While we all want to read what everyone else is reading and talking about, sometimes it can be just as fulfilling to read a book that doesn’t receive as much attention as one of these big blockbusters.
Here are some recommendations for some recent books that have you might have missed:
If you are like me and fondly remember the Choose Your Own Adventures Books of your childhood and wish someone would write one for adults, then you are in luck! Million Little Mistakes by Heather Mcelhatton is a new book in which, after winning $22 million in the lottery, you get to pick which direction the narrative will go. Will you end up married to George Clooney? Or will you go on a wild spending spree and lose all your money?
Like life itself, the course the book takes depends on your choices.
Posted under Authors, Books, Fiction, HumorAs part of our Summer Reading program for teens, we encouraged readers to create their own video reviews for books they read. Vikram Shah stepped up to the challenge, and sent us this fantastic review of Greg Iles’ Black Cross:
Summer Reading may be over, but we’re still accepting video reviews. Contact us at askrs at skokielibrary dot info if you’re interested, or pay us a visit at the Digital Media Lab to borrow a camera.
Posted under Books, ReviewsThe latest New York Times Sunday Book Review features “The Kids’ Books Are All Right,” an engaging essay by writer Pamela Paul on the growing number of adults who read young adult (YA) fiction. As Paul notes, “the themes are serious … but the books are fast-paced.” YA books also feature emotionally engaging storytelling and shorter page counts, which can also be refreshing for busy grown-ups. If Harry Potter and Twilight were your YA gateway and you’re looking for more teen novels to try, here are a few diverse titles:
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Acclaimed literary author Sherman Alexie scored a critical and commercial success with this funny, fierce coming-of-age novel, based in part on his own experiences growing up poor and geeky on a tribal reservation.
The Book Thief by Markus Suzak
Set in Nazi Germany, Suzak’s haunting story of a young girl whose love of books changes lives has become a perennial favorite of book discussion groups.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
An orphan boy raised by cemetery ghosts prepares to face the man who murdered his family. Gaiman’s story for all ages won, among other prizes, the Newbery Medal and Hugo Award; the audio edition of the story (read by the author) is particularly delightful.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
In a dystopian future, a young woman struggles to survive a macabre reality television show where teens fight to the death. This nail-biting thriller was followed by the sequel Catching Fire; the trilogy is rounded out by the hotly anticipated Mockingjay, to be released later this month.
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Another hard-to-put-down dystopian survival tale that’s the first installment in a trilogy, Dashner’s novel follows a 16-year-old who wakes up in a maze, unaware of how he got there or how he’ll get out.
What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell
Mystery, history and romance mix in this stylish, noir-ish novel about a teen girl and her complicated relationship with a soldier who served with her dad during World War II.
Are there any other teen books you’d recommend for (not-so-young) adult audiences?
Posted under BooksAre you one of those people who habitually re-reads favorite books? I’ve heard tales of this and I’ve always thought it strange, with such an abundance of new books to discover! However, I just re-read (actually listened to) a book I remembered loving from years ago but didn’t really remember. It was Stones for Ibarra by Harriet Doerr, and I’m so glad I did because it was like visiting an old friend and meeting a new one at the same time.
More and more, because my memory is not exactly ziplock fresh anymore, and even those youthfully sharper memories fade over time, I find myself wanting to re-read some old favorites.
In recent years I’ve re-read The Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird. A few others I’d like to re-read: A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel, Gone to Soldiers by Marge Piercy, and Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson.
Summertime…the perfect time to go surfing! Since I can’t swim, the only surfing I am doing this summer is on the library’s catalog. My version of surfing involves finding a unique subject heading in the catalog and then riding the wave of the books that come up after clicking. A recent favorite surf of mine is the subject heading “Coma — Patients — Fiction.” Here I found such diverse materials such as Darius Jones, a steamy story by Mary B. Morrison, and After you’d gone, a literary tale of love and redemption by Maggie O’Farrell.
So catch a wave with me- look up a book, click on a subject heading and see what literary adventures await.
Posted under Books, Fiction
Since July 31 is the trading deadline in the baseball world, it got me thinking about how much fun it would be if we had the ability to trade our favorite literary characters between books. Literary mash-ups are all the rage these days, so why not literary trades? Just think, while Elizabeth Bennet is sailing down the Mississippi, Huck Finn could be causing havoc at Pemberley (considering Mark Twain’s disdain for Jane Austen, imagine how much Twain himself might enjoy that ruckus).
What do you think…The Brothers Karamazov for Sister Carrie and a player to be named later?
Moreover, teams out of the pennant race often trade established players to playoff bound teams for promising prospects. So, which great character from a not-so-great book do you think would help a good book become a classic?
Posted under Books, Fiction, Humor
Summer Reading ends this Saturday, July 31. Thus, if you have not done so already, turn in your reading log to the Readers Services Desk in order to qualify for the grand prize drawing.
The grand prize winner will receive two tickets to the Northlight Theater and a $50 gift card to the Cheesecake Factory.
Posted under Books, News
LitLounge is the Library’s own book discussion group for 20- and 30-somethings. We’ve been meeting once a month for about a year now, discussing a great variety of titles in both fiction and nonfiction. We have a new title for August, so it’s a perfect time to get in the group!
This August at LitLounge:
The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel
August 18th, 2010 at 7:00 PM
The Curragh Irish Pub
8266 Lincoln Avenue
Since this is a short story collection, we’re only going to be able to discuss a few stories. We recommend you read these eight. (Don’t worry, they’re short.)
Please feel free to read others and share them with the group. You can pick up a copy of this book at the Readers’ Services desk on the first floor.
We also welcome suggestions for future titles. Please let us know in the comments!
Posted under Book Discussions, BooksMovie trailers have gone a long way toward emphasizing a film’s strengths – or covering up its utter awfulness. A recent trend is to do the same for books, and many authors have taken to YouTube to help pitch their upcoming works to the masses.
One recent example that deserves particular mention is the trailer for Gary Shteyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story. Shteyngart has always been hilarious as a writer (many moments in Absurdistan left me gasping for breath), and the trailer demonstrates a similar talent. It features cameos from a number of contemporary literature’s giants, including Jeffrey Eugeniedes, Mary Gaitskill, and Jay McInerney, not to mention an actor famous for playing a certain Spider-villain.
Enjoy the trailer below. Have you seen any other notable book trailers? Share your favorites in the comments.
