I am not always thrilled (possibly an understatement) when an author opts to read his or her own book for the audio version. However, this is not the case when the author is Garrison Keillor. I enjoyed every moment of the 8 hours spent listening to Pontoon: A Novel of Lake Wobegon.

Keillor’s books delightfully compliment the NPR radio program A Prairie Home Companion. I found Pontoon to be more plot intensive than some of Keillor’s other novels. The book begins with the death of an elderly member of the community and goes on to detail various reactions to the passing. It is both thoughtful and funny. During the final disc I had to pull my car over because I was laughing so entirely. Perhaps worth noting (perhaps not) is Keillor’s elegant use of simile. One such comparison found in Pontoon: “It looks like the desiccated cadavers of squirrels run over by trucks.” What more does a novel need?

If you enjoy Pontoon, you might want to check out these audio books:

Home On The Prairie : Stories From Lake Wobegon
Homegrown Democrat : a Few Plain Thoughts From The Heart Of America

sixty six

The film is set in 1966 England and centers around 12yr old Bernie. Young Bernie is ignored by his family, which is comprised of an eccentric, obsessive compulsive father, an annoying, attention-hogging brother, and a doting, quirky mother. In studying for his upcoming Bar Mitzvah he discovers that this will be the biggest day of his life, the day he will become a man. Which means this will be his day to shine, a day when all attention will be focused on him and not his brother Alvy! He soon begins planning the perfect Bar Mitzvah, which will be far better than Alvy’s, complete with live music, planned seating, and plenty of gifts. But wait. His plan is foiled at the start of the World Cup, and England making into the finals- which will take place on the same day as his Bar Mitzvah. How will Bernie make it through all this competition? If you liked Billy Elliot you’ll enjoy this coming of age tale.

chemistry

In Chemistry for Beginners*, for Dr. Steven Fisher, the female orgasm is his life’s work. At the brink of the breakthrough of a miracle drug that could cure female sexual dysfunction (think Viagra), one of his test subjects – Annie G is wracking havoc with his data, his scientific mind and his carefully guarded heart.

This engaging and smart, romantic comedy (no longer an oxymoron, thanks to Anthony Strong - a pseudonym for Anthony Capella) is presented in the form of a scientific paper, complete with footnotes (totally believable and absolutely hilarious) and illustrations. The uniquely contemporary male perspective, memorable quotes, satirical jabs at academia, clinical research, and the drug business will surely entertain. The tentative and problematic courtship is tantalizing (think D.H. Lawrence's Lady C.), at times heartbreaking, and oh so itchy sexy.

Easily the best romance of the year, from a newcomer to the genre. Best quote: "Sex is biology, love is chemistry". And some of the best sex scenes since Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally.

* = Starred review

If you are a cat lover check out the hilarious wordless comic strip collection called Simon's Cat by Simon Tofield. Tofield, a British animator, started with animated shorts of the same name, available for free on his website. Tofield does all the characters including the 'meows'.

Here is one of my favorites:

If you are interested in knowing more about cats and caring for one, AADL has many books to choose from, click here for a list

thanksandhavefun

The library owns a few books put out by 826Michigan (the fabulous local non-profit that offers tutoring and workshops, and supports writing endeavors for kids age 6-18.) They have many books that are samples and collections of students’ work, highlighting the best and brightest of writing talent that will knock your socks off. True Stories and Tall Tales culminates a year’s worth of work at Ypsilanti’s Childs Elementary School and features histories, fantasies, and other such silliness written by the students, while lead by 826Michigan volunteers.

Another book written by 826Michigan students, and other 826 chapters across the country, is Thanks and Have Fun Running the Country: Kids' Letters to President Obama. Which is essentially just that: a collection of letters written by kids and addressed to President Obama. Some are funny, some are heartfelt, all are worth reading.

If you’re looking for more works put out by 826, or some McSweeney’s titles, or want to hear more about what they do there, check out the shelves at the Liberty Street Robot Repair and Supply Shop at 115 E. Liberty.

Bich Minh Nguyen's memoir Stealing Buddha's Dinner was named one of the 2008 Michigan Notable Books and the Chicago Tribune Best Book of 2007. It received the 2008 Kiriyama Prize and the PEN/Jerard Award. It has been selected by the Michigan Humanities Council as the current The Great Michigan Read.

In Nguyen's fiction debut Short Girls, narrators (in alternate chapters) Van and Linny Leong, estranged sisters who have chosen divergent paths since their latch-key days, returned home to celebrate their father’s U.S. citizenship and his reality TV debut to demo the Leong Arm - an invention for short people.

With keen insight, humor and compassion, the author examines what it means to be short – from stature, identity, expectations, ambition, to the distance between us. Beautifully written and expertly told, this is ultimately a universal tale about sisterhood; the cultural and family history that binds us; and the rights to set the standard by which we are measured.

Readers of women's fiction on the theme of sibling relationships might also enjoy The Almost Archer Sisters by Lisa Gabriele, or Julia Alvarez's wonderful portrayal of the immigrant experience in How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents. For pure entertainment value - there is nothing more delightful than Jennifer Weiner's In Her Shoes.

* = Starred Reviews.

Mr. Show

Laugh with Bob and David again, or introduce yourself to Mr. Show with Bob and David. The hilarious Mr. Show, starring Bob Odenkirk and David Cross, is a sketch comedy series that ran on HBO from 1995-1998. The offbeat, and not always politically correct, sketches featured occasional recurring characters, and each sketch transitioned into the next, creating a seamless flow of hilarity, with nods to Monty Python’s Flying Circus. If you’re itching for some funny, have a "tofutti break" and check out both discs of Seasons 1 and 2, available on DVD at AADL.

Requiem

Ann Arbor’s own Davy Rothbart, creator of Found Magazine, presents us with a new collection of “found” items in Requiem for a Paper Bag: Celebrities and Civilians Tell Stories of the Best Lost, Tossed, and Found Items from Around the World. This time around we get to hear the stories behind finding the items! Davy reports, “I asked my favorite writers, musicians, artists & entertainers to tell me about the things they’ve found. These are the stories they’ve shared.” The found items range anywhere from love letters, hate notes and birthday cards, to shoppings lists, dirty laundry and homework assignments. Read in their own words how Seth Rogen, Miranda July, David Simon (creator of The Wire), and Chuck Klosterman came across some interesting items.

For more of Rothbart’s unique and hilarious collection of found items, check out Found and Found II, which are bouth laugh out loud funny and quick reading.

This "wickedly brilliant" cozy by Canadian journalist Alan Bradley won the 2007 Debut Dagger Award of the Crimewriter's Association.

Set in a quaint English village, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie* features one of the most engaging amateur sleuths since Harriet the Spy.

11 year-old Flavia de Luce, a walking encyclopedia of the practical use of poison, is thrilled to find a corpse in the cucumber patch of the family's crumbling manor. A missing piece of custard pie, a dead snipe bearing a priceless "gift" on the door step, a retired librarian with a menacing secret and a shell-shocked WWII soldier are among her suspects but the bumbling police arrest her father for the crime. It is all up to Flavia to save the day.

Pure delight. Sequel likely, and most eagerly anticipated.

* = starred reviews

ThenSheFoundMe

Recently I saddled down to watch the Oscar and Emmy award winning Helen Hunt's 2007 triumph Then She Found Me. Then She Found Me, a film whose screenplay was co-written, directed, starred and produced by Hunt, depicts the story of April Epner, a 39 year old schoolteacher whose main ambition in life to is have a child of her own. April's hopes are put on hold on the day that her husband Ben (Matthew Broderick) leaves her. However, that same day she meets Frank (Colin Firth), the father of one of her students. Also, April's birth mother, a TV personality, played by (Bette Midler), enters her life and turns things upside down. This is a great film with superb performances by all leading actors especially Helen Hunt, Bette Midler and Colin Firth.