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)

Here are some titles that members of the Readers Advisory team have recently enjoyed:

Life on the Refrigerator Door: A Novel in Notes by Alice Kuipers

This was a sweet and touching little book about a mother and her teenage daughter as they exchange notes in place of actually spending time with each other. Mom is an obstetrician and daughter a high school student. Both are dealing with the everyday pressures of their hectic lives, including the demands of work and homework, dating, etc. Each relies on the other to get things down around their home. Mom eventually learns that she has breast cancer, which draws them closer and causes them to rethink what is most important in life. The saddest element of all is the price their lack of time for one another costs them in the end. (I wanted to call my mom and hug my kids after I finished this book!)

Last Light: A Restoration Novel by Terri Blackstock

This first book in the author’s Restoration series deals with what a post 9/11 day family/community has to face when the power goes out all over the world unexpectedly and nothing works, including cars, cell phones, etc. All forms of modern communication are lost. I was really looking forward to this title based on the recommendation I received from a patron, but unfortunately I found the writing to be really flat. The family at the center of the book has four kids which are incredibly whiny while the parents spend a lot of time focusing on what God’s message must be through all of this. I enjoy inspirational fiction but did not expect that in this story (my patron never mentioned it), and found it to be jumbled up into the plot along with a serial killer, a cancer patient, abandoned families, hoarding of goods, and more. Everyone runs around with guns and by the end of the book, there is no resolution to this major catastrophy, which enables Blackstock to continue on with the series. I would have liked to have seen more written about how the family reverts to earlier times in order to survive without modern conveniences. If nothing else, it is a good reminder that what I enjoy reading may not always appeal to others.
JC

Identity Crisis by Brad Meltzer
(741.5 MEL)

Whether you’re a long-time follower of the Justice League or not, this is an interesting graphic novel to try: Meltzer (known for his best-selling thrillers) has written a mystery revolving around the shocking murder of the wife of Elongated Man, which raises troubling questions about the safety of all the heroes’ loved ones. The artwork brings to life the characters and vividly captures the themes of grief, friendship, betrayal and moral ambiguity.

Death at Charity’s Point by William G. Tapply

A bit dated (published in 1990) but still enjoyable, this is the first mystery featuring Brady Coyne, an attorney to the well-heeled in Boston who reluctantly investigates an apparent suicide at the request of one of his clients. The murder plot is a bit thin, but snappy writing and a likable protagonist were enough to make me want to check out the second in the series.
MCS

The Colony: The Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Molokai by John Tayman
(614.546 TAY)
Another “travesty of justice” story filled with haunting tales of heroism by victims and concerned advocates.

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett.
My personal favorite for the month – charming, absolutely charming; and a great audiobook performance by the author.

Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon – and the Journey of a Generation by Shelia Weller
(781.64092 WEL)
Excellent nostalgia factor for female baby boomers.

The Senator’s Wife by Sue Miller
Vintage Miller; relationship between two women of different generations – one a political wife, the other a professor’s wife – great audio performance by actress Blair Brown.

March by Geraldine Brooks
The ravages of the Civil War on the March family of Little Women fame.

The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted by Elizabeth Berg
Some laugh-out-loud stories, some make-you-cry stories – also perfect for female baby boomer audience.
CH

Resistance by Owen Sheers
(940.5318 ACK)

Poet Owen Sheers’ beautiful novel brings to life the German invasion of Britain during World War II in this speculative fiction that touches on the lives of several Welsh women whose husbands have disappeared. Captain Albrecht Wolfram and his men are detached to Ochlon Valley on a mysterious mission. As the harsh winter unfolds, both women and soldiers are forced to depend on each other for survival, but when spring comes, the world and war shatter their peculiar idyll. Another realistic, haunting look at the seemingly endless ravages of World War II. (Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky or The Zookeeper’s Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman

Sister Wendy on Prayer by Sister Wendy Beckett
(248.32 BEC)

Art historian Sister Wendy Beckett offers a reflection on the beauty of prayer that she has learned from her life of silence and contemplation as a nun. explorING several paintings she feels especially connected to, Sister reveals the power of art and prayer to enrich one's life. And what she gleans from studying a work of art is always fascinating!

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
(818.33 P3)

If it’s been awhile since you’ve watched or listened to The Merchant of Venice, you might want to give this powerful drama another chance. Yes, everything you have ever read or heard about the beauty of Shakespeare’s language, his insight into the flaws of humanity and the universality of his themes will touch you more deeply that ever. His chilling portrayal of the effects of prejudice and fear has especial significance for today’s world.

The Florist's Daughter by Patricia Hampl
(818.54 HAM)

Once a daughter, always a daughter…and what a faithful, honest and witty daughter Patricia Hampl reveals herself to be in this lovely memoir. Keeping vigil at the bedside of her dying mother, the author’s storytelling’s gift (like her mother’s) shines through in beautiful prose and piercing insight as Hampl discovers the absolute mystery of the “relentlessly modest life.” Don’t miss this wonderful, evocative and funny memoir that is a tribute to the passion of “supposedly’ ordinary people who struggled out of the Depression for a better chance, not only for themselves but for all.
MC

Posted by Readers Services at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For many people, summer doesn't truly begin until they attend the first festival of the season. For music lovers, it may be an evening on the lawn at Ravinia. For art lovers, it's attending your town's fine art street fair. But when you're a bookie, Chicago's Printers Row Book Fair is the only place to go to kick off summer in true style. Billed as the Midwest's largest literary event, this year's fair takes place this coming weekend, Saturday and Sunday, June 7 and 8. The show brings together more than 140 vendors of new and used books , and showcases more than 180 authors, including personal appearances by such local literary luminaries as Elizabeth Berg, Studs Terkel, and Scott Turow, plus nationally- and internationally-recognized authors such as Robert Olmstead, Mary Doria Russell, and Margot Livesey. One-on-one conversations will be conducted with authors such as Richard Preston and Andre Dubus II, while others such as Augusten Burroughs and Jeff Shaara will speak at solo appearances. Or you can sit in on one of the many panel discussions on topics such as "The Thrill of Mystery," "Plundering the Past," and "Sporting Lives." The fair runs from 10 am to 6 pm and is located in the Printers Row neighborhood of Chicago at Dearborn and Polk. Admission is free, and there are plenty of activities for kids, plus food tents, and other entertainment. For more information, including a schedule of programs, go to www.printersrowbookfair.org.

CH

Posted by Readers Services at 01:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Do you belong to a book club or some group where you can discuss books? Finding the right club to join is often bit of a process since they can run the range from extremely laid back to highly intellectual. I think it's worth the search, however, because discussing a book with others can lend a whole new perspective that you otherwise would have missed. My book club falls somewhere in the middle of the two extremes and - while we always have fun - we definately have the best discussions when we disagree on whether we enjoyed the book!

One comment we often hear at the Reader Services desk is that choosing a book and finding discussion questions are the biggest challenges for a book group leader. We want to remind you that the Library has many resources to make this a lot easier. In the New Books area we have a cart of "Resources for Readers and Book Groups" that has print materials to look at, and there are tips and recommended titles on our web site under "Discuss Books" including a links to sites such as ReadingGroupGuides.com. Readers will also enjoy Book Group Buzz from Booklist - a highly readable blog about books and book discussions.

The Library also sponsors two book discussions which anyone is welcome to attend. They meet the second Tuesday of each month - at 10:00am and 7:00pm. A list of upcoming books they are discussing is online. A recent title that they enjoyed is The Florist's Daughter by Patricia Hample, a very honest portrayal of the relationship between a daughter and mother that generated great discussion about what makes us who we are (i.e. the town where we grew up, attitudes towards education and beauty, etc.). The author is a poet, so the writing is wonderful too. Some of the titles that have elicited the most "extreme" reactions are books about contemporary dysfunctional families, such as On Beauty by Zadie Smith or Saturday by Ian McEwan. The group realized anew how the author's tone can make a pivotal difference in enjoying the work.

If you're not in a book group, I encourage you to ask around and see if there's one you can join - or start one of your own!

marlise

Posted by Readers Services at 03:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you're like me, you've been hearing more and more references to Web 2.0, and you may not know what it refers to. According to Wikipedia (which in itself makes use of Web 2.0 technology) it refers to "web design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users." In other words, it's web sites that are interactive, and it has led to social networking sites such as MySpace, wikis that anyone can add information to, and blogs (like this one!) It has also allowed for numerous sites for book-lovers- like you. Probably the best known such site is LibraryThing, which was launched in August 2005 and featured on our blog this February. This is a site that will catalog up to 200 of your personal titles for free, as well as keep a list of books, suggest titles based on your catalog, and allow comments on others' profiles. Other similar sites exist, with Shelfari being perhaps the second best known. Slightly newer, it was launched in October 2006. Again, registration is free, but this site also allows for an unlimited number of books cataloged for no charge. Why not register for both and let us know which you prefer.
TJS

Posted by Readers Services at 03:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Great World of Sound is a comedy that inhabits the precise place in the American dream where the desperate are barely clinging to the bottom rung on the ladder of success. Martin (Pat Healy) and Clarence (Kene Holliday) have been hired by a record production firm named Great World of Sound (GWS). Their job is to scour the American hinterlands for musical talent. GWS will produce and distribute CDs for the performers, though they ask for an “in faith” payment of money before doing so. When Martin and Clarence find they have to sign up everyone who auditions, talented or not, a light bulb switches on: this is a scam, though it takes Martin longer than Clarence, who has lived a tough life out on the streets, to catch on. Clarence points out that “nothing is fair,” in this world, and you have to do what you have to do to survive. For Martin and Clarence, all that stands between them and their slice of American pie is their conscience.

A motley array of hopefuls audition for Martin and Clarence in skuzzy motel rooms. The lame, the halt, and the completely clueless are paraded before us, which is either painful or funny, depending on your state of mind. I found that many of the performers had a certain dignity—yes, they may be awful as they flail guitars, and screech and whine about the pain of love, but their faith in themselves and their dreams is touching. The movie takes a turn when a young woman with actual talent lands in their net, like an unsuspecting butterfly. Will they scam her?

If you have ever found yourself at 6:30 in the morning making your bleary way to the complimentary breakfast at a Motel 6, somewhere in Nowheresville, USA, you are familiar with the rather bleak terrain of this movie. But the movie is saved from darkness by Martin and Clarence, who remain human as they gamely do their best in a losing proposition, and much of the quirky charm of this movie arises from their likeability and banter. The performers have their dreams, and small kindnesses illuminate the movie like emergency flairs. I laughed throughout the whole movie, but sometimes tears sprang to my eyes—as some critics have noted, Great World of Sound is more of a “dramedy,” than a comedy.

Great World of Sound is rated “R” for language.

Fran M.

Posted by Readers Services at 03:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here are some more titles that members of the Readers Advisory team have recently enjoyed:

The Eye of Jade Diane Wei Liang
The hero of Liang’s debut novel is Mei Wang, Beijing’s first female detective. When her uncle hires her to find a piece of Jade pottery from the Han dynasty, Wang uncovers political turmoil in both old and new China. Set in the 1990s, Eye of Jade treats the reader to wonderful descriptions of Beijing and fascinating cultural information. Read-alikes include Alexander McCall Smith’s The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Series and Elizabeth Lowell’s series on jewels.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Lisa See
Story chronicles the lives of nineteenth Chinese women with compelling historical detail of their friendships and total submission to their mothers-in-law and men ~ Carefully defined class distinctions ~ A poignant tale with a touch of suspense .

The Chameleon’s Shadow Minette Walters
Psychological thriller about a British lieutenant’s return home from Iraq and the devastating effects of war on his personality ~ Not this Edgar-Award winning author’s best, but the reader becomes deeply involved in the characters’ lives and cares about them.

Consumption Kevin Patterson
Patterson’s beautifully written novel takes place in a remote Alaskan village that is gradually becoming exploited for its natural resources ~ Victoria is a beautiful Inuit woman torn between her family and the modern/progressive “North.” As the novel’s heroine it is her life that mirrors the costs of cultural assimilations and its emotional toll on all involved.

Water for Elephants Sara Gruen
Story told in flashback by ninety-something Jacob Jankowski as he recalls his thrilling and often harrowing experiences with a traveling circus during the Great Depression. Though the ending is somewhat contrived, Gruen’s book illustrates the dependency between animals and humans and the hardships endured by young American men during the thirties and forties.

The Road Cormac McCarthy
Haunting, barely hopeful story of a father and son’s journey of survival in a post apocalyptic nightmare ~ McCarthy’s lean prose heightens the aura of devastation that permeates the novel and he forces the reader to ponder the slight thread existing between civilization and savagery.

A Thousand Splendid Suns Khalid Hosseini
An incredible chronicle of three decades of Afghan history played out in the lives of two women married to the same husband, and the eventual friendship that blossoms between Mariam and Laila ~ Another haunting classic from bestselling author Hosseini.

The Infidel Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Internationally renowned Ali recalls her early life in a traditional Muslin household in Somalia, Saudi Arabia and Kenya to her intellectual awakening and political activism in the Netherlands.

Burned Ellen Hopkins
Gripping story related in verse-form about a young girl reared in a fundamentally religious family, yet she, her mother and siblings suffer greatly at the hands of their abusive father/husband ~ No solutions are offered, but when Pattyn’s is sent away for the summer, she does experience love, acceptance and respect as a person.

Nickel and Dimed: On (not) Getting By in America Barbara Ehrenreich 305.569 EHR

Dated yet eye-opening account of how Americans have been become financially trapped ~ Rendered with humor and empathy, Ehrenreich’s book explores the lives of the “working poor” who continue to struggle to make ends meet despite working long hours.

Orphans Preferred: The Twisted Truth and Lasting Legend of the Pony Express
Christopher Corbett 383.143 COR
It’s 1860 and the year of the Pony Express ~ A well researched and yet still tongue-in-cheek look at the myths and legends that abound with the service ~ Interesting facts about the America West, gold miners, Buffalo Bill Cody and much more are presented in this slice of Americana.

Siddhartha Herman Hesse

Hesse’s classic novel blending Eastern mysticism and Jungian psychoanalysis attempts to depict life as a journey of self-discovery, reconciliation, harmony and eventual peace with one’s self and the universe.

Posted by Readers Services at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

May is Teen Self-Esteem Month and what a perfect time of year to celebrate the accomplishments of our young adults as they finish out the school year, graduate, prepare for college, find a summer job, etc. Never have teens faced more stress in their lives as they do right now, so it is important that we take a moment to recognize their efforts as well as celebrate their successes. Everyone enjoys hearing positive feedback, including our YA's, so please remember to take a moment and hug your teens! Although they may act as though receiving your attention is the last thing on their wish lists, know that the opposite probably holds true.

Take a look at our spring issue of BTW (By the Way...), the library's online young adult newsletter for current information about teen depression and suicide, including book suggestions (both fiction and nonfiction) as well as other key resources.

JDC

Posted by Readers Services at 09:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)