More Book Recommendations from the Friends’ Board October 16, 2009

With the advent of the rainy season, what a comfort to think of curling up by the fireplace with a drowsy cat and a good book.  Here are recommendations from the Friends’ October board meeting.  You can click on the links below to get to the SPL site to reserve a copy of these books.

Emperors of the Ice : a True Story of Disaster and Survival in the Antarctic, 1910-13, by Richard Farr. Farr’s debut novel has been named winner of the 2009 Scandiuzzi Children’s Book Award (part of the annual Washington State Books Awards) in the category of Books for Middle Grades and Young Adults (10-18 year old readers), although our board member believes it will appeal to adults as well.  This story of the ill-fated Antarctic journey led by Robert Scott to find the South Pole is told from the viewpoint of Apsley Cherry-Garrard:  “A bad navigator, inexperienced with dogs, blind as a bat, I was not the best man for the job, but I was the man available for the job.”

Pictures at an Exhibition, by Sara Houghteling.  This novel, set in Paris, is about a Jewish family dealing with the Nazis’ looting of French art masterpieces during World War II, including the destruction of the family’s art gallery.  The son returns after the war to try to recover the family’s masterpieces and in the process learns about family secrets and the many losses caused by the war.

 

The School of Essential Ingredients, by Erica Bauermeister.  Our board member first heard about this book through the Phinney Neighborhood Association blog, and characterizes it as enjoyable escapist fiction, with wonderful descriptions of cooking.  The  characters in the novel all attend a weekly cooking class together, lead by a chef who doesn’t believe in using recipes.  We learn about what has motivated each student to attend, what they each wrestle with, and how their cooking and their lives are transformed by learning to listen to their senses.  Per the PNA blog entry, the author is a PNA member and volunteer instructor in the PNA  education program.

 

Labor Day, by Joyce Maynard.  According to Carol Haggas’ review in Booklist, “Stranger danger” is a concept unfamiliar to 13-year-old Henry, who befriends an injured man during one of his and his agoraphobic mother’s rare shopping excursions in town—with disastrous results for all. . . . Told from Henry’s point of view, Maynard’s inventive coming-of-age tale indelibly captures the anxiety and confusion inherent in adolescence, while the addition of a menacing element of suspense makes this emotionally fraught journey that much more harrowing.”  City Librarian Susan Hildreth confessed that this was the first book she’s read in a while that made her think “I wonder what Nancy Pearl thinks of this book?”  She checked in with Nancy, who hasn’t finished reading it yet, so stay tuned for Nancy’s verdict . . .  . or read it yourself and let us know what you think!

Summer Reading Program a Smashing Success! September 23, 2009

Well folks, the results are in, and all of you readers out there helped exceed every goal for The Seattle Public Library’s 2009 Summer Reading Program, both as to books read and number of readers:

Category	Goal	Actual
Books Read (overall)	125,000	156,361
No. of Readers (overall)	12,029	12,352
Books Read by Teens	2,018	4,898
No. of Teen Readers	734	871
Books Read by Adults	5,220	14,035
No. of Adult Readers	2,040	2,380
Books Read by Children	112,170	137,428
No. of Child Readers	8,505	9,101

Congratulations and thanks to all those who participated!   The Friends of the Seattle Public Library were pleased to join the other entities (The Seattle Public Library Foundation, Verizon Wireless, U.S. Bank, the Burke Museum, Parent Map and Sheraton Seattle Hotel) who sponsored this worthwhile program.  Check back in spring 2010 to see what the Library has planned for the 2010 Summer Reading Program.

And if you are looking for book recommendations for this fall, here are some suggestions from the Friends’ Board meeting in September.  You can click on the links below to get to the SPL site to reserve a copy of these books.

Borkmann’s Point:  An Inspector Van Veeteren Mystery, by Hakan Nesser.  This mystery won the Swedish Crime Writers’ Academy Prize for Best Novel in 1994.  The Inspector is an irascible and occasionally near intuitive character who is called on to solve a mystery in a small town.  The board member who recommended this believes that Borkmann’s point (that in every case a point is reached where enough information is available to solve the crime with “nothing more than some decent thinking”) applies equally to life and the conduct of board meetings.  Having said that, our board member admitted that he hadn’t been able to figure out who had done it until it was revealed at the end of the book.  Why not read this novel and see how long it takes you to figure it out?  Starred review by Booklist.

Fieldwork: A Novel, by Mischa Berlinski.  Several board members enjoyed reading this novel with its multiple and overlapping story lines about a young anthropologist living in Thailand, a nomadic hill tribe, and the multigenerational missionary family seeking to convert the tribe members.  One member was entranced by the detailed descriptions of the fictional hill tribe and their rituals and culture, calling it a tour de force.

Start Reserving Books to Tide You Over During the Furlough August 13, 2009

A friendly reminder that that all branches of The Seattle Public Library will be closed Monday, Aug. 31 through Sunday, Sept. 6 due to citywide budget cuts.  The Library will also be closed on Monday, Sept. 7 for  the Labor Day holiday, so regular Library operations will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 8.  Click here for more information about the closure.

Here are suggestions from the Friends’ Board meeting in August in case you need books to read during the furlough.  You can click on the links below to get to the SPL site to reserve copies of these books.

Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout.  This novel features 13 interconnected stories, elegantly and sparingly told, of life in rural Maine.  Olive Kitteridge is a retired schoolteacher who provides a common thread in all of the stories, and we see how her choices in life play out as she moves from middle age to old age.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, by E. Lockhart.  Nancy Pearl recently recommended this young adult novel on a radio show, and I wasn’t able to write down the title while driving, so was delighted that another board member brought it in to our meeting.  Frankie attends a private boarding school and finds intrigue in infiltrating an all-male secret society called the Loyal Order of the Bassett Hounds.  Can our heroine turn the tables on her male high school classmates who underestimate her and the other girls at school?  Read it and find out!

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett.   A college graduate and aspiring writer returns to her hometown of Jackson Mississippi in the 1960s and decides to write down the stories of the black women who provide the domestic “help” in many of the white households.  The three narrators must deal with the fears and repercussions (and sense of pride) that result from publishing stories that challenge the prevailing concepts of race, class, family and gender roles.

Loving Frank, by Nancy Horan.  This historical novel explores the relationship of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his mistress Mamah Borthwick Cheney, a scholar in her own right.  The board member who recommended this especially enjoyed the lively discussion held at one of the branch library book groups, and commented that “Librarians run the best book groups!”   For more information about upcoming book group meetings at various branches, click here.

Liberate Your Books! July 14, 2009

Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses of books yearning to breathe free in the hands of a new reader! That’s right, folks, although the Fall Book Sale isn’t until September 25 – 27, the Friends accept book donations year-round (except for the 2-week period before and after each sale). We’re looking for the following:

 

 

 -Hardback and paperback books
-Audio books
-CDs and DVDs
-Computer software
-Sheet music
-Art prints and posters (framed or unframed)

Click here for more information about donating these materials.  You can get a charitable donation AND feel good about supporting the Library.

And if you are looking for something fun to read, consider the book recommendations below from the Friends’ Board meeting in July. You can click on the links below to get to the SPL site to reserve a copy of these books.

What Was Lost: A Novel, by Catherine O’Flynn. O’Flynn’s first novel opens with 10-year old Kate Meaney, who acts as a detective of possible criminal activities in her neighborhood. “Crime was out there. Undetected, unseen. She hoped she wouldn’t be too late.” Twenty years later, the novel traces the repercussions of Kate’s haunting disappearance on her friends and acquaintances. Received a starred review by Publisher’s Weekly.

Inside Inside, by James Lipton. James Lipton is the host of the TV-show Inside the Actor’s Studio, where he conducts in-depth (and often parodied) interviews with famous actors and directors. This autobiography includes excerpts from interviews with luminaries such as Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Steven Spielberg, but also traces Lipton’s career and insights.

Not Becoming My Mother: and Other Things She Taught Me Along the Way, by Ruth Reichl. “Irreverently immortalized as the klutzy cook who renounced edibility in favor of creativity, Reichl’s mother, and her quirky kitchen habits, provided frivolous fodder for Reichl’s previous culinary memoirs. But in this keenly felt retrospective, Reichl reveals another side of her mother, whose life seemed a shining example of what not to do.  .  .  .   Only upon discovering a hidden trove of diaries and letters after Miriam’s death was Reichl able to understand the full extent of her mother’s sacrifices. Candid and insightful, Reichl’s intensely personal and fiercely loving tribute acknowledges her mother as both the source and inspiration behind her success.” — Carol Haggas

Quoted book review excerpts are reprinted with permission from Booklist.

Kick Off Your Summer With a Good Read! June 8, 2009

Summer’s just about here (if the weather ever makes up its mind) and that means it’s time for the Seattle Public Library’s Summer Reading Program.  This Friends’ sponsored program is designed to help children learn, encourage reading for pleasure, provide chances for lifelong learning and nurture a sense of community.

Adults and teens are invited to keep track of and review the books they read this summer.  Children are encouraged to keep a reading log and get a sticker for each book they read.  Kids under 12 who read 10 books will receive prizes and be eligible for the city librarian’s Breakfast of Champions.

All told, the Library is offering over 750 programs throughout the city for all ages.  Check out the Library website or the Seattle Public Library Summer Reading Program page on Facebook for more information.

Catch Up on Your Reading This Weekend May 19, 2009

Just a friendly reminder that all locations of The Seattle Public Library and the Central Library book drops will be closed on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25.  If you are looking for books to read over the weekend, consider the book recommendations below from the Friends’ Board meeting in May. You can just click on the links below to get to the SPL site to reserve a copy of these books. Quoted book review excerpts are reprinted with permission from Booklist.

 The World Before Her, by Deborah Weisgall.    This novel “explores the parallel worlds of two marriages a century apart yet forever interwoven through the beauty of Venice. We first encounter Marian Evans Cross honeymooning in Venice. Marian led an unconventional life for the late Victorian era through her lengthy extramarital relationship with George Henry Lewes and publication of Adam Bede, The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, and Middlemarch under the pseudonym George Eliot. . . . A century later, sculptor Caroline Edgar Spingold returns reluctantly to Venice on a surprise tenth-anniversary trip planned by her husband, Malcolm.  .  .  .  Marian’s life will end unexpectedly without having attained great happiness or contentment . . . . , while Caroline will emerge from the fog of complacency to achieve the happiness she sought as an artist and as a woman. A compelling novel of introspection, the story is enhanced by vivid attention to the artistic and literary detail in both the historical and contemporary settings.”  — Laurie Sundborg

Dream When You’re Feeling Blue, by Elizabeth Berg.  This story is set “in Chicago during World War II, featuring three Irish Catholic sisters—Kitty, Louise, and Tish Heaney. The novel opens as Kitty and Louise say good-bye to their boyfriends at Union Station as they head off to war. Over the next three years, the sisters—amid the usual sibling squabbles over borrowed clothes and makeup—learn what it means to sacrifice during wartime. . . . [Berg] deftly mixes up the tone, moving easily between the wry dialogue of the long-married Heaney parents and the sad and affecting letters from the soldiers at the front. Although a final plot twist may not be fully credible, it does little to detract from this affectionate tribute to the patriotic 1940s and the women of the Greatest Generation.” — Joanne Wilkinson

The Newest Superheroes: Your Neighborhood Librarians April 9, 2009

 If there was any doubt that your neighborhood librarians should be given superhero status, take a look at this New York Times article about how the economic downturn is putting new stresses on libraries and librarians. Librarians are facing increased demands as “first responders” to patrons who are seeking help in filling out job applications and unemployment forms, using the library’s computers and free wi-fi access, looking for language and citizenship training, borrowing books and DVDs for free entertainment, and dealing with the emotional strains of making do with much less. Even Nancy Pearl’s beloved Librarian Action Figure might find it difficult to deal with all of these demands.

So how can you help? First of all, take the time to thank your neighborhood librarians – a kind word goes a long way. Second, consider volunteering at the Library – there are many different ways you can get involved. Third, email City Councilmembers and ask them to preserve funding for the Library: jean.godden@seattle.gov, richard.mciver@seattle.gov, bruce.harrell@seattle.gov, sally.clark@seattle.gov, tom.rasmussen@seattle.gov, jan.drago@seattle.gov, nick.licata@seattle.gov, tim.burgess@seattle.gov, richard.conlin@seattle.gov.

If you’re looking for books that feature fictional librarians, here’s a list from the Library’s Shelf Talk blog. And although the following books don’t feature librarians, consider the book recommendations below from the Friends’ Board meeting in April. You can just click on the links below to get to the SPL site to reserve a copy of these books. Quoted book review excerpts are reprinted with permission from Booklist.

Bone [Vol. I], Out from Boneville, by Jeff Smith. “One of the most acclaimed new comics of recent years, Bone is a Tolkien-meets-Pogo fantasy about the Bone cousins, who leave their home, Boneville, for adventures in the outside world. . . . Smith, with his clean draftsmanship and flawless comic timing, has been compared to comics masters Walt Kelly (Pogo and Carl Barks (creator of Uncle Scrooge McDuck). Like Pogo Bone has a whimsy best appreciated by adults, yet kids can enjoy it, too . . .” — Gordon Flagg   This review was written in 1995, and there are many other volumes available.

Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism, by Muhammad Yunus with Karl Weber. Nobel Peace Prize winner Yunus is the founder of Grameen Bank, which lends small amounts of money to poorer individuals to help them start small businesses. This is an inspiring tale about the possibilities of “micro-lending”, and businesses that are helping people while still being profitable.

Why I Wake Early : New Poems, by Mary Oliver. This is a lovely collection of poems about nature and contemplative ideas, and encourages us to slow down and appreciate nature.

Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese. This is Verghese’s first book of fiction, and starts in a charity hospital in Ethiopia while spanning three continents and several generations. This garnered a starred review in Publishers Weekly.

A Hand to Guide Me, Denzel Washington with Daniel Paisner. Actor Denzel Washington, a national spokesman for the Boys and Girls Club of America, has collected stories from over 70 celebrities (including himself) of how mentors made a difference in their lives. Contributors include Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Gloria Steinhem, Whoopie Goldberg, Bonnie Raitt, Cal Ripken, and more.

Readers, who are your favorite neighborhood superhero librarians?

The 2009 Seattle Edible Book Festival: Reading Your Cake and Eating it Too? March 12, 2009

My friend Cindy is already thinking about her entry for this year’s Edible Book Festival, which will take place on Saturday, April 4, 2009, at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford, 4649 Sunnyside Ave North.  What is an Edible Book, you say?  Well, according to the ground rules, “An Edible Book can look like a book, pun on a title, refer to a character, or just have something to do with books– whatever the inspiration, it must be edible.”  My favorites from past years include ·        War and Peeps ·        The Unbearable Lightness of Bean ·        100 Spears of Solitude ·        Remembrance of Things Pasta ·        The Elements of Style ·        Are You Bare Bun?  It’s Me, Margarine It’s a fundraiser for the Seattle Center for Book Arts, so put your aprons on and find a way to edibilize (yes, I just made that word up) your favorite book. If you’re looking for inspiration, consider these book recommendations from the Friends’ Board meeting in March; just click on the links below to get to the SPL site to reserve your copy of these books.   Book review excerpts are reprinted with permission from Booklist.   Heirloom:  Notes from an Accidental Tomato Farmer, by Tim Stark.  This down to earth and back to basics books may appeal to many in today’s tough economy.  It’s the true story of an amateur farmer who starts growing tomatoes in his apartment in Brooklyn and ends up moving back to his boyhood home in Pennsylvania to raise tomatoes that are sought after at New York City’s greenmarkets. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie.  “Fourteen-year-old Arnold Spirit, a Spokane Indian, decides to leave the res and attend a predominantly white high school, making a daring, possibly desperate choice to grasp his future and step away from his culture, identity, and familiar life. The idiosyncratic first-person voice that Alexie creates for Arnold is the most distinctive feature of this alternately harrowing and funny semiautobiographical novel.” —Kristi Elle Jemtegaard I See You Everywhere, by Julia Glass.  “In her third exquisite, piercing novel, National Book Award winner Glass juxtaposes the temperamentally opposite Jardine sisters. Analytical, cautious Louisa is destined to become an art critic and gallery owner. Reckless, sensual Clem is drawn to the wild and becomes a field biologist dedicated to protecting endangered species. While Louisa seeks marriage and motherhood, Clem catches and releases a stream of lovers. As the two women struggle for their place in the world, they embody archetypal struggles between nature and civilization, self and society.” —Donna Seaman The Devil’s Highway:  A True Story, by Luis Alberto Urrea.  “So many illegal immigrants die in the desert Southwest of the U.S. that only notorious catastrophes make headlines. Urrea reconstructs one such incident in the Sonoran Desert, the ordeal of sun and thirst of two dozen men in May 2001, half of whom suffered excruciating deaths. . . .  The imaginative license Urrea takes, paralleling the laconic facts of the case that he incorporates into his narrative, produces a powerful, almost diabolical impression of the disaster and the exploitative conditions at the border. Urrea shows immigration policy on the human level.”  —Gilbert Taylor The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope, by Jonathan Alter.  “As the generation that endured the Great Depression passes on, it is essential to be reminded what this nation faced as FDR assumed office in 1933. At a minimum, a quarter of the workforce was unemployed. The threat of mass violence loomed as secure families saw their life savings wiped out. . . . Alter recounts the flurry of the first 100 days of FDR’s administration, which forever altered the relationship between American citizens and the federal government. This superbly researched and well-written work serves as a vital reminder of the importance of leadership during this great national ordeal.” —Jay Freeman.

Note that Jonathan Alter will be presenting the Seattle Public Library’s 2009 A. Scott Bullitt Lecture in American History at Town Hall on Monday, March 23 from 7:00 to 9:00.  For more information, click here for the Library’s calendar of events and classes.

Join us in reading My Jim March 9, 2009

My Jim, by Seattle author Nancy Rawles, is the Seattle Reads selection this Winter. Did you know that Seattle Reads, which originally was called “What if all Seattle Read the Same Book,” is an admired program that’s been adapted by libraries all over the country? Please join Friends of The Seattle Public Library in exploring My Jim and celebrating this shared reading experience.

Recommending books — a little like matchmaking? February 19, 2009

I’ve always found recommending books to be a little like matchmaking . . . . you know, you size up your friends and think about their likes and dislikes, and then you run through your mental list of your favorite books until you think “AHA! I know the perfect book for that person.” And so you make the recommendation and then sit back, a bit nervously, hoping that it will work out, because of course your recommendation is also a reflection of you and what you think of your friend. It’s hard not to take it a little personally, after all, when your friend says “What were you thinking? I kept trying but I couldn’t get past page 32.” On the other hand, what a feeling of glee when your friend emails you to say “I stayed up until 1 in the morning reading and I don’t want the story to end!”

Here’s a sampling of the book recommendations from the Friends’ February board meeting. Your poor scribe could not write fast enough to get the reports down verbatim, but this will give you a general idea (think 2-line Weekly personals ad) of the promised attractions. I hope one of these ends up being a perfect match for you!

Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment by Tal Ben-Shahar: “This book answers the age-old question of what is the purpose of life . . . . i.e., to be happy. I was glued to it! When I was young I thought the goal was to be happy all the time, and of course it isn’t that at all.”

The Widows of Eastwick by John Updike. “The women featured in this novel were first seen in Updike’s earlier book The Witches of Eastwick, but it picks up 30 years later – and you don’t need to have read the earlier book. It reminded me of how a really good writer can convey images and feelings so effectively in a compact fashion.” Special note: An autographed John Updike novel (unsure of which novel at this time) will be available at the Spring Booksale Auction, so Updike fans and autograph hounds should make sure to look for it at the Auction.

Catherine, Called Birdy, by Karen Cushman: “This juvenile fiction book won a Newberry Awards Honor Book designation and tells the charming tale of a medieval girl whose father wants to marry her off to the highest bidder, and of her efforts to thwart his plans.”

Einstein Never Used Flashcards: How Our Children Really Learn–and Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less by Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, and Diane Eyer: “This was a good reminder to just let kids play. We get so hung up sometimes on making them do things when we should just give them a chance to relax.”

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows: “This is a fictional book of letters between a group living on the Isle of Guernsey in Britain during World War II and a young woman who is the author. I’m listening to the audio version, and I do not want it to end! When it ends I’ll feel like I’m losing a group of friends and will have to go into mourning.”

Just click on the links in this post and it will take you to the SPL site to reserve your copies today.