ANGUS, THONGS, AND FULL FRONTAL SNOGGING by Louise Rennison
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Beginning with ANGUS, THONGS, AND FULL FRONTAL SNOGGING, all of the books in Louise Rennison’s Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series, are simply hilarious. As a teenager, my friends and I couldn’t stop reading the escapades of Georgia and her vivacious gang. Definitely girly, but also infinitely funny, they are a British pop song turned teenage girl novel. Get ready for british slang, a frisky little sister, insane cats, annoying parents, disco dances, and sexgods. I can say without hesitation, these books are quite fabbity-fab. Recommended by Caitlin.
Heidi @ January 30, 2012
LOOKING FOR ALASKA by John Green
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LOOKING FOR ALASKA, by John Green, is still one of my favorite books. Green created something incrediblly compelling and also just incredibly cool in his characters. A stunning look at friendship, love, and life, this story has some dark moments but is ultimately beautiful. This book will resonate with both boys and girls, something that is hard for a young adult book to accomplish. If you like Alaska, also try Green’s other titles: AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINE’S, PAPER TOWNS, and his newest, THE FAULT IN OUR STARS. Recommended by Caitlin.
Heidi @ January 30, 2012
A SICK DAY FOR AMOS McGEE by Philip C. Stead
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In A SICK DAY FOR AMOS McGEE, we meet loveable, endearing Amos as he visits all of his animal friends at the zoo. Philip C. Stead gives us a thoughtful book about friendship, with gentle humor woven throughout. Erin E. Stead’s tender illustrations were created with woodblock printing and pencil; they give the book a timeless, cared-for design. It is clear why this book was the 2011 Caldecott Medal winner. Recommended by Caitlin.
Heidi @ January 30, 2012
PETER PAN by J.M. Barrie
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Experiencing the timeless characters of PETER PAN in their original format brings the fantasy of Neverland to life not only for children, but for anyone who loves adventures. Giving the reader so much more than the Disney version, J.M. Barrie created an epic narrative that continuously brings the fairies, pirates, and thimbles of our dreams to life. Recommended by Caitlin.
Heidi @ January 30, 2012
THE WORLD OF DOWNTON ABBEY by Jessica Fellowes
Posted in: Book Reviews, Non-Fiction Reviews, History Reviews, Non-Fiction Reviews, Staff Reviews, Pat's Reviews, Staff Reviews | Comments (0)
The author is the daughter of the writer of this magical series that is now in its second season on Public Television. It looks like just a glossy photo album, but the text is very well-written and thoroughly researched. Fellowes explores the historical background of late Edwardian England and World War I (great bibliography) as well as the architectural history of country houses and details of the actual work that was done by the people in these huge houses. The chapters on the filming of the first two seasons describe the two locations, historical coaching, and the designing and sewing of the glorious costumes both for the aristocrats and the servants. I highly recommend this book for fans of the series, but even if you haven’t seen it, you will learn a lot about life behind the glittering facade of great wealth in the early 20th century. Recommended by Pat.
Heidi @ January 19, 2012
CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER by Tom Franklin
Posted in: Book Reviews, Mystery Reviews, Staff Reviews, Pat's Reviews, Staff Reviews | Comments (0)
This is a superb book that tells the story of two boys, one black and one white, growing up in a small Mississippi town in the 1970s. A teenage girl disappears, and the main suspect is the white teenager, but no charges are ever brought because there is no evidence. Still, the town ostracizes him for 25 years, until another girl goes missing. So much is excellent in this book, namely the nuanced portrayal of these main characters and of their parents and friends, who weave in and out of their lives, and the rural Southern society and landscape, which is an important part of the plot. Rarely do you find a novel with such crisp yet delicate dialogue, which does so much to reveal character and plot. It is so often very brief, only one word or two, but so much is said or implied. The title comes from the rhyme that Southern children learn when spelling “Mississippi”, but the duality implied by the repeated phrase is a major theme in this book. It’s the best fiction I’ve read in a long time. Recommended by Pat.
Heidi @ January 19, 2012
THE STORY OF CHARLOTTE’S WEB by Michael Sims
Posted in: Non-Fiction Reviews, Biography Reviews, Book Reviews, Staff Reviews, Kelly's Reviews, Non-Fiction Reviews | Comments (0)
In this delightful new biography of E.B. White, Sims finds the germ of White’s beloved CHARLOTTE’S WEB in his personal life; his career at the New Yorker; and essays, journals, and letters. Readers will not only find Sims’ portrayal of White interesting but also his book offers an informative trip through the first half of 20th century rural and urban life in America. This is a lovely book. Recommended by Kelly.Heidi @ January 12, 2012
THE LOTUS EATERS by Tatjana Soli
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Every now and then I read a novel that sticks with me long after I’ve finished the last page. This is one of those books. The author’s richly described settings of Vietnam, both the countryside and the cities and villages, make you feel you are there. She writes like a painter, making the various shades of greens of the forests and mountains, the flat browns of the rice paddies, and the hand-embroidered silks of the rich women very real for you.
The landscapes and the Vietnamese people are an important part of the story, for the exotic look of the tropical country and the impoverished huts and houses capture the eye of the main protagonist, Helen Adams. She is a young American photographer who comes to Vietnam in 1965 with large ambitions to become a famous war photographer and win a Pulitzer Prize. Her quest is tangled up in the horrors of the war and the part she is playing in showing the violence, which, with each repetition, becomes less powerful. Her life also gets tangled up in the ambitions of other photographers, one of whom, Sam Darrow, becomes her lover. And then there is the quieter, observant, and careful Vietnamese translator and assistant, Lindh, on whom both Helen and Sam depend.
The title refers to the chapter by Homer in THE ODYSSEY that describes an island filled with women who feed the sailors such succulent lotus that they never want to return home. Many of the people in this novel can‚t bear to leave this ravaged and beautiful place.
This is a fascinating novel about the war and the country, and it’s a riveting story of a young woman’s struggle. I highly recommend it. And as an added bonus there is an excellent bibliography from the author’s research. Recommended by Pat.
Heidi @ December 7, 2011
MARRIAGE RULES by Harriet Lerner (Publication date January 2012)
Posted in: Book Reviews, Forthcoming, Staff Reviews, Kelly's Reviews, Local, Non-Fiction Reviews | Comments (0)
Whether you’re married or in a committed partnership, MARRIAGE RULES by nationally renowned psychologist and Lawrence resident Harriet Lerner is an invaluable guide to helping you over the rough patches. We all know that negotiating the intricacies of a relationship takes humor and wisdom, both of which readers will find plenty of in this easy-to-read book. It’s a gem! Recommended by Kelly.
Heidi @ November 30, 2011
JOURNEY OF THE UNIVERSE by Brian Swimme and Mary Evelyn Tucker
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This book answers the need of those for whom traditional Christianity alone is no longer adequate to encompass their sense of the cosmos and the meaning of the human within in. In lucid prose, the authors help readers locate themselves within the larger family of things throughout “deep” geologic time. They tell a big, sacred story for those who find themselves without one. Recommended by Kelly
Heidi @ November 26, 2011
