Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #342
by muffy
In Maggie Shipstead's debut Seating Arrangements, Winn Van Meter (New England blue blood), as he makes his way to his Waskeke island home for his (very pregnant) daughter Daphne's wedding, observes that the weekend is "not a straightforward exercise in familial peacekeeping and obligatory cheer but a treacherous puzzle, full of opportunities for wrong thing to be said and done". He should know!
In the next three days, this pristine family retreat and haven of calm will be overrun by bombshell bridesmaids, sulky siblings, old rivals, new in-laws, uninvited guests, and unforeseen circumstances. All the arrangements, planned with military precision by Winn's wife Biddy, are side-swept by forced proximity, the constant flow of alcohol, salacious misbehavior, intractable lust, and tangled history.
"Hilarious, keenly intelligent", Shipstead's irresistible social satire is "a piercing rumination on desire, on love and its obligations, and on the dangers of leading an inauthentic life".
Maggie Shipstead is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. In a recent interview, she shared that Seating Arrangements "is far from the traditional 'wedding novel' : I think this book is on the darker side of a wedding novel. Characters behave badly and grapple with regrets and doubts. The action…lurks around the periphery of their celebration.' "
Readalike for J. Courtney Sullivan's Maine (2011), a novel about family, fidelity, and social class; and the new release by Mark Haddon The Red House (2012) where estranged siblings and their families come together for one week in an English country house.
Blog Post
Summer Reading 2012
by muffy
Want to play the game this summer? Sign up here.
Looking for reading suggestions? Here are some of my favorite resources:
No one does a better job than NPR. This Complete List has it all. Of special interest is Nancy Pearl Unearths Great Summer Reads. A good time to explore some "unjustly dusty" titles.
I always check out "My Guilty Pleasure" where writers talk about the books they love but are embarrassed to be seen reading.
I won't judge so go ahead, knock yourself out with L.A. Times list of Beach Reads. Hey, don't forget to check out the quirky ones.
If you are into regional literature, try suggestions from Deep South Magazine, an online magazine and blog committed to being a forum for Southern writers and showcasing Southern literature.
For the studious overachievers, there is always the UC Berkeley’s Summer Reading List for Freshmen. They promised that it isn’t homework. Ha! And you believe them? Each year, Berkeley asks the faculty and staff to offer what they think are the best readings centered on a particular theme. This year’s theme is “Revolutions.”
Seriously, do take a look at Publishers Weekly's Best Summer Books. Now you know what is in my beach bag.
Heading off to summer camp? Horn Book wants to make sure you go with some good reads.
Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #331
by muffy
Wife 22 * * is "smart, fresh, entertaining, moving and incredibly funny" (I can't say it any better) and perhaps, one of the best Women's Fiction">Women's Fiction titles this year.
Let's see how YOU would answer the following questions:
#10 Do you believe love can last?
#44 What do you believe should NOT be done in public?
#50 If your spouse gave you one free pass to have sex with another person, who would you choose?
#80 Define passion in one sentence
#88 Has your life turned out the way you would hoped it would?
Like these? Thankfully, debut novelist Melanie Gideon (author of The Slippery Year: A meditation on happily ever after: a memoir, and 2 YA novels: Pucker and The Map That Breathed) provides in an appendix these 110 questions - some survey-generic, some philosophical & probing, some downright invasive but all seriously provocative.
Alice Buckle: spouse of William, mother to Zoe and Peter, part-time drama teacher and Facebook chatter, downloader of memories and Googler of solutions is also "Wife 22". Readers will be privy to her honest and witty response to an anonymous survey on marital satisfaction. Over time, her correspondence with Researcher 101 has taken an unexpectedly personal turn, and soon, she comes dangerously close to making a decision that will affect more than her happiness.
Rights sold to 19 countries and optioned for film. Perfect escapism and a breezy, delightful summer read.
* * = starred reviews
Blog Post
Books & Authors Database
by Caser
If you love reading fiction, then the Books & Authors database is the place for you. Whether you're looking for read-alike books or your book group wants critical reviews and author biographies to add to the discussion, Books & Authors has all this and more in through easy-to-navigate homepage. Try browsing through Community Picks and Expert Picks for popular selections, or Seasonal Suggestions, Best Sellers, or Award Winners for more ideas.
Get suggestions on your next read by searching author, title, or genre. For every title you find in Books & Authors, the site generates dozens of related book titles for you to read next. Find what might be your next favorite book based on what you already like. The database is also a great way to access a solid range of book reviews compiled in one place, all from reputable publications such as The New York Time Book Review, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly.
Access to this database is available at every branch of the AADL, as well as from outside the library with a valid AADL library card, or since this is a MeL Database, a Michigan driver's license number can be used instead.
For L-card holder access from an outside location, please sign in to your library account, visit our reference database page, and navigate to the desired resource. To access Books & Authors, go to the research page, and choose to Browse by Name A-Z: A-C, and click on Books & Authors. Michigan residents without a valid library card can gain access to this and the many other MeL databases by visiting MeL.org and entering your driver's license number.
Blog Post
The Kitchen Daughter and the SIMMER Blog
by muffy
Back in June, we were contacted by Jael McHenry, author of The Kitchen Daughter. She liked our blog and agreed to come visit. On Thursday, August 18th, Ms. McHenry will be at the Downtown Library at 7 pm. She will talk about her debut novel and sign copies (Don't worry if you don't have yours yet. Copies will be available for purchase).
Jael is also an enthusiastic amateur cook. Her food blog SIMMER is very popular with foodies. Bring questions about food, cooking and writing for an evening of great discussion and fun.
AND she is bringing us FOOD! We were sure that the TSA won't let her bring them on the plane but her mom is going to step in and BAKE! So come and taste one of the fabulous recipes in The Kitchen Daughter. Are we in for a treat!
BTW, if you don't already know... since our blog was published in April, The Kitchen Daughter was named "Pick of the Week" in the Boston Globe's Word on the Street, and in June Oprah picked it as one of this summer's "Tantalizing Beach Reads."
Blog Post
Beach Read 2011
by muffy
School is out and the longest day of the year is here. The sun is hot and the water is calling. Time to pack the beach bag. Want some suggestions?
Every year, I look forward to the NPR's recommendations of summer books. I especially like the Indie Booksellers Target Summer's Best Reads for an insider's take on what is good that might not hit the bestseller lists.
This year O's (Oprah) Summer Reading Lists go for wide appeal. You are bound to find something to your liking.
- The Irresistibles: Lyrical, Luscious Reads
- Unputdownable Mysteries
- Tantalizing Beach Reads
- Memoirs We Love
- Short Stories We Love
These are what the editor's of the New York Times Book Reviews are reading for pleasure this summer. Check out their recommendations in the great big Summer Reading issue.
New Yorker Magazine wades in with their own Beach Reads for (Almost) Everyone.
I also like this year's Summer Beach Reads from Goodhousekeeping. Great current titles.
Just to prove that writers are avid readers, here is Stephen King's month-by-month summer reading list. Boy, is he organized!
Hey, if you are going to spend a lot of time in the car, try Summer’s Best Audio Books recommended by the Washington Post, and Library Journal's Best Audiobooks. Want more? Here is a list of the Top 100 Audio Book Bestsellers.
One last thing..... don't forget to sign up for the Summer Reading Game. Here's how to get started. You can actually earn points and get stuff for having fun. Really. For grown-ups too.
Blog Post
Summer Reading 2010
by muffy
It's that time again.... the graduations, the ice cream socials, the beach bag and sand chair. Although the official kick-off for Summer Reading is still a week away, you might want to get a head start on organizing your reading list.
The NPR's summer books lists never fails to inspire.
Library Journal is way ahead of the game with their Summer Women's Fiction and Summer Men's Fiction.
Want to be entertained? Entertainment Weekly's 18 Great Beach Reads will likely do the trick.
From the insiders of the trade:
Here is Summer Books Buzz from HarperCollins. A terrific list. Muffy's pick for historical fiction : A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer.
Spending some time in the car? Have your listened to all of the Washington Post's Top Audio Books of 2009? You might also check out the nominees of the 2010 Audie Awards for the best audio books.
If you are not above a bit of literary voyeurism, you might find Summer Share highly entertaining where 8 writers (among them Elizabeth Gilbert and Dave Eggers) tell us what they serendipitously found and read on their summer vacation, from a bed-and-breakfast in Mexico to a small shack on the island of Crete.
What a great idea it is to put some of your favorites in the guest room for your friends and family this summer. It will guarantee good discussions at the breakfast table.
Enjoy the long days in the sun (I am hoping).
Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #207
by muffy
“A heartbreaking affair, an unsolved murder, an explosive romance: Welcome to summer on the Cape”. Beach read, you think? Oh, but Holly LeCraw’s The Swimming Pool** is much, much more. (Not to be confused with the equally scintillating French film of the same title.)
Jed McClatchey is puzzled by a bathing suit hidden in a closet at the family’ summer home at Mashantum. He remembers seeing it seven years ago on Marcella Atkinson, lounging around their pool. He was a college student then and she, part of his parent’s country club set, was exotic, beautiful and everyone’s secret crush.
In the intervening years, Jed and Callie, his sister suffered unspeakable losses : their mother was murdered and their father Cecil, a prime suspect, died without being charged. On impulse, Jed tracks down the divorced Marcella, and sets in motion the rippling effect that will shatter the fragile veneer of stability for both families, exposing a complex web of secrets and betrayal.
This "astonishingly well-crafted, completely compelling” debut is at once intense, gripping and passionate. You won’t stop until you get to the stunning conclusion.
May we also suggest: The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand for the summer colony setting and illicit romance; and Summer People by Marge Piercy for the psychological drama and character study.
For more beach reads this coming season, stay tuned.
** = Starred reviews
Blog Post
Five Best Novels of Summer
by muffy
Jessa Crispin said it best...
"The problem with "summer reading" is that too many times it's synonymous with brainless and poorly constructed novels that leave you unsatisfied. Sure, you want something light yet gripping enough to hold your attention on an airplane, but you don't want something that leaves the sensation of having eaten a dinner consisting solely of Sweet Tarts. Here are five books that will suit your palate just fine this summer."
In her piece On The Hunt For Fabulous Fiction, she just happened to picked three of my most anticipated summer read, already tucked away in my beach bag.
#1 The Scenic Route, by Binnie Kirshenbaum
#2 Follow Me, by Joanna Scott, and
#3 Dark Places, by Gillian Flynn
If you are looking for inspiration and sound recommendations, try the complete printable list of NPR's Summer Books 2009 - including The 10 Best Summer Cookbooks; Best Fiction For Every Kind Of Summer Day; and Best Mystery, Crime Novels.
Hey, we would love to hear what you are reading this summer. And don't forget to sign up for our Summer Reading Program.
Blog Post
Summer Reading for the Food Obsessed
by darla
I'm not much of a "foodie" but I do love to travel and was intrigued by the title Around the world in 80 dinners : the ultimate culinary adventure 50,000 Miles, 10 Countries, 800 Dishes, and 1 Rogue Monkey. In 2005 culinary experts Cheryl and Bill Jamison, known for award winning titles like The big book of outdoor cooking and entertaining, used their giant stash of frequent flier miles to head off on a three month vacation around the globe in search of food and adventure. In March they published this book, offering readers the chance to live vicariously through their journeys in Bali, Australia, New Caledonia, Singapore, Thailand, India, China, South Africa, France and Brazil. This is not a cookbook, although they do provide authentic recipes from their destinations, as well as travel information about hotels, restaurants and points of interest (like the National Elephant Institute in Lampang, Thailand). If you're looking for a literary masterpiece, this is not the book for you - due mainly to the quirky flip-flopping between first and third person narrative. However, if you seek some light, insightful and humorous reading, filled with enthusiasm for food and travel, this will make a great choice for summer.