King County Library System - Library Talk. - September 2009

For many years, each fall - The King County Library System has offered a Book Group Gathering and invited members of book groups to get together and learn about the resources the library system can offer to help organize, support, and energize book groups. 

On Saturday, September 26, over 130 people gathered, (mostly women) at the KCLS Service Center for this year's program. With Nancy Pearl offering wonderful ideas for organizing, sustaining and controlling book groups, refreshments and prizes donated by the North Bend, Snoqualmie and Fall City Friends of the Library, and a busy morning of programs, it was huge success.

One of the most interesting items not on the agenda was an opportunity for spontaneous book sharing when one of the speakers had an emergency and couldn't make it. People raised their hand, stood up and gave a title their book group had read, and a very brief book talk.

 

The most wonderful part of this experience was the passion that surged through the room, as someone suggested a title, if others had read it, there was an audible sigh, nods and once in a while, even a shake of the head. The point wasn't to convince others that this was THE book their group should read, but to offer suggestions, endorsements and above all, to share a love of books, stories and literature.

 

We agreed to compile the list of suggestions and post it to our blog.

 

The Color of Lightning - Jiles, Paulette

Fieldwork - Berlinski, Mischa

Little Bee - Cleave, Chris

Mountains Beyond Mountains - Kidder, Tracy

A Far Cry from Kensington - Spark, Muriel

The Poisonwood Bible - Kingsolver, Barbara

 

Music is everywhere in Mia's life. Her parents were rockers. She's an accomplished cellist. Her boyfriend Adam has his own punk band. She's applied to Julliard and life after high school is finally showing more potential.

But one snowy morning everything changes. Mia and her family are driving along the highway when a semi-truck collides with their car, instantly killing Mia's parents and her younger brother. Mia finds herself outside her own body, not dead, not alive, and not knowing what to do. As a ghost-like spirit, Mia spends time at the hospital, observing her own coma state. Limbo is confusing....should she join her family in the afterlife, or return to her human body? Is this even Mia's decision to make?

Life without her parents and brother would be devastating. But, at 17 years old, is she ready to give up on what the future may hold?

This is a beautifully written book, full of grace and possibilities. It's a quick read, wonderful for fans of The Lovely Bones or Elsewhere.

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright was the subject of scandal in upper-class Oak Park, Illinois. Edwin and Mamah Borthwick Cheney had commissioned Wright to design their home. A romance sparked between Mamah and Frank and an affair quickly blossomed. Both felt obligations to their respective families, so rather than divorce, each separated, to reunite in Europe. For years, they traveled and lived together, each inspired by their own intellectual pursuits. When they returned to the United States, they settled in Wisconsin, in Taliesin, one of Wright's structural masterpieces.

Cheney is conflicted between her desire to be with Wright, and societal expectations placed upon her. Critics of their relationship were open in their distaste for her ethical decisions. Because she was the other woman, Cheney was vehemently accused of homewrecking, more so than Wright. Her narration reflects her guilt and eventual acceptance of her choices

This novel is part historical fiction, part biography, and reflects a dedication on Horan's part to research a relatively unknown part of Wright's romantic past. Beautifully written, Loving Frank exudes a graceful flow, introducing the reader to the beauty and complexity of their illicit affair.

  Seriously. Is anyone else tired of the vampire craze?  Are you ready to move on to the next best thing? Zombies!

Author Kevin Emerson (Oliver Nocturne series, Carlos is Gonna Get It), will lead a writing workshop for teens in grades 8-12.  This two-hour workshop help you create savory characters, insert them into a creepy story then we'll release the fiends! Zombies swarming up from the sod, vampires from moldy crypts, ghouls and poltergeists from the mist itself! How will your characters survive? What will they do? Are these creatures a metaphor, or what? Chills, thrills and tons of writing guaranteed.

Bellevue Regional Library October 17, 2-4 pm

Registration is required. Register online at kcls.org.

Secret Scriptures
By Sebastian Barry

Roseanne McNulty is 100 years old and has spent over half of her of life in the Roscommon Regional Mental Hospital when she begins the secret journal.  But the voice recalling many years full of turmoil and sorrow does not sound mad.   Her language is at once precise and lyrical, full of poetry, yet firmly grounded.  Her personal tragedy is gradually depicted against the backdrop of sectarian violence and a whole country in upheaval.

Roseanne's journal is interspersed with the commonplace book of Dr. Green, manager of the mental hospital. The institution is being downsized, and he must determine who should be given the freedom to return to the community. Though well meaning he is absorbed in his own sorrow, mourning first the failure of his marriage, then the death of his wife.    There are few records to help him evaluate Roseanne, and she is not particularly helpful to him.  

Dr. Green's search for clues as to why Roseanne was institutionalized finds a somewhat different history than the one the revealed in her journal raising many questions for the reader.  Was her father a member of the hated Irish police, or merely a grave digger?  How did he die?  If she was married, why did she tell Dr. Green he should address herby her maiden name?  Did she kill her only child at birth?  If not what happened to him?  And the big one - is she mad?

The quality of Barry's language and the vividness of Roseanne's story more than compensate for the occasionally awkward device of the two journals and slightly too pat ending.  The people in Roseanne's past; the stifling life of a small town contrasted to the wild openness of the sea; the eternal Irish rain all come alive on the page.  Curl up with this book before a toasty fire on a wet evening and you might not be sure whether the misty rain outside your window is coming in off Puget Sound or Sligo Bay.

 

Playground Day by Jennifer J. Merz

is a celebration of of a day spend outside at the playground. 

You can just feel a crisp fall day, the metal of the swing, the thrill of the slide and the spin of the merry-go-round.  Jennifer Merz's paper cut illustrations are fun, colorful and full of expression. 

Pair this with Emily Gravett's Monkey and Me for the perfect preschool jaunt.

You know that KCLS has a whole lot of databases, but did you know that many of those databases have lesson plans to help teachers use the information in their classrooms? Here are some to choose from:

African American Experience
Click on "Classroom Resources" or click on "Lesson Plans" for featured topics.

American National Biography
Click on "Teacher's Guide"

Biography Resource Center
Click on "Toolbox" and scroll to Teachers

CultureGrams
Click on "Teaching Activities PDF"

Daily Life Online
Click on "Teacher Resources"

Latino American Experience
Click on "Teacher's Corner"

Novelist
Click on "Working with Kids"

Oxford Art Online
Click on "Tools and Resources" then "MoMA/Grove Art Lesson Plans: learning units"

Oxford English Dictionary
Click on "Learning Resources"

Pop Culture Universe
Click on "Skills Center" then "Teacher's Corner"

Teen Health & Wellness
Click on "Librarian/Educator Resources" then "Lesson Plans"

I've never been much of a football fan, and I'm even less interested in football players--until just recently, when I've been inexplicably drawn to several books in which the main character is a football player.  That just goes to show how books can enlarge your horizons.

John Grisham has written a short book, Playing for Pizza, which is completely unlike his legal thrillers and can only be described as "cute"--okay, "charming" would work, too.

Rick Dockery was a football hero in high school in Davenport, Iowa, and a promising quarterback in college, but his NFL career has never quite taken off.  As the story opens, Rick has just failed so spectacularly on national television in front of all the football fans in the United States that it is clear to everyone but him that his career is over. His agent likes him, though, so he tries valiantly to find a team who will take him, eventually finding a spot for him as starting quarterback for the Parma Panthers. Yes, that's Parma, Italy, as in parmesan cheese. We know that "football" means "soccer" in most of Europe, but who knew that there was American football in Italy? In fact, there really are a few such teams in Italy, comprised mostly of local men who play for the fun of it and also for the postgame pizza. Then on each team there are two or three salaried players from America to lend authenticity.

Rick Dockery is a pretty unsophisticated young man who doesn't even know enough about Italy to be excited about the prospect of visiting there. Naturally he knows no Italian and hated history in college. Can the appeal of Italian food and women ease Rick over his culture shock so that he can lead the Panthers to victory in the Italian Super Bowl? To find out, read Playing for Pizza by John Grisham.

Which of these handbooks is not the real deal?

A. Cabinology: a Handbook to Your Private Hideaway
B. The Official Filthy Rich Handbook
C. Roasting Raccoon: The Varmint Cookin' Handbook
D. The Housewife's Handbook: How to Run the Modern Home
(answer after the break)

If you're looking for primary source information, databases are one place to find it. Here are a few of the KCLS databases that include primary sources:

African American Experience
Covering the modern and historical African American experience, there is a Primary Source Index under Resources.

Daily Life Online
Daily life in other cultures and through history, with information drawn from the acclaimed series of books from Greenwood Press, there is a Primary Documents link under Resources.

Latino American Experience
Covering the modern and historical Latino American experience, there is a Primary Source Index under Resources.

New York Times - Historical Newspapers
Full text and images from the New York Times are available dating back to 1851.

Nineteenth Century Newspapers
Full text and images from a variety of US newspapers from the 1800s.

Primary Sources Reference Collection
A collection of online books that collect primary sources. These are also listed in the main library catalog.

World Conflicts Today
Reports on major world conflicts, each with primary sources available.

American Indian History and Culture
Covering Native American history, there is a Primary Sources option under Browse.

American Song and Music Online
Original music from the time and place being researched, sometimes about the event itself, are available for online streaming.

AP Images
Newsworthy photographs, including historical photographs.

Discovering Collection
The collection includes books on history and searches can be limited to primary sources. Heritage Quest
Though aimed at genealogical researchers, this database contains many primary source local history books.

Newspaper Archive
Historic newspapers from small and large towns.

Sanborn Maps
Historical maps of Washington state cities and towns.

Jeeves Takes Charge, by P.G. Wodehouse

Beautifully read by Alexander Spence

Sometimes the oldies really are the best, or at least what you're exactly in the mood for.  That's how I felt listening to Jeeves Takes Charge, a collection of lovely, humorous, short stories, the first of which was published in 1915.  If you're unfamiliar with the series, Jeeves is an incredibly intelligent and efficient British man-servant, the epitome of the prefect valet.  He is in service to Bertram Wooster, a British gentleman, and himself the epitome of the privileged upper classes in early 20th century England.  Bertie is a sweet, well-meaning, and foppish young man who cares equally for his friends and for his leisure time.  He pops into and out of matrimonial engagements with alarming regularity, attempts to dress in a fashion distressingly modern to Jeeves, and lives in perpetual fear of his stern and ever disapproving Aunt Agatha.  Bertie's own lack of brainpower and addle pated friends seem to land him in one spot of bother after another, with Jeeves always ready and willing to help his master out of a jam, be it with a resorative drink or a clever plan.

Wodehouse wrote quite a bit about the adventures of Jeeves and Wooster and at least one fantastic television series was made from the books, starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. (I used the photo from that series in this post.)  The stories are lighthearted and clever, and a perfect escape.

Earlier, I talked about finding far-flung news in the Press Display database, but I just noticed a really neat feature: audio! Some of the papers have a computer reader that can read individual articles or even the entire paper out loud to you: and not just the ones in English! I tried listening to the news in French, Norwegian, and Danish-- there are many more! What a great way to keep up with the news back home or even practice your language skills.

Scroll down on the main screen and click on the Interactive Radio link on the left side for a full list of available audio papers, or keep your eyes peeled for a link on the left side of the paper display when you're looking at your favorite newspapers.

This book is old, (1964) but sweet and speaks to the artist in me....a small, brown bat "the color of coffee with cream in it" can't sleep and soon finds himself awakening to the brightness of daytime and the poet in his soul. This neglected gem of a book is wonderful on many levels . First, I love how the book shows all ages (but especially kids) some real lessons about poetry and what it is like to struggle with the creative process. The author also succeeds in showing the difficulties of finding an appreciative audience for ones creations. But my favorite part, and I thank the author for this, was his ability to point out the difference between appreciating a poem (or any art) for its technical excellence and simply feeling the work of art on a gut level.

42 pages make The Bat-Poet by Randall Jarrell a quick read that is perfect for a ferry crossing with family or bedtime lounge on the couch with the kids. (Maurice Sendak has sprinkled the pages with delicate drawings that are simply perfect!)

Which of these handbooks is not really available to handle?

A. The Handbook of Vintage Remedies.
B. The Complete Coracle Handbook: Boating the Portable Way
C. The American Muslim Teenager's Handbook
D. The Complete Anchoring Handbook: Stay Put on Any Bottom in Any Weather
(answer after the break)

I have a thing for Ancient Rome. It was so vast, so powerful, so long-lasting, and in so many ways is still with us....just think of our legal codes, all of the Romance languages (French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian), and all of the ruins throughout Europe, western Asia and North Africa. It's all around us and yet it's been gone for fifteen hundred years, too; like all things, it ran its course and eventually came to an end. History books have often cited barbarian incursions as one of the catalysts for the dissolution of the Roman Empire and the best-known of these barbarians was the ultimate bad-guy, Attila the Hun. The End of Empire: Attila the Hun & the Fall of Rome by Christopher Kelly is a well-researched and engaging book that explores the role of the Huns as a primary cause behind the ultimate dissolution of Eternal Rome.

Far from being another dry historical textbook, The End of Empire is a fun and fascinating read. It focuses on the last century of the western Roman Empire, roughly 376 to 476 A.D. A lot happened in that hundred years and the sheer number of players in this book can be a bit confusing. Still, the focus of The End of Empire is on a relatively small number of figures: Attila, Roman emperor Theodosius II, Roman general Flavius Aetius, and Roman ambassadors Maximinus and Priscus. The center of this book is the depiction of a diplomatic mission in 449 A.D. in which Maximinus and Priscus were sent to the Hungarian Plain in order to meet with Attila. They discovered that Hun society was fairly advanced and that Attila, far from being a brute, was ambitious, cunning, politically astute, and a loving father as well. Romans saw themselves as the pinnacle of human civilization and Roman historians, most of whom had never met a barbarian, portrayed the Huns as little more than animals, uncivilized in every way. First-hand knowledge contradicted that view.

Indeed, the great revelation of The End of Empire is that it's not always clear who was the greater barbarian, the Huns or the Romans. Attila's sometime-ally and sometime-nemesis Flavius Aetius was also cunning and politically savvy but he was equally known for his ruthlessness and divided loyalties. Theodosius II, along with most other late-period Roman emperors, is portrayed as being largely ineffectual. The general impression is that the rot had set into Roman society, particularly in the west, and that it could no longer defend itself against a seemingly endless stream of invaders of whom the Huns were the most dangerous and most feared. And a huge part of what made them so fearsome was the powerful figure of Attila himself.

Full of maps, illustrations, high drama and surprising conclusions, Christopher Kelly's The End of Empire is a refreshing take on a subject that has preoccupied students of history since 476 A.D. Check it out!  

What are primary sources?
Primary sources are sources of historical information that were created at the time of the historical event or later by witnesses to the event. They may be government records, diaries, letters, photographs or paintings, newspapers, interviews, or speeches: anything that is a first-hand account of a historical event.

What primary sources can I find in the library?
You can find reproductions of many primary sources: pictures of original documents, photographs, or transcriptions (re-typings or copies) of documents. If the historical event is relatively recent, you may even find some original documents.

Where are the primary sources?
They might be in books, magazines, databases, or on web pages. They might be in a format that also includes secondary sources.

What use are secondary sources?
Most research projects that require primary sources will also require some background research using secondary sources that can give a broad overview of the topic. These secondary sources will cite their own, often primary, sources in their bibliography. You can use the author's research to get your own research started.

Where can I find some good primary sources?

The library catalog: Search for your topic in the library catalog. Many of the books will include or help you find primary sources. Or try a keyword search for "primary sources" to see books and electronic books in the library collection. You may need to search for a broader topic to find a book that includes what you want, like searching for World War II instead of Iwo Jima.

Library databases: Go to http://www.kcls.org, click on Databases, then click on Primary Sources in the Subject List of Databases. This will list some major sources you can use online (with your library card). Many other databases will have a search option for primary sources.

Web sites: Find out what organizations study your topic. If they have a web site, they may have online versions of primary sources. Libraries, museums, archives, historical societies, and government agencies are all good starting places. Adding the phrase "digital collections," "archives," or "papers" to a general web search can often help you find an organization that has collected primary sources.

I still need help!

Talk to a librarian about what you need to find. Library staff are familiar with many ways to find primary sources.

A few great places for primary sources online:

American Memory from the Library of Congress
Primary sources for US history.

National Archives and Records Administration
The US Government's archive of government records through history.

HistoryLink
Primary and secondary sources for Washington State history.

Washington History
Historical books, newspapers and photographs from early Washington State history.

I read a fair amount of fantasy growing up, but as an "older person," haven't often been grabbed by the genre.  When it was first published in 2006, Scott Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora sucked me in big time, and it's by far the best fantasy novel I've read in a long time (Lynch has a second book out now, but they should be read in order).

It might be more of a guy book, but I don't think so - if any gals have read and liked it (or not), please consider leaving a comment.

The plot is based on a band of orphan thieves, purchased/enslaved by a blind priest master-thief autocrat, who teaches his fledglings the art of his trade.  They steal for him and he protects and provides (sort of) for them.  Locke Lamora is a slight, runt of a thief, but clever and extremely adept.  As he leads a band of co-thieves on increasingly bold and successful raids, the authorities label him the Thorn of Camorr, and want his head.  A powerful, evil magician is also out for Locke, and rival thieves would like nothing more than to see him fall.  Scott Lynch throws in lots of fun, skin-of-his-teeth adventures, with really great writing, and some unpredictable plot turns.

I'm not sure why this book never made bigger waves - it did get on some "best books" lists.  I mentioned it to co-workers and they all loved it (including a few gals).  Scott Lynch now has a broad fan base, and I read that a studio has purchased the movie rights.  So give it a try, read 20 or 30 pages, and if you're not hooked, money back guarantee (library books only).

If you want to get an overview of major themes in Philosophy and giggle quite a bit at the same time, this is your book.  Tom Cathcart and Dan Klein received Philosophy degrees from Harvard, then "pursued the usual careers" afterward: working with street gangs, designing gags for Candid Camera, that kind of thing.  However lucrative those jobs may have been, the authors have made a considerable contribution to the general understanding of philosophy through Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar... 

Each chapter uses jokes and cartoons to illustrate particular philosophical questions in areas such as ethics, epistemology, and the philosophy of language.  The book opens with my favorite philosophical/astronomical joke: What holds up the world?  A turtle.  What does the turtle stand on?  Another turtle.  And what does that turtle stand on?  It's turtles all the way down, of course!  (Okay, it might not be a knee-slapper, but just try to imagine it!)  Cathcart and Klein go on to explain that this particular joke relates to the philosophical idea of infinite regress, an aspect of the discussion regarding a First Cause (for the universe, time and space, etc.).  Of course, a sense of humor is necessary to receive the maximum benefit from this book, especially the Philosophy of Religion chapter.  The approach is certainly irreverent, but the point of philosophy is to ask questions about what we believe and how it is that we can believe what we decide on, if we actually reach that point.

The jokes provide the authors a common reference to work from for each philosophical idea, almost like a case study, and propel the discussion of what could be rather esoteric subjects, like stoicism, forward.  (The one about the dentist and his "stoic" patient is priceless!)  Since many jokes are necessarily ironic, the section on the nature of irony provides some of the best.  Between the giggle and guffaws, Cathcart and Klein provide succinct descriptions of philosophers' contributions to the problems of existence, justice, and how we express ourselves.  Similarities in Eastern and Western philosophy are demonstrated through discussing such notions as Shopenhauer's relationship to Buddhism, which comes down to a question of resignation or release.  It's a simple concept with significant room for meditation, or may just be semantic.  Whether you're in it for the serious analysis or just the funny bits, this book will give you what you want, along with much we all need.

The Vast Fields of Ordinary follows high school senior Dade Hamilton as he suffers through once last summer in the suburban midwest before he leaves for college.  His parents' marriage is falling apart, his sorta-boyfriend Pablo only seems interested in Dade when they're alone, and his job at Food World just plain sucks.  Unable to tell his parents he's gay, he practices on inanimate household objects like the ceiling fan in his bedroom and the soap dish in the bathroom.  Then Dade meets mysterious Alex Kincaid, stoner extraordinaire, and Lucy Savage, whose own parents have shipped her off to spend the summer with her aunt and uncle after she reveals she's a lesbian, and suddenly the summer looks much brighter.  Alex and Dade's relationship sparks Pablo's jealousy, and readers can see the collision coming before Dade does.  In the space of one short summer, Dade will fall in love, visit his first gay bar, have an encounter with a missing girl, come out to his parents, and deal with the unforeseen consequences of his relationship with Dade.  Dade is a sensitive soul and his friends are likeable misfits, not unlike the characters in Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower.  Readers will be reminded of their own pivotal summers before heading off to college and transitioning into adulthood. 

Grab all your friends who were English majors in college and gather around this book!  Who Killed Iago? by James Walton has a literary quiz show within its pages.  Fun for browsing or actually following the author's system, this book is packed with a variety of quizzes that will help you figure out just how well you know your literature.

The author is the host of a British radio show that follows this format called "The Write Stuff."  He has quizzes about famous authors, literary rivalries, characters who appear in multiple books, and even uncovering author mistakes in various book excerpts.   

My favorite ones are the literary connection quizzes.   For these you get a list of four clues to an answer.  Once you get the four answers, you then have to figure out their connection to each other.  Here's an example:  1) author of The Big Sleep (answer:  Chandler)  2) Holden Caulfield's sister in The Catcher in the Rye (answer:  Phoebe)  3)  Founder of the New Yorker magazine (answer:  Ross)  4) Daphne du Maurier's "cousin" (answer:  Rachel).  So, what do Chandler, Phoebe, Ross and Rachel have in common?  The characters on the TV show Friends, of course.

This book is great fun or greatly frustrating when the answer is just out of reach.  You'll find out just how well-read you are (or aren't!)

While many of his Brown University classmates were leaving to study abroad in Europe, Kevin Roose was packing his bags for Lynchburg, Virginia.  An agnostic who lied about his religious beliefs on his application, Roose was studying for a semester at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University bible school. For the next few months he would follow "The Liberty Way", the school's forty-six page code of conduct that prohibits watching R-rated movies, drinking, smoking, cursing, gambling, dancing, and anything beyond holding hands. When his History of Life exam read "True or False: Noah's Ark was large enough to carry various kinds of dinosaurs", he answered True.  During spring break he preached the gospel in Daytona Beach bars, on Friday nights he attended bible study, and on Sunday mornings he sang on national television in the front row of Falwell's church choir. He was undercover at what Falwell called "Bible Boot Camp", hoping to connect with his evangelical peers.

The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University is not an attack on the many friends Roose met during his semester; rather it's an attempt to understand a culture that was completely foreign to him. The kindness of the students and faculty helped him feel at home at Liberty, and it was interesting to see how the author's own beliefs changed during his evangelical immersion. His attempt to bridge the God Divide in our country is a welcome break from the shrill voices on our radios and televisions.

For anyone who grew up reading Where the Wild Things Are, no doubt just thinking about the book brings back all sorts of memories from when you were a kid: where you lived, who you read the book with, and, most importantly, how you felt when you read this strange and wonderful story.  I was always captivated by the monsters, with their funny hippie hair and mish-mash of animal parts, but I also felt kind of bad for Max.  He seemed like such a lost and unhappy kid - at least until he got his supper.

I've been thinking a lot about this book lately, no doubt in response to seeing this trailer for the film adaptation (those of you worried about the film staying loyal to the crazy sensibilities of Maurice Sendak's original vision can relax, it looks fantastic).  But seeing it also made me want to dive back into that original tale, so I wandered over to the children's book section this afternoon and pulled it from the shelf.  Nearly 50 years after publication, I can say it definitely stands the test of time.  Lushly illustrated and fully engaging, it's a book that will still appeal to children for all its wildness, although you can almost appreciate more as an adult.  Try it... it only takes a few minutes to read and you'll be amazed at what it brings back!

If you are interested in reading more about the film adaptation done by indie director Spike Jonze, the New York Times did a great feature article in their Sunday Magazine, which you can read here (login may be required).

Which of these owners' manuals is not out there?

A. Mischief Maker's Manual
B. The Skateboarding Field Manual
C. The Vixen Manual
D. The Good Girl's Manual
(answer after the break)

Martin has many clients of whom he is very fond.  He keeps very close tabs on them; he reads their emails, checks their regular mail, watches their homes, discovers their schedules and then takes what he needs from their cupboards.  They have never met him and they have never discovered that he has been stealing from them for years.  That is because Martin has very strict standards and rules.  His clients are always married, no children, no dogs and no maids.  No dogs, because he doesn't want to be bitten.  Married couples would assume that the other spouse had forgotten to replace the toilet paper or ate the last tomato (Martin isn't greedy, he only took what he needed of foods and household supplies; he carefully followed his list which was written in French, to slow down the police if he was ever stopped.) He felt that children and maids would complain about being accused of theft and therefore the couple might start to look around and think the word thief and that would be dangerous for him.  Also children break up parent's routines, so Martin wouldn't be able to maintain a regular schedule of visits.  Martin is very cautious in selecting his clients; he watches the house for months, sometimes. He reviews their belongings, bank accounts and schedules before deciding that they are worthy of being a client.

Martin always takes a camera with him and photographs how items are placed in the pantry or sitting on the refrigerator shelves.  He takes pictures of the couple's valuables, like jewelry, silver and crystal.  He would take pictures over time and then help himself to the valuable that hadn't moved or been touched in months. Then after it was fully cataloged (using Excel) he would sell it on E-bay using his alter ego Barbara Teal.

Then one day Martin decides to interfere in the life of one of his clients...it made him feel good.

Something Missing is a compulsive read about a thief suffering from OCD.  The author Matthew Dicks has said he has never worked as a thief, but the story is so thorough, it made me wonder.....

Mehrunissa, whose name means "the Sun of Women," is born to Persian refugees in 1577 as they flee into the lands of the Mughal Empire.  Her birth marks a change in the fortunes of her family, and she is raised on the fringes of Emperor Akbar's court.  At the age of eight, Mehrunissa attends the festivities as the heir to the throne, Prince Salim, marries for the first time.  In that moment, she vows that she, too, will marry Salim and become a princess.  Several years later, Prince Salim is enthralled by teenaged Mehrunissa from the first time he sees her, just days before her marriage to another man.  Over the next decade and a half, Salim fights for his position in the empire as Mehrunissa endures a loveless marriage.  Finally, after years apart, Mehrunissa must decide if she will stand by her vow even if it means losing the man she has always wanted.

Much more than a simple love story, The Twentieth Wife, by local author Indu Sundaresan, is a fascinating look at the Mughal Empire during its height.  Spanning much of present-day India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, the Empire had a profound influence on language, culture, government, architecture and cuisine.  Sundaresan combines meticulous research with vivid description, bringing the land and people to life.  The sounds, smells, and tastes of India come through on every page, while the descriptions of court life provide action and intrigue.  Even though the historically-based ending of the story is no surprise, Sundaresan's skill as a storyteller kept me enthralled and wondering what would happen next.  That little sadness that I feel at the end of a wonderful book was tempered by knowing that the tale of Salim and Mehrunissa is continued in The Feast of Roses.

Indu Sundaresan will be appearing at the King County Library System Foundation's 2010 Literary Lions Gala.

Shakespeare's Wife by Germaine Greer

Little is known about Shakespeare's wife, Anne Hathaway, but that doesn't stop scholars from trying to figure her out. Many have decided that she must have been the worst of wives, a shrewish, ugly woman who drove her husband off to London. She was, after all, eight years older than Shakespeare and he only left her his second-best bed in his will (they ignore the fact that she would automatically receive 1/3 of his estate). But Germaine Greer looks at Anne Hathaway from a decidedly feminist perspective. She analyzes the documents of the era, especially those pertaining to life in Stratford. This examination brings Elizabethan England to life, revealing a culture vastly different from our own.

Greer presents the possibility of an Anne Shakespeare who was a partner to her husband and a success in her own right. Anne, she points out, was a good catch. Her family ran a successful farm and she had a dowry. Elizabethans married in their mid to late twenties, so at twenty-six, she was no spinster. Will, on the other hand, was underage and from a family in debt up to their ears. He had no occupation that we know of until he went to London. In short, Will got a deal. Women like Anne often ran businesses and farms, usually with their husbands, but sometimes independently. Cottage industry products, like knitted hose and lace, were usually produced by women, as were foodstuffs like beer and cheese. Many men of Shakespeare's class traveled to London on business and stayed away for long periods at a time. They didn't take their families. London wasn't a healthy place for a wife or children. Their lives in the city didn't necessarily reflect on the families they left behind either; what happens in London stays in London and all that. Greer's portrayal of an industrious Anne who supports the family while Will pursues his career is convincing and inspiring. This Anne is no shrew or sad, deserted wife. She is an active, intelligent woman, capable of winning the Bard's love and worthy of keeping it.

While a bit academic, readers interested in history, women's roles or Shakespeare will find plenty of tidbits in this book to keep them reading. And it will give you a whole new perspective on "women's work".

I picked up Two Wheels North by Evelyn McDaniel Gibb on whim and now I seem to be telling everyone I know about it! It's the true story of two young men who biked from Santa Rosa, California to Seattle, Washington to see the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition. Vic and Ray are fresh out of high school, and barely have five dollars between the two of them, when they set out to see the great fair. They are sponsored by their local newspaper, The Santa Rosa Press Democrat, and the Seattle P-I agreed to pay them 25 dollars if they make it there on bikes.  

These guys don't have the high-tech bikes or light-weight gear that we have today, and in some places they don't even have passable roads. They run into all kinds of trouble too, including wild animals, oncoming trains, a couple of fist fights, plenty of flat tires, and even a little romance.

Book-It Repertory Theatre in partnership with 4Culture will present a dramatization of this exciting story at two King County Libraries:

Auburn LIbrary, Sunday, September 27, 1pm

Covington Library, Thursday, October 15, 7pm

This is a short and fun read about an exciting period in northwest history told through the eyes of two eager young men, and it should make a great play.

The Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition is celebrating its centennial anniversary throughout 2009. For more information about events and activities go to http://www.ayp100.org/.

As far as anyone knows, there has only ever been one Sitka spruce of this color.  The Haida of the Queen Charlotte Islands named it and considered it sacred.  Two hundred years later, when scientists became aware of the tree, they gave it a unique scientific name.

And then a logger-turned-environmentalist cut it down.  To protest logging.  Go figure.

I'm not giving away the story - John Vaillant begins The Golden Spruce:  A True Story of Myth, Madness and Greed with this sad event.  It's an intriguing story, and even though it's Vaillant's first book, he writes masterfully.  Readers who enjoy Jon Krakauer will like this book.  In between the story line, Vaillant offers vivid descriptions of the natural and cultural history of the Canadian pacific coast.

Grant Hadwin was apparently a bit of a cross between Rambo and Edward Abbey, which I know sounds nutty.  Those who knew him said that he would disappear into some of the most rugged portions of Canada's pacific forest, carrying just a rifle.  He would re-emerge days or weeks later, none the worse for the wear.  And although he worked on and off as a logger in his earlier years, he came to see the logging industry as a rapacious and malignant entity.  So why cut the tree down?  And - in a further mystery - what happened to Grant Hadwin?

Pet Projects: The Animal Knits Bible by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne

I'm a beginning knitter and haven't strayed too far from basic scarves, but when I become more skilled I'm going to knit my dog the Anti-Firework Dog Balaclava.  I'm serious - it's a balaclava for dogs with funny little alien rosettes over the ears to insulate and protect a dog's ears from the sound of fireworks.  I generally spend the three or four days before the 4th of July and three or four days after hanging out in my house taking care of my tranquilized dog.  I could put this nifty hat on my dog and actually go out and watch some fireworks for a change.  Other fun knitted projects include heraldic cat cushions, party dog collars, a tortoise hibernation tent, a hamster house, a wire bird feeder and various knitted animals if you don't happen to own a pet yourself.  (Then you could knit a sweater for it!)  The book features a section on knitting basics, easy-to-read instructions, and difficulty levels for each project.  Need a gift for a pampered pet?  Look no further than these fine knitted creations. 

Savvy teachers and parents always seem to know the perfect databases to use for particular assignments or upcoming library programs that will benefit their students.  Have you ever wondered where they learned of these events months in advance?  Chances are good these teachers are receiving eNews, a newsletter written for the primary and secondary education levels.

The KCLS eNews is a bi-monthly newsletter that covers a homework website and a featured database as well as system-wide and local events such as author appearances and writing workshops.  If you are a local educator and would like to receive eNews please contact your local teen or children's librarian. 

Mystic and Rider, by Sharon Shinn

King Baryn rules over Gillengaria, a land in turmoil.  Barely tolerated before, mystics hide their gifts as persecution escalates, distrust of magic increasing after the rumor spreads that the King's new wife has snared him by magical means.  As ill feeling toward magic users increases, Baryn sends an unlikely group of travelers to assess the danger to him, his kingdom, and his family.  Senneth is a powerful fire mystic in her own right, who has given her loyalty to the King who welcomed her when shunned by her noble House.  Quicksilver Kirra and her servant, Donnel, are shape shifters from one of the ruling Twelve Houses.  Tayse is the leader of the King's Riders, an elite fighting force specially chosen by the King, and who doubts mystics on principal but will defend Baryn unto death.  And Justin is another Rider, young, quick tempered and also distrustful of magic users, but who follows Tayse without question.

The companions cross the land visiting small towns and noble houses searching out magic, treachery, and pockets of loyalty to the King.  They must learn to work together and trust each other in order to fight the tyranny of a dangerously growing fanatical cult bent on the death of all mystics, and an increasing sense that some of the Twelve Houses are intent on overthrowing the King and his mysterious wife.

This is the first in a wonderful series rich in courtly intrigue, a complex world history, and a fascinating magical system.  It is also a tale of tolerance, love, growing friendship, and fiercely won trust.  Sharon Shinn is one of my favorite authors and I gladly return to the worlds she creates.

...there was Sunshine by Robin McKinley. Known for her award-winning fantasy books, McKinley creates a familiar-feeling world where vampires and magic are very real, but so are coffee and cinnamon rolls.

Rae lives in the small town of New Arcadia, where she wakes up at 4am everyday to bake Cinnamon Rolls as Big as Your Head for a coffee shop in Town. She doesn't really mind getting up early, since she loves the warm morning light, and the feel of soft dough between her fingers. Sounds kind of cozy, huh? Well, then, let me tell you a little more about New Arcadia. One branch of the police force there is called SOF: Special Other Forces. They deal with the Others, the most dangerous of these being the Suckers. That is, vampires. There are Others that aren't really legislated against, like Weres, Demons, and Sprites...I mean, everyone knows someone with a little sprite or peri blood in them. But it's the Darkest Others, the vampires, that you really want to avoid.

So when Rae takes a nighttime drive out to her parents' cabin by the lake, she's not really surprised when she gets kidnapped by a gang of suckers, tied hand and foot, and left in an abandoned house...but not alone. She's been put there as supper for Constantine, the gang's rival, who does end up surprising her, in more ways than one.

This refreshing fantasy presents a world where the supernatural is normal, but so are friends, family, and fragrant baked goods.<

It's Official!

This year's Read.Flip.Win. contest ended July 31 with over 50 videos submitted!  Five Teen Librarians and our Education and Teen Services Coordinator had the difficult task of deciding the winners.  There were many front runners this year making it even more difficult to choose our winners, but we did and you can see them on the KCLS Teen webpage.

The KCLS Foundation again generously donated the prizes which were HD Flip video cameras for the Grand Prize winners and regular Flip video cameras for the Runner's Up. 

Thanks to everyone in who helped us with the contest this year! 

Which of these owners' manuals is not out there?

A. President for Life: How You, Too, Can Start Your Own Country!
B. America, the Owner's Manual: Making Government Work for You
C. The Must-Have Mom Manual: Two Mothers, Two Perspectives, One Book that Tells You Everything You Need to Know
(answer after the break)

The Road by Cormac McCarthy is a story of the survival, if not the triumph, of the best part of human nature at a time when the worst part of human nature predominates. Though dark and at times shattering in its emotional impact, this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is at the same time lyrical, uplifting and ultimately optimistic in its viewpoint.

The story is set in a post-Apocalyptic, near-future America where ash constantly falls from the sky and everything is dead save a few scattered people. Most of these have descended into a state of marauding savagery marked by theft, enslavement, murder and cannibalism. There are some, though, that have retained some sense of morality and compassion and the chief exemplars of this are the unnamed Man and his unnamed young Son. They wander the devastated landscape with their possesions piled into a shopping cart, searching abandoned towns and isolated homes for canned food and any other items that might help them survive. But their wanderings are not without purpose: the man is gradually leading his son down "the road" to the sea, though what they hope to find there is never explicitly articulated. As they make their way towards the coast, they cross paths with a number of marauders and these encounters are always tense and frequently horrifying.

The power of this book lies in its ability to evoke incredibly complex emotions and reactions in the reader and this is due to the author's mastery of language. Cormac McCarthy has the amazing ability to make even the most dire experiences sound like poetry. Here's an example: "He'd had this feeling before, beyond the numbness and dull despair. The world shrinking down around a raw core of parsible entities. The names of things slowly following those things into oblivion. Colors. The names of birds. Things to eat. Finally the names of things one believed to be true. More fragile than he would have thought. How much was gone already? The sacred idiom shorn of its referents and so of its reality. Drawing down like something trying to preserve heat. In time to wink out forever."

Yet despite the bleak reality of their existence, the dominant emotion expressed in The Road is love...specifically, the love of a father for his child...and with this comes hope, the key to survival. All of this is expressed in dialogue which, unlike the prose, is simple and to the point, yet powerful in its ability to encapsulate the feelings and implications beneath the words: "This is what the good guys do. They keep trying. They don't give up." The man is so patient, so reassuring, so outwardly together even when he's inwardly despairing, that he imparts the will to survive and to thrive within the boy as well as himself. Both he and the boy "carry the fire."

The Road is soon to be released as a movie starring Viggo Mortenson, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, and Robert Duvall. I know I'm going to see it. Maybe I'll even like it; I loved the film version of McCarthy's other latter-day masterpiece, No Country For Old Men. But there's no substitute for a good book and a healthy imagination. So do yourself a favor: before you buy the movie tickets, check out and read a copy of The Road. You won't be sorry!