Whether we're ready or not the campaign season is now in full swing and many are checking out the books written by the Presidential candidates, including (in alphabetical order): The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (Obama), Dreams from my Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance (Obama), Faith of My Fathers (McCain), and Worth the Fighting For: A Memoir (McCain). Of course the Library also carries many books about the candidates as well.

If you want to go behind the books, BookTV (on C-Span2) will host a discussion of the books written by the presidential candidates featuring Jonathan Karp, editor of all John McCain's books and John K. Wilson, author of Barack Obama: This Improbable Quest. The show will air on "In Depth" on Sunday, September 7th (LIVE, Noon - 3 pm ET).

By the way- if you, like me, don't subscribe to cable, BookTV also has a variety of interviews and more with top nonfiction authors that you can watch on the BookTV website and on their YouTube page. Some are really quite interesting and even show moments caught "back stage" or off air!

mcs

Posted by Readers Services at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The latest roundup of titles our Staff has enjoyed:

The Senator’s Wife Sue Miller
A novel about women’s issues: marriage, trust, and friendship. Delia and Meri are friends though years apart in age. Meri’s first pregnancy teaches her about the nuances of married life, and her relationship with Delia reveals mysteries surrounding Delia’s own marriage. When tragedy causes an unforgivable rift between the women, readers are confronted with powerful emotions as they learn how each woman deals with misfortune. Great for discussion!

Touch and Go: A Memoir Studs Terkel 813.54 TER
Even if you don’t call the Chicago area home, Terkel’s memoir reveals a fascinating history of the people and events that have created a terrific city. Recalling family, friends and a few enemies, Studs Terkel’s book is funny, nostalgic, and informative. His memory is unbelievable! Much to ponder and discuss here, and you may even want to read more about the early history of Chicago.

From Harvey River: A Memoir of My Mother and Her Island Lorna Goodison
972.9205 GOO
Goodison traces her family history from her great-grandfather Englishman William Harvey’s discovery of a well-traveled foot path adjacent to a river during the last days of slavery. He settles the land that becomes the Harvey family home for generations. Goodison’s poignant, stirring story of her family's fortunes is wonderful. The author’s mother Doris grew up in Victorian comfort as one of the "fabulous Harvey girls.” Later her husband, Marcus loses his auto repair business, and the family is forced to move with their nine children to the slums of Kingston. Goodison is a poet and her descriptions of her world are rendered in beautiful almost biblical cadences . Don’t miss this captivating, interesting family history.

The Shadow Catcher Marianne Wiggins
The Shadow Catcher is two stories from two different eras: the first is about turn-of-the-century icon Edward Curtis (1868-1952) and his -wife, Clara, and the second a twenty-first-century journey told by a re-imagined writer named Marianne Wiggins who presents her fictionalized account of Curtis to Hollywood producers eager to sentimentalize the complicated life of Edward Curtis. This multi-layered tale offers much to ponder and discuss. What is memory and how does legend influence culture? What power does the artist have within a society? Is an individual ever able to escape her/his demons? Why do we create stories?

Lush Life Richard Price
It’s the lower East Side: two neighborhoods, one classy, the other desperate and poverty-stricken. The year is 2003, and after eight years downtown, Eric Cash is realizing that his dreams to become an actor, a writer, a restaurateur, anything but what he is - the oldest employee at Cafe Berkmann, are eluding him…….forever. Rough, tough language…would appeal to fans of NYP and police procedurals.

The Blade Itself Marcus Sakey
Chicago South Siders Danny Carter and best friend, Evan earned their living and reputations by robbing pawnshops and liquor stores. A job desperately gone wrong changes everything with the firing of a pistol. Danny is able to move on, rebuilding a new life…normal…successful…happy…until the day he spots his old partner staring at him in a smoky barroom mirror. Hardened by prison life, Evan is barely recognizable to his old friend. The former has served his time without dropping Danny's name, so now it’s payback time. What is Danny willing to sacrifice to protect is future or his past?

Whale Talk Chris Crutcher
Intellectually and athletically gifted, TJ, a multiracial, adopted teenager, shuns organized sports and the gung-ho athletes at his high school until he agrees to form a swimming team and recruits some of the school's less popular students. Great Young Adult appeal

Note by Note: A Celebration of the Piano Lesson Tricia Tunstall 786.2071 TUN
Drawing on her own experiences as a student and teacher, Tunstall’s memoir reveals the mysteries and delights of piano teaching and learning. What takes place in a piano lesson to make it such a durable ritual? Today’s music is heard more often on the telephone and in the elevator than in the concert hall, yet the piano
lesson still has meaning in the lives of children. Unlike other teaching or coaching experiences, perhaps the beauty of the piano is its one-on-one, personal communication with its moments of joy, frustration and eventual breakthroughs. Great for teachers!

MC
9/1/08

Posted by Readers Services at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Do you prefer stories based upon fact or those created from their authors' imaginations? It seems that currently authors of nonfiction narratives are using similar elements as fiction writers, that is, fast-paced plot lines, well-developed characters and strong themes to popularize their books and to make them more appealing for a general audience. (No longer is narrative nonfiction composed in the tedious, text-book driven style of the OLDE DAYS!)
To illustrate this exciting,new trend, the Readers Services Staff has created two displays, one for August and the other for September; August's is Fiction for Nonfiction Readers and September's will be Nonfiction for Fiction Readers. So stop by the Readers Services Desk and while you're there, be sure to check out a book about China and or the Olympics from our August Center Display...READING MAP ~ CHINA!
Book lists are available online or at the Readers Services Desk. As always we would love to hear your comments .

MC
8/20/08

Posted by Readers Services at 09:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Olympics are here. If you're like most everyone I've talked with, you were impressed by the pageantry of the opening ceremonies as the Chinese put their best face forward. And now maybe you're involved in watching the individual events. Undoubtedly your curiosity has been piqued - and at our Readers Services display this month we have just the guide to lead you through the Olympic Games.
A reading map suggests various titles on related topics- maybe you'd like a novel set in Beijing, one that describes street scenes and subway stops vividly enough that you can imagine yourself there-as in The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones. Or maybe you're wondering about the layout of the Olympic Village itself. Did you know it was planned using principles of Feng Shui? The KISS Guide to Feng Shui by Stephen Skinner gives basic information on these principles. Or maybe 're your more interested in the athletes, and what it takes to make an olympic team- Little Girls in Pretty Boxes: The Making and Breaking of Elite Gymnasts and Figure Skaters by Joan Ryan is a fascinating look at the years of training, and what goes on behind the scenes for these two sports. These are just a few of the varied titles on display. Check us out, and let us know if there's a related title that's captivated you.

TS

Posted by Readers Services at 02:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I wasn’t sure at first if I wanted to review White Mane (DVD WHI), a 1953 French film about a white stallion and the boy who befriends him. For one thing, it’s in black and white, and, also, there are subtitles. As a modern moviegoer, accustomed to vivid color, twitchy editing, and hyper-realism in films, I definitely had to adjust my brain to watching something so much smaller, cooler, and slower. But for those willing to brave the “negatives” of this short movie (it’s only 47 minutes long), it has much to offer, and its conclusion may haunt you.

Set in a wild, marshy area of France called the Camargue, the story tells of a magnificent stallion named White Mane, who leads a herd of wild horses. A band of ranchers attempt to capture White Mane and to tame him. He is captured, and then escapes. A young boy named Folco sees the horse escaping, later dreams of him, and asks if he can have him if he can capture him. The ranchers laughingly agree.

Part of the magic of this film is that at a certain point you stop seeing a white horse, and start seeing a free spirit. The black and white images of the horse and his world become ghostly. Film critic Pauline Kael wrote that White Mane is “One of the most beautiful movies ever made,” and I can see why.

Cruelly, the men set the marsh grass on fire to stampede the horse to them. Folco rides the horse out of the burning world the men have created, and he and the horse are pursued by the men to a suddenly transcendent conclusion that really jolted me.

White Mane is usually described as a children’s movie, and while it has some of the elements of a children’s story, to me, it’s a fable for adults. Filmed so soon after the horrors of World War II, director Albert Lamorisse asks: Why are men so cruel? This movie has no answer, but it will have you thinking about its question for a long time.

Lamorisse went on, in 1956, to make The Red Balloon (DVD RED), the classic story of a little schoolboy who finds a big red balloon--a balloon with a mind of its own. Filmed in Paris, we follow the bobbing red balloon through monochromatic back streets and neighborhoods. The Red Balloon is so charming that it is almost possible to miss that its plot is the same as the rather melancholy plot of White Mane (The mob must destroy the free spirit.). Again, this movie is for both adults and children, though adults will see the dark shadows that children may miss. This movie is also subtitled, but as there is little dialogue, it’s easy to follow.

Both White Mane and The Red Balloon are newly restored, and have long been a classic duo at children’s matinees. They are short—why not make an evening of it? Bake some pain au chocolat, brew some café au lait, and settle in for a magical evening.

franm

Posted by Readers Services at 02:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Move over Harry Potter, there's a new protagonist in town and her name is Bella! In case you
missed the buzz, on Saturday, August 2nd, the fourth and final book in the romantic vampire series
entitled Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer was released, amid much celebration by teens.
Bookstores across the country held parties to mark the event, which included trivia contests about the saga, costumes, and much more. What makes these books so unique is the huge interest in them generated by those elusive young adult readers. We love to see these busy students so hooked on books! Keep your eyes open in October during Teen Read Week for related events to be held at the library. Thinking about sampling the series? Start with Twilight.

Posted by Readers Services at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yes, that's right. Jersey Boy - singular. Not to be confused with the popular (and really fun, by the way) show of the same name.

This Jersey Boy is author Chris Grabenstein, author of the John Ceepak mystery series set at the -- where else? -- Jersey shore.
Chris will be appearing in (sorta) nearby Woodstock at Read Between the Lynes Bookstore on Monday, August 4, at 7 PM.

Chris's appearance will mark the Third Annual Jersey Night at Read Between the Lynes. Store owner Arlene Lynes is a Jersey girl herself, and these events celebrate all things Jersey -- salt water taffy, Italian ice, Jersey trivia, Jersey music (with particular emphasis on Bruce Springsteen) -- and more.

It's a fun night -- see you there! (I'm a Jersey girl myself!)
CH

Posted by Readers Services at 04:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In just a few days, the number of major metropolitan newspapers offering a stand alone book review section will be reduced from four to three. Publishers Weekly has revealed that this Sunday, July 27, will be the last date the Los Angeles Times will publish book reviews in a separate section, leaving only the New York Times, Washington Post, and our own Chicago Tribune . According to a Times executive, book reviews now will be included in the newspaper's "Calendar" section.

Yeah, I'd think to look there if I wanted to read a critical literary analysis of Ethan Canin's latest novel.

The Los Angeles Times is owned by the Tribune Company, and the news out of that city has to make Chicago area readers wonder how long this town will be able to support a separate newspaper section devoted solely to book reviews. Editors of the Chicago Tribune have been candid about the possibility of change to the "Books" section. For weeks, they have been inviting readers to share their thoughts and opinions on its strengths and weaknesses.

Will this really do any good? Has the decision to cut "Books" already been made? If this week's PW announcement is any indication, it's only a matter of time.

Does this mean we've become a nation of philistines who don't revere the written word enough to warrant our newspapers' devotion of a few meager inches of column space to coverage of the book industry? Not necessarily. As political pundit James Carville famously said, "it's the economy, stupid!" and the fact of the matter is that book review sections do not attract sufficient advertising dollars to support their production. The national chain bookstores are relying more and more on Internet marketing to attract buyers, and regional and local independent booksellers can't afford the ad rates.

So, where will avid readers be able to go to find book reviews? Tooting our own horn here, there are a number of resources available in the Readers Services department, from magazines such as Bookmarks and ForeWord to online databases such as the American Library Association's Booklist. And a Readers Services or Reference librarian will always be able to help you find the reviews you want.

But our library materials notwithstanding, for the sake of all the readers here in Chicago, I can only hope we don't go the way of our left-coast brethren. Though it's a far cry from what it could or should be, the Trib's "Books" section is still a reliable resource. If it, too, goes bye-bye, I will sorely miss one of my weekend rituals, sitting on the sofa with a second cup of tea and a couple of cats, and finding out what's new, what's good, what's hot, what's not in the wonderful world of books.

CH

Posted by Readers Services at 05:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Have you ever had the experience of reading a book and finding that it unexpectedly has a direct connection to your own life? This happened to me a few weeks ago. I had checked out a book based primarily on the cover (it's the cutest sad dog) and because the title, Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing, and Hope In My Life As an Animal Surgeon, made me think of one of my favorite authors, James Herriot (who wrote several books about being a vet in Yorkshire, England). Little did I know that I was soon to have some personal experience in the vet's office! Yes, my 9-month kitten decided (for various reasons) to go on a hunger strike and so we spent some quality time getting to know various veterinarians over the Fourth of July weekend. The good news is that she is now fine and dandy, but there were many stressful days before we reached that point.

If you have ever owned an animal I'm sure you can empathize with how frustrating it can be to pinpoint what exactly is wrong when the "patient" is unable to directly communicate. The author of Tell Me Where It Hurts captures this and much more as he takes us through a "typical" day treating a variety of animals and their ailments, as well as interacting with their owners. I read with particular interest his comments on pet insurance! If you love animals, this is an easy-to-read, likable story - not filled with as many in-depth character sketches as the James Herriot books - but still highly enjoyable.

marlise

Posted by Readers Services at 04:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Staff Reads for May 2008

People of the Book Geraldine Brooks
Combining the elements of a complex love story and exciting mystery, Brooks’s latest, historical novel is about the discovery of an ancient Jewish text and the adventures of its passionate restorer.

The Prince of Frogtown Rick Bragg 306.8742 BRA
Another poignant, humorous memoir from journalist Rick Bragg but this one focuses on the hard scrabble life of his father and his stepson. Braggs’s description of the Appalachian landscape and narration of his childhood are wonderful.

Run Ann Patchett
A wise novel about belonging and parenthood that attempts to define family and human concerns without being heavy-handed. A timely book whose characters we know quite well by the story’s end.

What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception Scott McClellan 973.931 MCC
Former White House press secretary McClellan examines the Bush administration’s inept handling of such crises as Hurricane Katrina, the Iraq war, and Washington's political infighting.

Codex 632: The Secret Identity of Christopher Columbus José Rodrigues dos Santos
The pursuit to uncover Christopher Columbus’s true identity is fascinating but eventually bogged down with convoluted details and plot twists. And the hero’s personal problems offer little to enrich this sometimes thought-provoking novel of hidden documents and historical enigmas.

Marrying Mozart Stephanie Cowell
The four Weber daughters share a rich artistic world with their parents as they struggle to find suitable husbands and a place for their unusual talents. Until one evening when young Amadeus walks into their lives. The strongest element of the story is Cowell's realistic descriptions of eighteenth century Austria....you feel a part of this world and want to learn more about the life of Mozart.

Enders Game Orson Scott Card
Earth is under attack from alien “buggers,” and Ender Wiggin finds himself the unlikely hero fighting the aliens to save mankind. First in the Ender’s saga, Card’s series is filled with features sci-fi fans love including war games, genetic engineering and suspenseful plot twists.

Unmentionables: Poems Beth Ann Fennelly 811.54 FEN
What happens when a child of troubled parents grows up, gets married, has children of her own, and settles down to writing and teaching poetry? Fennelly's very likable third book of verse attempts to such questions with vigor and ease.

MC

Posted by Readers Services at 05:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Film critic Roger Ebert has said that movie watching is a way to meet new people—cinematic people, that is. Through the documentary The Monastery: Mr. Vig and the Nun, I have met Mr. Jorgen Vig, an 82-year-old Danish recluse. With his long, stringy white hair and a long, stringy white beard, in appearance Mr. Vig is a cross between the Ancient Mariner and Ebeneezer Scrooge. Mr. Vig owns a castle, and is obsessed with the idea that someday it becomes a monastery. In his eighties, apparently aware that time is a-wasting, he contacts the Russian Orthodox church, in Moscow, asking them if they would use the castle for a monastery. A party of nuns is dispatched to check the castle out. These are the bare parameters of a story that is both humorous and thought-provoking, the humor arising from the many collisions of the eccentric Mr. Vig’s thought processes with the nuns, who are in every way orthodox. The skeptical nuns, noting that the leaking stone roof is crushing the walls of the castle, creating cracks and fissures, and also noting that the castle’s boiler is a rust-encrusted ancient hulk barely capable of heating a cup of tea, much less a castle, try to determine if the castle can be made habitable. One nun, in particular, Sister Ambrosija, spars with Mr. Vig, and they come to a mutual and touching admiration for one another.

There is much to enjoy in this movie. As well as the charismatic Mr. Vig, who wears a different hat in every scene, there are the many nooks and crannies of the decrepit castle for the camera to explore; the beautiful Danish countryside in all seasons; and the life of Russian Orthodox nuns, their every waking hour a scheduled round of prayer and work.

In the end, Mr. Vig, who is a self-described “emotional cripple,” who cringes in horror when embraced by a nun, who could barely bring himself to embrace his mother (once), and who has a host of other neuroses and fixations and is emotionally isolated beyond what most people could imagine, leaves behind him a community of believers, and herein lies the mystery of the life of Mr. Vig.

The force of Mr. Vig’s odd personality was such that when the movie was over I had that bereft feeling I get when I must finally turn the last page of a wonderful novel, exiled from the embrace of the novel’s world forever. In the case of The Monastery: Mr. Vig and the Nun, however, I made a cup of tea, settled down, and immediately watched the movie again.

Posted by Readers Services at 09:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Can you believe 2008 is already almost half over? Take a moment and delight in some enchanting quotes and poems about the month of June, along with a little gardening appreciation, too. Enjoy!

JDC

Posted by Readers Services at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)