The Unwritten by Mike Carey & Peter Gross

"This week a co-worker came up to me with a crazed look in her eye and said “Yesterday I was shelving some comics and started flipping through the first volume of The Unwritten. Before I knew it I’d read all five volumes the library owns. When will there be more?” It’s always great to watch someone enjoy something I liked a lot. It’s even more fun when their excitement borders on the maniacal." Andrew, from No Flying, No Tights.

As the co-worker in question, I cannot dispute Andrew's description of my excitement over The Unwritten. I'm still new to graphic novels, and, Andrew's selections for the Graphic Content book discussion are always interesting.  What drew my attention to this particular selection was the very last chapter, which imagines (or exposes, as the story would have it) the life and career of Rudyard Kipling, who, despite being a talented writer in his early days, did not come to fame without the assistance of a mysterious cabal of powerful men who seem to influence - if not determine - the course of  world events. (Mark Twain makes a special guest appearance, too.)

But I'm getting ahead of myself. The full title of the first volume of the on-going series by Mike Carey and Peter Gross is The Unwritten: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity. The Tommy of the title is the main character in a highly popular series of books written by the reclusive author Wilson Taylor. The Tommy Taylor series is modeled on the Harry Potter books (with Tommy as Harry) complete with wizards, wands and made-up Latin spells. The authors give a nod to Rowling's work in the first chapter, which completely won me over to the series.

There is another Tommy in the story, however, the "real" one (perhaps). Tom Taylor, son of Wilson and on whom the character was modeled (or maybe not). Tom has grown up in the spotlight and shadow of his father's fame. With his father's mysterious disappearance after the release of his last book, Tom travels the convention circuit reluctantly, having failed as a musician, actor and author. It is at one of these "TommyCons" that a young woman calling herself Lizzie Hexam publicly casts doubt on Tom's identity and whether or not he is Wilson Taylor's son.

The notion that Tom is a fraud creates an explosive amount of controversy, with a level of emotion only devoted fans can muster. Tom becomes a pariah, and on his way into hiding, is kidnapped by a crazed attacker pretending (or is he?) to be Count Ambrosio, the Lord Voldemort to our Tommy. With all of the internet watching, Tom survives and is suddenly elevated to  messianic status, something that turns out to be nearly as bad as being universally reviled.

But Tom's fortunes are about to change, again. Tom - now doubting his own past - begin looking for answers of his own. The search takes him to his childhood home of Villa Diodati in Switzerland (not coincidentally, this is also where Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein - the novels are filled with these bits of literary trivia and seeming coincidences.) Tom, joined by Lizzie, finds more questions than answers, though, along with a map, a crystal doorknob and more than a few dead bodies. It seems that Tom's activities have caught the attention of some very dangerous people who don't seem to be fans of Tommy Taylor.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of this novel are the secrets that are hidden within. Hints and clues are sprinkled throughout for the sharp-eyed reader, allowing us to participate in Tom's search for the truth. Much like our hero, if we look deeper into the story, we can perhaps find out what's really going on. Some of these clues - such as Tommy Taylor's name being printed in blue - might turn out to be nothing (this isn't repeated in the later novels). However others - especially those that feature Tom's pursuer Mr. Pullman and what becomes of objects he touches with his wooden hand - provide excellent foreshadowing.

Sue Morganstern and Mr. Pullman -
The letters that appear in the clay seems to spell
"man made vessel". Hmm.

I went back and re-read the first five volumes in the series not once, but three times, each time searching for further clues, especially in light of what happens in later novels. Of course, sometimes a cigar is only a cigar. Some passing knowledge of literature helps, and I found myself referring to Wikipedia and Google Translate more than a few times during my re-reading. It was well worth it.

The sixth volume in the series, Tommy Taylor and the War of Words, is set for release in October. In the meantime, we'll be talking about The Unwritten at the next Graphic Content book discussion on Tuesday, August 14th at 7:00 p.m. Come join us and find out if, in the words of Count Ambrosio, stories are the only thing worth dying for.

~ Allison, Adult Services

The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent

What comes to mind when you hear the words “Salem witch trials?” If you are of a literary bent, you might think of Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible or Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The House of the Seven Gables. One of Hawthorne’s relatives was a Salem magistrate, and another was actually a judge at the witchcraft trials. His family history and Puritan background impacted his writing. Miller used the events from Salem in 1692 to stage his political views of the 1950’s McCarthy era so-called witch hunts for communists.

Writing more recently than Hawthorne or Miller, Kathleen Kent, author of the historical fiction novel The Heretic’s Daughter, traces her ancestry back nine generations to Thomas and Martha Carrier. Kent uses her family history to craft a tale of Martha’s daughter Sarah, who, along with her mother and brothers, is accused of witchcraft. Nine-year old Sarah is the narrator of the story, which is rich in historical detail and emotionally powerful.

Families living in Massachusetts almost a century before the Revolutionary War deal with smallpox, Indian attacks and primitive conditions, unheard of in modern day America, but mother-daughter, brother-sister and other family interactions are timeless. Rumors, accusations of witchcraft, formal charges, arrest and imprisonment shatters some families; the Carrier family becomes stronger.

Some critics find The Heretic’s Daughter too slow moving. I was intrigued; I read the book in two days. I want to read The Wolves of Andover, Kent’s prequel to her debut, but it is checked out. While I am waiting to read the story of Sarah’s parents, I’ve been studying the University of Virginia’s amazing archive of documents from the Salem trials. Next I will reread The Crucible and The House of the Seven Gables. One good read leads to another. Now for trip to New England to view the settings . . .

~ Michelle, Adult Services

Staff Review: Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales

There are many sports I find enjoyable. The TV is always on during the Olympics; all my years in marching band and pep band created a love of football and basketball; watching some college sports live (Clarke men’s volleyball!) is fun. However, in many cases I would rather read or watch a movie about certain sports than see the actual event either live or on TV. For example I have always been fascinated by the 1919 “Black Sox” scandal, but really do not like watching a baseball game. Give me a summary in a book or a movie with a game montage and I’m a happy camper.

Perhaps that is why I was drawn to Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales. It is an oral history of the rise of the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network. The detailed story of the network from conception to its current standing as a worldwide source of sports on TV, in print and online is told by the people who lived it. Many sports are touched on in relation to how they came to be shown on ESPN such as football and basketball (both pro and college), baseball, hockey, soccer, NASCAR, the X games, and the Olympics. Of course there is much discussion of “behind the scenes” at the network providing a peek into contract negotiations with both individuals and companies as well as descriptions of the ESPN culture in Bristol, Connecticut.

An oral history is the perfect format for a story like this because it is presented only via direct quotes. There is some explanatory text but the story is told directly from the mouths of the speakers themselves. This format provides both sides of an argument – and there are many – or all aspects of a scandal – there are a few of those, too – without giving the authors editorial opinion. Note that because the title or description of each person speaking is only listed the first time they appear in the book, it can be challenging to keep everyone straight at the beginning.

Other oral histories include Live From New York about the development and rise of Saturday Night Live also by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller and The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts by Tom Farley and Colby Tanner.

 ~Emily, Adult Services

It's all Pun and Games (and murder too!)

If you're a fan of puns and puzzles, you might enjoy cozy mysteries. A cozy mystery novel features a less violent murder and generally includes quirky characters, humor, and sometimes a touch of romance. Not all cozy mysteries have puns in their titles, but my favorites do!

Here's a short list of recent mystery novels with particularly clever puns in their titles:

Deja Moo by Kirsten Weiss
The third book in the Proper Paranormal Museum series. A holiday tradition turns deadly, but is the paranormal museum to blame?

Buried in the Stacks by Allison Brook
the third book in the Haunted Library Mysteries series. Librarian Carrie Singleotn is building a haven, but one of her neighbors is misbehavin'. Can resident spirit Evelyn help Carrie catch the culprit who made her a ghost?

Sell Low, Sweet Harriet by Sherry Harris
The eighth book in the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mystery series. Sarah Winston's garage sale business has a new client: the daughter of a couple who recently died in a tragic accident while away on a trip to Africa.

Hounds of the Basket Stitch by Anne Canadeo
The eleventh book in the Black Sheep Knitting Mysteries series. The Black Sheep Knitters come ot the aid of two sisters - one a victim and one a suspect...

Thread and Buried by Lea Wait
The ninth book in the Mainely Needlepoint series. Haven Harbor is an authentic coastal Maine town--which makes it the perfect location for a new film production. But now it's become the scene of a crime...

No Escape Claws by Sofie Ryan
The sixth book in the Second Chance Cat Mystery series. Haven Harbor is an authentic coastal Maine town--which makes it the perfect location for a new film production. But now it's become the scene of a crime . . .

Crewel and Unusual by Molly MacRae
The sixth book in the Haunted yarn Shop Mystery series. Yarn shop owner Kath Rutledge is looking forward to the grand opening of the Blue Plum Vault, a co-op of small shops on Main Street until rumors of an unpleasant rivalry start spreading...

Ruff Justice by Laurien Berenson
The twenty-second book in the Melanie Travis series. As owner of prize-winning Poodles, Melanie Travis knows how to handle fierce competition. But when a conformation show turns deadly, it’ll take every trick in the book to outsmart a murderer who refuses to lose...

Better Than Nun by Alice Loweecey
The sixth book in the Giulia Driscoll series. Giulia Driscoll used to say running a detective agency was the busiest job she’d ever had. Then the ghosts showed up, and she figured now she’s the busiest ever.

If You Liked Rocket Raccoon, Try Airplane Monkey!

Sarah and I were both huge fans of Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Justice (you can read Sarah’s review here). We’ve spent the last several months watching the literary awards roll in for Leckie’s singular and inventive story of a former spaceship out for revenge. When the British Science Fiction Association announced the choice for Best Novel of 2013, Ancillary Justice had tied with Ack-Ack Macaque by Gareth L. Powell, a book whose synopsis made “former spaceship out for revenge” sound positively pedestrian. From the back cover:

In 1944, as waves of German ninjas parachute into Kent, Britain’s best hopes for victory lie with a Spitfire pilot codenamed ‘Ack-Ack Macaque.’ The trouble is, Ack-Ack Macaque is a cynical, one-eyed, cigar-chomping monkey, and he’s starting to doubt everything, including his own existence.

To be honest, that’s the sort of pitch that usually elicits a chuckle but then disappoints me. With so many self-consciously far-fetched ideas in play, it’s no mean feat to keep a book from spinning wildly out of control. But if the British Science Fiction Association said Powell’s Nazi-fighting monkey pilot book was actually one of the two best sci-fi novels of the year, then I’d give him the benefit of the doubt.

Once I got into the book, things became even more complicated with the addition of a modern day plot built around alternate history, domineering corporations, transhumanists, and nuclear zeppelins. With all these elements crammed together, I’d have been impressed if Powell simply pulled off a crash he could walk away from. Instead, he soared effortlessly. The characters are fun and believable. The plot is engrossing and cohesive (though really hard to convey to a third party -- just ask my wife). There were moments where it's exactly as silly as a warrior monkey book should be alongside moments of genuine suspense and emotional weight.

My title for this review suggests Ack-Ack Macaque as a good follow-up for Guardians of the Galaxy. Despite the shared theme of cybernetically-enhanced mammals with big guns and aircraft, I don’t know that I’d say one is a good match to the other. Ack-Ack Macaque is fairly dark and spends a lot of time considering questions of humanity in a world of cybernetic implants. Guardians of the Galaxy certainly has some heart and sci-fi chops, but keeps things loose and funny. All that said, both works share an important feature of successful high concept media: despite the superficial absurdity of their premise, they play things straight. They don’t wink to the reader or viewer, trying to make sure we know that they know that a talking monkey is silly. Nor do they veer toward grim and gritty excess in order to grind out any trace of silliness. To some degree, both works succeed because their creators believe they can -- no extra support or justification required.

If, after Ack Ack Macaque, you’ve still not had your fill of uplifted animals, try one of these:

• Hive Monkey by Gareth Powell -- The sequel to Ack-Ack Macaque. I haven’t read it yet, but it seems an obvious place to turn.

• We3 by Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly -- If you want to read a thrilling and gory action comic that will have you weeping bitterly at the end, I’ve got the book for you!

• Duncan the Wonder Dog by Adam Hines -- For those who like their talking animal comics with a more philosophical bent.

• Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIHM by Robert C. O’Brien -- A classic and personal favorite, this children’s novel is quieter and lighter on the sci-fi, but no less engrossing.

Staff Review: Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell

Anyone who has read one of Sarah Vowell's books knows how funny she is. Laugh-out-loud funny at times. But when it comes to American history, she knows her stuff. Hers is a fresh take on what we all learned in school: the Puritans on the Mayflower, our past presidents, the Salem witch trials, the Civil War. Sometimes she goes farther afield: in one book, Unfamiliar Fishes, she explores the events leading up to the U.S. annexation of Hawaii. Vowell is snarky, irreverent, and a whole lot of fun. Always droll, never dull, often remarkably astute, she breathes new life into old stories.

In Lafayette in the Somewhat United States, her most recent book, she really shows off her chops. I can't imagine how much reading, research, and travel must have gone in to writing this book. Vowell seems at ease with all the major battles of the Revolutionary War, which went on for eight long years, and with all the key players, from military leaders like George Washington and Benedict Arnold to members of the Continental Congress. Her focus is on Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, better known as the Marquis de Lafayette, a 19-year-old French aristocrat who crossed the ocean in 1776 to take up the cause of American liberty. Swashbuckling and debonair, he became not only a highly capable general but a sort of surrogate son to Washington, who was crazy about him.

The book opens with Lafayette's return to the U.S. in 1824, at age 67, for a grand tour of all (by then) 24 states. Americans still adored him for his contributions to the cause of freedom and he was greeted by cheering crowds everywhere he went. By that time, he had not only survived the American Revolution (he was wounded at the Battle of Brandywine) but also emerged neck intact from "the Terror" -- the bloody chaos of the French Revolution, with its flames, pitchforks, and flashing guillotine. Vowell then turns back in time to the trajectory of the American Revolution, interspersing her own clever assessment of historical events with anecdotes about people she meets and sites she visits while conducting her extensive research.

She is so amiable in her snarkiness that I always finish her books wishing I could hang out with her. I also laugh and learn a lot along the way. By the close of this one, I understood for the very first time just how much the French helped us win the War of Independence (something we might have done well to remember during the Freedom-fries fiasco of 2003) and I had a much better appreciation of the reason so many American cities, towns, counties, hills, rivers, bridges, parks, schools, boats, and buildings were named in honor of Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette.

Cautionary Note: I better add a note about the audio version. When you hear Vowell for the first time (she narrates her own books), you may well be a bit turned off, especially if you're just coming off a super-fine audiobook narrator. For all that Vowell's such a big radio personality and has done so much voice and acting work, her high-pitched, lispy, little-kid voice can be dismaying, but I promise if you power through the first chapter or two, you'll cease to notice. It won't bother you at all. You may even come to find it endearing.

~Ann, Adult Services 

Staff Review: Ten Things About "Ten Things I've Learnt About Love" by Sarah Butler

1. Reading it took my breath away. The writing is simple but true.
2. Each chapter starts with lists written by the two main characters, Alice and Daniel. “Ten Things I’m Frightened Of”, “Ten Things People Say to You When Your Father Dies”, and “Ten Things I’d Rather Forget” are a few of them. It’s a good writing technique and helps the reader find out a lot about a character’s interior thoughts in a small amount of words.
3. Daniel has synesthesia so sees words and letters as colors. He describes someone’s name as “the color of sun-warmed sandstone”. The letter D is “a pale orange, like powdered sherbet”. Alice’s name is the color of “milky blue water”.
4. Butler does a wonderful job of capturing the ache of wanting someone to love you.
5. Daniel walks around London, collecting things like bottle tops, paper clips, a string of plastic pearls, and an empty photo frame to make found art he uses to express himself.
6. This sounds weird, but I felt like my heart was also reading and reacting along with me.
7. “When the whisky is finished, I screw the top back on and slam the bottle into the ground. It doesn’t break. I want something to break.” Those lines perfectly capture the frustration of feeling broken and wanting everything around you to be broken, too, so you're not alone.
8. Butler’s writing style put me so into the novel that when a character was distracted, I felt it, too. A character’s thoughts would interrupt lines of dialogue and leave me with their feelings of uncertainty in my head.
9. Lines like these: “And I carried on doing what I’ve been doing for years. I have written your name more times than I can remember. Always, at the beginning, I write your name.”
10. I didn’t want it to be over.

Ten Things I've Learnt About Love is the debut novel of Sarah Butler. Alice is the youngest of three sisters and has never felt a true part of the family since her mother died when Alice was young. She’s off in Mongolia, escaping heartache, when she hears that her father is dying and returns in time to be there when he dies. Daniel is homeless and looking for the daughter he’s never met. We watch as these two characters slowly come together. As I mentioned before, Butler’s writing is simple but true and shows how the hope of love can root us when nothing else can.

~Aisha, Adult Services

Sarah's Favorite Bingeworthy TV Series

You might think that, as a librarian, I spend all my free time reading books, but in my downtime I'm just as likely to be sitting on the couch watching TV. I was inspired by my colleague Amy to share a few of my favorite bingeworthy TV series that don't appear on HGTV.

I've mentioned two of my favorites here before: Orphan Black and How to Get Away with Murder, so I'll trust you to read my earlier blog posts if you're curious and instead talk about some new favorites!

Elementary A variation on the classic character of Sherlock Holmes transplanted into modern day New York City and featuring Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson. This isn't a series that requires you to watch every single episode to enjoy or understand the plot.

Mindy Project Mindy Kaling stars in her own Rom Com-inspired TV series that isn't afraid to change up the cast. Although some episodes rely a bit more on frat boy humor than I'd prefer, when this show is good, it is crazy good.

You're the Worst The humor in this series is very adult and very dark. Casual sex, drug use, and profanity are just the tip of the iceberg of reasons why you might not enjoy this show. At some point I have declared each of the main characters as the Absolute Worst, but I still love these deeply flawed and vulnerable fictional people.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine I avoided this series for three years because I was somehow convinced I wouldn't like a series about a scrappy Brooklyn police department. I was wrong: I love it. This is my new go-to upbeat ensemble comedy (I miss you, Parks & Rec!) and it is the show I turn to when I've had a bad day.

Leverage When I've had a really bad day, I turn on Leverage. Absolutely any episode leaves me feeling better about humanity. It's quirky, goofy, and most importantly, this team of bad guys always helps the normal people hurt by the rich, powerful and corrupt to get justice.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Spotlight: Mystery Graphic Novels

Graphic Novels, like print books, cover a wide range of genre and tone, which means you don't have to be a fan of super heroes to check one out! Today we'll be focusing on graphic novels with appeal for mystery fans.

Earlier this month Andrew reviewed The Hunter by Darwyn Cooke, a graphic novel adaptation of the first book in Richard Stark's Parker series of mystery novels. The Hunter will be the topic of discussion at the next meeting of Carnegie-Stout's graphic novel discussion group, Graphic Content at 7:00 p.m. on June 12. You can read Andrew's full review of this gritty crime thriller by clicking here.

Ed Brubaker's Criminal series has a similar inspiration in hardboiled mysteries. The series is drawn by Sean Phillips, whose expressive style conveys the violence of the story without overwhelming gore. The series starts with Coward, Leo is a professional pickpocket known for his skills as a thief and in avoiding risky situations, but now he finds himself on the run.

Mr. Brubaker also writes superhero stories for Marvel, including the Gotham Central series, a police procedural set in the city famous as the home of Batman. Mr. Brubaker's coauthor on the series is Greg Rucka, who got his start writing suspenseful crime novels. Michael Lark is the artist, and his style is striking, reminiscent of shows like Law and Order. The story follows the men and women of the Gotham City police department as they try to do their jobs without the assistance (or interference) of Batman.

Evan Dorkin's Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites has received several Eisner Awards and a Harvey Award and was a 2011 selection by YALSA. The story of a group of dogs and cats who band together to solve supernatural mysteries. Mr. Dorkin is known for his humorous writing, and it's on display in this series. Jill Thompson created the excellent watercolor illustrations.

Blacksad by Juan Diaz Canales also features a feline investigator, though of the two-legged hardboiled PI variety. The series is set in 1950s America, with murder and kidnapping under the threat of Soviet attack. Illustrator Juanjo Guarnido's art is lush, emotive, and has a film noir feel.

The graphic novel collection even has titles for the True Crime aficionado. Green River Killer: a true detective story was written by Jeff Jensen whose father, Detective Tom Jensen, was in charge of the original investigation. Illustrator Jonathan Case's black and white art does not distract from the story.True Crime readers may also want to check out the work of Rick Geary. Mr. Geary has written about several high profile historic murders, including Lizzie Borden.

Batman, despite his costume, is a detective, and the new series by Scott Snyder, Court of Owls has more of that mystery flavor. Illustrator Greg Capullo has a high gloss superhero style to the art.

In John Layman's series Chew, Tony Chu works with the Special Crimes Division of the FDA (not a typo). When Mr. Chu eats, he's given a psychic vision of the food, which makes for some disturbing and darkly humorous investigations. Rob Guillory's illustrations have a cartoonish style that is both goofy and unsettling.

And finally, the beloved fictional author and amateur detective, Richard Castle, has a graphic novel adaptation of the equally fictional Derrick Storm, private eye. The team of Brian Michael Bendis, Kelly Sue Deconnick, Scott Hanna, and Dan Green do a fine job of bringing this action-packed television tie-in to life.

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!

The Curious Case of Bob Dylan

The movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button received 13 Oscar nominations today, including nominations for best picture, best director and best actor for leading man Brad Pitt. The Academy Awards will be presented February 22 at Hollywood's Kodak Theater.

When I first saw the trailer for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a historical romance about a man who ages backwards, I thought it was based on Andrew Sean Greer's excellent 2004 novel, The Confessions of Max Tivoli, also a historical romance about a man who ages backwards. But it's not, y'all!

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is based on the classic 1922 short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, while the totally unrelated The Confessions of Max Tivoli was inspired in part by Bob Dylan's 1964 song, My Back Pages.

Author Andrew Sean Greer explains: "When I began my book in early 2001, I had never heard of Fitzgerald’s story or the movie . . . . The idea of man aging backwards is as ancient as literature–it turns up as early as Plato, and even Fitzgerald seems to have acknowledged Twain and Butler. My own inspiration was Bob Dylan’s 'My Back Pages' and T.H. White’s Merlin; I would be happy to acknowledge F. Scott Fitzgerald, but I had never heard of his story!" . . . Huh!

Intriguingly, a Japanese-language cover of Dylan's song "My Back Pages" is included in the soundtrack of the 2003 movie Masked and Anonymous, a film which features, along with Dylan and many others, Mickey Rourke, who, like Brad Pitt, was nominated today for best actor for The Wrestler. Weird!

Moreover, Cate Blanchett, the actress who was nominated for an Oscar for her performance as Bob Dylan in the 2007 movie I'm Not There, also stars in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Hard to believe, eh?

Of course, none of this really means anything, other than Carnegie-Stout Public Library has a lot of cool books and movies to check out.

~ Mike, Adult Services

The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. In her work of historical fiction, The Dressmaker, Kate Alcott weaves a fictional story with real events that took place during the ill-fated voyage and its aftermath.

Tess is a young English girl and aspiring seamstress who is fed up with her life in service (anyone who has seen Downton Abbey knows what this means.) Tess is a maid in a large English house and feels that she is treated poorly and should be paid for the wonderful dresses she makes. Somehow Tess manages to talk her way onto the Titanic as a maid for renowned fashion designer Lady Lucille "Lucy" Duff Gordon. While on board, Tess meets two very different men who treat her as more than just a maid. The first is a Chicago millionaire named Jack and the second is a younger crew member by the name of Jim. We all know what happens next; the Titanic hits an iceberg, the ship sinks, some survive and many do not. If you would like to review some facts about the Titanic, check out the website Titanic Facts.

As the ship sinks, Lucy and her husband, Cosmo, end up in Lifeboat 1 with only 12 passengers, 7 of which are crew. Tess ends up in Lifeboat 6 with none other than Margaret Brown. It just wouldn't be a Titanic story without Margaret Brown.  Anyway, while in their lifeboat, Margaret and Tess take control of the boat, both showing courage, strength and compassion. Once they are rescued and taken aboard the RMS Carpathia, Tess learns that her young sailor friend was in the same lifeboat as the Duff Gordons and that something happened in Lifeboat 1 that nobody wants to talk about.

When the Carpathia reaches New York, a spunky newspaper reporter by the name of Sarah "Pinky" Wade picks up enough information to realize that there is more to the story and the Duff Gordons are at the center of the mystery. Tess must decide where her loyalties lie, who she believes and decide if she is willing to compromise her principles so that Lucy can make all her dreams come true.

I have luke warm feelings about this novel.  I liked the historical details, such as the author never referring to Margaret Brown as "Molly".  She was never called that until after her death in 1932.  There were several inquiries on the sinking of the Titanic and Alcott is able to put her fictional characters right in the middle of the action so-to-speak.  Lucy Duff Gordon was a real passenger on the Titanic, which prompted me to do a little digging into her history (more on that later).  Finally I did enjoy the character of Sarah "Pinky" Wade.  Her tenacity and determination to uncover what really happened on Lifeboat 1 drives the plot.  I really wanted Pinky to be a real person, too. 

Now on to what I didn't like about The Dressmaker.  I found the characters to be two-dimensional.  Initially I thought this could be an adult book written for young adults, but really I think it just suffers from lack of character development and a thin plot. The love triangle was pretty boring, even though it did turn out a bit differently than I anticipated.  I just couldn't make myself care who Tess ended up with, if anyone. 

The Dressmaker is supposed to be Tess's story but the title describes Lucy's profession and Tess' desire.  I found Lucy to be the more interesting character (perhaps because she was real) so for me The Dressmaker is her story.  What I love about historical fiction is that it usually prompts me to do some additional reading about the time period, characters and events that serve as the basis for the story.  Here are a few of my favorite Lady Duff Gordon tidbits: in 1875 while returning to Jersey, after a visit to relatives in England, Lucy and her sister Elinor survived the wreck of their ship when it ran aground during a storm. Also, Lady Duff Gordon was booked on the final voyage of the RMS Lusitania but at the last minute canceled her trip due to illness. The Lusitania was destroyed by a German torpedo on May 7, 1915. This woman had some seriously bad ship karma.

Lucy's sister, Elinor Glyn, was a British novelist and scriptwriter who apparently pioneered mass-market women's erotic fiction. I'm sure by today's standards it was relatively tame, but I guess we can indirectly thank Mrs. Glyn for the popularity of Fifty Shades of Grey. CSPL has a movie that is based on Elinor Glyn's novel of the same name, Beyond the Rocks.  The movie is a silent film originally produced in 1922, restored in 2005, starring Rudolph Valentino and Gloria Swanson. 

As for the scandal surrounding Lifeboat 1, (stop reading now if you don't want to know) Lucy's husband supposedly bribed the crew to not search for survivors. There was also a rumor that at one point, someone tried to get into the lifeboat and was pushed off with an oar. None of the rumors were substantiated although Cosmo did offer the crew members from Lifeboat 1 £5 each (about $760 today) to assist them until they found new employment.  The final report of the inquiry stated that the Duff Gordons did nothing to deter the crew from rescue attempts.

~ Amy, Adult Services

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

Read Alike: Dean Koontz

Dean Koontz writes suspenseful horror novels that maintain a fast-pace and intricate plots. His novels are not for those with faint hearts or weak stomachs, but if you don't mind violence or adult language, Mr. Koontz provides a satisfyingly unsettling read.

His earliest novels were more straightforward science fiction titles or explorations of other genres written under various pseudonyms. The current day result of his varied writing experience are novels that mix genre elements and keep readers on the edges of their seats.

Though most of his novels stand alone, Mr. Koontz also writes the popular Odd Thomas series. There won't be a new Odd Thomas title until the summer of 2012, but the stand alone 77 Shadow Street is due out this December.
You can read more about Mr. Koontz on his website (www.deankoontz.com), which includes a section on his beloved dog, Trixie.

Other authors fans of Dean Koontz may enjoy include:

Stephen King is arguably the biggest name in horror fiction, and it's likely you've already picked up one of his fast-paced novels with their sympathetic heroes and truly evil villains. Consider this your opportunity to add a hold request for Mr. King's upcoming science fiction suspense story about the assassination of John F. Kennedy, 11/22/63.

John Saul is another long-standing name in the field of horror writing. His fast-paced novels are cleverly plotted and suspenseful have appeal for adults as well as older teens. Start with House of Reckoning, Sarah Crane is lonely in her new foster home until she is befriended by the high school art teacher, but things start to fall apart when Sarah's paintings begin to echo violent crimes from the town's past.

Dan Simmons, like Mr. Koontz, has written both horror and science fiction, and featuring similarly sympathetic characters. Mr. Simmons, however, writes in a greater variety of style and tone from the character-driven and atmospheric historical novel The Terror (see Allison's staff review of The Terror) to the hardboiled mysteries featuring Joe Kurtz (start with Hardcase). More traditional horror fans should start with Children of the Night for Mr. Simmons take on vampires.

David Ambrose is the author of supernatural thrillers with an emphasis on the paranormal. His novels include detail on the technical aspects in addition to their fast-paced plots. Start with Superstition, scientists attempt to create a ghost, but their experiment quickly escapes their control with deadly consequences.

Peter Straub, an occasional coauthor of Stephen King, has written a number of creepy, violent, intricately plotted horror novels. Start with A Dark Matter, a midnight ritual in 1960s Wisconsin continues to haunt the participants 40 years later.

Joe Hill is the son of Stephen King, and an author of compelling and creepy horror stories in his own right, as well as a series of graphic novels, Locke & Key. To sample his novels try Heart Shaped Box, Judas Coyne is more interested in his collection of occult knick-knacks than his career as a rock star, but adding a ghost purchased over the internet to his collection was not his wisest move.

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!

Bestseller Read-Alikes for the Week of April 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

This week's #1 book on the fiction bestsellers list is Calico Joe by John Grisham. Once again, Grisham leaves his usual legal thriller genre and ventures into the lives of athletes, as he did in his earlier novel, Playing for Pizza (2007). Calico Joe tells the story of two major-league baseball players, rookie phenom Joe Castle and and journeyman pitcher Warren Tracey. In 1973, Castle hit a home run off of Warren and at his next at-bat, Warren drilled a fastball at Castle's head. The damage was severe, and leaves Castle brain-damaged and disabled. Warren's son, Paul, narrates the story as he attempts to find closure for his dying father decades later.

Other books with similar writing themes to Grisham's Calico Joe include:

Battle Creek by Scott Lasser - Gil Davison, coach of an amateur baseball team that has always made it to the championship finals but never won, is resolved that this season they will win it all. A man who has always loved the purity of baseball, he finds that the thirst for winning leads him to compromises that are hard to live with. The book also explores the other key members of his team--the aging pitcher who cannot admit to the pain his arm is giving him, the assistant coach who is dying of emphysema, the young phenom who would long since have been tearing up the major leagues if he hadn't been in prison for beating the brains out of his girl's other guy. The baseball is lovingly, truthfully described, with poignant and disturbing insights into father-son relationships.

Blockade Billy by Stephen King - Another author who occasionally steps outside his usual genre, Stephen King tries his hand at sports fiction writing. This short novella tells the story of Blockade Billy whose brief career in the big leagues was banished from the record books. Naive country boy William Blakeley quickly establishes himself as the real deal—hitting a ton and blocking home plate with a ferocity that earns him the nickname Blockade Billy. But what is that curious Band-Aid he sometimes wears on his finger, and why do players seem to get hurt whenever he wears it? A suspenseful read for sports and King fans alike.

Click here for more fiction bestsellers...

Nonfiction

This week's #1 nonfiction book is again Rachel Maddow's Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power and you can find read-alikes for that title here. At #2 is Mrs. Kennedy and Me: An Intimate Memoir by Clint Hill. Hill, a former Secret Service agent, served on former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy's protection detail for four years - from the beginning of her husband's presidency and after his assassination. Through his recollection of the everyday routines of the First Lady and her public appearances, Hill creates a deeply personal portrait that offers an intimate glimpse into Jacqueline Kennedy's life.

Other books similar to Mrs. Kennedy and Me include:

Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy - A collection of original audio recordings and annotated transcripts taken from interviews Jacqueline Kennedy gave with Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. in 1964, after her husband's assassination. Annotated by historian Michael Beschloss, this collection offers a detailed account of life in the White House with JFK.

America's Queen: The Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis by Sarah Bradford - biographer Sarah Bradford explores the life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in a definitive portrait that is both sympathetic and frank. With an extraordinary range of candid interviews, Bradford offers new insights into the woman behind the public persona. She creates a coherent picture out of Jackie's tumultuous and cosmopolitan life-from the aristocratic milieu of Newport and East Hampton to the Greek isles, from political Washington to New York's publishing community. She probes Jackie's privileged upbringing, her highly public marriages, and her roles as mother and respected editor, and includes rare photos from private collections to create the most complete account yet written of this legendary life.

Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America, 1789-1989 by Michael Beschloss -Historian Bescholss documents crucial historical moments in each of the first forty presidencies during which the future of the United States has been dramatically affected by a bold executive decision, and offers insight into the factors that influenced the choices made by each president. Included are Washington, John Adams, Jackson, Lincoln, Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt, Truman, JFK, and Reagan.

Click here for more nonfiction bestselllers ...

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!

Staff Review: A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline

Christina Baker Kline, author of the runaway bestseller Orphan Train, is back with a fine new novel, A Piece of the World. The impetus for this new work was Kline's interest in painter Andrew Wyeth's relationship with a considerably older woman, a native Mainer named Anna Christina Olson. Christina, as she was known, is the subject of Wyeth's most famous painting, 1948's Christina's World, and in her new novel, Kline brings the enigmatic Christina to life.

She does a bang-up job of it too, alternating chapters that propel us through Christina's young adulthood with chapters narrating her initial introduction to Wyeth (when she is 46 and he just 22) and their ensuing friendship. At age 46, Christina's life is solitary and hard. She lives without electricity or running water and has suffered since childhood from an undiagnosed condition that eventually reduces her to crawling on her arms, dragging her legs behind her.

Crushed by a huge romantic disappointment in her youth, Christina spends the bulk of her days caring for her crumbling old farmhouse and her brother Alvaro, who works their farm. Their days are not often visited by joy. Enter the energetic and idealistic Andy Wyeth, who is artistically intrigued by the Olson house, its occupants, and the surrounding landscape. Soon he is painting there every day, which he continues to do for the next thirty years, often painting Christina and Alvaro. Not included in the book but adding to its poignancy is the fact that upon his death at age 91, the famous and wealthy Andrew Wyeth, happily married with his own large family, chose to be buried beside Christina and Alvaro in their humble family plot.

Kline paints her characters with the same magical precision Wyeth's paintings are known for. She paints the landscape uncommonly well too, vividly evoking the sometimes-harsh, always beautiful Maine coast. Most touching of all, Kline imbues the physically disabled Christina with dignity and grace, the very qualities Wyeth ascribes to the awkward woman in his paintings. Christina's life was difficult, her days filled with pain, but she enjoyed 30 years of friendship with a remarkable man and was immortalized in one of the world's most famous works of art.

~Ann, Adult Services