Books in Brown Bags

       "Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege, too."
                                                                                    --Voltaire


On display at my library this week (September 30-Oct. 6) are books in brown bags. The brown bags have nothing to do with lunch. It's all about banned and challenged books.

Why is a book challenged? According to the American Library Association, there are three top reasons: 1) the book's material is considered sexually explicit; 2) the book contains offensive language; 3) the book is "unsuited" to any age group.

Is there a difference between a challenge and a ban? A challenge is the attempt to remove or restrict material based on the objections of a person or group. Banning is the removal of that material, said ALA.

"If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all."                       --Noam Chomsky 

Is your favorite book or author on the banned/challenged list? 

These are only a few of the classics that have been banned or challenged:
Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
The Color Purple - Alice Walker
Ulysses - James Joyce
Native Son - Richard Wright
An American Tragedy - Theodore Dreiser

In 2011, these books were also banned or challenged:
Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
Alice - Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Also on past challenged/banned lists:
Harry Potter (series) - J.K. Rowling
Julie of the Wolves - Jean Craighead George
Bridge to Terabithia - Katherine Paterson

Some authors are in a "hall of fame" for their near-constant appearances on challenged/banned lists:
*Judy Blume
Gary Paulsen
Maurice Sendak
Mark Twain
Lois Lowry
Robert Cormier
John Steinbeck
Stephen King

"Banning books shows you don't trust your kids to think and you don't trust yourself to talk to them"                               --Anna Quindlen 

Bill Moyers, author and journalist, has released an online video that discusses censorship and book banning. Check it out on YouTube. Moyers notes the irony of Ray Bradbury's book, Fahrenheit 451, which took a dim view of book banning, being on the list of banned/challenged books.

"A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it."
                                                       --Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451.

Websites for more information on banned books:
www.asja.org (American Society of Journalists/Authors)
www.bookweb.org (American Booksellers Association)
www.pen.org (PEN American Center)
www.ncac.org (National Coalition Against Censorship)
www.read.gov/cfbl (Center for the Book-Library of Congress)

"Books and ideas are the most effective weapons against intolerance"
                                                                 --Lyndon Baines Johnson

I'm reading two banned/challenged books this week:
Lady Chatterley's Lover - D.H. Lawrence
Naked Lunch - William Burroughs

*Author update: Judy Blume is recuperating from surgery following a mastectomy. 





  








   

Mrs. Parks' Gift

"A big truck was parked in the drive one day. They wrapped us in paper and moved us away."

                                          --Mary Chapin Carpenter "Only a Dream"

They sit quietly on a shelf in my kitchen - an old set of white ceramic salt and pepper shakers with delicately painted red roses. A casual glance at them wouldn't reveal any great value. But they are cherished reminders of my childhood. Every time I look at them, I remember Sycamore Street. And summer afternoons sipping lemonade with Mrs. Parks.

After we moved from Sycamore Street, I rarely thought of the neighbors we left behind. I was 12,and the idea that any of them would have a lasting impact on my life was remote. However, reading the 2008 obituary of a former neighbor, Ted Parks, brought back tender memories of the street where I lived as a child. His wife, Glee, had died several years earlier.

Ted and Glee Parks lived next door to us. Mr. Parks worked long hours and I rarely saw him. In my memory, he is captured as a hand waving out of a pickup truck that is slowly rolling down our street.

It was Mrs. Parks who was my friend and confidante. She was tall and thin with dark hair, and usually had a cigarette firmly attached to her lips. On summer weekend afternoons, Mrs. Parks would bring out a push mower and work in her yard. Propelled by the steady hum of the grass being clipped, I would drift over and soon become her six-year-old shadow, following her between the trees and along the drive. Eventually I would take a few laps around the yard with the mower and was rewarded with a glass of icy lemonade. 

I enjoyed those summer afternoons with Mrs. Parks, sitting on her concrete front stoop. Most of the exact conversations and topics are lost to me now, but her interest in my everyday life made me feel grown up and important. One afternoon she told me about her younger brother who stuttered. I also had moments when my thoughts were faster than my mouth and I would trip over opening syllables. It was frustrating to me. In a gentle and thoughtful way, Mrs. Parks' story about her brother taught me that an occasional struggle with words didn't lessen the importance of a story or of what I had to say.

I wasn't the only one who thought Mrs. Parks was our best neighbor. Halloween was even more fun for my two sisters and me because it meant stopping first at Mrs. Parks' house. She would ooh and aah over our costumes, eventually sending us off with special treats and big smiles.

Mr. and Mrs. Parks had no children. Instead, they had two dogs - a weimaraner, Gus, and a basset hound, Gert. Some days after school, I would go outside to sit next to the fence and talk to Gus and Gert, telling them about my day. They would sit quietly huddled together as if truly understanding my stories. On snowy days, I would race Gus and Gert down our back yard hill. I'd fly on my sled and the dogs would run along the fence, barking, with Gert working hard to keep up with Gus and me.

One summer everything changed. I don't remember saying goodbye to Mrs. Parks the June morning we moved away to Florida.

It was 10 years later when, as a newly-wed, I drove past my childhood home, introducing my husband to my little bit of Kansas City. I didn't stop to visit any of the old neighbors that day, a decision that I regret.

The day I read Mr. Parks' obituary, memories came roaring back - the lemonade, the dogs and the long talks on the front stoop. Later, my sister called me with the news that she was going to the Parks' estate sale. There was one thing I requested she look for at the sale: the push mower.

 The only relative there that day was Mr. Parks' nephew-in-law. He said the mower had been sold just the day before. My sister asked if she could walk through the house and, feeling overwhelmed, began to cry as she told him that Mr. and Mrs. Parks had always been our family's favorite neighbors. He was surprised, saying that Ted and Glee had always been quiet, even among family, and that he had never really gotten to know them. He said to choose something for me as a gift from Mrs. Parks' house.

She chose the now much-loved salt and pepper shaker set.

As a child, I didn't realize my good fortune of living next door to a kind woman with a push mower. Now I count that as one of my favorite stories of growing up on Sycamore Street. 

Biographies and Memoirs

What is the difference between a memoir and an autobiography? An autobiography usually tells a life story in chronological order. A memoir may highlight one particular time in a life, such as Cheryl Strayed's memoir about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Either way, the stories can be eye-openers to lives otherwise only wondered about by outsiders.


Unbroken - Laura Hillenbrand. Set aside some major weekend time for this book - you may not want to leave your chair. A gripping book about Louis Zamerpini, an airman in WWII, who had his sights set on the Berlin Olympics. An absorbing story about a larger-than-life man.

Perfection - Julie Metz. After Metz' s husband died, she discovered he'd had numerous affairs. She began to methodically piece together the story of his infidelities. It's an uncomfortable story, yet I followed Metz on her journey.

Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid - Bill Bryson. Get ready to laugh. A lot. Bryson's story of growing up in 1950s Des Moines is laugh out loud and tender, with some snark thrown in.

Anne Frank - Francine Prose. Prose takes a scholarly and inviting look at the diary of Anne Frank, calling it a "work of art as well as a historical record."

A Ticket to the Circus - Norris Church Mailer. What was it like living with Norman Mailer? His fourth (and final) wife shares many stories with us.

Audition - Barbara Walters. The ground-breaking broadcaster has had an amazing life both on and off television.

By the Iowa Sea - Joe Blair. In the summer of 2008, the cities of Iowa City and Cedar Rapids (Iowa) were devastated by floods. As the water rose higher in his neighborhood and tensions grew, Blair started questioning his own life including his marriage and past choices.  

Steve Jobs - Walter Isaacson. Isaacson promised to give us a full portrait of Jobs' good and less than flattering traits. He fulfilled that promise. Jobs emerged as a contradictory (who isn't?), brilliant, and complicated man.

Little Heathens - Mildred Armstrong Kalish. Life in Iowa during the Great Depression as seen through a young girl's eyes.

Beautiful Boy - David Sheff. Sheff's son has battled an addiction to crystal meth. At once this story is frightening, hopeful and loving.

Middle Place - Kelly Corrigan. The story of a family nightmare - Corrigan was battling breast cancer at the same time her father was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Still, this is also a story of a family's resilience and devotion to one another.

Grant Wood - R. Tripp Evans. You've seen the painting - the farmer and his wife in front of a small, tidy white house. Now learn about the artist who created "American Gothic." Wood may be best known for the single painting, but also created a stained glass masterpiece and gained respect for his metal work.

Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake - Anna Quindlen. This book is like an afternoon with an old friend and a cup of tea. Quindlen mulls over the changes that aging, parenthood and marriage have brought to her life.

Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls. A jaw-dropping memoir of growing up with parents who have questionable child-rearing techniques, and mental health issues. 

Bossypants - Tina Fey. Get ready to laugh, and to have an occasional lump in your throat. Fey's storytelling is phenomenal. I enjoyed learning more about life backstage at SNL and 30 Rock.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life - Barbara Kingsolver. Imagine that for one year that you would only eat food that you or a local farmer grew. No fast food, no fruit from exotic locales. Follow along on this family's attempt to eat differently and independently for one year. 

Year of Magical Thinking - Joan Didion. Didion experienced the deaths of both her husband and daughter in a relatively short time. This is the agonizing, well-written memoir of that time.

This Boy's Life - Tobias Wolff. Dark, funny, tragic describe, but don't entirely capture the story of Wolff's childhood.

Basketball Diaries - James Carroll. Another dark, funny and tragic tale of growing up.

Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer. What happens when a young man decides to move to the Alaskan wilderness to test himself? Krakauer examines the life of Christopher McCandless. You won't be able to put the book down!

In the Garden of Beasts - Erik Larsen. The rise of the Hitler regime as seen through the eyes of the Dodd family. William E. Dodd was the American ambassador to Germany.

Change Me Into Zeus' Daughter - Barbara Robinette Moss. Moss' childhood was difficult, to say the least. As tragic as it was, there are still gently funny aspects of growing up in the South. Moss died in 2009. 

Ambulance Girl - Jane Stern. Stern was in her 50s, overweight and increasingly stressed when she decided to push herself to work as a volunteer EMT. You may recognize her as half of the Jane and Michael Stern writing duo - they specialize in food and restaurant reviews. This is one of my favorite books.  

The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt - Arthur Vanderbilt. F. Scott Fitzgerald was right - the rich really are different! Offers interesting look at the Vanderbilt wealth as well as American history.

Here If You Need Me - Kate Braestrup. Braestrup was a young widow when she felt a calling to begin work as a chaplain for the wardens who conduct search and rescue missions in Maine. Lyrical yet spare writing make this book a delight to read.

Cleopatra - Stacy Schiff. Definitely not the Hollywood version of the Queen of the Nile's life. Still, loads of drama and intrigue! 

There's no shortage to celebrity memoirs. And this is a short list!

Check out these books by or about:

Sheila Weller - Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon
Patti Boyd - Wonderful Tonight
Keith Richards - Life
Warren Zevon - I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Eric Clapton - Clapton: The Autobiography
Carly Simon - More Room in a Broken Heart 
Roseanne Cash - Composed
Gregg Allman - My Cross to Bear
Patti Smith - Just Kids
Rue McClanahan - My First Five Husbands
Melissa Gilbert - Prairie Tale
Carol Burnett - This Time Together
Valerie Bertinelli - Losing It & Finding It
Carrie Fisher - Wishful Drinking
Ali Wentworth - Ali in Wonderland



***What I'm reading now: Every Love Story is a Ghost Story: Life of David Foster Wallace - D.T. Max. Definitely a book to read slowly and get to know the incredibly talented writer, DFW. 

***What's on hold at the library: Paris: A Love Story - Kati Marton. I'm looking forward to reading Marton's memoir about life with two very different husbands - Peter Jennings (journalist) and Richard Holbrooke (ambassador).



   

Pop Quiz!

"Intelligence is the wife, imagination is the mistress, memory is the servant."   Victor Hugo

It's back to school time. What are the two words that inspire the most fear in students? Substitute teacher? Cafeteria lunch? Gym class? For me, the two words were pop quiz, especially in math class. 

No need for any anxiety today...have fun browsing the questions. 

No peeking at the answers at the end of the quiz!

Good luck!

1) This Pulitzer Prize winner, for 1957's A Death in the Family, worked mainly as a screenwriter. Two of his biggest film successes are African Queen & Night of the Hunter.

2) According to the NY Times, transcendentalism blossomed in the US in the early 1800s. True or False: Ralph Waldo Emerson was part of this movement.

3) Author of Great Gatsby.

4) Author of Sun Also Rises.

5) The bestselling novel of all time is________.

6) Who is the wealthiest (worldwide) author today?

7) It's a tie! Who are the bestselling English-language authors of all time? A_______________ B__________________

8) In 2010, what were the top three most-borrowed titles in American libraries?

9) What book is the most commonly found in libraries around the world?

10) What is the largest library in the US? 

11) As of Sept 1, 2012, what was the NY Times' #1 fiction bestseller?                          Hint: I mentioned this book in an earlier post.

12) As of Sept. 1, 2012, what was the NY Times' #1 nonfiction bestseller?

13) This author has recently revealed herself to be the mysterious "Dear Sugar," an online advice column (therumpus.net). Her new book is a compilation of those columns. Hint: Her previous book is still on the NY Times' bestseller list.

14) These authors both died on November 22, 1963. 

15) Peggy Parish's lovable character has made early readers laugh for many years. Who is the too-literal kooky character? 

Answers

1)  James Agee 1909-1955
2)  True
3)  F. Scott Fitzgerald
4)  Ernest Hemingway
5)  Dicken's A Tale of Two Cities
6)  J.K. Rowling, author of Harry Potter series
7)  Agatha Christie & William Shakespeare
8)  A. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
     B. Women, Food & God by Geneen Roth
     C. Big Short in the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis
9)  Bible
10) Library of Congress - 32,124,001 books
11) NY Times fiction - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
12) NY Times nonfiction - Paterno by Joe Posnanski
13) Cheryl Strayed
14) Aldous Huxley, C. S. Lewis
15) Amelia Bedelia     

My Leaning Tower of Books

"High summer can be pitiless to the low-spirited."

Dodie Smith
author, I Capture the Castle

So many good books and so little reading time! My nightstand is piled high again with fabulous books.

This is the list of my can't-wait-to-read July/August books. Please check back - I may be adding more!

Gone Girl - Flynn, Gillian (F). A missing wife...an odd-acting husband. This novel had my full attention until long past midnight. It was a thrilling roller coaster and kept me guessing. If anyone tries to spoil the ending - do not listen! This is a perfect group discussion book.

Canada - Ford, Richard (F). After seeing Ford on the Colbert Report, I decided to buy his new book. The plot centers around Dell Parson's story about his parents and their misadventures. I first read Ford's Independence Day (blog post May 27), and discovered that not only does he write well about unlikeable characters, he makes us care about them.  

The English Major - Harrison, Jim (F). A poet and novelist, Harrison is a new author for me. Who could resist this opening line: "It used to be Cliff and Vivian and now it isn't"? 

True Sisters - Dallas, Sandra (F). Blending history with fictional characters, Dallas brings us along on the Mormon trek from Iowa to Utah. Dallas is the queen of historical fiction. Check out her books Prayers for Sale or Persian Pickle Club.  

Beginner's Goodbye - Tyler, Anne (F). Tyler is back! She has long been one of my favorite fiction writers, starting with Earthly Possessions. Some of her recent novels left me less than enthusiastic about recommending them. The story of Aaron Woolcott has changed all that. I spent the weekend wishing I could disappear with the book for "just one more chapter." Another good choice for book groups.  

Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake - Quindlen, Anna (NF). Quindlen has brought us along on her life's journey from young parent to Newsweek columnist. Now, at 60, she is an empty-nester and pondering life's future challenges, while looking back at her life. Quindlen is a gifted writer and the book feels like a conversation with a dear, trusted friend. And in some ways, it is precisely that.    

Let's Pretend This Never Happened - Lawson, Jenny (NF). Don't make my mistake and read this book late at night next to a (sort of) sleeping mate. After a few grumbles from  my husband, I put the book away but kept chuckling to myself about some of Lawson's raw, outlandish writing. Lawson is "The Bloggess." Check it out: http://www.thebloggess.com/

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt - Morris, Edmund (NF). I'm looking forward to learning more about our 26th president.

Emily, Alone - O'Nan, Stewart (F). I've had this on my to-read list after reading so many glowing reviews. My introduction to O'Nan's writing was The Circus Fire about a devastating fire in Hartford, CT in 1944.  

Stay cool! 

Adventures in Reading

You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.

                                                                                                                             --Ray Bradbury

Welcome to Summer 2012. My hometown library is offering readers of all ages a summer of reading adventures. Suggested adventures for adults include attending an author's lecture, writing a book review for the library's blog, and checking out an audiobook/e-book. Meaning: try something different this year. 

If you are in a reading rut, this is your chance to climb out. Do you always browse in the same reading section in a library or book store? Last year, I realized I had never read a western and decided to start with Louis L'Amour's "The Quick and the Dead." Okay, I am still not a huge fan of the genre, but I did enjoy trying a different author and writing style.

This summer I want to read books I have overlooked or never even considered. Win or lose, I'll have some new adventures in reading.

Books on my summer reading list (so far):

Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer; Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey; Arcadia by Lauren Groff; Food of a Younger Land by Mark Kurlansky and Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles or a collection of his short stories, including The Playground.

Books/Authors for reading adventures

Science Fiction:

Frank Herbert (Dune); Philip Dick (Man in High Castle); Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game); David Brin (Earth - Uplift series); William Gibson (Necromancer); Neal Stephenson, Arthur C. Clarke, H.G. Wells and Ray Bradbury.

Fantasy:

George R.R. Martin (Games of Thrones); J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings triology); Patrick Rothfuss (Kingkiller Chronicles).

Western:

Zane Grey (Riders of the Purple Sage); Louis L'Amour (The Quick and the Dead); Wallace Stegner (Angle of Repose and Big Rock Candy Mountain).

Non-fiction: 

United States of Arugula - Karp, David.

Free For All - Borchert, Don.

What Now? - Patchett, Ann.

Reading the OED - Shea, Ammon.

Things I've Learned from Women Who Dumped Me - Karlin, Ben.

How the States Got Their Shapes - Stein, Mark.

Immortal Milk: Adventures in Cheese - LeMay, Eric.

Every Silence Has An End - Betancourt, Ingrid.

All Facts Considered - Kee, Malesky.

365 Thank Yous - Kralik, John.

Uncommon Courtesy - Wood, Jennifer

Orchid Thief - Orlean, Susan

At Home - Bryson, Bill

Freakonomics - Levitt, Steven & Dubner, Stephen

Widow Cliquot - Mazzeo, Tilar

Eight Men Out - Asinof, Eliot

Fiction:

Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt - Preston, Caroline.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Stevenson, Robert Louis.

Miss Peregrine's School for Peculiar Children - Riggs, Ransom.

Revenge of the Radioactive Lady - Stuckey-French, Elizabeth.

Fiction Class - Breen, Susan.

Shanghai Girls - See, Lisa.

How I Became a Famous Novelist - Hely, Steve.

Whiter Than Snow - Dallas, Sandra.

Weird Sisters - Brown, Eleanor.

Stiltsville - Daniel, Susanna.

Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - Ford, Jamie.

Homer and Langley - Doctorow, E.L.

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society - Shaffer, Mary Ann & Barrows, Annie.

Try (very short) fiction with a twist:

Hint Fiction anthology - edited by Swartwood, Robert

Micro Fiction - edited by Stern, Jerome.

**Thanks to Gary, Maribel, Emily, and Pam for their suggestions.**

Dedicated to the memory of Ray Bradbury

1920-2012  

  

Pink Mountain



"We wander for distraction, but travel for fulfillment."

                                                               --Hilare Belloc

Years ago, my husband and I decided to move to Alaska. Our newlywed life together started out in Florida, but the Alaskan adventure that beckoned was too romantic and exciting to decline. We bought a used Chevy truck, loaded it with all of our earthly possessions and headed northwest to the Alaska Highway.

Maybe it was our youthfulness or obvious naivete that made the truck driver warn us about the perils of Pink Mountain.

There we were - seated in metal chairs in front of our motel room somewhere in British Columbia, Canada, when a man walked up and asked about our next destination. According to him, one thing stood between us and our future happiness - Pink Mountain. We kept nodding at the stranger and asked a few questions about the success rate of much larger trucks crossing over the mountain. I remember that our would-be guardian was tall and thin, and spoke in a deeply serious voice, giving each word a heavy importance. After giving us a bug screen for the truck and a final dire warning about crossing the mountain, he departed, and we returned to making dinner plans.

It might have been the soft, pretty name of the mountain that lulled us into feeling comfortable about the next day's journey. After all, isn't pink associated with flamingos and lemonade? Even the mountain's gentle name stems from its pink glow at sunrise, according to locals.

Or it may have been that a mere eight hours after leaving Orlando, an orange Chevy Vega had run into our truck, damaging the fender. When the police officer arrived and started interviewing the fidgety  young man who had hit us, it became obvious that the driver couldn't remember where he lived or exactly whose car he had been driving. We were given permission to leave; the young man was still being sternly questioned as we drove away. The next day, while crossing Missouri on I-70, with my husband dozing beside me, I was pulled over for speeding. When the state trooper asked me where I was in such a hurry to get to, and I answered "Alaska," things went downhill. I was given a hefty fine and a stern lecture about not thinking that Alaska was far enough away to avoid payment.

Our adventure wasn't over.

The truck broke down in Montana and for the first (and only) time in my life, I hitchhiked. A very nice couple, whose radio musical tastes leaned toward polka and other dance music, rescued us and drove us to the nearest gas station. The Chevy's problem was diagnosed as a faulty transmission -  a problem that had been "fixed" in Orlando. Our cash reserve, not much to begin with, was quickly dwindling.

Pink Mountain? Somehow the threatened peril of crossing that mountain seemed laughable after a wreck in Georgia, a transmission mishap in Montana, not to mention starting married life in an aging and cramped truck heading to Alaska.

Yes, we easily reached the other side of Pink Mountain and never looked back.

Much belated thanks to that modern-day cowboy who warned a young couple about the dangerous trail up ahead. Little did he know...


Some travel books to accompany you on your own journey or to enjoy from the comfort of your favorite chair:


On the Road - Kerouac, Jack (F). It's a novel. It's an autobiography. It's both of these. The idea for the book was born in 1947. A few years later, Kerouac started typing and didn't stop until "On The Road" was finished. The original scroll version was released in 2008.

Although, Of Course, You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip With David Foster Wallace - Lipsky, David (NF). Lipsky had a plum assignment from Rolling Stone magazine - accompany DFW on the road for an epic interview. The men discussed writing, teaching and America's pop culture. Wallace, who wrote Pale King and Consider the Lobster, committed suicide in 2008. 

Travel As A Political Act - Steves, Rick (NF). Along with unusual food, outstanding museums and beautiful scenery, travel can broaden our understanding of the world's many cultures. Steves provides the lessons on getting more out of our travels.

Into Thin Air - Krakauer, Jon (NF). A must-read, especially in the hot summer weather. Krakauer brings us along to the summit of Mount Everest.

Travels with Charley: In Search of America - Steinbeck, John (NF). One of my favorite books written by my very favorite author. Join Steinbeck and his trusty sidekick, Charley, as they set out to discover America. 

Milepost  (NF) - Detailed account of the Alaska Highway. Includes advice on restaurants and camping, and offers updated information on road conditions.

A Field Guide For Immersion Writing: Memoir, Journalism and Travel - Hemley, Robin (NF). Perfect for anyone wanting to document their travel adventures.

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail and Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America - Bryson, Bill (NF). Don't read either of these in a public place - you'll disturb people with your loud laughter and guffaws. If snarky observational humor while traveling is your idea of fun, Bryson is your newest favorite author. 

Travel guides: Fodor's; Frommer's; Off The Beaten Path; Lonely Planet; DK Eyewitness; Rick Steves' guides.

What I'm Reading:

Wild - Strayed, Cheryl (NF). The author decided to hike the 1100-mile Pacific Coast Trail after her life started falling apart. It is difficult to put the book down for even a minute.

Desperate Passage: The Donner Party's Perilous Journey West - Rarick, Ethan (NF). If you think your last family road trip was bad, read this book. All jokes aside, the Donner party was plagued with bloated egos, misguided leaders and extremely bad weather.  

Thanks to CS for sharing Alaska with us.     

Turn Up The Heat

"A book is the only place where you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face." --Edward P. Morgan, American journalist

Do you enjoy a heated discussion about...books?

Years ago, after choosing T.C.Boyle's "Tortilla Curtain" for a library-based book discussion group, I had a woman fly into the room, slam the book on the table and declare she'd hated it. Then she proceeded to rage about the book almost nonstop and practically hijacked the group discussion.

I felt I had made a really good choice.

Yes, she said she hated the book; however, the plot and characters profoundly affected her. As a group, we talked about whether the book made us feel uncomfortable.

Boyle's story demands the characters meet, head on, with people that make them nervous. Was it Boyle's assertion that merely writing a check or verbally supporting a group (or an idea) simply isn't enough that made the reader uneasy?

When talking about books, we often reveal our true selves. Which characters made us laugh or weep? Did we sigh or roll our eyes at the end? Mock or defend?

There are books guaranteed to provide the fire and get the conversation started with any book group.

Books for Heated Discussions 

Tortilla Curtain - Boyle, T.C. Published in more than 24 languages, Boyle's crowning achievement shares the story of various segments of society converging. (F)

Dear American Airlines - Miles, Jonathan. This is the grouchy complaint letter you wish you could/would write. Throughout the novel, we learn about the life of Bennie Ford. I dare you to not feel uncomfortable at times. (F)

Going Gray - Kreamer, Anne. To go gray or not? As baby boomers continue their march into the middle ages, the questions pile on. Author Kreamer was surprised by people's reactions to her decision to stop coloring her hair and going naturally gray. (NF)

Middlesex - Eugenides, Jeffrey. Arguably one of the best opening lines in many years..."I was born twice: first as a baby girl on a remarkably smogless Detroit day of January 1960; and then again as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan in August of 1974." Please read the story of Cal Stephanides. (F)

Destiny of the Republic - Millard, Candice. You will be thankful for medical breakthroughs of our lifetime after reading the story of President James Garfield's death. Garfield was shot by a would-be killer, but what really shortened his life? (NF)

You Know When The Men Are Gone - Fallon, Siobhan. A series of connected short stories that tell the story of life at Fort Hood, Texas. Well-written and poignant without being sentimental. (F)

Paris Wife - McLain, Paula. I've never been a huge fan of Papa Hemingway and this book doesn't change that feeling. However, McLain's skilled storytelling brings to life the acclaimed author, his wife, Hadley, and their life in Paris. I'll be reading Hemingway's "A Moveable Feast" this summer. (F)

Invisible Bridge - Orringer, Julie. One of my favorite books of 2011. Orringer tells the story of a Europe on the brink of WWII through the eyes of a young man dreaming of being an architect. Beautiful writing! (F)

Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Skloot, Rebecca. Ms. Lacks' cells have lived on long past her death from cancer in 1951. Great medical strides have been made from using these cells; however, no consent was requested of Ms. Lacks and no monetary compensation was offered. (NF)

Lucy - Gonzales, Jeffrey. Lucy is a bonobo chimp with an interesting past. Discover the shocking truth along with Jenny Lowe, primatologist, as she struggles with the question of what truly makes us human. (F)

Mall - Bogosian, Eric. Described as "outrageous & dark," this is the story of five people at a suburban mall. A young man with serious mental problems heads to the mall with a weapon. Guess what happens next... (F)

Mrs. Kimble - Haigh, Jennifer. A winner with my book group. If you have ever wondered why a smart woman could ever fall for such a questionable guy, this is the book for you. (F) 

Independence Day - Ford, Richard. My book group had a lively discussion after reading this Pulitzer Prize winner. Ford's character, Frank, produced strong feelings among us. Will you find Frank flawed but likeable (as one woman did) or an exasperating character (as another woman did)? The second book in a trilogy. (F)



Thanks to Hilary Price for her lighthearted look at book groups and for her
willingness to share this on the blog. Please check out Hilary's website: www.rhymeswithorange.com.

    



     

Forever Young

Be wise. Be brave. Be tricky.

--Neil Gaiman

author of "Coraline"

A recent cartoon (Mallard Fillmore) took a swing at middle-aged women for allegedly pretending to be young by reading young adult fiction. I wondered what was behind this cheeky attitude.

I am one of those women of a certain age who has read the "Hunger Games" trilogy. How about the idea that we are just enjoying the book series?

If you are not familiar with "Hunger Games," Katniss Everdeen is a young woman who volunteers to take her sister's place in the diabolical Hunger Games which are held annually for the entertainment of maniacal political leaders and the downtrodden general population.

The trilogy, which includes "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay," gives readers a cold, hard look at a dystopian society. Katniss lives in what used to be the United States. Author Suzanne Collins named the new capital, Panem, from the Roman term Panem et Circenses. In English, it translates to Bread and Circus, and refers to a population that willingly turns over its political power in exchange for a full stomach and cheap entertainment.

This isn't the first time that books written for children or young adults have become best sellers across the generation divide. Or that adults learned a thing or two from a "junior" book.

Years ago, my husband and I were knee-deep in building a house. Suddenly, construction terms were being tossed around in our conversations. I knew I'd feel smarter if I could find a book that took me step-by-step through the building process. Voila! I found Gail Gibbons' "How a House is Built." Adults may chafe at the idea of looking in a children's reading section for information. Stop feeling that way!! Well-written children's books can help us wade through forgotten or never understood science or math lessons. Or learn construction terms. Or help navigate the night sky.

Best of all, they can entertain us.

"Junior" Books Adults Should Read

Magic Treehouse series - Osborne, Mary Pope. Brother and sister discover they can travel to far off places (including time travel) when they climb into their magic treehouse. Osborne offers good history lessons.

Extraordinary Mark Twain - Kerley, Barbara & Clemens, Susy. Author Kerley had some help with this book from an unusual source - young Susy Clemens' journals which include tales about her famous dad.

Harriet the Spy - Fitzhugh, Louise. Harriet writes down everything she sees, good or bad. Her journal is read by friends who, understandably, have a hard time digesting Harriet's funny/harsh/questioning views. I love this book!!

Walk Two Moons - Creech, Sharon. With help from her one-of-a-kind grandparents, Sal begins her search for her long lost mother. 1995 Newbery winner.

How a House is Built - Gibbons, Gail. Extensive writer of children's nonfiction books. Check them out!

Small World of Binky Braverman - Wells, Rosemary. Young Binky is quite bored while visiting his aunt and uncle until he discovers magical friends, especially Ike.

Tuck Everlasting - Babbitt, Natalie. Would you want to live forever at a certain age? Young Winnie must decide for herself. A perfect story for book groups of all ages.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Kinney, Jeff. I wondered what the fuss was about and finally read the first two books in the series. Hilarious! 

Queenie Peavy - Burch, Robert. Queenie doesn't allow her terrible home situation to get the best of her. She strikes back (literally) against anyone who tries to bully her.

Fever 1793 - Anderson, Laurie Halse. A fictional account of the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia.

Celia and the Fairies - McQuestion, Karen. Do fairies really exist? Celia needs help from the magical creatures to help stop the destruction of her house.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Riggs, Ransom. The title, photos and plot (and even the author's name) are all highly creative. Visit the "home" for some odd tales.

Coraline - Gaiman, Neil. The story of a spunky girl who steps through a door in her house and finds herself caught in another world. Is it a better world than her own? 

Northern Light - Donnelly, Jennifer. Mattie Gokey, a hotel worker in 1906, is given letters that may help solve a murder mystery. Based on Theodore Dreiser's "An American Tragedy."

Life as We Knew It - Pfeffer, Susan Beth. When an asteroid knocks the moon closer to Earth, life is turned upside down. This is a gripping story of how Pennsylvania teen Miranda and her family deal with their much-changed lives.

Hatchet - Paulsen, Gary. You won't be able to put down this absorbing tale of a young boy being stranded in the wilderness with very few supplies.

A Day No Pigs Would Die - Peck, Robert Newton. Which part is fiction? Which part is memoir? Peck shares his story of growing up in Vermont.

Classics - read again or for the first time:
Nancy Drew's Secret of the Old Clock - Keene, Carolyn.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Smith, Betty
Grimm's Fairy Stories - Wilhelm & Jacob Grimm

Other ideas include:
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares. Any book by Beverly Cleary. Young adult thrillers by Lois Duncan or Carolyn Cooney. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

Through heavy static Ike's voice faded in and out. "We're heading out of range for now," he said, "but if in your true heart you are ever lonely again, why just set your sights on the blue horizon, get on the radio, and we'll read your signal loud and clear."  *
                                                                    "Small World of Binky Braverman"
                                                                                               --Rosemary Wells


*This book list is dedicated to the memory of Terry Endy, a wonderful children's librarian who loved picture books. A thoughtful friend, Terry always reminded me of Binky Braverman's Ike. 

And the award goes to...

"Great, big, serious novels always get awards. If it's a battle between a great, big, serious novel and a funny novel, the funny novel is doomed."

                                                 --Neil Gaiman, author of "Coraline"

The literary world was surprised by the announcement there would be no Pulitzer Prize awarded this year for fiction. The last year no award was given was 1977. Honorable mentions included Swamplandia! by Karen Russell and Pale King by the late David Foster Wallace. Pale King is a perfect choice for this month - it spins the tale of life at an IRS center in Peoria, Illinois.

It can be a mystery why some books win prestigious awards. Or why other books get shut out (because they're funny?). Nevertheless, award lists can be helpful when searching for that next good read.

Check out http://www.ala.org/ for more award-winning lists.

Newbery Medal - Given for "distinguished contribution to American literature for children" according to ALA.
2012 - Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos.
Other Newbery books to consider:
1993 - Missing May by Cynthia Rylant.
1995 - Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech.
1996 - Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman.

Caldecott Medal - Given to the artist of the "most distinguished American picture book" according to ALA.
2012 - A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka.
Other Caldecott winners to consider:
1991 - Black & White by David Macaulay.
1992 - Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg.
2002 - Three Pigs by David Wiesner.
2006 - The Hello Goodbye Window by Chris Raschka.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award - "Honors authors or illustrators whose books have made a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children" according to ALA.
2012 - Tomie dePaola. A sample of his work: Strega Nona and 26 Fairmount Avenue.

 Coretta Scott King Award - "Recognizes outstanding books for young adults and children by African-American authors or illustrators" according to ALA.
2012 - Author: Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson
Illustrator: Underground by Shane W. Evans.

Notable Books for Adults - The Notable Book Council lists outstanding books.
2012 (Fiction) - Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt; Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach; Tragedy of Arthur by Arthur Phillips and Swamplandia! by Karen Russell.
2012 (Non-fiction) - Memory Palace by Mira Bartok; Information by James Gleick; and Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.

A sample of Pulitzer Prize winners:
(fiction)
2011 - A Vist from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan.
2009 - Olive Kittredge by Elizabeth Strout.
2006 - March by Geraldine Brooks.
2005 - Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.
1996 - Independence Day by Richard Ford.
1995 - Stone Diaries by Carol Shields.

(autobiography)
2011 - Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow.
2009 - American Lion by Jon Meachum.
2006 - American Prometheus by Kai Bird & Martin Sherwin
2002 - John Adams by David McCullough.

(non-fiction)
2011 - Emperer of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee.
2010 - The Dead Hand by David Hoffman.
2002 - Carry Me Home by Diane McWhorter.
1998 - Guns, Germs & Steel by Jared Diamond.
1986 - Common Ground by Anthony Lukas.

National Book Awards - Administered by the National Book Foundation.
(fiction)
1999 - Waiting by Ha Jin.
2002 - Three Junes by Julia Glass.
2007 - Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson.

(non-fiction)
2005 - Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.
2008 - Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reed.
2010 - Just Kids by Patti Smith.

The Orange Award is the United Kingdom's annual award for female fiction writers. Winners will be announced May 30. On the shortlist:
(Irish) Anne Enright - The Forgotten; (Canadian) Esi Edugyan - Half Blood Blues; (British) Georgina Harding - Painter of Silence; (American) Madeline Miller - Song of Achilles; Cynthia Ozick - Foreign Bodies; Ann Patchett - State of Wonder. 

Leaning Tower of Books

Where is human nature so weak as in a bookstore?

--Henry Ward Beecher

I enjoy walking into a room and seeing a stack of books. What's even better is when it is my stack of books! I rarely leave a bookstore or library empty-handed, even when I have promised myself (or my husband) that I am only "browsing."

These are the books that I will be reading soon.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Bradley, Alan. The title caught my eye and who could turn down this plot? "Young Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist, is intrigued by a series of inexplicable events: a dead bird is found with a postage stamp pinned to its beak..." 

The Man With the Golden Arm. Algren, Nelson. First published in 1949, this classic tells the story of "urban underbelly" and a WWII veteran named Frankie Machine.

The Imperfectionists. Rachman, Tom. Named one of the best novels of the year by Slate, NPR, The Kansas City Star and The New York Times, among others...Rachman tells the story of reporters and editors working for an English-language Roman newspaper. 

There But For The. Smith, Ali. My book group's selection for April. What would you do if one of your dinner guests suddenly locked himself in an upstairs bedroom? 

When I Was a Child I Read Books. Robinson, Marilynne. Pulitzer Prize-winning author shares essays with us on subjects ranging from her Presbyterian roots to the political climate today and, of course, her reading habits from childhood to adulthood.

Cutting for Stone. Verghese, Abraham. The reviews have been gloriously positive. A graduate of University of Iowa's Writers' Workshop, Verghese is a professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Lush Life. Price, Richard. I am late to discovering Price's novels. This book has been described as "dark and edgy" with "snarling dialogue" and "tight writing."

Eire Forever

"I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree."

William Butler Yeats

Leprechauns. Guinness. Cathedrals & castles. Soda bread. Cottages. River Shannon. Red hair. Concannon. Dublin. Book of Kells. Green hills. Salmon. Story-telling. Waterford.

Irish gifts to all of us.

Other Irish gifts are magical books, music, a movie & a play (to name just a few).

If you are gearing up for a weekend of corned beef (or Irish salted beef) and beer between basketball games, don't forget some of these Irish winners.

Books

Maeve Binchy - Irish author of many novels, such as my own Binchy favorite, "Firefly Summer."

Frank Delaney - You'll be swept away to Ireland with his novels... "Ireland" and "Tipperary."

Mary Pope Osborne - Her Magic Treehouse series is geared for children, but adults who love a good story will enjoy reading Osborne's books, too. This month, read "Leprechaun in Late Winter."

Colm Toibin - I am reading his novel "Brooklyn" this week. The story begins in Ireland and moves to Brooklyn, New York.

Frank McCourt - "Angela's Ashes." Heartbreaking memoir of author's childhood in Limerick.

Samuel Beckett - He wrote more (a lot more) than "Waiting for Godot." Read his "Complete Short Prose 1929-1989."

Irish folktales, including "Clever Tom and the Leprechaun."

Authors - James Joyce, Jonathan Swift.

Movie

"Secret of Roan Inish." Based on a Scottish folktale, this film was tweaked to become a love letter to Ireland. Beautiful photography and magical story. And seals!!

Play

J. M. Synge - "Playboy of the Western World/Riders to the Sea."

Music

Listen to Van Morrison, Irish Tenors, Cranberries or Chieftains this weekend. 

"To be Irish is to know that in the end the world will break your heart."

Attributed to Daniel Patrick Moynihan (and others)

It's All About Us

"If society will not admit of woman's free development, then society must be remodeled." - Elizabeth Blackwell*

March is Women's History Month.

There are larger-than-life women in history who changed society or certainly left an imprint. These trailblazers come to mind: Gloria Steinem, Sojourner Truth, Jane Addams, Sandra Day O'Connor, Nellie Bly and Amelia Earhart.

There are also women whose names are not always as well known. Their accomplishments are very important too and they deserve our thanks.

And, there are the moments when women's lives changed for the better.

Famous or not, let's give all of them our loudest applause this month.

1760s - First female publisher...Mary Katherine Goddard published the Providence Gazette, and also served as the first female postmistress in 1775.

1782 - Deborah Sampson, disguised as a man, enlisted in the Continental Army.

*1849 - Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman in the United States to receive a medical degree.

1860s-1890s - The "Seven Sisters" colleges were established for women. The seven were: Vassar, Wellesley, Smith, Radcliffe, Bryn Mawr, Barnard and Mount Holyoke.

1869 - Arabella Mansfield was the first woman in U.S. history granted permission to practice law (in Iowa).

1884 - First public high school for girls opened in Worcester, MA.

1920 - Ratification of the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote.

1925 - Nellie Tayloe Ross, of Wyoming, was the first female governor.

1933 - Frances Perkins was the first woman to serve in a presidential cabinet. She was named Secretary of Labor by President Franklin Roosevelt.

1938 - Pearl Buck was the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. She had been awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1932 for her novel, The Good Earth.

1972 - Women dominated the Grammy Awards. Carole King won for best record, best song and album. Carly Simon was named as best new artist.

1987 - The National Museum of Women opened in Washington, D.C.

         - Aretha Franklin was the first woman inducted in the 

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

2009 - Kathryn Bigelow was the first woman to win Best Director/  

Oscar for her movie The Hurt Locker.

Recommended Books

Non-fiction

Personal History - Graham, Katharine. This is a revealing memoir of Graham's evolution from dutiful daughter to owner of the Washington Post.

What Now - Patchett, Ann. You may be 22; you may be 52 - one of life's questions is "what now?". This amazing essay brings us along on Patchett's personal journey. Patchett is also a successful novelist (Bel Canto, State of Wonder).

Girls Like Us - Weller, Sheila. A tender yet revealing look at three musically powerful women: Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon.

Happiness Project - Rubin, Gretchen. Yes, this book exhausted me with the lists and goals. Yes, I still recommend it. Who doesn't want to improve her life?

Mothers in Charge - Harris, Paul Nigel, editor. Two Philadelphia mothers joined together to fight violence. What brought them together? Their two sons were murdered by the same man.

Let's Take the Long Way Home - Caldwell, Gail. A beautifully written memoir detailing the sweetness of women's friendships and the love of a good dog. Every woman should read this book!

Bossypants - Fey, Tina. My favorite chapter is the love letter to Amy Poehler titled "I Don't Care If You Like It." Tina's advice to all for us? "Do your thing and don't care if they like it." 

Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Skloot, Rebecca. Lacks' cells were used to combat viruses, develop the polio vaccine and other medical breakthroughs. Neither she nor her family ever benefited from the cells' use.

The Girls from Ames - Zaslow, Jeffrey. This is a story of 40 years of friendship and sticking by each other in good or bad times. Judging by the writing, Zaslow had a tremendous respect for women. Sadly, Zaslow was killed in a car accident in February 2012.

Shelf Life - Shea, Suzanne Strempek. Shea was recovering from cancer treatment when she decided to work in a friend's book store. I guarantee you'll laugh and cry throughout this book. Check out Shea's fiction, too.

Fiction 

These Is my Words - Turner, Nancy. Turner's novel is drawn from her great-grandmother's own experiences about life in Arizona in the 1880s.

Prayers for Sale - Dallas, Sandra. Historical fiction at its best...Dallas is wonderful writer. Read this tale spun by Hennie Comfort in 1930s Colorado.

The Girls - Lansens, Lori. I often recommend this book. The plot drew me in and the pages were quickly turned. This is the story of conjoined sisters, Rose and Ruby.

My Name is Mary Sutter - Oliveira, Robin. This novel covers the bases: role of women in 1860s America; Civil War; medical care, etc... Mary Sutter is an amazing young woman.

Wednesday Sisters - Clayton, Meg Waite. Five women first meet in the turbulent 1960s and we are invited along as they each share their secrets in a writing group.

The Paris Wife - McLain, Paula. Fictionalized account of Hemingway's first wife, Hadley, and their time together in Paris. It didn't change my mind about Hemingway (I'm not a fan) but I will be reading "A Moveable Feast."

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Smith, Betty. If you didn't read this classic back in middle school, read it now. Francie Nolan is still one of my literary heroes.

Trixie Belden - Campbell, Julie. Way back when, I was hooked on the series beginning with "The Secret of the Mansion." Trixie is spunky, brave, and kind. The series may be geared for nine-year-old girls, but slightly older girls will still enjoy the adventures of Trixie, Honey & Jim.

Revenge of the Radioactive Lady - Stuckey French, Elizabeth. The cover art caught my eye but the writing kept my interest. This is the wild story of Marylou Ahearn, who at 77, planned to kill the doctor who had given her a radioactive "cocktail" many years before. 

Happy Reading!