Since our last entry on the Tournament of Books, much as happened. The Anthologist by Nicholson Baker, The Book of Night Women by Marlon James, and the Big Machine by Victor Lavalle, all made it on to the quarter finals. Since then, the quarterfinals and semifinals have happened leaving only the zombie and championship rounds to go (April 1 & 2). Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna, beat Colum McCann's Let the Great World Spin and Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall beat James's The Book of Night Women. Reading isn't such a passive activity is it?
Look here for the champion title, or visit the Tournament of Books yourself--lots of good reading about reading.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
When We Get There
Seliy, Shauna. When We Get There. New York: Bloomsbury, 2007.
Submitted by R. Stuhr
In her first novel, Shauna Seliy, writes about a coal mining community in Pennsylvania, set some time before today, but after the Viet Nam war. As you can imagine, it is hard times in the community with both tragic accidents from the coal mines in its past, and economic decline as the last coal mines close in its present and future. In many ways, this community is shielded from time and the outside world. The Eastern European backgrounds of the members of this community transcend politics and pop culture. Seliy focuses specifically on four generations of a family, the first generation of which came from Russia and Hungary. 13 year old Lucas has lost his father in a coal mine accident and his mother has disappeared. He is being cared for by his grandmother. The family's patriarch, Lucas's great grandfather, goes into a steep decline as he loses control of the family and in particular, as a symbolic pear tree is set on fire by someone outside the family. As the great grandfather sickens, it becomes clear that he expects young Lucas to take some responsibility for the farm. Lucas is more intent on finding his mother than doing anything to keep the family together, but as the novel progresses, Lucas gains insight into his family and his place within the family. The novel is colored by the use of bits of Russian language and elements of Russian and Orthodox culture. Seliy includes a tinge of magical realism -- enough to add to the outside the rest of the world character of the setting, but not so much as to overcome the delicate progress or message of the novel.
Burling Library, Smith Memorial. PS 3619 .E465 W47 2007.
Submitted by R. Stuhr
In her first novel, Shauna Seliy, writes about a coal mining community in Pennsylvania, set some time before today, but after the Viet Nam war. As you can imagine, it is hard times in the community with both tragic accidents from the coal mines in its past, and economic decline as the last coal mines close in its present and future. In many ways, this community is shielded from time and the outside world. The Eastern European backgrounds of the members of this community transcend politics and pop culture. Seliy focuses specifically on four generations of a family, the first generation of which came from Russia and Hungary. 13 year old Lucas has lost his father in a coal mine accident and his mother has disappeared. He is being cared for by his grandmother. The family's patriarch, Lucas's great grandfather, goes into a steep decline as he loses control of the family and in particular, as a symbolic pear tree is set on fire by someone outside the family. As the great grandfather sickens, it becomes clear that he expects young Lucas to take some responsibility for the farm. Lucas is more intent on finding his mother than doing anything to keep the family together, but as the novel progresses, Lucas gains insight into his family and his place within the family. The novel is colored by the use of bits of Russian language and elements of Russian and Orthodox culture. Seliy includes a tinge of magical realism -- enough to add to the outside the rest of the world character of the setting, but not so much as to overcome the delicate progress or message of the novel.
Burling Library, Smith Memorial. PS 3619 .E465 W47 2007.
Ms. Hempel Chronicles
Bynum, Sarah Shun-Lien. Ms. Hempel Chronicles. New York: Harcourt, 2008.
Submitted by R. Stuhr
This short novel is almost like a series of short stories, all dealing with a different event or time in Ms. Hempel's life. Each chapter reveals some new detail of her life. Ms. Hempel is a young (under 30) middle school teacher who is figuring out teaching, her students, and herself. All of it is confusing for her, her ambitions, her lack of ambitions, her responses to her students, her relationships with friends and family. In some ways the book is frustrating, because, since the the main character lacks much insight into herself, so do we, the readers. On the other hand, Bynum's narrative style is unusual and trying to absorb the sudden revelations gives the reader the opportunity to work just a little harder (in a gratifying way). Ms. Hempel doesn't have everything figured out, she has not developed deep insights, she is muddling her way through as do many of us.
Burling Library, Smith Memorial PS 3602 .Y58 M74 2008.
Bynum is also the author of Madeleine is Sleeping. Harcourt, 2004.
Submitted by R. Stuhr
This short novel is almost like a series of short stories, all dealing with a different event or time in Ms. Hempel's life. Each chapter reveals some new detail of her life. Ms. Hempel is a young (under 30) middle school teacher who is figuring out teaching, her students, and herself. All of it is confusing for her, her ambitions, her lack of ambitions, her responses to her students, her relationships with friends and family. In some ways the book is frustrating, because, since the the main character lacks much insight into herself, so do we, the readers. On the other hand, Bynum's narrative style is unusual and trying to absorb the sudden revelations gives the reader the opportunity to work just a little harder (in a gratifying way). Ms. Hempel doesn't have everything figured out, she has not developed deep insights, she is muddling her way through as do many of us.
Burling Library, Smith Memorial PS 3602 .Y58 M74 2008.
Bynum is also the author of Madeleine is Sleeping. Harcourt, 2004.
Monday, March 15, 2010
The Case of the Missing Books
Sansom Ian. The Case of the Missing Books. NY: Harper, 2005.
submitted by R. Stuhr
Mystery is not usually a genre I'm excited about reading, but how could I pass up this particular mystery? The main character is Israel Armstrong, the Jewish-Irish London raised underemployed librarian who has so far found work in a mall bookstore. Israel finally finds a bona fide librarian position at a public library in Ireland, only to find out that the library has been closed. He still has a job, but his new library is mobile, in fact his new library consists of an old book mobile or "mobile learning center." He is convinced by the local bureaucrat to take the job on at least temporarily to get the mobile library started up. Israel soon discovers, however, that all of the books are missing. This not too intense mystery unravels as Israel gets to know the local library constituency and has encounters with chickens, mud, and angry citizens. He may or may not solve the mystery, but the local readers are well served before the novel ends.
This is fun reading and the author knows something about libraries and city councils.
Burling 3rd Floor PR 6119 .A575 M66 2006b
This is the first in a series, so if you like this one, you are in luck!
submitted by R. Stuhr
Mystery is not usually a genre I'm excited about reading, but how could I pass up this particular mystery? The main character is Israel Armstrong, the Jewish-Irish London raised underemployed librarian who has so far found work in a mall bookstore. Israel finally finds a bona fide librarian position at a public library in Ireland, only to find out that the library has been closed. He still has a job, but his new library is mobile, in fact his new library consists of an old book mobile or "mobile learning center." He is convinced by the local bureaucrat to take the job on at least temporarily to get the mobile library started up. Israel soon discovers, however, that all of the books are missing. This not too intense mystery unravels as Israel gets to know the local library constituency and has encounters with chickens, mud, and angry citizens. He may or may not solve the mystery, but the local readers are well served before the novel ends.
This is fun reading and the author knows something about libraries and city councils.
Burling 3rd Floor PR 6119 .A575 M66 2006b
This is the first in a series, so if you like this one, you are in luck!
The Tournament of Books continues
The opening rounds are taking place at the Morning News Tournament of Books. Here are the pair offs and the winners so far:
Round March 9 :
Colum McCann, Let the Great World Spin (Smith Memorial PR6063.C335 L47 2009) The Winner!
Nami Mun, Miles Nowhere (on order at Burling Library)
Round March 10:
John Wray, Lowboy (Smith Memorial, PS3573.R365 L69 2009)
Katheryn Stocket, The Help (3rd floor, PS3619.T636 H45 2009) The Winner!
Round March 11:
Barbara Kingsolver, The Lacuna (3rd floor, PS3561.I496 L33 2009) The Winner!
Bill Cotter, Fever Chart (on order for Burling Library)
Round March 12:
Kamila Shamsie, Burnt Shadows (3rd floor, PR9540.9.S485 B87x 2009) The Winner!
Richard Russo, That Old Cape Magic (on order for Burling Library)
Round March 15:
Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall (on order for Burling Library) The Winner!
Apostolos Doxiadis, Logicomix (on order for Burling Library)
Follow the links to read the comments for each pair off.
More to come
Round March 9 :
Colum McCann, Let the Great World Spin (Smith Memorial PR6063.C335 L47 2009) The Winner!
Nami Mun, Miles Nowhere (on order at Burling Library)
Round March 10:
John Wray, Lowboy (Smith Memorial, PS3573.R365 L69 2009)
Katheryn Stocket, The Help (3rd floor, PS3619.T636 H45 2009) The Winner!
Round March 11:
Barbara Kingsolver, The Lacuna (3rd floor, PS3561.I496 L33 2009) The Winner!
Bill Cotter, Fever Chart (on order for Burling Library)
Round March 12:
Kamila Shamsie, Burnt Shadows (3rd floor, PR9540.9.S485 B87x 2009) The Winner!
Richard Russo, That Old Cape Magic (on order for Burling Library)
Round March 15:
Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall (on order for Burling Library) The Winner!
Apostolos Doxiadis, Logicomix (on order for Burling Library)
Follow the links to read the comments for each pair off.
More to come
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Music History Recommendations from Eastern Pennsylvania
Lewis Baratz, harpsichordist, musicologist, and computer scientist living in a scenic corner of Pennsylvania along the Delware River is reading and loving Mr. Langshaw's Square Piano: The Story of the First Pianos and How They Caused a Cultural Revolution by Madeline Goold. New York: BlueBridge, 2009.
On order for Burling Library
On order for Burling Library
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