Slipknot by Linda Greenlaw

This is the first foray into fiction by Greenlaw, who has written several nonfiction books about the sea and being a boat captain. It's not bad for a mystery, though I found the narrator's coyness about why she has returned to Maine a bit annoying. (Note to narrator: Don't keep dropping small bits of information about the mysterious happenings between you and your former mentor: just spit out what happened so we can all process it and move on. I get that you're tortured, I really do. You don't need to bang me over the head with it 46 times throughout the book.)

 

 

Storm Front by Jim Butcher (first in a series)

I really enjoyed this book, and it was a lovely way to spend a warm summer afternoon. Harry Dresden is a wizard living in Chicago trying to eke out a living. He sometimes does consulting work for the local police force. They call him in to investigate some murders that were done by magic, and he gets entangled in some nasty stuff and has to figure out how to get out alive. This is the first in a series, and I'm looking forward to reading the others.

 

One review that I read said you'd probably like Jim Butcher's work if you like Laurell K. Hamilton and Tanya Huff. I am not a fan of Laurell K. Hamilton -- her stuff is too violent for me -- but I am a big fan of Tanya Huff, and I can see some similarities. (Blood Price, Tanya Huff's book about a tough-talking Toronto P.I. and her vampire sidekick, was recently made into a Lifetime TV series. The series is okay, but Huff's book is better.)

A League of Ordinary Gentlemen (documentary movie)

First let me say that I adore Netflix. I like documentaries a lot but can rarely find them in the local video store, but Netflix has a huge supply of them and they'll mail them right to me. Plus, they will then recommend other documentaries I might like, based on what I've already rated. That's how I stumbled upon this gem. It's a look at the Professional Bowling Association (which was failing until some retired Microsoft executives bought it for $5 million and began to revive it) and the players who bowled in the 2003 season. (Did you know that in the '50s, bowling was more popular than football on TV? It hasn't always had the reputation as a dorky sport that it is desperately trying to overcome now.) I found this documentary to be very entertaining and informative.

And after we were done watching it, Trisha and I turned on the Wii and did some bowling of our own!

The Dip: A little book that teaches you when to quit (and when to stick) by Seth Godin

Well, the book certainly is little, I'll give it that. However, to me it seemed a bit too simplified. To paraphrase: in anything you want to do you may encounter a Dip, a cul-de-sac, or a cliff. Quit before you start if you are going into a cul-de-sac or a cliff, but keep pushing through the hard stuff if it's a Dip, so you can get to the other side and be the best. Certainly interesting advice, but Godin doesn't really back it up with info on how you'll know if you're headed into a dead end or about to fall off a cliff. He just says to stay away from those, and lean into the Dip, and when you get to the other side, voila, you'll be the best!

So -- my review is "eh."

Thirst and Why I Wake Early by Mary Oliver (poems)

I am not usually a big fan of poetry, but I came across a Mary Oliver poem when I was reading Oprah Magazine the other day and it really spoke to me. So I checked out these two thin volumes of poetry from the library. I think Mary Oliver really does a good job of reminding us how wonderful the world is -- that we should keep our eyes and ears open to all the magical things that are happening around us. This is a good lesson to learn, in this very-often grim world.

The Perfect Thing: how the iPod shuffles commerce, culture, and coolness by Steven Levy

Ever since I read Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution I have been hooked on Steven Levy. This man is terrific at humanizing the people behind technology. I loved Insanely Great, his story about the origins of the Macintosh, and his current book about the iPod revolution is great as well. Here's an interesting factoid: the book was designed with random "chapters" in order to simulate the shuffle function of the iPod.

 

If you love your iPod or even if you are just curious about what all the fuss is about iPods, you'll probably enjoy this interesting and well-written book.

Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Home and Office by D. Shipley & W. Schwalbe

Very interesting, indeed. The book discusses the ways in which email is similar to other correspondence, how it is different, and what the pitfalls of email can be. It also discusses email etiquette (when to CC someone, when to BCC them, what kids of things are appropriate to send via email). It's written in a down-to-earth, easily accessible style. I enjoyed it and I learned a lot.

How to Handle Difficult Parents: A Teacher's Survival Guide by Suzanne Capek Tingley

This is a short, honest, thoughtful, to-the-point, funny book. Offering practical tips on how to deal with parents who exhibit "helicopter mom" or "caped crusader" behaviors, it shows teachers how to set and maintain boundaries, and in what situations to pass the baton to school administrators. I'm not a teacher and I still learned a lot from it, but I'm sure it would be even more useful to teachers. Highly recommended.

Crashing Through: A True Story of Risk, Adventure, and the Man who Dared to See by Robert Kurson

First let me say that I have been a big fan of Robert Kurson ever since I read his previous nonfiction book, Shadow Divers, an excellent book about a group of New Jersey deep-sea divers who found a U-boat off the coast of New Jersey where no U-boat should have been. Their quest to identify the U-boat was really gripping and interesting.

 

This new book tells the story of Mike May, who was blinded at age three by a chemical explosion. In his mid-40s, he learns that there may be an experimental surgery that can allow him to see again. Should he have the surgery? There are risks involved, true, but Mike May is no stranger to risk -- he held the World Paralympic Downhill Skiing record for almost 20 years. The story of Mike and his family as they journey down this path is really interesting and engaging. The story of what happens (and what doesn't happen) after the operation is intriguing as well. I really enjoyed this book.

The Art of Mending by Elizabeth Berg

I haven't read an Elizabeth Berg novel in a while, but they are always a treat. Her observations about the fragility of families, the ways in which we are tied together, are always insightful. And her writing is beautiful. I couldn't put this one down. I didn't want it to end. I really enjoyed it.

Department of Lost and Found by Allison Winn Scotch

What do you do if you're a high-powered lawyer working for a busy and somewhat sleazy politician, and you wake up one morning and discover that you have stage 3 breast cancer? Then, on top of that, your boyfriend decides he can't handle it and he dumps you? Well, this novel is about thirty-year-old Natalie Miller, who is trying to regain control of her spiraling-out-of-control life. I enjoyed it. I wouldn't say it's high literature, but it was entertaining and interesting nonetheless.

Ultra: Seven Days, by the Luna Brothers (graphic novel)

Clever and amusing tale of three female superheroes who are trying to manage their love lives, their relationships with their parents, and the day-today stuff of every day life, in between smacking down bad guys. My only beef: this was obviously first published in comic form, and when they republished it in bound graphic novel form, they didn't leave enough of an inner margin, so it was hard to read the stuff at the inner edges of the pages. I suppose I could have ruthlessly broken the spine of the book, but that seems cruel. It's not the book's fault that the publisher is an idiot and didn't leave enough of an inner margin. Plus, the book didn't fall open nicely - maybe it was bound too tight. I felt like I had to wrestle it open and apply continual force to get it to STAY open. Let's just say I really had to *work* to read this. 

Name All the Animals by Alison Smith (memoir)

When 15-year-old Alison Smith's older brother dies in a horrific car accident, her family is shaken to its core. Her parents cling even more firmly to their faith in God, while Alison herself decides that God no longer exists -- ironic, since she attends Sisters of Mercy convent school. This memoir is by turns sad, funny, heartbreaking and uplifting. I really enjoyed it. Beautiful writing, too.

Play Dead by David Rosenfelt

This is Rosenfelt's latest book, revolving around the case of a man who was unjustly imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. Five years later, Paterson lawyer Andy Carpenter gets involved with a golden retriever who has been abused. During the course of trying to save the golden, Carpenter discovers that the dog had belonged to the imprisoned man -- and was supposed to have died five years ago. This is a funny, fast read. I enjoyed it very much!

Rattled by Debra Galant

Debra Galant came to speak at our library a few months ago. I had heard about her, but I hadn't read her book yet. She was such an interesting, engaging and funny speaker that I decided I had to buy a copy of her book. I just finished reading it yesterday and boy, was it funny. All I will say is: if you live in suburbia, and especially if you live in New Jersey, you'll probably find something funny in this book.

The Woods by Harlan Coben

Could... not... put... this... book... down.
Another fabulous offering from the talented Mr. Coben. He's the reason I look so haggard and bloodshot this morning -- I had to read till late in the night.

Camp Babymouse by Jennifer & Matthew Holm (graphic novel)

If you haven't read a Babymouse book yet, you are in for a treat! Babymouse goes to camp, where she discovers that even though in her mind she is an intrepid camper, the reality is somewhat different. She even has trouble making friends. And what the heck is "bug juice" made of, anyway? It all seems a bit much until she makes a friend. This is another excellent installment of the Babymouse series. I highly recommend ALL of them.

Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks (teen novel)

Thanks to Dodie for recommending this terrific book to me! Cadel is not an ordinary boy. By the tender age of seven he's learned to hack into computer systems all over the world. His parents are at their wit's end so they send him for therapy with Dr. Thaddeus Roth. The lessons Cadel learns from Dr. Roth are probably not the ones his parents thought he would learn... but then again, are they his parents? Through Dr. Roth, Cadel discovers that his real father is mad scientist Dr. Phineas Darkkon, currently serving time in a maximum-security prison. Dr. Roth and Cadel's father want him to study the different facets of evil, so they send him to attend an institute where he learns about forgery, poisoning, misinformation, lying, and much more. Now Cadel has to choose: does he really want to be evil, or does he want to try and break free of their clutches? A really entertaining read. I had a hard time putting it down. Someone told me this is going to be the beginning of a series and I hope it is!

Divorce that book!

I cut this article out when I first saw it in the New York Times several years ago: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E6DE173DF93AA35756C0A9629C8B63

The article talks about the joys of not finishing a book that you aren't enjoying! If you are one of those people who feels the need to finish every book you start, maybe this article will help you see that there are much better things you can do (and better books you can read) -- so if you're not enjoying something: Stop reading it! (Unless you're studying to be an air traffic controller. Then by all means, keep reading the manual. Please.)

Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

I enjoy Sarah Dessen's teen novels. The novels are usually written from the perspective of teenaged girls who are trying to make sense of their relationship with their family, their schoolmates and their friends. They are well-written and thoughtful, but I think they are probably best for older teens, maybe 8th grade and up. Adults would also enjoy them! 

The Starfish and the Spider by O. Brafman & A. Beckstrom

Dodie recommended this book to me and I just started reading it. It's fantastic -- everything I could ever want in a business book. Lucid, funny, and well-written. I love reading nonfiction written by people who realize that nonfiction can be engaging and exciting and interesting -- not like those textbooks they used to make me read in school.

The book's main message is that sometimes a decentralized organization is better able to survive than a hierarchical organization -- for example, if a starfish loses a leg (is it called a leg on a starfish? Hmm, I think it might be an arm) then it can adjust and cope while a new arm is being grown.

The discussion in this book reminds me of one of my favorite books, Where Wizards Stay Up Late by Katie Hafner and Matthew Lyon. That book talks about the origins of the Internet and how the people who came up with the idea for the network deliberately chose to build a network whose pathways were distributed -- so that information could travel many different paths to get to a destination, which would make the network much more durable and stable than if there was only one pathway you could travel (and then what happens if a server goes down along the way?)

I really do love it when similar ideas pop up in books that I am reading or have read. It's so interesting to make these connections.

Where do I find stuff to read?

Hey - there are lots of great resources to help you find something to read that will be of interest to you. Here are two of 'em.

NextReads -- monthly e-newsletters in over 20 categories -- catnip for booklovers. Sign up at Long Hill Library's web site: http://www.nextreads.com/join.aspx?SID=87ef9c06-ac16-4e27-8e2b-a3d95e180fc6

BookPage Xtra -- monthly e-newsletter delivered to your in-box. http://www.booksite.com/texis/scripts/oop/click_ord/addnluser.html?sid=6466

White Corridor by Christopher Fowler

Oh, Christopher Fowler, you disappoint me. Your elderly detectives Arthur Bryant and John May are so wonderful on their own -- why must you introduce a second storyline which includes a peek into a serial killer's mind? I know this may sound cranky, but I would much rather spend time with my friends Bryant and May than with some serial killer I hardly even know. So, I did the only thing I could -- I quickly skimmed all the serial killer sections, and only slowed down when I got to a Bryant and May section. The descriptions of the two detectives and their interactions with each other are priceless. (At one point, the technologically inept Bryant asks May whether he can find out some information "on that interweb thingie.")

Courtney Crumrin in the Twilight Kingdom by Ted Naifeh (graphic novel)

This is the third volume in the series. I have liked everything I've read by Ted Naifeh because he writes such strong female characters. And I like the art, too. I'd recommend this to late-middle-schoolers and up.

Adventures of Barry Ween, Boy Genius: Volume 3

I just can't even tell you how much these books make me laugh. I really can't begin to express how much I love them. I can tell you that I think I have now read all four of the trade paperbacks, and I don't believe Mr. Winick is writing them anymore, which makes me very sad. But I will now commence to read everything else he's ever written.

Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics by Ted Naifeh (graphic novel)

Courtney Crumrin is an orphan who lives with her uncle Aloysius, a warlock. Courtney is a girl after my own heart -- she kicks some serious butt. This graphic novel is really enjoyable. It's rated Y for kids 7 and above. Ted Naifeh really knows how to build a great story. I enjoyed one of his other books, Polly and the Pirates, as much as I enjoy this series.

the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Scott Pilgrim is dating Ramona Flowers, a mysterious deliveryperson for Amazon. But in order to date her, he must vanquish her seven evil ex-boyfriends. It has its cute moments but the story really doesn't grip me, especially since I think the main character is kind of clueless and annoying. I'm done with it now. (Sorry Tara, I know you like this series.)

Dreamgirls (movie)

Yes, I finally got around to seeing Dreamgirls last night. It was a good story, and Jennifer Hudson can really sing, but I really didn't LIKE any of the characters. Effie was a prima donna, the other girls were just too willing to do whatever the men told 'em to do, and most of the men were either druggies (Eddie Murphy), cold calculating jerks (Jamie Foxx's character) or spineless (the guy who played Effie's brother). And frankly, the movie could have been shorter and still gotten the point across... (but that would've meant they couldn't shoehorn all those musical numbers in.)

 

Instead of Dreamgirls, I recommend another movie about the music scene in the '60s -- Grace of My Heart with Illeana Douglas. Now *that* movie is amazing.

Some Nerve by Jane Heller

Not bad, not bad. A nice frothy bit of escapism, and it was written pretty well too. It took me about an hour to skim through and hit all the high points. An enjoyable Sunday afternoon read.

What's Al Gore Reading?

There was an article in the May 28, 2007 issue of Time Magazine. I had to laugh at myself, because while I did skim the article, I got very excited when I saw that the picture included with the article was of Mr. Gore sitting in his office, in front of his bookshelf. Oh joy! I could look at the books on his shelf and see what he has been reading! (I saw a copy of The Dilbert Principle by Scott Adams, along with a lot of other books I'd never heard of, most of which would undoubtedly be way over my head.)

Were it not for the Internet, I might never know that I am not the only person who enjoys looking at other peoples' bookshelves. There are several Flickr groups full of hundreds of people who upload pictures of their bookshelves. Check out http://flickr.com/groups/bookshelf/ and http://flickr.com/groups/your_books/ and you'll be treated to a smorgasborg of bookshelves. Or do a search for books by color to see the radical way that some people shelve their books by color, not by subject and/or author. Oh Melvil Dewey, you must be turning over in your grave right now.

Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen

I really enjoyed this book. Anna Quindlen writes a biweekly column for Newsweek and she comes across as a down-to-earth, practical and compassionate member of American society. Rise and Shine is the story of two sisters living in New York City. The younger sister, Bridget, is a social worker in the projects in the Bronx, and Meghan, the older sister, is the high-powered star of a nationally-syndicated morning show. The book is narrated by Bridget, and at first you think that she is the sister with more problems, but slowly you realize that maybe Meghan's life is not as great as it appears.

I found this book to be well-written, moving, heartbreaking, and ultimately redeeming. I highly recommend it.

YALSA releases Teens Top 10 2007 ballot list

YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association, in case you're curious) just released the ballot for the 2007 Teen Top 10 Books. During Teen Read Week this coming October, teens can vote for their favorite books. As I scanned the ballot, my eyes halted at the description of Shannon Hale's book River Secrets. The blurb says: "Razo is one of Bayern's weaker soldiers. He is sure he is only on the important Tira mission out of pita." Wait, what? Out of pita? What is this, some sort of coming-of-age tale about bread products? Or could it be the nefarious spell-check daemon has struck again? Pita is, after all, a word, though I doubt it's the word that was meant here. I'm pretty sure he's only on the mission out of pity. But maybe it'd be worthwhile to read the book -- because maybe it is all about the bread products.

Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani

Wow, what a great book. It really gripped me and was almost impossible to stop reading. Every time I picked it up, I got sucked right back into the action. What did I like about the book? Well, I loved the narrator. Lucia Sartori is a talented seamstress in the early '50s in New York City. She lives with her big Italian family, and she works at B. Altman with a bunch of other talented women. She isn't sure whether she wants to get married because it probably means she would have to give up her career. I loved reading about her big family. I loved reading about the fashions of that era -- how people dressed up even to go to the grocery store. I loved reading about her.

What I didn't think worked so well: the beginning and the end of the book, which are jarring to me because they are told from the perspective of Lucia's young neighbor, who is the person to whom Lucia, now in her 70s, is telling the story. But if you can ignore those parts, the rest of the book is a terrific read. (Or heck, you might even like those parts.)

Looking forward to reading more Trigiani! The joy I feel in discovering a new author that I like reminds me of a strip recently published in Unshelved, the comic for librarians (bet you didn't know we librarians have our own comic strip to read!): Seven Stages of Falling In Love with an Author.

What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith (business book)

What holds you back in life --  at your job, or in your personal life? Goldsmith's premise is that even successful people can have behavioral traits that keep them from achieving even more. By framing his book in terms of behavior, instead of in terms of personality traits, Goldsmith makes it clear that he believes people can change their behavior and how they act around other people -- but only if they choose to.

 

I really enjoyed reading this book. I saw a lot of things in the book that other people around me fall prey to, which makes me wonder -- which of these things do I do that I'm just not seeing? (It's that whole Johari window concept -- it's a lot easier to point out what is wrong with OTHER people than with yourself. "Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but don't notice the log in your own eye?")

Polly and the Pirates by Ted Naifeh (graphic novel)

My evil friend Tara recommended this awesome graphic novel to me. Why is she evil? Because this is the first in a series and the second one hasn't come out yet, so I can't find out what happens to Polly next. This was a really fun, entertaining book. Polly is a proper young lady in boarding school who is abducted by pirates who tell her that her mother (who died when Polly was young) was Pirate Queen Meg. The pirates need Polly's help in locating a missing treasure map. At first Polly is all prim, proper and prissy, but after a while she begins to cut loose and really revel in her pirate-grrrl side. Give it a try, I think you will enjoy it! Just don't blame me when you finish it and begin jonesing for the as-yet-unpublished volume 2.

Orbit by John Nance

I wanted to like this book. I really did. I saw a really good review of it in a catalog I respect. But first I had a hard time with it because it was written in the present tense, which I find kind of jarring. "Kip is stirring his oatmeal. He thinks to himself, 'I am stirring my oatmeal.'"  It would have taken me some time to overcome that, but then Kip was having marital problems and he was ogling this woman who was helping him prepare for his trip into space... frankly, it felt kind of like a male version of a romance novel/thriller, and I just couldn't get past the 20th page. But I'm sure SOMEONE will enjoy it!! Just not me.

Wave Hill Gardens in New York

My mom and I took a bus tour to Wave Hill Gardens in New York City today. It was GORGEOUS, let me tell you. Lots of birds, bees, beautiful flowering trees, and ample opportunities to take pictures (which we did with abandon. Digital cameras are great.)  And the best part was that someone else made all the arrangements and did all the driving. Know what that means? Yes! It's true! I got to read on the way there instead of paying attention to traffic. It was great. We signed up for the tour through the Chatham Adult School, and I am already looking forward to when their fall catalog comes out so we can plan a few more trips.

The Chamber by John Grisham

Sadly, I just couldn't quite keep up the momentum to get through this thriller. Maybe I just wasn't in a Grisham mood, but the characters didn't grab me and I only made it through the first 100 or so pages. (Of course, I then read the end to see how things turned out. I am a bad, bad person.)

The Boy Who Was Raised By Librarians by Carla Morris and Brad Sneed (kid's book)

Trisha, my pal and a children's librarian herself, recommended this delightful book to me. Melvin is a curious child and he knows right where to go for answers. The three librarians at Livingston Public Library are always delighted to answer his questions throughout his childhood and adolescence. Why? Because "that's what librarians do." The ending is delightful and the book is charming and fun. (Okay, yes, as a librarian I may be slightly biased, but still. Read it!)

That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown by Cressida Cowell & Neal Layton

Meredith recommended this cute book to me because I'd said I am a big fan of Knufflebunny by Mo Willems. Emily and her toy rabbit Stanley (isn't that a great name for a rabbit?) spend their days going on adventures and having a great time. But the Queen is jealous and she keeps trying to persuade Emily to give Stanley to her. A very enjoyable read!

Adventures of Barry Ween: Boy Genius 2.0 by Judd Winnick (graphic novel)

Another scatological and politically-incorrect guffaw-fest! I had this book on order from Amazon but it was taking too long, so I bought it from someone on e-Bay. In this installment, Barry takes down some government agents who kidnap his friend Jeremy; he and Jeremy get accidentally transported back to the Wild West; and Jeremy tries to adopt a foul-mouthed alien who's on the lam because he's been skimming money from his alien "mob bosses." Warning: this book is not for kids or for the faint-of-heart. But I do love it.

Absolutely, Positively Not by David LaRochelle (teen book)

Thanks to my librarian pal Beth L. for recommending this funny, charming book to me! Sixteen-year-old Steven is worried that he might be gay, so he does all sorts of things to prove to himself that he's not (learning how to belch, trying to buy a Playboy, etc). Still, he finally ends up at the conclusion that yep, he's gay. This is one of those refreshing teen books that isn't filled with black depression and angst. Yes, there's angst, but the author (writing in Steven's first-person voice) does a great job of infusing Steven's situation and outlook with humor and wit. What a great read! I stayed up too late reading it, always a good sign.

I love crossword puzzles

I think I neglected to mention here that I recently subscribed to the New York Times crossword puzzle online. Most mornings I print out the crossword and try to get through it. I can usually get through Monday - Tuesday okay, and sometimes even Wednesday-Thursday. (Did you know the Times crosswords get progressively harder as the week goes on, with Saturday being the hardest?)  Sundays are usually do-able, but it takes me a couple of [extremely enjoyable] hours.

 

Sometimes, when I don't know an answer, I will Google it or use http://www.oneacross.com as a solving aide. I also own 2 or 3 crossword dictionaries and I'm not afraid to use them\. Some people consider this cheating, I know, but I just consider it as brushing up my librarian skills.

 

My neighbor Melissa is also into crosswords. She does them in pen, which I find amazing, and I am in awe of her. She and I know a lot of the same things but we also have different spheres of knowledge. So we've been taking the Sunday Times crossword down to the donut shop the last few weeks, and working on it together. Last week she told me the answer to a clue that I didn't know (it was a French word), and I told her who the lead singer of Nine Inch Nails was.  (And then she laughed at me when I sang her the first stanza of Head Like A Hole.) That's a pop culture answer that my grandfather, for instance, would never get. He doesn't think the puzzles are as much fun now that that whippersnapper Will Shortz is editing them, because Will allows a lot of pop culture and current events into the clues. But that's what I like about them.

 

Many people feel very strongly about their crossword puzzles. There's a guy who blogs about solving the daily Times puzzle at http://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/. Cruciverbalism, by Stanley Newman, is also really interesting. And of course, I highly recommend the documentary Wordplay , which is a terrific look at the seamy underbelly of crossword puzzling. (Not really. They all seem like very nice people.)

 

Anyway, sometimes I am more in a crossword mood than I am in a reading mood, so when I'm not posting much, it's probably because I'm off in a corner trying to figure out a crossword (or a puzzle of a different variety, when I'm feeling like I want to "mix it up.")

Birding is fun!

I was sitting outside reading "The No A**hole Rule" and enjoying the wonderful weather. Eventually I became aware of some birds calling back and forth to each other. I thought I recognized the call but wanted to confirm it by sight, so I got my binoculars and walked down the road a bit to try and spot them. A little girl came riding by on her bicycle and I smiled at her. She asked me, "Is that a tufted titmouse?"  Wow! It blew me away! "Yes, it is," I answered. "You have good ears."

 

I can't even imagine knowing the call of a tufted titmouse at her age. I was so impressed! Wow.

The No A**hole Rule: Building a civilized workplace and surviving one that isn't, by Robert Sutton

Great book. It has some useful things to say about what it's like to work (or live) in a culture where being a jerk is either rewarded, or just tolerated. Sutton gives an example of a salesman who was a high producer but who was making the people around him miserable. His company totaled up the amount of lost productivity and docked this guy's bonus that amount at the end of the year -- the TCA (total cost of a**hole).

 

Sutton is not saying that your workplace should be all nice, all time time. He quotes Karl Weick's approach to confrontation in the workplace: "Fight as if you are right; listen as though you are wrong."

 

The other thing I found interesting is that jerkdom is contagious. If you work with jerks, you are more likely to exhibit jerk behavior. And it can happen to *anyone* -- no one is immune from occasionally being a jerk. Just make sure you are not chronically being a jerk. 

The Collected Alison Dare, Vol. 1 -- by J. Torres and J. Bone (graphic novel)

Not bad -- kinda cute. I bet teens would find it more amusing than I did. I don't think I'd pick up the next volume of this, nor is it something I'd really go out of my way to recommend. I think part of the problem is that I just didn't get much of a sense of character development, and that's a really important thing to me. Take, for example, the graphic novel Grease Monkey by Tim Eldred. Plenty of character development there! And I love it.

The Good Shepherd (movie)

Saw this movie with my parents last night. Matt Damon plays a CIA spy who is slowly sucked down a slippery slope into soullessness and despair... all without moving a facial muscle. It was definitely a good movie, but the ending was depressing and confusing, and I must confess that I enjoy Matt Damon more when he's being more active (like in the Bourne movies). This movie actually reminded me a bit of The Quiet American, with Brendan Fraser and Michael Caine -- also a good movie about the underworld of spies and what happens to people when they get sucked down into it.

Adventures of Barry Ween: Boy Genius by Judd Winick (graphic novel)

I laughed harder than I have in weeks when I read this graphic novel! How can I describe it? Well, Barry Ween is a ten-year-old boy genius (I know, I know... you can get that much from the title) with an extremely foul mouth and a firm desire to take over the world. When his evil science experiments cause rifts in the space-time continuum, he calls on his best friend Jeremy for help. When Jeremy accidentally drinks one of Barry's potions and turns into a giant dinosaur, Barry clones him and transfers his brain into the new body. I can't even describe the amount of pleasure I got from reading this fun book -- but I'm warning you, some of the language is not suitable for young folks.

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

I really did enjoy this book for the most part. I think Picoult did a great job switching between the viewpoints of the different characters and bringing out what each person was worried about -- which made it interesting when she switched to another person's viewpoint, because I had more knowledge of what was going on behind the decisions that other people made that affected each person. (Does that even make sense?) Anyway, it was quite an interesting and sad book. I really liked it up until the end and then, I'm afraid I have to agree with my friend Heather, the ending did not fit the rest of the story. So it disappointed me at the end. But I think I'd still recommend it.

Girl from the South, by Joanna Trollope

An enjoyable train-read. Not my favorite Trollope, but quite serviceable!

It's okay to be the boss: the step-by-step buide to becoming the manager your employees need, by Bruce Tulgan

Tulgan's main premise is that companies are suffering not from an epidemic of micromanagement, but from undermanagement. Many people in managerial or supervisory positions simply don't feel comfortable "being the boss" -- doing the often unpleasant tasks that come with the territory. Tulgan acknowledges that it can be difficult to be the boss (especially if you want to be a good boss), but he provides a good roadmap in this book.

 

And if you're going to be the boss, why not try to be the best boss you can be?

The Family Markowitz by Allegra Goodman

I really love Allegra Goodman's writing. This is one of her earlier books but I just got around to reading it now. It was very good, but not as great as her latest book, Intuition. That book I could NOT put down. I'm not sure if I can explain what it is about Goodman that I love so much. She seems to get so deeply into her characters' heads, switching viewpoints seamlessly and making it look effortless. If you haven't tried her books, I highly recommend her.

First Degree by David Rosenfelt

Very good thriller -- but one of the plot points seemed eerily similar to one of his past books. And I saw it coming a mile away. Still, I love the fact that these books are set in and around Paterson, NJ, which means there are lots of times when I think to myself "Hey! I know exactly where he's talking about!"

Alright, Still by Lily Allen (Music)

This is a terrific album, one of the best I've heard in a long time, and it has some great songs on there for people who have recently broken up with someone. Lily Allen rocks my world.

Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane Vol 2: The New Girl, by Sean McKeever

Cute graphic novel about Peter Parker (aka Spiderman) and Mary Jane's time together in high school. Teenage girls will probably really enjoy this snapshot of high school life (with bits of superhero thrown in). I enjoyed the writing and the art.

Making Room: Finding space in unexpected places by Wendy A. Jordan

Roz recommended this lovely book to me. It was wonderful to just page through and see all the neat ways that people can find for storing things, creating work surfaces, even making a place for the dog to sleep. It inspired me! Then I realized I would have to hire a contractor to get any of this stuff done, and I became uninspired rather quickly (since that is a daunting task). Still, it's a good book for dreaming!

First Degree and Bury the Lead by David Rosenfelt

David Rosenfelt, where have you been all my life? You are such a funny writer, plus you write about places in New Jersey that I've actually been to. I can't believe it took me so long to find you. Keep writing please, I'm almost to the end of your ouvre (I can spell it, even if I can't pronounce it.)

Angus and Sadie by Cynthia Voigt

I've been a big fan of Cynthia Voigt for years -- Homecoming is one of my favorites. This book is geared to a younger audience but it is just as delightful. It's told from the perspective of two border collie puppies adopted into a farm family in Maine, and how they (and their new people) adjust to their new life. Very enjoyable!

PMS Murder by Laura Levine

Cathy V recommended this book to me. Frothy and fun! I am looking forward to reading the others in the series. You'd probably enjoy it if you like the Stephanie Plum mysteries by Janet Evanovich.

Aliens are Coming by Meghan McCarthy

A fun, inventively illustrated kid's book that tells the story of the 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast and the havoc it caused. The illustrations are fantastic -- I especially like the drooling aliens on the front cover.

The Game by Diana Wynne Jones

This short novella for teens is just not as good as Jones' earlier works, like Howl's Moving Castle and the Christopher Chant series. It seemed disjointed and confusing. Or maybe I am just getting old and crotchety.

The Day My Mother Left by James Prosek

I was seduced into reading this book by the beautiful pictures of birds on the cover. The book itself didn't do a whole lot for me. There were a lot of really good smaller stories in it, but as a whole it just didn't pull together (for me -- but someone else may really love it).

Waist-high in the world by Nancy Mairs

An interesting memoir by a woman who has been seeing the world from the perspective of her wheelchair for the last 10 years (she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at age 29). Her language is a bit flowery and her writing was a bit too cerebral for my taste, but she definitely had some interesting insights and I'm glad I read the book.

The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti

It took me a while to decide how I felt about this book, but I finally decided that I mostly felt annoyed by it. The main character is an 18-year-old girl (Jade) who suffers from anxiety attacks and is trying to figure out what her place in the world is. The book is told from Jade's perspective, and keeps switching confusingly between present-tense and past-tense narration.  A lot of Jade's observations about people and their behavior were very interesting, but then she'd say something that just made me feel like she was being overly "precious."

 

This was one of those books that took me a couple of weeks to read, because it just wasn't doing it for me, but I was reluctant to give up. I finally decided that I just didn't care too much about Jade or her family and so I skimmed the last 100 pages.

 

Teens may well enjoy this book, and other adults may too. I don't think Caletti is a bad writer (though the constant switching between tenses was confusing to me), but I just didn't connect with her characters in this book.

Extreme Animals: The toughest creatures on earth, by Nicola Davies

This is a fun kid's book with great, clever illustrations. It gives interesting facts about weird animals in a highly accessible, fun way. I learned a lot and giggled a bit too.

Book enthusiasm

I was just re-reading some of my book reviews and noticed a few things:

 

1. I use an awful lot of exclamation points. Sorry about that. I guess I just get excited when I read a good book.

 

2. I don't usually review books that I don't like. Why is that, you may wonder? Because if I don't like a book, I don't finish it. There are lots and lots of books out there that I've tried and then rejected. Sometimes I may go back to the book later and enjoy it (I've found that with some books, I have to be in a certain mood to read them). But my philosophy is that with all the thousands of books that are out there waiting to be read, why should I waste my time on one that doesn't grab me?

 

3. It is kind of appalling to me how many of the books that I've reviewed here that I don't remember reading. I guess that's one of the dangers of being a fast reader -- I often don't take in too many of the details. I once came across some detailed notes that I'd taken about a book that I had read six months ago -- but had no recollection of either reading the book, or taking the notes. The ironic thing? The book was The Seven Sins of Memory: How the Mind Forgets and Remembers by Daniel Schachter. (A very good book, by the way.)

Book Frenzy!

Ahhh.. I spent all of Saturday curled up in bed with the cat, reading book after book. I got through 5 books in all (2 of them were graphic novels, and one was really more of a short story than an actual book, so don't be too impressed). I ended up with a gargantuan headache but it was WORTH it! I just love taking an entire day to do nothing but read. Mmmm.

Inside Job by Connie Willis

A cute little novella -- fun and breezy. But I must admit, I was hoping for something a bit more substantial from Ms. Willis, especially given her earlier (excellent) books such as The Doomsday Book and Passage (both of which I highly recommend).

The Shape of Snakes by Minette Walters

I love the way this woman writes! She creates an amazing sense of psychological suspense. The book is narrated by Mrs. Ranelaigh (now that I think of it, I'm not sure I ever found out her first name!), who moves back to England with her family 20 years after a woman was killed right outside her house. At first you think nothing of this, but then you start to realize that this woman is bent on either revenge, or justice (she's been convinced that the victim was murdered, but she could not convince anyone else of it at the time.) The book makes great use of the "unreliable narrator" concept. I had a hard time putting it down. In short, I've never met a Minette Walters book that I didn't like. Give her a try!

Born on a Blue Day: A Memoir by Daniel Tammet

Really enjoyed this book! It's a memoir by a British guy who grew up a bit different from other people, and was finally diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome in his 20s. Tammet is one of those unique people who has synesthesia -- meaning that when he thinks of numbers, he thinks in terms of colors and shapes. His special relationship with numbers means that he can do some really amazing things. (At one point, he memorized the first 25,000 digits of Pi for a fundraising effort.) But don't take my word for it -- read the first few paragraphs of his book here, and see what you think: http://nerro.wordpress.com/2007/02/04/from-born-on-a-blue-day-by-daniel-tammet/

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Wow. Thanks to Trisha for recommending this book to me. It's a magical combination of words and pictures. As Trisha said, "you just never know what's going to happen next, when you turn a page." Will you be confronted with a wonderful picture, or words that help advance the story? I don't want to tell you too much, but I can tell you that this is a really neat book and well worth a look. For more of a taste of what the book's about, check out the website at http://theinventionofhugocabret.com/ 

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

I had a little trouble following this graphic novel, especially at the beginning, since it jumped around a lot. But I persevered, and was happy that I did. It's a really good tale of a kid growing up different (and struggling with the desire to fit in, even though he's never really going to be able to). This book won the Printz award and was also nominated for a 2006 National Book Award for excellence in young people's literature.

 

To read more about it, check Amazon (which lists publisher reviews as well as reviews from people who've read it): http://www.amazon.com/American-Born-Chinese-Gene-Luen/dp/1596431520 

Shug by Jenny Han

Charming (and painfully accurate story) about a twelve-year-old girl growing up in the South with a dysfunctional family, a secret crush on the boy next door, and a fierce and independent perspective on the world. Very enjoyable!

Mr. Wrong: Real-Life Stories About the Men We Used To Love, edited by Harriet Brown

Roz recommended this book to me and I loved it! These essays are witty and wise, and in many cases laugh-out-loud funny. Most of the time when I finished an essay I felt a profound sense of relief that I'd never actually encountered the "Mr. Wrong" the author wrote about. These are cautionary tales written by women who have been to bad places, and spent time with the wrong people, then wrote about it to hopefully save the rest of us from a similar fate.

All of these essays are worth reading, but I'd like to share a passage from one by Susan Jane Gilman. She writes: "If we'd received half as many cultural messages about, say, how to choose a mutual fund or split an atom [as we have received about how to find Mr. Right]. we women would occupy every slot on the Forbes 400 list and have first-strike nuclear capabilities by now.... Amazingly, it may be the twenty-first century, but finding Mr. Right continues to be exalted as the Holy Grail for females."

Read it -- you'll like it!

The Last Juror by John Grisham

I had never read this 2004 Grisham book, and I enjoyed it very much. I took it on the train into the city and I hardly noticed the time flying by. I love books where I can just dive in and get completely absorbed by the story. I enjoyed the narrator's perspective on life in a small Southern town, and the suspense had me guessing till the end. A very good page-turner!

The Opposite of Fate by Amy Tan

I've really been enjoying this book, which is a collection of essays and speeches and small "bits and pieces" that Tan has written over the years. In fact, this is the Tan book I've most enjoyed since I devoured "The Joy Luck Club" several years ago. I highly recommend it!

Trust the Man (movie)

This was a cute little movie about relationships and what it takes to keep them going. The title really didn't do it justice, though. (I wonder if a committee came up with it?) I am a big fan of David Duchovny, he's always nice to watch, and Julianne Moore and Maggie Gyllenhaal are also good. I recommend this!

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

No, it's not a typo -- she really DOES spell her first name that way. (I remember the first time I heard of her, I had a hard time finding her books in the library catalog and had to go to Amazon in order to find out that she spells her first name differently.)

 

A teen reader recommended this book (the story of a high school girl in love with a vampire) to me -- she said it was amazing. And I do think it's well-written, but I guess I'm just not that into seventeen-year-old love anymore. After the first 100 pages or so, I got kind of bored and just skimmed through the rest of it. I don't think I'll read the sequel, New Moon, either. But I will say that this has reminded me of a series that I adored several years ago -- Tanya Huff's fantastic "Blood" series. Now there's a main female character who I can relate to, a tough, butt-kicking Canadian ex-cop (who is now a PI, with a vampire partner). The first one in the series is called Blood Price, if you're interested in checking it out.

Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Full disclosure: I love Susan Elizabeth Phillips' books. They are fun, sassy, sexy and well-written, and this one is no exception. One of the best things about working in a library is that sometimes I am able to sneak books home to read them before the release date. That's what I did with this one -- snuck it home, made some tea, grabbed some chocolate and settled in for a nice evening with two characters that I really enjoyed spending time with. I even laughed out loud (okay, snorted) a couple of times. What more can I ask from a good romance novel?

Promethea by Alan Moore (graphic novel)

I just finished reading volume 5 of the Promethea graphic novel series. Well, actually, I spent the afternoon immersed in volumes 2 - 5. And may I just say: wow. Intriguing, fascinating, funny, moving... and with several kick-butt female main characters. What's not to like? I highly recommend this five-volume series.

The Closers by Michael Connelly

I really enjoyed this thriller. It's one of Connelly's "Harry Bosch" series, but I doubt you have to read them in any order -- this is the first one I've read. It grabbed me from the beginning and I looked forward to every time I could sit down and read a few more pages of it. I liked how everything came together at the end, too. I felt that it was a strong ending, which is refreshing, because so many of these thriller writers seem to get bored and just slap any old ending on!

Side Effects by Amy Goldman Koss

I enjoyed this short little book, which is written from the perspective of a teen who's been diagnosed with leukemia. Honest, brutal and funny.

The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers

Someone came up to the circ desk while I was working there today and she was checking out "The Nine Tailors" by Dorothy Sayers. I love Dorothy Sayers, so we got into a conversation about her, and I told her my favorite Sayers novels were the three where Lord Peter gets involved with Harriet Vane (my ultimate favorite is Gaudy Night, in case you are interested.)

 

Luckily for me, the person who was checking out the book didn't mind talking books with me. (Some people tend to look at me as if I'm a crazy person and back away slowly.) She then told me "Oh! I have a book you would love to read! It's by Jasper Fforde. It's called The Eyre Something."

 

So I said "Oh! I love Jasper Fforde! Is it "The Eyre Affair?" It was so, SO nice to talk to someone else who loved that book. It's a hard book to get people to check out because it seems so strange. And it is strange, but it's a great book. In my opinion it's the best book in that series -- the later books didn't quite measure up.

I'd Rather Eat Chocolate: Learning to love my low libido, by Joan Sewell

Rock on, Ms. Sewell! This funny, honest and interesting book is a great antidote to all those articles and books on how to increase your sex drive. (There's a great dream sequence in the book where Sewell imagines a man going on Oprah and explaining sadly that his high sex drive is ruining his marriage, and what can he do to fix the problem? It put a different spin on things.)  

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

A very satisfying read! I enjoyed it as much as The Other Boleyn Girl (also good).

 

One of these days I will have to go back and re-read Margaret George's "The Autobiography of Henry VIII," which is the first novel about this period that I read. I remember it was really good too.

Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson

Laugh-out-loud funny. I'm actually listening to this one on CD - it's great entertainment on the way to and from work. I am a Bill Bryson fan and this book does not disappoint.

The Sharing Knife by Lois McMaster Bujold

This is the first in a new fantasy series by Bujold. It was well-written, but I didn't enjoy the balance of romance and fantasy. It seemed too gooily (is that a word?)  romantic for my taste. AND, it's not a Miles Vorkosigan novel (that's the military SF series that Bujold also writes). But still a good read.

Good Girls by Laura Ruby

I enjoyed this young adult novel. It also made me glad I'm not growing up in today's technology-filled world. The protagonist makes one stupid mistake, someone captures it on a cell phone and sends it around to everyone in school, and next thing you know she's persecuted and treated like a slut and everyone hates her. (Thank God when I made stupid mistakes in high school, no one was standing there with a camera documenting it. That would have made the experience indescribably worse than it already was.)

Blind Submission by Debra Ginsberg

A very fun and enjoyable book. I always like reading
about what goes on in the publishing industry, and this
book fits the bill. There's also the Boss from Hell
and a nifty little mystery going on as well. I wouldn't
say this is high literature, but it's definitely
entertaining and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a
light read.

Acid Row by Minette Walters

I must admit I was a bit disappointed in this book by Minette Walters. I've read several of her books, and this is probably my least favorite. There were too many characters and two separate plots that didn't really seem to go together all that well. I didn't feel invested in any of the characters, really. Still, the writing is good, and the level of suspense was pretty good. But I didn't enjoy it as much as "The Devil's Feather," which is her latest book.

In The Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Wow, this is the first book of a fantastic mystery series (the Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne series). A female Episcopalian priest (formerly an army helicopter pilot) teams up with the police chief in a small New York State town to figure out who left a small baby on the steps of the church and why. Well-written, well-plotted, and it kept drawing me in. It was definitely suspenseful, but the level of suspense was never so tense that I felt the need to skip to the end to see what happened (or who did it), which I confess I often do.

 

This is definitely a great read. I highly recommend it. It's the first of a series -- and I read the next five in the series over a period of three days, I couldn't put them down. Now I can't wait till her next one comes out.

One of Those Days by Amy Rosenthal & Rebecca Doughty

My friend Trisha loaned me this children's book. It is a great description of all the different possible ways you can have a stinky, bad day ("Say the Wrong Thing Day," "Feeling Left Out Day" and "Can't Find Stuff Day" are three of my favorites). Having a book that acknowledges that everyone has bad days is great, but the illustrations make it even better. I recommend this for any frustrated kid or adult in your life.

The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner

What a great book! It was the perfect book to drag me out of the reading dry spell I've been having. I devoured the first third of it while eating my lunch one day, then savored the rest of it. I think it's the best Jennifer Weiner I've read. It's a bunch of stories (some related, some standalone) and it managed to make me laugh a lot and also feel sad. She writes really well about loss and how people deal with it. I recommend this book highly.

Jaran by Kate Elliott

I really enjoyed this fantasy novel. It was originally published in 1992 and is the first in a series of four books. I'm not sure I'll be running out to read the other books so quickly, though... because they killed off one of my favorite characters right before the end of this book. Why must authors do that? They get me all attached to these people and then they just take them away. Sigh.

Baby Proof by Emily Giffin

Highly entertaining and well-written "chick lit" about a woman who is having a hard time convincing everyone that yes, she really doesn't want children. I enjoyed it!

Brainiac by Ken Jennings

Brainiac: Adventures int he Curious, Competitive World of Trivia Buffs is written in a breezy, entertaining style by Ken Jennings, who had a 74-game winning streak on Jeopardy in 2004 (and maybe into 2005). I really enjoyed his dry sense of humor, and some of his comments made me laugh out loud, which is always a good sign. Describing a question that you're likely to see at a college bowl trivia event, he says "Unless you're a particular fan of dead mutton-chopped Republicans, you probably don't know too much about the life and administration of Chester A. Arthur."

 

Towards the end I must admit my attention flagged a bit, but I still had a good time overall and would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read (or some really odd facts).

The Geek Gap by Bill Pfleging and Minda Zetlin

What a neat book. It's sort of like "Geeks are from Mars, Businesspeople are from Venus." Both groups of people have their own perspective and they often have difficulty understanding each other's value to their company. This book is entertaining, containing a lot of "No -- they really said THAT?!!" anecdotes with a bunch of useful advice scattered in.

 

The main point that I got from this book, which is one that I keep having to re-learn in my own life, is that it's important to LISTEN and to consider that others' viewpoints may be different from yours and still be equally valid.

Cruciverbalism by Stanley Newman

The full title of this book is Cruciverbalism: A crossword fanatic's guide to life in the grid. (FYI: a cruciverbalist is a designer or aficionado of crossword puzzles.) It was a quick, breezy read and I enjoyed skimming through it. I learned a couple of interesting tips on solving crossword puzzles (such as the old chestnut "if the clue contains an abbreviation, the answer is probably abbreviated as well").

 

The book also contains a list of 100 essential words for crossworders to know, such as ALAR (meaning winglike) and URAL (Caspian sea feeder, I always get that wrong.)

 

It got me excited and made me want to go out and do crosswords, which I guess is a good thing... except then I stayed up too late doing crosswords and I had to go to work the next day. Oh well.

A Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas

I read this book several weeks ago and it has stayed with me. I first learned about it when I read a column that Thomas wrote in the Sunday New York Times. Her husband suffered major brain injuries several years ago and this is her story of how she has managed to carve out a life for herself, and do the best she can for him, since then.  Her courage and wisdom are very evident in her writing, and I enjoyed the book very much.

Kakuro - my latest obsession

I haven't been reading much at all lately because I've gotten addicted to Kakuro (thanks a lot, Ellie!). I have tried Kakuro before but didn't have much luck, and had given up in frustration several times. But then I found a "Kakuro for Kids" book (by Alastair Chisholm, a very British name, I think) that introduces you to kakuro gently, and doesn't make things too hard at the beginning. So the next thing I knew, I was hooked! It's pretty fun. But there's only so much leisure time in my life, so my book-reading has been suffering. I'm sure I'll grow bored with Kakuro at some point, but for now -- back to the puzzle!