Blog Post
New teen fiction: The Smell of Other People's Houses
by eapearce
In her new book, author Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock throws readers into a little-considered time and place: 1970s Fairbanks, Alaska. The Smell of Other People’s Houses intertwines the lives of four teens all growing up in Fairbanks, which isn’t much like growing up anywhere else. Alaska has only been a state for a decade, and growing up poor there is tougher than growing up poor in warmer climates or in more developed cities. Ruth and her younger sister are raised by their grimly devout grandmother, who offers little warmth or practical life advice. Dora, an Inupiat, is relieved to be adopted by a kind family, but still fears her abusive, alcoholic father even though he is behind bars. Alyce lives with her mother in Fairbanks and dreams of applying to college dance programs, but knows doing so will disappoint her father, with whom she fishes in the wilderness every summer. And, trying to escape a troubled home, Hank and his brothers stowaway on a southbound ferry hoping to be taken somewhere--anywhere--better.
The images that Hitchcock evokes in this book are not often seen in fiction these days, teen or otherwise. She writes of trying to find winter clothes warm enough at a picked-over Goodwill and describes the beauty and unique lifestyle of a summer fishing camp along the Yukon River. Her eye for detail allows readers to become truly immersed in the stories of Ruth, Dora, Alyce and Hank, hoping with the teens themselves that they are able to achieve survival and salvation.
Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #583
by muffy
Winner of the 2011 prestigious Campiello Prize Not All Bastards Are From Vienna * marks the English debut of Venetian poet/children's author Andrea Molesini, and is inspired by his great-aunt’s wartime journals.
Reminiscent of Atonement (in its examination of class conflict and coming-of-age against a war-torn backdrop), Captain Corelli's Mandolin and Birdsong, the narrative unfolds in the autumn of 1917 in Refrontolo—a small community north of Venice, ravished by the bitter fighting between the Germans/Austrians and the Italians.
Villa Spada, is home to 17 year-old Paolo, recently orphaned; his eccentric grandparents; headstrong aunt; and a loyal staff, including the enigmatic estate steward Renato, a recent arrival with murky references. Times are hard, food is short, and life is perilous, but it does not deter family members from joining the resistance effort, right under the noses of the occupying German troops. When an aristocratic Austrian major takes possession of the villa, the Spadas’ resistance activities become even more vulnerable to betrayal.
Combining a comedic touch and vivid characterizations, "this is a powerful tale of endurance, sacrifice, love, and war’s suffering and cruelty."
* = starred review
Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #578
by muffy
The Longest Night * * by Andria Williams is inspired by a little-known historical fact - the nation’s only fatal nuclear accident, which occurred on January 3rd, 1961. Williams’ debut explores the lead-up to the tragedy through the eyes of a young army specialist and his wife.
Idaho Falls, 1959. Neither Paul Collier nor Nat(alie) fits in very well in their new home. Paul, the newest enlisted man at the experimental nuclear reactor, is dismayed at the problematic and dangerous condition of the reactor. When a clash with his buffoonish supervisor turns violent, he is deployed to Greenland for 6 months.
Left behind with two young children and pregnant with a third, Nat tries to make friends with the prim-and-proper army wives whose scintillating marital drama play out behind closed doors. But she finds her deepest friendship with a handsome young Mormon cowboy named Esrom, who proves to be both a help and a bright spot in her life, as well as a temptation and fuel for the rumor mill. Upon Paul's return, a nuclear event will force them to make decisions that will alter the course of their lives and others in the community.
"A smoldering, altogether impressive debut that probes the social and emotional strains on military families in a fresh and insightful way." May we also suggest: The Wives of Los Alamos by TaraShea Nesbit; You Know When the Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon; and Changing Light by Nora Gallagher.
* * = 2 starred reviews
Blog Post
Rereading the Classics - Silas Marner by George Eliot
by ballybeg
Having to read Silas Marner in eleventh grade almost ruined it for me. I didn’t recognize what a gem it is. Actually, I may not have finished it. Fortunately, I decided to give it a second chance and it is now one of my very favorite books. If you are looking for a classic book, which is very readable, and on the short side, and is one of the most endearing stories imaginable, look no further.
Silas Marner is the quintessence of the miser. Betrayed by his best friend, unjustly cast out from his religious community, set adrift in a world he could no longer love or trust, he now earns his meager existence by weaving in a small Midlands village, and, alienated from any human relationship, he hoards the gold sovereigns with which he is paid, counting them nightly. In Marner’s sad and lonely life, gold has substituted for love, for companionship, for the belief in the goodness of humanity.
Then, all his considerable amount of gold is stolen; almost twenty years of hoarding and the light of his life, all gone. Though his neighbors try to console him, his pain is bottomless. About a week later, through a series of synchronicities, a small, abandoned child, with golden curls, wanders into his cottage as the bells are tolling in the New Year, and, to the astonishment of the village, he welcomes the child as the substitute for his gold. The floodgates of Silas’s love and warmth open to the little girl, and thus begins the relationship which completely redeems his life. He is saved and transformed by the trust and love of the child, and his great love for her, and, in the process, is restored to the human community. Beautiful. When, sixteen years later, he is reunited with his stolen gold, he is indifferent to its allure.
One of the best book-to-movie adaptations I have ever seen is the film of Silas Marner, with Ben Kingsley performing brilliantly in the title role. Completely true to the story, getting all the details and characters right, creating the ambiance of the time and place perfectly, with a haunting score, this is the finest of English period drama.
Blog Post
The Seventh Most Important Thing
by manz
The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall received a lot of Newbery buzz in 2015, and while it didn’t win the award, it’s still a winner.
"On a bitter November day in Washington, D.C., when everything felt metallic – when the sky was gray and the wind stung and the dry leaves were making death-rattle sounds in the alleys – thirteen-year-old Arthur Owens picked up a brick from the corner of a crumbling building and threw it at an old man's head."
It didn’t hit the man’s head, it hit his arm. Arthur is then sent to juvie and ultimately assigned community service working for the old man – who they called the Junk Man, since he’s often spotted wheeling a shopping cart and digging through garbage throughout the neighborhood. Was Arthur really supposed to pick through trash collecting things for the crazy old man who stole his dead father’s hat?
Arthur is tasked with rummaging for what the Junk Man, AKA James Hampton, AKA St. James, calls the seven most important things: light bulbs, foil, mirrors, pieces of wood, glass bottles, coffee cans, and cardboard. His father has died, his sister is a pest, he has no friends, he gets bullied at school, he spent time in juvie and is now known as a "bad kid," and now he has to work for the Junk Man collecting weird stuff. Eventually Arthur comes to realize the importance of what the trash will become, and this bit of community service ends up being a life-changing experience for all involved.
The book is set in 1960s but you can barely tell. The character of Hampton is based on real-life American folk artist James Hampton who spent over a decade creating his vision of heaven from scraps. While Hampton is based on a real man the rest of the characters and story are fictitious. If you're not familiar with Hampton's art, read the book before you dig for details!
It’s a lovely youth novel, great for middle grade readers and for fans of Gary Schmidt’s books.
Blog Post
The Reading List 2016
by muffy
At the ALA Midwinter in Boston, a committee of 8 librarians announced this past year's best of the best in genre fiction - the Reading List. The winner in each of the 8 categories are:
Adrenaline
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
Three sisters are driven apart in the aftermath of one’s disappearance. When a violent crime occurs new fears arise and relationships shift again. Long term effects of family grief are exploited by the compulsions of a psychopath. Brutal and disturbing, this is ultimately a story of love and empowerment.
Fantasy
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
In this enchanted old-world fable, villagers threatened by a blighted magical wood allow the resident wizard to take one daughter into servitude for ten years. When he chooses klutzy Agnieszka, she faces an unexpected future and confronts the dangers of a wider political world and the roots of magical corruption.
Historical Fiction
Crooked Heart by Lissa Evans
Raised by his eccentric ex-suffragette godmother to be a free-thinker, young Noel is thrown into chaos when the London Blitz forces him into the home of a scam artist loyal only to her layabout son. Thrust together, the two oddballs are forced to find a way through the wartime landscape.
Horror
The Fifth House of the Heart by Ben Tripp
Flamboyant antiques dealer Asmodeus “Sax” Saxon-Tang made his fortune by accidentally killing a vampire with a horde of treasure. To protect the only person he loves, his niece, he’s forced to return to old Europe to assemble an eccentric team of vampire hunters in this gory, witty caper.
Mystery
The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney
Cold cases cast a twenty-five year shadow of grief and guilt on the lives of two survivors of traumatic teenage crimes. New leads and new cases bring them back to Oklahoma City as past and present intersect in this poignant and compelling story of lives forever changed by random violence.
Romance
Taking the Heat by Victoria Dahl
Sassy relationship advice columnist Veronica overcomes her commitment anxiety and gains confidence with the help of mountain-climbing librarian Gabe. Steamy romance evolves into a strong relationship as they scale a mountain of family conflicts and share secrets against a majestic Jackson Hole backdrop.
Science Fiction
Golden Son by Pierce Brown
Insurgent Darrow inveigled his way into high Gold society in 2014’s Red Rising. In this dramatic, high octane follow-up, conflicting loyalties and his own ambitions lure Darrow into an untenable web of deceptions. Bolstered by new alliances, Darrow battles to overthrow corrupt lunar leadership and bring freedom to Mars.
Women’s Fiction
Re Jane by Patricia Park
Anxious to escape the strict upbringing of her uncle’s Flushing grocery, Korean-American Jane accepts an au pair position in the pretentious household of two Brooklyn academics and their adopted Chinese daughter. Park has created a bright comic story of falling in love, finding strength, and living on one’s own terms.
Check out the complete list for a shortlist of honor titles in each category.
Blog Post
Time for Some Hack and Slash! It's Chanbara Manga!
by hanxanth
The first question you may ask after reading the title of this post is "What is Chanbara?" Simply put, chanbara refers to samurai films in Japan and must include three things: samurai, sword fighting, and a historical setting. Samurai are differentiated from other warriors by their code of honor, and they must be skilled fighters to qualify. The historical setting is typically the Sengoku Era (1478-1603), the Tokugawa Era (1603-1868), or the Meiji Period (1868-1912). Obviously this post is about manga, not films, but the categorization of chanbara applies to lots of things outside the cinema!
So if you're wanting some action, drama, and samurai, check out these series!
Rurouni Kenshin: Set in the Meiji Period, Kenshin Himura was the famed battosai assassin and helped bring about the fall of the Japanese government. Now, in a time when samurai are no longer needed, Kenshin seeks a path of redemption and peace after all the lives he took. But that isn't easy when every powerful warrior in Japan is set on fighting and killing him.
Lone Wolf and Cub: Set in the Tokugawa Era, Ogami Ittō held the role of executioner for the shogun. Disgraced after false accusations and forced to flee, he takes on the role of assassin and seeks revenge, all while caring for his 3 year old son.
Lady Snowblood: Lady Snowblood Oyuki (a Japanese play on the name of Snow White) becomes an assassin, using her feminine looks to lure in her targets. Set to the task by her imprisoned mother, Oyuki seeks vengeance on the men that killed her family and imprisoned her mother.
If you're not in the mood for reading manga though, here are some anime titles that the library has that are classified as chanbara!
Sword of the Stranger: A young boy and his dog are fleeing from a mercenary group on mainland China and come across a ronin (former samurai) who has a mysterious past and refuses to draw his sword.
Samurai Seven (the anime series based on the famous film The Seven Samurai): A group of seven samurai are brought together to help defend a poor village from bandits, but this leads them on a journey to overthrow the corrupt and power-hungry Emperor who has risen to power.
Sengoku Basara: Super over-the-top fighting action and totally worth the watch. Based on a series of video games by the same name.
Afro Samurai: Afro is a master samurai, seeking to obtain the legendary Number 1 headband from the man who killed his father, thereby giving him revenge and the power of a god that comes with the headband.
Shigurui: Competing in a tournament hosted by the daimyo, this story follows two unique individuals-The one-armed swordsman Gennosuke and the blind warrior Seigen.
Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #572
by muffy
Readers mourning the untimely death of Ariana Franklin, the creator of the 12th-century medical examiner /catalog/search/keyword/Adelia%20Aguilar">Adelia Aguilar series should be pleased with a new series by Andrea Japp called The Lady Agnes Mystery (translated from the French by Lorenza Garcia).
One of the grandes dames of French crime writing and a forensic scientist by profession, Japp sets this series in early 14th century Normandy when the King of France and the Catholic Church were locked in a battle for power, amidst the medieval Inquisition.
Agnès Philippine Claire, illegitimate daughter of Robert, Baron de Larnay, was married off at thirteen to one of her father's cronies and widowed by sixteen. As Dame de Souarcy, running the estate falls on her shoulder when clothing and feeding her household is a constant struggle. She also has to contend with her lustful half-brother Eudes, who has turned his lecherous advances on her 11-year-old daughter, Mathilde. Meanwhile, in the countryside someone is killing friars and slashing their faces postmortem, possibly in an attempt to make their deaths seem the work of a wild animal in “The Season of the Beast,”, the first of four stories that showcase the courage and cunning needed for Agnes to survive in a time when women had few choices in life other than being “born to wealth, married, nuns, or prostitutes."
Read-alikes for Maurice Druon's The Iron King; C.J. Sansom's /catalog/search/subject/%22Shardlake%2C%20Matthew%20%28Fictitious%20character%29%22">Matthew Shardlake series; and Jean-François Parot's Nicolas Le Floch investigations.
Blog Post
Artist Focus: Gene Yang
by gulickb
There are artists who you never knew you loved, you read works that they have worked on and don't even realize that all of them have something in common. Gene Yang is one of those artists for a lot of people.
He's worked on comicalization of the vastly popular animated series Avatar the last Airbender.
He's won multiple awards for American Born Chinese.
He wrote a wonderful and contrasting series set during the Boxer Revolution in Boxer and Saints.
He won an Eisner (along with Derek Kim Kirk) for his work on The Eternal Smile.
He brought a much needed resurrection of the first Asian-American hero the Green Turtle in The Shadow Hero.
These are not all of the books he's worked on just 5 of the most popular of his works!
If you are looking for a new graphic novel to read then you should check out one of Gene Yang's many amazing works.
Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #566
by muffy
The Girl with Ghost Eyes * by M.H. Boroson is "a brilliant tale of magic, monsters, and kung fu in the San Francisco Chinatown of 1898."
Young widow Xian Li-lin is a Maoshan priestess, following in the footstep of her renowned exorcist father. While guarding the temple on her own, a trusted friend of her deceased husband lures her into a trap set for her in the spirit world. It is Li-Lin's special ability to see spirits and travel to their realm, an ability known as having yin or "ghost" eyes that brings great shame to their family, but it might be the only gift she could count on to save her father against the mysterious one-armed man who wants her father dead.
To aid her are her martial arts and a peachwood sword, her burning paper talismans, and a wisecracking spirit in the form of a human eyeball tucked away in her pocket as she navigate the dangerous alleys and backrooms of Chinatown.
"With a rich and inventive historical setting, nonstop martial arts action, authentic Chinese magic, and bizarre monsters from Asian folklore, The Girl with Ghost Eyes is also the poignant story of a young woman searching to find her place beside the long shadow of a demanding father and the stigma of widowhood. In a Chinatown caught between tradition and modernity, one woman may be the key to holding everything together."
Readers might also enjoy Vermilion: the adventures of Lou Merriwether, psychopomp by Molly Tanzer; Under Heaven by Guy Gavriell Kay; and Snake Agent by Liz Williams.
* = starred review