By The Book from the New York Times

Here's a link to a recent By the Book article featuring economist Dambisa Moyo discussing a few of her favorite books.

DambisaMoyo.com

A Story of Resilience - Stir: My Broken Brain and the Meals the Brought Me Home by Jessica Fechtor

One of the things I like best in a book is resilience.  It is in abundance in Stir: My Broken Brain and the Meals the Brought Me Home by Jessica Fechtor.    Fechtor poignantly describes her recovery from a burst brain aneurysm.  She dwells not on the bad days or difficulties, but on taking each day as it comes and forging ahead.  Life is filled with roadblocks and difficulties for all of us.  The quality of our lives depends on how we respond to these occurrences and how do or do not let them define us. 

Fechtor lets the aneurysm and subsequent surgeries (and problems) define her only in terms of how she can recover and how she can make the best of it.  This leads her back to the kitchen where she felt most at home and where she begins to write about her experiences.   Each chapter ends with a recipe relevant to the subject or person contained therein.  After I finished to book, I felt like I was one of her friends and was invited to her place for dinner.  This is one of the best books I've ever read.  Highly recommended.

The Bridge Ladies by Betsy Lerner

I first read reviews of this book last spring and I knew immediately that I wanted to read it.  It sounded like a fun, quick read and I thought maybe I'd learn a little Bridge lingo in the process. The book did not disappoint and the further I got into the book, the more the book became a multi-layered personal reveal of mother/daughter dynamics - without being heavy or burdensome.

What begins as a memoir of her mother's weekly bridge group grows into a reflective memoir on mothers and daughters, families, family secrets and friendship.  The big winners here are friendship and the author's acceptance of her mother as she is.  The mother/daughter journey can be difficult to navigate, but Betsy Lerner is like an explorer. She never gives up, whether asking questions about her mom or learning bridge. 

There are some difficult subjects, but Lerner's empathy and honesty will help others who have faced similar losses.  Her sense of humor is quirky and helps keep the tone light.  Readers will admire her tenacity and will love getting to know the Bridge Ladies.  This is a delightful book to read.  Highly recommended.

To learn more about The Bridge Ladies, check out this YouTube clip:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=824wuLTP9O4

How intergrated are our personal libraries?

Most folks I know have diverse music collections.  Their CD's and playlists include a wonderful mix of music by everyone from Wynton Marsalis and Stevie Wonder to Beethoven and Diana Krall.  But how many of us have personal libraries that share the same unique and diverse blend of American creative artistry?

I wonder if we take the ease of crossing cultural/stylistic musical lines for granted and think "yes; I like a variety of music styles, so I'm a modern, open-minded person ... so I'm not a racist, blah, blah, blah."  Is that true?  Is enjoying Marvin Gaye, Najee and Snoop Dog enough?  Not to belittle music at all, but that's just music.  There's so much more!

How many Caucasians have read Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, or Terry McMillan?  To enjoy, respect, and appreciate African American culture, we need to read and try to understand their experiences and literature offers us an incredible opportunity to immerse ourselves in this wonderful culture.  I've read Terry McMillan and Tina McElroy Ansa.  I've tried to read J. California Cooper, but gave up because it was hard for me to follow and it was painful.  I have not read Toni Morrison ... yet.  Like I said, there's so much more.  Take a look at your bookshelves and grow it into a multicultural collection.  In the meantime, a whole world awaits and it's all available at your local public library.

Review: Look Up: the Life and Art of Sacha Kolin

Look Up: the Art and Life of Sacha Kolin by Lisa Thaler

I am currently reading a fascinating biography of Sacha Kolin, a mid-century modern artist who emigrated to the US in the 1930's.  Titled Look Up:  the life and art of Sacha Kolin, it is a scholarly work by professional genealogist, researcher and editor Lisa Thaler, but is readable and friendly to those who lack knowledge of the art world.  Short, informative chapters blend Sacha's personal and professional lives seamlessly into one.  I'm currently about half-way through the book and what strikes me most of all is that, no matter how successful and famous you might be, if you are an immigrant, you live your life always trying to be part of the in crowd, always trying to catch up.  Kolin's talent and tenaciousness leave me in awe.

Moments of Grace

Today I had a moment of grace.  Of course, moments of grace occur all the time, especially throughout the workday in a busy public library, but this one was uniquely special.

I was helping out at a new branch library.  I've helped the manager with some special projects over the last few weeks as she prepared to open the branch.  She graciously offered to buy me lunch to thank me.  So, she went out to a barbecue restaurant and returned with lunch for the two of us.  She set two cans of Diet Coke on the table in the staff lounge.  Both cans said "Dad" on them.  The barbecue came with two kinds of sauce:  regular and North Carolina.  I chose NC because my dad was from NC.

This moment of grace was a wink from my dad.  Here's to you, dad.

Libraries Change Lives

Public library staff make an enormous difference in people's lives.  The Minneapolis Star-Tribune recently posted an article about Gratia Countryman, a librarian in the early 20th century who made a difference. 

Busy Winter and Spring

I can't believe it's almost the first of May.  After taking a few online classes and finding myself overwhelmed (in a good way), I am trying to catch up on reading and writing.  Here's a link to some read-a-likes for the uber-popular title The Girl on the Train.  Click here to learn more.  Courtesy of OverDrive, distributor of e-books and more.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

What a delightful book!  This is a sleeper - you don't realize how good it is at first and then, bam, you fall in love with it.  There are a lot of layers here and Harold's journey, while seemingly unrealistic at first, is reflective of our desire to do something drastic, to really take a stand and make a difference.  Just how his journey - the pilgrimage of the title - progresses and transforms him and others is deftly told and you'll find yourself cheering him on.  The author weaves all the layers together into a very satisfying ending.  Highly recommended.

12 Blogs of Christmas

Last year, one of my first blog posts listed my favorite books of the year, past and present.  I listed six books I had read in 2013 that I loved and six books that I hoped to read in 2014.  How did I do?  Oh, geez.  I didn't read a single one this year that I thought I would!  I tried a couple of them, but didn't like them and moved on.  Life is too short to waste time on a book I don't like.

This year, I'm listing my favorite blogs.  Some of them are already posed to the right of the screen, but this time I'll expound a little bit about why I've chosen it.

Sarah Farish - This is unabashed pride because SE is my oldest niece, a high school English teacher, a funny and smart young lady with a keen eye and sensitive heart.

Debra Darvick - Debra is the oldest daughter of a family friend who passed away in the spring of this year.  After reading her mom's obituary in the local paper, I contacted Debra and we connected/reconnected sharing stories about her mom and what it's like to have a parent who loves you because they have to, not necessarily because they want to - and there's nothing personal about it at all.  When my father died 14 years ago, I learned more about grief than I thought I needed to learn and most of it was wrapped up in my dad's inability to be a good dad.   Debra's journey through her grief is eloquent and she writes lovingly, longingly and realistically about her mother.  Until now, I didn't really know Debra, but knew her mother as a library patron.  I always felt some kind of connection to her mom. 

Stacy Horn -  One of my favorites books from last year was Imperfect Harmony:  Finding Happiness Singing with Others.  I loved this book!   When I "googled" the author, I found this wonderful blog, filled with all kinds of NYC delights.

Citizen Reader - She doesn't post often enough, but I enjoy it when she does.  Lots of non-fiction.

Savvy Working Gal - Lots of non-fiction and common sense.  One of my favorites.

Janice MacLeod - The author wrote a great book Paris Letters. 


libraryofcleanreads.blogspot.com/ Good general blog, mostly fiction.  There is a helpful rating system to let readers know about a book’s content.  Check out her “Blog List” to find links to other blogs.

rhapsodyinbooks.wordpress.com   Good general fiction and non-fiction reviews, including young adult titles.

www.bethfishreads.com This blog offers a variety of reviews, fiction and non-fiction.  The blog also has weekly features such as “Weekend Cooking” and “Wordless Wednesday.”

www.cozy-mystery.com This site features a blog that has links to low-priced Kindle e-books, as well as book recommendations.  There’s a lot of information available, so take a little time and explore.

bookjourney.net Good general fiction and non-fiction reviews, as well as audiobook reviews.

bookretreat.blogspot.com This blog features a wide variety of book reviews – fiction, non-fiction, young adult, etc.  It’s a fun blog to read – personable and informative.

Just a note:  When looking for blogs to follow, it’s important to look for ones that are updated every few days.  This shows a commitment to the subject and to readers who follow the blogs.  A good way to find additional blogs is to find a blog you like and then see what other blogs that person follows.  Explore, explore, explore.  Click on suggested links and discover the online world of book blogging.  Before you know it, you’ll have several blogs bookmarked on your computer or e-reader and your “to be read list” will be longer than you thought imaginable.

Holiday Music

This is a great time of year for music lovers - every kind of musical taste can be satisfied.   As I get older, I lean more towards the calm, soothing instrumental-type of music with a jazz lilt.  For many years, just about any title in the Windham Hill catalog was a favorite:  nightnoise, George Winston, the Celtic Christmas series, etc.  This year, though, those songs seem tired and stale. 

Last year, I borrowed a CD from the library where I work, Christmas with the George Shearing Quintet.  I didn't listen to it then, but put a copy on my laptop for this year.  Holy cow!  What a joyful and soothing CD.  Always a jazz vocal fan, but never really a jazz instrumental student, this CD opens up a whole new world to me.  The best word I can some up with is hip.  This is the most hip CD I've ever heard.  This makes me feel like I'm at a cool dinner party in NYC or a nightclub, waiting for Billie Holiday to take the stage.  Excellent music.

Along those lines, my long-time jazz favorite, Beegie Adair, has several Christmas compilations and a regular favorite is Christmas Cocktails.  Love it, love it, love it.  I was one of the staff in charge of the Christmas party at work and I played this in the background.  One of my colleagues said the music made her feel like she was in a fancy restaurant. 

Hardbacks ... a brief history

I found this interesting tidbit on my 22 y/r niece's Twitter feed.   Very interesting.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2014/10/economist-explains-15?fsrc=scn/tw/te/bl/ee/whybookshardback

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry

 

Charming.  This book is a charmer - it pulls you in and gets a hold of you and keeps you hanging on during the (few) slow parts.  A fast-paced narrative that seems far-fetched at times, hums merrily along and never seems beyond reach. 

The storyline is deceptively simple:  a widower/bookstore owner adopts a baby, finds love in more ways than one and, even though the ending isn't happily ever after, the characters are richer for their experiences together. Isn't that what life's about, anyway?

The last third of the book is the best because there are a lot of unexpected twists and turns that explain some of the earlier sub-plots or behaviors.  Great story, great characters and great writing.  

New Year’s Reading Resolutions

When it comes to resolutions for the New Year, most people focus on their physical health – lose weight, exercise more, eat healthy food.  What about your reading health?  Are you an avid reader or an occasional one?  Do you read only newspapers?  Do you read only fiction?  Only biographies?  Only romance?

Now is a good time to shake up your reading habits and expand your horizons.   The Internet offers a wide variety of reading challenges for the New Year and some examples are listed below.  Try one out and see if it works for you.  If it doesn’t, try another one.  Go easy on yourself.  Set realistic reading goals to keep your mind and spirit active in the New Year.

Read the classics.  Did you skip some of the classics in high school in favor of popular titles?  This is a good time to catch up.  You’ll be glad you did.

Try out a new genre.  Branch out.  Read a mystery instead of a romance novel.  Read a non-fiction title about one of your favorite (or least favorite) subjects.  Push yourself to read outside your comfort zone. 

Create fun monthly or yearly challenges.  Read a book about each U. S. President this year or all of Agatha Christie’s novels – even all of Shakespeare’s plays.  Search the Internet for things like “50 Novels Featuring Famous Authors as Characters” or “Around the World in 80 Books” to find fun, yet different types of books to read.

Write brief reviews of what you read.  Share your thoughts with others.  Join www.goodreads.com and write a one or two sentence review about the books you’ve read.  Book reviews can be as long or short as you want them to be.  The important thing is to share.

Join a book club – in person or online.  The Roswell library offers two books clubs, Noonday Nosh (general fiction and non-fiction) and the Mystery Readers’ Book Club.   Most libraries offer book clubs.  Join www.goodreads.com and search for groups that read similar genres (or challenge yourself to find a new genre to read).

Read the best books of 2014.  At year’s end, websites, magazines and newspapers recommend the best books of the year. Type the words “best books of 2014” into a search engine like Google or Yahoo and see what appears.  Take a look, read a few and see if you agree. 

The suggestions above are just a few ways to begin your reading year with a new twist. Whether you make a reading resolution or not (or keep it or not), always remember the most important thing is … to read.  Library staff are always happy to help you find books to read.  Just ask them.

Brief reviews of teen books adults will enjoy

My nieces and nephew, ages 11 - 22, visited this Thanksgiving and reminded me of a couple of books I read last summer that are technically YA books, but will be enjoyed by adults, too.  In fact, adults should read them to 1) see what kids are reading and 2) learn from what kids are reading.  

The best part of their visit was our book discussions (and watching my nephew beat his dad at Scrabble).  I had a lot of books on the coffee table, hoping they would take a few home with them (and free up my shelves).  They are devout booklovers and were reluctant to take anything, but I was able to finally send them home with The Mockingbird Next Door, Wonder and two baseball books.  Mission accomplished.

Wonder by R. J. Palacio tells the story of Auggie Pullman, a 5^th grade boy living in Manhattan.  Auggie is bright, funny, loves Star Wars and has a facial deformity that makes people cringe.   After being home-schooled, he enters a private school and learns the intricacies and dynamics of changing classes, friendship, betrayal, and rivalry.  A quick read, this novel dwells not on Auggie’s face, but on his resilience.  He learns – and his family and friends also learn – that appearance isn’t everything.  It’s a life lesson one is never too old to learn.  

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green tackles a subject that frightens most everyone:  cancer.   This novel centers on Hazel, a 16 year-old with terminal cancer.  Hazel’s struggles with her illness, her family and friendships are warmly portrayed.  Teens will appreciate the dialogue and rebellious behavior and cheer for Hazel and her friends to survive. The author keeps the reader in suspense regarding who might make it and who, sadly, will not.   But Green doesn’t dwell on sadness or loss.  He treats these issues matter-of-factly and this gives the reader the best gift of all:  hope.

Nora Webster by Colm Tóibín

This is one of the most poignant books I've ever read.  There are so many layers - grief, families, self-discovery and music.  As the story unfolds, we learn more about Nora - what's in her heart, her mind and especially, her spirit.  Her transformation from grieving widow to independent woman mirrors the struggles other people endure after a profound loss.  Each character is drawn out as carefully as Nora, the subtleties merging as the novel progresses.  Tóibín's narrative is so rich it's almost as if he is painting the Irish landscape on Nora's soul. 

Irish literature has always seemed out of reach because of the depth of the narratives, but this story invites the reader in and welcome them to stay and have some tea.  This is a beautiful book.

Here's a link to NPR's review:  http://www.npr.org/2014/10/11/354592020/a-slow-simmer-of-grief-and-strength-in-nora-webster.

A thought for everyday

“This a wonderful day. I've never seen this one before.” 

Maya Angelou

The Mandolin Lesson by Frances Taylor

This delightful memoir had me hooked from the first page.  Who would have ever thought the mandolin could be so enchanting?  Well, it is.  And so is author Frances Taylor.  A natural writer as well as musician, Taylor describes in rich and vivid detail the years she traveled from the UK to Italy to study under the tutelage of Maestro Ugo Orlandi.  Her innocence and then maturity as both a traveler and a musician is honest and heart-warming.  The strength and determination at which she accomplishes her musical goals serve as a model to others.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and took my time near the end because I didn't want it to end!

Music Books x Three

Wish I could think of a clever way to describe the three music books I am reading for NetGalley.com and Edelweiss.  Each approaches music from a different point of view, but all three are intriguing;  two are scholarly, and one is deeply passionate about the mandolin.   I'm about halfway through The Mandolin Lesson by Frances Taylor.  The classical mandolin calls Taylor's name, pulls her soul into the sound of the eight strings.  I feel that way about the guitar, so I understand that kind of pull.  That said, I'm not sure I would travel the continent of Europe to study with a maestro once a month!  My guitar teachers, exceptional musicians that I remember fondly, were more of the hippie type, not tuxedoes and polished shoes.

The other books, You Are the Music:  How Music Reveals What it Means to Be Human by Victoria Williamson and Capturing Music:  The Story of Notation by Thomas Forest Kelly are more in depth about music, the science of it or the art of notation.  They require more concentration than I can muster right now at the end of a stressful and busy day!