Fiction of Choice

Our next meeting is Wednesday, August 10th and the topic is award winners! Please bring a brief description of the award your selection has won and don't be afraid to reach for any obscure awards. I look forward to seeing what you select!


Our topic this time around was Fiction of Choice and the variety was astounding! Read on and see!


Holley, Emmet O'Neal
The Flavia de Luce mysteries by Alan Bradley
 The books, in order of publication, are: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag, and A Red Herring Without Mustard.
Calling the heroine of this wonderful cozy series precocious is a massive understatement. Chemist savant, amateur detective, partial Cinderella, and bratty little sister combine to give you 11-year-old Flavia de Luce. The rambling old de Luce country house resides in the tiny English town of Bishop's Lacey and seems to have not held much interest for Flavia up to this point. However, one dead man in the cucumber patch later, things are hopping and Flavia, dashing about on her trusty bicycle Gladys, is on the case whether the local constable knows it or not! These delightful books, while clean and safe for many younger readers, are published for adults.


Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Major Pettigrew, a widower in his 60's, has just learned of his brother's death. Staggered, stunned, and greiving, he answers the knock at the door and discovers Mrs. Ali demanding the paper boy's wages. Mrs. Ali quickly recognizes shock and grief when she sees it and hustles in to make him some of the fine tea which Major Pettigrew has purchased at her very own tea shop. From this sweet first meeting, an intense relationship emerges that will test the resolve of the Major, the town, and the power of love. I absolutely adored this debut novel and have been telling everyone who will stand still long enough to listen that I wish Major Pettigrew were 30 years younger or I was 30 years older!


The Beauty Killer series by Chelsea Cain
The books, in order of publication, are: Heartsick, Sweetheart, Evil at Heart, and The Night Season.
On one hand, you have Gretchen Lowell: staggeringly beautiful, boundlessly cruel, brutally psychotic. On the other, Archie Sheridan: broken, holding on to the fragile shreds of sanity Gretchen left him, and a raging Vicodin addict. In the middle are the murder victims Archie knows Gretchen couldn't actually have killed as she's finally behind bars...isn't she? Intrepid reporter Susan Ward falls into the mix seeking the truth behind the Beauty Killer's relationship with Archie and just how he brought her to justice. It may be the truth she's after, but trouble (and terror!) are what she gets. Not a safe bet for sensitive readers.


I mentioned that Archie really reminds me of Dr. Gregory House, Hugh Laurie's character on the popular tv show House and this brought our discussion around to another tv show with a flawed, yet brilliant detective: the new BBC miniseries Sherlock, a 21st century adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's series.


Mary Ann, Southern History
The Seven Per Cent Solution by Nicholas Meyer
The West End Horror by Nicholas Meyer
Prisoner of the Devil by Michael Hardwick
The Revenge of the Hound by Michael Hardwick
The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie King (Mary Russell series)


Kelly, Springville Road
My Brother Michael by Janis Owens (the two other books in the trilogy are Myra Sims and The Schooling of Claybird Catts)


Shannon, Hoover
The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew
The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg
The Preacher by Camilla Lackberg


Ramona, Leeds
A Turn in the Road by Debbie Macomber


Mary, Emmet O'Neal
Through a Glass Darkly by Donna Leon
One of a series of Commissario Guido Brunetti mysteries, set in Venice where Leon, an American, has lived for many years. A relaxing contemporary whodunit with elements of culture and politics. This is the first of the series that I have read, and I look forward to reading more of them.


The Matchmaker of Kenmare by Frank Delaney
As Booklist succinctly puts it, this novel “…combines the charm of an Irish yarn with the excitement of a political thriller and the romance of a1940s war movie.”


Leslie, Vestavia
Room by Emma Donoghue
Room is based on an original, arresting, thought-provoking premise. It's narrated by a five year old boy (Jack), who has spent his entire life living inside a small room where he and his mother are held prisoner. His mother was abducted at the age of 19 and has been repeatedly raped: Jack being born some 2 years later. Jack's mother is frequently depressed and desperate to escape. However she has protected Jack from the realities of their situation and one of the book's central ideas is that when you know no better, you always think the world that you live in is normal and it will still represent home to you. Having a child narrate the book is very clever in many ways. Jack is oblivious to the heroic efforts that his mother makes to protect and entertain him, but these are obvious to the reader. However he never really worked as a narrator for me. He starts the book speaking in quite broken English but quickly leaves that affectation behind. I realize that he was meant to be a highly developed child in some areas while very behind in others. But I couldn't reconcile a child who knew words like omnivore, nutritional and antenna and then at other times would describe something as "the hurtest". These inconsistencies kept interrupting the flow of the book for me. There were also times when I would like to have been given a better insight into the reasons for his mother's actions, which the choice of narrator made impossible. It's a story with two distinct acts, punctuated by a nerve-wracking section in the middle. I felt that the story loses momentum in the second half of the book, petering out towards the end. This is one of those books that sucks you into its world and makes you reconsider your own. It's a quick read that's highly absorbing. I can understand why so many people think that it's brilliant, but I only found it good, not great. 


House Rules by Jodi Picoult
Jacob Hunt is a teenage boy with Asperger's syndrome. He's hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject--in his case, forensic analysis. He's always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do...and he's usually right. But then his town is rocked by a terrible murder and, for a change, the police come to Jacob with questions. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger's--not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, flat affect--can look a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel. Suddenly, Jacob and his family, who only want to fit in, feel the spotlight shining directly on them. For his mother, Emma, it's a brutal reminder of the intolerance and misunderstanding that always threaten her family. For his brother, Theo, it's another indication of why nothing is normal because of Jacob. And over this small family the soul-searing question looms: Did Jacob commit murder? Emotionally powerful in that House Rules looks at what it means to be different in our society, how autism affects a family, and how our legal system works well for people who communicate a certain way--and fails those who don't. My biggest problem with this book is that it could have used a good editing…….too much excess detail detracted from the major plot line and lead to “reader fatigue.”


The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry
Brunonia Barry, the New York Times bestselling author of The Lace Reader, offers an emotionally compelling novel about finding your true place in the world. Zee Finch has come a long way from a motherless childhood. She's now a respected psychotherapist about to marry one of Boston's most eligible bachelors. But the suicide of Zee's patient Lilly throws Zee into emotional chaos and takes her back to places she though she'd left behind. What starts as a brief visit home to Salem after Lilly's funeral becomes the beginning of a larger journey for Zee. Her father, Finch, long ago diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, has been hiding how sick he really is. His longtime companion, Melville, has moved out, and it now falls to Zee to help her father through this difficult time. Their relationship, marked by half-truths and the untimely death of her mother, is strained and awkward. Overwhelmed by her new role, and uncertain about her future, Zee destroys the existing map of her life and begins a new journey, one that will take her not only into her future but into her past as well.


Mondretta, Leeds
Last Light by Terri Blackstock
Light Source by Bari Wood
The Insane Train by Sheldon Russell


Beth, Homewood
Sister Chicks in Gondolas by Robin Jones Gunn
Jenna and Sue are sisters in law that really like each other. They travel to Venice to cook for a group of men who are there on retreat. When not planning the meals and shopping for the ingredients they are tasting many of the gelato flavors and exploring Venice. Everything they do is an adventure for them, including the cooking and serving. They unexpectedly have aha moments while in this very lovely and romantic of settings. It is a good read and a refreshing story about relationships and being available for aha moments.


Maria by Eugenia Price
I read and enjoyed this Florida trilogy years ago and decided it time to read it again. Maria is the first title. Maria and her British husband move to St. Augustine which has been under Spanish control but is changing over to British rule. She is a midwife by profession and he is a military man. The descriptions of the natural environment, plants and topography as well as architecture make it worth reading the book. As she tells about the characters, their lives and surroundings it is easy to feel you are there. How Maria lives and deals with the many changes in her life is the story. She is a strong woman who is smart and surrounds herself with people who are her friends and people who can help her grow. Reading this trilogy gave me a desire to see St. Augustine and the nearby area.


Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
I enjoyed reading this first title in the Hannah Swensen Mystery series. Hannah owns the Cookie Jar- bakery and coffee shop. She has always been good with baking and even developing recipes for cookies so her job is just perfect for her. Her brother in law, Bill, is police chief of Lake Eden, a small town in Minnesota. When Ron was killed very near her shop and shortly before he was to make a delivery to the Cookie Jar, Hannah was shocked and saddened. Then curious and also concerned that they actually had a murderer on the loose in their quiet little town. Bill asked her to help him investigate the crime but don't let anyone know she was snooping around. As she considered the possible motives and people involved she proceeded to make inquiries. Hopefully the guilty party would not realize what she was doing or her life would also be in jeopardy. Before all was done Hannah had enlisted the help of Bill's wife and the man she found was really funny, Norman the dentist. Of course, free cookies were given to everyone she would "visit" and all who helped her. I learned I can read the story without reading the enticing recipes and getting too hungry. I will continue with this series and see what Hannah cooks up next.


Beth mentioned a couple of great websites for mystery fans: stopyourekillingme.com and cozy-mystery.com


Jon, Avondale
Pump Six, and Other Stories by Paulo Bacigalupi
Hull Zero Three by Greg Bear
Hollywood Hills by Joseph Wambaugh
The Human Blend by Alan Dean Foster
Ashes of the Earth by Eliot Pattison
Dead Zero by Stephen Hunter
The Passage by Justin Cronin (Jon said this was one of the best books he'd ever read, on par with (and possibly better than!!) Stephen King's The Stand and Salem's Lot!)


Now, what are YOU reading?

Project Read One Book

Via project coordinator April Wallace:

Project Read programs just wrapped up for the Spring 2011 selection. Thank
you to all of the libraries who were able to participate. There were a lot
of really creative programs! I know our book group really enjoy meeting
at the Irondale Cafe.


I want to remind everyone to keep PROB in mind when planning your fall
programming. Our fall selection is Leaving Gee’s Bend by Irene Latham.
This is technically a Young Adult title, so programming could be geared
towards adults or teens. Libraries could possibly collaborate with area
schools, as well.


Program Ideas for Leaving Gee’s Bend:
- Show the documentary “The Quiltmakers of Gee's Bend”
- Quilting programs


The author has several downloadable tools (Gee’s Bend Discussion Guide,
Literature Circle Questions, Activities) on her website
(http://www.irenelatham.com).


Let me know if you have any questions!


Thanks,
April

You may reach April at: adeaton [at] bham [dot] lib [dot] al [dot] us

Meeting this week!

Fiction of Choice

Wednesday June 8th

9am

Emmet O'Neal Library

:-)