelves and was very glad I did. It was very engaging. I enjoyed the story and the style. I teach English at PTHS and as part of our World Literature curriculum we read the great Orwell classic, 1984. I can see ways I will use Balzac...to enrich our study of 1984 since both are about oppressive regimes and how people cope with the loss of great works of literature.

2009-04-20T14:51:00.000-07:00

The Theory of Clouds. Stephane Audeguy. 2007

Reviewed by Sarah Fairbank

I am now fascinated and interested in clouds and have joined the Cloud Appreciation Society. This all started with two books from Port Townsend Public Library: (I LOVE having a book that leads to another and then onward in an ever increasing and never ending palette of ideas and questions. ) The first book was "The Cloudspotter's Guide: the Science, History and Culture of Clouds", by Gavin Pretor-Pinney 2006. The other, "The Theory of Clouds" by Stephane Audeguy ,2007, is a novel about an archival librarian who works with an eccentric collector of cloud memorabilia . Her job become listening to his story rather and doing her work. It is the story of story of the classifying and naming of clouds. The academic hubbub and politics of presenting this to a scientific community with all the cast of characters, the stealing of work, the wheedling, the posturing. One interesting and creepy aspect of this book is that many of the cloud scientists lost it and became mentally ill.

Sarah Fairbank

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

2009-03-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Dial Press Book. August 2008.

Reviewed by Cris Wilson

Port Townsend already loves this book. I think we are a mirror to the Guernsey Literary Society and the island's regular folks ourselves. If you enjoy Alexander McCall Smith's "Sunday Philosophy Club" series you'll like this even more. Traditional without seeming stale, and romantic without being naïve” (San Francisco Chronicle), this epistolary novel, based on Mary Ann Shaffer’s painstaking, lifelong research, is a homage to booklovers and a nostalgic portrayal of an era. As her quirky, loveable characters cite the works of Shakespeare, Austen, and the Brontës, Shaffer subtly weaves those writers’ themes into her own narrative.(Book List) However, it is the tragic stories of life under Nazi occupation that animate the novel and give it its urgency; furthermore, the novel explores the darker side of human nature without becoming maudlin. The Rocky Mountain News criticized the novel’s lighthearted tone and characterizations, but most critics agreed that, with its humor and optimism, Guernsey “affirms the power of books to nourish people during hard times” (Washington Post).

Reading Ivan Doig

2008-11-07T09:30:00.001-08:00

Book Lover's Cafe met on November 3 and discussed favorite books written by Seattle author Ivan Doig. Residents of Port Townsend particularly enjoy reading "Winter Brothers". The book relates the life of James Swan, an early resident of Port Townsend and Neah Bay and a collector of Northwest artifacts for the Smithsonian Institution.

We also enjoy reading the Montana trilogy that begins with "Dancing at the Rascal Fair", a personal all time favorite of mine. The family saga continues with "English Creek" and concludes with "Ride with Me, Mariah Montana.

Ivan Doig, the author selected for November, gave a radio interview Friday 11/07/08 about his latest book "The Eleventh Man" on the Weekday 9 a.m. hour on public radio station KUOW 94.9.

Here's the link to download a podcast:

http://www.kuow.org/program.php?current=WK1

Kathleen in Port Townsend, WA where retirement is great

Sue Estes recommends "Agent Zig Zag" by Dan MacIntyre. 2007

Vivian Chapin thinks the novel "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wroblowski 2008, and "The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey" by Candice Millard, 2005, are well worth your time .

"A Sudden Country", by Karen Fisher is highly recommended by Brad Offutt.

WHAT WE ARE READING

2008-10-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

Librarians out rowing.
August 26, 2008.

It's now autumn and we are excited about all the great books we have been reading and want to share with you. Here are our current staff picks:

Theresa Percy Sante Fe Trail: It's History, Legends and Lore by David Dary. 2001
Jody Glaubman Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon. 2007
Carol Costello Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson. 1994
Bev Moore The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. 2008
Cris Wilson Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo. 2007
Terry Campbell Bangkok Haunts by John Burdett. 2007
Christina Lobo The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. 2004
Kiesy Strauchon Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule by Thomas Frank. 2008
Lee Brown The Egg and I by Betty MacDonald. 1958
Lynn Ring Down the Garden Path by Beverley Nichols. 1932
Kitty Gibson The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice. 2006
Kathi Johnson The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood. 2007
Jean Tarascio The Forbidden Daughter by Shobhan Bantwell. 2008
Dave Van Kleeck In the Spirit of Happiness by Monks of New Skete 2001

Book clubs looking for ideas can check out these helpful websites:
http://www.readinggroupchoices.com/

http://bookgroupbuzz.booklistonline.com/

Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer

2008-08-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer by Warren St. John. Crown. 2004.

Reviewed by David Van Kleeck, Staff

Thank goodness college football season is just around the corner! Maybe you have to have been raised in the South, like me, to understand that sentiment. It’s a land of passions. Sweet tea, BBQ, Baptist churches, tailgating, and college football.

Warren St. John’s book gives the reader a wide ranging insight into some of these passions. For an entire season he joined the legions of University of Alabama fans that travel by RV to all home and away Tide games. He knows where of he speaks and he knows how to put it down on paper. Growing up a Bama fan in Birmingham, where Bear Bryant was and still is considered a god; he later went to Columbia University and now writes for the New York Times. With just the right blend of storytelling and analysis, he shows us what it’s like inside the hearts and minds of many typical Southeastern Conference football fans.

The whole RV subculture that surrounds college football is a fantastic bit of the American way of life. In Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer St. John skillfully illuminates the Crimson Tide version of it. Sure, some of these folks are rednecks. Sure, some of them seem to have plenty of disposable income. Enough in fact, to afford RVs that are nicer than my house; maybe yours too! And, no doubt, some of them have a psychological condition that a team of doctors couldn’t decode, but it sure is fun to read about them.

If you’re a college football fan, you’ll feel right at home with this book. If you aren’t, then you’ll get a delightful glimpse into the wonderful world these folks live in.

Spoiler alert: The title comes from a cheer Alabama fans chant near the end of games when they’re winning - great fun!

Here’s a link to St. John’s Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer website: http://www.rammerjammeryellowhammer.com/

the post-birthday world

2008-08-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

the post-birthday world. Lionel Shriver. Harper Collins. 2008

Reviewed by Cris Wilson

What would you choose? Passion and risk, with a handsome London East-End Snooker champion or security and domesticity, with a rumpled American think-tank intellectual? This relationship pageturner gives both options a go for Irina Galina. In one chapter she stays with popcorn-in-front-of-the-telly, Lawrence, and in the next chapter she goes on tour with Ramsey the snooker player, staying in 5 star hotels, eating scallops in saffron cream, and drinking till morning.

Irina is a children's book illustrator and it looks like she's going to throw her career away as she goes on tour for over a year with Ramsey. The reader is not sure Irina should choose to stay with Lawrence either. Why is he going to Russia for a month without her? Life does not always let us keep the cake in the post-birthday world. This is my pick for a summer beach read.

Not Even Wrong: Adventures in Autism

2008-08-02T16:23:00.001-07:00

Not Even Wrong: Adventures in Autism. Paul Collins. Bloomsbury House. New York. 2004

Reviewed by Dorothy Coakley, Patron

I fly back and forth from Port Townsend to San Francisco about once a month. Sometimes I pick up a book from the PT library for the journey. If I forget, I get one from a vendor at SEATAC. All of the books are short enough to be read on one flight but interesting enough to take away the tedium of travel.

Paul Collins is an articulate author, researcher and reviewer who happens to have an autistic son named Morgan. The child can read, spell, and do arithmetic, but lives in a world of his own. Unable to answer to his own name, Morgan is a riddle to his own parents and to those around him.

As Morgan's dad struggles to communicate with the boy, he also researches autism in general. His studies include "Peter the Wild Boy, (an early autistic savant), Temple Grandin, the autistic animal researcher, and a visit to the Autism Center at the University of Washington which was "funded by an unnamed Microsoft executive."

Paul Collins has given us a journey into the joys and stresses of parenthood, the meaning of "normal behavior"and a new understanding of the nature of autism. All of this is a short, lively book that can be read on a two hour journey. Put it into your flight bag.

Dorothy Coakley (Port Townsend/Berkeley)

1776

2008-07-23T08:55:00.000-07:00

1776. by David McCullough. Simon & Schuster. 2005

Reviewed by Dave Van Kleeck

David McCullough is a great story teller. 1776 is another fine example of his Pulitzer Prize winning ability to engage even the most history-phobic among us and turn whatever subject he tackles into a fascinating read.

Focusing on the title year, he shows us many of the key events and participants in this critical period of the American Revolution. We see just how tenuous the American cause was, not just in the face of superior British forces, but in the making-it-up-as-we-go-along strategies of the Continental Congress and the army under his command.

Central to McCullough’s book is the remarkable growth of Washington as a commander. Through hard lessons learned on the battlefield, in winter camps, and in his dealings with the Congress, he faced an incredibly steep learning curve. Yet, learn he did, and McCullough deftly describes this transformation in Washington. At less than 300 pages of text 1776 is an intriguing read. Due to McCullough’s wonderful writing one can easily soak up the rich history of the era. Whether reading history is at the top of your list or well down it, I bet you’ll find that 1776 is well worth the time. Enjoy.

Also, if you’re a fan of David McCullough as a narrator, you’ll love his reading of 1776 in the book on CD edition. The library has both the regular and large print editions of the book as well as the book on CD.

Here’s a link to a piece on NPR about 1776. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4724787

Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kantner

2008-07-19T15:19:00.000-07:00

Ordinary Wolves. Seth Kantner.
Milkweed Editions. 2004

Reviewed by Cris Wilson

Although this book is a novel, it struck me as one of the most vividly accurate books about life in bush Alaska yet written. Forget Krakauer and even McPhee. The book's narrator is a young white boy named Cutuk, who lives with his father and his brother and sister outside a native village accessible only by mail plane. I once was a teacher in a similar village where I flew out to work with white families living a subsistance lifestyle. I know the toll it takes on the kids who can't claim membership in either world. That was the life of Seth Kantner who was raised 200 miles from the nearest village. He expresses the wonder and the heartbreak of growing up and trying to find a way as an adult when the only place he truely feels right is in camp by the river. Who are the wolves? Are they on the tundra or in Anchorage? A truely extraordinary story.

2008-06-17T16:13:00.000-07:00

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace One school at a Time

by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

Greg's story begins on K2 in the Balti region of Pakistan as a great mountain climbing survival tale. But this is not the most exciting part of the book. We learn that the same qualities that make a successful climber also enable Greg to overcome obstacles to build a one room school in remote Northern Pakistan. He survives fatwas issued by mullahs and kidnapping in Waziristan. He succeeds by being a completely genuine citizen of this earth. He then works on, from his basement in Bozeman, to establish the Central Asia Institute that has built 64 schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as created vocational opportunities and libraries for the women in these villages. Yes, all this, while the Taliban and Al-Qaeda were also on the move in a region where Americans are mostly feared and hated. This book is truly inspirational and hopeful in a time when good news is hard to find.

Cris Wilson

2008-06-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

Suite Francaise

by Irene Nemirovsky

This book is a great mixture of imagination and history of the fall of France in 1940. The first section "Storm in June," follows a cross section of the Parisian population as they come to terms with the impending disaster. Most of the characters are from the elite class and are spoilt and self centered. They feel they have a right to good food and lodging as they flee the capital. The story shows how much caste and class matter and how people were really on their own. The French countryside in all its lush summer beauty is described in contrast to the devastating path of the war.

The second part, "Dolce" covers the occupation by the Germans of a small French village. The French see the war as a conflict between the Germans and the British and they are just waiting for a return to peace and a normal life. Nemirovsky describes how easy it is for women to befriend the young German soldiers, especially when most of the village men are fighting or imprisoned. The Germans are depicted as individuals capable of acts of consideration and kindness instead of a monolithic evil force rolling over the countryside.

Once you have finished the book it is vital to read the appendix. The story of Irene Nemirovsky during the war and then what happened to her manuscripts until they were published 60 years later is another book in itself.

Cris Wilson

2008-06-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
by Jean Dominique Bauby

This spring the library began hosting a new book club called the Book Lover's Cafe. We meet at the Port Townsend Community Center Lounge the first Monday of the month at 2:30. The group began with a short work of nonfiction, Jean Dominique Bauby's “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.” Bauby was paralyzed by a brain stem stroke that left him a quadriplegic with "locked-in syndrome" able only to blink the left eye lid to communicate. Bauby helped us empathize with the emotions he felt when he vividly recalled "the simmering memories" of preparing and eating meals and the loss of physical activity and sensual touch. We also noted the lines that the "glory of friendship keeps the vultures at bay". Bauby so appreciated letters when friends wrote of slices from their everyday life rather than spiritual or philosophical bromides.

His writing was neither bitter nor full of self pity. It was a very realistic description of his plight yet full of ironic humor and lyrical flights of imagination.

We also discussed future book club reads. Here are some of the suggested titles.

Life of Pi- Yann Martel
An award winner in Canada (and winner of the 2002 Man Booker Prize), Life of Pi, Yann Martel's second novel, should prove to be a breakout book in the U.S. At one point in his journey, Pi recounts, "My greatest wish--other than salvation--was to have a book. A long book with a never-ending story. One that I could read again and again, with new eyes and fresh understanding each time." It's safe to say that the fabulous, fablelike Life of Pi is such a book. --Brad Thomas Parsons

Bel Canto- Ann Patchett
Amazon.com's Best of 2001In an unnamed South American country, a world-renowned soprano sings at a birthday party in honor of a visiting Japanese industrial titan. His hosts hope that Mr. Hosokawa can be persuaded to build a factory in their Third World backwater. Alas, in the opening sequence, just as the accompanist kisses the soprano, a ragtag band of 18 terrorists enters the vice-presidential mansion through the air conditioning ducts. Their quarry is the president, who has unfortunately stayed home to watch a favorite soap opera. And thus, from the beginning, things go awry.

The Inheritance of Loss- Kiran Desai
Desai's second novel is set in the nineteen-eighties in the northeast corner of India, where the borders of several Himalayan states—Bhutan and Sikkim, Nepal and Tibet—meet. At the head of the novel's teeming cast is Jemubhai Patel, a Cambridge-educated judge who has retired from serving a country he finds "too messy for justice." He lives in an isolated house with his cook, his orphaned seventeen-year-old granddaughter, and a red setter, whose company Jemubhai prefers to that of human beings. The tranquillity of his existence is contrasted with the life of the cook's son, working in grimy Manhattan restaurants, and with his granddaughter's affair with a Nepali tutor involved in an insurgency that irrevocably alters Jemubhai's life. Briskly paced and sumptuously written, the novel ponders questions of nationhood, modernity, and class, in ways both moving and revelatory.

Elegy for Iris- John Bayley
Memoir by the husband of novelist Iris Murdoch of her life and effects of her struggle with Alzhemiers

The Worst Hard Time- Tim Egan
From The New Yorker On April 14, 1935, the biggest dust storm on record descended over five states, from the Dakotas to Amarillo, Texas. People standing a few feet apart could not see each other; if they touched, they risked being knocked over by the static electricity that the dust created in the air. The Dust Bowl was the product of reckless, market-driven farming that had so abused the land that, when dry weather came, the wind lifted up millions of acres of topsoil and whipped it around in "black blizzards," which blew as far east as New York. This ecological disaster rapidly disfigured whole communities. Egan's portraits of the families who stayed behind are sobering and far less familiar than those of the "exodusters" who staggered out of the High Plains. He tells of towns depopulated to this day, a mother who watched her baby die of "dust pneumonia," and farmers who gathered tumbleweed as food for their cattle and, eventually, for their children.

In the Heart of the Sea: the Sinking of a the Whale Ship Essex- Nathaniel Philbrick
Amazon.comThe appeal of Dava Sobel's Longitude was, in part, that it illuminated a little-known piece of history through a series of captivating incidents and engaging personalities. Nathaniel Philbrick's In the Heart of the Sea is certainly cast from the same mold, examining the 19th-century Pacific whaling industry through the arc of the sinking of the whaleship Essex by a boisterous sperm whale. The story that inspired Herman Melville's classic Moby-Dick has a lot going for it--derring-do, cannibalism, rescue--and Philbrick proves an amiable and well-informed narrator, providing both context and detail. We learn about the importance and mechanics of blubber production--a vital source of oil--and we get the nuts and bolts of harpooning and life aboard whalers. We are spared neither the nitty-gritty of open boats nor the sucking of human bones dry.

Cris Wilson

Party Out of Bounds

2008-06-16T11:16:00.000-07:00

Party Out of Bounds: the B-52s, R.E.M. and the Kids Who Rocked Athens, Georgia. by Rodger Lyle Brown. everthemore books. 2003.

Reviewed by Dave Van Kleeck

Just think about the wonderful trajectory of some of the centers of creativity in American popular music over the last few decades. It seems like you could skip effortlessly back and forth across the country, at least a couple of times, in trying to get to each one. Traveling from the Folk scene of Greenwich Village, out to the vibes of the San Francisco Bay area and Los Angeles, then back to Detroit for the Motown sound, and down south for the Southern Rock scene coming out of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, then to the College Rock milieu of Athens, Georgia, and finally back out west to Seattle for the Grunge Rock scene, you could easily cover a lot of ground. Think about the lives and times these trajectories have covered too. Stopping at each of these centers of inventiveness you'd work your way through the Sixties, the Seventies, the Eighties, and the Nineties. Whew!

Just visualize some of the artists and bands that have come from each of these pivotal places: there is Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan singing in Greenwich Village; Big Brother & the Holding Co., Country Joe & the Fish, and the Grateful Dead playing in San Francisco; the Byrds and the Buffalo Springfield launching folk rock in L.A.; Smoky Robinson, the Temptations, and Martha & the Vandellas shaking in Detroit; the Marshall Tucker Band and the Allman Brothers Band jamming in the 70s South; the B-52s, Love Tractor, and R.E.M. rocking in Athens; and finally, Pearl Jam and Nirvana putting Seattle on the map. Kind of restores your faith in America, doesn't it?

In view of the release of R.E.M.'s Accelerator album this past week, I thought it would be fun to highlight a book in the library's collection that focuses on the Athens, GA scene of the 1980s. Entitled Party Out of Bounds: The B-52's, R.E.M. and the Kids Who Rocked Athens, Georgia and written by Rodger Lyle Brown, it lays out much of the carrying on that went on in the town where College Rock stirred itself out of dingy clubs and frat parties into the mainstream of popular music. Originally published in 1991 and reprinted with a new introduction in 2003, it "tells the story of a town and a time that has become legendary in the history of contemporary popular art and music. Witten by someone who was at the center of the Athens music scene, the book is a 'you-are-there' account of wild kids rampaging in ramshackle houses jamming on pawnshop guitars, creating the scene that gave birth to such important bands as the B-52s and R.E.M."

As you'll learn from the book there was so much more going on in Athens than just the rise of these two bands. It was also a cultural nexus of highly talented and highly original artists, musicians, and poets. The B-52s and R.E.M. were but a part of this vibrant, peculiarly Southern vortex. Some of my favorites from the Athens scene include Jim Herbert, the painter, filmmaker, and Michael Stipe's art professor at the University of Georgia with his eccentric, yet highly engaging aesthetic; the band Pylon (all you have to do is watch the footage of them in the film "Athens, GA: Inside Out" to see why); and Love Tractor, another unconventional band that pushed boundaries and stirred a friendly rivalry with R.E.M. Even the visionary folk artist Reverend Howard Finster appears in the book.

All in all, this is a fun read. As the author freely admits, it’s a “conjured” history and certainly not scholarly, but for those of you interested in this stop on the trek across America's musical landscape, it's way worth your time!

Welcome to Pageturners

2008-04-28T17:07:00.000-07:00

In "People of the Book" Geraldine Brooks has created an astonishing story based on the history of the actual Sarajevo Haggadah, an ancient Jewish prayer text. The Haggadah is an illuminated manuscript from the fourteenth century that went missing during the Serbian bombing of Sarajevo in 1992. The chief librarian of the Bosnian National Museum, a Muslim, risked his life to rescue the Haggadah. In 1996 the book has come to life again.

In Brooks’ novel Hannah Heath, a rare book specialist, a very skilled conservator, is chosen to work her powers on the Haggadah. She brings to her task her amazing ability to analyze, interpret and imagine parts of the journey the book has taken. Hannah discovers several bits in the aged text’s spine: a piece of an insect’s wing, a reddish stain, a grain of salt and a white hair. From these small spare clues she teases out the stories of several people giving us a very rich tapestry of character and place, spanning centuries and cities, Seville, Tarragona, Venice, Vienna. And we follow another road, Hannah’s other journey, her own story, revealing fiction, intrigue and deceit as she criss crosses continents tracking the Haggadah's clues.

Brooks won the 2006 Pulitzer prize for fiction for her novel “March”. Her work for the Wall Street Journal as a foreign correspondent in Bosnia, the Middle East and Somalia have greatly informed her writing of other peoples, other cultures.

by KZ