Shine Shine Shine by Lydia Netzer

 I've been thinking about what I enjoyed about Shine Shine Shine, a first novel by Lydia Netzer. In Booklist Kristine Huntley says it's "whimsical" and "a unique and moving love story." Publisher's Weekly says that it's "[c]haracterized by finely textured emotions and dramatic storytelling." "[J]uicily wacky" says Barbara Hoffert in Library Journal. Even Kirkus praises the "charming characters."

Add in the currently hot topic of a child with autism, and a plot-line involving an astronaut husband that reminds me of Apollo 13 (one of my favorite movies), and it's no wonder that I checked it out! But what made this book difficult to put down was the main narrator, Sunny (a handful of chapters are from her husband or mother's perspective). I am a sucker for unconventional, sarcastic female narrators, who meet the challenges of life with dry, sarcastic wit. I also enjoy anything that explores questions of family and motherhood (see: Gilmore Girls).

In fact, three other new books I've read and loved this summer featured narrators that fit the description. Sometimes I feel guilty for preferring female strong female voices in my fiction, but then I'm reminded that most books reviewed in, and most of the book reviewers working for, the big publications like The New Yorker are, in fact, men, and then I don't feel so bad.

So as a bonus, here are the short reviews for those other three books from our group Pinterest Board.

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson
Darkly humorous with wonderfully distinct alternating narrators,three generations of Southern women, who explore the questions of motherhood, destiny, and family.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
It seemed like a straightforward story of WWII, but it crept up on me and turned out to be far more clever than I expected. Highly recommended.

True Believers by Kurt Andersen
I liked the narrator, Karen Hollander, who decides to come clean about her youth in the '60s while still in her sixties. The big reveal wasn't a huge surprise, but the voice (and Chicago setting) made up for it.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Database Spotlight: NoveList

Are you looking for a book, but can't quite remember the title? Do you need to know what order to read the books in that popular vampire mystery series? Is your favorite author not writing new books fast enough for you? Stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor of Carnegie-Stout, give us a call at Ph: (563) 589-4225, or fill out a Personal Recommendations form, and we'll be happy to help you!

But if Carnegie-Stout is closed and you need an answer now, we have a database that can get you started! NoveList has information on thousands of books and authors, and it's one of the first places we check at the Recommendations Desk. Anyone can access NoveList from one of Carnegie-Stout's computers, or from your home if you have a full service library card.

To find NoveList, go to the library's homepage: www.dubuque.lib.ia.us and click on the "Research Tools" link on the left-hand side of the screen. This brings you to an alphabetical list of our research databases from which you will be able to open NoveList. If you are outside of the library, you will be prompted to enter the bar code from the back of your library card and your PIN (usually the last four numbers of your phone number).

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Once NoveList has loaded, you can use the search box at the top to look for books by author, title, series name, or a combination of keywords. The home page also links to suggested reading lists arranged by genre, and read alike suggestions for currently popular books.

Let's try a practice search. If you read a book with a dog named Chet last month that was part of a mystery series, but you can't remember the title or author and you really want to read the next book, NoveList might have the answer. We'll change the search settings to Series and enter the search terms "Chet" and "dog." Happily there is only one series in NoveList featuring a dog named Chet, so Spencer Quinn's series appears with the books in series order.

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If you've done a search in Carnegie-Stout's catalog recently, you may've noticed that NoveList also provides the series order in the item record, if you scroll past the part where we tell you if the book is checked in. The best part is that you can click any of the other titles in the series to see if they are on the shelf!

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NoveList also provides read alike suggestions both in our catalog and on their website. When you are looking at a book, series, or author that you enjoy, look to the upper right hand corner for "Read-alikes from NoveList." You can either click on the suggestions to learn more, or if you hover over a title or author, a pop-up will appear to give you more information.

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This should get you started in using NoveList, but if you have any questions, the librarians of Carnegie-Stout are here to help you find the answers!

Best Seller Read-Alikes for the Week of September 23rd

Can’t wait to get your hands on the latest best-seller, but the hold list is too long? To tide you over, every week we’ll offer similar titles and authors to the week’s fiction and nonfiction best sellers.

Fiction

At #1 on the best seller's list for fiction is A Wanted Man by Lee Child. The 17th installment in the Jack Reacher series find ex-MP Reacher hitching a ride with three strangers to Virginia. Unknown to him, the two men and one woman who are riding with him have just left the scene of a brutal murder, with the woman as their hostage. Or at least that's what they appear to be. Reacher quickly finds himself drawn into a massive conspiracy, as he finds himself both hunted and the hunter.

Authors similar to Lee Child include:

Barry Eisler - The Japanese-American hero of Barry Eisler's plot-driven and atmospheric novels, John Rain, is a paid assassin and military veteran who follows his own moral compass, despite the danger to himself. The first book in this fast-paced and richly-detailed series, Rain Fall, finds Rain protecting the daughter of a Tokyo politician.

James Lee Burke - Burke's first-person mystery novels are not always as fast-paced as Child's novels, but his hardboiled heroes, like P.I. Dave Robicheaux, are no strangers to action. In the first book of the series, The Neon Rain, someone in New Orleans wants Robicheaux dead, and there are no shortage of suspects.

Ace Atkins - Atkins' Quinn Colson suspense series follows the retired Army Ranger as he attempt to bring law and order to his violently corrupt Mississippi hometown. In the first novel in the series, The Ranger, Colson returns home from Afghanistan and investigate his uncle's alleged suicide, revealing shocking personal secrets. Atkins' fast-paced writing style adds to the suspense, creating a dark, atmospheric tone, with some dry humor sprinkled in.

Click here for more fiction bestsellers... 

Nonfiction
At #1 on the nonfiction best seller's list again this week is No Easy Day: The Autobiography of a Navy SEAL by Mark Owen and Kevin Mauer. At #2 is Bob Woodward's latest book, The Price of Politics. Woodward recounts his findings over the course of 18 months of reporting on the U.S. economic crisis and the effects on and actions of the federal government during the recession. Woodward critiques the actions of both the Democratic and the Republican leadership, as well as the White House, using memos, email and in-depth interviews.

Books similar to The Price of Politics include:

The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis (330.973 LEW) - In his latest examination of the U.S. economy, Lewis shares insights into the recent economic crisis, citing such factors as expanded home ownership and risky derivative elections in the face of increasing shareholder demands, and profiles responsible parties in government, financial, and private sectors.

Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin (330.973 SOR) - New York Times financial reporter Sorkin presents a moment-by-moment account of the recent financial collapse that documents state efforts to prevent an economic disaster, offering insight into the pivotal consequences of decisions made throughout the past decade. The book was also the basis for the HBO movie by the same name, starring James Woods, William Hurt and Cynthia Nixon.

Click here for more nonfiction bestsellers ...

If you'd like more recommendations, 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!