Reading Resolution, 2013

In 2012 I made a reading resolution for New Year's: listen to at least one audiobook each month. It turned out to be so much fun that I decided to set a new reading resolution for 2013: read at least one mystery novel each month.

As much as I enjoyed adding audiobooks to my reading routine, it seems that mysteries just aren't my genre. While I greatly enjoy books that incorporate elements of mystery and suspense, if the main focus of a story is whodunit I'm done with it the minute that I solve the puzzle. The result is that I checked out a number of mysteries this year, but only read a few cover to cover. Below I've listed the ones that I enjoyed the most.

Suspect by Robert Crais
I started my year off with the newest title by Robert Crais, Suspect. Crais is known for his series of hardboiled mysteries featuring Elvis Cole, an LA private eye. I wasn't looking to jump into a series though, so I was happy to see that Suspect is a stand alone title. It's a suspenseful and fast-paced tale of a LAPD cop, Scott James, who is hunting for the men who killed his partner.  James is aided in his investigation by his new partner, Maggie, a German Shepard. Maggie carries her own wounds from her deployment in Afghanistan. I liked this book so much that I've already blogged about it once, and I went and bought a copy for my mom to read.

Invisible Murder by Lene Kaaberbøl & Agnete Friis
Invisible Murder is actually the second book in a series, I recommended the first, The Boy in the Suitcase, in an earlier blog post. While you could certainly jump into this series with the second book, if you skip the first, though, you'll miss a lot of the character development. This fast-paced, gritty series is the product of Danish coauthors Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis. Nina isn't a detective, she's a dedicated nurse, who finds herself unable to balance the pressures of her job working with refugees for the Red Cross with her life as a wife and mother.


The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes
Marian Keyes is known for writing humorous chick-lit, not mysteries, but! with a title like The Mystery of Mercy Close and a main character who is a private investigator, I'm going to go ahead and count this as a mystery. Because this is the fifth novel in her series following the Walsh sisters, that means I have four other books to read and enjoy. Helen Walsh is struggling with a bout of suicidal depression, a new relationship, and a missing person case involving a former boy band (that her ex is managing). I listened to the audiobook, and Irish narrator Caroline Lennon provided a clear and lively delivery.


The Last Policeman by Ben Winters
At first glance, the premise of a setting where there are only six months until the end of the world might seem unbearably depressing, and that isn't wrong. The Last Policeman, first of a trilogy, is not a cheerful book, but there is something hopeful in the story. Hank Palace was promoted to detective shortly after the announcement that the asteroid Maia is on an unavoidable collision course with Earth. Hank has dreamed of being a detective since he was a kid, but trying to solve his first murder in the chaos of looming disaster is nothing like he expected. The plot is fast-paced and twisted, but it's the characters that make the story shine. Even the characters who don't rate names are vividly alive, and it's terrible to think how they'll all be dead so very soon.


Trying to read 12 mysteries in 2013 left me feeling pressured (self-imposed goal or no), but I never would've discovered these books without reading books outside my comfort zone. I want to keep pushing my reading interests, so for 2014, I plan to explore the world of superhero comics. It's hard to tell where to start with a genre that's been building backstory for decades, but luckily I have coworkers to help guide me on my journey.

Staff Review, picture books for people who like chickens

Since I am a certified chicken geek, here are two more reviews of picture books featuring hens who have adventures.

Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken by Kate DiCamillo and Harry Bliss

Louise was bored with life in the chicken coop.  She went to sea and was saved from becoming dinner for pirates by a storm.  After seven days at sea Louise returned home, but not for long.  She became a high wire act in a circus until a close call with a lion made her miss the safety of the henhouse.  Louise decided to visit a faraway bazaar for her next trip.  When a fortune-teller said a dark stranger was in her future, Louise didn’t know that meant the stranger would kidnap and imprison her with a bunch of other chickens.  She picked the lock and freed the hens, who made her miss her home.  Her flock mates asked where she had been, and Louise told them of her travels.

While I found the main character appealing if not fully developed, the plot elements stretched my credulity.  Maybe the supporting characters will have larger roles in future installments.

Daisy Come Home by Jan Brett

Like Louise, Daisy longed for adventure.  As the smallest hen in Mei Mei’s flock, Daisy was picked and pecked by the other chickens.  One dark and rainy night, Daisy decided she had had enough and went outside to find a place to sleep away from the flock.  She didn’t realize the market basket she used for her nest would float away down the river.  Along her journey Daisy encountered a dangerous dog, a wallowing water buffalo, monkeys, and a fisherman who thought he would sell Daisy at market along with his fish.  When Mei Mei went to market to sell eggs, a friend told her that a fisherman had a basket from her farm.  No spoiler alert needed; you’ll have to read the book to learn the outcome.

Daisy’s story is more realistic than Louise’s, both in its plot and illustrations. The relationship between Mei Mei and Daisy adds depth to the characterizations.  The setting of Daisy Come Home is more limited than the broader scope of Louise’s exploits, but I particularly enjoy its local color.  Both reviewed titles offer a similar perspective; a weltanschauung from a chicken-eye view.  I recommend both stories for fans of chick lit.

 - Michelle, Adult Services

Our Favorite Books of 2013, part two

It's time once again for the staff of Carnegie-Stout Public Library to pick our favorite books of 2013. It's a mix of books new in 2013, and books new to us in 2013. This is the second half of our list, you can check out the first set of our favorite books of 2013 by clicking here. If you're wondering what other patrons have been reading this year, you can check out the What Dubuque is Reading Pinterest Board. We'd love it if you'd share your favorite books from this past year in the comments

Andrea, Circulation: Growing up, I did not read many books that are considered “the traditional classics.” Trying that now as an adult, I finally picked up To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  Published in 1960 and set in the South, this is a time that I do not know very well.  Aware of this fact, I wanted to keep reading it once I started.  Seeing the world through the eyes of Scout and Jem in 1930s Alabama, I was able to learn many lessons about inequality and justice.  I can't imagine this is how people used to live, yet this was a normal occurrence to them with change slow in coming.   Now I am finally able to understand all of the nuances brought out by this book in the world today and how many actual Boo Radleys there are in our own lives.  I am now thankful for my first journey into the classics and I am waiting for my next trip very soon. 

Amy, Youth Services: Pure Trilogy by Julianna Baggott (Pure, Fuse, and Burn): These books take place during the post-apocalyptic future world.  A cataclysmic event has happened and all of the people outside the "dome" suffer from fusing's of materials and other people that were near them at the time.  Pressia has a doll head fused to her hand.  She meets up with Partridge who is an escaped "pure" dome-dweller.  Together they brave the desolate and treacherous countryside to find her mother that she is sure survived the cataclysm.  They also search for the secret that will free the Wretches (those outside the dome) of their fusing's forever.  I'm anxiously awaiting the 3rd installment of this trilogy.  It's due to be released in February 2014.  I liked the fast pace of these books and the intriguing story.
You might also enjoy checking out Allison's review of Pure.

Sarah, Adult Services: It's hard to pick just one book for this list, which is why it's nice that I get to post reviews for my favorites throughout the year.  Even so, I'm picking two books. A friend insisted that World War Z by Max Brooks was worth reading despite the zombies, and while I did have zombie themed nightmares, it was an amazing audiobook. It's a full cast recording, so each narrator who shares their experiences in the zombie war has a unique voice and character. Zombie stories, like much of science fiction, are used as metaphors for the problems in modern society, and Brooks does a brilliant job of that. My second choice is The Human Division by John Scalzi. I read this in a standard print copy, as opposed to its original release as a series of short stories. I think this was the strongest title in his Old Man's War series, but I'm a sucker for collections of interconnected short stories. If I have a complaint, it's that the ending is a little too open, but I'm hopeful that means there will be a book six.

Michelle, Adult Services: Jan Brett's brand new book Cinders: a chicken Cinderella is my Christmas present to myself.  Cinderella is not my favorite fairy tale, but Jan Brett's spin on the story and her illustrations are incredible.  The four page center foldout is a magical ballroom scene that gives new meaning to "chicken dance"!  I love looking at the details in the borders around each set of pages.  Brett knows chickens; this is evident in her drawings and her description of the flock's pecking order.  Cinders, her Cinderella, reminds me of Doofus and Dorcas, my Silver Gray Dorking hens.

Angie, Circulation: The House of Hades is the 4th book in the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan– a secondary series that follows the original Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Much like the Harry Potter series, the heroic adventures in this book appeal to a wide audience - middle-grade through adult readers. For those unfamiliar with the Percy Jackson world - the setting is the modern world, with a twist: The gods of Olympus (Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, etc.) and the monsters of mythology like giants, the Titans and Tartarus, are real and causing chaos) and it is the job of a group of 7 demi-gods (teens who have one mortal parent, one godly parent) to defeat those monsters who are out to destroy the human race. This book takes a darker turn than some of the other books in the series, but the demigod characters really come into their own in this book. With humor and daring, the demigods come to believe that they might be able to pull off the impossible when they work as a team.I listened to the audiobook version of this book– and the performance by narrator Nick Chamian was commendable. I highly recommend anyone listen to the entire series on audiobook. The stories are exciting and funny.

Emily, Youth Services: Gulp by Mary Roach. One would not expect a "journey through the alimentary canal," which is what we now call the digestive tract, to be an enjoyable, let alone funny, read but it is! The subject is well researched with both historical and modern references. Mary Roach covers every - yes, every - aspect of the digestive process with facts, stories, and humor. Gulp is a thorough yet light-hearted examination of a serious and often unpleasant subject.

Our Favorite Books of 2013, part one

It's time once again for the staff of Carnegie-Stout Public Library to pick our favorite books of 2013. It's a mix of books new in 2013, and books new to us in 2013. And if you just can't get enough of librarian reading suggestions, check out the Twitter hashtag #libfaves13 for the favorite reads of librarians across the nation and around the world. We'd love it if you'd share your favorite books from this past year in the comments!

You can browse our favorite books from past years here:
Staff Picks 2011, new books
Staff Picks 2011
Staff Picks 2012, part one
Staff Picks 2012, part two

 

Andrew, Adult Services: I’d love this book even if it was just a chunk of paper bound together as an excuse to print the clever title, but it quickly becomes apparent that Ryan North knows Hamlet very well and is quite aware of the bizarre genius of making a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure book out of what may be the most famous example of literary indecision. North’s humor is gleeful and smart, alternating between Dungeons & Dragons references and insightful critique of the play. His wry commentary on the treatment of Ophelia is particularly enjoyable. I’ll be playing around in these 600+ pages for some time to come!

Jackie, Circulation: Drinking and Tweeting by Brandi Glanville is exactly what I expected it to be and more! It is an honest, sad, hysterical, sarcastic account of Brandi's life. This book shares her ups, downs, and everywhere (and I do mean everywhere) in between! It is a candid account of her life before Real Housewives of Orange County and her separation from her cheating husband (Eddie Cibrian). She speaks openly about dealing with the loss of her relationship, having a woman move in on her life and children (LeAnn Rimes), reinventing herself, and getting back into the dating world. She briefly discusses her spot on the Real Housewives show but it is not the driving force of the book by any means. This is a great, funny, quick read! If you have ever had relationship blunders you will surely relate to Brandi!

Mary, Youth Services: My favorite read in 2013 was The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat by Kelsey Moore. Excellent book with touching stories and a big splash of humor. It's about the enduring bond of three high school friends though the ups and downs of life. Reminded me of the nostalgia settings in the Fannie Flagg's books.

Laura, Circulation: The Legend of Broken by Caleb Carr. This is a truly unique historical novel with the feel of a fantasy even without any supernatural elements.  Although mostly speculative, it feels natural and believable, mysteriously set . . . somewhere . . . in a post-Roman Europe, in a dangerous culture that has maybe sown the seeds of its own destruction.  Precise, flowing prose and a jaw-dropping plot twist made this my favorite book of the year.  I've never read anything else like it!

Mike, Adult Services: A book I enjoyed this year was Mississippi Solo: A River Quest by Eddy L. Harris. It was published in 1988 and is out of print, so I bought a used paperback copy on eBay. When he was 30, Harris canoed the length of the Mississippi River by himself, and his book takes readers along on the three-month journey, from camping on sandbars to locking through dams to exploring quirky river towns like Dubuque, where Harris ate Yen Cheng egg rolls under the Town Clock. Harris's bubbliness is weird, and he goes overboard with his anthropomorphic descriptions of the river, but his book reminded me of my younger days when I lived three blocks from Ol' Man River in Savanna, Illinois, especially the days I spent with friends in flat-bottom boats. Now at 60, Harris is raising money to paddle the river again, this time with documentary filmmakers in tow: www.eddyharris.com. If Harris makes it back to Yen Cheng, his crew is bound to shoot some interesting footage. If not, he has at the very least inspired one aging river-rat wannabe to save up for a canoe.

Allison, Adult Services: I picked up Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block expecting a standard YA end-of-the-world survival story, with some teenage love drama thrown in. While there is a world-ending catastrophe and romance, the book was anything but standard. Drawing on Homer's "Odyssey" (which, I'll be honest, I only skimmed in high school. It isn't necessary to be familiar with the tales, but, I appreciated Block's book more after a little review) the story begins when a cataclysmic earthquake destroys the West Coast and a wall of water sweeps seventeen-year-old Penelope's family away. After narrowly escaping death at the hands of looters, Pen sets off on a perilous journey to find her family, encountering human-devouring giants, sirens,  lotus-eaters and witches, and gathering three companions to aid her quest. Magic and the fantastic is woven throughout the narrative, which skims back and forth from Pen's present journey to her life before the Earth Shaker, when she was just on the precipice of discovering her sexuality. Even though the book wasn't at all what I though it was, I was enchanted by the magical realism and love that suffused the story.

Lisa, Circulation: Historical fiction is my favorite genre, so I really enjoyed Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jaime Ford. I learned about part of American history that I never really knew about before. Set in Seattle during World War II, the story centers around the evacuation of Japanese Americans to internment camps hundreds of miles away from their homes. They are denied their belongings and the lives they have established there. It is a story of a shamful part of American hisotry, but also of family ties and bonds between fathers and sons. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. 

Amy, Youth Services, The Ruby Red Trilogy by Kerstin Gier (Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue, and Emerald Green): Gwen has inherited the time-travel gene from her ancestors.  She travels through time in London with Gideon, another time-traveler, to search for the "Circle of Twelve" which are other time-travelers and find out what her own destiny is.  She is the Ruby in the Circle of Twelve and once all the pieces of the puzzle are put together, her own destiny will be revealed.  These books were very interesting and had a refreshing story that separates it from all the similarly written dystopian YA novels of this year.