King County Library System - Library Talk. - August 2009

New Blood by Gail Dayton

If you judged this book by the title or cover, you might think this is yet another one of those vampire romances that are so popular. Or perhaps a horror story. What you probably wouldn't think is that this is a Steampunk romance.

What exactly is Steampunk? It's defined as a sub-genre of fantasy and speculative fiction that is set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used. Most often, the setting is the Victorian period, or a fantasy world that closely resembles that period. There is a growing interest in Steampunk, and there are now "cons" held around the county, with fashion, music and of course, books.

New Blood begins with the magically bound servant, Jax, finally fulfilling his over two hundred year old mission to find the next blood sorceress. Unfortunately, the magically talented Amanusa doesn't believe him. When she finally uses her magic to exact revenge on a group of rebels who killed her family and held her prisoner, she learns being a powerful sorceress comes with a huge cost to her conscience.

As Jax and Amanusa are pursued across Europe, they discover areas that are competely dead and inhabited only by strange mechanical creatures. They also discover a powerful attraction to each other, and yet Jax is a servant - captured, mistreated and magically bound to the previous blood sorceress, Yvaine. Will he be able to trust Amanusa enough to be honest with her? And will Amanusa learn to control her powerful magic and earn her place in the International Magician's Conclave?

This combination of a unique world, with familiar elements, magic and romance should satisfy fans of multiple genres. It's the first book in a series set around the International Magician's Conclave, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series coming out in 2010. 

 

 

Which of these books on Shaolin is just pretend?

A. American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: an Odyssey in the New China
B. The Shaolin Workout: 28 Days to Transforming Your Body and Soul the Warrior's Way
C.Shaolin Chef: Using Mental Toughness and Discipline to Run a Professional Kitchen
D. The Shaolin Way: Ten Modern Secrets of Survival from a Shaolin Grandmaster
(answer after the break)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
 
It's 1946, and author Juliet Ashton has writer's block.  World War II has ended and she's built her journalistic career reporting on the war.  Juliet is feisty, witty and has suitors clamoring for her attention.  She receives a letter from a Dawsey Adams, inquiring about a particular author's work.  A correspondence ensues, and Juliet learns of an impromptu book club on the island of Guernsey.  Guernsey had been occupied by the Germans during the war.  Soldiers caught a group of islanders celebrating late into the evening.  The guise of a literary club helped them avoid arrest for neglecting curfew.  To avoid suspicion, they continued to meet, and the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society was born. 
 
The islanders are ready to tell their story, and Juliet is thrilled to receive it.  Detailed letters reveal how their daily lives were affected by the occupation and how they coped with the horrors of war.  The island community banded together and pooled their resources.  Friendships evolved around a common love of the book and pleasure in each other's company.  Juliet is enthralled by their lifestyle and has discovered a topic for her new work.
 
I'm a cover snob and this one turned me off immediately.  After succumbing to friend's recommendation, I fell for Guernsey's characters, the epistolary style (written in the form of a series of letters) and its whimsical rhythm.  Cover aside, this is definitely one of my favorite picks from 2009.

It was a time when elementary school teachers earned more than professional football players.  Most players worked second jobs, and physical conditioning was not only mocked, coaches strictly discouraged it.  Football was mostly a bunch of hard drinking, hard playing hard heads, who just loved the game.

Almost no one watched football in 1958, until a fluke put the greatest game into the living rooms of millions of Americans across the country.  It was a marketing dream come true, and it was a da* good game.  Mark Bowden's (of Black Hawk Down fame) The Best Game Ever: Giants vs. Colts, 1958, and the Birth of the Modern NFL is also a da* good read.

I grant you, this is a fairly targeted book, not likely to put goosebumps onto the sports-averse reader.  I'm no rabid fan of the game, but it's a great story, and what really hooked me were the characters.  Raymond Berry, now considered one of the greatest receivers of all time, was slow, had poor vision, and was born with one leg shorter than the other.  Bowden captures the times, the characters, and the thrill of the game.

Bowden also digs up some nearly unbelievable stories.  I'll just tell one.  Near the end of the tied game, when millions of people were holding their collective breath, a fan accidentally unplugged the extension cord connecting the only television camera in the stadium.  TV screens across the country went black... I'll leave it there, but the story goes on.

Photos are printed throughout the book, but I was so excited about the game itself that I had to hold my hand over the images to keep from spoiling the story.  Even the photographs have a "cinderella story" to them, as revealed at the end of the book. 

 

As a child, I loved fall, but these days it often means too many activities in too little time.  The last thing I want to think about when I get home is what to cook for dinner, so I'm a perfect candidate for make-ahead meals.  You know the concept.  You prepare a big batch of something and freeze it in individual meals, then just thaw and cook a meal when you need one.  I first tried this years ago, but most of the recipes were heavy on the cream of mushroom soup--not a good fit for my household.  I've continued to try each new make-ahead-cookery book, and my favorite is Fix, Freeze, Feast by Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik.  

One thing that sets this book apart is that their recipes are based on quantities that you would find in your local warehouse store.  Rather than standing in the meat section trying to work out how many packages will give you enough chicken breasts for the recipe, you're already armed with a list that is in warehouse-tray multiples.  As someone who wants to spend as little time shopping as possible, I fully appreciate this feature. 

The recipes themselves are straightforward, with only a few steps and generally not requiring unusual ingredients.  If you aren't sure whether you'll like a recipe, it is usually simple to try it out by making only one meal.  It is also easy to adapt the recipes to allow for food allergies and family preferences.  Are you a fan of cream of mushroom soup?  They have a great recipe for that.  The authors write in a clear, friendly style that is a pleasure to read and inspires confidence. 

While others may spend Labor Day enjoying one last outing, I'll be freezing batches of chicken curry and snickerdoodles, thanks to Fix, Freeze, Feast. 

 

Odd Thomas, by Dean Koontz

Odd is an average young man in many respects.  He works as a fry cook in a diner, has a sweet girlfriend who understands him, and doesn't have much drive to leave his beloved small town of Pico Mundo, California.  But he's also a peculiar young man.  He survived a strange and traumatic childhood, and he sees and communicates with the lingering dead, ghosts who have a reason to stay in our world rather than pass on to the next, such as violent death or fear of what will follow.  These dead come to Odd with mysteries to solve or messages to pass to loved ones, but they don't speak.

Bodachs are inky black, shapeless creatures of nightmare that only Odd can see, and who are drawn to death and destruction.  When large crowds of bodachs begin sneaking and lurking around Pico Mundo, Odd realizes that his small world is headed for a huge disaster unless he can first find out where the danger is coming from, where it's headed, and what he and his friends can do to stop it.  With the help of the empathetic police chief, an obese mystery writer, and a playful Elvis Presley, Odd attempts to discover and prevent the catastrophe bearing down on his bucolic world.

Fans of Dean Koontz will love the clear and descriptive writing and the supernatural tingle of the Odd Thomas books.  Those who've steered clear of the horror and violence of some of Koontz's books will be wrapped up in the mystery and nail-biting excitement of this less gory series, and will fall in love with the cast of eccentric characters as well as the kind, honest, and humble Odd who never takes his gift for granted and who just wants the simple life with beautiful Stormy Llewellyn he was promised by a fortune teller.

The entire series is also masterfully read aloud by David Aaron Baker.

Is this woman sane? That's what I kept asking myself as I read Helen Thayer's Walking the Gobi. In 2001, Thayer and her husband set out to walk across the Gobi desert of Mongolia. Camels carried their gear and water while they walked for over 80 days, over 1,600 miles, in scorching temperatures as hot as 123 degrees! Why would someone do this?! Not to mention Helen's bum leg and hip which were bothering her even before she even started the trip.

I almost had to quit reading because her decision to go on this trip made absolutely no sense to me, but as I read further I began to understand why they went -- they were able to see things that few will ever get a chance to see and make great friends. As she and her husband walked across this seemingly uninhabitable corner of the globe, they met many friendly and interesting families who make their home in the Gobi. Thayer shares the rich and interesting culture of Mongolian nomads through the story of her unbelievable trek.
 
Walking the Gobi is this year's selection for the Black Diamond, Maple Valley, and Covington Read Together event. Helen Thayer will present a lecture and slide show at the Covington Library on Sept 22 at 7pm, and book discussion groups will be held at all three libraries.
 
Book Discussion Groups:
 
Tuesday, Sept 8, 7pm, Maple Valley Library
Thursday, Sept 10, 2pm, Covington Library
Thursday, Sept 10, 7pm, Covington Library
Tuesday, Sept 15, 7pm, Black Diamond Library
Tuesday, Sept 16, 10am, Maple Valley Library
Wednesday, Sept 30, 6:30pm, Maple Valley Library

Which of these books on Japanese style is not real?

A. The Chopsticks Diet: Japanese-Inspired Recipes for Easy Weight-Loss
B. Papercraft Design from Japan: Design Techniques
C. Japanese Inspired Knits: Marianne Isager Collection
D. Serene Gardens: Creating Japanese Design and Detail in the Western Garden
E. Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts: Woolly Embroidery: Crewelwork, Stump Work, Canvas Work, and More
(answer after the break)

I know a lot of people who like to keep up with current events who like to shop for their news beyond their own back yard, people who won't just read the local or national paper, but international ones, too, especially when they have an easily accessible web site.

But if you'd like to sample news from all over the world, try PressDisplay, a library database that carries the full newspaper from cities all over the world, and not just in English!

The paper is visible just like it would be if you held it in your hands, not like a web page, and it even includes the ads, comics, and puzzles! Take a look at this bit of local news, a sausage making contest in South Africa!

A curious collection of cats by Betsy Franco and illustrated by Michael Wertz is a book of delightfully colorful concrete poetry. Concrete poetry, just in case you don't know, is poetry that is a particular shape.  The words are actually shaped on the page to help create the poem.

This author/ illustrator team has a way of making funny, fun poetry that is visually active.  Any cat lover will just love this book!

Besty Franco has written lots of great books for kids. This appears to be her first collaboration with Michael Wertz. I hope they do another one about dogs.  

I think I'm becoming addicted to Michael Connelly. First, I read Echo Park about a year and a half ago and was surprised how much I liked it. Then, just a couple of weeks ago, I was looking for a book-on-tape and came across The Closers, which I promptly checked out. I finished it last night and I have to say that I was sorry to see it come to an end. The Closers is a fascinating and realistic portrayal of a seasoned cop using years of experience, intuition, deductive reasoning, technological breakthroughs and (at times) blind luck to solve a long-cold murder case.

In this 11th installment in the bestselling Harry Bosch series, Detective Bosch is reinstated after three years of retirement (during which time he worked as a private eye) and is assigned to the LAPD Open-Unsolved Unit, where he is paired with former partner Kiz Rider. His first case is the 17-year-old unsolved murder of Rebecca Verloren, a 16-year-old girl of mixed race that in 1988 was abducted from her bedroom, executed at point blank range, dragged up a hill and dumped in the foliage. As Bosch and Rider familiarize themselves with the details of the initial investigation, they find several discrepencies and a complete stonewalling of the racial implications of the case. Since 1988, however, DNA testing has become available and through this method tissue from the murder weapon is traced to a white-supremacist who lived near the victim. As they follow this new lead, it also becomes apparent that Bosch's old nemesis, Deputy Chief Irving, had a shadowy involvement in the initial investigation and sought to keep certain volatile aspects of the case from become known.

The great thing about The Closers is its complete lack of melodrama. Connelly saves the adrenalin for the last portion of the novel, and even then it's far from overblown. The main body of the book is procedural in its approach: we follow two detectives as they follow every lead, use every appropriate resource, deal with interdepartmental politics, generate paperwork, coordinate with the justice system, and perform all of the other tasks and jump through all of the other hoops that real detectives encounter in real police departments. They make mistakes and have breakthroughs and none of it seems phony or contrived. Character development, though part of the story, is understated and generally relegated to tantalizing glimpses into the character and pasts of several of the major players. Of course, much is implicit, based on the fact that this is the 11th entry in the series. Still, the story is about the case and, as such, it's handled in a very professional manner...never dry, always engaging...and this says a lot about Michael Connelly's abilities as a writer.

So if you tend to prefer "Law and Order" over "24", then definitely check out The Closers!

Scotland Yard still does not have a full accounting of the facts behind the greatest art swindle of the 20th century.  It took the Arts and Antiques Unit a year and a half just to unravel enough of the twisted plot to begin to bring it all down.  What they did find was a pathological liar, John Drewe, who had the confidence and photographic memory to have - earlier in his "career" - convinced the British Atomic Energy Authority that he held a PhD in physics.  He moonlighted as a physicist for two years before resigning under suspicion.  A chance encounter with a talented but down-and-out artist set the stage for the rest of the story, as told in Provenance:  How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art, by Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo

Not having much interest or knowledge in art, I would have assumed that the big auction houses could spot a forgery in a flash.  Not so.  As noted by the authors, art forgery accounts for billions of dollars per year worldwide, and auction houses can only make a dent in the thousands of forged works presented.  When in doubt, provenance - the history of ownership - often makes or breaks a deal.  John Drewe's brilliance, if you can call it that, lay in his meticulous forgery of authentication documents.

Summer is a slow season for good nonfiction.  Salisbury and Sujo weave together a terrific story of implausible audacity and page turning suspense, with enough background on the art world that us neophytes can easily follow along.

Have you ever thought about how wonderful it is to be able to make decisions? The freedom to decide what to wear, how to act, or even who to marry?Or maybe you've felt that something was guiding, no, pushing you toward certain choices? If you have ever felt that you had no control over the path of your life, then you might just understand what it's like to be Elena Klovis.

Elena lives in one of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, which are governed by a powerful magical force called simply The Tradition. This magic gathers thickly around people who appear to be following a familiar fairytale path, and then ensures that they complete that path. And if you remember your fairytales well, you'll know that not all endings are happy. Elena was supposed to be a Cinderella, but the prince in her kingdom was only eleven years old! So she slaved under a cruel step-family as magic gathered around her, frustrating her, making her feel that she was supposed to do or be something else.

When her predictably evil step-mother and step-sisters leave her penniless to fend for herself, she goes in search of a job...and finds herself apprenticed to a Fairy Godmother. All the magic gathering around her gets put to good use as she dispenses potions, attends royal christenings, and tests questing knights and princes. Everything's going well for Godmother Elena, until she tests an unusually disagreeable prince, and decides to teach him a lesson. Unfortunately, The Tradition has other plans for them. Elena must try to find a way to break Tradition, but there's only one problem: no one has been able to do it before.

Mercedes Lackey creates a warm, strong, and witty character in The Fairy Godmother, and a story that is easy to cuddle up with when life has got you down. This is the first book in the Five Hundred Kingdoms series.

By halfway through the first chapter of The Great Mortality, the smells, sounds and grotesque sights of plague-ridden Europe creep up out of the book and surround the reader.  This is not in fact entirely unpleasant, as the personal stories John Kelly uses to evoke these sensations are often witty, and always compelling.  Alongside these anecdotes are clear descriptions of how the yersinia pestis bacillus (aka, Plague) spreads from flea, to rat, to human and throughout the population. 

Kelly excels at describing the utter devastation the plague left in its wake in the mid-fourteenth century: one in three people died in the least ravaged areas in mere weeks, in heavily populated cities three of five people succumbed.  Whole villages disappeared, fortunes were lost, and even the Pope died of plague.  The survivors were left with the reconstruction of European civilization.  Kelly tells the stories of courageous doctors who stayed to treat the stricken after their families deserted them, as well as of the anti-Semitism produced by fear and panic.  The entirety of Europe's economic devastation from unharvested crops to the collapse of newly-emerging commercial markets are illustrated in records from English farms, diaries of noblemen, and account books of merchants (all tear-stained, no doubt).    

In the more than six centuries since the Great Mortality, scholars have debated the causes and effects of Europe's most catastrophic demographic episode, and Kelly presents all views in the ongoing attempt to understand exactly what happened and why.  While this may never be known in its entirety, Kelly's broad picture populated with scientific fact as well as the voices of eyewitnesses presents the the most complete, and readable, description available.

Or at least you might have a few less overdues with help from text and email reminders from Library Elf! Library Elf makes it easy to keep track of what's due, overdue or ready for pickup from one or more library accounts. If you use the library a lot and have trouble keeping track of your items out and your holds that are arriving, then Library Elf may be right for you.  It's really easy to sign up, and the best part is it's free for KCLS patrons.

I just signed up and so far I really like the updates. I've been a lot better about getting my books back on time since I signed up.

  Signup with Library Elf to receive any, or all, of the following types of notices:

• Text message alerts* for "holds ready for pickup" and "items due the next day"
• Email and/or RSS alerts before items are due
• Email and/or RSS alerts on overdues and holds
• Email and/or RSS alerts on holds about to expire

When you log in to your Library Elf account, you'll be able to see a calendar display of up to three months of information with the relevant dates for dues, overdues and holds.

Happy reading, listening, and viewing!

It's been two months since his mother died in a car accident, and Ben's family is struggling to cope.  His father sells their home and buys a sailboat, then takes his three sons out of school and embarks on a year-long sailing trip around the Bahamas.  From the start, Ben's anger at his father, who has disrupted the boys' lives even further, is palpable. And now that the family is living aboard a 30-foot-long boat, he's impossible to avoid.  Then one morning, Ben wakes up and his father is gone.  Did he fall overboard?  Commit suicide?  Though Ben and his younger brothers can't agree on what happened to him, their arguments reveal volumes about the type of man they believe their father is.

But The Great Wide Sea is much more than a book on father-son relationships; it's also an excellent tale of emotional and physical survival. Struggling to navigate the sea after losing their father, the boys encounter a storm and end up stranded on a tiny island with little food and no radio to call for help.  The sailing and island scenes will keep you turning the pages, but the rich language, including the incorporation of poems by Emily Dickinson and Dylan Thomas into the text, will have you thinking about this book long after you finish reading.  This is M. H. Herlong's first novel, and I'm excited to see what she comes up with next. 

A handy companion you can find in the Gale Virtual Reference Center? Videohound's Golden Movie Retriever. Lots of the things you used to use video guides for are now pretty easily available through IMDB, but you might like to browse the themed lists that Videohound has-- make your own film festival or find an older title you've always wanted to see! Here's one of their interesting lists:

B/W & Color Combos

Amazon Women on the Moon '87
And Now My Love '74
Andrei Rublev '66*
Awakenings of the Beast '68
The Blue Bird '40*
Dead Again '91*
Dixiana '30
D.O.A. '88
Gods and Monsters '98*
If... '69*
JFK '91*
Kafka '91
Kiss of the Spider Woman '85*
Made in Heaven '87
A Man and a Woman '66*
Martin '77*
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters '85*
The Moon and Sixpence '43*
Movie, Movie '78
Natural Born Killers '94
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: Dream Master '88
Nixon '95*
Portrait of Jennie '48*
Rumble Fish '83*
Schindler's List '93*
She's Gotta Have It '86*
Stalker '79*
Transylvania Twist '89
Truth or Dare '91
Unzipped '94*
Wings of Desire '88*
The Wizard of Oz '39*
The Women '39*
Zelig '83*

I was wine tasting recently, and the people pouring described the wine to us in fantastic detail. The Pinot Noir tasted of spiced strawberries and black cherries, the Chardonnay was barreled in 50% new oak with a citrusy dryness at the front of the tongue, etc. I didn't know what they were talking about, but I enjoyed the experience enough to try and learn more about wine. My first (and so far only) step has been to read the book Winewise: Your Complete Guide to Understanding, Selecting, and Enjoying Wine.

WineWise is a great first step.  It describes the different wine varieties as well as the different regions in the world where they are created. There is an introduction to pairing wines with the right food, season and occasion. And in one of my favorite sections the authors choose their "best bargain" wines at different price levels, and the levels aren't painfully high (under $12 and under $20). Wine has recently surpassed beer and spirits as the alcoholic beverage of choice in the United States; this book has a great deal of information and a refreshing lack of pretense for beginners learning more about it.

Which of these books about eating wild foods is imaginary?
A. Sticks and Stones will Cook My Food: Natural Foods and Cooking Methods
B. Botany, Ballet & Dinner from Scratch: a Memoir with Recipes
C. Recipes from Nature: Foraging Through the Seasons
D. Acorn Pancakes, Dandelion Salad and 38 Other Wild Recipes
(answer after the break)

Even if I wasn't interested in the Asian culture, the cover of this book would have caught my eye:  a Chinese monk, clearly in deep contemplation, strolling along carrying a Burger King bag.  However, having been to China several times and read many books about it, it was fascinating to see another perspective on a country of such contrasts.

In his book American Shaolin, Matthew Polly is adept at capturing these interesting juxtapositions.  For example, he is just a skinny kid from Kansas who is forced into a challenge match with a kung fu master and a Princeton dropout who ends up living with Shaolin monks and sharing their brutal physical workouts.

When Polly decided to leave school and pursue his dream of studying at the Shaolin Temple, no one thought it was a good idea.  When he arrived in China and couldn't even find the Temple at first, he didn't think it was such a good idea either.   However, as he overcomes aching body parts and cultural miscues, Polly discovers more and more about the mysterious group of monks who invented Zen Buddhism, as well as the individuals in the group, and he discovers even more about himself.

His experiences are at times funny, at times shocking, at times frustrating, and at times downright scary, but his telling is always readable and he makes you appreciate the Chinese proverb, "Talk does not cook rice."  A lot of people say they are going to drop everything and pursue a dream, but instead they stay put and become emotionally starved.  Matthew Polly didn't just talk about his dream, he lived it, Burger King and all.

I recently started re-visiting the Egg and I by Betty Bard MacDonald. I was sparked to read it again by a friend who stayed at the Betty MacDonald farm (now a bed and breakfast) on Vashon Island.  I'm determined to stay at the farm, myself, but wanted to re-read her books again to fully prepare.

Betty MacDonald Moved to Seattle when she was 10 (or 11) years old in 1918. She was married and moved out to a chicken farm in the Olympics in 1927.    The Egg and I is a wonderfully funny account of her years as a new wife on the chicken farm (she later remarried and moved to Vashon Island). 

The racist comments aside, you'll find her writing very funny.  It's also fascinating to read about the Pacific Northwest as a wild frontier in the 20s and 30s... an interesting piece of history.

You might also enjoy Betty Macdonald other memoirs: Anybody Can Do Anything (about her time as a single parent during the Great Depression), The Plague and I (about her time in a sanatorium with tuberculosis), and her famous Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series for young readers.

"Do you really need a recipe for a platter of figs? No. Is that the point? Yes."

Thus begins the new cookbook, A Platter of Figs, by author and Chez Panisse chef David Tanis. Although this is primarily a cookbook, it is also a kind of manifesto about the joys of eating and the benefits of simple cooking based on ingredients used only at their peak. To highlight this, the book is organized into four sections corresponding to the seasons and each starts with six sample menus to help readers get the most out of their ingredients and their cooking. Each suggested menu begins with a brief essay about its inspiration and the thoughts behind pairing certain ingredients or a particular method of preparation, which really helps the reader visualize the menus and dishes before they even start chopping. And, although most of the recipes are based in European cooking traditions (and somewhat heavy on the meat), some do touch on North American and African cuisines, making the book a little more flexible for vegetarians.

I like a cookbook with lots of illustrations, and the lush color photographs throughout this book do not disappoint. At least half of the recipes are accompanied by a full page photograph that really brings the food to life.  Even if you don't end up actually cooking anything, it's still a fun book to look through and is certain to inspire even the most reluctant of cooks. Lucky for us, there are still some fresh figs to be had in the markets, but hurry up, because they won't be here for long!

Can you believe that you can chat with a librarian 24/7? Check out our Live Chat Service by first logging on to our website www.kcls.org, looking under "Research and Homework" and clicking on "Ask A Librarian". The first option will be "Live Chat Reference".

Be sure to have your library card and PIN ready to enter.  If you wish to change or reset your PIN, you must present a photo ID in person at your local branch.  For questions about your PIN, call AnswerLine at 425-462-9600 or 1-800-462-9600. 

To start a session enter your name, library card number, and your question in the column on the right side of the screen. Then click on the connect button. You will automatically receive a welcome message. The librarian my ask you come clarifying questions. Chat messages from the librarian will appear on the right side of your screen.

Professional librarians will send answers to your questions, or sources of information, which may involve sending websites. Web pages that we send will appear on the left side of the screen. You may have up to 20 minutes of live chat service at a time. The main focus of this service is to provide quick information and referrals using online sources including our online databases, the Catalog and the Internet. If the question cannot be answered within the guidelines, we will refer you to an appropriate reference service.

My name is Michele and I am a cat lover, nay a cat-fanatic, okay, okay, I am crazy about cats! I have three beautiful Himalayans who rule the house. (You know what they say, with a dog you are a friend, with a cat you are staff.) So imagine how tickled I was to discover Planet Cat: A Cat-alog on the library shelf. This compendium of cat information was fascinating. It manages to be funny, silly, and informational. I plan to read the 17 New Year's Resolutions for cats, to my three and emphasize #12; I will not sit on pizza. I will read 25 Reasons Cats are Better than Dogs to my Dad, who is a dog lover. Do you want to toilet train (literally) your cat? Page 312. The most popular cat names are on page 243; George is the 18th most popular name for males; Sasha is 18th for female kitties. There are lists of cats found in art, literature and music and the movies. If you aren't sure about getting a kitty, you might want to check out page 249; Are you sure you want a cat? #11 is Use a staple remover to punch two holes in every scrap of paper around the house.

Planet Cat: A Cat-alog is a book to read straight through or dip in and out of as the mood strikes, or as the incident with your lovely pet arises.

I'm breaking a personal rule here.  I usually blog books that you are likely to find sitting on the shelf. After all, if I hear about a book that sounds really great, I don't want to wait for it.  So perhaps the fact that I'm writing about Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy, even though many people already have it on hold, says something about how much I enjoyed it.

The story starts with Dr. Clara Casey, who has been passed over for a promotion that she thought was hers. Instead, she's given the thankless job of starting up a new (and underfunded) outpatient clinic for heart patients.  She's also dealing with two difficult adult daughters and a strained relationship with her former husband.  The year that she has committed to the clinic seems to stretch out in front of her with little hope for improvement. 

As she hires staff and the clinic begins to see patients, she inadvertently begins to build a community that is a slice of modern Ireland.  The Polish immigrant whom Clara hires first is a young woman working too many jobs to count, in the hope of sending money back home to her mother.  As the book unfolds, we meet a fascinating cast of characters, including a woman caring for her elderly mother, a priest troubled by a stalker, a nurse with a secret, and a snooty society maven.  The interconnected lives of these people bring to mind a small town where everyone knows everyone else--with the good and bad outcomes that are to be expected.

I enjoyed Heart and Soul as an audiobook. Reader Sile Bermingham was brilliant and performed every character with skillful attention to accent and personality.  Whatever form you select, Heart and Soul will be worth the wait.  (If you want a different take on the new Ireland, try The Deportees and Other Stories by Roddy Doyle, blogged in March.)

This new book will wow you with the beautiful photographs and unique presentation. 

Seasons: Changes in the natural world is published by Play Bac, a French Publishing house that has started to bring it's magic to the U.S.  This concept book for preschoolers offers a delightful mix of colorful pictures, child-friendly captions, and segments for adult read-aloud. Kids will poor over this book again and again. 

With a focus on the natural world, science and photography, you may like some of these other Play Bac offerings.

Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival written by Velma
Wallis and illustrated by Jim Grant. 

Seeing this book on the The Big Read booklist, I was intrigued by the subtitle and couldn't wait to read it.  Velma Wallis, an Athapascan Indian, has written down a story told by her mother one evening after collecting firewood for the winter.   While she knows the work is hard for her older mother, she is amazed at how she keeps going and completes the task before resting.   This hard work reminds her mother of the story she tells, of two old women long, long ago before the coming of Europeans to their part of the world in northern Alaska above the Arctic Circle at the confluence of the Yukon and  Porcupine Rivers.  One very hard winter The People are starving to death and the council decides to abandon the two oldest members of the tribe.  After all, they don't work, they don't hunt and they complain all the time.  Though one of the old women  has a daughter and grandson in the tribe they dare not speak up for her in the event they will be left behind too.  Ch'idzigyaak and Sa' are in complete shock until The People disappear and they realize they must take care of themselves or die.  What follows is a story of the magnificence of the human spirit and the will to live.  Although this is an adult book, it would make a wonderful read-aloud for the entire family.

Which one of these unusual cookbooks is made up?
A. Manifold Destiny: the One! the Only! Guide to Cooking on Your Car Engine!
B. How to Eat Like a Republican, or Hold the Mayo, Muffy, I'm Feeling Miracle Whipped Tonight
C. Clean Cooking: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner from your Dishwasher
D. How to Make Love and Dinner at the Same time: 200 Slow-Cooker Recipes to Heat up the Bedroom Instead of the Kitchen
(answer after the break)

The Pluto Files: The rise and fall of America's favorite planet, by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Tyson is an astrophysicist, Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium, and lover of all things space like.  When the opening of the remodeled Hayden Planetarium in 2000 created a hubbub about the status of Pluto in our solar system, Tyson became embroiled in a global kerfuffle about how to classify the furthest and most mysterious of the large bodies in our cosmic back yard. 

Here's the problem:  Pluto doesn't fit our current classification of planets.  It's too small, smaller even than several moons we can observe from Earth.  Its orbit around the sun is off kilter, and only matches those of other small objects far out in our system in the Kuiper Belt, none of which is considered a planet.  It's the only "planet" made primarily of ice, with just a little rock thrown in.  But, it is large enough to use its own gravity to remain a sphere, it has an atmosphere, and it has at least three moons.  The International Astronomical Union reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet in 2006, but the issue is not an easy one and public outcry continues to this day.

Although he logically thinks it shouldn't be considered a planet, Tyson found that Pluto is too deeply entrenched in the American psyche to be demoted.  It was discovered by an American named Clyde Tombaugh in 1939, from an American observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.  Mickey Mouse's own dog is named after it, and Pluto's sheer quirkiness makes it the overall favorite of elementary school kids nationwide.  The enthusiastic scientist explores the love we have for this wonky planet-that-isn't and leads us on a rollicking romp through the history of Pluto and the heated opinions abounding in the astronomical community.

Mirron Willis does a wonderful job bringing this book to life in the audio version, but I also encourage you to look at the paper copy for fantastic photos, fun cartoons, copied letters (including hate mail) from school children, and a real sense of science and fun.

Archangel by Sharon Shinn

Angels rule the world of Sameria and chief amongst them is the Archangel. Raphael, the current leader, is old and his successor, Gabriel, is eager to assume his duties. There's just one catch; Gabriel needs a wife. The upcoming festival of songs, the Gloria, which must be sung to their god Jovah, requires that his wife sing at his side. If the Gloria isn't performed, Jovah will rain disasters down upon Sameria. Gabriel dutifully visits the oracle Josiah, learns his predestined wife's name, and goes in search of her. Unfortunately, Rachel's village has been destroyed and he can find no trace of her. When he does track her down, he finds out that she is the slave of a powerful noble. Angels generally keep themselves apart from the rest of humanity and don't pay much attention to class or ethnic struggles, so he's surprised when Rachel turns out to be an adamant defender of her oppressed Edori people. He's even more alarmed by the fact that Rachel doesn't want to be his wife. With Raphael proving corrupt and Rachel proving difficult, Gabriel must somehow sort everyone out before its too late.

Sharon Shinn's Sameria series is a fun blend of science fiction, fantasy, and romance. The odd bits of technology in this biblical society hint at the origins of the world and the true identity of Jovah. Shinn writes her characters well, making their conflicted loyalties the center of the story. This is for readers who like Anne McCaffrey.

A romantic comedy launched from a child's gutsy reaction to prejudice? That's Elinor Lipman for you, an author who delights in handling big issues with a light touch, crisp writing, and plenty of humor.

The Inn at Lake Devine opens like so: "It was not complicated, and as my mother pointed out, not even personal: They had a hotel; they didn't want Jews; we were Jews." End of discussion. But thirteen-year-old Natalie Marx was not satisfied. Was this hotel run by Nazis? No, there were no Nazi hotels in Vermont in 1962, just some ignorant people with very bad manners. When Natalie told her father, he joked about trying again under the last name of Gentile. Natalie's parents shrugged it off and found another resort on Lake Devine for their vacation the following summer. Natalie, however, was still not satisfied. Throughout the winter she came up with deliciously sly ways to point out to the Inn's owner, a Mrs. Ingrid Berry, that her rejection of Jewish customers was unfair and illogical. Natalie made prank phone calls, wrote anonymous letters, sent newspaper clippings to make her point with Mrs. Berry.

Summer rolled around and her family stayed across the lake from the Inn. Natalie fumed. Later that summer, when she discovered that Robin, her dull bunk mate at sleepaway camp, went to the Inn every year, she finagled an invitation to go with Robin's family. Ha! Mrs. Berry could not stop Natalie from staying at the Inn after all! Natalie endured Robin's company, confirmed that Mrs. Berry was just as dreadful in person as she was in her correspondence, and rather enjoyed chatting with Mrs. Berry's sixteen-year-old lifeguard son, Nelson. By the end of the week Natalie was ready to put the incident of the Inn behind her and move on with her life.

An invitation to Robin's wedding ten years later would bring Natalie back to the Inn, with plenty of amusing, confusing and maddening complications.

There's one month left of KCLS's Read 3, Get 1 Free Summer Edition. Teens in middle school, junior high or high school can participate, and all they need to do is pick up an entry form, read 3 books, write 3 short reviews, and come into any KCLS branch to get a free paperback book. The books we have for this program are brand-new paperbacks, and we have many popular titles to choose from. Teens will also be entered in a monthly prize drawing at their branch, and they'll be entered in the system-wide grand prize drawing for a laptop. Read 3, Get 1 Free Summer Edition ends August 31.

Here are a couple of Read 3 reviews from teens at the Black Diamond Library.

Happy Reading!

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
What is this book about? Junior is a Spokane Indian that gets advice from his teacher and decides to make his life better. He goes to Reardon, the mostly white high school outside the reservation, so he'll be able to do better.
What did you like about it? Junior is a funny, eager adolescent who is unforgettable and cute. I love him! Some of the jokes are kind of dirty, but you will pee your pants laughing. The story is true to life, captivating, and heart touching.
Marissa, 13

Love is Hell by Melissa Mar et al   
What is this book about? This is a book with many different stories about love, ghosts, insanity and how they all fit together.
What did you like about it? This was a really good book. I was familiar with most of the authors that contributed (Scott Westerfeld, Justine Larbalestier, Gabrielle Zevin, and more) so that made it even better.
Courtney, 16

Elephant Man by Nomi Baumgartl and Chris Gallucci is part biography, part art book and part homage to counter culture. 

Chris Gallucci (AKA Elephant man) was untamed.  At age 12, he left home and became involved in the rough biker culture of Los Angeles of the late 1960s. 

Timbo (AKA "the most dangerous elephant in North America") was also untamed.  Although not wild enough to be free, Timbo was dangerous enough to kill.

Chris first met Timbo in 1975.  Chris had wandered into the Mojave Desert on his chopper looking for a job. He found one on the set of the movie Roar starring Tippi Hedren and her daughter Melanie Griffith and over 100 wild animals.  When the movie was over, the land became a willife sanctuary and Chris stayed.

30 years later, Chris and Timbo were still there.  They had tamed each other. 

Full of fabulous photographs by Nomi Baumgartl and journal entries from Chris Gallucci's diary, this touching book will teach you about love, devotion and taming the wild animals in us all.

I just discovered All in a Day by one of my favorite authors Cynthia Rylant AND one of my favorite artists Nikki McClure.

Cythnia Rylant has written ober 60 books for young people of all ages.  She won the Newbery Award for Missing May.  She also wrote one of my all time favorite books: God Went to Beauty School. 

This is only Nikki McClure's second children's books, but I've been a fan of her art for years (I have prints of her work all over my house).  Nikki is a self-taught artist who uses a single sheet of paper and an exacto knife to create her art. 

You'll just love this new collaboration.  The message is touching and the pictures are warm and comforting.