Library Talk.

Are you moving to a different country, or maybe just dreaming of taking a job in an exotic place? There's a great resource for you, the International Relocation Center. It's put together with the serious mover in mind-- not just the pluses of a country, but also the minuses and the things you need to know that only someone who has lived there would know. What bugs do you need to spray for if you live in the Cayman Islands? Will you need to buy a school uniform for your child in Thailand? There are even guides to getting settled in the bigger cities in the US.

Which of these is not a story of America's Oldest?

A. The Last Fish Tale: the Fate of the Atlantic and Survival in Gloucester, America's Oldest Fishing Port and Most Original Town
B. Caring from the Heart: Healing Bodies and Souls in America's Oldest Working Hospital
C. Union Oyster House Cookbook: Recipes and History from America's Oldest Restaurant
D. The Abbey of Gethsemani: Place of Peace and Paradox: 150 Years in the Life of America's Oldest Trappist Monastery

(answer after the break)

Some memoirs have the ability to move you, to shake your comfort level and to make you appreciate your situation.Infidel did all of this for me. I remember hearing about this book a few years ago, and a friend recently lent it to me. I thank her for opening my eyes to a world that still exists today, outside of my line of vision.

In Somalia, under Islamic law, women can be viewed as inferior to men. Without a man's protection, a woman's honor, virtue and reputation are at stake. Ali's own grandmother used to warn her that "a woman alone is like a piece of sheep fat in the sun."

Ali's father was part of the resistance against Siad Barre's corrupt government.  He kept his family moving around Arab world in efforts to keep them safe. Ali spent her childhood attending schools in Saudi Arabia and Kenya to avoid the civil war in their homeland of Somalia. Education was strict, and adhered to Muslim ideals. Ali was an obedient daughter, a dedicated student, and yet, had an incredibly arduous childhood.

Her mother subjected her to constant physical and verbal abuse. Her traditional grandmother arranged for female circumcision to be performed her granddaughters. While studying the Quran with a private tutor, Ali was beat so badly that she required hospitalization.

Then Ali discovered books. Books that described freedom of choice. Books that told of romantic love affairs. Books that exemplified Western ideas about women's rights. Questioning her family and faith, Ali took control of her life and fled to the Netherlands to escape an arranged marriage to a distant cousin.

Ali took refugee status in Holland, and began working at battered women's shelters as a Somali interpreter. She was shocked to see the humane treatment of women in Europe, and amazed at the government's attitude to help its citizens, rather than oppress them.

Discovering her passion for human rights, Ali denounced her faith, and began work in the Dutch political scene for the Labor Party. She rose to a position of power as a member of Dutch Parliament, and achieved notoriety for her work for women's rights under Islamic law.

Her daily life took a drastic turn when her colleague, Theo Van Gogh, was brutally murdered for his work on a film depicting Muslim women's oppression. Threats on her life increased, and Ali was forced to go underground, and was surrounded by bodyguards. Angry letters poured in from Muslims who were outraged at the perceived betrayal of their faith.

Ali has gained international recognition for her dedication to women's rights. She authored a proclamation for women's rights under Islam in her book, The Caged Virgin.

Puppies, Dogs and Blue Northers: Reflections on Being Raised By A Pack of Sled Dogs by Gary Paulsen.  Paintings by Ruth Wright Paulsen. 

Many of you who have read Gary Paulsen's autobiographically based books will be familiar with Cookie, his lead dog for a complete Iditarod and mother to legions of legendary pups.  In a fast-paced read we discover how close Cookie and Gary were and follow the birth, growth and development of Cookie's last litter and her (and Gary's) reluctant retirement from dog sledding.  Gary didn't have much faith in the potential of this last litter, but it turned out to be Cookie's best.  Great leaders were borne from it but first they had to go through difficult puppy phase.  Graphic descriptions of what it's like to raise a little of puppies entertain (and sometimes startle) the reader.  In one of the most memorable scenes from the book Gary introduces the pups to the house, and they invade it like Huns.  Before reading this book I had no idea how different raising sled dogs was from raising a regular house puppy.  After just a glimpse of what is involved, I know I could never do it!  Poignant, touching and funny barely begin to describe the range of emotions offered in this Big Read featured book. 

I've always been a fan of series fiction.  If you have read many of my earlier posts, you'll know that I like novels that have a good amount of action, some kind of puzzle, and a happy ending.  I also like to get to know the characters, and that can be hard to do when they're busy figuring out whodunit.  A series lets you see the characters develop over several books, providing ample opportunity to explore their relationships.  One of my favorite series, the In Death novels by J.D. Robb, has all of these attributes, plus the bonus of being set in New York City in the not-too-distant future.

I recently finished Salvation in Death, in which Lieutenant Eve Dallas investigates the poisoning of a priest who may not be exactly what he appears.  The religious theme provides an interesting look at the recurring characters, including non-religious Eve; Detective Delia Peabody, who was raised in a "free-age" community; and Eve's husband Roarke, who, while not a practicing Catholic, grew up in Ireland where the culture and religion were intertwined.  The differences come into play right from the beginning, as Eve sees the church where the murder took place as just another crime scene, while Peabody struggles with her discomfort over what feels to her like trespassing in a holy place.  In a lighter example, Eve relies on Roarke, who made most of his millions in shady deals before meeting Eve, as her expert on Catholicism, resulting in some highly comic scenes.

Though the books are written by romance queen Nora Roberts and do have some spicy parts, particularly between Eve and Roarke, they are mysteries foremost.  They don't have to be read in order, but if you are interested in the characters and their relationships, that's the way to go.  The first book is Naked in Death.  Many of the titles are available in audio, and narrator Susan Ericksen is wonderful. I usually opt for the downloads from OverDrive or the pre-loaded players, so that I can listen anywhere.  With 32 In Death titles and counting, you might know these characters better than your co-workers by the time you finish them all!

I've never been much of a short story reader.  I always feel like just when I am getting into the characters and the story, it's already over.  Give me a 350 page novel over a 20 page short story any day.

So, what am I doing blogging a book of short stories?!  Ladies and Gentlemen, The  Bible! by Jonathan Goldstein IS a collection of stories, but they are all tied together based on a book most people have at least a passing familiarity with.  I mean, mention Noah, Samson and Delilah, and Adam and Eve and most people know who you are talking about.  So, in many ways, reading this book felt like reading a regular novel to me, but with some new characters added in like Jonah's little known brother, Vito.

Now, if you are looking for a book that takes the text of the Bible and just converts it to a short story format, this is not the book for you.  One of the subject headings, after all, is "humorous fiction."  However, if you have always wondered what the guy was like who dreamed up the tower of Babel and how Moses really felt about the whole golden calf incident, this is your book. 

Goldstein is original and irreverent.  He is hilarious and, some people will say, unholy.  If you are offended by the idea that God created some failed universes before our own, including one with a guy obsessed with the length of his pants, you might not think this book is very funny.  But if you laugh when during an argument Joseph says to Mary, "Sister, thou art the cracked egg that hath hatched a chicken of lies," you might get a kick out of this book.

Touchstone by Laurie R. King

U.S. Bureau of Investigation Agent Harris Stuyvesant goes to London hoping to find a terrorist. Instead, he finds confusion and chaos. Its 1926 and England is on the brink of a General Strike and possibly a revolution if things get out of hand. Frustrated by the bureaucratic roadblocks that keep hindering his investigation, Stuyvesant follows a desperate lead to Aldous Carstairs. Carstairs, a sinister and creepy spook with dubious motives, throws him a bone. Stuyvesant is convinced that the man he's after is Richard Bunson, a golden boy of the Labor Party. Carstairs happens to have a link to a man who's sister works with Bunson. That man is Bennett Grey, a World War I veteran who's wartime injuries resulted in a unique paranormal sensitivity. Carstairs will introduce Stuyvesant to Grey who in return might introduce him into Bunson's circle. Its as complicated a plot as one would expect from a couple of secret agents. There's just one hitch: Grey hates Carstairs. Carstairs made Grey's truth-sensing abilities the foundation of a government experiment. Grey only won his freedom by attacking Carstairs and threatening to kill himself.
 
Luckily for Stuyvesant that doesn't prevent Grey from helping once he knows that they are out to catch a bomber. It does make things tricky though, especially since Carstairs keeps trying to get the better of both of them. Add to that the fact that Grey's sister resembles Stuyvesant's dead girlfriend and that their suspect is having an affair with Grey's ex-fiancee and things don't get any clearer. But no matter the cost, they must discover the real bomber before the General Strike turns into a bloody revolution.

King has a knack for writing characters who are both prickly and endearing. Stuyvesant, a New York bruiser and crafty agent, is also a loving brother and loyal friend. Grey, broken and remade by the war, has a sense of tarnished innocence about him that is sometimes at odds with his suicidal ruthless streak. The growing friendship between these two propells the story along. King also does a great job with the setting, bringing to life the tensions between capitalist and communist factions. The radical vs. regime arguement will invite current day comparions, but for the modern reader there's also a bit of naivety to the struggle. Some of their grand gestures seem just that: gestures, not actions that will change the future of society and humanity. That disparity just settles the story even more firmly in its place, lending both the sophistication of historical accuracy and the feel of an era where many of the events that make the modern age jaded have yet to occur. The mystery is good too, but its really the characters and setting that make this a great read.

Yeah, I know.  It's another vampire book.  But before you roll your eyes, sigh, and dismiss The Reformed Vampire Support Group as an unnecessary addition to an already overcrowded genre, you might want to give this one a try.  It's smart, it's funny, and it definitely doesn't subscribe to the dark-n-sexy goth chic you find in most vampire novels.

Nina, perpetually stuck at age 15, was turned into a vampire in 1973 and she's been suffering ever since.  The constant nausea and fatigue alone are enough to drive her mad, not to mention having to dispose of all those guinea pig carcasses every week.  Add to that the mundane task of trying to make a living when you are essentially dead between the hours of sunup to sundown and you've got a fairly miserable existence.  No surprise, then, that all eleven of Australia's vampires meet every Tuesday for a weekly support group; being a vampire is stressful. 

And, until now, life as a vampire has also been fairly mundane.  But when onem of the turns up dead at the hands of an obvious vampire killer (who else would use a silver bullet and a stake through the heart?), Nina and her friends must find out who killed him unless they want to be next.

(FYI, this is a great audio book!)

 

Summer Teen Writing Workshop
July 6, July 20, and August 3rd at 4pm
For middle school, junior high, and high school
Participate in writing exercises that will stretch your creative thinking and jump start your word craft. Receive your own writer's notebook and enjoy ice cream treats courtesy of the Friends of the Fairwood Library.
Location: Fairwood Library, 17009 140TH AVE SE, Renton, WA 425-226-0522

Write Your Novel This July!
Bothell Library invites you to see if you can write a novel in a month. National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. The problem is that's it's in November and most teens are really busy in November. So begin writing July 1st and see if you can write a 175-page (50,000) word novel by midnight on July 31st.

Stop by the Bothell library 3:30-5:30 Tuesday afternoons in July. Join us in the teen area for write-ins and support. You can also come to the Teen Writing Workshop on July 16th at 3:30pm for a mid-month pick-me-up.
Library Location: Bothell Library, 18215 98th AVE NE, Bothell, WA  425-486-7811

 

Teen Writing Group
July 14, July 28, August 11, August 25 at 3:30pm
Join this group on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month to do writing exercises and discuss your work.
Library Location: Auburn Library, 1102 Auburn Way S, Auburn, WA  253-931-3018 

 

Teen Creative Writing Workshops with Author Louise Marley

Wednesday, July 8, 2pm--Snoqualmie Library, 7824 Center Boulevard SE, Snoqualime, WA  425-888-1223 

Wednesday, July 22, 2pm-North Bend Library, 115 E 4th Street, North Bend, WA  425-888-0554

Wednesday, August 19, 2pm-Fall City Library, 33415 SE 42nd Pl, Fall City, WA  425-222-5951

When I first started working at the library, the first thing I learned is that you need to know where the library keeps the Value Line Investment Survey binders! It's a professional-grade investor tool that is too expensive for most home investors, but you can get it at the library.

But librarians starting work today might not need to know where we keep the binders first thing anymore, because Value Line is online! The library bought a subscription so you can look up your stocks from home or work!

It still has the in-depth analysis and history of each stock it profiles and is browsable by issue date, just like paper version. There are additional benefits to Value Line online: quick lookup by stock name, ticker symbol, or industry, a look at whose ranks have changed recently, you can create your own custom reports for your portfolio, see model portfolios for different financial goals (neat!), and some pre-set reports available with a click like highest dividend yielding stocks (cool!).

If you're an involved investor, or want to become one, do yourself a favor and try it out!