Audiobooks

I have a rather lengthy commute to work each day and I don't know what I would do without audiobooks to keep me company! For some, audiobooks are too distracting while driving (either losing track of the plot of the book *bad* or the driving *VERY bad*) or people simply prefer the feel of a book in hand. If you fall into the group that can't go anywhere in the car without an audiobook, then be sure to pick up one or all of these without delay!

Happy reading!

Holley

The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
This lovely little book was published in 1925 and holds up well as, for the current day anyway, historical fiction. Beautiful and vain, Kitty Fane is very disenchanted with the social life in Hong Kong after she travels there with her rather dour husband Walter. After Walter discovers her affair with local magistrate Charles Townsend, he offers her an ultimatum. Townsend must divorce his wife and marry Kitty or Kitty must accompany Walter to the cholera-ravaged village where he has volunteered his medical expertise as a bacteriologist. If she does not do one of these two things, Walter will divorce her for adultery. The events that follow challenge Kitty in ways she never could have imagined. Kate Reading narrates this gorgeous novel with an amazing vocal and emotional range, making the scenery, and the heartbreak, stand out vividly in the mind of the reader. I would definitely search out an audiobook and listen to it just for her talent alone, but this book is exquisite!
Holley, Emmet O'Neal Library

World War Z by Max Brooks
A full cast audio elevates this audiobook (sadly, only available abridged) to epic levels. Author Max Brooks narrates the part of an interviewer talking with survivors of a war in which most of the population of the world is overcome by an infection that turns them into flesh eating zombies. Not merely content to discuss zombies, World War Z could also be considered a stinging political and social criticism of a world that places more value on corporate executives and the like than on the working person. Actors like Alan Alda and Carl Reiner lend their talent to this chronicle of worldwide devastation.
Holley, Emmet O'Neal Library

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
(This book has been made into a film in Denmark. Netflix shows it as a “Save” title but not yet with an expected release date here in the states. The Last two books in the trilogy are The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.)
Narrated by Simon Vance. Once you start The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, there's no turning back. This debut thriller--the first in a trilogy from the late Stieg Larsson--is a serious page-turner rivaling the best I’ve ever listened to. You want to sit in your car and keep listening! The narrator was perfection, able to handle the voices of the young and old, men and women alike. The story was originally written in Swedish, so the pacing is different and interesting……..it is slower but suddenly you are sucked in and hours have passed. Mikael Blomkvist, a once-respected financial journalist, watches his professional life rapidly crumble around him. Prospects appear bleak until an unexpected (and unsettling) offer to resurrect his name is extended by an old-school titan of Swedish industry. The catch--and there's always a catch--is that Blomkvist must first spend a year researching a mysterious disappearance that has remained unsolved for nearly four decades. With few other options, he accepts and enlists the help of investigator Lisbeth Salander, a misunderstood genius with a cache of authority issues. Lisbeth is one of the most fascinating feminist characters to come along in quite a while. Little is as it seems in Larsson's novel, but there is at least one constant: you really don't want to mess with the girl with the dragon tattoo.
Leslie West, Vestavia Hills Public Library

The Help by Katherine Stockett
(A note for bookgroups: many people have bought this title based on word-of-mouth advertising. If you are running short of copies, ask participants to poll their friends for an available copy)
Not only is this a great story, I definitely feel that the audio version handled by a host of brilliant narrators, made it even better. Four peerless actors handle a variety of Southern accents with ease and draw out the daily humiliation and pain the maids are subject to, as well as their abiding affection for their white charges. The actors handle the narration and dialogue so well that no character is ever stereotyped, the humor is always delightful, and the listener is led through the multilayered stories of maids and mistresses. Set in Mississippi during the civil rights movement, the story is narrated by the three principal characters...Minny and Aibileen, two black maids, and Miss Skeeter, a young, white woman newly graduated from college. The characters are wonderfully developed, as are the historical background and setting. As each character took her turn at narrating, she became my favorite character until the next one took over again. I was torn between not wanting to get out of my car and being late to work. It was a book I didn’t want to end.
Leslie West, Vestavia Hills Public Library

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Burrows
Narrated by Paul Boehmer, Susan Duerdan, John Lee, Rosalyn Landor and Juliet Mills.
This is yet another example of a delightful book, made even better by it’s excellent narration. With a small cast of gifted narrators including Paul Boehmer, Susan Duerdan, John Lee, Rosalyn Landor and the enjoyable Juliet Mills, this production is first-class from start to finish. The narrators' British dialects, each quite regional and equally as different as they are ear-pleasing, serve the story well and allow Shaffer's words to leap from the page into the hearts and minds of her listeners. Shaffer's debut novel, written with her niece Barrow, is an original account of one writer's relationship with a member of a unique book club formed as an alibi to protect its members from arrest at the hands of the Nazis during WWII. The final result is an almost theatrical experience with an entire cast of enthusiastic performances. I highly recommend this book, but most especially as an audiobook where one feels he or she is actually meeting & becoming friends with this entire cast of characters!
Leslie West, Vestavia Hills Public Library

Second Glance by Jodi Picoult
Narrated by George Guidell. This is an older book but worth mentioning here for two reasons. First, it is the only book I have ever seen where the author has repeatedly reported in print on numerous occasions, that this book is her own favorite among the many popular titles she has written. (I agree that this is the best of her many books!) So many times, authors shy away from answering this question saying that picking a favorite work of their own is like being asked to pick a favorite among their children. I think it is refreshing that the author picks a favorite……especially since I am in full agreement! This is another in a long line of Picoult’s “ordinary people placed in extraordinary circumstances” plotlines. But this title has many plot lines, a lot of interesting characters, several love stories, as well as moral dilemmas (a Picoult specialty), an historical as well as a current day timeline, and even a ghost story!!! All characters, as well as plot lines, converge into a well blended conclusion. Picoult describes her real-life experiences with “ghostbusters” (she incorporates the details of these experiences into her story) on the last disc of this CD in an interview with the narrator. That is the second piece of this review: the incomparable George Guidell. I could listen to this guy read the phone book. He is a superstar of narrators in the audio world. ANYTHING he narrates is worth listening to. Trust me, I’m an audio-junkie. It doesn’t get much better than this!
Leslie West, Vestavia Hills Public Library

Look Again by Lisa Scottoline

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

When You Are Engulfed In Flames by David Sedaris

Magnificent Mind at Any Age: Natural Ways to Unleash Your Brain's Maximum Potential by Dr. Daniel G. Amen

Curse of the Bane by Joseph Delaney (young adult/The Last Apprentice series: Revenge of the Witch, Curse of the Bane, Night of the Soul Stealer, Attack of the Fiend, Wrath of the Bloodeye, and Clash of the Demons)

Madapple by Christina Meldrum (young adult)

Going Bovine by Libba Bray (young adult)

Andromeda Klein by Frank Portman (young adult)

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie (young adult)

Nice Girls Don’t Get…box set (…the Corner Office & …Rich) by Lois P. Frankel
In Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office, Lois Frankel reveals why some women roar ahead in their careers while others stagnate. She has spotted a unique set of behaviors- 101 in all--that women learn in girlhood that sabotage them as adults. She helps you eliminate these unconscious mistakes that could be holding you back and offers invaluable coaching tips you can easily incorporate into your social and business skills. In Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich, Lois Frankel tackles the 75 financial mistakes that keep women from accumulating the wealth they deserve. She helps you discover the financial thinking that keeps you stuck in old patterns, dependent relationships, and jobs where you earn less than your male counterparts. This is an abridged version, but well worth the time to read. Narrated by the author.
Dianne, Bessemer Public Library

Dog On It by Spencer Quinn
Spencer Quinn’s debut introduces the world to two-legged Bernie Little and his four-legged pal Chet, a canine with a nose for mysteries. Together, this down-on-his-luck private investigator and K-9 school failure form an offbeat but effective sleuthing duo. Bernie is relieved when the missing teenage girl he’s searching for turns up unharmed. But after she quickly disappears again, Bernie and Chet resume their investigation. Since there’s no ransom demand, kidnapping seems like a questionable motive. Yet the girl had recently gotten involved with some villainous types, and as Bernie and Chet make their way through biker bars and other colorful destinations, they smell something foul. Told from Chet’s unique perspective, Dog on It, is a humorous whodunit seasoned with a loveable dog’s view of everything. Great narration by Jim Frangione. Some profanity.
Dianne, Bessemer Public Library

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

The Labrador Pact by Matt Haig

Dewey: The Small Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron
Narrated by Suzanne Torren. Dewey is the story of an abandoned kitten that was left in the book drop of a small library in the small farm town of Spencer Iowa. Once discovered by the head Librarian and author of the book, Vicki Myron, on a cold January morning in 1988, Dewey was nurtured to full strength and given the opportunity to become the library’s loveable pet cat. This book is filled with wonderful and touching stories of how Dewey restored the library to a warm and inviting place. He was well received by both staff and patrons alike. Dewey became so popular that people drove hundreds of miles just to visit, meet and love on this amazing little cat. A wonderfully touching story of how one little cat single handily brought joy and laughter to a library and was a beacon of hope not only for Vicki Myron but for the entire town of Spencer Iowa.
Andrei, Five Points West Regional Library

It Happens Every Spring by Gary Chapman and Catherine Palmer (Four Seasons series: It Happens Every Spring, Summer Breeze, Falling for You Again, Winter Turns to Spring, read-a-like for Jan Karon’s Mitford series)

Back on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber (Blossom Street series: The Shop on Blossom Street, A Good Yarn, Susannah’s Garden, Back on Blossom Street, Twenty Wishes, and Summer on Blossom Street)

Storm Cycle by Iris Johansen

Narrators to watch for:

Joshilyn Jackson does a wonderful job of narrating her own material, as do Rick Bragg and David Sedaris. C. J. Critt is an excellent narrator and has worked on the early novels of Janet Evanovich, Patricia Cornwell, and many others.

Since we can’t seem to stop talking about books once we get together…

Stone's Fall by Ian Pears

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth

Roundtable Meeting Next Week!

Mark your calendars for Wednesday December 9th at 9am! We'll be meeting in the Homewood Library Boardroom to share our favorite audiobooks!

Refreshments will be potluck so bring something yummy and join the discussion!

For more information, contact Holley Wesley at 205/445-1117 or hwesley@bham.lib.al.us

True Crime

I just had a request for some true crime suggestions. Did you know that the Edgar Award has a Fact Crime category? Visit The Edgar Awards website and click "Search the Edgars Database". You may narrow your search by award category, date, and a few other factors.

Easy peasy! Check it out!

Holley

Nonfiction of Choice

Today's topic was a very broad one and we all had a great time with it. I happen to be very lucky in that everyone in my department prefers to read something different. Everyone pitches in to help when we get the "what's good" question. Nonfiction is always a tough topic for me reader's advisory-wise so I was doubly glad that such a large group showed up, many with more than one book to share!

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession by Allison Hoover Bartlett

The instinct to collect is almost as old as humanity itself and can be one of the most driving forces of an individual’s personality. Collectors spend long hours searching for desired items, attending auctions, rummaging shops, corresponding with other collectors, and bargaining with dealers. And for some, if they cannot afford to purchase an item, theft---or worse---is always an option. The Man Who Loved Books Too Much is the story of John Gilkey, an example of collector’s mania in one of its most acute forms. Gilkey has a passion for rare and antiquarian books and steals what he cannot afford to buy. Some thieves steal for the monetary value of an item, fencing it at the first opportunity, but Gilkey keeps his acquisitions. Even now the authorities have not been able to determine the full extent of his secret book stash; they only know that over a period of roughly four years, Gilkey stole around $100,000 worth of collectible and antiquarian books, some of which have never been recovered. Gilkey regards his jail terms for theft as mere interludes in which he can plan the next step by which he can acquire more books. Parallel to Gilkey’s story is that of Ken Sanders, a rare book dealer who, when he became aware of Gilkey’s thefts, set out to hunt him down and bring him to justice---a frustrating endeavor, since the police are not often inclined to regard book theft with the same seriousness as the theft of other high-value items. Sanders persisted, however, and ultimately sent Gilkey to jail . . . for a short term. As Bartlett notes in her conclusion, “Not long before this book went to press, Sanders, nominally retired ‘bibliodick,’ had nevertheless alerted colleagues of Gilkey’s most recent theft: stealing a book from a Canadian dealer. Gilkey was not arrested. The story never ends.” Bartlett’s take on this story is a suspenseful narrative that book lovers will stay up all night to finish and is highly recommended.

– Mary Anne Ellis, Central

An Innocent, A Broad by Ann Leary

With a light touch and comic flair, Leary recounts the five months in London surrounding her son Jack's birth (they had to wait until Jack was more developed to travel back to the U.S.). Forgoing the gory medical details, Leary focuses on her life in and around the hospital and her naiveté about childbirth and parenting. Her cultural observations are especially droll, as Leary sorts out that "tea" is actually a meal and tries to prove that Americans aren't stupid.

The Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook: Momentum Program Edition

The best recipes yet from America's most trusted weight-loss program-now updated with Weight Watchers Momentum Program

Facebook: The Missing Manual
Social Networking is growing by leaps and bounds. Facebook is one the social networking sites that has really taken off. It is estimated that more than 50 million people are Facebook users. Facebook: The missing manual is your authoritative guide to getting started, signing up, connecting with old friends and classmates and basically unlocking everything that Facebook has to offer. Filled with color illustrations and simple instructions, this book makes it easy to break into the Facebook world.
--Andrei

60 Things God Said About Sex by Lester Frank Sumrall

God spoke the world into existence but He made man with His own hands. Human beings are sexual creatures and their bodies were specifically designed by God to be a perfect fit when the two become one during sex. In this book the late pastor Lester Sumrall (1913-1996) speaks candidly about sex within the marriage relationship. He speaks of the sexual dos and don’ts of marriage as well as some sexual taboos such as: incest, bestiality and gay and lesbian relationships. He states that God understands the human need and drive for sex. Within the marriage covenant relationship, sex is beautiful and should be practiced often. When God told man to be fruitful and multiply He is saying to the married couple to have sex. It becomes a sin when they do not. Sumrall states that the marriage relationship is the closest example on earth of the relationship that Christ has with His bride the Church. Filled with plenty of Bible scripture to drive home its point this book is great.
--Andrei

The Essential Rumi

The ecstatic, spiritual poetry of thirteenth-century Sufi mystic Rumi has enchanted the world, and doubtless its appeal is due to its unique blend of beauty, insight, wit, daring and depth. Coleman Barks, through his musical and magical translations, has been instrumental in bringing this exquisite literature to a remarkably wide range of literary and spiritual readers, lovers, and seekers. With the addition of over eighty never-before-published poems and a new introduction by Barks, The Essential Rumi is clearly the definitive collection of Rumi's delightful poetry.

-Leslie West, Vestavia Hills

Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America's Soul by Karen Abbott

Freelance journalist

Abbott's vibrant first book probes the titillating milieu of the posh, world-famous Everleigh Club brothel that operated from 1900 to 1911 on Chicago's Near South Side. The madams, Ada and Minna Everleigh, were sisters whose shifting identities had them as traveling actors, Edgar Allan Poe's relatives, Kentucky debutantes fleeing violent husbands and daughters of a once-wealthy Virginia lawyer crushed by the Civil War. While lesser whorehouses specialized in deflowering virgins, beatings and bondage, the Everleighs spoiled their whores with couture gowns, gourmet meals and extraordinary salaries. The bordello—which boasted three stringed orchestras and a room of 1,000 mirrors—attracted such patrons as Theodore Dreiser, John Barrymore and Prussian Prince Henry. But the successful cathouse was implicated in the 1905 shooting of department store heir Marshall Field Jr. and inevitably became the target of rivals and reformers alike. Madam Vic Shaw tried to frame the Everleighs for a millionaire playboy's drug overdose, Rev. Ernest Bell preached nightly outside the club and ambitious Chicago state's attorney Clifford Roe built his career on the promise of obliterating white slavery. With colorful characters, this is an entertaining, well-researched slice of Windy City history.

-Leslie West, Vestavia Hills

Bobby and Jackie: A Love Story by C. David Heymann

Americans have long been fascinated by the rumored love affair between Jackie Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy. With Bobby and Jackie they will finally get more than a glimpse of their emotional and romantic connection. An open secret for decades among family insiders, their affair began as a result of their shared grief over the assassination of the president in 1963 and lasted until Bobby began his run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1968. Bobby Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy supposedly came together after JFK's assassination, first as a means to express their grief, then as a means to express their passion. Camelot insiders, including Bobby's wife Ethel, knew the affair was going on, but everyone knew that it would never go anywhere—because it was the 1960s, because they were Catholic and divorce was what it was, because Bobby couldn't risk a marital scandal if he hoped to take office someday. Readers will gain behind-closed-doors access to Bobby and Jackie's liaison, from late-night trysts at Jackie's Fifth Avenue apartment to fervent embraces at the Kennedy estate in Palm Beach. They will also learn more about the deep friendship that grew out of the couple's shared tragedies, their family loyalty, and their overflowing ambition. It was "perhaps the most normal relationship either one ever had," Truman Capote observed. "In retrospect, it seems hard to believe that it happened, but it did." Poignant, illuminating, and enormously entertaining, Bobby and Jackie is a glorious account of a legendary romance.

- Leslie West, Vestavia Hills

Irving Thalberg: Boy Wonder to Producer Prince by Mark Vieira

Hollywood in the 1920s sparkled with talent, confidence, and opportunity. Enter Irving Thalberg of Brooklyn, who survived childhood illness to run Universal Pictures at twenty; and co-found Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer at twenty-four. Known as Hollywood's "Boy Wonder," Thalberg created movie classics, but died tragically at thirty-seven. His place in the pantheon should have been assured, yet his films were not reissued for thirty years, spurring critics to question his legend and diminish his achievements. In this definitive biography, illustrated with rare photographs, Vieira sets the record straight, using unpublished production files, financial records, and cor-respondence to confirm the genius of Thalberg's methods. In addition, this is the first Thalberg biography to utilize both his recorded conversations and the unpublished memoirs of his wife, Norma Shearer. Irving Thalberg is a compelling narrative of power and idealism, revealing for the first time the human being behind the legend. This book is a fine account of a great visionary, Irving Thalberg who in life never sought public acknowledgement, but created a lasting legacy that has delighted movie fans for generations.

- Leslie West, Vestavia Hills

Hollywood Dreams Made Real: Irving Thalberg and the Rise of MGM by Mark Vieira

Nicknamed the “Boy Wonder,” Irving G.Thalberg was running Universal Pictures at the age of twenty, and he co-founded Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer at twenty-four. Between 1924 and 1936, he supervised 400 memorable movies, making stars of Lon Chaney, Jean Harlow, Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, John Gilbert, and Greta Garbo. By the time of his death at thirty-seven, Thalberg had lifted film to the level of fine art. In this groundbreaking coffee table version of the 2009 Irving Thalberg: Boy Wonder to Producer Prince , Vieira provides this a treasure trove of unseen images to vividly recount the making of Ben-Hur,The Big Parade, Tarzan the Ape Man, Grand Hotel, Mutiny on the Bounty, A Night at the Opera, The Good Earth, the unlikely Freaks, and scores of other classics. Hollywood Dreams Made Real is a fresh portrait of the prime architect of the studio system and an enchanting tour of the magical world he created.

-Leslie West, Vestavia Hills

The Posthuman Dada Guide: Tzara and Lenin Play Chess by Andrei Codrescu

Dada was a movement of artists, writers, poets, and thinkers rebelling against the Great War, any other movement, and itself. In The Posthuman Dada Guide, Andrei Codrescu ponders the beginnings of the movement and its infiltration of daily life through a hypothetical game of chess between Tristan Tzara and Lenin. This is not done in any roundabout way that I can sum up for you. I will only say that if you like literary, philosophical, contemplative essays, give it a whirl! For example, one of Tristan Tzara’s favorite poetic methods was the cutup: to take a newspaper/magazine article or a page from a book, cut out the individual words and put them in a hat, then write the words down in the order he drew them out. At Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich, Tzara’s madcap players would pick two members to read two different poems at the same time while someone played loud, discordant music. I love these guys! I would love to have been one of them. I like things that are out of sync with the world around them, and that certainly describes Dada. I bought a copy to add to my personal collection!

-Holley Wesley, Emmet O’Neal Library

The Snakehead: An Epic Tale of the Chinatown Underworld and the American Dream by Patrick Radden Keef
Snakehead begins in 1993 when a couple of National Park Police officers on a graveyard shift patrol discover a ship that has run aground just off the Rockaway Peninsula in New York. The ship, Golden Venture, is fully loaded with skeletal, malnourished Chinese illegal immigrants, many of whom have drowned in their attempts to make it to shore. The officers call in for backup and the media circus begins. The actual story Keefe tells begins much earlier, with the discovery of gold in northern California in 1848 and the coming onslaught of railroad construction not long afterward. Keefe gives a brief but fascinating history of the Chinese in the United States leading up to the immigration of Sister Ping to the U.S. in 1981. She came to this country to work as a domestic and soon ran several flourishing businesses which allowed her to bring her family to the U.S. as well. The family business, smuggling people, flourished as well. In 1960 there were 236,000 Chinese in America. By 1990, there were 1.6 million Chinese in the country. Sister Ping was flying in immigrants by the plane load at $30,000 or more per passenger. When the INS cracked down on the flights, she began to bring them by boat and that is where Sister Ping's story merges with that of the Golden Venture and its unfortunate passengers. What they went through, and continue to go through, is truly heartbreaking. Keefe researched mountains of court and police interview transcripts as well as conducting untold numbers of interviews with everyone he could track down. There are extensive notes in the back as well as an index. I was excited to learn that a documentary (it is also called Golden Venture) had been made spotlighting the plight of the passengers of the Golden Venture and I look forward to watching it very soon.

- Holley Wesley, Emmet O’Neal Library

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman
The world without us is apparently going to be a wild and crazy place. Things I took away from this book: New York City is apparently only 30 minutes and a few broken pumps with no repairs in sight from beginning to sink back into the swamp it arose from. Keep working guys! Our pets won’t last much longer than we do, except for the cats, which are in turn wiping out the songbird population.
Chernobyl is home to wildlife again. Empty swimming pools can really stink. The world’s oceans are full of tiny specks of plastic. FULL. There is a group advocating for voluntary human extinction, the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement. So, if you don’t want to hear about waste disposal, global warming, climatic cycles, food shortages, forest/wildlife habitat destruction, general woe, don’t bother with the book. If you do, don’t complain to me. I like to read and be aware of all possibilities. So should we all.

- Holley Wesley, Emmet O’Neal Library

This Common Ground: Seasons on an Organic Farm by Scott Chaskey

In the tradition of Michael Pollan, Joan Gussow, and Verlyn Klinkenborg’s The Rural Life, This Common Ground is an inspirational evocation of a life lived close to the earth, written by the head farmer at one of the country’s first community-supported farms.

Enough: True Measures of Money, Business, and Life by John C. Bogle

"It's hard to imagine a better time to publish a book that advocates moderation, balance and integrity in the business world. In this wise meditation, Bogle, the folk-hero creator of the first index mutual fund and founder of the Vanguard Mutual Fund Group, deplores ‘our worship of wealth and the growing corruption of our professional ethics but ultimately the subversion of our character and values.’ Directly in his sights: CEOs and hedge-fund managers who draw ‘obscene’ compensation. At this time of plunging portfolios, it is a relief to be told that ‘enough’ is within reach." (TIME Magazine)

Fixing My Gaze: A Scientist's Journey Into Seeing In Three Dimensions by Susan R. Barry

Publishers Weekly
“Barry tells a poignant story of her gradual discovery of the shapes in flowers in a vase, snowflakes falling, even the folds in coats hanging on a peg…. Recommended for all readers who cheer stories with a triumph over seemingly insuperable odds.”

Home Tonight: Further Reflections on the Parable of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen

Home Tonight follows the path of Henri Nouwen’s spiritual homecoming. More than three years prior to writing his great classic, The Return of the Prodigal Son, Nouwen suffered a personal breakdown followed by a time of healing solitude when he encountered Rembrandt’s famous painting. Within his solitude he reflected on and identified with the parable’s characters and experienced profound and inspiring life lessons.

Ted Kennedy: Scenes from an Epic Life

Through more than two hundred stunning black-and-white photographs pulled from the pages of The Boston Globe and its extensive archives, Ted Kennedy: Scenes from an Epic Life provides a gorgeous visual account of Ted's incredible journey from his joyous birth to the tragic announcement of his battle with brain cancer, including highlights from his childhood in New York, Hyannis Port, and London; his days at Harvard and in the Senate; and his roles as devoted brother, husband, father, uncle, and grandfather.

Skinny Bastard: A Kick-In-the-Ass for Real Men Who Want To Stop Being Fat and Start Getting Buff by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
From Publishers Weekly

Apparently fearing their market's reaching the saturation point, the latest iteration of Freedman and Barnouin's bestselling Skinny Bitch series goes after another demographic entirely-men-but without altering the strident, withering approach they've perfected in Skinny Bitch and its follow-ups. Those happy to take the scorn with the solution are invited to "strap on a pair...and get ripped." Much of the strict Skinny Girl regimen is translated directly: sugar, simple carbs, meat and dairy are out; fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains and whole wheat are in. The authors also discuss evidence for and against soy, the male epidemic of hypertension and heart disease, and the failings of government health-monitoring departments (like the USDA and FDA).

Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl, I Learned From Judy Blume edited by Jennifer O'Connell

"From bittersweet to laugh-out-loud hilarious, the essays in this collection all sparkle with charm, style, and wit. No doubt about it, if you grew up reading Judy Blume, you will love this book."-- Sarah Mlynowski, author of Bras & Broomsticks and Girls' Night In

Occasions to Savor: Our Meals, Menus, and Memories by the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority

From Publishers Weekly

The sisters of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority include some of America’s most accomplished African-American women, but their festive volume feels more like a compilation of family recipes than it does a professional cookbook. Unafraid of building a meal around canned soups or vegetables, the sisters offer dozens of down-home ideas, several of which can be accomplished in half an hour or less. Charming personal narratives are threaded throughout, along with loving profiles of Delta Sigma Thetas who have made their mark on the world

Down Home with the Neely's: A Southern Family Cookbook by Patrick Neely, Gina Neely, and Paula Disbrowe

Husband-and-wife television personalities with their own Tennessee chain of barbecue joints, the Neelys unveil their first cookbook, full of 120 recipes that pull back the curtain on their award-winning seasonings, sauce, and fixings. Emphasizing their personal story and family recipes, this cookbook is brimming with down-home personality and dishes that are "simple, stylish, and not too fussy." Family stories, wise sourcing tips and plenty of commentary from Pat and Gina make this a warm, welcome addition to any cooking library's Southern shelf.

Willie's Boys: The 1948 Birmingham Black Barons, the Last Negro League World Series, and the Making of a Baseball Legend by John Klima

Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays is one of baseball's endearing greats, a tremendously talented and charismatic center fielder who hit 660 career home runs, collected 3,283 hits, knocked in 1,903 runs, won 12 Gold Glove Awards and appeared in 24 All-Star games. But before Mays was the "Say Hey Kid", he was just a boy. Willie's Boys is the story of his remarkable 1948 rookie season with the Negro American League's Birmingham Black Barons, who took a risk on a raw but gifted 16-year-old and gave him the experience, confidence, and connections to escape Birmingham's segregation, navigate baseball's institutional racism, and sign with the New York Giants. Willie's Boys offers a character-rich narrative of the apprenticeship Mays had at the hands of a diverse group of savvy veterans who taught him the ways of the game and the world.

Manhunt: The Twelve-Day Hunt for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson

With great power, passion and at a thrilling, breakneck pace, Swanson (Lincoln's Assassins: Their Trial and Execution) conjures up an exhausted yet jubilant nation ruptured by grief, stunned by tragedy and hell-bent on revenge. For 12 days, assisted by family and some women smitten by his legendary physical beauty, Booth relied on smarts, stealth and luck to elude the best detectives, military officers and local police the federal government could muster. Taking the reader into the action, the story is shot through with breathless, vivid, even gory detail. With a deft, probing style and no small amount of swagger, Swanson, a member of the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, has crafted pure narrative pleasure, sure to satisfy the casual reader and Civil War aficionado alike.

Cades Cove: Window to a Secret World by Bill Lea

This is a beautiful book. The photographer/author shows the Cove in its majesty and wonder in all four seasons. In Cades Cove: Window to a Secret World we see the wildlife, trees, flowers and historic buildings of this spot in the Smoky Mountains National Park. The author tells about some of the hundreds of people who lived in the Cove until the National Parks preserved the area for us to visit. I cannot begin to tell you what a marvelous book this is. You must see it for yourself. Go to www.BillLea.com for examples of this photographer's work. Then borrow the book. Cades Cove: Window to a Secret World.leaves one with a feeling of awe which is brought back when viewing these colorful and well composed photos. Visit the people who lived there as you read their stories- stories of friendship, kinship, loyalty and love for each other and the land.

– Beth Hutcheson, Homewwod

Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope by Don & Susie Van Ryn

From Publishers Weekly

In a widely reported incident in 2006, Laura Van Ryn and Whitney Cerak, students at an evangelical college in Indiana, and their families were victims of a ghastly mistake: the wrong girl was identified as the survivor of a car crash that claimed multiple lives. Only after five weeks, when the girl emerged from a coma, was the error discovered. The families and the survivor, Whitney, record their experiences in this heavily Christian account.

Simply Chocolate: Sixty, Nutty, Creamy Creations by the editors of Southern Living

Satisfy all of your chocolate cravings with this mouthwatering collection of the best-of-the-best recipes from the chocolate experts at Southern Living magazine. Our food staff chose these recipes from thousands of chocolate recipes that we've published over the years. Take your pick from a tempting variety: extravagant chocolate cakes, chocolate bars that take only 10 minutes to make, ooey-gooey candies, and more.

All review material not provided by librarians has been pulled from www.amazon.com.

There are several good professional resources available in the county for nonfiction reader's advisory:

Reality Rules!: A Guide to Teen Nonfiction Reading Interests by Elizabeth Frazier

The Readers' Advisory Guide to Nonfiction by Neal Wyatt

The Real Story: A Guide to Nonfiction Reading Interests by Sarah Statz Cords

Nonfiction Reader's Advisory edited by Robert Burgin

*What is your favorite nonfiction title of all time? What nonfiction has captured your interest lately?*

Happy reading (and advising!)

Holley

Welcome!

Although the JCLC Reader's Advisory Roundtable discussions are geared toward librarians working in Adult Services departments, anyone is welcome to join us! In that spirit, we thought it would be a fabulous idea to start a blog and possibly get some dialog going with other librarians (and readers!) looking for ideas.

I won't compare our group to Fiction-L exactly, but we do what we can in our small part of the world to make the job of Reader's Advisory easier for ourselves and our coworkers.

The RA Roundtable meets bimonthly on the second Wednesday at 9am at the Homewood Library but a change of location to the Emmet O'Neal Library in Mountain Brook will take place in April 2010.

I hope you'll enjoy the blog and find lots of things to comment on or let us know about!

Holley

Moderator