Title Suggestions for Your Book Club

If you are a member of a book club that needs a few suggestions for 2011, boy are you in luck! Or maybe these title will inspire you to start a book club of your own. If that happens be sure to check out the library because we have space your club can meet in and we can help you order books for your next club...just make sure you give us some advance notice ;).

Here is a list of select titles from the American Library Association Notable Books List for Adults from 2010 and 2011. These title have enough copies of the books in the library system and audio books available. Enjoy and happy reading!

Fiction

A Visit from the Good Squad by Jennifer Egan.
A '70s punk band becomes the touchstone for a motley crw who spin their interconnected stories over time and distance.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin and William Morrow
Two men - one black, one white - must confront the secrets surround their childhood friendship following the disappearance of two girls in rural Mississippi.

Freedom by Jonathan Franzenem
This incisive portrait of the fractured Berglund brood captures the zeitgeist of contemporary America.

The Surrendered by Chang Rae Leeem
The complex entangled lives of three people forever scarred by the Korean War are sympathetically portrayed in gorgeous prose.

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War by Karl Marlantesem
An ambitious and idealistic American Marine faces the horror, heroism, futility, and pragmatism of war in this visceral portrayal of life in-country.

The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soliem
The adrenaline high that danger offers infects photojournalist Helen Adams as she documents the war in Vietnam.

The Lonely Polygamist: A Novel by Brady Udallem
In this big-hearted novel, Golden Richards and his clan navigate their chaotic lives as each clamors to be noticed.

The Year of the Flood: A Novel by Margaret Atwoodem
In the near future, two women survive an apocalyptic event in a queasily enthralling work.

Await Your Reply: A Novel by Dan Chaonem
This chilling exploration of the modern meaning of the identity follows three people on the firnges of society.

Spooner by Pete Dexter
A boy struggles to navigate the vagaries of the world with lifelong guidance of his stepfather in this funny and heartbreaking tale.

Tinkers by Paul Harding
In this lyrical novel, the life of a dying man is examined through the smallest moments of time and memory.

Let the Great World Spin: A Novel by Colum McCann
Phillipe Petit’s high wire walk between the Twin Towers provides the backdrop for this rich portrait of the unlikely connections among a group of New Yorkers in the 1970s.

A Mercy: A Novel by Toni Morrison
Four women- white, mixed race, black and Native American – become a makeshift family under the care of a “good” man in colonial America.

Generosity: An Enhancement by Richard Powers
In this postmodern indictment of the biotech industry, a student’s unnerving happiness seems to hold the key to banishing despair from the genetic code.

Nonfiction

Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow
A landmark biography provides insights into the complexities of this founding father’s character, and brings him fully to life within the context of his times.

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick
Chronicling the experiences of six people, this powerful account draws back the curtain on the brutality of life under totalitarian regime.


Travels in Siberia by Ian Frazier
Stricken by Russia love, a writer sets out to experience all things Siberian and takes us along for the frolicking journey.


Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent
This intoxicating history of the 18th amendment reveals the surprising relationship between Prohibition and other social movements, and explores its lasting impact on American life.


The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn by Nathaniel Philbrick
An epic encounter between two iconic individuals is vividly portrayed in fluid, evocative, and decidedly objective prose.


The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
A science writer uncovers the fascinating story of an African-American woman’s cancer cells harvested for medical research, thereby raising important questions of bioethics.


The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Vaillant
Russia’s ecological and cultural history serves as the backdrop for the riveting adventure of tale of man versus beast.


Columbine by Dave Cullen
The fine work of investigative journalism challenges the myths and misconceptions of the Columbing tragedy.


Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
This powerful account explores the devastation of post-Katrina New Orleans through the eyes of a Syrian-American who remained and endured the resulting chaos and confusion.


The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann
An intrepid reporter sets out to uncover the mysterious fate the last f the great Victorian explorers in this thrilling adventure.


Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld & the American Dream by Patrick Radden Keefre
Human trafficking and its subsequent effect on the American economy and social structures are document in this fast paced panoramic expose.


Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall
One journalist’s quest to discover the secrets of the reclusive Tarahumara Indians leads to and exciting and dangerous endurance race.


Tears in the Darkness: The story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath by Michael Norman and Elizabeth M

In-depth, brutal and moving this narrative prvides multiple perspectives into a tragic WWII epsidoe in the Phillippines.


The Hawk and the Dove: Paul Nitze, George Kennan, and the History of the Cold War by Nicholas Thompson
The remarkable half-century friendship and rivalry between two influential strategists who helped shape American policy is brought to life in this insightful dual biography.

A Busy Week

On Monday, the Page Turners Book Club met in the afternoon to discuss the book Don't Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhoold. That evening Mary Blott, Executive Director of the Mukwonago Area Chamber of Commerce, talked with our patrons about Staycations-- fun, local and inexpensive vacation and relaxation opportunities during the summer.

Tuesday night was Espresso Self night, with local teens painting with espresso. The art is very cool.

Last night, the Library hosted an open mic event, and local authors, musicians and artists came out to read, sing, play and discuss their works. Fueled by some excellent coffee donated by Espresso Love, the night was a lot of fun.

This morning, Miss Jane had her lapsit storytime for our littlest patrons-- newborn to 36 months-- a session that featured quite a bit of quacking. Later today and tomorrow, there will be gatherings of the 1000 Cranes for Peace Club. 1:00-1:30 both days, the event is open to grades 3-8. Help us reach our goal of 1000 paper cranes by the end of the summer. Current crane total: 213.

Also today and tomorrow, we will have visits by our therapy dogs for the Paws to Read progam. Today at 1:30, Cinnamon will be in the house, while tomorrow at 1:30 B.J. will be available.

We are having a fun, creative summer at the Library-- come join the fun!

Rant or Rave: The Great Gatsby

Well, it isn't a rave, but I suppose it isn't really a rant, either. Pretty much a, "Huh. What's all the fuss about?"

The Great Gatsby isn't a bad book. Actually it's a pretty good book. But i wouldn't classify it as a great book, and I really don't get it being consistently included on various Top 100 Books In the ENTIRE Universe lists. I really don't.

Gatsby is an intriguing figure, but the other characters are primarily caricatures and the "twist" at the end is nearly soap operaish in both its overly melodramatic staging and its extreme unlikelihood. So how exactly it has become this masterpiece, a potential "great American novel" is beyond me. Fitzgerald is a talented writer-- perhaps the only thing saving the story from spiraling completely into absurdity-- and some of his imagery is iconic. But the story itself? Eh. Take it or leave it.

Still, I am glad I read it. It was not a waste of my time, by any means. But I can't really wrap my head around the sincere adoration the book has received from so many quarters.

Rant or Rave: To Kill A Mockingbird

Guilty admission: I had never read Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. I love the movie and have seen it several times, but I had never actually read the book. So, since I am attempting this year to catch up on many of the classic books I have either never read, or don't really remember, I added Mockingbird to my list.

Top of the list, actually. But, as I have with most of my recent reading, I went with the audiobook version. A good book on CD really, really makes traveling much more enjoyable. I like music on the radio okay, I definitely like listening to Bob Uecker call a Brewers' game, and I do occassionally drop-in on talk radio, but the day I popped in my first CD audiobook was a revelatory one for me.

But I digress. To Kill A Mockingbird, as read by Sally Darling, shoots straight onto my favorite books of all time. I wish I hadn't waited so long to enjoy this marvelous book, but I'm very happy I finally took the time to do so. What a marvelous book. I do not think I can rave highly enough about this book to do it full credit.

It explores childhood, southern culture, life during the Great Depression, racism, kindness, joy, human nature, the law, schooling and more. It does so gracefully, seemingly effortlessly (though I know it took Lee a long time to write the story, with many, many revisions), and with such a gentle, easy flow that the profoundness of much of the writing seems to almost settle into the back of your brain without any conscious effort on the reader's part.

The story of Jean Louise "Scout" Finch, her brother Jeremy "Jem" Finch and their father Atticus, is both timeless and timely, gentle and unabashedly direct and unflinching. It is a snapshot into the past and a benchmark for the future.

In short, it is exceptional. Read it, savor it, and share it.

Video Rant or Rave: The Hobbit

Well, here is my first attempt at a video/YouTube version of my Rant or Rave feature:

It's okay, I think, but I did learn quite a bit from it. Namely, make sure the lighting is okay or you'll look like a reject from a Night of the Living Dead movie.

Additionally: Don't do this when your dog is around and wants to play tug-of-war with you. This is a recipe for disaster, and will likely require you to redo the whole thing several times. And sit up straight.

You'd think that having had to do it over a few times, I would've improved the lighting. You'd be wrong. Sometimes I have to be hit over the hard several times before my brain kicks into gear.

Anyway, hopefully this will be a more common occurence here, so let us know if you like the video embeds or no.

Timshel

Timshel is a Hebrew word, interpreted variously as "Thou shalt" (a promise of success), "Do thou (an order) and "Thou mayest" (an indication of freewill). As noted at Oprah's book club, the interpretation of the word is at the heart of John Steinbeck's East of Eden. Does the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis promise us that we, the children of Cain, will one day triumph over sin (predestination)? Does it order us to triumph over sin (unquestioning obedience)? Or, as the Chinese servant Lee notes in the book, does it "throw it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’—it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.’"

'Thou mayest' is freeing-- and frightening. We have choices in determining our own destiny. What happens isn't predestined, nor does "just following orders" suffice. It calls for personal responsibility (another theme in East of Eden). It is not easy, but it does mean we should never despair completely-- there is always a choice. Sometimes none of the choices may be very appealing, but at least it is ours to make.

Heavy stuff for a Monday morning. But good stuff-- much, much food for thought. East of Eden has its flaws-- the two-dimensional nature of many of the main characters, the borderline misogyny, the sometimes stilted diaglouge-- but the descriptive power of Steinbeck's narrative, and the breath, poignancy and power of his story far outweigh the shortcomings.

Timshel, my friends. Timshel.