Recent Reads

I've been more slack in my summer reading progress than usual, thanks to True Detective and good weather.  However, I have discovered a few good titles so far.  Two of the books are rereads that I remembered liking, but not necessarily what they were about.  The third is a new title that I checked out mostly because I liked the guy's glasses on the cover. 

Black Swan Green by David Mitchell (2006).
Find it in the catalog!
I first read this book shortly after graduating from college and really enjoyed it.  However, I could no longer remember much about it other than the cover and that it was British and had a kid that stuttered.  So naturally I checked out again just to refresh my memory.  Based loosely on author David Mitchell's childhood, the book follows 13-year-old Jason Taylor who is dealing with a garden variety of life issues.   His parent's marriage has hit a rough patch.  His older sister is going away to college. He's also secretly a published poet, which he keeps secret to avoid being picked on in school.  Like most intelligent, sensitive kids, Jason deals with some pretty intense bullying at school, which is intensified by his speech impediment. The book is set in 1980s Margaret Thatcher era England.  I wasn't all that familiar with that period of history, which includes the Falklands War, but Mitchell does a good job dropping the reader into that era. 

The Man of My Dreams by Curtis Sittenfeld (2006).
Find it in the catalog!
I first read this book while I was in graduate school.  I remember immediately relating to the main character, Hannah Gavener, who's kind of a socially awkward loner.  Imagine my horror later on to read reviews of the book describing Hannah as irritating and a "sourpuss" (thanks a lot, New York magazine!).  After rereading the book recently, I can see how some people find Hannah to be a difficult character.  She is stubborn, usually says the wrong thing, and is primarily responsible for her own misery (isn't everyone?).  However, I think that makes her more of a realistic and sympathetic character.

Sittenfeld follows Hannah's life from early adolescence, where she struggles with having an emotionally volatile father, to her late twenties.  The book primarily focuses on Hannah's relationships with the different men in her life.  In high school and college, Hannah frets over her lack of a love life.  However, even after she starts dating, she finds her actual relationships wanting.  Instead, she longs for Henry, the on-again, off-again boyfriend of her more glamorous cousin, Fig.  Throughout the book, we see Hannah struggle with her low self-esteem and poor social skills while trying to become a functional adult.  I especially enjoyed the depiction of Hannah's relationships with her more together sister Allison and her beautiful but irresponsible cousin Fig, which seemed pretty true to life. 

Courting Greta by Ramsey Hootman (2014).
Find it in the catalog!
I'm a sucker for a man with thick glasses, so naturally this book called to me from the book cart.  However, the main character Samuel Cooke didn't turn out to be the bespectacled hunk the cover alludes to.  Instead, he's a cantankerous 34-year-old disabled computer geek turned public school teacher.  In spite of their age and size difference, Samuel quickly develops a crush on Greta "Cass" Cassamajor, a 46-year-old, tough as nails gym teacher and girls' basketball coach.  In spite of her tough exterior, Samuel decides to ask her to dinner, thinking she will immediately rebuff him.  Much to his surprise, Greta agrees and the two start an awkward and uncertain romance (aren't they all?).  Both Samuel and Greta has a whole host of issues.  Samuel is super neurotic, bitter, and doesn't really take care of himself in the way that he should.  He also has never been in a relationship before.  Greta is a woman of very few words, a lot of rules, and she's been badly hurt by men in her past.  However, despite her tough attitude, Greta is very caring and fiercely loyal.  This is a very sweet romance, but Hootman doesn't spare the character's darker sides or the awkwardness of their courtship.  The book is also frequently funny, especially Samuel's jaded perspective on life.

Recommended Read: Di Bruno Bros. House of Cheese

Di Bruno Bros. House of Cheese: A Guide to Wedges, Recipes and Pairings 
by Tenaya Darlington.
Find it in the catalog!

As someone who spends far too much time and money hanging out at the cheese counter, I consider myself a cheese enthusiast, if not a cheese nerd.  So naturally when I saw this book on some best books of the year lists, I had to check it out.  And I was truly surprised by how much I learned about cheese from this title!  I discovered new brands and styles of cheese, like the American-made Haribson ( described as "A sexy librarian's cheese-all horn rims and whispers"--naturally I had to try it!), or the Spanish raw sheep's milk cheese, La Serena (described as "A gutsy broad, slightly feral, with lots of the soul.")

The author, Tenaya Darlington, has a great sense of humor that shines throughout the book.  The cheeses are organized by the different personalities of the "hunks": "quiet types," "rockstars," "baby faces" and less attractive, "stinkers" and "mountain men".  I discovered my taste in cheese is pretty much the opposite of my taste in dates.  While "stinky" and "boozy" might describe a delicious French cheese, they aren't desirable adjectives for a boyfriend.  Darlington provides serving suggestions to go with each cheese; for instance, with one of my favorite cheeses, Rogue River Blue, she recommends: "A cheese this good doesn't need much to go with it.  Treat it like a great Roquefort... and slice up a ripe pear.  A dish of toasted walnuts is a great foil."  She also recommends beer and wine pairings to go with the hunks.

Warning:  reading this book is dangerous for your wallet and waistline.  Not only did it make me hungry, each and every time I picked up the book, I found myself tempted by even more types of cheese at the counter.  Darlington provided different cheese boards to try and even cheese tasting party ideas.  This book is must read for cheese enthusiasts of all variations, particularly those interested in getting acquainted with American and Italian artisanal cheeses.   

If you still can't get enough cheese, check out the author's blog.

Cast the Book: This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

 This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Topper
Call No.: FICTION TOPPER
Find it in the catalog!

Jonathan Tropper's novel about a semi-dysfunctional Jewish family, the Foxmans, sitting shivah after their atheist father passed away is being turned into a movie with one of the most exciting sounding casts around, including everyone from Tina Fey to Connie Britton (aka. Tami Taylor) and Timothy Olyphant. Topper's novel is laugh out loud funny and with this cast, it has the chance to be really good.  I'm a little less excited about the director, Shawn Levy, who's comedies never really worked all that well for me.  Then again, I'm not the target demographic for Night at the Museum or Date Night.  Below is the break down of the cast with character descriptions:

Judd Foxman:  Judd is the narrator of the story.  He's going through a divorce after catching his wife cheating on with his boss, a Howard Stern-esque radio shock jock, Wade Boulanger.

Who's Cast for Judd:  Jason Bateman.   Bateman is great at playing put-upon sad sacks, so he should do well here.  However, he's about ten years older than Judd in the book. 

Who I'd cast:  The Foxman boys are known for their curly dark hair, so when I read the book, I pictured Judd looking like the ever-adorable Hamish Linklater. 

Wendy Foxman:  Judd's sister, she is a mother of three kids.  Her husband Barry is an obvlious businessman who treats her badly.  Wendy's very blunt and she's obsessed with how thin other women are, especially Judd's soon-to-be-ex-wife Jen. 

Who's Cast for Wendy: Tina Fey.  Wendy's a little less spastic than most of the characters Fey plays, so it will be fun to see her play someone different.

Who I'd Cast:  Julia Louis-Dreyfus.  She's about 10 years older than Wendy in the book, but she looks great and can definitely play younger.  She definitely could pull off Wendy's bluntness and sass.  However, it's a bit hard to believe that Julia Louis-Dreyfus (or Tina Fey for that matter) would have body issues.

Paul Foxman:  Judd's alpha male older brother.  Paul runs the sporting goods owned by their deceased father.  He and his wife Alice are trying to conceive.

Who's Cast for Paul:  Corey Stoll, who was wonderful playing Ernest Hemingway in Midnight in Paris.  Stroll is actually quite a bit younger than Bateman, but he does seem more imposing.

Who I'd Cast: My first though reading the book was Rob Riggle or Vince Vaughan, however, I'm happy to see Corey Stoll in anything!

Philip Foxman:  Judd's ne'er-do-well  younger brother.  Philp tends to live life on the wild side, experimenting with drugs and dating models. 

Who's Cast for Philip:  Adam Driver.  Driver is fantastic on Girls, making his bizarro character (Adam Sackler) somehow both frightening and charming at the same time.  He definitely has the charisma needed for Philip. 

Who I'd Cast:  I actually think Driver is pretty perfect for this role.  He's handsome in an off-beat way, and has the irreverence and edge to play this character really well.

Mrs. Foxman:  The widow, known for her infamous enhanced cleavage.  She is a therapist who wrote a definitive book on child rearing (including examples from her own kids).  Mrs. Foxman is a smart woman, who tends to over share with her children.

Who's Cast:  Jane Fonda.

Who I'd Cast:  I don't really have any kind of strong opinions on Jane Fonda.  She does get name-dropped in the book, but not as a Mrs. Foxman doppleganger. However she's about ten years older than the character in the book.  I pictured Mrs. Foxman as being more Susan Sarandon-esque.  Diane Keaton might be too zany and not surgically enhanced enough for Mrs. F, but she's great at playing high-maintenance, over-sharing moms.

Alice Foxman:  Paul's wife.  She desperately wants to have a child.  Unlike the rest of the Foxman clan, she had a regular upbringing and doesn't quite get the way the Foxmans communicate.  Alice is on fertility drugs that make her overweight. 

Who's Cast:   Kathryn Hahn.

Who I'd Cast:  I love Kathryn Hahn.  She's usually hilarious.  However, she's not overweight by any stretch of the imagination.  If they drop the fat jokes from the books, I think Hahn would be great.

Tracy:  Philip's much older therapist girlfriend.  Tracy is in her mid-forties and is "engaged-to-be-engaged" to Philip. 

Who's Cast:  Connie Britton.

Who I'd Cast:  Lauren Graham.  Britton is a fantastic actress, but she seems too together to fall for someone like Philip.  While I'm sure Graham is a pretty together lady in real life, she's great at playing a mild mess as the relationship-hopping, still living at home single mom Sarah Braverman on Parenthood. 

Jen:  Judd's soon-to-be ex-wife, Jen is in her early thirties, very pretty, blonde, and pregnant (but not showing).

Who's Cast:  Abigail Spencer.

Who I'd Cast:  I'm not familiar at all with Abigail Spencer, but IMDB tells me she's way younger than Bateman and not a blonde.  With Hamish Linklater, I'd cast Jen as Katherine Heigl.  With Bateman, I'd reteam him with his Arrested Development love interest, Christine Taylor. 

Horry:  He's the Foxman's next door neighbor Linda's son and Wendy's high school boyfriend.  Horry has a brain injury from a bar fight that makes him still have to live at home.

Who's Cast: Timothy Olyphant.  

Who I'd Cast:  I'm always a fan of Olyphant, but being as Horry isn't repeatedly described as "incredibly good looking," I'm going to guess that he's a tad too handsome.  I'd cast Luke Wilson.  He's great at playing characters who are nice but frustrated with their lives, like Levi on Enlightened or Richie from the Royal Tenenbaums. 

Rabbi Charles Grodner:  The family's youngish rabbi who was a childhood friend of Paul.  Grodner wasn't exactly pious in his youth.

Who's Cast:  Ben Schwartz, who is fabulous as Jean-Ralphio on Parks and Recreation. 

Who I'd cast: Brett Gelman.  I am sort of interested to see Schwartz play a character who is trying not to be outlandish.  However, he's a little bit on the young side.  While Gelman is actually only a couple years older than Schwartz, his beard and receding hairline make him look more mature.

Penny:  Judd had a crush on Penny in high school.  She works at the Foxman's sport store and ice skates in her free time.  She's also impossibly thin. 

Who's Cast:  Rose Byrne.  Byrne can be very funny and is certainly thin, but she's not really believable as Bateman's high school contemporary (unless he was held back a lot).

Who I'd Cast:  However, her Bridesmaid cohort Kristen Wiig is closer to Bateman's age and could bring some darkness to Penny's quirk.

Wade Boulanger:  Judd's former boss who is currently sleeping with his (Judd's) wife.  Boulanger is a radio host in the vein of Howard Stern, only if he was jock. 

Who's Cast:  Dax Shepard.

Who I'd Cast:  Vince Vaughn would be great at this role. 

Recent Reads

You Before Me by JoJo Moyes
Call No.: FICTION MOYES
Find it in the catalog!
I initially checked out this book just to see if I was right about the ending (I was), but it proved to be a really great read.  It's about a working class English girl Louisa (Lou) Clark who lives a relatively sheltered life and works at a small local cafe.  However, when the cafe closes shop, Lou is forced to take a job care-taking for a wealthy cantankerous quadriplegic, Will Traynor.  Will used to be an adventurer and shrewd businessman before being badly injured in a motorcycle accident.  Despite their differences and Will's perpetual bad mood, the two soon become friends.  However, Louisa discovers that Will has a shocking deadline.  This book is a real tearjerker, but there is humor throughout the book.  I really enjoyed Louisa's somewhat contemptuous relationship with her single mother sister, Katrina- the "smart one" of the family. 

The Movement of Stars by Amy Brill
Call No.: FICTION BRILL
Find it in the catalog!

Set in the mid 1800s in a Quaker community in Nantucket, this novel follows 24 year-old Hannah Price who dreams of one day discovering a comet.  She works as a librarian and spends the evening observing the stars. Overall, Hannah is pretty happy with her existence until her father announces that he is moving to Philadelphia to remarry.  As an unmarried woman, Hannah is forced to either leave her observatory and the island she's lived all her life, or marry a man she doesn't love for stability.  Things are further complicated when Hannah takes on a student Isaac Martin, an ambitious sailor from Azores.  Martin is not white, and his relationship with Hannah causes problems for them both even in the relatively liberal Quaker community.  This book is slower paced, but moody and romantic.  Hannah is sometimes a bit too stubborn, but it was hard to not be sympathetic to her plight and inspired by her accomplishments.  I definitely rooted for Hannah and Isaac's relationship.  Hannah is very loosely based on a real life "lady astronomer" Maria Mitchell.

The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh
Call No.: FICTION MCVEIGH
Find it in the catalog!

The premise of this book sort of reminded me loosely of W. Somerset Maugham's Painted Veil.  In spite of her father's Irish working class roots, Frances Irvine has led a life of privilege in London until her father dies suddenly.  Before his death, her father had made some poor investment choices and Frances is left with nothing.  Frances must choose between either working as caretaker for her aunt or marrying a distant cousin Edwin, a doctor in South Africa.  Frances doesn't really like Edwin all that much, she finds him rather serious and boring.  However, after initially rejecting his proposal, she changes her mind and agrees to the arrangement.  Edwin pays for her to travel to South Africa by ship.  While en route, Frances meets the charming and handsome diamond miner William Westbrook.  Frances falls hard for William, but finds out he's engaged to wealthy woman in Kimberley.  Once Frances arrives in South Africa, she finds life with Edwin even worse than she expected.  He lives in relative poverty, and insists of investigating a potential smallpox outbreak in Kimberley despite the express displeasure of the powerful mining boss.  Will Frances leave Edwin for the more dashing William? 

Frances can be a difficult character to sympathize with, mainly because she makes some really poor decisions.  One of the guys is so clearly great and on the right side of history and the other guy is an obvious jerk and up to no good.  However, the setting of the book is really interesting and I found the plot quite compelling.

Romance in the Stacks: Tempted Again by Cathie Linz

Tempted Again by Cathie Linz
PB Romance Linz
Find it in the catalog!

Teen librarian Marissa Bennett has just went through a painful divorce and wants to start over in her hometown of Hopeful, OH.  Unfortunately, she doesn't exactly make the best first impression when she makes a wrong turn and accidentally crashes the Founder's Day in her beat up lime green VW bug.  She's pulled over by hunky cop Connor Doyle.  Doyle is a former, third generation Chicago police officer who moved to Hopeful after seeing too many of the teens he was trying to protect from gangs wind up murdered.  He also has a history with Marissa.  They dated when she was in high school and they worked at the same pizza place.  Connor dumped her with not even so much as a phone call.  Naturally, she still hates him.

However, the fates seem to keep on pushing them together.  First, Marissa and Connor are forced to work together on a teen group.  Then, Marissa accidentally signs a lease next to Connor. No way these two adversaries get over their mutual disdain and find true love, right?

Praise:  Cathie Linz is a former librarian, so the portrayal of Marissa's job is pretty accurate.  I like the support characters a lot, especially Connor's extremely proud, Polish granny.  Marissa's dad, a history professor who turns every conversation into a dissertation on ancient Egypt, is pretty funny too.  Also, I found the obstacles to Marissa and Connor's relationship refreshingly realistic.  Marissa is on the rebound and has been hurt by Connor once before, and Connor isn't ready to settle down yet. 

Quibbles:  I'm kind of tired of the police officer/ librarian pairing.  This is the third library romance where the love interest is an officer.  Nothing against dreamy cops (or anyone dreamy), but I'd like a little more variety!  Why not a dreamy firefighter or chef for a change? 

Overall, this book was pretty enjoyable.  It's not too sappy or emotional like some of the romances that I've read.  Some parts of the book are laugh-out loud funny. Tempted Again reads more like witty chick-lit than a traditional romance novel.

Romance in the Stacks: Open Season by Linda Howard

Open Season by Linda Howard
Call #: FICTION HOWARD
Find it in the catalog!
Daisy Minor is a small town librarian in Alabama, who initially seems very librarian-like.  She's in her 30s and still lives with her mom and aunt.  She hasn't been on date in years and dresses very frumpy.  Basically, she's a pair of glasses and a cat away from a perfect stereotype.  However, on her 34th birthday, she has an awakening.  She wants a husband and family.  So she gets a makeover from Todd Lawrence, a gay antiques dealer in town who once worked on Broadway.  Now blonde and fabulous, she decides to frequent nearby bars to meet men.  Unfortunately, she seems to keep running into brawny cop Jack Russo at every turn, making people think they are couple.  However, when she unknowingly witnesses something sketchy at a night club one evening, Daisy just might need Jack's help.

Praise:  This book has a definite sense of humor about it, even though the actual mystery is quite dark.  The characters are unique and quirky, not the standard romance archetypes.  Daisy is humorously naive, yet super competent and intelligent.  Jack Russo is sharp-witted and not afraid to swear (every other word or so).  But he's also good at his job and tough as nails.  Some of the interactions between Jack and Daisy are laugh out loud funny.  It definitely has more of a screwball romance vibe to it.  Howard also does a good job at portraying small town life and gossip in a lighthearted way.

Quibbles: Okay, this really isn't Linda Howard's fault or anything, but I kept on picturing Jack Russo as Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy.  Both worked as police officers in New York and Chicago, and have greying hair.  The similarities are eerie!  No offense to McCarthy, but I wouldn't exactly describe him as dreamy.  Thank goodness Jack doesn't have a mustache!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book.  The murder mystery isn't really that much of mystery, but it kept me on edge of my seat as to how it was going to play out.  I would highly recommend the book to fans of Janet Evanovich or Meg Cabot's Heather Wells mysteries.

Romance in the Stacks: Montana Creeds: Dylan by Linda Lael Miller

Montana Creeds: Dylan by Linda Lael Miller.
Call #: PB ROMANCE MILLER
Find it in the catalog!

Montana is a apparently the official state of library romance, since both The Librarian's Secret Scandal AND this book are set there.  The Montana Creeds series follows three Creed brothers: Logan, Taylor and Dylan, as they learn to tame their wild Creed ways and settle down.  In this book, we follow middle brother Dylan.  Once a hard-partying rodeo cowboy, Dylan is now trying to take care of his two year daughter Bonnie after her equally wild mother left her is his truck one night.  Dylan returns to home to Stillwater Springs to ask his lawyer brother Logan for help gaining sole custody of Bonnie.  However, once in town, he starts to develop feelings again for the town librarian, Kristy Madison, whom he dated before he got into a drunken brawl with his brothers at his dad's funeral.  Kristy is still single but really wants a family.  She is slightly wary of Dylan, but immediately taken with Bonnie. However, she has a lot on her plate right now, like the fact that they found two bodies in her parents yard and her father might have been the killer!   

Praise:  I liked the character of Bonnie.  She seemed like a realistic two year old troublemaker.  I also really liked Dylan's relationship with his brothers.  They are a bunch of stubborn, good ol' boys who reminded me a lot of the Riggins' boys on Friday Night Lights- but with a lot more money. In fact, Taylor Kitsch would be my pick to play Dylan in the movie version. 

Quibbles:  I didn't really like Kristy Madison.  I thought it was cool that she was handy and kind of a spinster (though she's only like 30 in the book), but I didn't like how baby-obsessed she was.  This plays into one creepy, but supposedly romantic love scene.  I also think it's unrealistic that she would be a perfect caretaker to Bonnie right away, despite not having any kids of her own and seeming to be an only child.  I mean, we don't even know if she babysat before taking care of Bonnie!  

I also though the plot was kind of uneven.  It seems like more attention is paid to Dylan's struggles against following in the Creed legacy of being poor parents and jerk husbands, than the murder mystery surrounding Kristy's family. I found the latter plot more interesting, but it never really built up that much suspense. Of course, being a romance book over a mystery, you kind of know how it's going to end anyhow.  Overall, this was not my favorite library romance.  I'd only recommend it to fans of the series or dreamy cowboys.

Cute Author Alert: Jens Lapidus

Jens Lapidus is a Swedish criminal defense lawyer turned author (with a penchant for extra wide ties).  His debut novel, Snabba Cash (Easy Money, for you non-Swedes), was just recently translated into English.  Snabba Cash is the first part of the Stockholm Noir series, which has already spawned two sequels in Sweden.  I haven't had the chance to check out the book yet (beyond the author photo), but his writing has been compared to James Ellroy and Dennis Lehane.  Sounds promising!

Check out Snabba Cash in the catalog!

Side rant:  I'm sure I'm the only person bothered by this.  But the o-slash (Ø) that is in "money" on the cover is not actually a letter used in Swedish.  The o-slash is a Danish, Norwegian thing.  Swedes would use an o-umlaut (Ö), thank you very much.  But whatever, I'm sure the graphic designer just thought it was cute.

The Book(s) I Read

I've been on string of good books.  Below of my favorite reads of late: 

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown (2011)
Find it in the catalog!
This is a cute book about three semi-dysfunctional sisters who return home to a small Ohio college town care for their mother who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Their father was a Shakespearean scholar, so each of the girls have a Bard-inspired name.  They are all also running from something.  The eldest Rose (Rosalind) is happily engaged, but is concerned as her fiance isn't as tied to staying in Ohio as she is and he seems to have his heart set on working for Oxford University.  She has long been the family caretaker and is worried the rest of them will be unable to survive on their own.  Bean (Bianca) is the middle child who leaves New York City in debt, after being fired for skimming off the payroll at her law firm.  The youngest, Cordy (Cordelia) is the overgrown baby of the family who had been living a hippy nomadic existence (partly funded by her parents) until she discovered she is pregnant.  The Weird Sisters is definitely a light, fun read with a fair amount of literary allusions, so it's a guilt-free pleasure! 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (2012)
 Find it in the catalog!
This book is about two teenagers with cancer who fall in love.  Hazel Lancaster is a 16-year-old girl who has been diagnosed with terminal thyroid cancer, but her life has been lengthened indefinitely by a "miracle drug" that she started taking when she was 13.  At a cancer support group meeting she runs in the gorgeous Augustus Waters, a 17-year-old boy whose in remission but lost his leg to cancer.  The two quickly hit it off and bond over a book called "An Imperial Affliction" by a reclusive author named Peter Van Houten.

I was worried that I wouldn't really enjoy this book.  The premise sounds like it could easily be maudlin and Nicholas Sparks-y.  Thankfully, John Green managed to strike the right balance.  This book is definitely my favorite thing he's ever written.  It's funny, romantic and just a little bit heartbreaking. Highly recommend!

Vaclav and Lena by Haley Tanner (2011)
Find it in the catalog!
This is a story of two childhood friends, Vaclav and Lena (collectively Vaclena).  Both are Russian immigrants who live in Brighton Beach in Brooklyn.  Vaclav is an only child who lives with his loving parents and dreams of being the next Harry Houdini.  His lovely assistant Lena isn't so lucky.  She's an orphan who lives with her aunt and is largely neglected.  Vaclav's mom, Rasia, takes Lena under her wings, but she can't save her from her home life.  Eventually Rasia witnesses something horrifying and Lena is taken away.  Later on, Vaclav and Lena meet up again as teenagers. 

Though the subject matter is often dark, this is a delightful book.  I really like the character of Rasia and her point-of-view.  She is a tough, hardworking mother but she is also so loving and tolerant.  I listened to audiobook, which is wonderfully acted. It's hard to imagine reading this in print as the thick Russian accents were half of the fun!

Favorite Literary Romances

In honor of the most famous Hallmark holiday: Valentine's Day, I thought it would be fun to discuss favorite literary romances. This topic is kind of a can of worms because people often have strong feelings towards their favorite books and couples, while finding other romances (cough: The Notebook) a little too sappy.  Personally, I'm not a big romance reader; however, I'm a sucker for anything British and literary.  And like any girl who spends too much time with her nose in a book, I love Jane Austen.  However, for my choice of all-time favorite romance novel has to be Jane Eyre.  Jane is strong, smart heroine and Rochester is uber-dreamy, even if he has some minor personal problems like (spoiler alert!) a crazy pyromaniac wife.   Below are a couple of runner-up favorites for me.  I realize I'm leaving out a lot of usual suspects (Romeo and Juliet, Gone With The Wind, Wuthering Heights, and so on), so please feel free to post your favorite literary romances in the comments!
Find Jane Eyre in the catalog!

Runners-Up:

Sense and Sensibility: Before you curse my name- yes, I love Pride and Prejudice and Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy are awesome.  However, my favorite Austen novel is Sense and Sensibility.  Even though I know what's coming, I still get a little weepy at the end. 
Find it in the catalog!

Speaking of Austen, I'm a big fan of Persuasion as well.  Captain Wentworth is a catch, even if he's a little bit stubborn!
Find it in the catalog!

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. This book is about more than the relationship between Kath and Tommy, but I really liked the way their relationship grows and changes over time.  Ishiguro is a master at breaking your heart, so have tissues handy!
Find it in the catalog!

Romance in the Stacks: What the Librarian Did

 What the Librarian Did (2010) by Katrina Bliss
Find it in the catalog!

I first became aware of this book from Awful Library Books, so my expectations weren't super high when I checked out.  Especially since I'm not really a romance reader (I prefer romance's neurotic sister- chick lit).  But I actually liked the book, even though the plot was a little bit overstuffed.

The book takes place at Auckland University in New Zealand, where former rock star turned student Devin Freeman has just enrolled (James Franco style).  Freeman has just quit his band (Rage) and his life of hard partying.  While at Auckland U, he keeps on running into librarian Rachel Robinson, who has just turned down a marriage proposal despite being 34 and wanting a family.  She has her own secret, though, which we'll get to later.  Naturally, being a librarian, and therefore totally unaware of popular culture, Rachel is the only person who doesn't know Devin is famous.  Therefore, he feels slightly more comfortable around her.

Devin also befriends a 17-year old kid and aspiring musician, Mark, while at the university . Mark is adopted and looking for his birth mother, who is 34 and works at the university (gee...I wonder who that could be!). Rachel worries that Devin might be a poor influence on Mark, but also uses her flirtation with Devin so she can be a part of Mark's life.

Quibbles:  There's a lot going on in the plot.  Rachel has her secret child to deal with and a strained relationship with her mom.  Devin has family problems of his own- his brother (and Rage's lead singer) might have stolen money from him.  Also, his mom, who had health problems, might be falling in love again.  There's also a lot of conflict between Rachel and Devin; they always seem to assume the worst about each other.  

Praise:  The characters are all fairly enjoyable here.  I have a soft spot for bad boys with a heart of gold (at least in fiction; in real life they almost never look like Taylor Kitsch), so naturally I liked Devin right away, even with his purple boots.  Rachel might come off as prim and proper at first, but she's totally cool.  She is funny when she verbally spars with Devin and she's a vintage clotheshorse to boot!  The book is lighthearted and funny, and fairly tame as romances go. Also, the characters have refreshingly normal names for a romance! 

Overall, What the Librarian Did is a fun, humorous and quick read.  It should appeal to fans of chick lit as well as romance readers.

Cute Author Alert: Mac Barnett

Mac Barnett: In fact, almost all my ideas for books have come to me while traveling. The others occur to me while taking showers.
Adam Rex: Now he's got a hundred children's librarians picturing him in the shower. Le travail bien fait, Mac Barnett.
 

Mac Barnett is a children's book author and strongman-for-hire.  He is also a director of 826 LA, a non-profit organization that helps support and improve children's and teenagers' writing skills. 826 LA has a sense of humor and whimsy about itself not usually associated with after-school programs, including their store called the Echo Park Time Travel Mart (a convenience store for time travelers, motto: "Whenever you are, we're already then") and allowing Sam Rockwell the opportunity to tute children.  He participated in the Guys Read series started by author Jon Scieszka, which promotes reading and literacy to boys, you can read more about the program here and here (and see more pictures of Mac and fellow cute author Adam Rex). Just when I thought Mac couldn't get any dreamier, it turns out he's a fan of librarians too:

Cute Author Alert: Christa Faust

Deadly cute, that is. Christa Faust is the first and only woman to have been published by Hard Case Crime, the noir-centric publishing house known for it's gloriously pulpy book-covers and abiding love of vintage crime. In addition to reprinting mid-Twentieth Century works by Donald Westlake and Mickey Spillane, they publish original crime stories by contemporary authors, and Faust's 2008 novel Money Shot is easily one of the best. Money Shot is a tightly paced thriller with a believably tough protagonist, former adult actress Angel Dare. (This will undoubtedly be made into a movie at some point, and I hope it's adapted by a director who will take the source material seriously. Quentin Tarantino may seem like the obvious choice; there's even a scene in the book that echoes the patented Tarantino trunk shot. But, I'd much rather see a less overtly stylized adaptation. Maybe David Gordon Green?) Faust sharpened her teeth on movie novelizations of such cinematic masterworks as Final Destination 3 and, yes, Snakes on a Plane. She has several other original works to her credit, including a bizarre fantasy set in the world of lucha libre, and the operatic saga Triads (co-written with Poppy Z. Brite). Her website is entertaining and informative, but her LiveJournal is, dare I say, endearing. She writes intelligently about 1940s B-movies starring Lawrence Tierney and Ann Savage, but isn't above posting pictures of vintage shoes and expressing justifiable outrage at people who use their cellphones in movie theaters. I wonder if these cellphone malefactors would so eagerly engage in that breach of etiquette if they knew that this modern day Claire Trevor was the offended party. We can expect a new Angel Dare novel February 11, 2011.

Full Disclosure: The sad truth is that this blog entry began as a paean to crime novelist Megan E. Abbott, an author whose work I follow with great interest. Abbott's five published novels are beautifully detailed works of historical fiction, with a focus on strong female protagonists. Her latest novel, the Edgar Award-winning Bury Me Deep, is a fictionalized account of the life and crimes of Winnie Ruth Judd, the so-called "Trunk Murderess." Abbott's empathetic treatment of Ms. Judd and the voice she ascribes to her are breathtaking. Plus, she wears glasses. The "spectacle factor" would ordinarily clinch the deal and guarantee her a place on the Cute Author Alert. However, the preliminary Google search that can make or break an aspiring Cute Author provided us with some unsettling information. Megan Abbott is married! Blogging about the allure of married authors would surely set an unhealthy precedent here at the Readers Block. So, advantage Faust. It may be impolite to openly declare her the default recipient of this most coveted award, but I'm not unduly concerned. I think it's safe to assume that the authors in question are wholly ignorant of this blog and the cabal of librarians who run it.

Cute Author Alert: Adam Rex

Not only is Adam Rex attractive, but he's talented too!  He is an illustrator and author of several children's books including Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich, Psst!, and the True Meaning of Smekday. Adam has a quirky sense of humor that stands out in all of his books, whether he is portraying the Phantom of the Opera being tortured by annoying earworms like "the Girl from Impanema" or naming the lead character in Smekday Gratuity (nickname: Tip).  Even the book trailer for Smekday is funny. it's a training video from the Boovs (aliens that invade Earth in the novel) featuring a stick-wielding Boov whacking knowledge into a human.  His blog is a lot of fun too; it has original artwork and anecdotes.

Check out a book written and illustrated by him:

Frankenstein Takes the Cake.
The True Meaning of Smekday.
Psst!
Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich.

Check out a book illustrated by him:

Guess Again! Written by Mac Barnett.
Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem. Written by Mac Barnett.
Lucy Rose: Busy Like You Can't Believe. Written by Katy Kelly.
Ste-e-e-e-eamboat a-comin'! Written by Jill Esbaum
Lucky Rose: Here's the Thing About Me. Written by Katy Kelly.
The Dirty Cowboy. Written by Amy Timberlake.

Cute Author Alert: Joshua Ferris

Of course, we love our favorite authors for their wit, but sometimes we love them for their author photos too.

Author Jason Pinter once proclaimed Joshua Ferris "the Edward Cullen of the literati."  A title that surely made Joshua Ferris cringe.  After all, he's a sophisticated novelist, not a sparkly vampire, and his readership is much older than your average R-Pattz fan.  Though with his alluring blue eyes, adorably scruffy (not fwoopy) brown hair, and nerdy hipster style, Joshua Ferris is a bookworm's sex symbol.