Staff Recommendations The following recommendations come from library staff and patrons.
You should also check out the
Good Books section on the Monroe County Library System website for some great recommendations.
Chemistry for Beginners by Anthony Strong
review written by Amanda Vargas, 12/1/2009Chemistry for beginners is a book about modern romance about how men and women view each other. Dr. Steven J. Fisher is a scientist who thinks science is the real key to love. When his theory doesn't add up he struggles to form a new opinion about true love and chemistry. This book is very smart, fast-paced and witty. I'd recommend it to college-age individuals intrigued by science and appreciative of humor.
The Love Children by Marilyn French
review written by Amanda Vargas, 12/1/2009The book takes place in the late 1960s in Cambridge,
Massachusetts. The plot is generated around the stereotypical time
period where teenagers are wearing long hair and blue jeans. Jess
Leighton is the daughter of a painter and a proto-feminist Harvard
professor. Just like most teens Jess is struggling to make sense of her
world. She is faced with racial tensions, Vietnam War protests,
and anti-government rage. Recognizing that she has more options than
her mother's generation she begins to feel like she has no role model
for creating the life she wants. Jess experiments with sex and
psychedelic drugs as she searches for happiness on her own terms. The
Love Children is a story of a generation gap and understanding emerging
roles as times change. The book is entertaining and will leave you
feeling like you too have the power to change your own life and destiny.
The Wednesday Lettters by Jason F. Wright
review written by Pat Leiston, 11/8/2009Jack and Laurel Cooper are pillars of the community that own and
operate a bed-and-breakfast in a small Virginia town where they die in
each others' arms. When their three children return home for the
funeral, events unfold and they discover boxes of family history in the
form of letters. These notes and letters were written by Jack to his
wife every single Wednesday during their 39 years of married life.
Through these letters, the siblings discover that their parents'
marriage had survived a devastating event kept secret all of those
years. It is a heartwarming story of the meaning of family and the
power of forgiveness.
Italian Shoes by Henning Mankell
review written by Kate Vreeland, 11/25/2009
I enjoy reading Mankell’s Kurt Wallander mysteries, so I
thought I’d try one of his novels. I wasn’t disappointed. Being Swedish,
Mankell’s books are set in Sweden,
this one on a tiny island that is only reachable by boat and is surrounded by
ice in the winter. Fredrik Welin has become a hermit in his middle age, exiling
himself to this island after a terrible mistake he made while a successful
surgeon. One winter’s day an unexpected visitor shows up and surprisingly Fredrik
embarks on a journey of renewal, facing his memories and finding a new hope for
his future.
Wild Things by Clay Carmichael
review written by Anne Strang, 11/11/2009 OK, I admit it! I LOVE juvenile and YA literature. As a librarian I have always adopted the "every-other" rule: for every grown-up book I read I have to also read a kids' book. Technically,
Wild Things, the debut novel by Clay Carmichael, is going to get shelved in the children or teen section of the library, but I dare any gown-up out there to read this and not be moved. It is the captivating, well-written story of Zoe, a tough-minded orphan who has been jaded by a rough upbringing, but finds hope, adventure, a cat in need AND a true home when she moves in with her Uncle Henry, a doctor-turned-sculptor. Pick this story up and you won't want to put it down -- a great story to read for the holidays!
The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz
review written by Anne Marie Basile, 11/11/2009 Set mostly in Southern California, this topnotch thriller from bestselling author Koontz depicts the magical powers of golden retrievers -- in particular, a female named Nickie, who will stop at nothing to save innocent children and protect their guardians. Amy Redwing, the survivor of a horrifying marriage, establishes Golden Heart to rescue golden retrievers, rehabilitate the abused ones, and find them forever homes.
A supernatural chain of events ensues after Amy and her architect boyfriend, Brian McCarthy, rescue Nickie during a violent intervention and family dispute. Soon the pair are on a mission that leads to a transformative confrontation with a number of ugly characters: Gunther Schloss, a frustrated aspiring novelist turned killer-for-hire; Moonglow, a psycho in the Mommie Dearest league; and Moonglow's lover, Harrow, a self-obsessed sicko. This is the perfect book for thriller addicts who know the darkest hour is just before dawn and for canine lovers who remember that Dog spelled backwards is God.
War Dances by Sherman Alexie
review written by Laura Richardson, 11/9/2009
This collection of poems and short stories reaffirms my belief that
Sherman Alexie is some kind of literary rockstar. The words can get kind of crazy and they
don’t all make sense to me, but I love them anyway. The stories are bold and
aggressive, and that’s exactly why I’m a fan. When I finished War Dances, I wanted to jump around and
scream and take home a souvenir of smashed pencil splinters.
The title story tells of an American Indian dealing with the impending
death of his alcoholic, diabetic father (a “natural Indian death”). Other
narrators include a film editor who reacts violently to an intruder in his
home, a news intern who must write the obituary of the obituary editor, and a
music fan who thinks a burned compilation CD just ain’t got the same soul as a mix
tape made the old way. While the content may not be shocking, the authenticity
is. I get the feeling that these characters all have the same burning questions
that I have. Alexie puts those questions (even the scary ones) into words,
gives them breathing room, and doesn’t pretend that he has all the answers. As
a whole, the book is a slap in the face, or a relief, or both. Also, it’s
hilarious.
I’ve read four other books by this author, and this much I can tell you:
while reading Sherman Alexie, I’m never bored and I’m never certain. I often
feel like I’m trailing a maniacal driver who does 90 and zigzags frequently. It’s
a wild ride, so I’m not promising that you’ll finish War Dances in the same condition you were in when you started … but
getting roughed up by a read can be a good time. If you’ve resolved to do
something daring in the New Year, check out this book.
"I Love Lucy:" Season 1, Disc 1 [television series on DVD]
review written by Bob McDonald, 12/12/2009
After watching this DVD, I wish I could go back and live in
the ‘50s all over again! The show made me laugh out loud. I even forgot about
the bad day I’d had -- and believe me, I’d had a bad day!
“The Candy Factory” episode was even funnier than the rest
(and it’s a classic that everyone should know). Lucy and Ethel decided to “job
swap” with Fred and Ricky, so the girls went to work at the Candy Factory while
the guys stayed home to tend to the housework. Unfortunately, Lucy couldn’t
keep up with the conveyor belt, and started stuffing candy in her mouth, her
hat, and even her blouse! Meanwhile, the boys used a pressure cooker for the
chicken dinner, which exploded, plastering chicken all over the ceiling. At the
end of the day, the men were so appreciative of the women that they offered a
gift of candy, which was the last thing Lucy and Ethel wanted to see …
If you’ve ever had a holiday dinner disaster, watch this
episode to make yourself feel better about life. Even if all of your dinners
have been picture-perfect, the show will still be good for a laugh.