SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED by Anne Lamott with Sam Lamott
Posted in: Non-Fiction Reviews, Biography Reviews, Book Reviews, Staff Reviews, Kelly's Reviews, Non-Fiction Reviews | Comments (0)
Celebrated author of OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS, Anne Lamott is a grandmother. Her nineteen-year-old son Sam, who it seems only yesterday she was tempted to put on the front porch until his colic passed, is now a father. This book is structured into several sections: classic hilarious rants from Anne and her “interviews” of and e-mails from Sam, a beleaguered full-time art student, trying to make a relationship work with his son Jax’s mother and being the best dad he can though he still feels like a child himself. Recommended by Kelly.
Heidi @ May 5, 2012
CROSSING THE TRACKS by Barbara Stuber
Posted in: Book Reviews, Fiction Reviews, Staff Reviews, Julie's Reviews, Young Adult Book Reviews | Comments (0)
Atchison, Kansas – November 1916. Iris, age 6, is under her mother’s coffin, surrounded by the drapes that hang down the side. She is glad that her Mom is no longer coughing so hard it hurt her. Iris’ Dad yells for her, and when she comes out, he pulls her up and tells her to be polite to the visitors. That’s his only communication with her. Fast-forward ten years, and Iris’ Dad has arranged for her to go work at another home, taking care of a country doctor’s elderly mother. He is going to set up another shoe store in Kansas City with his newest girlfriend, and there’s no room for Iris in the city. The rest of the story lets us know how new people, nurturing people, can have a profound impact on us, can inspire us to help others who may be in a worse situation, and help us realize our own value. The author, Barbara Stuber, is a finalist in the William C. Morris Debut Award of the American Library Association. She spoke about her book recently to Kansas Librarians, and though it is classified as “young adult” novel, grown people in their 80′s were relating to the tale. I highly recommend this book for a joint read by parents and youth, with a good discussion to follow. Recommended by Julie.
Heidi @ April 23, 2012
WHEN WOMEN WERE BIRDS by Terry Tempest Williams
Posted in: Non-Fiction Reviews, Biography Reviews, Book Reviews, Staff Reviews, Kelly's Reviews, Non-Fiction Reviews, Nature Books, Non-Fiction Reviews | Comments (0)
Now well-known for her break-out memoir about the death of her mother, REFUGE, Tempest Williams returns to the subject of her mother, Mormonism, women, and voice. In this new memoir she writes, “In Mormon culture, women are expected to do two things: keep a journal and bear children.” When her mother died, she left Tempest Williams her journals to read. They were indeed where her mother said they would be, but every single one of them was blank. In the more than twenty years since her mother’s death, Tempest Williams has been contemplating her last message to her. This haunting memoir is the result. It’s a beautiful book. Recommended by Kelly.
Heidi @ April 19, 2012
THE ODDS: A LOVE STORY by Stuart O’Nan
Posted in: Book Reviews, Fiction Reviews, Staff Reviews, Kelly's Reviews | Comments (0)
The latest novel from Stuart O’Nan is yet another deeply satisfying examination of a strained relationship. Protagonists Art and Marion schedule a second honeymoon on their 30th anniversary, which may very well be their last weekend together. They’re gambling their life-savings and their marriage on this opportunity on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. Extreme discomfort and poignancy abound. Recommended by Kelly.
Heidi @ April 5, 2012
THE YARD by Alex Grecian (Publication Date June 2012)
Posted in: Book Reviews, Forthcoming, Staff Reviews, Julie's Reviews, Local, Mystery Reviews, Staff Reviews | Comments (0)
This is a mystery treat to look forward to in June. Written by a local author, this is what will be the first in a series, I predict. Set in late Victorian London, right after Jack the Ripper has put fear in the people, new mutilating killings begin. This time the victims are detectives with a branch of the Yard, assigned to solve murders in London. You will root for Walter Day, the newest detective; Dr. Bernard Kingsley, self-appointed first forensic pathologist (and his daughter); and Mr. Hammersmith, a compassionate constable who will move on to better things. The writing is fluid, with some hitches as the story moves around, but it’s engaging enough to make you not to want to put it down until you’ve finished it. Recommended by Julie.
Heidi @ March 19, 2012
BOSSYPANTS by Tina Fey
Posted in: Non-Fiction Reviews, Biography Reviews, Staff Reviews, Julie's Reviews, Non-Fiction Reviews, Staff Reviews | Comments (0)
I “listened” to this book while traveling and had to stop the car every so often because I was laughing that hard. Fey tells her story in a humorous way and adds additional bits to it that had me rolling. The book itself is a fine read, but there is an additional joy in hearing Tina read it to you. This is one book I recommend “on tape”, but if you insist, the written book will still have you laughing. Recommended by Julie.
Heidi @ March 19, 2012
EMILY ALONE by Stuart O’Nan
Posted in: Book Reviews, Fiction Reviews, Staff Reviews, Kelly's Reviews | Comments (0)
The sequel to, WISH YOU WERE HERE, Stuart O’Nan’s critically acclaimed novel about a socially disastrous family vacation at a lake cabin, EMILY ALONE is a beautiful and meticulous portrait of the daily life of an older woman in Pittsburgh, PA. Rather than give in to fear when life changes force her to resume driving and take on additional responsibilities, she rises to the occasion. At turns both hilarious and heartbreaking, this is ultimately a very soulful book worth every penny. Recommended by Kelly.
Heidi @ March 15, 2012
IMAGINATION & PLACE: WEATHER edited by Kelly Barth
Posted in: Local | Comments (0)
The fourth in a series of anthologies published by the local Imagination & Place Press that contemplates themes related to imagination and place, the latest IMAGINATION & PLACE: WEATHER is now available at the Raven. Contributors include former Kansas Poet Laureate, Denise Low-Weso, Kansas City poet, Maryfrances Wagner, and other writers from the region, the United States, and the world.
Heidi @ March 1, 2012
GARDEN OF READING by Michele Slung
Posted in: Book Reviews, Fiction Reviews, Staff Reviews, Julie's Reviews, Staff Reviews | Comments (0)
One of the delights of working at the Raven is doing reviews. This collection of short fiction is about gardens and gardeners and includes some of my favorite authors: Garrison Keillor, James Thurber, Eudora Welty and Doris Lessing, among others. You’ll find humor, astute observation, and passion about flora and settings from those folks who have made gardening a love for many of us, as well as stories like the “Lawnmower Man “, one of Stephen King’s scary short stories. A great read for this in-between time of gardening. Recommended by Julie.
Heidi @ February 26, 2012
THE CHAPERONE by Laura Moriarty (Publication date June 2012)
Posted in: Book Reviews, Fiction Reviews, Forthcoming, Staff Reviews, Kelly's Reviews, Local | Comments (0)
The latest from Lawrence resident and best-selling novelist Laura Moriarty, THE CHAPERONE, takes readers into the diverse worlds of two women on the cusp of finding their authentic selves. One is 15-year-old, soon-to-be stage and silent film star, Louise Brooks, who is making her first trip to New York. The other is Cora, her proper, well-bred Kansas chaperone. The clash of lives and press of secrets throughout creates a truly compelling read. The best of Moriarty’s novels yet! Recommended by Kelly.
Heidi @ February 16, 2012
