C-SPL Online Book Club Reads The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

The C-SPL Online Book Club will start discussing The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie on Monday, May 18, 2020. You can use your Facebook account to join the C-SPL Online Book Club found on Carnegie-Stout Public Library's Facebook page.

Until then, here are some spoiler-free background notes about the book and author from www.agathachristie.com and various Wikipedia articles:

The Mysterious Affair at Styles is a detective novel by British mystery writer Agatha Christie. Christie (1890-1976) is thought to be the best selling fiction writer of all time. Her 66 mystery novels and 14 short-story collections have sold over two billion copies, and she is one of the world's most translated authors.

Known as the "Queen of Mystery," Christie won the first Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award in 1955, and was voted "best crime writer" by the Crime Writers’ Association in 2013.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles was Christie's first published novel. Her sister Madge dared Christie to try to write a mystery that readers could not solve even though they had all of the same clues as the detective.

Christie wrote the novel in 1916, but it was rejected by 6 publishers before it was finally released in the U.S. in 1920 and the U.K. in 1921. It was also serialized in 18 parts in The Times of London in 1920.

When The Mysterious Affair at Styles was published in 1920, The New York Times Book Review said, "Though this may be the first published book of Miss Agatha Christie, she betrays the cunning of an old hand . . . you will be kept guessing at its solution and will most certainly never lay down this most entertaining book."

Besides being Christie's first published novel, this was also the first appearance of the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, who would become one of the most famous characters in mystery fiction.

Hercule Poirot (pronounced er-cule pwa-roh) appeared in 33 novels, 2 plays, and more than 50 short stories published between 1920 and 1975. He was the only fictional character to have an obituary published on the front page of The New York Times.

The character of Poirot was inspired by the Belgian refugees who settled in Christie's hometown of Torquay in Devon, England during World War I, where Christie worked at a hospital dispensary while writing her novel, a setting which also appears in the story.

Christie was also influenced by the English novelist Wilkie Collins, and by the popular Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, with Poirot as the eccentric detective, his clueless friend Arthur Hastings as narrator, and a case that even Scotland Yard cannot solve.

An image from "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" from
the Project Gutenberg eBook at http://www.gutenberg.org/files/863/863-h/863-h.htm

The Mysterious Affair at Styles is an early example of a closed circle mystery which features a limited number of suspects who could have credibly committed a crime. The British country house was a classic setting of such mysteries in the 1920s and 1930s, an era known as "The Golden Age of Detective Fiction."

The Mysterious Affair at Styles is always available to check out as an eBook from Overdrive/Libby collection with your City of Dubuque library card. The eBook is also available for free without a library card at Project Gutenberg.

Carnegie-Stout Public Library’s discussion of The Mysterious Affair at Styles will start on May 18 on Facebook. We hope you will join us for the discussion!

~Mike, Adult Services

Staff Review: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

When I choose a book for the library book discussion I try to find something outside of my comfort zone. More often than not, I enjoy the book and it makes me more willing to venture outside of my normal reading habits. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, a biography, is one such example. Though I rarely read biographies, Born a Crime has become one my favorite books this year. 

Trevor Noah, the current host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central, was born at the tail end of apartheid in South Africa. His mother is black and his father is white. At the time of Trevor's birth, the relationship between his parents was illegal so his birth was actually a crime. 

The stories told by Noah range from incredibly sad to very funny. As a comedian, Noah is able to infuse the sad stories with humor without taking away from the narrative. It is difficult to imagine that as a mixed-race child, Noah's mother wasn't allowed to do something as simple as walk with him to the park. Noah's father was largely absent from his life, leaving him to be raised by his mother and grandmother. To his black Xhosa relatives, Noah was white and white people are treated differently. By his own admission, Noah was a handful, because only his mother would discipline him.  It is clear throughout the book that his mother is quite a force to be reckoned with and though their relationship is, at times, complicated, Noah loves and respects her.

I didn't listen to the audio, but a co-worker told me it is wonderful. Noah is the narrator and I imagine hearing him tell the story of his upbringing, in his own voice, is quite powerful. If you are a fan of The Daily Show, you should read this book. If you've never watched The Daily Show (ahem...like me...ahem), this is still a powerful story of someone who never quite fit in, but didn't let that stop him from achieving his dreams. 

~Amy, Adult Services

Staff Review: The Painter by Peter Heller

The Painter by Peter Heller, the second novel by the author of the highly acclaimed debut novel The Dog Stars, was the library's adult book discussion selection for November.

Heller is an experienced travel and adventure writer who tackled fiction for the first time four years ago. His years spent writing about the outdoors surely show in this beautifully written new novel: his evocations of the landscapes of New Mexico and Colorado shimmer.

The focus of the story is one artist's attempts to come to grips with his darker side, his sudden and seemingly unavoidable urges toward violence when sufficiently triggered. What renders renowned painter Jim Stegner sympathetic is that what sets him off would set us off too: lewd comments about his teenaged daughter, a man's cruelty to a terrified horse. Unfortunately, Jim's reactions to these offenses tend toward the lethal; if only he could content himself with a good punch.

The novel opens with Jim having served time for one such incident and then having fled New Mexico for Colorado, to heal and resume his painting. But as one might expect with such a volatile man, Jim's new tranquility is short-lived. A second incident quickly ensues.

The novel narrates the second episode and its aftermath, taking the reader on a suspenseful journey through police investigations, games of cat and mouse with vengeful men, and Jim's increasingly successful and lucrative art life. We also get romance and plenty of fly-fishing, Jim's outlet and obsession, each fishing scene beautifully described. Heller writes his villains well too.

The novel has an interior life as well: Heller describes his protagonist's frequent musings down memory lane, his many old and new relationships, and his nearly continuous, if not entirely plausible, grappling with his demons.

Where the book let me down (and at times made me mad) was in its depictions of its female characters, who are "fleshed out" rather too much: we're told over and over of their beauty, their body parts, their sex appeal, assets they wield like the men wield their fishing rods and guns. Heller's male characters are never objectified this way. One reviewer called this book "a novel for manly men" and "a well-landed punch on the side of rugged masculinity."  If you ask me, we've catered to that crowd long enough.  

~Ann, Adult Services

Staff Review: Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart

What fun this book was! We had a lovely and animated discussion of Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart for August's Book Club.

I chose this book in particular because it was a mystery and very much outside of my normal reading habits. I do like to stretch my reading boundaries and it also happens to fulfill the "Read a Mystery" challenge for the Great Reading Challenge! The premise seemed intriguing too: The year is 1915, the location: New Jersey, USA. There are three sisters living on a farm and taking care of themselves just fine, thank you very much. The story begins as the sisters are out shopping. Along comes a newfangled automobile which quite suddenly and rather rudely smashes into the ladies' horse-drawn buggy.

What starts as a simple quest to recoup the cost of a demolished buggy turns into an all-out war with the corrupt factory owner (and errant automobile driver) who refuses to pay and in fact, insists on harassing and taunting these ladies with threats and bullets until they feel they are trapped in their home and under siege. But even as we can feel their fear and worry, and the unfairness of the general treatment of women at this time, we also see their strength and fortitude.

Constance, Norma and Fleurette Kopp just wanted to go about their own business, but as they are thrust into an unwanted struggle, they grow to meet the challenge and then some. All three end up being a hero in their own way in this story. As we watch them take on the corrupt boss and his henchmen (as well as some of the gender norms expected during this era), we get to savor some sweet justice. The best part of the whole story, to me, is the fact that it is based on a true story. The Kopp sisters were real and they were actually involved in a story much like this one! It is great that this tale of three incredible women is finally being told.

This mystery isn't a whodunit, not really. But it does keep us on the edge of our seat wondering how all the pieces fit and how things happened the way they did. I recommend this for anyone who can appreciate sharp and capable main characters who are up against a society that doesn't really respect them, but who do what needs to be done regardless. There are some great one-liners in this book and a general sense of playfulness, even as there are some more serious and thoughtful elements that pin the story together. A great read overall! And it's a series too - Book 2 will be out in September and it is called Lady Cop Makes Trouble.

~Angie, Adult Services

Staff Review: Five Days at Memorial

I have vivid memories of being glued to the television watching the devastation brought on by Hurricane Katrina.  Though the coverage was thorough, only those who lived in the areas hit by the hurricane can truly know what it was like.  Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink, the July discussion title for our Adult Book Discussion Group, details the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans.  Fink, an investigative journalist, spent countless hours over the course of 6 years interviewing 500 plus witnesses, doctors, and nurses, re-watching news footage and gathering information for her book. In 2010 she won the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for the article about Memorial that sparked the writing of the book. 

The first part of the book is all about actions taken before and during the storm.  Initially it was overwhelming, the sheer number of people involved made it difficult to keep track of who was doing what, and where.  It felt chaotic, frantic, and disjointed.  Was that by design?  Was it meant to mimic what the staff and patients at Memorial felt?  The confusion, the uncertainty, the fear?  I found the part leading up to the storm and the following five days engrossing, I had a hard time putting the book down.  I had so many emotions and questions.

I felt anger. Anger at the situation and at the decisions made.  I felt sorrow. Sorrow for those who didn't make it out of the hospital, their family members, and for those who had to make the tough choices.  I felt anxiety, wondering what would happen to the patients, doctors and nurses.  I also felt disbelief.  Disbelief that it was common practice in the case of hurricanes for the staff to bring their family, pets and 3-days worth of food to the hospital to ride out the storm. Disbelief that there was no plan in place in case the water rose above the ground floor electrical and generators.  Memorial Medical Center (formerly known as Southern Baptist Hospital) was 80-years old, that should have been plenty of time to plan for such a disaster.  Disbelief and anger at some of the seemingly selfish actions of the hospital staff.  Why would you evacuate the sickest patients last? At the end of the 5 days, 45 patients had died at Memorial, and at least 9 had what could possibly be lethal doses of morphine in their bodies. Some of the dead, according to witnesses, had been alive on the morning of the final evacuations. The question had to be asked, were these patients murdered?
  
The second part of the book is all about the aftermath of the storm and the legal implications of what happened at Memorial during those five days.  One doctor and two nurses were arrested on 4-counts of second-degree murder.  The case dragged on for over 2 years as evidence was gathered.  During that time, New Orleans was facing multiple problems and legal cases stemming from the storm.  Police brutality, questionable deaths at hospitals and nursing homes, plus backlash against all levels of government agencies for their actions, or lack thereof, leading up to, and during the storm.  Hindsight is 20/20 and after the water receded it was clear that nobody was prepared for the catastrophic flooding.  Fingers were being pointed at anyone and everyone. 

I will admit the second half of the book had a few high points, but it did drag.  I found myself struggling to finish without just skipping to the end.  I'm glad I plodded through the slow parts however because in the second half I learned about the actions of some of the doctors and nurses that I found absolutely shocking.  Memorial Hospital was connected to another building, a cancer center, that had power for those five days.  Why weren't the patients moved to that facility? The staff claimed that there wasn't enough water and everyone was suffering from dehydration, but in the weeks following the storm, investigators found large supplies of bottled water in the hospital.  Another hospital, Charity, faced the same conditions, but with a totally different outcome.  Fink mentions in the forward of the book that as more time passed, memories changed or became hazy.  I believe that the doctors and nurses remembered the events in a way that allowed them to live with their actions.  I also kept asking myself why only one doctor and two nurses were arrested and charged.  Based on the first half of the book, I would have expected more of the staff members to face charges. How could they claim to not know what was going to happen? 

Fink's epilogue talks about other natural disasters after Hurricane Katrina.  New Orleans seemed to have learned its lesson, but did other states learn too?  When Hurricane Sandy hit, hospitals in New York State and New Jersey were suddenly faced with the same problems.  Rising water, failing power and patients that hadn't been evacuated.  Hospitals were exempt from the mandatory evacuations because in the face of a disaster, a hospital is a much needed commodity. I do understand the hospitals and hospital staff are essential, but why wouldn't the patients be moved to safer locations? She also talks about the conditions in Haiti after the earthquake in 2010 and how the medical professionals had to make tough decisions based on lack of resources. 

Sitting in my air conditioned house, on my comfortable couch, it is easy for me to say "why didn't they do this or that". I tried to ask myself "what would I do?"  I've never faced anything like the people of New Orleans, I can't even imagine the conditions or the fear.  I honestly don't know what I would have done. I would hope that I would have fought tooth and nail to preserve life.  I would hope that I wouldn't have stood passively by while someone else made a decision about a patient I swore I would take care of.  I would hope that my will to survive wouldn't keep me from helping others to survive as well. Most of all, I hope I never have to find out.

Fink's goal isn't to point fingers or sway people's opinions.  She presents a fairly balanced accounting of conditions at Memorial and the following investigation.  I certainly have my own opinions after reading this book.  You can probably glean, from my review, what I think happened. This book sparked a very interesting discussion among our book club members about morality and ethics.  I believe that is one of the main goals of Five Days at Memorial, to make people think, ask questions, and start a discussion. 

~ Amy, Adult Services

Book Club in a Bag

Are you in charge of picking the next book for your book club and have no idea what to choose? Why not check-out one of Carnegie-Stout's Books-in-a-Bag.  This collection has everything you need for a successful book club.  Each set has at least 10 copies of the title, usually in multiple formats (regular print, large print and CD audio).  We have 43 different titles available in a mixture of genres. Take a look at our list and if you are interested in a title contact the library at 563-589-4225 and ask for the Inter-library loan department.

Some of our recent additions to the collection are:

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

As teenagers in a Lagos secondary school, Ifemelu and Obinze fall in love. Their Nigeria is under military dictatorship, and people are leaving the country if they can. Ifemelu—beautiful, self-assured—departs for America to study. She suffers defeats and triumphs, finds and loses relationships and friendships, all the while feeling the weight of something she never thought of back home: race. Obinze—the quiet, thoughtful son of a professor—had hoped to join her, but post-9/11 America will not let him in, and he plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London.

Years later, Obinze is a wealthy man in a newly democratic Nigeria, while Ifemelu has achieved success as a writer of an eye-opening blog about race in America. But when Ifemelu returns to Nigeria, and she and Obinze reignite their shared passion—for their homeland and for each other—they will face the toughest decisions of their lives.

Fearless, gripping, at once darkly funny and tender, spanning three continents and numerous lives, Americanah is a richly told story set in today’s globalized world. --from Goodreads

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1 by G. Willow Wilson

Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she's comin' for you, Jersey!-- from Goodreads

****Try this one in audio. It is fantastic, fun and only 2 hours long.****
              *** Read Sarah's review of Ms. Marvel here***
                                    

Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth and Faith in the New China by Evan Osnos

From abroad, we often see China as a caricature: a nation of pragmatic plutocrats and ruthlessly dedicated students destined to rule the global economy-or an addled Goliath, riddled with corruption and on the edge of stagnation. What we don't see is how both powerful and ordinary people are remaking their lives as their country dramatically changes.
As the Beijing correspondent for The New Yorker, Evan Osnos was on the ground in China for years, witness to profound political, economic, and cultural upheaval. In Age of Ambition, he describes the greatest collision taking place in that country: the clash between the rise of the individual and the Communist Party's struggle to retain control. He asks probing questions: Why does a government with more success lifting people from poverty than any civilization in history choose to put strict restraints on freedom of expression? Why do millions of young Chinese professionals-fluent in English and devoted to Western pop culture-consider themselves "angry youth," dedicated to resisting the West's influence? How are Chinese from all strata finding meaning after two decades of the relentless pursuit of wealth? -- from Goodreads

                                             *** Read Ann's review of Age of Ambition here***


Are you looking for a book club to join? Carnegie-Stout's next book discussion for adults will be at 7:00 PM on July 12 in the First Floor Program Room. We will be discussing Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink.  Books are available for check-out at the circulation desk. 

The upcoming book discussion titles for the rest of 2016 are as follows:

• August 10, Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart.
• September 13, Missing Pieces by Heather Gudenkauf. (Heather will be joining the discussion)
• October 11, Lila by Marilynne Robinson. (this is the All Iowa Reads selection for 2016)
• November 15, The Painter by Peter Heller.
• December 13, everyone is invited to bring their favorite book they read in 2016.  Hot chocolate, hot apple cider and cookies will be provided.

All meetings will be held at 7:00 PM in the First Floor Program Room.  Books are available for check-out approximately 6 weeks before the discussion date. 

~ Amy, Adult Services

Staff Review: The Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China by Evan Osnos

Age of Ambition by Evan Osnos, the 2014 National Book Award winner for nonfiction, is Carnegie-Stout's adult book-discussion selection for June. The discussion will take place June 14th at 7 PM and there's a lot to discuss! Osnos presents everyday life in the new economically-booming China. His focus is on the years 2005 - 2013, which he spent in China as correspondent for The Chicago Tribune and The New Yorker magazine.

I wanted to read this book because China has dominated the news for so many years now, yet I had no real sense of what it's like to live there. We hear what sounds like good news: greater prosperity, rising standards of living, economic development, increased openness, but we also hear the bad: staggering levels of corruption, pollution, shoddy construction, economic inequality, censorship. So, what is it really like to live in China today?

Osnos is a good writer and a faultlessly objective journalist. I could detect no political ideology on his part, and he pays the same respect and attention to pro-democracy individuals that he pays to those who are strongly one-party nationalistic. He presents China more anecdotally than statistically, having conducted his research by talking to hundreds of people: interviewing individuals with a wide variety of outlooks, occupations, and incomes; building long-term relationships; traveling broadly; tracking people and issues over time. Living in the polarized political environment that constitutes the United States today, I was almost taken aback by his ability to report without bias. His narrative is fascinating, comprehensive, and human.

That said, I found the picture he paints of life in China today to be grim. A sense of oppression settled over me as I read and didn't lift until close to the end of the book, when Osnos speaks to the growing demand by the Chinese people for governmental transparency, truthful news, freedoms of information and expression, cleaner air, ethical codes of business, the right to spiritual or religious lives, and on and on. There's no doubt he is right about that growing demand, but the most recently selected governing body of the Chinese Communist Party, which he describes in the book's final chapters, gives little sign of acquiescing in any way (and, in fact, quite the opposite), and as with all authoritarian regimes, they oversee and censor all media outlets, including the Internet, and control the military, police, and weaponry. The coming years should be very interesting.

~Ann, Adult Services

Little Wolves - 2014 All Iowa Reads selection

Founded in 2002, the Iowa Center for the Book established  the All Iowa Reads Program in 2003.  The purpose is to foster a sense of unity through reading.  Each year Iowans statewide are encouraged to come together in their communities to read and talk about a single book title.

The titles are chosen by a committee and are based on the following criteria:

• Raise universal social issues relevant to Iowans
• Lend itself to sustained, spirited, and in-depth discussion
• Be accessible to adults and high school aged youth
• Be available by January 1st of the selection year in paperback, unabridged audio, large print and/or downloadable eBook

The 2014 All Iowa Reads Selection is Little Wolves by Thomas Maltman.

Set on the Minnesota prairie in the late 1980s during a drought season that's pushing family farms to the brink, Little Wolves features the intertwining stories of of a father searching for answers after his son commits a heinous murder, and a pastor's wife (and washed-out scholar of early Anglo-Saxon literature) who has returned to the town for mysterious reasons of her own. A penetrating look at small-town America, Little Wolves weaves together elements of folklore and Norse mythology while being driven by a powerful murder mystery; a page-turning literary triumph. (from the publishers description)

Little Wolves is available for check-out at the Circulation desk. The Let's Talk Books: Book Discussion for Adults, will be held on May 13 at 7:00 p.m. in the 3rd floor Aigler Auditorium.

For more information on All Iowa Reads, including past titles, please click here. 

Carnegie-Stout Public Library has Books-In-A-Bag discussion sets for all the past All Iowa Reads selections.  If you are interested in using one for your book club, please contact the library at 563-589-4225 and ask for Inter-Library Loan. 

Reading NaNoWriMo: "Shades of Milk and Honey"

The bulk of my attention for November has turned to NaNoWriMo, which means less time for reading (even if I'm woefully behind target for my word count). Luckily there are many books that I've enjoyed, but haven't had a chance to review here on the blog, so today I'm here to sell you on the novels of  Mary Robinette Kowal, who happened to write the first of her Glamourist Histories series, Shades of Milk and Honey, during NaNoWriMo.

[Side note: If you're participating in NaNoWriMo this year, we're having a Come Write In session tomorrow (Tuesday) at 6 p.m. and then at 7 p.m. the book club is discussing another NaNoWriMo book, The Night Circus, which Andrew reviewed here.]

I first read Shades of Milk and Honey in 2011, and I picked up the most recent in the series, Without a Summer, this past August. I really enjoy the way Kowal mixes Jane Austen-like Regency romance with a system of magic that fit naturally with the setting. Even better, this has proven to be a series that holds up well to rereads. A fourth book, Valour and Vanity is scheduled for publication next year, and I'll probably be pre-ordering a copy.


In fact, I liked Shades of Milk and Honey so much, that I named it my favorite book of 2011 (I generally try to read at least a few of the Hugo and Nebula nominees each year). Months later I remembered to add a (very) short review to my Goodreads account, and then was floored when Ms. Kowal (or some person in charge of her Goodreads profile) "liked" my review.

It was a helpful reminder that these days it's not uncommon for social media savvy authors to interact with their fans, and not just the fans who sought out their mailing address, email, or blog comment section. It's fairly easy to use keyword tracking to find mentions of your name (especially if a library @ tags the author), or the title of your most recent novel.

In fact, we now have a half-serious joke about trying not to look like we're stalking Rainbow Rowell on Twitter. We aren't. We swear. Though, speaking of, did you know her most recent novel, Fangirl, is also a NaNoWriMo novel?

Of course, it seems unlikely that a group of librarians encouraging readers to love a favorite book as much as we do would be mistaken for creepers. But the other side of an author's ability to connect with fans online, is that it's astonishingly easy for readers to learn about the lives of their favorite authors. Long gone are the days when a young reader might pour over the about the author paragraph in the back of a favorite paperback trying to guess if the author is a cat or a dog person.

For example, we all recently learned how (not so) easy it is to (apply a rigorous research method and) impersonate Patrick Rothfuss on Twitter. In fact, Ms. Kowal applied some of the same methods she used to achieve a writing voice similar to Jane Austen's in order to out Rothfuss Rothfuss (who, it should be noted, failed to hit the 50,000 word mark during NaNoWriMo, and that's okay).

I also learned, in the course of writing this blog post, that Ms. Kowal is an accomplished voice actress, who has narrated several audiobooks. If you'd like to learn more about the author, she keeps a blog on her website: www.maryrobinettekowal.com
She also tweets as herself: @MaryRobinette

~Sarah, Adult Services


One final note: I couldn't think of a way to work in a link to my review of Shine, Shine, Shine by Lydia Netzer, which was also written during NaNoWriMo.

The Fault in Our Stars VS Code Name Verity

Voting for the first round of the Dubuque Tournament of Books is wrapping up tomorrow, and we'll posting the winners on Sunday. If you haven't submitted a bracket for the prize drawing, we're extending the deadline to Saturday!

We posted post short descriptions of all the titles in the contest here on the blog, but today we're taking a closer look at a match up near and dear to our hearts here at Carnegie-Stout.

Several staff members have read and loved both The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, which has led to some interesting workroom discussions of which title we want to see advance to round two. Both have sharp writing, interesting characters, and emotional depth. If you haven't read them yet, we invite you to do so, and join us in the discussion! Even if you haven't read a YA novel since you were a teen yourself, these books are worth checking out.

On Tuesday, March 12th, our Let's Talk Books book discussion group will be examining The Fault in Our Stars at 7 p.m. Copies of the novel are available for check out at the Circulation Desk.  On Monday, March 25th, we'll be having our next meeting of YA Fiction Addiction, the book discussion group for adults who enjoy reading Young Adult novels.

If you've already read both The Fault in Our Stars and Code Name Verity, we've pulled together a few read alike suggestions for you!

The Fault in Our Stars Read Alikes

• Just One Day by Gayle Forman: a gentler look at the possibilities of first love, international travel, and self-discovery
• How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford: quirky outsiders and an emotionally intense friendship
• Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: bittersweet story of bullying, suicide, and teenage outcasts that still makes you laugh
• Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell: Teen love rarely lasts, but for these two intelligent misfits, it's worth the risk
• A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner: Independent Cass struggles after her best friend's death

Code Name Verity Read Alikes

• Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson: Isabel, a slave in 1776 New York, becomes a spy during the Revolutionary War
• City of Thieves by David Benioff: Lev and Kolya are paroled from certain death in a Leningrad Prison during WWII, if they can accomplish an impossible quest
• A Train in Winter by Caroline Moorehead: (940.53082 MOO) the true story of 230 women of the French Resistance captured by the Nazis
• For Freedom: the story of a French spy by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley: based on a true story, French teenager Suzanne only dreams of becoming an opera singer, but she becomes a spy for the Resistance
• Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith: 18-year-old Ida Mae passes as white to become a WASP pilot in WWII

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

I don’t read a lot of non-fiction and when I do it is usually because I chose the book for the Let’s Talk Books discussion group here at C-SPL.  Unbroken:  A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience,and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over 112 weeks and one of my New Year’s resolutions is to read more non-fiction so I was bound to get to this book sooner or later.  

Unbroken is the story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who became an airman during World War II.  On a May afternoon in 1943, Louis’ bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared.  Louis and two other crew members survive the crash and subsequently drift nearly 2,000 miles over the course of 47 days before being pulled out of the water.  Forty-seven days on a life raft with no food or water is not the worst thing that actually happens to Louis.  The worst thing is the Japanese prisoner-of-war camps he is held in until the end of the war in August 1945. 

Some of the reasons I don’t like to read non-fiction are that I usually find it dry, slow moving and it fails to hold my interest.  Unbroken succeeded in proving me wrong on all accounts.  Hillenbrand’s book had the potential to get mired down in details but she masterfully moves the story forward without compromising the story.  Unbroken begins, well, at the beginning.  The reader meets Louis as a fearless, incorrigible toddler and follows him as he becomes a defiant teenager who fights, steals and is generally not very likeable.  What saves Louis is his older brother’s determination to get Louis into running.   Running leads Louis to the 1936 Olympics in Germany where he reportedly catches the eye of Hitler and gets away with some youthful antics that could have gotten him into a lot of trouble.  Five years later, with future Olympics put on hold due to the war in Europe, Louis has earned a commission as a second lieutenant and enlists in the United States Air Force. 

When I started this book and read about Louis as a teenager I really wondered why Hillenbrand included so much about Louis’ upbringing.  As the story progresses it became abundantly clear that Louis was a survivor.  The fighting, stealing and running he engaged in as a youth probably helped him to survive the absolute hell he had to endure as a POW. 

Unbroken also opened my eyes about an aspect of World War II history that I didn’t know much about.   I think that so much of WWII history is about Germany and the genocide of the Jews, that the horrors going on in Japan are overlooked.  I had no idea just how horrible the Japanese POW camps were and how atrociously the prisoners were treated.  I realize a prisoner camp isn’t a luxury summer camp, but these men were physically, emotionally, and mentally abused while being starved to death.  That any of them survived is a testament the strength of the human spirit.   After finishing Unbroken I started reading up on WWII history, specifically the war fought against the Japanese. 

If you are in a book club and haven’t discussed Unbroken, I highly recommend this book.  At just under 400 pages it really packs a punch.  The Let’s Talk Books group discussion covered many topics that came up, from Louis and his life to the decision to drop the atomic bombs.  With the summary I gave above it is pretty clear what is considered survival and resilience.  To find out what the redemption part is all about you will just have to read the book.  Louis Zamperini will turn 96 on January 26, yes, he is still alive.  After reading about his experiences during World War II the fact that he is still alive makes him even more remarkable.  Keep an eye out for a movie based on Unbroken, it is in development and I truly hope Hollywood can do the story justice. 

~Amy, Adult Services

P.S. The next Let's Talk Books meeting is on March 12 at 7 P.M. in the 3rd floor Aigler Auditorium.  We will be discussing The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.  

Bookclub Read Alikes

Whether you're looking for the next title for your book club, or just looking for a good read, we have some suggestions for you! Carnegie-Stout's own Book Club will be discussing Shadow Divers on July 12th, you can find all the details on the library's calendar.

You may also be interested in a new service the library is offering, the Book Club in a Bag. These sets come with discussion questions, author information, and read alike lists. We currently have three titles available: The Maltese Falcon, The Weight of Silence, and Land of a Hundred Wonders. If you're interested in using one of these sets for your next book club, please stop by in person, or call the library at (563) 589-4225 and ask for the Reference Desk.


The Maltese Falcon, written by Dashiell Hammet in 1930, and first adapted to the big screen in 1941, is today recognized as a classic among detective stories. Mr. Hammet used his experience working with Pinkerton's National Detective Agency in Baltimore, Maryland and Washington state to infuse a grittier reality into the detective genre. The Maltese Falcon is a page-turner of a mystery with action, humor, and engaging dialogue. Mr. Hammet's distinctive style introduced many archetypes of the mystery genre, from the femme fatale to the hardboiled detective.

As the NEA says, The Maltese Falcon is "a brilliant literary work, as well as a thriller, a love story, and a dark, dry comedy. The only criticism one could offer Hammett’s private-eye classic is that it is so much fun to read, it might be hard the first time through to realize how deeply observed and morally serious it is."

Check out these hardboiled Read Alike suggestions for The Maltese Falcon: http://library.booksite.com/6673/nl/?list=CNL6&group=EB40&preview=1
-Sarah, Adult Services


Heather Gudenkauf, local Dubuque author, graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in elementary education and for the past sixteen years has worked with elementary children. Currently, along with writing, Heather is an Instructional Coach, an educator who provides teachers with curricular, student, and professional development support. Heather lives in Dubuque, Iowa with her husband and children.

Here is a brief summary of Gudenkauf's debut novel The Weight of Silence:
When two seven-year-old girls go missing, all are under suspicion. Calli Clark is a dreamer. A sweet, gentle girl, Callie suffers from selective mutism, brought on by a tragedy she experienced as a toddler. Her mother Antonia tries her best to help, but is confined by marriage to a violent husband. Petra Gregory is Calli's best friend, her soul mate and her voice. But neither Petra nor Calli have been heard from since their disappearance was discovered. Now Calli and Petra's families are bound by the question of what has happened to their children. As support turns to suspicion, it seems the answers lie trapped in the silence of unspoken secrets.

If you enjoyed The Weight of Silence, may we suggest the following books: http://library.booksite.com/6673/nl/?list=CNL9&group=EB37&preview=1
-Amy, Adult Services


Land of a Hundred Wonders by Lesley Kagen
The summer Gibby McGraw catches her big break, the cicadas are humming, and it’s so warm even the frogs are sweating. Brain damaged after a tragic car accident that took both her parents, Gibby is now NQR (Not Quite Right), a real challenge for a fledgling newspaper reporter. Especially when she stumbles upon the dead body of the next governor of Kentucky, Buster Malloy.

Author Lesley Kagen, Cedarburg, Wisconsin, is an actress, voice-over talent, and restaurateur. She is also the author of the bestselling titles, Whistling in the Dark and Tomorrow River. Her new book, Good Graces, is coming out in September 2011.

All three of Kagen's titles are fast paced, family stories, that take place in rural, small towns, during the 50's, 60's and 70's. Her books are filled with quirky characters, many who must learn tolerance of those who are a little different. They contain elements of mystery and suspense, but are also sprinkled with humor.

The reading list found at this link represents other titles with those same attributes:
http://library.booksite.com/6673/nl/?list=CNL16&group=EB54&preview=1
-Becky, Adult Services

Please stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor, check out NoveList Plus on the library's website, or visit W. 11th & Bluff next week for more reading suggestions. Or submit a Personal Recommendations request, and we'll create a reading list just for you!