Recommendations from summer reading

	Bum Rap by Paul Leving "A procedural trial book, Bum Rap remains fresh by fleshing out the engaging lawyer, his client, and the client's fiance, all the while pledging total honesty for all concerned as they gently twist the law to achieve justice. Very satisfying." -- Rhonda
	A Fireproof Home for the Bride by Amy Scheibe "It's a fascinating look at a family in the late 1950s in Minnesota. It is both dark and encouraging, addressing love, marriage, death, prejudice, and views of women at the time. A compelling read!" -- Sue
	The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma "Amazing and eye opening. This book helped me put my life into perspective and gave me the perfect way to break down my thought process for every situation I am able to pick out the positivity and change the negative." -- Kimberly
	Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackery "If you enjoy Austen, you will like this book! A glib commentary of English manners and customs during Napoleonic Era. Witty descriptions, good dialogue--just a fun read, BUT LONG. I like that it is a 'Novel Without a Hero.'" -- Liz
	Persuasion by Jane Austen "Out of all of Austen's novels, this one is the most poignant of them all. Instead of writing about teens and young adults, this is more about mature love, regret, and redemption." -- Sabaah
	The Raft by S.A. Bodeen "For a YA book it blew me out of the water. As a mom the 'attitude' of a teenager shone right through. But the plot was so wrenching. You were rooting for Robie and Max to survive. And yelling at the adult to help more. Just an amazing journey." -- Ronda
	A History of the World in 12 Maps by Jerry Broton "It is very detailed and historically well-researched. Not a light read but very interesting to see how the world was seen by different cultures/peoples." -- Rose
	Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan "An intense memoir that is suspenseful and gripping from the first page. A personal look into a medical mystery that appears to be a behavioral disorder, and how doctors and family didn't give up on her." -- Patty
	The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle "Excellent Holmes story. Good pacing. Great mystery and spooky elements. Enjoyable read!" -- Debbie
	The Sharper Your Knife the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn "A personal account of attending Le Cordon Bleu is a fun read as Flinn describes the lessons and dynamics of the culinary legend. Recipes are also included." -- Patty
	Paris Red by Maureen Gibbon "It's interesting insight into turn-of-the-century artists, their inspirations, their muses. The wickedly disturbing approach they take to their craft. Great spin on lovers, friends, mother-daughter love… GREAT BOOK!" -- Margaret

Recommended reads from adult summer reading program

	The Quilter's Kitchen by Jennifer Chiaverini Find it in the catalog! "One of the Elm Creek Quilter books (number 13 in a series of 20). Has lots of recipes. In fact ordered this book from book store to keep recipes forever. Good way to pick a book to buy." -- Pat
	The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon Find it in the catalog! "It is a gripping page-turner, immersive and very well-written. One of my favorite novels ever!" -- Katie
	The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles Find it in the catalog! "As a period piece it is a fascinating read, as an examination of the west's disdain for 'alien' cultures it is a challenge. The prose is eerie and unsettling, in the best possible way!" -- Todd
	Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Galbadon Find it in the catalog! "The second installement of the Outlander series continues to thread more storylines that crop up around the main characters Jamie and Claire. A very long book and very long series -- like 10 books. Great author!" -- Cinde
	Left Neglected by Lisa Genova Find it in the catalog! "Genova writes a clever book about the development of character through struggles and obstacles. The main character, a wife and mom, deals with a brain injury resulting in a book I couldn't stop reading. I felt as though I was learning about the inner workings of the human brain as well as heart." -- Patty
	Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins Find it in the catalog! "It was very engaging from the beginning to the end. You read this story from three strangers perspectives and watch how their lives become connected. Author did a good job of keeping the story plot a mystery throughout book!" -- Tanya
	Save as Draft by Cavanaugh Lee Find it in the catalog! "As I read, I sat and smiled like a loon in some parts. Met my husband vis internet, so 'email moments' did remind me of our courtship. A romance for today's modern age." -- Ronda
	Every Day by David Levithan Find it in the catalog! "Even though it is a teen book, it addresses stereotypes, the idea of love and how we define who we are as humans. It was a quick read with a surprising ending." -- Marissa
	The Opposite of Spoiled by Ron Lieber Find it in the catalog! "It gives great financial advice that we should be teaching our children. Very useful. Great tips." -- Karen
	Sweetgrass by Mary Alice Monroe Find it in the catalog! "A book based in South Carolina about the struggle and love rooted in a Southern family and the love of their home. It is a wonderful story of hope, acceptance, love and forgiveness." -- Abigail
	Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb Find it in the catalog! "I am a fan of Eve Dallas, Roarke and supporting cast. Reading these books is like putting on a robe and slippers. The characters are familiar and the bad guy always loses." -- Maureen
	The Grantchester Mysteries: Sidney Chambers and the Forgiveness of Sins by James Runcie Find it in the catalog! "It reminds me of the Father Brown series on PBS. As with any mystery series, one wonders why the community members continue to live in such a mystery-ridden town! But the characters are amusing and nothing is too far-fetched-- perfect summer read." -- Sue
	The Life List by Lori Nelson Spielman Find it in the catalog! "It is very relatable for most people. As teenagers, we have dreams and aspirations. Sometimes we forget what is important to us as adults." -- Ofelia
	The Choice by Suzanne Woods Fisher Find it in the catalog! "It is a great book. It tells of the Amish life, love, and forgiveness." -- Stacy

Staff recommended reads for summer reading

Non-Fiction:

	Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations by Peter Evans and Ava Garder Find it in the catalog! "It's  a very candid side of Ava. It's beautifully written and the flow is fast paced and jam-packed. You can hear Ava's voice throughout as though you are listening in on the conversations." -- Samantha, Randall Oaks Library
	When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning Find it in the catalog! "A little bit of history during WWII -- facts everyone will find to be interesting. A must read." -- Carrie, Account Services

Fiction:

	Where They Found Her  by Kimberly McCreight Find it in the catalog! "You never see the ending coming. I didn't want to put this book down. I also recommend this author's other book too-- Reconstructing Amelia." -- Katie, Children's Services
	Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Find it in the catalog! "Daring sword, fights, magic stones, a Highlander in a kilt! Historical fiction + romance + political intrigue = a dramatic adventure through 1700s Scotland with one of the most exciting female leads I know." -- Samantha, Children's Services
	The Blood Red Indian Summer by David Handler Find it in the catalog! "This caught my attention because it was a mystery about athletes who behave badly and the fools who admire them anyway." -- Gemma, Security Monitor

Teen:

	Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero Find it in the catalog!  "You can related so much to this teenage girl. I love the fact that she's your typical Hispanic teenage girl, she loves to write, especially poetry, finds love and loves to eat. The cover stood out to me, it looked weird and I fell in love with the character Gabi!" -- Elizabeth, Children's Services
	I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson Find it in the catalog! "It was a sad but interesting read. The subject is more appropriate with teens (older) and adults." -- Mary, Children's Services
	Prodigy by Marie Lu Find it in the catalog! "It is the second book in a great trilogy and the end has an interesting twist!" -- Rosana, Children's Services
	Claymore by Norihiro Yagi Find it in the catalog! "It's a graphic novel with great cinematic qualities. I have to applaud the artist! I found the secret identities compelling and became suspicious of every character in the best possible way." -- Kristen, Information Services

Historical Reads: Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes

The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes (2005).
Call #: Fiction Moyes (Adult New Books)
Find it in the catalog! 

I've been a big fan of British author Jojo Moyes's previous books including Me Before You and The Last Letter from Your Lover.  She writes smart, thoughtful and funny women's fiction, often times with a historical component.  One of the nice things about her growing popularity stateside is that several of her older works are now being widely published, including The Ship of Brides!

Set just after World War II and based loosely off of real events, this book follows the journey of 650 war brides from their native Australia to England to be reunited with their British husbands.  The brides travel aboard the HMS Victoria, a war ship, and are accompanied by over a thousand British naval officers.  The book primarily focuses on four women who share a cabin on this voyage. 

Maggie is a heavily pregnant farm girl who was raised by her father and is generally used to being surrounded by men.  Because she is a tomboy, she has no problem making friends with some of the men on the ship (in spite of the strict rules about fraternizing between the soldiers and the brides). She also has a warm personality and brings together the four roommates in spite their very diverse backgrounds.  Out of the roommates, Maggie has had the longest relationship with her husband, Joe. 

Avice is probably the least immediately likeable character.  She's a snooty and spoiled society girl who is unhappy with the conditions of her voyage, hoping to be on a cruise liner instead of a war ship.  She finds the other three girls to below her preferred station of friends, but it still somewhat fond of Maggie.

Jean is a teenage bride.  She is quite immature and always trying to have a good time. She knew Avice before the trip, and much to Avice's dismay, winds up sharing a cabin with her.  Jean comes from a more working class background than Avice and her love of partying sometimes gets her in trouble.

Finally, Francis was a war nurse with a mysterious past.  Francis is incredibly shy and tends to keep to herself, despite encouragement from Maggie and Jean.  She says very little about her past or the man she is married to, but acts as a strong advocate for Jean when she gets in trouble.  Because of her medical skills, she is also of assistance on the war ship.

As one might expect, despite very strict rules and punishments, there is still quite of bit of mischief between the brides and the soldiers, with much higher stakes for the brides.  As some brides begin to receive "Not Wanted, Don't Come" telegrams from their husbands, tensions begin to run high among the women on the ship.  Their is also a very sweet, Austen-esque romance between one of the women and a naval officer. 

I really liked the book, but had one minor quibble.  Avice is a pretty annoying character and it's easy to see where her plot line is going.  That said, she was a good foil for the rest of the girls, in particular Francis, who has the most compelling narrative.  Overall, this was a very enjoyable read about a little known part of history.

Recommend Reads: Recent Releases

 Contrary to popular belief, librarians are paid to read all day (I wish!).  Instead we have to fit reading in when we aren't working.  Meaning we pretty much have endless "To Read" lists.  Luckily, I had the opportunity to take a couple trips recently, so I had time to catch up with a few good recent titles:

The Hundred Year House by Rebecca Makkai (2014).

Makkai's previous book The Borrower was one of my favorite reads of 2011.  So I was super excited to see that she had a book coming out this year. The Hundred Year House is set in a large mansion in the northern suburbs of Chicago (::cough:: Lake Forest ::cough::) that used to be an artist colony called Laurelfield.  The first part of the book takes place in 1999, when the house is on the verge of its centennial, and then the book works back through the house's history.

In 1999, we follow the saga of Marxist English professor Zee and her unemployed academic husband Doug.  Zee was raised at Laurelfield, and she and Doug move into the coach house when the couple falls on hard times. Doug is purportedly working an a career making tome about a poet Edwin Parfitt, who once stayed at Laurelfield.  However, he spends more of his time writing for a Baby Sitter's Club like series and flirting with Miriam, the artist wife of Zee's brother-in-law Chad with whom they share the coach house. When Dough starts asking questions about the artist colony and looking around for papers, he's surprised to find Zee's mom, Gracie, oddly standoffish and protective of the topic.  Is she hiding something?  This section is very funny and works as both an academic satire and a very shaggy mystery novel.

The book then cuts to earlier history of the mansion.  In 1950s, the artist's colony is shut down, so Grace DeVohr (Zee's mom) can move their with her abusive, alcoholic husband.  Separated from her family and without a friend nearby, Grace finds her situation increasingly desperate.  We also glimpses of Laurelfield in the 1920s, as an active artist colony, including when Edwin Parfitt stayed there.  Finally, the book ends were the house began, with the original owners, including Zee's ancestor, a beautiful woman who committed suicide and supposedly "haunts" the mansion.

The Hundred Year House is a great read  There are various connections between all of the stories taking place at Laurelfield throughout the decades.  Once you finish the book, you'll probably want to reread it to catch all the links.  Makkai has a lot of fun filling the book with made-up cultural references.  I googled a lot of the artists and celebrities she created for this book, thinking they might actually be real.  The Hundred Year House has occasional dark moments, but it is definitely a lot of fun.

Landline by Rainbow Rowell (2014).

Rainbow Rowell is a staff favorite.  I highly recommend reading any book by her.  Landline is her latest release, which focuses on the struggling marriage between the hard-working TV writer, Georgie McCool, and her stay-at-home husband, Neal.  Two days before Georgie is set to go with Neal and their two daughters to Neal's childhood home in Nebraska, she and her writing partner Seth get the opportunity to write their dream pilot.  Unfortunately that means staying in L.A. and working over Christmas.  Neal is not so thrilled with the idea, and takes his two daughters to Omaha without Georgie.

Meanwhile, Georgie is left fretting over the state of her marriage.  Did Neal leave for vacation or her all together?  Rather than be alone in their house, Georgie stays temporarily at her mom's house with her sarcastic sister Heather.  While staying there, she makes an interesting discovery, the landline phone in her bedroom allows her to call back into the past, and she begins talking to Neal from a time shortly before they became engaged.  Will the phone time travel save her marriage, or prevent it from ever happening?

The premise for the book sounds a little bit unusual (certainly much more Sci-Fi than Rowell's other work), but don't let it sway you from checking out the book.  Rowell is able to write really funny characters and dialogues.  The interactions between Georgie, her free-spirited mom, and her sister Heather are often laugh out loud funny, and were one of my favorite parts of the book.  It was also refreshing to read a story where the romantic arc is between a long married couple, rather two people just falling in love.  Rowell does a great job of showing how external strains can really affect the relationship between two people who genuinely love each other. 

Station-Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (2014).

Sci-Fi books and dystopias usually aren't my cup of tea, but something stood out about this book by Canadian author Mandel.  It takes place in the recent future and begins at a Toronto production of King Lear starring famous Hollywood actor Arthur Leander.  During the production, Leander suffers a fatal heart attack on stage.  Soon Georgian flu sweeps across the world wiping out 99 percent of the population.

The plot then pick ups twenty years later when civilization no longer exists as we know it.  There is no longer air planes, telephones or even electricity.  Kirsten, one of the child actors playing Lear's daughter, is now a woman who is part of a traveling theater company known as the "Traveling Symphony."  The symphony travels from ram shack town to town performing plays (Kirsten prefers Shakespeare) and music.  While journeying through the ruins of the Midwest, the symphony encounters a dangerous man called the "prophet."

The book also follows several other people connected to Leander: the paramedic who tried to save his life, his first wife, Miranda, and his best friend.  Most of these plots take place before the Georgian flu epidemic, but don't be too surprised to see some of the characters pop up later on in the book.

I really enjoyed Mandel's inventive descriptions of how towns and society functioned in a post-apocalyptic environment.  Mandel also slips in some nice satire about current society, mostly delivered by Arthur's best friend.    The book is incredibly dark at times, but also moving or lightly funny.  It definitely is an absorbing read. 

Summer reading recommendations

Adults in the summer reading program have filled out many Recommended Read entries, sharing books they've read and enjoyed over the summer. Each week, several entries are randomly pulled to win a $10 Target gift card. Here is a sampling of recommendations for you to check out!

	Keith recommends The Lincoln Myth by Steve Berry: "An exciting trip through the history of Lincoln and the Mormon church. Just the right mix of fact, fiction, and action."
	Shannon recommends Summer Sisters by Judy Blume: "It is a fun, fast read. Takes you back to your first times: best friends, loves and losses. Reminds me of times of freedom, possibilities were endless -- nothing was off limits."
	Jennifer recommends The Book Stops Here by Kate Carlisle: "I love the series! The main characters are smart and savvy. I loved the reveal at the end that tied the mystery up in a neat package. I look forward to the next one."
	Debbie recommends I've Got You Under My Skin by Mary Higgins Clark: "Good whodunnit. Lots of possible suspects. Keeps you guessing. Fun summer read."
	Judy recommends The Skin Collector by Jeffrey Deaver: "Just when you think you know the outcome, Jeffrey Deaver twists the plot."
	Louise recommends The Circle by Dave Eggers: "Do you wonder what will happen to the world when 'everyone' has instant communication with everyone else? Eye opener!"
	Sue recommends Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford: "Interesting scenario of the Asian community in Seattle during the 1920s and 30s. The story was compelling and touching and addressed decisions made and regretted. Your heart goes out to the characters in both sadness and triumph."
	Melissa recommends Tempting Fate by Jane Green: "It's a realistic portrayal of relationships and how easy it can be to be led astray, even when you never thought it was possible."
	Mary Beth recommends Mary Poppins, She Wrote by Valerie Lawson: "Great story about a character origin from my youth. P.L. Travers had a hard life and it took Walt Disney 20 years to talk her into the movie version -- amazing (so glad he did)."
	Kathleen recommends Wonder by R.J. Palacio: "My 5th grader recommended me to read this book and it was REALLY good! It was so heart-felt, sad, and funny. It's a good book at any age!"
	Jackie recommends The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schawlbe: "It was an amazing story and I got a lot of suggestions from them on what to read."

Summer reading weekly winners recommend...

Adults in the summer reading program recommend a variety of books they are enjoying during the Have Book - Will Travel summer reading program. The following four entries are the first weekly winners in our gift card drawings. Each reader wins a $10 Target gift card!

Archie Meets Nero Wolfe by Robert Goldsborough
Find it in the catalog!
"It is an excellent prequel to Rex Stouts' fine series. Well written and finely observed. The language was crisp and the characters stayed in line with the original." -- recommended by David

Strand of Deception by Robin Carrol
LARGE TYPE MYSTERY CARROL
Find it in the catalog!
"It is a murder case where the forensic evidence is the main evidence to prove the one who comitted the crime is really the one who did it. Lots of technical stuff and a bit of romance thrown in."  -- recommended by Catherine

Blockade Billy by Stephen King
FICTION KING
Find it in the catalog!
"I couldn’t put the book down. The 'voice' that King uses to tell this story is easy to follow and made Blockade Billy a page-turner for me." -- recommended by Kelly

Inferno by Dan Brown
NEW FICTION BROWN
Find it in the catalog!
"Robert Langdon back for more adventures involving symbology." -- recommended by Keith