A Long Way Gone

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

The book group at the Grabill Branch discussed this title back in January. I am still reading it, but have decided not to give up on it even though I know it is going to be one of the most difficult books I have read in a long time.

It’s not the language or writing style of this book that challenges me; it’s the subject matter. This nonfiction memoir begins when Ishmael is twelve–the same age as my son. Civil war is happening in his home country of Sierra Leone. The violence has not yet touched his village, but once it begins, Ishmael and his friends are separated from their families and each day they have to find new places to safely live, find food, find people that will not kill them. Eventually, Ishmael will be turned into a 13-year-old soldier.

My friends in the bookgroup said that there are about 25 pages in the middle that are just unbearable to read. I’ve just about gotten that far, and I know it’s going to be painful, but I feel like I need to read it; I owe it to the kids and families “over there” to know what they are going through.

By the way–this is why we have book groups! Sometimes you need to discuss a book you’ve read. There are many discussion groups in the library system–check here for one in your neighborhood.

Melissa, IT Librarian

Crossover

Cassandra Kresnov is a reasonable person. She was raised in the League, during the war with the Federation. At first, she was too young to know that some of the things she was ordered to do were wrong. But then, as she matured, she started to develop an understanding of morals. And despite being the product of technology that the war began over – the League embraces the technology that makes artificial soldiers like Cassandra possible, in order to be able to compete with the more populous Federation – when she’s double crossed by her operation Dark Star bosses, she defects to the Federation. Artificial soldiers aren’t quite as welcome there, so she adopts a cover identity … and that’s where this novel begins.

The background in Crossover is very detailed, and led me (as well as others) to believe I was reading a sequel, but it really is the first book, in a series of three (sequels Breakaway and Killswitch) by Joel Shepherd. His theme of a smaller population using technology to compete with a larger is reminiscent of C. J. Cherryh’s Alliance-Union universe.

Ian, science-fiction-reading librarian

Phyllis Whitney

I just read that author Phyllis Whitney died earlier this month. My mother always had some of her books around the house when I was growing up. I believe they were the ones my sister and I called her “nightie books” because the cover always featured the heroine investigating a mysterious noise or fleeing into the dark and stormy night in her nightgown. I liked her children’s mysteries, though, and Mystery on the Isle of Skye was a favorite for a long time. For more information about Phyllis Whitney and her books, click here

Christi, Dupont Branch

How Things Become Popular–Fiction and Nonfiction Pair Up

I read The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell and Bellwether by Connie Willis during the same month and the two books have been paired in my mind ever since. Both books are enjoyable on their own, but reading them together gave each book more of an impact.

The Tipping Point is a nonfiction book about how things become popular and how information spreads. Nonfiction is not my first choice of reading material, but I found this both informative and entertaining.

Bellwether examines the same issues but it is a delightful romp of a story set in the near future in which a sociologist and a chaos theorist join forces to work on a project and end up falling in love. It’s a breazy, funny book with quirky characters.

Christi, Dupont Branch

The Perilous Gard

I loved this book! You’ll find it in the Children’s section of the library but don’t let that deter you if the 5th grade is just a distant memory. The Perilous Gard is based on the Scottish legend of Tam Lin—it is a rich work of historical fiction with touches of romance and fantasy. In the story, Kate Sutton is exiled by Queen Mary Tudor to a remote castle—when she arrives, she learns of a recent tragedy that haunts the household, Christopher Heron most of all. Ever cool and practical, Kate looks beneath the circumstantial ‘evidence’ and local folklore—and uncovers a secret kept by the castle tenants ever since Christianity began to force out the practice of druidic magic.

Becky, Interdepartmental Librarian

Big Fat Manifesto

Fat Girl tells it like it is in her high school newspaper column. She’s brash, funny, fearless, and determined to show her classmates what it’s really like to be an overweight teen facing daily indignities and frustrations. But can Jamie, who writes the Fat Girl column, conquer her own fears and insecurities in order to live up to her alter ego’s bravado? Big Fat Manifesto by Susan Vaught is a funny, thought-provoking book.

Rebecca, Dupont Branch

 

Roy Scheider, 1932 – 2008

Roy Scheider died yesterday.

I found out here: http://io9.com/354816/why-2010-is-better-than-2001

Never mind which movie is better – if this doesn’t make you want to go watch 2010 again, and then a whole bunch more Roy Scheider films, I don’t know what will. Jaws, Marathon Man, All That Jazz, maybe even Blue Thunder … but what’s weird is that besides Seaquest DSV, I don’t think I’ve seen him in anything since the 80s – which is weird, because according to IMDB, he’s been working steadily, right up until the end, with two movies coming out this year. It has just occurred to me that he was an actor that had a big impact on me – but how did he do that without me noticing until now? Maybe I noticed then and forgot. Guess I need to watch some more. (Though I’ll probably give Dracula II and Dracula III a miss.)

–Ian (Roy Scheider fan)

Graphic novelists writing novels

Neil Gaiman, Warren Ellis, Greg Rucka. Originally (or best) known for their comics/graphic novels, and now also writing longer work with no pictures.

Neil Gaiman is the author of The Sandman, Coraline, Stardust, and American Gods, among many other titles. Stardust was recently made into a movie, and Coraline is also in production to be released this year.

Warren Ellis is the author of Transmetropolitan, Global Frequency, and a new novel, Crooked Little Vein. Global Frequency is great science fiction, and Crooked Little Vein is funny, scary, and just a little bit disgusting.

Greg Rucka is the author of the comic book series Queen and Country, as well as two novels that tie in to that series, A Gentleman’s Game and Private Wars, and the critically acclaimed Atticus Kodiak series (Keeper, Finder, etc.). I thought the two Queen and Country novels were quite good – very readable military thrillers spiced with political intrigue.

So – graphic novel readers, check out the novels, and novel readers, check out the graphic novels!

–Ian, science fiction reading librarian

Rage by Jonathan Kellerman

Dr Alex Delaware has just gotten a phone call from a murderer. Eight years ago, two teens had been arrested for the murder of a toddler and the judge asked Alex to conduct a psychological evaluation of them. Rand, now 21, has just been released and he wants talk to Alex about the crime. They set up a meeting, but Rand is killed before Alex can talk to him and Alex is drawn into the investigation. Soon, he starts to have serious questions about the death of the toddler.

This is the first book I’ve read by Kellerman, but it won’t be the last. It’s much grittier than the cozy mysteries I normally read, but Kellerman hooked me with the first sentence and the suspense and plot twists kept me reading late into the night.

Christi, Dupont Branch