| April’s
rain is being replaced with bursting star magnolias, blossoming
tulips, fragrant lilacs and forsythias. And what better time
to head outside with a beach chair or a
picnic blanket to wile away a Sunday afternoon reading your
favorite mystery writer’s new thriller, the latest thesis
on what’s happening in American politics or a love story
that explores the depths of human emotions? We ended April
with some long-anticipated arrivals from famed writers—Sue
Monk Kidd’s The
Mermaid Chair
(0670033944) ,
Jack Welch’s Winning
0060753943),
Thomas Friedman’s The
World is Flat (0374292884),
Nicholas Sparks’ True
Believer (0446532436),
Elizabeth Berg’s The
Year of Pleasures (1400061601),
Bob Dole’s
One Soldier’s Story (0060763418),
Johnny Damon’s Idiot
(030723763X)—but
May promises just as much. The following are some suggestions
for the sunny days and fresh spring nights ahead.
Dede writes:
I am reading Lorna Landvik’s new novel
Oh
My Stars (0345472314)
and enjoying her sweet-and-wry point of view. Publishers Weekly
says it is “a novel of hard won luck and reaping blessing
from calamity…a playful and poignant narrative.”
Those fans of her Patty
Jane’s House of Curl (0449911004)
and Angry
Housewives Eating Bon Bons (0345442822)
will want to save this for a rainy weekend or beautiful day
at the beach.
Recently Janet Malcolm wrote
a serious two-page review in the New York Times Sunday
Book Review of Alexander McCall Smith’s
In
the Company of Cheerful Ladies (0375422714)
in which she ends by saying that “The No. 1 Ladies
Detective Agency series is a literary confection of such gossamer
deliciousness that one feels it can only be good for one.”
We’re with Janet on this and celebrate the sixth installment
in the series with enthusiasm.
In paperback, Ward Just’s
An
Unfinished Season (061856828X)
is another novel to put on your list. Wilson Raven is working
as a reporter in Chicago during his summer before college,
living in a world divided by class and character: a working
class newsroom, North Shore debutante parties and feuding
parents. Publishers Weekly writes, “It’s
always a pleasure to read Just’s prose—crisp,
intelligent, animated by dry humor and by a realism that is
too humane to be cynical.”
Alice writes: Ruth Reichl’s
Garlic
and Sapphires (1594200319)
is a fun foray into the world of food critiquing. Reichl,
the editor of Gourmet and the author of numerous books, takes
us through her memories of being a food critic for the New
York Times. There are many funny bits as she is forced
into disguise to impart fair and truthful commentary on the
cuisine of New York’s finest eateries. The memoir is
peppered with mouth-watering recipes.
Amitav Ghosh
brings us to the Sundarbans, a vast archipelago off the coast
of India, in The
Hungry Tide (0618329978).
The three main characters meet in the area, all with varied
backgrounds and different reasons for converging in this rarely
described corner of the world. Ghosh, the author of The
Glass Palace
(0375758771),
includes it all—romance, adventure, history, identity,
philosophy—in this beautifully-written book about the
pressing conflict between nature and civilization.
Also, for the store’s book
group on Tuesday, May 10 from 7 –8 p.m.,
we will discuss Kate Atkinson’s Behind
the Scenes at the Museum (0312150601).
Winner of the 1995 Whitbread Book of the Year, the novel tracks
five generations of Yorkshire women. Told through the eyes
of Ruby Lennox, the story is laugh-out-loud funny at points
but guided by heartbreak and tragedy. Ruby not only chronicles
the lives of her own family but also provides a personalized
history of what it was like to be living, as a young woman,
during various time periods in England. Atkinson gives the
reader a glimpse at the evolving role of women as mothers
and wives in the twentieth century.
FROM THE CHILDREN’S
ROOM:
The staff in the Children’s
Room remind young readers about our student review program.
Open to anyone from elementary through high school, eager
readers are invited to get the first look at books that haven’t
yet been published and to write a review. As thanks for your
criticism, you will be rewarded with a coupon.
Pat writes:
Mouse
Went Out to Get a Snack (0374876727)
by Lyn Rossiter McFarland is a colorfully
illustrated counting picture book. A hungry little mouse,
on the hunt for a snack of cheese, comes upon a counter with
an assortment of goodies. Counting all the delicious items
he discovers, while on the watch for the cat, young preschoolers
will revel in the final encounter and the tasty ending while
learning to count to ten.
The new book by Eva Ericksson,
A
Crash Course for Molly (9129661560),
is a great story for reading aloud. Molly loves to ride her
bike, but, under the watchful eye of Grandma, she still has
a few little collisions. When she runs into the riding instructor,
he gives her some very useful advice. Ericksson's story line
as well as her warm and colorful illustrations make this a
fun, laugh-out-loud book.
Nico, a nine year old student
reviewer, recently read Chris D'Lacey’s
new book, The
Fire Within
(0439672430).
In his enthusiastic review he wrote, “I thought this
was an absolutely AMAZING book. The last 65 pages were sad,
but it was a beautiful story. I would recommend that parents
read this to your children. Actually, I would recommend this
book to anyone who likes magical stories. To Chris D'Lacey,
I pray you write number two to this book."
The
Old Country
(1596430478),
by Caldecott winner Mordicai Gerstein, is
a wonderful new book for upper elementary and middle school
readers. Complete with sprites, talking animals and a chicken
who lays a golden egg, the story follows a girl and a fox
who, through a magical transformation, trade forms. Beautifully
told, rich in humor and wisdom, it is a wonderful read, a
true "new" fairy tale in every sense of the word.
Marilyn writes:
According to student reviewer Katy M., The
Riddles Of Epsilon (0060728191)by
Christine Morton-Shaw, is “about a
teenage girl named Jess moving to an old mysterious house
on the island Lume. As Jess is talking to her friend Avril
on instant message, a mysterious V comes on. V tells her to
solve riddles and try to find out his real name. This is when
the adventure starts. This book is very exciting to the last
page. I would recommend it to readers 10 and up.”
Stephanie S. read The
Horse From The Sea (0060520280)
by Victoria Holmes. She writes, “An
Irish girl named Nora one day comes across a stranded Spanish
sailor who is wounded and a stallion, also wounded. She goes
out of her way to save them both while risking her life and
her family’s protection from the British soldiers…I
liked this book because it had an excellent plot full of adventure.
It was a bit challenging because of the way it was worded
and the language and vocabulary used.” Stephanie recommends
this book for readers aged 12 and up.
Holly S., aged 12, reviewed where
i want to be (0399237836)
by Adele Griffin. “It’s about two sisters,”
she writes, “and Lilly is the younger sister. Jane loved
Lilly a lot, but as Lilly grew older, Jane found a gap widening
between them. She missed playing make believe with her and
protecting her from thunderstorms. Suddenly a tragedy occurs,
but there’s more to tell…What I liked about this
story was how it kept you on cliff hangers at the end of each
chapter. This was a good story but not for my age group. It’s
for older kids.”
Artemis Fowl: The
Opal Deception (0786852895)
is the fourth installment in this best-selling series by Eoin
Colfer. Artemis has lost his memories of the world
belowground after his last adventure. With any goodness he
had learned gone, the young genius has returned to his criminal
lifestyle. While he is busily engaged in his latest criminal
enterprise, Artemis is being watched by his cunning rival,
Opal Koboi—and Opal is planning her revenge. This time
Artemis may have met an enemy who can outsmart him.
Judy H. writes:
“Grandchildren, you asked me about this medal of mine.
There is much to be said about it. This small piece of metal
holds a story that I was not allowed to speak for many winters.”
These are the opening lines to a new historical fiction novel
for middle and high school students called Code
Talker: A Novel About Navajo Marines of World War II
(0803729219)
by Joseph Bruchac. Ned Begay is telling his
story to his grandchildren. Beginning the tale with his leaving
the Indian reservation as a young child to be educated in
a white man’s school, he then talks about enlisting
in the Marines and being chosen as a “code talker.”
He and his fellow Navajo marines use their language—a
language they were not allowed to use in school—to carry
vital military information and commands. These “code
talkers” played an essential role in the victory of
the allies in the Pacific front, a role that remained secret
until recent years. At the end of the book Bruchac gives a
short history of the Navajo people. If you’re looking
for an authentic war story and an explanation of the code
used by the code talkers, this is the right book.
Isabel writes:
My son loves the Pagan Quartet, a series of books
appropriate for high school students. He wrote, “The
Pagan Quartet is one of my favorite series, easily, and some
of the best historical fiction I’ve ever read. The series
creates incredible realism, both in its setting of the Crusades
time period and its many diverse characters. Especially in
the later books, the Pagan Quartet brings in modern day issues
into a medieval setting; everything from homosexuality to
epilepsy to religious struggles is covered here, although
there is still room for lots of humor. I cannot recommend
this series highly enough.” |
