A Great Summer

Wow, it's been a fantastic summer here at the library! Summer Reading Club was a huge success, and we had a significant increase in our adult participants this year. I hope that all of you enjoyed reading our book reviews, suggestions, and stories on this blog as much as we enjoyed writing them!

For now, however, it's time to take a blogging hiatus. The kids are back in school and summer's almost over - it's amazing how time has flown by! But we'll be back again next June with more books and library news that you won't want to miss. In the meantime, keep an eye on http://columbuslibrary.org for information on new titles, library programs and events, and details about next year's Summer Reading Club.

Thanks for reading, and see you next summer!

Leave those books alone!

I was reading The New York Times one morning and came across an article by A.E. Hotchner, a friend of the late Ernest Hemingway, regarding a revised edition of A Moveable Feast. Apparently a Hemingway grandson didn't like how his grandmother (wife #2) was portrayed and claims that the book was put together by Hemingway's wife (#4) after his death. Hotchner asserts that he was with Hemingway in the late 1950's when he was presented with an old trunk he had left at the Ritz in Paris in the 1920s that contained notebooks full of his observations and thoughts. Hotchner says he even got to read the final draft of the manuscript before Hemingway's death so the assertion that it was hobbled together by Mary Hemingway is not true. It reminds me of another story recently in the news regarding a Swedish novelist using the protagonist from J.D. Salinger's famous novel, The Catcher in the Rye as an elderly character in his own novel. Salinger sued the author on the basis of copyright infringement and won. Not all authors are so lucky. I remember years ago when Margaret Mitchell's heirs hired author Alexandra Ripley (who had already made a name for herself writing her own novels) to write a sequel to Gone With the Wind. Mario Puzo's The Godfather was published in 1969. Puzo died in 1999 and his publisher had a contest in the earlier part of this decade to find an author to write two sequels. Later this summer another book will be published as a sequel to Sidney Sheldon's Master of the Game. I believe it is the author's prerogative to write a sequel to their own work. If they felt that there was more to be done with their characters, they would have done so. I am not saying that these new books might not be any good (I don't read them on principle) but I think the authors in question should rely on their own creativity in coming up with characters and stories. Am I the only one who feels like these sequels and re-imaginings are cheating somehow? Writers and publishers seem to be cashing in on another writer's success by turning someone else's genuine creativity into a brand name under which to sell their own wares. Consider this: V.C. Andrews died in 1986 and has published more books since she died than she ever did while alive. Does this trend bother anyone else?

Memories of Books

The other day while driving home from work I heard a song on the radio I hadn’t heard in awhile. I used to love the song and played it nonstop on my i-pod when it first came out. It made me a little sad to realize that I hadn’t listened to it in so long. I was glad to hear it and turned up the volume and enjoyed the moment. It also got me thinking; hearing an old song you once enjoyed can immediately take you back where you were when you first heard the song. A good book can do the same, instantly take you back to a moment or feeling you associated with the book.

Senior year of high school I put off reading The Scarlet Letter until the day before the entire book was due to be read. I spent that Sunday out on the porch at my childhood home reading about Hester Prynne and trying my best to finish the book in time (which I did, but this was really not a good idea). Now anytime a teen comes in looking for the book to read for their school assignment, I think of that Sunday at home.

Last March we had those horrific ice storms and the library gave us a snow day (YAY!) one Saturday I was supposed to work. It was perfect timing, the day before I had gotten the new Jodi Picoult novel, Change of Heart. I spent what would have been my eight hour shift starting and finishing this book. Anytime I see this book now, I always think of the thrill of a snow day and of the warmth of reading in bed for 8 hours, only getting up for another cup of tea.

These are just two of my book reading memories, moments that I’ll associate with the books. I read so much it’s hard to always recall where I was when I read a certain book. Like certain songs though, certain book moments just remain memorable. What moments with books have you had? Can you remember a particular picture or chapter book from childhood and where you were when you read it? Do you ever see a book on your book shelf, or ours, and instantly remember where you were when you read it?

Current Read: Stop that Girl by Elizabeth McKenzie

What if Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby was a true story?

When you read Chris Bohjalian's The Double Bind, you have to go on the assumption that events from F. Scott Fitzgerald's famous novel The Great Gatsby really happened. The story opens with college student Laurel Estabrook biking through the woods and she is brutally attacked. The details are fuzzy and revealed from her perspective, but she is adamant that she was not raped. The psychological impact of this attack is well-known to Laurel's friends and associates.

In the present, Laurel is a social worker. She learns that one of her clients, a homeless man named Bobby Crocker has died and she goes to collect his meager belongings from the place where he had been staying. She finds this box that he always carried around. Inside are hundreds of photographs from the 1960's and early 1970's which makes her wonder about Bobby's life before everything went downhill. He was obviously a talented photographer and some of his photos were of very famous people. One photograph in particular catches Laurel's eye. It is of herself on a bicycle seemingly just before her attack. She discovers other photos of places from her childhood home in West Egg. Pictures of the Gatsby and Buchannan estates. Some pictures are of Daisy Buchannan, her daughter Pamela and a young boy. Laurel is convinced that Bobby Crocker is that young boy. The child born after Gatsby was murdered and Tom and Daisy reconciled. She even speculates that he might have been the result of Daisy's affair with Gatsby.

Laurel becomes obsessed with learning Bobby's story to the dismay of everyone around her. She returns to West Egg and talks to people who might have remembered the Buchannan's youngest child, but few have any details to offer. She even interviews Pamela, now an elderly woman who sadly recounts her brother's problems, but assures Laurel that this Bobby Crocker was not her brother and she doesn't know why he had those photographs of her family. As Laurel's search for the truth becomes self-destructive, we realize that she is not so much searching for Bobby Crocker's truth, but rather her own.

I saw this book reviewed in print and saw an interview with Chris Bohjalian on The Today Show. Something about it piqued my interest. It isn't often that you come across a book that you just have to have right now. I couldn't wait for a reserve at the library so I bought it. The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite books and hearing the author talk about the true-life inspiration for this book made it even more compelling. There was a homeless man who died leaving a box of amazing photographs hinting at a richer life than his end would make one believe. It ties into what Nick Carraway, the narrator of The Great Gatsby says. "Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." The amazing black and white photography of Bob "Soupy" Campbell is featured throughout the book.

Stumble upons

I love audiobook surprises; you know what I mean - a random title that ends up being much more than expected. For example, I just listened to The Lincoln Lawyer, my first Michael Connelly audio (I know, I know, he's been around forever, always going to the best sellers list - but I hadn't tried him before). The big find was the narrator - Adam Grupper - he's wonderful! The story was good too but Mr. Grupper's reading was perfect. I have little patience for male narrators who use an affected throaty or high pitched or dumb blonde voice for women but Mr. Grupper was spot on! I will watch for more Connelly/Grupper titles in the future.

Another "hmmm, what's this?" find was Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. Wow, what an ending! (I think I may actually have said that out loud as I finished the audio.) I never saw it coming.

The Old Book Debate

Fiction vs Non-Fiction. Does reading non fiction make you seem smarter? Is reading fiction an escape from reality? When someone asks if I like reading fiction or non fiction better, I never know how to answer. Sometimes I’m in the mood to read a non fiction story just to know that the people in the book are real and the story really happened to them. Other times I want to escape into fiction books where the happily ever after is usually hiding in the last few chapters.

I have tons of favorite fiction books and authors, but my most recent favorite non fiction read is Crazy by Pete Earley. This book just sticks with me. The tragedy of loss of options for treating the mentally ill is heartbreaking. The story told from the father’s perspective gives the reader insight on how hard the family’s situation is.

I guess I like non fiction because sometimes there isn’t a happy ending and nothing is really resolved, but the “characters” still have to move forward. It’s a little more real than fiction. However, sometimes after a long day, who wants to curl up with reality? Do you have strong preference for fiction or non fiction books? What do you like and dislike about each?

Current read: Murder by Family by Kent Whitaker

Suspense in a corporate setting

A few years ago, I picked up a book by Joseph Finder not expecting to like it. His books are a little bit like John Grisham in that the protagonists tend to be men in their early thirties up against some powerful force. Whereas Grisham's books have a legal setting, Finder's take place in the corporate world. I never really got into Grisham's work, but I really look forward to a new Joseph Finder novel.

Paranoia begins with Adam Cassidy, a bored white-collar cubicle rat, attending a retirement party for a man who worked on the loading dock for many years. The company is not aware that they threw such a lavish retirement party because Adam finagled an account to make the funds available. Unfortunately, someone does notice that Adam did this and he is called into a meeting with security, CEO Nick Wyatt and a human resources representative. The case is presented to him as are the consequences of embezzling funds from the company. He is looking at some heavy prison time...unless he does something for Wyatt. Wyatt wants him to go to work for their biggest rival, Trion which has been working on a top secret project. With prison as his only alternative, Adam agrees to the scheme. With a heavily padded resume, Adam gets a job with Trion. Soon he is working closely with CEO Jock Goddard. Adam loves the perks of his new job...a great apartment, fancy car, huge paycheck and a boss he actually likes and respects, but his conscience bothers him. He wants to come clean to Goddard, but can't. There is a twist at the end that I never saw coming. I love it when there is a twist I never see coming.

Killer Instinct starts off with Jason Steadman driving his car into a ditch while gabbing on his cell phone. He gets a ride home from tow truck driver Kurt Semko. They begin talking about the baseball game on the radio and hit it off. Semko has a military background and Jason is a salesman for an electronics company. They bump into each other again and Jason tells him there is an opening at work for a security position and encourages him to apply. Semko gets the job as head of security and soon things start going very well for Jason. The star salesman's car stalls on the way to an important presentation. Then there is a problem with his computer which makes his star begin to dim in the eyes of their bosses. If Jason suspects Kurt is behind it, he doesn't let on. When people begin to die, he no longer can. If Kurt Semko is a dangerous friend to have, he is an even more dangerous enemy.

Power Play takes place at a corporate retreat in the remote Canadian woods. Jake Landry is by no means a high level executive but his presence was requested by the CEO on this outing. She asks him to help her uncover some corruption in the group. Soon the cabin is attacked seemingly by a group of hunters and the executives are taken hostage. It soon becomes clear that these hunters know more about the group and their business and that they aren't your run of the mill backwoods hunters.

Watch for Vanished<> which comes out August 18, 2009.

Crave Jane Austen?

I love Jane Austen. And if you love Jane Austen, you'll love Georgette Heyer. Heyer is Jane Austen with a delightful edge. Anchored by perfect historical detail in the Regency era, Heyer's books are populated with a cast of wonderful characters bent on pursuing their own desires. The humor of her stories lies in the conventional nature of these desires (matrimony, money, managing one's relations) and the unconventional ways in which they are achieved. Interfering matrons, scheming rakes, bumbling fops, and giggling schoolgirls endanger their reputations while their respectable guardians seek to preserve them against a backdrop of Polite, Slightly Ridiculous Society.

Start with Black Sheep. Abagail Wendover goes head to head with the uncle of a handsome fortune-hunting rake... who is bent on seducing her young (and very rich) niece. Abagail pleads for him to restrain his nephew, but is astonished when Uncle Miles refuses to take any part in discouraging the romance. Abagail's astonishment deepens when Miles, the scandalously entertaining black sheep of his family, seems to take an interest in her. Read this book and follow the tour de force of a rake's attempt to beguile an innocent, and laugh along as Abagail and Miles attempt to frustrate his plot. The chemistry between them is delightful, and their encounters are nothing short of hilarious.

Another must-read is The Grand Sophy. Raised by her diplomat father in a succession of foreign countries, unconventional Sophy astonishes and delights a houseful of her relatives when she pays them a visit. Sophy--a young woman with too much independence and not enough propriety--uses her matchmaking skills and money to reorganize the lives of everyone around her. Charles, the formidably proper head of the family, is by turns amused, perplexed, and disapproving of Sophy. In spite of the numerous obstacles in her path, can Sophy free Charles from his engagement to a cold hearted fiance even as she attempts to disentangle his frivolous siblings from trouble? If anyone can do it, the Grand Sophy can!

Too dark for summer?

I just finished City of Thieves by David Benioff. It takes place in Russia during World War II and the Siege of Leningrad. It is about two young Russian men who are arrested by the Germans and are ordered by a colonel to find a dozen eggs for him in a city that is starving. It is well-written and fast-paced but it felt weird reading about freezing starving people during these humid, sultry days we're having.

I've just started Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, and boy, dark is the word! Dark, creepy, cynical; about a young woman who is the only survivor of her family's murder, except for her brother who (maybe?) did the killing. I like it, but I think I need some chick-lit after this!

Sure, it sounds interesting, but I don't read that genre....

There once was a time when fiction genres were pretty standardized. Romance novels were a man and a virginal woman who are destined to live happily ever once some conflict is overcome. Horror books were about monsters and blood and things that go bump in the night. Science Fiction....oh no....robots and space ships! Fantasy was wizards and warlocks and fairies. Westerns featured manly men, fallen women with hearts of gold, guns and some tumbleweed making its way down the street. Mysteries were either the hard-boiled detective or the little English lady with the a keen sense of observation. Sometimes we think stereotypically about genre books and the people who read them. That may have been true way back when, but now there are so many writers who do not conform to a specific genre that you are cutting yourself off from some great books. This nonconformity also makes it difficult for the library to know for sure where to shelve them. It is a love story which makes it a romance but it has a vampire which makes it horror and they solve a crime which kind of makes it a mystery....where to shelve it? And more to the point, where do you, the reader find it?

A prime example of this genre-merging is the Diana Gabaldon Outlander series. On the surface it is a historical romance, but there is also time-travel, war, political intrigue and polygamy. I'm not sure it counts as polygamy since one husband is in 1946 and the other is in the 1700s. It starts out in Scotland shortly after the end of World War II where Claire, an army nurse and her husband, a doctor are finally taking their long-postponed honeymoon. While exploring on her own, Claire rests against some standing stones and the next thing she knows she is on the ground surrounded by some angry Highlanders. The men are suspicious of her because they think she might be a witch (young women don't appear out of thin air every day). Soon Claire's medical skills come in handy and they reluctantly accept her. For her own safety, she is encouraged to marry the young outlaw Jamie Fraser who is on the run from the British. It is a very compelling series especially for people who like historical novels, but you might have missed out if you tell yourself you don't read romance or fantasy books.

You don't have to be a Star Trek enthusiast to enjoy good science fiction. It isn't all about outer space and robots and technology gone wild. There is a sub-genre called alternative history. I like this because history is a favorite subject of mine. These stories begin with the premise of "what if?" What if the South won the Civil War? What if Germany got the atomic bomb first? I came across Eric Flint's 1632 which is the story of a rural town in West Virginia somehow being transported back in time to the German state of Thuringia in the 17th century in the midst of the 30 Years War. Let's just say that you might welcome some 20th century gun enthusiasts on your side if you are at war in 1632. Not to mention how America's concept of freedom and democracy could change the course of history when introduced at a time when our Founding Fathers were not yet born.

Some books have a premise that rests firmly in a genre but the rest of the book is a basic human story. This is the case with Stephenie Meyer's The Host. While Meyer is best known for her Twilight series, The Host was marketed as "science fiction for people who don't like science fiction." The premise of the book is that some years ago an alien species took over Earth. People still looked like themselves but they were actually hosts for a parasitic alien species. The main character is an alien implanted in the body of Melanie who is a captured member of the resistance. The trouble is, Melanie won't go away. Soon the alien feels a kinship to Melanie and the alien's handler realizes that she can't control her host and must be removed and the host destroyed. Rather than submit to this, they go on the run and meet up with other members of the resistance. If you take away the fact that there are aliens, it becomes a story along the same vein as 1984, Brave New World and several episodes of The Twilight Zone where it is the human spirit pitted against the collective seeking conformity whether it be a totalitarian regime or alien invaders.

Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series reminded me (at least the early ones) of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series...that is, if Stephanie Plum lived in a world with vampires and werewolves. So Stephanie Plum inhabits the mystery shelves while Anita Blake is in horror. But Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series is shelved in mysteries even though she has vampires. It is all so confusing....

The point is, good stories are all over the library. Just because they are aliens doesn't mean it isn't a beautiful love story. A little modern technology could make for some interesting outcomes in our history. Who says a werewolf wouldn't make a good detective? Sometimes it is just one minor element to the story that put a sweeping historical saga in the romance section next to the books where the cover shows a bare-chested man and a woman whose clothing is apparently being blown off by the wind. Don't judge a book by the genre sticker.

Staff Picks at Whetstone

A few weeks ago at the Whetstone Branch, we started displaying staff picks on the ends of the nonfiction and adult fiction shelves. It's a fun thing for us to do since most of us read so much. When checking in books, I always find books I've read before, and I would love for others to read them too. Our names are printed on bookmarks in the books so you can tell who is recommending which book. Other libraries have done this too and some patrons have followed a staff member's recommendations because they have a similar taste in books. If you're near the Whetstone Branch, check the displays for staff favorites!

Watching Books

If I know before seeing a movie that it is based on a book, I usually want to read the book first. I like forming my own vision of the characters and setting. If I see the movie first I go into reading the book with visuals already in place. I also tend to think that most of the time the books are way better than the movies. What do you think?

The first movie I can remember seeing that was based on a book is Little Women. I remember knowing the movie was coming out soon and wanting to finish the book before going to see the movie. Although I enjoyed the movie, I still found myself thinking it just didn’t compare to the book.

I also really don’t like it when the movie does not follow the book. If they change the ending or other important parts I’m less likely to enjoy the movie. The only reason I found one of my favorite authors, Jodi Picoult, is because I watched a movie of one of her books. Lifetime made a movie for The Pact.I remember not liking the movie but seeing how it could be a good book so I went out and bought the book. I loved the book and it was nothing like the movie. I was in fact pretty angry that they didn’t do the book justice.

Picoult also has a book called My Sister’s Keeper, which is being released as a movie this summer. There is a bit of controversy because the director of the movie changed the ending from the book’s ending. I’m still going to go see the movie, but I know a lot of Picoult fans are sharing they will not be seeing the movie. Do you like movies based on books? Does it bother you when important details of the book are changed in the movie version? Would you rather watch the movie and then read the book, or read the book and then watch the movie? What are your favorite books made into movies?

Current read: The Rest of Her Life by Laura Moriarty

Haven't I Already Read This?

Has this ever happened to you? You are either in a bookstore or at the library and you find a book that looks good. Maybe the cover is attractive or you have read something by the same author before. You get home and begin reading and you get this sense of deja vu. You somehow know what the character will say. You know that the young woman running away from home on a dark and stormy night will arrive safely in London by the next page. Sometimes the same book is issued with different covers making you think it is a whole new book. Other times we just forget.

A few years ago I was inspired to start keeping track of what I read. A teenaged girl came into the library with her father looking for some titles. She had a notebook that had belonged to her older sister. One summer her sister had kept a reading journal of the books she read and her observations. The younger sister was doing the same and comparing what she thought of the books to what her sister had written about them. I wasn't too interested in taking the time to write about each book I read, but I realized that keeping a list from year to year would be both useful and interesting.

At first I just kept track in a regular old notebook. One day I was at Half Price Books and they had some more fancy blank notebooks/journals. I found one with characters from the children's book Babar where they were inserted into Seurat's famous painting Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Reading is important to me so my reading journal deserved something nice. I write across the top of a page "Books Read in 2009" and then list each book title, author and the date I finished it. If I feel rather strongly about it, I might give it a star or write "excellent!" next to it. I only write down books that I actually finish. Sometimes there are long gaps between finished books and I know I had a dry spell with some duds. I probably should keep track of what I didn't finish but I don't want to prejudice myself against a certain title or author. A lot of times I pick them up again later and can't put them down.

I find it helpful when I remember the plot of a book but can't think of the title...if nothing else I can look them up on Amazon.com to see which one it was. "I know I read it last winter and the cover was blue with a castle on a hill...." Also, when I read a book and the way it ends makes me believe there will be a sequel, having this list will help me to keep an eye out for it. I find that keeping a list of the books I have read is kind of like keeping a diary. I can look back and see that once I finished my master's degree and was free to read fun stuff again I read Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series back to back....and then I had to wait an entire year for the next one. I also find it interesting to see that one year I read over 80 books and the next I only read half that amount. I only wish that I had started keeping this list sooner.