The Book Goddess

I’ve had several nasty colds recently, which is pretty unusual for me.  One of the few good parts of being sick is that you generally have more time to read, as well as an excuse for not doing anything more strenuous.  

It is important to pick the right book - as always, but even more so when you’re feeling puny.  The “right book” will be different for every individual, but for me, mysteries are usually prominent.  I like the suspense, the characters, the sense that someone is at least trying to right a wrong. 

Here are some good ones that I’ve read recently: 

The Glass Devil by Helene Tursten:  A young teacher and his parents are killed on the same day in separate houses.  What is behind these crimes?  This well-written police procedural is one of the many Scandinavian mysteries that are arriving on our shores.  Set in Sweden and London, the grim subject matter is offset by the friendships and humor of the police detectives and their families.  

Slip of the Knife by Denise Mina:  Paddy Meehan is a single mother and a striving journalist in Glasgow.  When she finds out that her old boyfriend has been killed, possibly by the IRA, she has to get some answers.  Paddy’s Irish family and background add a special dimension to the mystery.  This is my first Denise Mina, but it won’t be my last. 

Hold Tight by Harlan Coben:  If you’ve ever read Harlan Coben, you know why I like him.  He draws you immediately into the action, and really, it never lets up.  In this case, two concerned parents decide they have to spy on their teenager.  At the same time, there’s a serial killer on the loose.  Just don’t start this book when you have to be somewhere important. 

Yes, I do read books that aren’t mysteries.  For example, I just finished The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff.  A terrific book, and a first novel at that.  Set in a town that strongly resembles Cooperstown, New York, it’s primarily the story of Willie Upton:  descendant of Jacob Franklin Temple (who resembles James Fenimore Cooper); disgraced Stanford graduate student; and illegitimate offspring of someone. 

I guess this is a mystery after all, since much of the book involves Willie’s search for her father (her mother refuses to tell her).  This search involves delving back into the history of the town, and the genealogy of the Temples, and we learn a great deal about early American life.  There are several librarians, and a love interest for Willie and her mother, and at least one monster.  Really, you’re going to have to read it if you want to know more than that.

 Happy reading! 

The Book Goddess

 P.S.  I’m feeling much better now, which makes me very happy and likely to blog more often.

Did you know that this is National Library Week?  And that this is the 50th anniversary of its observance?  You can learn more about National Library Week and its sponsor, the American Library Association, by clicking here.

In honor of libraries, I identified ten things to love about your library.  I know the list could be a lot longer, so please let me know what you love about your library.  I look forward to hearing from you!  Here’s my list:

It’s a great deal - You can save vast sums by borrowing rather than buying.

It’s practical - Do you need to paint your house or buy a car?  Be a better informed consumer at the library.

It’s creative - You can learn a new dance step, take up a craft, or start writing your novel using library materials or programs.

It’s mind-expanding - Just walk through the stacks and you realize the possibilities are endless.

It’s user-friendly - You can explore on your own or get help from the staff.

It’s social - Meet up with great people at Friday Night Jazz or at one of our book clubs!

It improves your community - Free access to books, information, and computers helps bridge the information gap.

It’s ecological - Books and media are used by a number of people instead of just one, thus saving resources.

It’s future-oriented - Children who read are more successful in life.

It has something for everyone!

Happy Reading

The Book Goddess

One of the many good things about being in a book club is that you will almost certainly read some books that you would not have selected on your own.  That happened for me this month when our selection was The Nine by Jeffrey Toobin. 

I knew about this book.  It had been well-reviewed, and it was a New York Times bestseller.  And I even listen to Nina Totenberg’s NPR broadcasts on the Supreme Court with interest.  Still - I hadn’t picked this book up, and honestly, I was afraid it might be heavy going. 

But, to my surprise and delight, it was both readable and very absorbing.  (This means that when I had to go do something else, I wanted to get back to the book.)  Toobin, himself a graduate of Harvard Law School, clarifies legal issues for the layperson, and this is most helpful.  What makes the book so interesting, however, is the description of the personalities and experiences of the justices and how they have changed (or not) over time.   The book is certainly convincing as to the importance of the legislative branch and its effect on the life of our country. 

I’m sorry you missed our wonderful discussion this past Saturday, but I highly recommend The Nine.  For you busy commuters, consider the book on CD.  Click here to reserve your book or sound recording. 

Next month (May 10^th), for a complete change of pace, we’ll be discussing Skinny Dip by Carl Hiaasen.  It’s no accident when Chaz Perrone throws his wife off a cruise ship.  Unfortunately, he has forgotten that she is a champion swimmer - and she will come back alive to haunt him.  He’s involved in a lot of skullduggery and there is an incredible assortment of weird Florida characters.  Among other things, the book is side-splittingly funny and I have yet to recommend it to anyone who didn’t adore it.  Not to be missed under any circumstances! 

Happy Reading! 

The Book Goddess

April is National Poetry Month!  Let me confess that I don’t read much poetry on a daily basis.  But I read quite a lot in college and graduate school, and even memorized some.  Lines of poetry come back to me at times, mostly the English Romantics, and the words conjure up a special feeling.

I’ve noticed that there are two times when people tend to seek poetry out - when they are in love, or when someone dies.  This says to me that poetry does speak to something deep in the human spirit, and says things in a way that nothing else can.

But it isn’t necessary to fall in love or have a great loss to come under poetry’s spell.  If you think reading some poetry might be a good thing, here are a few suggestions:

You could subscribe to the Poem-a-Day program of the publisher, Alfred A. Knopf.  You will receive a daily e-mail during the month of April.  Most of the poems are modern and I think you will find them readable and thought-provoking.

You can also visit the Poetry 180 website of the Library of Congress.  These poems were chosen to appeal to high school students, but should be of interest to adults as well.  The ones I read were accessible and gave us a new way of looking at everyday life.

Or - you could check a poetry book out of the library!  Maybe you remember liking Emily Dickinson or Langston Hughes in school, and you could read more of these great poets. 

We also have some wonderful anthologies for you to dip into.  One of these is called, not surprisingly, A Poem a Day, edited by Karen McCosker & Nicholas.  Here you get a poem for each day of the year.  These are poems that have stood the test of time and appealed to a wide range of people.  It’s an excellent choice.

And maybe you could even consider writing a poem yourself.  You never know until you try.

Happy Poetry Reading!

Fondly,

The Book Goddess

At our weekly meeting today, I asked the Library staff for the titles of any great books they’ve read recently.  Steve found Tim Dorsey’s Big Bamboo wonderfully funny.  If you are in the mood for a crime novel that provides outlandish entertainment and a great deal of interesting information about Florida, Tim Dorsey is the author for you.  I do think you would be well advised to begin with his first, Florida Roadkill.

Jennifer is reading Cotton by Christopher Wilson.  The protagonist starts out as a mixed race child growing up in the segregated South.  Though this novel deals with serious issues, it has some truly unusual plot twists and one critic described it as “antic entertainment.”

Lena checked out No!  I Don’t Want to Join a Book Club by Virginia Ironside on my recommendation.  She’s halfway through and agrees that it is fabulous.  She also recently viewed the classic film Twelve Angry Men and it became an instant all-time favorite.

Fawn is enjoying People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.  A book conservator travels to Bosnia to restore a Hebrew manuscript that was saved by a Muslim librarian.  Fawn says that Brooks brings history alive for the reader.

I’m just finishing the second mystery novel featuring Quirke, the Dublin pathologist, by Benjamin Black, better known as Booker Prize winner John Banville.  The Silver Swan has terrific characterization, a great plot, and the wonderful writing that you would expect of this award-winning author.

Now, keep in mind - we work at the library where there is a very wide choice of reading materials, and these are the items that we picked.  So my feeling is that these are really good choices that you might want to consider.

Happy Reading!

The Book Goddess

Some books expand our horizons by taking us far away, in time or space or situation.  Others shed a light on the place where we are. 

One of my favorite recent reads is No!  I Don’t Want to Join A Book Club:  Diary of a 60^th Year by Virginia Ironside.  It so happens that several of my friends will turn sixty this year, or in the next year or two.  A few have already done so.  So I do have an interest in this age group.  (The Book Goddess is timeless.  Don’t ask.) 

This novel falls into a category that the British do extremely well:  the humorous fictional diary.  If you liked The Adrian Mole books by Sue Townsend or Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding, and you’re, let’s say, aware of the passage of time in your life, I think you should hurry up and read this book.

The heroine and narrative voice of this saga is Londoner Marie Sharp, retired art teacher and single mother of a grown son.  As she approaches sixty, she strongly resists the urging of her friends to take up a hobby, enroll in university courses, or learn Italian.  She’s about to become a grandmother, one of her oldest friends seems to be seriously ill, and another has taken up online dating.  These events, along with bunion surgery and renting her spare room to a young French girl, are inspiration for witty, sometimes hilarious, sometimes poignant commentary.

I don’t agree with all of her choices, though I think she’s right about bungee jumping (and we even wear the same brand of comfortable shoes).  I, on the other hand, would love to take classes and learn Italian, and you know how I feel about book clubs.  But the important point is that she’s not letting other people tell her how she ought to feel or live or conduct her life, and she tells us about it in a lively and assertive style.  The book is a delight, and I think you will love it, too.

Happy Reading!

The Book Goddess

Today (March 3) is the anniversary of Florida’s admission to the Union as the 27^th state!  That important event happened in 1845.  I have been told that my father’s family arrived from Spain in time to become citizens on that day.

I think it would be nice to read a Florida book in honor of the event.  There are a lot of good ones out there.  If you’re interested in history, you might want to read one of Michael Gannon’s books - either The New History of Florida or Florida:  A Short History.  If you’re really pressed for time, you could choose Michael Gannon’s History of Florida in 40 Minutes, which includes a CD read by the author.  He was one of my professors at the University of Florida and he makes history fabulously interesting!

Two titles that you might want to check out are the classic Cross Creek by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, her memoir of life in rural Florida, and The Other Florida by Gloria Jahoda.  Both of these authors moved to Florida from other places and came to love it.

For a more South Florida perspective, I’d recommend The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean.  It is about orchids, but it’s also about many other things, including the development of Florida.  And speaking of development, The Big Bubble by Theodore Pratt (better known as the author of The Barefoot Mailman) is a fascinating fictionalized account of the Florida real estate boom of the twenties and an architect who will certainly bring Addison Mizner to mind.

In fact, novels can be a wonderful way to appreciate and learn more about history.  A Land Remembered by Patrick Smith won the Florida Historical Society Tebeau Prize as the Most Outstanding Florida Historical Novel.  And The Man Who Invented Florida by mystery writer Randy Wayne White is a true delight.  (By the way, Randy will be here on Tuesday, March 25^th at 1:00 p.m. to speak and sign copies of his new book, Black Widow.)

And if you want to laugh yourself silly, among other things, pick up Skinny Dip by the renowned journalist, crime writer, and social critic Carl Hiaasen.  I simply must insist that you read this.  And - it will be the May selection of the Second Saturday Book Club.

There are many more wonderful authors I haven’t mentioned.  Please let me know about your favorite Florida books and authors.

Happy Reading!

The Book Goddess

The people have spoken!  “The Book” has been announced!  And it is…

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards.

As of this moment, there are 765 reviews on Amazon.com, averaging 3 stars.  It is #10 on the Most Requested - New Favorites list on ReadingGroupGuides.com.  So a lot of people out there are reading and talking about this book.

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter was the November 2007 selection of the Second Saturday Book Club, and I can tell you that the themes - family relationships, people with disabilities, and keeping secrets - make for good discussion topics.

There will be a number of opportunities for people to get together and talk about this book.  We will have at least one discussion at the West Palm Beach Public Library (date and time to be announced).  And there will be other events including an appearance by the author and a dramatic presentation by Palm Beach DramaWorks.  For more information, visit the “Read Together Palm Beach County” webpage.

Please consider organizing a discussion at your workplace, community organization, or house of worship.  (Click here for discussion questions.)  It’s so important to read, but it’s even better when you share your thoughts with other readers.

Happy Reading!

The Book Goddess

Here are some recommendations from members of the Second Saturday Book Club:

Joan - The Lady from Buenos Aires by John Lantigua

Willie Cuesta is a Miami private eye.  In this series entry, the mystery focuses on a woman who “disappeared” in Argentina more than twenty years ago. 

Kathleen - Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver and its sequel, Pigs in Heaven.

In fact, she recommends pretty much anything by Kingsolver.  I myself think The Poisonwood Bible is a brilliant novel and not to be missed.

Lois - Plum Wine by Angela Davis-Gardner

An English teacher in Japan receives a bequest from her mentor, a Hiroshima survivor.  Excellent reviews.

Tina - The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

A bookish biographer finds herself in the middle of a mystery.  Very atmospheric - is it a ghost story or not?

The Pure in Heart by Susan Hill

The second in the Simon Serrailler mystery series - a very well-crafted British mystery with much to say about human relationships.

William - The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

An Oprah pick and reportedly a wonderfully readable historical novel about the building of a cathedral in the twelfth century.  The February selection of the Just for Mystery Lovers Book Club, which will meet February 23rd at 10:30 a.m.

What are you reading?  I’d love to hear your recommendations, too.

Fondly,

The Book Goddess

As you read this, voting will have ended for Read Together Palm Beach County.  I hope you voted, and I certainly hope you read whichever book is chosen (winning title to be announced on February 25th at noon, right out in front of the West Palm Beach Public Library at 100 Clematis Street). 

But I would actually like to encourage you to read all of the titles.  If you do, you’ll be able to experience the imaginary inner life of an autistic child who solves a mystery (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time); the true story of a gifted child growing up in a tragically dysfunctional family (The Glass Castle); the unintended consequences of a hasty but life-altering decision by a father (The Memory Keeper’s Daughter); the excitement and ambition of a young boy (and future NASA engineer) looking out to space and actually building his own rockets in a coal mining town (Rocket Boys); and the real-life uphill battle of a mountain climber to establish village schools in Pakistan (Three Cups of Tea).

Some of these books are fiction, some are nonfiction; they all are windows on worlds that we may never experience personally.  The magic of reading is that all of these worlds are available to us, at our convenience, and (let’s not forget) free of charge at your public library.

All the best from the Book Goddess!