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By Phil, February 13, 2013

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I recently finished Gone Girl (just in time for Valentine’s Day!) and agree it was quite the read. Very gone girl indeed!  Absorbing and twisted with well thought out yet surprising developments and excellently depicted characters – with a unique play it back journal entry style and point of view alternate takes.(Grammatically incorrect – thanks Amy). I especially enjoyed the pair of detectives -Boney and Gilpin, who may have been in over their heads with this one!

I was thinking about movies and couldn’t place a female lead until I listened again to the year’s best  Podcast and heard a library colleague mentioning Reece Witherspoon. That would be a great fit (I think of her in Election). Some other movies that crossed my mind while reading this were: High Fidelity, American Beauty, Basic Instinct, Magic and, maybe most of all, The Game (w/ Michael Douglas). And maybe the play Deathtrap.  I couldn’t help think of Nancy Grace circa the Scott Peterson case as well with the Ellen Abbott character. But with any great book it’s the nuances and thoughts of the characters you are privy to and the acute descriptions that make this one to read (before a movie based on it comes out).

The story opens in Carthage, Missouri where Amy and Nick Dunne, displaced (from NYC) and unemployed ex-writers have returned to reside in a McMansion near the Mississippi, enabling Nick to tend to his ailing parents and work at a bar he owns with his twin sister, Margo. From here, on their fifth wedding anniversary Amy disappears in an apparent abduction; possibly a set up…

But this book is so much more and truly is a masterpiece of psychological intrigue; with a  marriage gone really wrong, a what is going on here?!  and what may possibly develop next?  plot that tumbles ever forward.  It is hugely absorbing and the characters are very believable – from Nick’s sister Go and her stark directness to Amy’s annoyingly alike parents, Rand and Marybeth,  both psychologists who have been living off the royalties of the  Amazing Amy series, children’s books that may have run their course. Other characters have memorable bit roles while Amy herself gives new meaning to  terms for a clever, manipulative spouse.  Anniversary treasure hunts with disguised clues are just the tip of the iceberg here with the games she plays.

I haven’t heard anyone who has not been impressed by this book, which is unforgettable and merits its praise as one of the year’s best (and probably a rereading by me).  This story is gripping and diabolically twisted with a sharp, modern edge (and really funny at times too).  Maybe a disclaimer is in order:  not for everyone – adult situations, sexual content and language  and an addicting plot that will not let you down easy while confounding and surprising.

A whirlwind of a novel.

-Phil

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By Lindsey, January 31, 2013

The Library Academy Awards (Youth Media Awards) were announced at the American Library Association’s Midwinter Meeting on  January 28^th.  Children’s Librarians from around the country (and world) donned their finest broom skirts, wooden jewelry, comfortable shoes, and sweeping up-do’s (buns) and waited anxiously while the winners were announced.

Your own Nashville Public Library’s Children’s Librarians had a little pool going to see who could pick the winner this year.  At stake?  Some of my delicious homemade chocolate chip hazelnut cookies to the librarian(s) who pegged the winner.  We only focused on the Caldecott (picture books) and Newbery (chapter books.)

Our picks for Caldecott were as follows:

Ms. Phyllis at Main: Georgia In Hawaii: When Georgia O’Keeffe Painted What She Pleased by Amy Novesky
Ms. Lindsey at Main: This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen*
Miss Terri at Green Hills: I Have a Dream Words by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson.
Ms. Angela at Edmondson Pike and Ms. Joy at Thompson Lane: Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger**
Ms. Ellen at Bordeaux: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce
Ms. Lin at Madison: Oh no, George! By Chris Haughton
Ms. Klem-Mari At Bringing Books to Life: Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett; illustrated by Jon Klassen**
Ms. Elaine at Donelson: And Then It’s Spring by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Erin E Stead
Ms. Sarah at Donelson: A Home for Bird by Philip C. Stead
Ms. Tori at Edmondson Pike: Happy by Miles van Hout

And the 2013 Caldecott winner is:

This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

*  okay, so I might have changed my mind at the last minute in our official pool, however, I stated publicly here that this was my pick for Caldecott and my love for Jon Klassen is unparalleled, so I’m counting it!  I’m making the cookies afterall!

** these titles were 2013 Caldecott Honor Books

Our picks for the 2013 Newbery:

Ms. Phyllis at Main, Miss Terri at Green Hills, and Ms. Tori at Edmondson Pike: Wonder by R. J. Palacio
Ms. Lindsey at Main: See You At Harry’s by Johanna Knowles*
Ms. Angela at Edmondson Pike: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Ms. Ellen at Bordeaux: The Great Unexpected by Sharon Creech
Ms. Lin at Madison: I Funny by James Patterson
Ms. Joy at Thompson Lane: Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage**
Ms. Elaine at Donelson: Splendors and Glooms by Laura Schlitz**

And the 2013 Newbery winner is:

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate:  I am about 1/3 of the way in and so far it is a lovely, if not a bit forlorn, quick read.  I have heard people call it “our generation’s Charlotte’s Web.” Those are some big pages to fill, so I won’t speak to the correctness of that description, yet.

* Again, I changed my mind at the last minute, but Wonder was getting plenty of love and I wanted to recognize See You at Harry’s, a heart-wrenchingly great book I will review here soon.

** These titles were Newbery Honor Books.

Kudos to ME! and Ms. Angela at Edmondson Pike for picking the winners (even if I cheated a little)

You can see the full list of the 2013 Youth Media Awards here.  All of which are available at Nashville Public Library (or will be soon!).

-Lindsey

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By Lindsey, January 10, 2013

Abe Lincoln’s Dream
by Lane Smith

Lane Smith, fresh off of last year’s Caldecott Honor Award for Grandpa Green, delivers a sweet, quirky tale about Abe Lincoln’s ghost.  When touring the White House, a young girl named Quincy discovers Honest Abe by the Gettysburg Address.  After exchanging jokes, she takes him on her own tour to show him the nation’s progress since 1865.  Smith uses a muted palette, but infuses the illustrations and text with a life of their own.  Parents and adults will probably find more appeal in this book’s sentimentality, but 4-5 year olds will appreciate the silly jokes and relate to Quincy’s confidence and initiative.

I Have a Dream
by Martin Luther King, Jr. illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Kadir Nelson’s evocative and bold oil painting illustrations are paired with Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech in this picture book resulting in a powerful dedication to Dr. King. Similar to Abe Lincoln’s Dream, I think that adults will be moved by this book more than children, but I think that is the point of both of these wonderful books.  Young children, unlike adults, don’t need to be reminded that we are all equal.  However, Dr. King’s words are powerfully lyrical and when paired with Nelson’s beautiful illustrations, children don’t have to understand there is a message and history behind the words to enjoy the experience of sharing this book together.

Z is for Moose
by Kelly Bingham illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

And now for something completely different…Z is for Moose is a current favorite in our household.  I’m fairly certain my three-year-old finds this book hilarious because my husband and I really get into reading it aloud.  This book begins as your basic alphabet book with Zebra directing the show “A is for Apple, B is for Ball…” unfortunately; his friend Moose is a bit overeager for his turn. When things don’t go his way, Moose does not take it well.  Hilarity ensues.  Young children will appreciate this as a read-aloud, but independent readers will enjoy “getting” the joke on their own.

Oh, No!
by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann

Candace Fleming’s bouncy text tells the tale of a series of jungle animals who get trapped in a hole, facing the fate of becoming a tiger’s dinner…. “Oh, No!”  Illustrated by Eric Rohmann, using his characteristic relief-print style (which won him the Caldecott in 2003 for My Friend Rabbit) this book practically demands to be read aloud. And even the most rhythmically-challenged will find the cadence in the sing-songy repetition and onomatopoetic animal sounds.  A satisfyingly witty end round off this great picture book and put it on my short list of favorites for the year.

-Lindsey

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By Amanda, January 8, 2013

So how many books did you read in 2012?

I read .

Can you beat me? Post the number of books you read in the comments. I love to hear from fellow readers.

We already did a Best of 2012 Podcast that you can hear here. But I do have a couple of other books I’d like to mention…

Longest Read: Cryptonomicon by Neil Stephenson
What? It was only 1168 pages. That’s why it took me almost 4 months to finish.

Best Book Nashville Public Library Doesn’t Own (yeah Interlibrary Loan!): Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores by Jen Campbell
I know I work at the library and not a bookstore, but these customers seemed oddly familiar…

Best Series I Finally Got To Finish: The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini (featuring Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance)
Yeah! I did it! I read all 2794 pages. And at least 1789 of them were really good. Woohoo!

Possibly the Worst Book I’ve Ever Read (Ever): One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell
This one was a tough category to pick the worst book because there were several to choose from (Looking at you J.K. Rowling). I just wanted to punch all these characters in the face. Ugh. Read it at your own risk – I’m warning you.

Ok, Nashville…let’s set our reading goals high for 2013. If you need recommendations to help get your numbers up that’s what the library’s here for.

150 books read in one year…here we come!

Happy reading…

Amanda

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By Lindsey, January 3, 2013

Code Name Verity
by Elizabeth Wein

To be frank, this review is going to be inadequate.  Because I loved this book so much, I want to respect it by not revealing too much and it would be extremely easy to reveal too much, and yet I want to go on and on and on about it. So, here goes…

This historical young adult novel is about Queenie, a young Scottish woman who has been captured in Nazi-occupied France in 1943.  The reader discovers that Queenie has been working with the Resistance and her plane has been shot down.  The pilot of the plane was her best friend, Maddie, and through her confession, Queenie details her relationship with Maddie as well as providing other information to the Germans who hold her captive.

Through Queenie’s confession, we are able to watch her relationship with Maddie grow as the two become more entrenched in the Resistance movement.  However, when we get fully immersed in the comfort of their story, we are brought back to the “present” and Queenie’s treatment torture at the hands of the Gestapo.  Wein took very few liberties with historical possibilities; while names and places are fictional – this story almost could have happened.

But it doesn’t matter.  While a work of historical fiction, the story of friendship and survival are at the heart of this book.  Queenie is a spy captured by the Nazi’s and tortured for information- of which, there is only so much she can or can’t give. You know how this story will end. But you are so invested in these characters that, as a reader, you will it end differently.

I won’t say more than this and maybe even this is too much: but it will end differently than you expect.

I am so frustrated by my inability to properly review this book.  It is just that good.  It is historically respectful, exciting, tender, quite funny at times – yes, funny, emotional, frank and clever as hell.  The characters are incredibly likable, the plot is intricately woven and smart, and the book is constructed in such a way that you will want to read it again.

I believe this book will win the Printz award.  I feel more confident about this one than I do my picks for Newbery and Caldecott.

Bonus?  The audiobook is fantastically superb (to not put too fine a point on it.)

-Lindsey

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By Amanda, December 29, 2012

Who Could That Be at This Hour?
By Lemony Snicket

Why do I keep reading books by such a curmudgeonly author? (Here curmudgeonly means someone who thinks no one should read his books.) How come Lemony Snicket made himself the lead character in his new series? Why could I not put this book down? Who wouldn’t want to read it?

For those of you out there who loved A Series of Unfortunate Events, Snicket is back with a new children’s series called All the Wrong Questions. This is the first book in which we find Snicket setting off on a new quest that almost immediately seems more dangerous and daunting than one would initially expect.

Snicket still has the same witty writing style that has become his signature and he takes self-deprecation to a whole new level. Unfortunately, this book asks more questions than it answers…which may be the author’s completely brilliant (and evil) plan. I can’t wait to see what twists Snicket creates next. These books might be officially for kids, but any kid-at-heart will enjoy them.

Happy reading…

Amanda

PS If you only watched the movie of A Series of Unfortunate Events with Jim Carrey and were not satisfied, definitely give the books a try. They are SO much better.

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By Lindsey, December 13, 2012

Splendors and Glooms
by Laura Amy Schlitz

Set in Victorian England, this fantasy novel by Newbery medalist Laura Amy Schlitz (Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!  Voices from a medieval village) is recommended for grades 4-8, but is definitely on the darker side. Thirteen year old Lizzie Rose and eleven-ish Parsefall are two orphans “adopted” by Grisini, a sinister master puppeteer.  As in marionettes. A children’s book about an eeeeevil puppeteer?!  Yes, please!

Grisini and the orphans perform at a young rich girl’s birthday party and when the girl, Clara, winds up missing the next day, the trio is suspected of being behind her disappearance.  When Grisini also vanishes, Lizzie Rose and Parsefall are left to defend and fend for themselves; while also wishing to help find Clara.  I thought the plot would be pretty straightforward, and in some respects it is.  The orphans are plucky (of course) and good at heart.  Grisini is evil to a Dickensian level and the rich girl who has everything is really quite lonely and sad.  But then there is this whole other plot about a witch and her magic stone (which is actually a curse that is burning her alive.)  Schlitz manages to merge the characters’ plots fairly seamlessly by telling the story from the alternating points of view of the witch and all three children.

I wasn’t prepared for this deftly written book’s rich bleakness.  There were times that I didn’t want to get out of the car to stop listening to the audiobook (which is very well narrated) and times that I was almost uncomfortable in its gloominess.  Schlitz does not shy away from the grittier details of Victorian London so oft forgotten in period pieces.  She also draws unflinchingly evil characters and manages to create sympathy for them at times – a rather complex idea for a children’s fantasy book.

Of course, I had to read this book – it’s about an evil puppeteer.  But I was surprised by how strong my reaction to it was.  I highly recommend this book for less sensitive children.  The issues of wickedness, punishment, neglect, abuse and especially death are not skirted around and if the reader is mature enough to handle those concepts, they will be rewarded with a thoughtful, rich, engrossing story.

Lindsey