Staff Review: "Addicted to Outrage" by Glenn Beck

We live in divisive times, my friends. Recent polling data shows that a majority of Americans believe that American politics have reached a dangerous low point. It is easy to become outraged at nearly anything these days. We see or hear something that has been said or posted on the internet and, if the offender differs from us politically, we can easily work ourselves into a lather and express our virulent disagreement without really listening or trying to understand where that person is coming from or what they are trying to say. In his new book, Addicted to Outrage, Glenn Beck makes the case that we are just that.

With a background in talk radio and a television resume that includes a nightly show on both CNN and Fox News, Glenn Beck is a political commentator who is reasonable, educated, and often entertaining and enlightening. He is a conservative, but any liberal readers out there should not eschew this book due to a difference of politics. In fact, Beck wrote this book  in an attempt to bring individuals of disparate political beliefs together and to encourage diversity of thought and reasoned discourse. He is appropriately critical of both sides of the political spectrum (including his own past use of outrage to discredit opponents) and their reliance on outrage to push their agendas and inspire ire for the other side. Beck encourages Americans to truly listen to one another, do their own research, check their outrage at the door, and attempt to come together as a nation. 

In this book, Beck gets back to the basics in an examination of those three documents that set America apart from every other nation that has emerged on this planet: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. He asserts that these three documents continue to guarantee that which has made America the greatest country in the history of the world: liberty for the individual. Let's not squander that over the things that divide us; rather, let's have a real conversation, sans the mudslinging. Our politicians could learn a lot from this book.

Beck urges his readers, regardless or even in spite of political disagreement, to give these ideas a try. The author asserts that the American Experiment is too important to allow to fall into disrepair due to what often amount to petty differences. If, dear reader, you feel the same I recommend this book. The author's ideas just may help us overcome our addiction to outrage and begin to come together as Americans.

~Ryan, Circulation

The View from Flyover Country: Dispatches from the Forgotten America by Sarah Kendzior

Sarah Kendzior is a journalist writing from St. Louis, Missouri, a city firmly tucked in "flyover country," that large swathe of the United States between the east and west coasts that tends to get little attention. Kendzior sets out to correct some of this neglect in her new book, The View from Flyover Country, composed of short pieces she wrote for Al Jazeera between 2012 and 2014.

All is not well in flyover country, although many of the issues Kendzior writes about affect the entire nation and the globe. Her overarching theme is social and economic justice -- the growing chasm between the haves and have-nots -- which she explores by looking closely at race and religion, the media, higher education, and what she calls the post-employment economy.

With years of journalistic experience and degrees in history, Central Eurasian studies (an MA), and anthropology (a PhD), Kendzior knows her stuff. She's also a clear and graceful writer. One of her primary contentions is that, increasingly, those in positions of influence -- in government, business, policymaking, and mainstream journalism -- belong to an affluent and self-selected set who, due to their privileged backgrounds, cannot possibly comprehend, assess, or report accurately on economic issues. But entry into their professional circles is too often barred to the rest of us by the sky-high cost of elite private schools and the fact that so many influential positions are now filled by those who were able to spend years in under- or unpaid internships and fellowships gaining access to those in power.

Kendzior hits hard on the surreal situation that exists in our public universities too, where student costs have shot through the roof, yet, in many cases, over 70% of tenure-track faculty has been replaced by poorly paid adjuncts. She also examines student-loan debt, stagnant and declining wages, the exorbitant cost of living in big cities, the gender gap, the shootings of unarmed black men, the surveillance state, and so much more. It's not a heartening collection to read, but Kendzior's candor is refreshing, and hope springs eternal that heightened awareness may eventually lead to solutions.

~Ann, Adult Services

Staff Review: God Save Texas: A Journey into the Soul of the Lone Star State by Lawrence Wright

Lawrence Wright's new book, God Save Texas, is a personal, highly anecdotal look at his home state, a place with which he clearly has a love-hate relationship. A staff writer for The New Yorker, Wright is most well known as the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of 2005's The Looming Tower (about Al Qaeda and 9/11) and 2013's Going Clear (about scientology).

He's a pleasure to read, quite funny in casual mode, and, wow, has he got some rich material. According to Wright, "a recurrent crop of crackpots and ideologues has fed the state’s reputation for aggressive know-nothingism and proudly retrograde politics." Among these are a wheelchair-bound governor who has argued that Texas should be granted "sovereign immunity" from the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and an evangelical-Christian lieutenant governor (and former radio shock jock) who opposes the separation of church and state and believes arming teachers will solve the problem of school shootings.  

The book's not all about politics though and Wright gives us chapters on the big booming cities of Dallas, Houston, and Austin (where he lives); the Texas history of oil and gas; Texas art, music, and culture; and more. Wright knows his state -- and half the people in it, it seems -- so his book is liberally sprinkled with personal stories about George W. Bush, Rick Perry, well-known Texas writers and musicians, and even actor and Austin resident Matthew McConaughey, who was Wright's neighbor at the time of the famous dancing-naked-while-playing the-bongo-drums police incident back in 1999.

Wright clearly loves Texas but makes no bones about his almost perennial desire to leave it. Despite its booming economy, the state ranks close to dead-last in spending on education, healthcare, social services, and the environment, areas vital to a high quality of life. Wright's is an honest and affectionate assessment of an extraordinary place, but you may feel quite happy to read about it from afar.

~Ann, Adult Services

Staff Review: "Duran Duran, Imelda Marcos, and Me" by Lorina Mapa

I recently lost several family members in a car accident so the first few pages of Lorina Mapa's graphic memoir were emotionally intense for me. Most of her memoir, Duran Duran, Imelda Marcos, and Me, is about her experience growing up in the Philippines, but she frames her story with the death and funeral of her father who also died in a car accident.

I didn't know very much about the Philippines before I checked this book out, and so I appreciated Mapa's exploration of culture, religion, food, and history. The section on the peaceful downfall of the Marcos regime was particularly interesting, especially if all that you can remember is that Imelda Marcos owned a very large collection of shoes.

Mapa came from a family of wealth and privilege, so it may not be surprising how many cultural touchstones she shares with Americans who were teens in the 1980s, from music to movies. I appreciated the way she incorporated one of her favorite structural elements from one of her favorite novels, and readers are likely to enjoy her discography at the end.

I enjoyed Mapa's art, which is minimal, often featuring simple backgrounds. She includes enough detail to give a sense of place and time, and her people are very distinctive and convey emotion well. The book does tend to be a little text heavy, but it makes sense for a nonfiction work. Overall this is a fascinating glimpse into another culture and time from a deeply personal perspective likely to appeal to readers who might not normally read comics.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Staff Review: We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates

In 2015 I chose Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates as my best book of the year. It was a difficult book to read given that it tackles -- in a very personal way -- the race problem in America, a problem older than the country itself, its roots going back to the earliest colonial days. What impressed me so was Coates's intellectual vigor and how well he put it to use trying to make sense of the world he and his son inhabit as black males. He's a clear thinker and a clear writer. As brain food alone, the book was a pleasure.

His new book, We Were Eight Years in Power, is even tougher to read. The foundation of the book is a series of essays Coates wrote for The Atlantic magazine, where he is a national correspondent. These well-known essays cover such topics as the making of the first black president, the mass incarceration of blacks, and the strong case for reparations. The essays are strung together with new material, a series of memoir-like pieces relating Coates's thoughts and feelings each year of Obama's presidency, an event that buoyed him considerably, bringing hope for the future.

The book's final piece tackles the election of Donald Trump, a near-fatal blow to Coates's hope for Coates believes that Obama's successor is intent on negating the legacy of the country's first black president. By the time Trump is elected, within the book's trajectory, the reader has been educated on the real stories -- the truths -- of slavery, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, the exclusion of millions of blacks from the provisions of the New Deal, and the horrific and intentionally broad scope of institutional racism. It was a painful education for me and I wondered why I had never known so much of it before.

Coates concludes his new work in a grim mood, but a hopeful ending would probably ring false. Many Americans aren't feeling very hopeful these days, which brings me to my only quibble with the book, which is Coates's reluctance to consider the enormous impact globalization, deregulation, outsourcing, inflation, automation, monopolistic practices, and a host of other economic and political factors have had on everyone, white, black, and every shade in between. There's an underlying presumption on his part that if you're white, the gravy train's still more or less available to you. Many would beg to differ. But this is indeed a quibble; the plight of whites is not Coates's topic. He does all of us a great and needed service by increasing our awareness of the hard lives of others and reducing at least some of our historical ignorance. Who knows what any of us might do differently if only we knew the whole truth?

~Ann, Adult Services

Staff Review: The Hour of Land by Terry Tempest Williams

The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America's National Parks by Terry Tempest Williams stands a very good chance of being my 2017 best book of the year. I loved it so much I'm about to read it all over again. The book combines all my favorite genres: history, nature writing, memoir, travel. Published in 2016 to coincide with the National Park Service's centennial celebrations, The Hour of Land is a very personal tour, conducted by Williams herself, through a dozen of the nation's 58 national parks.

And what a tour guide she is. A naturalist, writer, and native of Utah, Williams is probably best known for her 1992 memoir Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place about losing her mother to cancer just as the Great Salt Lake floods, threatening the migratory birds Williams treasures. She's extremely knowledgeable, she loves wild places with a passion, and she possesses what I can only call a beautiful spirit: generous, gentle, peace-loving, compassionate. Plus, she's a terrific and highly poetic writer.

It's a pleasure to tour the country in her company, even when she's surveying wrenching scenes like the damage inflicted on Gulf Islands National Seashore by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010 or the encroachments of the Bakken oil fields on Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. More often what she surveys is sublime, from Alaska's Gates of the Arctic and Wyoming's Grand Teton to Acadia National Park in Maine. She even makes a stop at Effigy Mounds National Monument here in Iowa.

Particularly pleasurable is the variety of approaches Williams takes to her park descriptions, focusing closely at times on ecology or American history, then shifting her lens to her own life and family. She includes letters, emails, and journal entries to fine effect and provides a wonderful personal anecdote about Lady Bird Johnson. Modern readers, who may be unaware of how our great park system got started, learn about the unflagging philanthropic and environmental efforts of such National Park greats as Laurence Rockefeller, Theodore Roosevelt, Stewart Udall, and many others. This book's a lavish banquet of luscious park detail and I, for one, could not get enough of it. How I wish Williams had visited all 58.

~Ann, Adult Services

#ComicsWednesday: PREZ Volume 1: Corndog-In-Chief by Mark Russell, Ben Caldwell, & Mark Morales

I don't really read a lot of DC comics. I'm more of a Marvel or BOOM! girl, myself, but sometimes a comic just calls to me. PREZ: Corndog-In-Chief was one such comic. The USA's first teenage president, elected by twitter vote in an effort from hacker group Anonymous to overthrow the status quo?

COUNT ME IN.

Beth Ross, a.k.a. the star of viral internet video Corndog Girl, is elected as the next President of the United States in 2036. This United States is a not-so-distant dystopian future, full of automated sentry drones, a wealth gap larger than any before, and an epidemic of the deadly cat flu. Corporations call the shots, and congress is full of mega-rich idiots. Poor citizens will literally shoot themselves in the leg on national television for the chance to win some money. Enter: Corndog Girl. Beth navigates the intense job of being the leader of a country everyone hates, and trying to make right the wrongs that have plagued the nation. Beth is smart and she surrounds herself with smart people, and also a sentient killer robot named Tina.

There is so much going on in this comic, that I can't even begin to describe it all. Writer Mark Russell is a newer voice in comics, and he hit this one out of the park. Ben Caldwell (Justice League Beyond) and Mark Morales (X-Force, Secret Invasion) have a unique and interesting style, perfect for the tone of the comic. PREZ: Corndog-In-Chief is a reboot of 1973 comic PREZ. 

 If you liked the dystopian aspect of The Hunger Games, but wanted a little more humor, this is for you. If you like the idea of a teenager being POTUS, this is for you. If you're sick of the news and want to laugh about politics for a change, this is for you. Basically, just read it. I promise you won't regret it.

-Libby, Youth Services

Staff Review: The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

I do not consider myself a connoisseur of science fiction, but I think it is safe to say The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin is a classic in that genre. Written in 1974, the story follows the life of Shevek, a (literally) universally-renowned physicist who grows up on the anarchist planet of Annares. As the book opens, he is leaving his home for the first time to visit his ancestral planet of Urras, where "utopian" capitalism still reigns.  As someone who does not habitually read science fiction, I took me a few chapters to get my bearings with the unfamiliar planets and the discussions of physics theory, but I was hooked before long. Le Guin sets the scene so thoroughly, believably, and fascinatingly that the strangeness quickly disappeared and I was just reading a good book about lovable characters and important problems.

Shevek's views are scorned by most of Urras' inhabitants, but he is not ready to give up his outlook, despite his personal struggles with his homeland, Annares. On Urras he indeed encounters a type of paradise, but it cannot completely mask the deception, intrigue, and unpleasant truths that make him question everything he knows. Le Guin weaves a tight story, with chapters alternating between Shevek's past and present. Both plot lines are interesting to follow - Does Shevek ever reunite with his partner? Can pure anarchy be successfully attained? Is capitalism really so bad after all? Who and what holds power and can that be changed? - and each plot line becomes more suspenseful as the two converge at the end of the book.

Le Guin raises questions of social structure, gender, poverty, partnership and ultimately humanity that characters - and readers - grapple with because their lives depend on it. Despite the contrasting settings, characters on both planets are quite relatable and leave readers evaluating their own relationships, governments, and even language. It is fascinating to read intimate details of two completely different societies, and to find each of them enchanting and comforting in their own way. If you are a fan of philosophy, space travel, or social justice, this book will draw you in and make you a fan of the others.

~Rachel, Circulation

Patron Picks: What Dubuque is Reading

Summer is in full swing, and there's nothing nicer than to curl up with a good book in the shade with some iced tea or lemonade or whatever your favorite summertime drink might be! As much as we enjoy sharing our favorite books with you, we love to hear about the books you're enjoying even more!

Today we're sharing some of the book reviews you've written on our Pinterest board or on a Patron Picks review bookmark. You can stop in to the library and flip through the Patron Picks binder or visit Pinterest for even more reviews. And if you have a book you enjoyed, feel free to share in the comments here, on Pinterest, or on a bookmark!

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
5 stars. "Romance, magic & mystery. This book keeps you guessing right to the end! You won't be disapointed!"
4 stars. "Definitely a slow start. I forced myself to trudge through the first 200 pages which seemed to be mostly narration. Right at the 50% mark it picked up and I couldn't put it down. This book will push the limits of your imagination. The romance element was the most enticing, and could have been developed even more. Overall, nothing like I've read before. A good read."
Still not convinced? Check out Andrew's staff review too!

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
5 stars. "What a lovely surprise this book was... that is if you like things that are slightly odd. I wouldn't say this is a horror, but discovery of the, for lack of better word, peculiar. I'd absolutely recommend this book and believe it would be a fascinating film!" 

Murder at Ford's Theatre by Margaret Truman
5 stars. "An interesting storyline that had a lot of twists & turns. Surprising ending."
You may also enjoy reading the athors in our political mysteries post. 


A Higher Call by Adam Makos
5 stars. "Great read, do NOT want to put it down! Insight into German life during WWII."

Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
4 stars. "Great followup to Killing Lincoln, although not as compelling since living the 1963 experience."
Want to read more about President Kennedy? Check out these best seller read alike posts for Killing Kennedy.

Divergent by Veronica Roth
4 stars. "I have to admit that the similarities between this and Hunger Games is more than off-putting. The ceremony where they choose, the ranking/elimination, the training, even the bird tattoo.It's not easy to put down. A plus for this book vs. HG, they seem to be developing the romantic angle more, which I wanted from HG. Definitely captivating, I couldn't put it down. It wasn't the most unique or unpredictable, but still a good read."
Be sure to check out our read alike suggestions for The Hunger Games.

Hope's Boy by Andrew Bridge
4 stars. "This is the true story of a young boy whose father leaves when he was a baby and his mother has mental illness... When he is seven his mother's mental illness finally overtakes her, and Andrew is placed in foster care for the next 11 years. This is a story of courage, survival, and a boy's unending love for his mother who he never really knew. My only wish is that he had written more about his adult life as a survivor. Very poignant and touching."

Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris
3 stars. "Wraps up the series nicely. Wasn't very exciting like the previous books. Wish there was more from the vamps."

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
4 stars. "Starts a little slow, but at the end I couldn't stop reading this book."
Sarah also reviewed this book for our blog, and several of us in the adult services department agree that Rowell's second novel, Eleanor & Park, is even better.

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
5 stars. "So AMAZING. Quick read, good for all ages. Love, loss, growth & change."

Lexicon by Max Barry
1 star. "Violent/confusing."
I admit that I was so intrigued by this one star review that I had to check this out. I'd read Barry's Jennifer Government years ago and enjoyed it, and wasn't disappointed by Lexicon. It is violent, the plot is complicated, and there's quite a bit of swearing to boot, so I can see why it isn't for everyone, but if you enjoy a fast-paced story about a secret society with supernatural powers who run the world with just a dash of romance, you'll like this book too! -Sarah, Adult Services

Check these books out from the comfort of your own home

This week we're spotlighting a few titles available as eBooks through Carnegie-Stout's OverDrive collection. Some of these titles are only available as eBooks, and if you'd like some help downloading one give us a call (563-589-4225) or stop in! We offer drop in tech help on Wednesday nights starting at 6:30 p.m. In order to checkout an eBook from Carnegie-Stout, you need to live within Dubuque city limits, but most other Dubuque County libraries provide access to eBooks for residents of their communities.

We've pulled together a selection of titles from various genres, so hopefully there's something here for every reader! Print aficionados, never fear, some of these titles will be added to our print collection, or we may be able to borrow a copy from another library (another service only available to city residents).

Destiny's Embrace by Beverly Jenkins
Beverly Jenkins is one of the foremost authors of African-American romance writing today. Over the course of her career she’s written historicals, romantic suspense, and even Westerns. Her heroines are sassy, her writing is engaging, and the romance is steamy. Her most recent title, Destiny's Embrace, follows Mariah Cooper as she starts a new life as a housekeeper on a ranch in California, and the sparks fly between Mariah and rancher Logan Yates. This is an engaging start to a new series with sharp characters and interesting historical detail.

Prophet by R.J. Larson

R.J. Laron’s first novel is a fast-paced and engaging fantasy novel that draws on the stories of the Old Testament for inspiration. Prophet tells the story of Ela, a teenage girl who never expected to be called on by the Infinite as a prophet, but she rises to the challenge and sets off to serve His will in distant lands. Currently, Carnegie-Stout only owns this title as an eBook as part of our OverDrive collection. If you don’t own an eReader, this book would be a great excuse to try out one of the Sony eReaders we have available for checkout!

Split Second by David Baldacci 
Baldacci is known for his fast-paced political suspense novels and pulse pounding plot twists, though there's never any question that his heroes are the good guys. The first book in his Sean King and Michelle Maxwell series, Split Second introduce two Secret Service agents who turn to a second career as Private Investigators. The series is ongoing, with the latest book, The Sixth Man, coming out this April.


Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett
Our collection includes dozens of titles by prolific fantasy author Terry Pratchett, but we are missing one or two print copies out of the 39 from his Discworld series. Pratchett is known for his humor, world-building skills, and memorable characters. Wyrd Sisters puts a new spin on Shakespeare's Macbeth, with allusions to several of his other plays, and has, in turn, been adapted as a play itself. Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat Garlick become embroiled in politics when they suddenly become the guardians of a murdered king's only child.


The Feast Nearby: how I lost my job, buried a marriage, and found my way by keeping chickens, foraging, preserving, bartering, and eating locally (all on $40 a week) by Robin Mather
If you're interested in the local food movement or tales of frugal living, you should check this book out. The story of her exploration of the local food options of her Michigan community are interspersed with delicious and straightforward recipes. This is an upbeat book and Mather's writing has a warm humor, rather than dwelling on her personal upheaval.


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!

Dubuque Tournament of Books: Sweet Sixteen

The madness begins! Welcome to Round One of the Dubuque Tournament of Books!

Voting for the first round will run from March 3rd - March  9th. Winners from round one will be announced on March 10th, when voting for the second round begins.

You have until March 8th to fill out a bracket and be entered for a chance to win a prize! Blank brackets are available at Carnegie-Stout Public Library, on our website as a pdf, and in the February 28th issue of 365Ink. Your bracket must be turned into the library by March 8th to be eligible to win.

Cast your votes for the first round below! Not sure which title to vote for? Check out this blog post.

Dubuque Tournament of Books: Meet the Contestants

Voting for the first ever Dubuque Tournament of Books begins on Sunday, March 3rd. There's still time to enter the contest with your picks for the winning books. Entry brackets are available in the February 28th issue of 365Ink, you can download one from our website, or you can pick one up at Carnegie-Stout. All entries must be returned to Carnegie-Stout by March 8th to be eligible for the drawing.

Of course we don't expect you to have had a chance to read all the entrants in the contest, so today we're providing you with a brief introduction for each title!

Wild: from lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed 
Wild is a deeply personal and inspirational memoir about grief, hiking, and personal growth. This was the first title selected for Oprah's new book club, and was the topic of a Read Alike post on our blog. 

Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel 
Are You My Mother? is the second witty and intellectually challenging graphic memoir by cartoonist Alison Bechdel. Her first, Fun Home, will be the book under discussion at the April 9th meeting of Graphic Content here at C-SPL.

The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett
This stand alone novel by the prolific fantasy author is a thought-provoking exploration of parallel worlds told with Pratchett's trademark humor. The main character's journey starts out in a Madison, WI orphanage stretches to the bounds of reality.

Redshirts by John Scalzi
Scalzi is an award-winning author known for both his science-fiction and his blog. Redshirts is a darkly humorous and thought-provoking examination of many popular science fiction tropes with great appeal for any Star Trek fan.

Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich
How could we not include the latest installment in Evanovich's hilarious mystery series featuring hapless bounty hunter Stephanie Plum? Be sure to check out our Janet Evanovich Read Alike list if you haven't. 

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 
Most readers hadn't heard of Gillian Flynn before the publication of her third novel, Gone Girl, but this suspenseful story of a dysfunctional relationship kept readers turning pages long into the night. Flynn's weeks at the top of the best seller lists earned her a Read Alike post as well.

Building Stories by Chris Ware  
Ware's unconventional take a graphic novel captured the attention of many critics, landing Building Stories on several Best of 2012 lists (as well as Andrew's Graphic Novels for People Who Don't Read Graphic Novels post). Melancholy and complex, the way the reader approaches the 14 pieces changes the experience.

Batman: Court of the Owls by Scott Snyder
Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, and Jonathan Glapion team up for a new look at an old comic book favorite: Batman. If you've never read a Batman story, this gritty murder mystery would be a good volume to start with.

50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James 
Everyone and their mother has heard of the self-published erotica turned #1 best seller that is the 50 Shades trilogy. This steamy read has convinced legions of readers to explore their inner goddess, or maybe just given them the giggles. This was the 2nd place choice in our November voting.

Bared to You by Sylvia Day
The popularity of 50 Shades brought long time steamy romance author Sylvia Day to wider recognition due to the similarities in her Crossfire trilogy: a dominant business man, a young woman just starting her career, and their steamy (and somewhat kinky) passion. Bared to You has also spent significant time on the best seller lists.

Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly 
Librarians across Iowa will tell you that Bill O'Reilly and coauthor Martin Dugard's dramatic exploration of President Kennedy's assassination is a popular title. A follow-up to their earlier Killing Kennedy, readers shouldn't doubt the host of Fox News Channel's O'Reilly Factor's continuing popularity.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
This beautifully researched book about life in one of India's slums by journalist Katherine Boo was the winner of the 2012 National Book Award for Non-Fiction. You can read more about this book in Sarah's staff review.

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling 
The first novel from the author of the wildly successful Harry Potter series was bound to receive attention. The Casual Vacancy is a character-driven and darkly humorous novel of small town politics with not a single wizard. It also tied for 5th place in our November voting.

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
Bring up the Bodies is the sequel to Mantel's Man Booker winning Wolf Hall, the first two novels in a proposed trilogy about the life of Thomas Cromwell in King Henry VIII's court. In fact, Mantel was also awarded the Man Booker for Bring Up the Bodies. She is only the fourth novelist to receive two, and the first woman.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Wein's haunting novel about friendship in WWII received a Printz Honor for 2013, as well as being a C-SPL staff pick for the best books of 2012. Suspenseful, with moments of dark humor, and a powerful twist near the end, this is a great pick for readers old and young. 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
John Green's witty take on first love, and winning online presence, has earned him a wide readership. The bittersweet romance between two teens who meet at a cancer support group had most readers laughing and weeping by turns. Don't miss our March 12th meeting of Let's Talk Books, where Amy will be leading a discussion of this book!

Be sure to check back here on Sunday to cast your votes for the first round of the Dubuque Tournament of Books!

Spotlight on Historical Biography

Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, starring Daniel Day-Lewis in the title role, is both well-reviewed and turning an impressive box office profit. Bill O'Reilly's Killing Lincoln (written with co-author Martin Dugard) remains on the bestseller lists a year later, and has been joined by his Killing Kennedy. It's no secret that readers here in Dubuque and across the nation enjoy reading about the significant people and events of American history.

Joining Mr. O'Reilly on the best seller lists this week is Jon Meacham's Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power. Mr. Meacham's fourth book, American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House, was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Biography. His writing is characterized by his careful research and attention to accuracy, but it's his focus on the people behind history that so many readers find appealing. Mr. Meacham is not alone in his skills, and today we've gathered together a few other notable authors of historical biography. 

Doris Kearns Goodwin
Ms. Goodwin is probably best known for Team of Rivals: the political genius of Abraham Lincoln, which served as the basis for Spielberg's film. Her eye toward the relationships of her subjects brings a fresh perspective to their familiar lives. Ms. Goodwin was also the recipient of a Pulitzer Prize for History in 1995 for No Ordinary Time; Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Her writing career began with a book on Lyndon Johnson, during whose presidency she worked as a White House Fellow and assistant to the President. In fact, Stephen King consulted with Ms. Goodwin about her experiences as he worked on 11/22/63.

David McCullough
Mr. McCullough's engaging and highly respected histories and biographies, his work as the host of American Experience and as a narrator on several historical documentaries have earned him two Pulitzer Prizes, two National Book Awards, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom. He's known for his positive tone and ability to explain the large events of history through their impact on the individual. Try his biography of John Adams or Mornings on Horseback, the story of Theodore Roosevelt's youth.

Ron Chernow
Mr. Chernow worked as a journalist and as a member of a Think Tank specializing in finances before becoming a popular and well-regarded author. He's received a National Book Award for The House of Morgan, as well as a Pulitzer Prize for Washington: a life. His writing has a great attention to detail, and tends to be a little quieter and thoughtful in tone. He often uses his experience in finances to write about those who have had a significant impact on our nation's economics, as in his biography of Alexander Hamilton.

Other authors you might enjoy:

• Walter Isaacson
• Joseph J. Ellis
• Caroline Alexander
• Stephen E. Ambrose

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!

Vote today!

After so many months (years?) Election Day has finally arrived!

If you haven't already voted, as about 30% of Dubuque County has, the Iowa Secretary of State's website can help you find out if you're registered to vote and where your polling place is. Absentee voters can track their ballot here and military voters can also find information about how to cast their ballots here.

The Dubuque County Auditor's website also has helpful information for voters, including sample ballots, precinct maps, past election results, and contact information and the locations of election offices in Dubuque County.

Wisconsin voters can get information from the State of Wisconsin Government Accountability Board's website here. Illinois voters should visit the Illinois Board of Election's website here for assistance.

If you'd like to do some last minute research on the candidates, the TH has a great collection of election information here (remember, you can read the THonline for free at the library). For information about the Judicial Ballot, The Iowa Bar Association has published their yearly Judaical Performance Review here . If you're puzzled about some of the claims made by candidates, FactCheck.org is a good place to start.

Curious about the Electoral College? The National Archives hosts a website that describes the College's purpose and function here (it's a process, not a place!) You can also view past results and make your own map to predict and track election results. Or, you can watch School House Rock's musical explanation here!

And once you've performed your civic duty, reward yourself with this video of Internet sensation Maru attempting to fit into a series of small boxes. Because you've earned it!

Spotlight: Political Mysteries

With the excitement of this week's visits to Iowa by Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan, and current President Barack Obama, there's no denying that the election is in full swing. The national conventions are coming soon too. The Republicans will convene in Florida from August 27th through the 30th. The Democrats will gather in North Carolina from September 4th through the 6th.

Carnegie-Stout has books for anyone who wants to learn more about the candidates. You can browse those lists in our catalog by clicking the link of your choosing:
Governor Mitt Romney
President Barack Obama

In poking around Presidential trivia recently, I discovered an interesting fact, not one, but two children of former Presidents had successful careers as mystery novelists: Elliott Roosevelt, son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Margaret Truman, daughter of President Harry S. Truman.

Both authors make use of their special connection to Washington politics to craft their mysteries, using real political figures and recognizable landmarks. Nor are they the only authors to mix politics and murder to craft a suspenseful tale.

Murder and the First Lady by Elliott Roosevelt
Mr. Roosevelt's mother, Eleanor Roosevelt, acts as the sleuth in his historical mystery series. His writing isn't overly violent, and readers will enjoy the historical details. Despite being set during the Depression and WWII, there is an optimism to this series, which starts with Murder and the First Lady.

Margaret Truman
Ms. Truman used a more contemporary Washington D.C. as the setting for her suspenseful mystery novels. Although characters make reappearances, readers can explore her books in any order. She keeps much of the violence off of the page, and provides readers with a twisting plot that will keep you guessing.

State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy
Ms. Hyzy is the author of several cozy mystery series filled with colorful characters. Her amateur sleuths tend to have interesting day jobs, but none so interesting as Olivia Paras, White House chef. The series starts with State of the Onion, Olivia is under enough stress as she competes for a promotion to Executive Chef before she stumbles into a plot to kill the President.

The Alienist by Caleb Carr
Mr. Carr's historical mysteries are somewhat more violent than the other authors on today's list, but readers who enjoy a fast-paced plot and a literary flare should give him a try. The Alienist, his atmospheric third novel, is set in 1896 New York City, and Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt is working to catch a serial killer.



James Lehrer, journalist, anchor, and author of fiction and nonfiction alike, and subject of a few Staff Reviews, penned a series of novels with a political bent early in his career. These witty books follow "One-eyed Mack" from teenager through to life as Oklahoma's lieutenant governor.


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!

Presidential Elections and Dubuque

It's not every day the President of the United States visits Dubuque, but every eight years or so we find ourselves a destination on the campaign trail for reelection. Our last visit was by President George W. Bush in May of 2004. Other incumbent presidents who have visited Dubuque include Jimmy Carter in 1979, Franklin Roosevelt in 1936, Theodore Roosevelt in 1903, and William McKinley in 1899. John F. Kennedy visited Dubuque, too, but in 1956, five years before being sworn in as President.

Today President Obama will be speaking at the Alliant Energy Amphitheater at the Star Brewery. If you're curious about what's happening, but stuck at work or home, you can follow the action on Twitter, where professional journalists and average people will share their observations with the world. Subscription or no, you can follow the Telegraph Herald's updates on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/TelegraphHerald or follow the general chatter by searching for tweets tagged #ObamaIA

Tags are a useful way to follow many current topics, especially when an official tag has been established, but you can also search Twitter for general keywords.

Besides Twitter, your public library is a great place to find information about presidential campaigns. Blogger John Nichols, after he covered the Iowa Caucuses here in 2008 for The Nation, argued that Barack Obama's presidency actually started at Carnegie-Stout Public Library in Dubuque.

Paul Ryan,
Vice Presidential Candidate

And more recently, a librarian in Janesville, Wisconsin, made an important contribution to a New Yorker article on Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan. Ryan Lizza, Washington correspondent for The New Yorker, told this story to Terry Gross on NPR's Fresh Air:

You know, one of the most impressive things about Janesville, which is a really nice little town, is the library. They've got this fantastic library, and they have a little room at the library in Janesville devoted to the history of Janesville.

And when I went in to see a librarian and told her I was writing about Paul Ryan, and I wanted to learn about the history of the town and the history of his family, she stopped, and she said: Oh, Paul Ryan, I was a librarian at his high school. He was so popular. You know, I loved him.

And she was very proud to take me into the Janesville room and started pulling out his high school yearbooks and showing me, you know, the prom pictures and the class president pictures and all the rest. And then you get to one page in his senior yearbook, and, you know, as I guess a lot of seniors have, they had a senior survey. And Paul Ryan, in the senior survey, was voted by his classmates the biggest brownnoser. So that's how I found that out. His former librarian showed me his yearbook.

So what better place to learn about the campaigns than where a lot of the action is going down, at public libraries?

But seriously, if you're looking to read more about United States Presidential Elections, Carnegie-Stout has the books for you. Below are a few titles, but we also recommend searching the catalog for these keywords:
Presidents -- United States -- Election
Presidents -- United States -- Nomination
Political Campaigns -- United States

Selecting a President by Eleanor Clift & Matthew Spieler (324.973 CLI)

Why Iowa?: how caucuses and sequential elections improve the presidential nominating process by David Redlawsk (324.2777 RED, Iowa Books)

Tension City: inside the Presidential debates, from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain by James Lehrer (324.73 LEH) This title was the topic of a staff review, click here to read more.

Spotlight: Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Charles Taylor

Charles Taylor, former President of Liberia, has been in the news recently due to his recent conviction for war crimes committed in Sierra Leone during the '90s. This was a turbulent and violent period for both Sierra Leone and Liberia, fueled by corruption and blood diamonds.

If you're interested in learning more about the trial of Charles Taylor, the website www.charlestaylortrial.org provides a day by day account of the trial itself, along with background information, a glossary, and an acronym cheat sheet.

For the story of how Mr. Taylor was removed from power and Liberians transformed their country into the stable democracy it is today, check out Mighty Be Our Powers: how sisterhood, prayer, and sex changed a nation at war by Leymah Gbowee and Carol Mithers. Ms. Gbowee and current Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen) were awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for their accomplishments.

For more on blood diamonds and their impact on Liberia and Sierra Leone, try:

In A Long Way Gone (966.404 BEA), the autobiography of Ishmael Beah, today a human rights activist, Mr. Beah tells the compelling and gritty story of his experience as a child soldier in Sierra Leone.

Aminatta Forna, the British daughter of a Sierra Leone physician executed for his political beliefs, has worked as a journalist, a documentarian, and novelist. Her lyrical second novel, The Memory of Love, tackles the impact of civil war on the lives of individuals.

Diamonds of War (DVD 553.82) is a 2002 National Geographic documentary shows the impact of the demand for diamonds on Sierra Leone.

Blood Diamond (Feature DVD), this 2006 thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is loosely based on events of the Sierra Leone Civil War, and the creation of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, which attempts to curtail the trade in illegal diamonds.

Kanye West's Grammy award winning second album, Late Registration, includes the track, "Diamonds from Sierra Leone," which addresses the trade in blood diamonds.

Other books and DVDs that might be of interest:

What is the What (Fiction Eggers), Sudan

War Child  (962.404 JAL), Sudan

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight (Biography Fuller), Zimbabwe

Beasts of No Nation (Fiction Iweala), West Africa

One Day the Soldiers Came (302.2309 LON), Various

Little Bee (Fiction Cleave), Nigeria

Hotel Rwanda (Feature DVD), Rwanda

An Ordinary Man (967.57104 RUS), Rwanda

Running the Rift (Fiction Benaron), Rwanda

The Last King of Scotland (Feature DVD), Uganda

The Last King of Scotland (Fiction Foden), Uganda

Unbowed (Biography Maathai), Kenya

King Peggy (Biography Bartels), Ghana

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!