| The end of winter is in sight. It’s
hard to believe that it will ever stop snowing, but we have
plenty of suggestions to brighten your March days. The dawning
of spring is an exciting prospect here at the store because
it promises not only an improvement in weather but also a
whole rash of great new books. While we patiently wait for
these masterpieces, we have a number of other greats dotting
our shelves. Here are just a few suggestions…
Judy H writes: I just finished two paperback
novels set in Ireland’s County Galway that may help
get you in the mood for St. Patrick’s Day because you
are transported to the beauty of the Irish landscape and her
troubled history.
Erin Hart’s The Haunted Ground (0743272102)
is a mystery centering around the decapitated head of a young
girl found in a peat bog and the unsolved disappearance of
a local mother and her son. Cormac Maguire, an Irish anthropologist,
and Nora Gavin, an American pathologist, are asked to investigate
the remains of the young girl who was believed to have been
executed 300-400 years ago. Meanwhile, local police detective,
Garret Devaney, decides to reopen the case of the vanished
wife and son of a local landowner. The two mysteries are linked
through history.
In But Come Ye Back (0060530375),
an American couple, Lyle and Mary Curtin, retire to Galway
City, Mary’s original home. Their married life together
is told through a series of stories that tell the couple’s
history as well as their present life in modern Ireland. The
stories show the genuine love Lyle and Mary have for each
other through very mundane and often-misunderstood moments.
Both books are great reading to ease the symptoms of the winter
blahs!
Alice writes: One of the new hot books these
days is Curtis Sittenfeld’s Prep (1400062314).
A debut novel doesn’t usually get this much good press
nor does it usually make it onto The New York Times Bestseller
List. The plot line is similar to one of our book group choices,
Tobias Wolff’s Old School (0375701494),
but Sittenfeld attaches a lot more humor and modern-day sexuality
into her portrayal of boarding school. Lee Fiora, a middle-class
Indiana girl, takes us through her career at Ault Academy,
an elite East Coast boarding school. Class, race, gender:
Sittenfeld analyzes these issues through the lens of teenage
self-consciousness and prep school expectations and aspirations.
Also, next up for book group, we will discuss Mary
Relindes Ellis’ The Turtle Warrior (0143034529)
on Tuesday, March 15 at 7 p.m. This is Ellis’
first novel and received some great reviews when it came out
in the beginning of last year. With comments on the book cover
from Sue Monk Kidd (Secret Life of Bees) and Pat Conroy (Prince
of Tides), how can you go wrong? Set in northern Wisconsin
and told through the eyes of various characters, Ellis explores
the fictitious Lucas family. John is an abusive, alcoholic
father; his wife’s spirit was broken soon after their
marriage. Their older son, Jimmy, enlists in the Marines and
goes to Vietnam, leaving eight-year-old Bill to watch over
their fragile mother. Ellis uses the landscape, traditions
and culture of the area to relate the story. Bill, a boy who
grew up in the woods surrounding his home, is a sensitive
child, an animal lover, and he believes that the turtle shell
shield he makes will protect him. Nevertheless, he grows into
a man haunted by his past.
Dede writes: Miranda’s Vines (0452286174)
by
Kimberly Kafka is set in the beautiful Willamette Valley,
Oregon’s wine country. Kafka (a direct descendant of
Franz Kafka) introduces us to two strong women whose friendship
truly changes their lives and those of their neighbors. You
learn a lot about wine too! This is well-written and fun to
read.
For an old fashioned thriller with all the modern bells and
whistles, look no further than At Risk (1400043700)
by Stella Rimington. She was the first woman
to hold the post of director general of Britain’s MI5.
Now retired, she is working on a second novel of espionage.
We think she has found a successful second career!
The Illuminator by Brenda Rickman Vantrease
(0312331916)
is a solid historical novel set in late fourteenth century
England. “A very absorbing and masterfully written novel,”
author Margaret George commented. It “twines two stories
together – a personal one of life on a manor in 1379
and a political one about the undercurrents that led, eventually,
to the Reformation. Impressive—a cast of characters
you truly care about and want to follow.”
Mary Doria Russell’s A Thread of Grace
(0375501843)
is a mesmerizing novel set in Italy during World War II where
43,000 European Jews were hidden, fed and ultimately saved
from the Nazi and Facist horrors by the grace and courage
of ordinary Italian citizens doing extraordinary things. Readers
might recognize Russell’s name from a great word-of-mouth
bestseller a few years ago, The Sparrow (0449912558).
Now, with her new novel (with a completely different setting
and premise), you are in for a treat.
FROM THE CHILDREN’S ROOM:
Marilyn writes: We have some new and exciting
titles this month in the Children’s room. Newbery Medalist
Sid Fleischman’s The Giant Rat of Sumatra
or Pirates Galore (0060742380)
follows the escapades of a 12-year-old cabin boy, Shipwreck.
Set in San Diego in 1846, this historical adventure features
pirates, bandits, jewels, romance and revenge. Reviewer Ethan
Z, aged 9, gives this book a “9 out of 10 rating”
and suggests it for readers ages 8 to 11.
The fourth installment in the Edge Chronicles, The Curse
of the Gloamglozer (0385750765) ,
by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell, “is
a very exciting book,” according to reviewer Katy M.,
aged 11. Quint, the son of a sky pirate captain, is apprenticed
to Linius Pallitax, the Most High Academe, who needs Quint
to carry out a series of very important tasks. Anyone who
has read the first three books in this series, Katy says,
will not want to put this one down. She recommends this book
to readers ages 11 and up and gives it a 5 out of 5 rating.
Student reviewer Stephanie S., aged 10, gives “two
thumbs way, way up!!” to I was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader
(0399242791)
by Kiernan Scott. Sassy Annisa Gobrowski
is the new girl in school. And if the move from New Jersey
to Florida isn’t enough to make her stand out, she’s
also one of only two brunettes in the school. Annisa wants
to make the best of her new situation, and she’s determined
to overcome any obstacles in the way of her joining the competitive
cheerleading squad. Stephanie says this book “made me
crack up so loud that I woke up my parents” and admits
that she was “so into the book” she might have
stayed up past her bedtime. She recommends this book for readers
ages 12 and up.
Zigzag (0689849982)
by Ellen Wittlinger is out this month in
paperback. When Robin discovers that her boyfriend Chris will
be spending the summer in Rome—their last summer together
before he leaves for college—she reluctantly agrees
to join her aunt and cousins on a cross-country road trip.
They zigzag their way through the West on a journey through
parts of the country Robin never dreamed existed, and, in
the process, she discovers inner strengths she never knew
she had. This book is recommended for readers ages 13 and
up. There is some mature content.
Isabel writes: Come browse our selection
of children and teen cookbooks—cooking can be a great
way to chase away those winter doldrums! One cookbook that
we’ve really enjoyed is Teen Cook: How to Cook What
You Want to Eat (1580085849)
by Megan and Jill Carle. Written by teenaged
sisters, this is a wonderful collection of teen- and kid-friendly
dishes with clear, step-by-step directions and lots of useful
cooking information. Your teen should be able to make most
of these recipes entirely by his or herself—which adds
to the pleasure.
Isabel and Taylor H. write: Imagine A Day
(0689852193)
written by Sarah L. Thompson and illustrated
by Rob Gonsalves is a companion to Imagine
A Night (0689852185) ,
published in 2003. You could spend hours examining the detailed,
surreal illustrations in this book for all ages. Each beautiful
illustration plays with your perception of the way things
are and with your sense of depth.
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