Staff Review: A Trio of Recent(ish) Novels

I am woefully behind in my fiction reading, an unfortunate situation caused, in part, by a long detour into Nonfictionland. In an attempt to catch up, I just blew through a trio of novels I missed over the past two or three years.

My favorite was The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout (of Olive Kitteridge fame), which tells the story of three adult siblings from a Maine family racked by a tragic childhood event (one of the three accidentally killed their father in an incident relayed in the novel's first pages). Oldest son Jim Burgess is a hot-shot corporate lawyer heading for a fall, Bob Burgess works for Legal Aid and seems rather spineless, and Susan Burgess is a frumpy, jilted wife whose only son is in a world of legal trouble.

The author seeds a rich plot woven of dramatic family interactions with real-life, local-to-Maine hot topics, like the unlikely presence of a large Somali community within economically-depressed and homogeneous Lewiston, Maine (the old mill town upon which the novel’s fictional setting is based). The story moves at a fast clip and resolves so satisfactorily (a real accomplishment in a time of often-disappointing conclusions), with a big truth revealed, certain characters getting their comeuppance, and others finding redemption or peace.  

My second favorite was Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver, a novel that tackles climate change in a compelling but not story-clobbering way. Set in present-day Appalachia, Kingsolver’s novel serves up a strong female lead in the person of Dellarobia Turnbow, who finds herself trapped in a way-too-small life with a sweet but slow hulk of a husband. 

Monarch butterflies by the millions suddenly appear in her small mountain town, a cohort of scientists moves in, and over the course of events Dellarobbia blossoms into the sort of capable and confident woman who’s bound to land a bigger life.

The third novel on my catch-up fast-track was the fine debut novel The Wild Child by Eowyn Ivey, a book that has garnered glowing reviews and that I figured would pull me into different territory with its quasi-fantastical elements. Set in the homesteaders’ Alaska of the early twentieth century, the novel’s main characters are an older couple, left bereft by the stillbirth of their only child, who leave Pennsylvania to set up in the rugged outback of Alaska, where they encounter (or do they conjure?) a young child named Faina who seems to live, and even thrlve, all alone in the frigid, wolf-haunted wilderness. 

The author’s depiction of Alaska’s pristine landscape bowled me over (wolves, wolverines, bears, moose, icy waters, looming peaks, killing cold), but I was less compelled by the elusive Faina (I admit I am fantasy-resistant), whose pale presence nevertheless constitutes the novel's central question: is she real flesh-and-blood or the fairy-tale snow child of the book's title?     

~Ann, Adult Services

Spotlight: Fairy Tales

Though some of us put fairy tales aside as something for children (or babies), the truth is that many of these stories were originally intended for all ages or even adult audiences. Of course, some of us never outgrow our love for the fantastic, magic and danger and things seen from the corner of your eye.

The enduring appeal of these stories is handily demonstrated by the fact that 2012 saw not one, but two movies based on the story of Snow White: Snow White and the Huntsman (starring Charlize Theron and Kristan Stewart) and Mirror, Mirror (starring Julia Roberts and Sean Bean). And on television this fall will be the second seasons of both Grimm and Once Upon a Time.

Before we get too far, Carnegie-Stout does have collections of classic fairy tales by The Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, Edmund Spenser, and Charles Perrault. And there are even more in the children's section.

Because fairy tales come from the tradition of oral storytelling, there's been no shortage of adaptations, remixes, and retellings over the years. For example you have Disney's animated feature Beauty and the Beast, the '80s television program Beauty and the Beast, the modern day YA novel (and movie) Beastly, and, of course, the numerous variations in the romance section.

We have graphic novels inspired by fairy tales, from Castle Waiting by Linda Medley (see Andrew's staff review) to the Fables series by Bill Willingham. Both of which take elements familiar from bed time stories, and create something for a more adult audience (Fables, in particular, is not meant for younger readers).

Many authors have built careers around creating or recreating fairy tales. J.R.R. Tolkien has inspired generations of fantasy fans with his tales of Middle-earth. Charles de Lint was one of the original authors of urban fantasy (the kind without vampires), and Holly Black helped to reinvent the sub-genre for modern YA readers. Eowyn Ivey's recent debut novel, The Snow Child, is a retelling of a Russian fairy tale, and yes, she's named after the Tolkien character.

There are many, many more examples, but we don't want to overwhelm you. If you're not sure where to start, try My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me (Fiction Short My), a collection of fairy tales by 40 contemporary authors. Stop by the Recommendations Desk or submit a Personal Recommendations request online, and we'll help you find a new version of your favorite story.

Spotlight: Debut authors

All readers - avid and occasional alike - look forward to the next book written by their favorite author. Fans of James Patterson usually don't have long to wait for his newest novel, while fans of authors like George R.R. Martin may have to wait years for his next tome. Or, perhaps you've grown tired of the same ol' stories. So what's a reader to do?  How about trying something written by a brand-new author!

Hundreds of debut authors enter the writing scene every year, from every genre. Some are instant bestsellers, while others gain readers more slowly through word of mouth. Some debut authors have had success in magazines or online, with self-published ebooks.

What sets these authors apart from more familiar names is that this is their first go in the national book publishing scene - their first chance to make a good impression on thousands of readers.  Debut authors don't have to work within expectations, which allows them to take risks that more established authors might not, for fear of losing their loyal readership. Without the benefit of reputation or name recognition, though, it can be difficult to really make an impact.

We add hundreds of debut authors to our collection every year. Here's some of the most promising we've seen in the past few months:

Albert of Adelaide by Howard Anderson (Fiction Anderson) - After escaping from Australia's Adelaide Zoo, a duck-billed platypus encounters a number of Australian animals, including a pyromaniac wombat, drunk bandicoots, and a wrestling Tasmanian devil as he embarks on a journey through the outback searching for liberty and peace.

Diary of a Mad Fat Girl by Stephanie McAfee (Fiction McAfee) - Graciela "Ace" Jones – a high school art teacher in a small Mississippi town - tries to right a number of wrongs, including a friend's cheating husband and her own boyfriend, who proposed three years too late. Funny and engaging, and full of romance and intrigue in the tradition of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum.

The Book of Madness and Cures by Regina O'Melveny (Fiction O'Melveny) -  When 16th-century Venetian doctor Gabriella Mondini is barred from practicing medicine, she sets off across Europe in search of her father, a respected doctor who left under mysterious circumstances 10 years ago to gather material for his Book of Diseases. As a rare female doctor, Gabriella needs his mentorship, but his letters have grown increasingly incoherent; as she follows his route, she hears disturbing stories about his erratic behavior.


Wide Open by Deborah Coates (Science Fiction Coates ) - When Sergeant Hallie Michaels returns home to South Dakota from Afghanistan on ten days' compassionate leave, her sister Dell's ghost is waiting at the airport to greet her. The sheriff says that Dell's death was a suicide, but Hallie doesn't believe it. As Hallie pushes for answers, she attracts more ghosts--local women who disappeared without a trace - and discovers a disturbing pattern. Now she needs to not just figure out what happened to Dell but to make sure no one else shares her fate

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (Fiction Ivey) - A childless couple working a farm in the brutal landscape of 1920 Alaska discover a little girl living in the wilderness, with a red fox as a companion, and begin to love the strange, almost-supernatural child as their own.

Firelight by Kristen Callihan (Romance Callihan) - Forced to wed London's most nefarious nobleman to save her family from financial ruin, Miranda Ellis, who is gifted with exceptional abilities, discovers that her new husband is no ordinary man when she must enter a world of dark magic to save his soul

Stop by the first floor to browse our display of debut authors for even more!

Books for a Blizzard

We've pulled together a few favorites for you to check out before the first real winter storm of the season hits. Stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor to grab one from the display.

Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
Also available as an OverDrive eBook.

Kitty Cornered by Bob Tarte

Marley and Me by John Grogan
Also available as an OverDrive eBook.

Native Tongue by Carl Hiaasen

On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley
Also available as an OverDrive eBook.

Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O'Malley

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

Best Books of 2012 - Staff Picks, Part II

Welcome back! Last week we gave you some of our favorite books of 2012, and since we're all such voracious readers, we have even more!

Allison, Adult Services:

Code Name: Verity by Elizabeth Wein. Of all the great books I read this year, Code Name: Verity stands out as the most engrossing, well written and moving of them. Taking place during World War II, the story is told in two parts each from the perspective of the two main characters. One is an undercover Scottish (not British, mind you) spy for the Allied Forces, the other, a pilot. On a mission over Nazi-occupied France, their plane crashes and what follows is a gripping story of friendship, loyalty and war. The novel, especially the ending, stayed with me for days afterwards. While it's not for the faint of heart, it is an amazing read.

Kristen, Circulation:

American Nations: a History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America, by Colin Woodard. As a lover of history and a family genealogist, this book really helped me to imagine what the lives of my early American ancestors were like and what was important to them. It also gave me some insight as to why different areas of the country have such differing social, economic, and political views to this day.




Michelle, Circulation:
My most favorite book of the year was The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman. I think I liked it more than most of my “bookie” friends, but again, I loved the writing and got totally caught up in the story of these interwoven lives and really wanted to find out how they were all connected and how it all turned out. The descriptions of the concentration camps were very hard to read, but in the end I was not disappointed.  (Michelle also enjoyed Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d'Art by Christopher Moore and Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver.)

Michelle, Adult Services:

My two favorites for 2012 are Eowyn Ivey’s The Snow Child and Louise Erdrich’s The Round House. I listened to the audio versions, and the narrators are splendid. I haven’t finished Erdrich’s book yet; I have 3 disks to go. Gary Farmer is the reader, and he is Wolf Clan Iroquois which adds to the authenticity of the story. He is also an actor. I want to go back and re-watch Smoke Signals and figure out which character he portrays. His narration has a mesmerizing cadence.


Mary, Youth Services:

I enjoyed reading Sandra Dallas’ books True Sisters and Alice’s Tulips. Both are historical fiction. I also enjoyed Diary of a Mad Fat Girl by Stephanie McAfee; it’s humorous chick lit.







Sharon, Youth Services:

I absolutely loved An Unquenchable Thirst: Following Mother Teresa in Search of Love by Mary Johnson – I thought it was wonderful and really enjoyed meeting her when she was at the library. One book I didn’t want to put down.





Brian, Information Technology:

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. From the jacket: "Orphaned by the Border Wars, Alina Starkov is taken from obscurity and her only friend, Mal, to become the protegé of the mysterious Darkling, who trains her to join the magical elite in the belief that she is the Sun Summoner, who can destroy the monsters of the Fold."




 Angie, Circulation:
A few books I read and enjoyed this year were: A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness. Audio book read by Jennifer Ikeda - fabulous listen, great narrator. Literary, but easy to read. The Passage, by Justin Cronin. Both the book and and the audio (narrated by Scott Brick) were great. The end of the world as we know it, scary and disturbing, yet Cronin doesn't forget to show us some humanity in the midst of the chaos. Big read, but epic in a good way. The Mark of Athena, by Rick Riordan - Exciting, clever, fun, dramatic. Great third book in Heroes of Olympus series, Riordan seems to get better with each book.

Laura, Circulation:

Hannibal, by Thomas Harris - Yes, as in Hannibal Lector. A lot like the movie, only much, much better. The first time you see him "on-screen," it's like you're right there. Also, An Echo in the Bone, by Diana Gabaldon - The latest in a series about a woman thrown back in time 200 years to the Scottish highlands, where everything is an adventure and she tries hard not to fall in love. With wonderful characters and lots of action, the latest book describes one family's reluctant involvement in the American Revolution. Don't expect the story to be resolved, though; you'll be anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.

Barb, Circulation:

I just finished Make Believe: an Edna Ferber Mystery, by Edward Ifkovic. I thoroughly enjoyed it not only for the historical fiction aspect about Hollywood but also because it was extremely eloquent.






So what was your favorite read of 2012? Tell us in the comments below, or on Facebook, G+ or Pinterest, and happy reading!