Archive for the 'summer reading' Category

What to Read Next?

Published
by
kyle
on June 26, 2009
in summer reading and whatcha reading?
. 0 Comments

It’s summertime – for some, that’s the time when they actually read books for enjoyment. Although I don’t normally read a whole bunch (I know, I’m a failure of a librarian), I did just finish my second book of the year. Be nice now, because that’s twice as many as I read last year.

Anyway, I’ve kind of gotten the hang of this whole ‘reading’ thing and decided that I wouldn’t mind reading ANOTHER book. Whoa.

But here’s my dilemma – what do I read next? I could either A) ask anyone else that works here for recommendations or…

B) use the Book Seer to offer suggestions on my next literary adventure. To put it to the test, I just finished reading Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs (good stuff). The Book Seer thought that I would also enjoy A Million Little Pieces by James Frey or Stuart: A Life Backwards by Alexander Masters, as well as other titles by Burroughs and Frey.

Just make sure that you actually liked the book that you just finished reading when using the Book Seer. Otherwise, you’re stuck with another bomb.

Thanks to Patty (and Lifehacker) for the link!

Burmese Days

Published
by
Carol
on August 20, 2008
in summer reading
. 0 Comments

The spring 2008 cyclone that ripped through the Irawaddy Delta region, once again brought the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar to the forefront of world news for the worst of reasons. As if the country’s political and economic woes were not enough, Mother Nature dished out a disaster of her own. As the world rushed to the aid of the cyclone victims,  the military regime that holds the country in its iron grip, just as swiftly blocked the flow of aid to those victims.

Finding George Orwell in Burma

Until 1989, Myanmar was known as Burma, the name given it during British rule from 1885-1948. The country obtained independence after World War II and elected new leaders despite an economy tattered by years of fighting. But within a short time, a military coup ousted the government. While there have been internal changes in leadership, the military is still in firm control of the government and swiftly squashes any form of political dissent.

To understand Myanmar’s history, it’s helpful to read George Orwell’s, Burmese Days, a depressing, but illuminating novel set during British rule in Burma in the early 20th Century. Orwell had spent five years in Burma as a military policeman before writing the novel. Emma Larkin (pseudonym) visited Myanmar in 2003 and wrote a fascinating account of her attempts to understand the country through the lens of George Orwell’s writings. In Finding George Orwell in Burma, Larkin travels around the country, meeting casually with citizens as she gauges the literary and political undercurrents of an the country.

You may also want to read Perfect Hostage: A Life of Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s Prisoner of Conscience. Aung San Suu Kyi is a political activist who was essentially elected as Prime Minister of Myanmar in 1990 but was prevented from taking office by the military.

Looking for a final summer read? Try Phantom Prey

Published
by
Ronna
on August 15, 2008
in summer reading
. 0 Comments

Phantom Prey

Phantom Prey
by John Sandford
MCN San
McNaughton Collection, 2nd floor

This just might be my last review for “summer reading,” since classes start very soon (I refuse to think in more specific numbers). I’m back to series reading again, but this time it’s a series by a male author. I’ve been reading John Sandford’s “Prey” series for years, and have been anxiously waiting to read this latest one. When I finally got the chance, I found it to be…not bad.

Lucas Davenport is the star of the series, which is set in Minneapolis. He started out way back in the beginning as dark and dangerous—he followed his own path, solved crimes, had lots of love affairs. Over the years he’s matured and changed and is now a family man. Frankly, I preferred him the way he used to be, but oh, well.

This latest book has Davenport looking for a killer (or killers, we don’t know) who is viciously stabbing people involved in the Minneapolis Goth community. All seem connected in some way to the disappearance of Frances Austin, the crime Davenport is originally recruited to solve.

The main reason I found this book only “not bad” is because the author reveals the killer/killers (to the reader, not the police) about halfway through the book, and for some reason that made the rest of the book anti-climactic.

Like the J. D. Robb “Death” series I blogged about a few weeks ago (see our blog archives), I find the books in the “Prey” series hard to keep straight due to very similar titles (Invisible Prey, Broken Prey, all the way back to the first book, Rules of Prey). Most of them can be read out of order, but there are a few titles with recurring criminals. The complete list of books and their synopses can be found on the author’s web site. The University Library has five of the series titles in our Main Collection and two more—including this one—in the McNaughton Collection. All seven can be found using the library’s online catalog, or by asking a reference librarian.

Give this series a try. Lots of action, great characters, all set in locales you may have visited (or even lived in) yourself. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Deja vu all over again

Published
by
Carol
on August 6, 2008
in summer reading
. 0 Comments

It’s summer and that means baseball season is in full swing. If you like baseball, chances are you like Yogi Berra, too. The witty former Yankee player, manager, and Hall of Famer sure has a way with words. He’s coined phrases like it ain’t over till it’s over, ninety percent of this game is half mental, and this is like deja vu all over again.

Enjoy Yogi’s unique sense of humor in his latest book, You Can Observe a Lot by Watching: What I’ve Learned about Teamwork from the Yankees and Life (McNaughton Collection, Ber).

Here are a couple more Yogi books:

  • When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take it!: Inspiration and Wisdom from one of Baseball’s Greatest Heroes  (Main Collection, GV865.B4 A3 2001)
  • Yogi: It Ain’t Over (Main Collection, GV865.B4 A27 1997)

The Library has more than 400 other books and movies about baseball, so you’re sure to find something you like.

It’s No One You Know, but read it anyway

Published
by
Ronna
on July 30, 2008
in summer reading
. 0 Comments

No One You Know

No One You Know
by Michelle Richmond
MCN Ric
McNaughton Collection, 2nd floor

First, let me say, I liked this book. But, I thought it moved a little slow. And the ending was, well, let’s say it’s not what I expected.

Unlike my last three reviews, this title is not from a series. I thought you might like a break from series fiction, since a colleague told me that thanks to me, she now has a very long list of books to read! Michelle Richmond’s No One You Know is a murder mystery, a family drama, and a tale of growing up, all rolled into one. And it is a standalone title.

Ellie Enderlin’s older sister, Lila, a math genius in the doctoral program at Stanford University, was murdered when Ellie was in college. A best-selling true crime book pointed the finger at one man. There was no real proof, but everyone thought he did it. Ellie’s family struggled to get through the tragedy, and the aftershocks of the murder and the bestseller effect the way Ellie ultimately lives her life.

Ellie finally decides to find out what really happened, and along the way she comes to terms with who she is and why she became the person she did. As an interesting twist, because of who Lila was, all throughout the book are stories of mathematical personas, theorems, and unsolvable problems. Not being a math genius myself, I can’t tell you how much of that is fiction and how much is truth. But I like to think I am a little smarter after reading the book.

Take a look at No One You Know. You might learn something (sorry about that, I know it’s summer), but it’s also a good story. Available in the University Library’s McNaughton Collection under the call number RIC.

You’ll want to read: I Shall Not Want

Published
by
Ronna
on July 9, 2008
in summer reading
. 0 Comments

I Shall Not Want

I Shall Not Want
by Julia Spencer-Fleming
MCN Spe
McNaughton Collection, 2nd floor

In case you’re wondering if I ever read anything other than series fiction, the answer is yes. In fact, I intended to review a non-series title in this week’s post. But, then I found the latest from Julia Spencer-Fleming, I Shall Not Want, and I just had to find out the latest goings-on in Millers Kill, New York. Did the Reverend Clare Fergusson, an Episcopal priest, finally get together with Russ Van Alstyne, the town’s chief of police? What kind of crime would they be solving this time? Another murder? How many murders can a small town like Millers Kill have, anyway?

Apparently a lot, because once again someone’s been killed and once again, Russ and Clare are on the case. Illegal immigration, family violence, and a “junkyard dog vicious” gang are all part of I Shall Not Want. It is a thrilling read. And those of you who’ve read the previous book in the series, All Mortal Flesh, know that Russ is now available for romance with Clare. Will their smoldering attraction finally ignite?

I highly recommend starting at the beginning of this series and reading each book in order. But, if you don’t want to do that, at least read All Mortal Flesh first, because the ending of that book plays a huge role in I Shall Not Want. Both books are available in the University Library’s McNaughton Collection under the call number SPE. All other titles in the series are available at the Whitewater Public Library.

Bad Blood equals an “ok” read

Published
by
Ronna
on June 25, 2008
in summer reading
. 0 Comments

Bad Blood

Bad Blood
by Linda Fairstein
MCN Fai
McNaughton Collection, 2nd floor

Last time I introduced you to Eve Dallas, a feisty police lieutenant from New York City, circa 2058. Now meet Alexandra (aka Alex) Cooper, Assistant District Attorney in charge of the Sex Crimes Unit of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. She works closely with New York City detectives Mike Chapman and Mercer Wallace to solve any murders that come their way. In Bad Blood, Alex is prosecuting Brendan Quillian for the strangulation death of his wife, Amanda. Unfortunately, Alex’s case is not very strong, but an explosion in an underground water tunnel leads to an old unsolved crime of which Quillian was also accused, which might bolster her case. Family skeletons and a courtroom shocker are thrown in for good measure. And of course, a possible new love interest for Alex.

Linda Fairstein, former chief prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Sex Crimes Unit, has interesting characters in Alex, Mike, and Mercer, and a neverending source of plotlines in their respective jobs. But, her dialogue is often a bit stilted, and the faint “will they or won’t they” romantic undertone between Alex and Mike doesn’t add much to the series, now nine books long. You might ask why I’ve read all nine, and honestly, I don’t know. Maybe because most of the action where I live shuts down by 6 p.m. and I need something to do.

Come by the University Library and check out Bad Blood. Let me know what you think. In my opinion? A pleasant way to spend an evening, but you won’t have trouble putting it down when it’s time to go to bed.

“Death”-ly fun summer reading

Published
by
Ronna
on June 13, 2008
in summer reading
. 2 Comments

Strangers in Death

Strangers in Death
by J.D. Robb
MCN Rob
McNaughton Collection, 2nd floor

For some fun, “light,” non-mind-expanding summer reading, try a book from what I call the “death series” by J.D. Robb, aka Nora Roberts. The series starts with Naked in Death, and many, many books later, the latest is Strangers in Death. (Mind you, I got this information from Nora’s website, as I long ago gave up trying to remember which book follows which.) The plot line seldom varies: set in the late 2050’s, Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her trusty sidekick, Peabody, solve horrible murders with the help of Eve’s fabulously rich and unbelievably handsome hubby, Roarke. A cast of other regulars, such as the eccentric e-detective McNab, and the wild and colorful singer, Mavis, appear in each book. The plots are similar enough that I can’t keep the books straight, but little thought is required to digest the titles, and Eve is a feisty, take-no-prisoners (pardon the pun) dame. And for the romance-minded among you, there are at least two or three steamy love scenes in each book—this is Nora Roberts, after all.

So stop by the University Library and pick up Born in Death, Innocent in Death, Creation in Death, and/or Strangers in Death, all in the McNaughton Leisure Collection under the call number Rob. You’re guaranteed a good murder mystery, a relaxing time, and you probably won’t learn a blessed thing. Perfect for summer reading.