Blood-curdling Teen Reads

To cap off Teen Read Week, we've created a short list of terrifying teen reads — it is, after all, October and Halloween is on the horizon! 'Tis the season to be a little freaked out about being alone in a dark house, right? These books range in terror index from "the uncomfortable feeling someone is watching you" to "hiding in the shower while being stalked by a deranged murderer with a sharp knife." How much horror can YOU handle?

From left to right, top to bottom...
1. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake // In which a teenage boy carries on his father's work, killing the dead.
2. The Monstrumologist by Richard Yancey // Apprentice teen monster hunter must stop monsters which feed through horrible teeth in chest.
3. Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry // In which a teen boy must seek gainful employment as a zombie bounty hunter.
4. The Diviners by Libba Bray // A teen girl and her museum-curator uncle investigate creepy occult murders.
5. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman // In which a young boy is raised by ghosts in a graveyard after his entire family is murdered.
6. Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore // An otherwise ordinary teen girl from a witchy family finds herself suddenly plagued by a nasty ghost.
7. Lord Loss by Darren Shan // In which a teen boy witnesses the brutal murder of his entire family and dodges demons left and right.
8. I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan // Four teens try to hide their involvement in a hit-and-run, but find themselves stalked by a mysterious revenge seeker.

Book Light ON "The Coldest Girl in Coldtown"

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

It's Teen Read Week and I'm celebrating by doing something I do on the regular: reading YA lit and encouraging you to do it, too! Why adults wait for a novel to become inescapably huge (the Twilight, Harry Potter, and Hunger Games series come to mind) before reading them mostly because everyone else is, I'll never understand. The entertainment value of the area is clear, with more and more YA novels and series being picked up by major studios and being converted into movies. I'm not saying that all YA literature is good, because I have read the Twilight series and I was sincerely unimpressed (though I get why the story really carried people away). But several YA authors continuously blow me away: Leigh Bardugo, Holly Black, Maggie Stiefvater, and countless others. This week, I'm devouring (vampire pun!) The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black, bestselling author of the Spiderwick Chronicles and Doll Bones.

The world Black has created here is like a super creepy alternate reality: The world is basically the same except there are evil vampires lurking in the dark and everyone knows it. Teenagers have sundown parties where they hole up in a home all night, garlic and rose brambles strewn over entrances. Tana wakes up in a bathtub the morning after one such party, disheveled and embarrassed, and hopes to sneak out before any of her friends wake up. But the living room is pure carnage, bodies and blood everywhere, and none of her friends will ever wake up. Except her ex-boyfriend, who is tied to a bed and infected by a vampire's venomous bite. Chained in the same room is a red-eyed vampire who inexplicably warns Tana that the monsters who massacred her friends are still in the house, biding their time until sunset. Tana moves quickly, rescuing her infected friend and (crazily) the incredibly dangerous vampire beside him. What follows is a seriously tense, very unnerving trip from that death-reeking house to the local Coldtown, a government-established, self-contained community for vampires, infected humans, and normal humans who for their own reasons want to be used by the vampires. Tana is a wonderfully conflicted character: brave despite her fear; strong despite her frailties; simultaneously repulsed and drawn to the coldness. Her back story is touched with terror, which makes her current predicament even more harrowing.

Black's monsters are fairly consistent with the well-established vampire mythology of literature: cold, heartless, hungry, but capable of feeling some human impulses. Black's writing is strong and suspenseful; chapters alternate between Tana's present and what I'll just refer to as "side stories" (including Tana's story, the chained vampire's story, what is going on in the world around while Tana tries to save herself). For lovers of vampire fiction and YA lit, it's a strong recommend. With the rate YA novels are being turned into movies, I wouldn't be surprised if this gets optioned. Find it in print in the catalog!

- Abby, Reference Librarian

Pastiche Booklist

Most writers agree that if you want to learn how to hone your writing craft, you MUST, MUST, MUST read. Because of this, writers turn out to be some of the best creators of fan fiction, and when their fanfic gets published, it somehow transcends the stigmas of fanfic, becomes legitimized and turns into a pastiche. We've created this booklist to salute Jo Baker's eagerly anticipated novel, Longbourn, officially released on October 8 which is set to enter the pantheon of literary pastiche. The books collected here incorporate characters or worlds from novels previously written by a different author (like Baker's Longbourn which principally includes characters from Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice).

From left to right, top to bottom:
1. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. // Work it references: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.
2. Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard (or the movie version with a hugely talented cast). // Work it references: Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
3. Drood by Dan Simmons. // Work it references: The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens.
4. Wicked by Gregory Maguire. // Work it references: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.
5. Dust and Shadow by Lindsey Faye. // Work it references: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
6. March by Geraldine Brooks. // Work it references: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

Book Light ON "Love in the Time of Global Warming"

Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block

If you follow us on Twitter, you'll know about my odyssey through Francesca Lia Block's body of work. More often than not, I'll write tiny reviews on Twitter for the Young Adult titles I'm reading, but Block's newest novel (pub. date August 27, 2013) was a beautiful read that could be enjoyed by adults and young adults alike.

In the recognizable style of Block, Love in the Time of Global Warming tells the story of a North American (possibly global) apocalypse with plenty of magical realism. It's a modern-day pastiche of Homer's Odyssey, but instead of a war leading main character Pen (née Penelope) to her journey, it's the swelling of the Pacific Ocean that rises over her California home, robbing her of her family, friends, and comfort*. Fearing the worst has happened to her parents and brother, Pen hides out inside her pink family home until the vicious world outside barges in, disrupting her fear and forcing her to flee into the desolate wasteland around her. She quickly learns that the worst post-apocalypse terrors aren't other humans. After all, how bad are humans when giants, sirens, and witches abound? Pen doesn't travel alone, surrounding herself with a ragtag posse of outcasts who somehow survived the flooding and the fires and the flesh-eating giants. The posse intently searches for Pen's family with clues delivered by a harbinger, a mystic and of course, the Odyssey itself.

The allusions to the Odyssey are admittedly obvious, with pertinent passages being read almost immediately after an encounter with a Homeric character and a member of Pen's posse making an unsubtle statement pointing out how their life reflects the Odyssey. For someone unfamiliar with the epic poem, I can see these moments being helpful in drawing the necessary ties between Block's and Homer's work. (Block might have benefited from watching my favorite take on Homer, O Brother, Where Art Thou... generally though, everyone would benefit from watching it; it's awesome.) I found myself wishing the direct quotations would stop, but they didn't really detract from my enjoyment of Love in the Time of Global Warming. Block's prose is lyrical as ever and I'm nothing if not a sucker for magical realism. It's available in print throughout the catalog. Give it a read and stop by to talk about it!
- Abby, Reference Librarian

* Here, I should point out that the title is a little misleading. You'll have to read it to understand why, but global warming is not discussed in much depth at all.

National Book Award for Fiction Longlist

The National Book Foundation released their longlist for fiction on September 19th. How many of the titles have you read? Click through the links below to learn more about the books and place holds on any/all of them!

From left to right, top to bottom:
1. Pacific by Tom Drury.
2. The End of the Point by Elizabeth Graver.
3. The Flame Throwers by Rachel Kushner.
4. The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri. (Sidebar: This is nominated for practically every award this year)
5. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra. (Another frequently nominated novel)
6. The Good Lord Bird by James McBride.
7. Someone: A Novel by Alice McDermott.
8. Bleeding Edge by Thomas Pynchon.
9. Tenth of December: Stories by George Saunders.
10. Fools by Joan Silber.

Book Light ON "Rose Under Fire"

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

First things first, for adults who think there's no quality writing for teens, stop doing everything you are currently doing and get yourself a copy of Rose Under Fire's companion novel, Code Name Verity or better yet The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and get ready to be amazed by how great Young Adult literature can be. I absolutely loved Code Name Verity, so I could not wait to get my bookish paws on Wein's 2nd in her saga of female WWII air transport auxiliary (ATA) pilots.

Where Code Name Verity explored (among other things) the cruelty of the Gestapo in WWII, Rose Under Fire dives into the atrocities of concentration camps. It opens on American-as-apple-pie Rose generally enjoying her time serving the war effort as a transport pilot (ferrying people and planes to UK destinations, no air combat required), even though a fellow female pilot fatally crashed her plane and bombs are constantly falling on England. Her British uncle pulled some strings for her to get her spot, so you won't be surprised when he pulls strings AGAIN to have her fly him to Paris. The civilian pilots of the ATA—especially the female ones—were as a rule not allowed to fly into Europe proper, but that uncle makes it happen and that's the last we hear of Rose for a while. The letters from her friends and family follow, sharing how little is known about Rose's disappearance as she flew her plane back to England. Is Rose dead? Alive? And if she is alive, where is she? As months pass in the series of letters, no one knows anything and it is endlessly heartbreaking. All this happens within the first quarter of the book and I in no way plan to spoil the rest of it for you.

I started the story, which has one pivotal character in common with Code Name Verity, thinking to myself "Don't let [Character] lose another friend!" and considering how unfair it would be for her to have two friends fall in this horrible, bloody war. The second after I thought those thinks, I knew what was going to happen and felt silly for hoping. Because war isn't fair and it's typified by loss and Wein doesn't gloss over the atrocities that have been discussed and documented. I've read a lot of WWII fiction and I am always beyond disturbed to think that these stories, while fictionalized, are NOT exaggerations. If you like WWII fiction as much as I do, this (as well as the books I mentioned in the first paragraph!!) are must reads!

-Abby, Reference Librarian

Book Light ON "Orange is the New Black"

Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Woman's Prison by Piper Kerman

For anyone who has watched the Netflix original series "Orange is the New Black," this book is a must read. For anyone who's curious about how prisons help their inmates become law-abiding citizens before returning them to society, this book is an essential read. I will sheepishly admit that I watched the show and read the book because of this Buzzfeed post, but am very glad I read it, all in all.

Ten years after leaving her drug-dealing lover, Kerman finds herself indicted on federal drug charges for having one time (ONE TIME!) internationally delivered a suitcase of drug money. If the indictment had come a year later, she would have been safe and free, happily living her life with her boyfriend Larry in New York. Imagine the shock her loved ones felt when they heard that Piper, a WASPy Ivy League-college graduate, was involved with drug trafficking--frustrated, not understanding how a 10-year-old infraction could put her in prison for anywhere between 15 months or more. Ok, so she made some really terrible choices in her youth and no one is arguing that she didn't, but 15 months in a federal prison seems like a terrifying amount. Kerman rails frequently on mandatory minimum drug sentencing and as her memoir progresses, it's clear that the majority of women in the prison on similar (but more often, much more serious) drug charges do not have their involvement in drugs behind them. It's also clear that the inmates are not gaining much serious help to avoid getting tangled back into their familiar webs once they've be released. Kerman has good things to go home to (a really excellent job, a supportive Larry, a new apartment) and many of her fellow inmates have none of this, moving into homeless shelters, entertaining no job prospects, and very often having lost custody of their children. Kerman builds strong bonds with many of these women, who become part of her salvation amid acclimation to prison culture, truly terrible treatment by prison personnel, and the loss of a family member.

Kerman's memoir is ultimately about finding peace and focusing on growth while facing a dark personal conflict; it's not voyeuristic and it certainly doesn't glorify prison life. It's fortifying, really, to read about her ability to make something good come of her experience and the statistics she spreads throughout the reading are shocking. You know the end of the story without reading it--Piper is no longer in prison and has written this very successful book while leading a duly successful career in the outside world. What I admire most is that she has become an advocate for the incarcerated and continues to use her once-embarrassing experience as a platform for change. It's available throughout the catalog as an ebook, audio download, CD book, and of course in print, and it comes highly recommended!
-Abby, Reference Librarian

Nonfiction Friday -- Oktoberfest!!!!

A 16-day festival celebrating beer? Jawohl!! Count us in! Oktoberfest begins in Germany on September 21 and ends on October 2. Can't fly there and enjoy the festivities? Here are a few titles that will get you in the party mood.

From left to right...
1. Beer, Food, and Flavor: A Guide to Tasting, Pairing, and the Culture of Craft Beer by Schuyler Schultz
          Call number: FOOD 641.23 SCHULTZ
2. Bottoms Up: A Toast to Wisconsin's Historic Bars & Breweries by Jim Draeger
          Call number: 663.42 DRAEGER
3. Brewing Made Easy: A Step-by-Step Guide to Making Beer at Home by Joe Fisher and Dennis Fisher
          Call number: FOOD 641.873 FISHER
4. Salty Snacks: Make Your Own Chips, Crisps, Pretzels, Dips, and Other Savory Bites by Cynthia Nims
          Call number: FOOD 641.53 NIMS

Nonfiction Friday: Hispanic Heritage Month

Though we're posting this on September 13, Hispanic Heritage month doesn't technically start until September 15. We're sure no one will mind if you start recognizing it a little early! It's a month dedicated to embracing and celebrating the heritage and accomplishments of Hispanic and Latino Americans. Between our shelves and the offerings throughout the CAFE Catalog, we're sure you'll find the material that suits you.

From top to bottom, left to right...
1. Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario. Call number: 305.23089 NAZ
2. My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor. Call number: 921 SOTOMAYOR S
3. Just Like Us: The True Story of Four Mexican Girls Coming of Age in America by Helen Thorpe. Call number: 305.86872073 THORPE
4. Unbreakable: My Story, My Way by Jenni Rivera. Call number: 921 RIVERA J
5. The Mexican Slow Cooker by Deborah Schneider. Call number: FOOD 641.5884 SCHNEIDER
6. The Tree is Older Than You Are with poems and stories selected by Naomi Shihab Nye. Call number:

Book Light ON "The Final Solution"

The Final Solution: A Story of Detection by Michael Chabon

It was a strange, nonlinear line which brought me to read The Final Solution this month. I won't take you down the path; I'll just say I've loved other novels by Michael Chabon (The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Wonder Boys, and The Yiddish Policemen's Union) and saw this relatively short offering as a quick dip into the mind of this gifted, Pulitzer Prize winning author.

The focus of The Final Solution undulates around an extraordinary gray parrot—Bruno, who calls out lengthy strings of numbers in German—and his mute companion, a little Jewish refugee named Linus. The omniscient narrator's perspective shifts from chapter to chapter, detailing the unfurling events as perceived by a diverse cast: a clever octogenarian, a since-retired Sherlock-esque detective of international fame; a suspicious character living in the same boarding house as Linus and Bruno; in their own turns, the couple who owns the boarding house; an inspector called upon to solve a murder and a disappearance; even the bird himself. The swiftly swapping narration, steadied by Chabon's carefully wrought language, flows quickly through the brief story... though more than once, I found myself re-reading paragraphs that seemed overly complicated, not sure once I'd found the meaning what it applied to anymore.

If you take it at its word and consider it a story of detection, you might be disappointed. It doesn't quite fit in with the modern-day mysteries and the resolution is only kind-of satisfying. Thinking back about it again and again, I can really only come up with one clue in the whodunit. But bonus: Chabon doesn't include a lengthy monologue by the crime-solvers explaining how they came to their ultimate conclusion (their final solution), so that's something I can get behind. The story really is much more of a protracted character study than a mystery, with Chabon's elegant language and one-sentence paragraphs building humans moreso than suspense or thrills. We get to know several characters with some intimacy, but sadly we see so little of the interesting personalities populating The Final Solution that more questions are left dangling irritatingly in front of our faces than are answered.

Overall, it was a quick read filled with some really fine turns of phrase and brilliant metaphors, and an OK story of detection with a resolution I didn't expect. Even though it wasn't my favorite read ever, my opinion of Chabon's mastery hasn't changed. His particular gift for verbose prose is much better suited to a longer novel. It seemed to me that this could have been a much shorter story in the hands of a more concise writer, that Chabon had a vase for a short story and too many lovely words to fill it and didn't mind if he spilled a little so long as he could do so beautifully.

Until next time...
- Abby, Reference Librarian

Nonfiction Friday: Family Fun Month!

August is Family Fun Month—the last month of summer, the last month before school, the last month of that sweet, sweet freedom to come to the library every single day for the entire day. To help you fill the rest of 08/2013 with all the joy you can, we've curated a list of books filled with last-minute must-dos. What are you waiting for? Family Fun Month's nearly over!!

Treehouses & Playhouses You Can Build by David and Jeanie Stiles.
Call number: D.I.Y. 690.89 STILES

Learn to build creative carpentry your children will enjoy for years to come.

Treehouses and Other Cool Stuff: 50 Projects You Can Build by David and Jeanie Stiles.
Call number: D.I.Y. 690.89 STILES

More than just treehouses and playhouses, this book is filled with cool outdoor toys for kiddos.

Imagine Childhood: Exploring the World through Nature, Imagination, and Play by Sarah Olmsted.
Call number: 790.122 OLMSTED

Ideas for outdoor imaginative play that keeps children engaged in nature.

Touch a Butterfly: Wildlife Gardening with Kids by April Pulley Sayre.
Call number: 635.96 SAYRE

Learn how to attract wildlife to your yard for your kiddos' enjoyment!

Best Tent Camping: Wisconsin by Kevin Revolinski.
Call number: TRAVEL 917.75 REVOLINSKI 2013

Enjoy the beautiful state we live in one (or TEN!) more times before autumn falls.

National Geographic Kids Ultimate U.S. Road Trip Atlas: Maps, Games, Activities and More for Hours of Backseat Fun!
Call number: J 921.73 BOYER

A fun road trip atlas that will keep kids entertained for that lengthy car ride.

Book Light ON "The Cuckoo's Calling"

The Cuckoo's Calling by "Robert Galbraith"

I'll start by being totally honest:
I would not have read this book if J. K. Rowling hadn't been revealed as the author. The leak of The Cuckoo's Calling's true creator flooded me with interest in the novel (not to mention swelled its sales -- 4000% increase almost over night? Unheard of.). I went into it with all the hope of a sincere Rowling fangirl who was a little downhearted after an unsuccessful attempt to get into The Casual Vacancy.

From the very beginning of Cuckoo, I thought to myself, If no one had leaked JKR as the author, I would have known! I would have knownnnn!! Of course, there is no way to be sure of that; it was just a feeling. All the excitement I felt catch hold in myself the first time I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone came surging up through my heart in a moment I can only describe as pure nerdy giddiness. Rowling as Galbraith does exactly what we loved her for through 7 Harry Potter books: She created noble, bright, magnetic characters that immediately engage your sympathies. To be sure, they have their flaws. Robin the temp spends her whole walk to her new short-term job as a private investigator's assistant sighing over her recent engagement (which I found profoundly annoying). All the romance ends quickly, and painfully, when a woman storms out of the PI's office, pursued by a huge man who nearly knocks Robin down a very steep spiral staircase — saving her only by hauling her back up (unfortunately) by the only thing he could grab hold of... her breast. Robin's savior happens to be her embarrassed new boss, private investigator Cormoran Strike. As we get to know Strike (former military man; amputee; illegitimate son of a rock star and a supergroupie; impoverished and deeply in debt to multiple parties; on-again, off-again fiancé of a beautiful, manipulative, spoiled rich girl) the more we yearn for his success not only in life, but in the case he's just taken on: The apparent suicide of young supermodel Lula Landry.

Her incredibly public death reflected her life, with the tabloids leeching on every tiny detail of the case. Landry's adoptive brother, a middling lawyer named John Bristow, suspects that the police and journalists must have missed something — his sister, though bipolar and on medication for her condition, would not have killed herself. Her friends mostly agree with his assessment, while the police are adamant that deaths like hers very often come without warning. Strike, in desperate need of money, feels a little slimy taking a case he feels was probably pretty well proved, but when he shakes hands with Bristow, he comes at Landry's death with a remarkably keen eye. As the investigation narrows toward a surprising conclusion, Landry shapes up to be a compelling character in her own right. Most excitingly, Robin the temp, who since her youth has longed wistfully to be a PI, takes a huge interest in the case, investigating leads, taking on ad hoc personae, and getting Strike closer to the truth.

Illustration: Matt Blease

In writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, Rowling gave herself the freedom to try a new genre with a novel that could succeed or fail on its own merits. Until she was revealed as the author, The Cuckoo's Calling truly was a small success — well reviewed and selling fairly well. Clearly, this book is now a blockbuster with movie theaters clamoring for film rights, but it's succeeding with good reason. Like Harry Potter who came before him, Cormoran Strike is going to be a well-known name (so long as JKR keeps more Strike tales coming ... and allow me to publicly plead via the Internet that she continues this into an endless series with tons and tons of movie licensing agreements). The CAFÉ system has abundant copies, so put a hold on one today!

- Abby, Reference Librarian

Nonfiction Friday: BBQs and Ice Cream

July is National Hot Dog Month and National Ice Cream Month, so we've selected a few titles from our special EZ Access Food Collection that embrace the spirit of summer. Enjoy!

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer.
Call number: FOOD 641.862 BAUER

With 100 recipes and lots of tips, this ice cream cookbook is delectably cool.

Making Artisan Gelato by Torrance Kopfer.
Call number: FOOD 641.862 KOPFER

Yes, we know gelato isn't technically ice cream, but it's cold and delicious, so we don't care! This book delivers 45 delicious artisanal gelato and sorbet recipes.

Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction by Bobby Flay.
Call number: FOOD 641.5784 FLAY

The latest offering from the modern master of BBQ.

Italian Grill by Mario Batali.
Call number: FOOD 641.5945 BATALI

Batali weighs in with his own book of molto bene grill recipes.

Bonus for the veggie lovers:
The Gardener and the Grill by Karen Adler and Judith Fertig.
Call number: FOOD 641.76 ADLER

Herbivores and omnivores rejoice! These homegrown grill recipes make delicious sides that can hold their own on a plate.

Book Light ON "The Ocean at the End of the Lane"

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

I've been a truly obsessed Gaiman fan since I read American Gods (and promptly read every other possible thing he has ever written or even associated himself with), so the minute this book was published, it promptly bumped every other book from my To-Be-Read queue and consumed my life for a day and a half.

True to Gaiman's style, it's part sci-fi supernatural thriller, part bone-chilling horror story, which makes it wholly awesome. The story begins in the present day where the nameless narrator is attending a family funeral and decides, during a break and totally impulsively, to visit his family's old (now demolished) home. He's reminded during his journey of a friend he had who lived down the lane, a girl a little older than him named Lettie Hempstock, and wondering what ever had become of her, he visits her family's farm. Stepping onto the Hempstock property, his memories of Lettie's pond—which she in her adorably provincial way referred to as her ocean—trickle into his consciousness until he's flooded with his memory of the suicide of a diamond miner, the catalyst for the narrator and Lettie becoming fast friends, as well as their encounter with a strange, paranormal creature that can't resist using its powers on Earth.

Though the narrator begins a skeptic, he quickly remembers walking hand-in-hand with Lettie through the Hempstock property into a parallel world where they confront a hideous beast who grotesquely bores her way into the narrator's body and is transported like a virus into his world. Soon the beast has infiltrated his family, causing unrest and seeking the whole time to do the narrator endless harm. The book quickly escalates, as the beast's destruction of everything good introduces a slew of even more harmful, ravenous "varmints," and does this all at a nightmare-inducing pace that makes it impossible to put the book down lest the young narrator and Lettie come to more danger because you're not reading them to safety.

It's a short read, well worth the time invested, and not without its moments of bittersweet realities. When you as a reader take a dip in the eponymous ocean at the end of the lane with Lettie and the narrator, you'll want to jump in just as much as I did to see how those improbable waters change you. Needless to say, this is one I will gladly re-read (I can go slower now that I know the ending is at least not UNhappy). The Ocean at the End of the Lane is available throughout the CAFÉ system in print and audiobook.

-Abby, Reference Librarian

Nonfiction Friday: Father's Day

Dads are so hard to buy things for, right? This year, Father's Day will be celebrated on Sunday, June 16th. If you're still scrambling for a last-minute present, consider this: Knowledge is a gift, and books hold knowledge, so with any luck, dad might be happy with a considerate reading recommendation. We can help you out there!

Touching My Father's Soul: A Sherpa's Journey to the Top of Everest by Jamling Tenzing Norgay.
Call number: 796.522092 NORGAY J

The son of the first Sherpa to climb Mt. Everest recalls his father's amazing journey to the top of the world.

Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan.
Call number: 817.6 GAFFIGAN

Comedian and hot-pocket hater Gaffigan hilariously describes the ups and downs of raising five kids.

After Visiting Friends: A Son's Story by Michael Hainey.
Call number: 921 HAINEY M

Years after his journalist father dies tragically on the streets of Chicago, Hainey seeks to uncover the truth surrounding the untimely, mysterious death.

My Father at 100 by Ron Reagan.
Call number: 921 REAGAN R

Nancy and Ronald's son recalls all the qualities that made his father not only a great leader, but a loving caregiver and family man.







And here are a couple bonus books for the kids (or dads who are young at heart) which remind us that comic books are often considered nonfiction graphic art—though at our library, we give them their own sections!

Darth Vader and Son by Jeffrey Brown.
Call number: J GRAPHIC STAR WARS

In a galaxy far, far away, Darth Vader takes an active role in raising his son, Luke Skywalker.






Vader's Little Princess by Jeffrey Brown.
Call number: J GRAPHIC STAR WARS

Playfully re-imagined Vader can't help but spoil his sweet little Princess Leia.

Book Light ON "Shades of Grey"

Shades of Grey: the Road to High Saffron by Jasper Fforde

Of all the possible "Shades of Grey" novels in the world, Jasper Fforde's is arguably the most original. Fforde, the man behind two highly creative ongoing series, Thursday Next and Nursery Crime Division, is a prolific, inventive writer with a knack for enveloping his readers in strangely familiar worlds that are comfortable and recognizable, but juuuust eerie and off-putting enough that you know they're fated to fall apart.

Fforde's dystopian world of Chromatacia is divided by a hierarchy of hues (a Colortocracy), with those members of each group being able to see a disparagingly limited amount of natural colors. Our narrator, Eddie Russett, is a red and aside from synthetic colors generated to be seen by everyone, he can only see various shades of his house hue. The grass, the sky, a daffodil all appear black, gray, or white to him unless they are synthetically colorized to be seen by every person in the hierarchy except the achromatic greys. The motto of this color divided world? Apart we are together. It's clear that the residents of Chromatacia aren't exactly human — their pupils never dilate, so no one can see in the dark. The other weird thing is that viewing specific color swatches can heal sicknesses, while others can offer narcotic-like sensations, make one hear symphonic music, and even quicken or cause death.

In addition to the segregation of color perceptions, Eddie's world strictly adheres to rules, which from our viewpoint as readers are ridiculously arbitrary. For example, no new spoons can ever be manufactured, so like titles and estates, spoons are passed down when elderly family members die. No one can marry a complementary color, so Eddie knows better than to fall for a green girl. Greys, people with no natural color perception, are relegated to a life of menial labor and are undesirable marriage partners. Most disturbingly, the world has no facts — the rules are the only facts that society thinks are necessary for its citizens to know.

Eddie has lived his whole life observing the harmony of the Colortocracy's status quo, but when he's sent to the Outer Fringes of society, the delicate weave of the rules begins to fray and unravel. He meets a vicious, violent, lovely Grey girl named Jane, a man who by the rules can be seen by everyone but must be treated as if he doesn't exist, and enough rule benders to realize that the insignificant weight of a question is enough to make the entire system break.

This book marks the start of a new Fforde series (YESSS!), with the publication date of book 2, Shades of Grey: Painting by Numbers as yet unannounced.

Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron is available throughout our system in hardcover, large-print hardcover, MP3 playaway, and audio book, as well as downloadable e-book and audiobook formats through the Wisconsin Digital Library.

-Abby, Reference Librarian

Nonfiction Friday: Dairy Month!

Mukwonago may be the place of the bear, but since the 1850s, Wisconsin has established itself as the place of the cow. For this week's Nonfiction Friday, we're focusing on the industry that has made us proud to be "The Dairy State."

Creating Dairyland: How Caring for Cows Saved Our Soil, Created Our Landscape, Brought Prosperity to our State, and Still Shapes Our Way of Life in Wisconsin by Edward Janus.
Call number: 636.2142 JANUS

A history of over a century and a half of dairy farming and cheese making, complemented by historical photographs. Written by former dairyman and journalist Ed Janus.

The Master Cheesemakers of Wisconsin by James Norton and Becca Dilley.
Call number: 637.309775 NORTON

Meet the master cheesemakers of Wisconsin who have a hand in crafting nearly 600 varieties of artisinal cheese. Beautiful photographs add insight to their work.

Wisconsin Cheese: A Cookbook and Guide to the Cheeses of Wisconsin by Martin Hintz and Pam Percy.
Call number: FOOD 641.3735 HINTZ

Learn the best ways to enjoy that real Wisconsin cheese.

And one for the kiddos in our community...
Clarabelle: Making Milk and So Much More by Cris Peterson.
Call number: JUV 636.2142 PET

Kids can learn what life is like for a Wisconsin dairy cow and her calf.

Nonfiction Friday: Memorial Day

The library will be closed on May 27 in observation of Memorial Day. While many look forward to the holiday for its pleasant weather and grill-fueled cookouts, it’s important to remember that Memorial Day represents significantly more than a free day off.

There are countless amazing books (fiction and nonfiction) about the hardships of war which honor the sacrifice of those who died in service to the United States. We've highlighted a few nonfiction titles from our collection that add impact to the conflicts that have changed the course of human history.

Flags of our Fathers by James Bradley with Ron Powers.

Call number: 940.5426 BRA

Also available @your library in large print (LP 940.5426 BRA) and e-audio book on Wisconsin’s Digital Library. This classic title was adapted into a feature film (DVD FLAGS OF OUR), directed by Clint Eastwood.

The true story behind the famous WWII photograph of 6 Marines raising the American flag at Iwo Jima.

We Were Soldiers Once … And Young by Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway.

Call number: 959.704 MOORE

Also available @your library in large print (LP 959.704 MOO) and as a feature film (DVD WE WERE SOLDIERS) starring Mel Gibson. Holds can be placed on audio books from other CAFÉ libraries.

A gritty account of the first major ground battle in the Vietnam War.

Outlaw Platoon by Sean Parnell with John Bruning.

Available as an e-book or e-audio book on Wisconsin’sDigital Library. Hard copies and audio books are available throughout the CAFÉ system.

A personal account of over a year of almost continuous fighting in the Hindu Kesh of Afghanistan.

And one for the kiddos in our community...
The Wall by Eve Bunting. Illustrated by Ronald Himmler.
Call number: E BUNTING E
Numerous copies are available throughout the CAFÉ system.

A father brings his son to the Vietnam Memorial to find the name of the boy's grandfather, who died in the conflict.

Book Light ON "Bring up the Bodies"

We’re starting a new feature on our blog that just might keep you up at night. Book Light will illuminate the reading materials that we just cannot put down, even if it means losing a little sleep. We apologize for any rough mornings our recommendations might cause!

Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel

Let me start by saying, I am obsessed with the Tudors. But even if I wasn’t, I still would not be able to put down 2012 Man Booker Prize winner Bring up the Bodies. It seriously doesn’t even matter if you’ve read Mantel’s Wolf Hall, the stunning predecessor to Bring up the Bodies, which also won a Man Booker; jumping into this historical fiction account of the downfall of Anne Boleyn is enthralling, and the story is so well known that it hardly needs an introduction (but indulge me, because I’ll give you a little of it anyway).

In failing to give Henry VIII a male heir and having a notoriously high-and-mighty personality with a sharp tongue to boot, the doomed Queen Anne has quickly worn out her welcome. When the king takes a keen interest in the lady Jane Seymour, he quickly (and mercilessly) makes it Thomas Cromwell’s job to bring Anne down, and boy, does he know how to do it. Accused of countless acts of adultery, treason, and the unspeakable crime of incest, Anne finds herself fighting not just for the king’s favor, but for her life. We all know how this story ends (SPOILER ALERT: she crashes and burns on an epic level), but that doesn’t make the trip there any less suspenseful. Though the history is familiar, the eyes through which we see it are not. The awesome twist in both Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies is that they offer a fresh, fascinatingly foreign take on the timeless Tudor scandals. By retelling the story through Cromwell, an actual man who served as a powerful adviser to the king, Mantel makes a well-known tale as fresh and raw as it’s ever been. Even better, she recreates Cromwell in a more sympathetic light than historical sources have typically done, so we see how very much he has gained and understand how much he has to lose.

Bring up the Bodies is the second book of the planned Wolf Hall trilogy. Mantel is working on The Mirror & the Light, which will inevitably end the tale of Cromwell's rise to power with his bloody downfall. I know it's coming, but I've grown so fond of him over the first two books of the trilogy that I already dread the thought of his demise. 

Bring up the Bodies is available throughout our library system in hardcover, large-print hardcover, audio book, and MP3 playaway. And I know I said you don’t have to have read Wolf Hall to enjoy Bring up the Bodies, but both books are awesome, so don’t hesitate to pick up the pair. Wolf Hall is available throughout our system in hardcover, large-print hardcover, and audio book (both CD and eAudio formats).

-Abby, Reference Librarian

Uncommone Genre 2: Historical Cookbooks

Marie Antoinette said "Let them eat cake!". I want to know what cake tasted like to Marie Antoinette in the 1700s. Since I definitely don't want to find cake that was made in the 1700s (ewwww), my best bet is to find a recipe from the 1700s and make it myself. So today I want to do a little research on a uncommon genre of books, historical cookbooks.

I can just do a web search for "1700s cake recipe" and get thousands of finds. If you use one of these recipes there is no guarantee it is authentic. Just because the person who posted it on the internet swears it has been in the family since the Colonial does not make it authentic. So today's post is going to focus on authentic resources that we can validate as being time period correct.

Part of the process of finding authentic books is actually being able to see the original book yourself. I do this by searching the internet for visual images of these older books. If you want to try browsing for them go to Google Books, look for cookbooks, and in the right hand side change the publish date to the desired years. Here are a few authentic resource examples.

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American

American Cookery by Amelia Simmons (1798)

This is the first known American cookbook that used American ingredients. The book is available for purchase by several vendors but since it is not protected by copyright you can peruse digital images of the book at Michigan State University by clicking on the title.

If you would like to view 75 other cookbooks from 1798 through the late 1900s check out all of Michigan State University's project called Feeding America. There are images available all similar to American Cookery.

European

Early European cookbooks are harder to find because they are usually in the original language and not translated. If you are serious about finding them I thought I would at least give you a starting point. This book does not have any recipes but it lists all of the original print dates and titles of European cookbooks from that era. I recommend this only for serious culinary patrons because it is not available through Wisconsin lenders and it can be pricey.

Printed Cookbooks in Europe: 1470-1700: A Bibliography of Early Modern Culinary Literature. by Henry Notaker (2010).

Happy Cooking!