What I'm Reading: Booklist's Horror Spotlight Issue

In the August 2016 issue of Booklist I had three reviews and 1 online only review. I know there are still three more turned in reviews in the pipeline for the September issues and I have another stack piled up here at home to read.

The haunting season is coming fast. Time to get ordering. Also a quick note, I will not add extra readalikes to these reviews because I have a ton in the review, but I will pull out my three words and I have added links to authors and such.

A Long December

By Richard Chizmar
Oct. 2016. 520p. Subterranean, hardcover, $40  (9781596067936). 
First published August, 2016 (Booklist).

STAR REVIEW!
Chizmar may not be a name readers know, but they certainly know the names of those he has published in his 27 year career running the award-winning Cemetery Dance Publications- Stephen King, Justin Cronin, Joe R Lansdale and Gillian Flynn to name only a few. This huge collection of 35 tales spans Chizmar’s entire career offering a wide range of genres from crime to dark fantasy to horror. Some pieces, published previously are included as is, while others have been reworked, and still others were never available before now, but all are subtly terrifying tales of normal lives that are completely upended by circumstance beyond anyone’s control. Chizmar’s stories are united by the feelings they produce, dread, anxiety, and suspense, but more remarkable is how they are presented with a poignancy and underlying sweetness that cannot be ignore like in the eponymous novella where the protagonist wakes up to police surrounding his neighbor and best friend’s home because that man is a serial killer. How can you process that? It’s well past time to let the man behind so many other great stories have a chance to wow readers with his own chilling words. This is a must read for fans of intense tales where psychological suspense and horror overlap like in the novels of Peter Straub, Scott Smith, or Adam Nevill.

Three Words That Describe This Book: suspense, stories, chilling

The Motion of Puppets
by Keith Donohue
Oct. 2016. 272p. illus. Picador, hardcover, $26  (9781250057181); e-book (9781250057211). 
First published August, 2016 (Booklist).

STAR REVIEW!
Donohue [The Stolen Child, The Boy Who Drew Monsters] has written a masterpiece of psychological horror that will change the way you look at puppets forever. Kay, a performer in the cirque and her new husband, Theo, a French professor in New York, are spending the summer in the old portion of Quebec City while Kay performs and Theo translates the biography of the artist and pioneering photographer of motion, Eadweard Muybridge [whose macabre yet intriguing life adds wonderful depth to the novel]. After a late post-show dinner, Kay walking home alone, frightened and disoriented, enters an old toy store which was surprisingly unlocked, only to find herself transformed into a puppet and held prisoner in the back of the shop, where all the puppets can come alive between midnight and dawn. What follows is each of their tales, told in alternating points of view. Theo desperately searching for his vanished beloved begins to find connections to the old toy shop but is having trouble believing those who say the puppets may be alive; meanwhile Kay is slowly forgetting the human world she came from and is embracing her life as a puppet with her new friends. Time may be running out for Theo to locate Kay and convince her to come back to him. Intricately plotted, absorbing, dark, and suspenseful, this is a moving, modern story set in what could feel like a fairy tale world, but is actually terrifyingly realistic. It is a tale of true love, missing persons, and the beauty of the mechanics of motion all wrapped up in one awesome creeptastic package. Give this to readers who love creepy doll stories like those in Ellen Datlow’s award winning The Doll Collection, as well as any fans of Neil Gaiman, Steven Millhauser, or Elizabeth McCracken.

Three Words That Describe This Book: askew, macabre, compelling

Last Train from Perdition [I Travel By Night, Book Two]
by Robert McCammon
Oct. 2016. 184p. Subterranean, hardcover, $35  (9781596067387). 
First published August, 2016 (Booklist).

Horror legend Robert McCammon is back with book two in his highly entertaining, vampire western series. Trevor Lawson, a reluctant vampire and his human sidekick, sharpshooter Ann Remington, are still on the hunt for LaRouge, the woman who turned Lawson into a vampire during the Civil War and kidnapped Ann’s father and sister, in the hopes that killing her will allow Lawson to become human again. While they search, Lawson takes discreet, dangerous jobs with the business motto, “All Matters Handled.” It’s now 1886 and a new job takes the pair from New Orleans to the frontier town of Perdition, MT to rescue a wealthy young man from a band of outlaws. Lawson tries to extricate the man without violence, but between the outlaws and the vampire Dark Society, it appears a peaceful getaway is not going to be an option. This thrilling story culminates with a fantastic battle scene on a train where unlikely alliances are formed, adding a new wrinkle to Lawson’s quest for freedom from his vampiric curse. No need to have read the first book as the necessary details are supplied without sacrificing the pace. Clear a couple hours because you will want to devour this in one sitting. And while there are no new additions to vampire lore here, you will be having too much fun to care. This is perfect for fans of the TV series Deadwood and the award winning American Vampire graphic novel series by Scott Snyder.

Genre Note: This is clearly equal parts western and horror. That is a huge appeal that cannot be underestimated. It does both genres VERY well.

Three Words That Describe This Book: vampires, plot driven, the old west

Zombie Gold
by John L. Lansdale
Aug. 2016. 202p. Short Scary Tales, hardcover, $29.95  (9781909640641). 
First published July 21, 2016 (Booklist Online).

Chris and Will are your average, modern day 20-somethings. Chirs’ family has owned the Flying G Ranch for generations and Will is a college student and Civil War history buff who is working the ranch for the summer. The boys strike-out alone, to the local mountain, named for Ernest Kaman  a Civil War soldier turned gold robber, whose band of thieves is said to still haunt the isolated area. But they aren’t ghosts...they’re zombies, stuck on the mountain, protecting their plunder. Chris and Will escape the zombies but end up being transported to 1863, only miles away from the impending battle of Gettysburg. Chris and Will are thrown into a much bigger adventure than they bargained for trying to explain themselves, avoid being forced to enlist in the army, and dodging the constant bloodshed. Their only hope to return to the 21st Century is to find Kaman and follow him back to the mountain as he steals the gold. Can they make it back in time and will it be before the zombies wreak havoc on those searching for the missing boys? Zombie Gold is an entertaining, well paced science fiction-historical-horror blend with resourceful protagonists and a solid cast of secondary characters. While this will obviously appeal to fans of the weird western, Hell’s Bounty that Lansdale co-wrote with his brother, bestselling author Joe R. Lansdale, fans of Jonathan Maberry should also give this a try.

YA: Teens will love watching Chris and Will make their way through time, struggling to survive in the 1860s and battling the zombies who have crossed into the 21st Century.

Genre Note: More time travel/historical fiction blend than horror so will still be a great suggestion for Civil War era fans.

Three Words That Describe This Book: time travel, coming of age, Civil War

What I’m Reading: Delicious Foods and Between the World and Me

Today I have two reviews. Both are books that have been on many year end best lists. Both are two of my favorite reads of the year.  But why am I reviewing them together? Because each book resonated more with me because I read the other in conjunction with it.  So this will not be a traditional “What I’m Reading” post in that I will not separate my discussions of these two titles; however, this will be an extremely useful post for you to use as you help readers.

In fact, I would argue that this will be a MORE helpful review because I am pairing these books.  So much has already been said about  Between the World and Me that I almost didn’t write a review of it. I didn’t feel like I could add anything useful to the conversation. But in organizing the review in the fashion, I truly feel like I am helping you to help a reader.

For the record, that is always my goal with the reviews here on the blog. I try to give you something you cannot get from other review resources.  I think this is important to spell out since I have a lot of new readers. These posts are meant to be used to help a reader who either enjoyed the title I am reviewing to find more titles he or she would enjoy OR to help you to match this book with its best reader. I am not writing them to hear myself pontificate. Once these reviews stop being useful, I will stop writing them.

Enough preamble. Let’s get on with the information...

I want to start with Delicious Foods by James Hannaham, which is the book that most surprised me this year.  This was a novel that was clearly on my radar; I had heard it was good before it even came out. I ordered it for my library, and almost checked it out for myself a couple of times. But then, the combination of a review and a personal recommendation put this book on the top of my to-read list-- and they came from the same person.

My very good friend, Magan told me about how much she loved the audio of this novel. She loved it so much that not only did she give the audio a star in her Booklist review, but also she stood her ground and defended her choice to her editor, Joyce Saricks.  Well, it did get a star in the September 1st issue of Booklist, and then this novel went on to be on many year end best lists, many of which singled out the audio for its excellence.

Since it was Magan’s review that led me to listen to this novel, I am going to let her explain it to you more:

Hannaham’s stunning second novel (after God Says No, 2009) opens with 17-year-old Eddie’s desperate escape from Louisiana, driving a (stolen) car for the first time in his life, minutes after having both of his hands cleaved at the wrists under mysterious circumstances, in search of his aunt in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. It’s a hell of a tale: Eddie’s father was murdered when he was 6, and his mother, Darlene, completely shattered by her grief and guilt, spiraled downward into crack addiction, effectively abandoning Eddie long before she hopped into a minibus to work at Delicious Foods. She’s turned into a modern-day indentured servant in the hellish place, where Eddie eventually joins her. Author Hannaham narrates his harrowing novel and moves between unbelievable scenes of human suffering and dark, sly humor in so skillful a manner that belief is easily suspended while “Scotty,” Darlene’s name for crack, narrates events from his perspective. His voice characterizations bring to vivid life each of the sad collection of broken people at Delicious Foods, ratcheting up the horror without speeding through the plot, concluding with a realistic portrait of the aftereffects of suffering and perseverance on a family. Not to be missed.   — Magan Szwarek

 Before I add more of my own thoughts here, I want to say that this experience of being compelled to finally read this book because of the work of a librarian, AND having it turn out to be one of my favorites of the year reaffirmed for me why I work so hard to help all of you be better Reader’s  Advisors. This book was such a great read that I will always remember it, and I read it because of a librarian suggesting it to me. I am not lying when I tell you in trainings how powerful sharing a reading suggestion with a patron can be. People, you can be this person for someone out there!

I will suggest this novel for years to come to readers much like I do with The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint, The Good Thief, City of Thieves, Brief History of the Dead, and The Snow Child. No none of these are readalikes for each other, but they are all quirky, well constructed, thought-provoking, and emotionally moving stories that do not loose anything over time. While they are not sure bets for every reader who walks through the doors of the public library, they are great under the radar picks for a wide range of readers.

On the other hand, Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates IS a sure bet.  I read a lot of books, and I see my fair share of hype about many books that are very good, but not as great as people want you to believe.  Between the World and Me is not that. It is one of the best books I have ever read. It will and should be read by every American at some point in their lives. It will become a classic that is read in schools.

Why? Because Coates takes his personal journey as a black man in America, and lays out the brutal truth, without judging or casting blame-- that is my favorite part about it, the nonjudgmental tone. This is a personal, emotional, and lyrical letter to his son about the truth of race in America, yet Coates takes what is a complex problem, and amazingly puts it into a deceptively short book without sacrificing anything.

Everyone should read this book, but in particular, all white America needs to read this, especially people who think that race is no longer an issue. For example, how many white people think about one of the facts Coates lays out early in the book-- that as a country, we have still had slavery longer than we have not!  Of course this is true, but it still shocked me to see it on the page. How can this fact not be at the front of my brain more often. Why have I never had this thought? Of course, someone like Coates lives this fact every day of his life.  As a Jewish person, I understand a very small sliver of what Coates is saying, but I can blend in my highly Catholic area. People don’t look at me and know immediately that I am not on team Jesus. Most of them just assume everyone is. When they find out I am not, I am a quaint example of “the other.”

Being black in America is hard enough, but being America’s "foremost public intellectual,” while being black could be soul crushingly impossible. The fact that Coates handles it so well and produced such an amazing book is awe inspiring.

Back to the first book...Delicious Foods is written by someone who didn’t need to read Coates’ book because it is obvious from the novel that he, James Hannaham, has lived in Coates’ shoes. Delicious Foods is proof of Coates’ brilliance, his truths, and the surprisingly succinct way he delivers such a complex message.

Because I read these two powerful and honest books back-to-back, I took more from each-- more knowledge, more enjoyment, more feeling. And yes, I meant to use the word “enjoyment." Despite how heart-wrenching and emotionally raw both books are, I enjoyed the experience of reading them.  Both were lyrical, beautiful and compelling. And while both were emotionally difficult to read, neither is “sad.” Both end with hope for a future that is better than today. If others read these books, maybe that better future will happen.

Three Words That Describe Delicious Foods: original, heart-wrenching, haunting

Three Words That Describe Between the World and Me: honest, lyrical, classic

Readalikes [for both]: Since I am reviewing fiction and nonfiction titles together here I have 3 of each to offer up as readalikes.

Fiction-- The 1980s slavery depicted in Delicious Foods reminded me so much of the masterful The Known World by Edward P. Jones which is a historical fiction novel based on the fact that there were black slave owners.  Both novels are inventive and original with a fluid use of time-line. But this is also a readalike for Between the World and Me. Both books are beautifully written while also taking a hard and honest look at America’s troubled history with race.

I am suggesting The Round House by Louise Erdrich because like both books here it looks at a tenuous and fraught history between Americans and those of a persecuted race, but with Erdrich it’s Native Americans.  But also, all three books have a coming of age theme. In all three the narrator is able to look back on his life to a critical moment (or moments), assess the racial injustice, and still move on without resorting to simple blame. All three works are also haunting and heartbreakingly beautiful.

My final fiction suggestion may sound a bit odd, but I think it works-- Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. All three works are haunting, lyrical, and moving, with complex characters, that explore hard truths about humanity. In my review of Station Eleven I chose the word “disquieting” as one of my “three words.” This struck a chord with me when I was thinking about the two books being reviewed here. That word can apply to all three.

Nonfiction-- The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin. Actually, anything by James Baldwin. Coates openly admits to using Baldwin as an inspiration [not that he could hide it], but I also see much of Baldwin and his anger at injustice in Hannaham’s narrative voice too.

The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore and/or Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich are both books I have read with my book club that elicited the following response-- “Every high school kid in America needs to read this book.” While Between the World and Me is much richer than these two offerings [they are a both much more of a simplistic look at similar, entrenched, American, societal problems],  but the themes are similar.  Also as readalikes to Delicious Foods, both of these suggestions take much of the class and race conflict from the novel and ground it in fact in a way that makes the novel even more realistic.

Becky's Under the Radar Holiday Book Suggestions-- Fiction

This will come as no surprise to many of you, but I am often asked for advice on what books someone should buy for another someone.  This kind of third hand RA work is never easy, but I feel even more pressure to do it well because if I screw up on a suggestion with a library book, well, it was free. You simply close it, return it and get another one.  But when someone is asking me for help to spend their money to buy a gift for someone they care about....well, that is money and my reputation on the line.

Seriously though, helping someone find a good book for themselves is hard enough, but when I am helping you find for someone who is not in the room who you may or may not know the intricacies of their reading tastes....this can be difficult. But hey, I love a challenge.

When I do take up these holiday gift suggestion challenges, I always try to find some sure bet, back list stunners. Books that I have suggested to a wide readership with great success for years. I do this for a few reasons. One, they have stood the test of time. Two, they are titles that have stayed with me in surprising ways, and when you give a novel to someone as a gift, you want it to be memorable to them. And three, older book suggestions make the gift giver look like they tried. You didn't just go to the book store, or the front page of Amazon. No you sought out advice on the perfect book for that person-- which you actually did do if you asked me for help. You can tell someone you worked hard on their gift all you want, but if you show up with a copy of Girl on the Train or Between the World and Me, they won't believe you-- even if that is the perfect book for that person.

So because people have begun asking me for these gift suggestions, and because I cannot possibly help everyone who wants my help, I am going to share my favs with links to the reviews. And please note, those reviews also have readalikes which means that this list can lead you to hundreds more off the beaten path suggestions.  Good luck.

• The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti
• City of Thieves by David Benioff (Dude, he knows that "winter is coming" after writing that book; too bad he is too busy crafting Game of Thrones to write another novel)
• The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall
• The Thirteenth Tale by Diana Setterfield
• Forever by Pete Hamill
• A Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier
• The Known World by Edward P. Jones
• The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
• The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
• Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
• Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
• Peace Like A River by Leif Enger [read before the blog-- link to Goodreads. Still stays with me]
• Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
• The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart

If I have time [and remember] I will try to do a narrative nonfiction version of this post too.  No promises though.

What I’m Reading: The Gilded Age in Fiction-- Same Frame, Two Different Reading Experiences

This Fall I read two new books with the exact same setting-- The Gilded Age in New York City [1870-1900]. However, beyond the shared frame, these books have very little else in common in terms of traditional appeal factors.

I am grouping them together here because for some people, frame is very important. They will read anything with a specific frame.  So as not to repeat myself, I have a much longer piece on that issue here. For those people, I am making sure to put the frame in my "three words" for both books.

Now for others, frame is the not an important issue.  Instead pacing or storyline or character etc... is what makes a great read for them.  However, we may be tempted to match books when their frame is as similar as these two’s happen to be. You see “Gilded Age” listed for both and you might be tempted to think the books are readalikes for one and other, yet that may not be the case at all.

In fact, if you search either of these books on NoveList, the other appears in the readalike bar on the right.  Interestingly, they are computer, not people, created matches based on the shared genre, time period, and place. I do not disagree with this, as I said above, these three frames may be all someone needs to enjoy both books, but this reinforces what I am trying to do here-- suss out the nuances that matter. Because while I liked both, I clearly enjoyed one more than the other AND I have not suggested both to the same reader yet.

To that end these reviews are meant to illustrate the give and take inherent in this issue.  Both are very well executed novels that will appeal to a wide range of readers, but at their core’s these novels have a very different feel.

First up, the historical thriller, House of Thieves by Charles Belfoure.

At it’s essence this is the story of how a good, solid man turns to a life of crime, while still staying likable and good in our eyes.

Here is a tiny bit of set up.  It’s 1886 and the rich are VERY rich and the poor, very poor. NYC is run by respected crime bosses. They are criminals yes, but they also among the city's largest arts and political donors. They truly run the city. Our villain is Kent, a crime boss and his crew. Our “hero,” John Cross, is an architect for the very rich. But his son has a gambling problem. To resolve the large debt, Kent wants Cross to use his connections and knowledge to help him rob the homes of NYC’s richest residents.

But why you will like this book is how Belfoure writes it. What is so great here is how he managed to write a novel convincingly and accurately set in its historical time, while telling the story in a way today’s audiences like. He nailed both the historical and the thriller aspects.

For historical fiction fans, the novel has all the details of the time and place. It has a lot of information about being an architect to the rich at this time. And it has amazing descriptions of some spectacular homes. The streets, people, and places come alive.

And while I love historical details, sometimes, historical thrillers move to slow for me. I don’t know why I don’t mind it with regular historicals and do with thrillers, but I do and from our discussions in the crime fiction genre study and from my work with readers, I know I am not alone there [*cough cough* The Alienist]. But Belfoure has managed to use modern techniques like short chapters, fluid point of view shifts, and powerful action scenes to ratchet up the suspense and pacing.

Here are two examples that occur in the first 30 pages to illustrate what I am talking about.

First, the novel opens with an awesome bank robbery and explosion scene that then moves to the perspective of the crime bosses who are watching the scene unfold. The details set the historic tone, but the scene served the same purpose that today’s prologues in suspense novels do. We were thrown right into the middle of the story and are excited to keep reading to see what is going on and how our story will fit into this world.

And second [one of my favorite moments in the beginning of a book in a long time], at around page 30, we see the beginning of the day in a rich home. One of the things the wealthy of this time had were ice boxes. They were built into the side of the house with a door that opened to the outside so literal huge blocks of ice could be delivered to keep things in the ice box cold.  Well, what if you opened your ice box to find...A FROZEN SEVERED HEAD! That was pretty great.  Let’s you know this is not your typical historical thriller.

This novel is under 400 pages and has a moderate cast of characters who all get frequent turns to narrate with fluid and fast paced shifts in the point of view [the entire Cross clan, even the little 10 year old brother has a chance to narrate-- and that was good], yet it is moments like the two above throughout the story that keep the pacing high.

There is also social commentary and flashy fun here [a climax is at the top of the under construction Statue of Liberty!]. But what I loved the most was the ending. The decision Cross and his wife make about how they will live the rest of their lives after the ordeal under Kent’s thumb is over is what takes this book from good to awesome.

Three Words That Describe This Book: flashy fun, suspenseful, Gilded Age

Readalikes: I thought about Pete Hamil and his novel North River while reading this.  You can go to my review of North River, which also has readalikes [fiction and nonfiction]. The time period is different though (1934).

I also think the historical thrillers of Matthew Pearl are a good option here.  Both authors write compelling, historical thrillers with a solid amount of detail.  With Pearl the professional setting is usually book based. I have read a few of them.

But the nuanced characters and their surprising decisions reminded me more of the suspense novels of today.  Belfoure has much in common [protagonist wise] with Gillian Flynn or Tana French. I think House of Thieves is a great option for fans of those popular, literary, psychological suspense writer who want a bit more action and don’t mind the historical setting.

Next up is the medical framed, women’s lives, historical by Sara Donati, The Gilded Hour.

Here the date is 1883 and again we are in NYC. The story is about the forgotten people of this time.  It is about racial injustice, the suppression of women, medical advancements, and fertility issues.

Our main characters are two women, cousins, one who is half black, who are trying to provide birth control to women and how they were prosecuted by a real life Postal Inspector (who had a ton of political and legal power) and his crusade to suppress vice [The Comstock Act].

Okay first big difference here, the pacing. This is a 700 page, traditional historical. It moves at a much more methodical pace but one that is appropriate to the type of book; it is a pace that fans of a thick historical will expect and enjoy.

You know it will be a complex, historical because the families and major characters are listed in the front two pages and those who are real are noted. The novel also incorporates newspaper articles, telegraphs, and letters as a narrative device to keep up an authentic tone, as opposed to House of Thieves above, where things get a bit outrageous [but super fun] at times.  Again, same setting but two different readers.

This is a great read for people interested in the history of medicine, women's history [especially women in medicine], women's lives, and/or a history of women's health issues. There is a strong romance element here too.

There is suspense with the postal inspector trying to catch our heroes. There are many people [of all sexes and races] who help them along the way.  Things get tense and threatening but the overall story is not about the crime angle, it is more the issues I listed in the previous paragraph.


Three Words That Describe This Books: history of medicine, character centered, Gilded Age

Readalikes: The most obvious readalike is a TV series-- The Knick-- which I have written about at length with readalikes here.

Donati also mentioned the wonderful Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard which I read here, for people who want more history of medicine detail from this era. I agree.

Another author who is similar to Donati is Jennifer Donnelly. Both write historicals featuring women and their lives with strong romance elemnts.  Interestingly, Donnelly has a very similar historical novel about social conscious female doctors, The Winter Rose.

Finally, a book I read which had a very similar feel, although is set in Brooklyn in 1700s and follows a woman who runs a gin still is Brookland by Emily Barton.  I highly suggest this for fans of a book like The Gilded Hour. You can click on the title for my full review.

Library Reads: September 2015

This is late because I was on vacation but I want to post it for continuity.  All previous lists are available with this link.

[I will have another post later today]

September 2015 LibraryReads List

The Art of Crash Landing:
A Novel

by Melissa DeCarlo

Published:9/8/2015
by Harper Paperbacks
ISBN: 9780062390547

“At once tragic and hilarious, this book is a roller coaster of a read. You’ll find yourself rooting for the snarky and impulsive but ultimately lovable Mattie. At the heart of this tale is a beautifully unraveled mystery that has led Mattie to her current circumstances, ultimately bringing her to her first real home.”

                                                        Patricia Kline-Millard, Bedford Public Library, Bedford, NH 

Make Me:

A Jack Reacher Novel

by Lee Child

Published: 9/8/2015 by Delacorte Press
ISBN: 9780804178778

“Jack Reacher is back. Jack gets off a train at an isolated town. Soon, he is learning much more about the town, and its residents are learning not to mess around with Jack Reacher. Readers new to this series will find this book a good starting point, and fans will be pleased to see Jack again.”

Jenna Persick, Chester County Library, Exton, PA

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House of Thieves: A Novel

by Charles Belfoure

Published: 9/15/2015 by Sourcebooks Landmark
ISBN: 9781492617891

“Belfoure’s intriguing novel is set in Gilded Age New York City. John Cross, head of the family, finds an unexpected talent for planning robberies, while his wife and children also discover their inner criminals. The historical details and setting evoke old New York. I enjoyed every minute of their escapades.”

Barbara Clark-Greene, Groton Public Library, Groton, CT 

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Fates and Furies: A Novel

by Lauren Groff

Published: 9/15/2015 by Riverhead Books
ISBN: 9781594634475

“Fates and Furies is a modern portrait of marriage. Lotto Satterwhite is the center, the hub around which all the characters revolve in the first half of the book. In the second half of the book, the lens turns to Lotto’s wife Mathilde, and her side of the lopsided partnership gives us a totally different view. Groff is a master of language. It’s not a gentle read. But it’s magnificent.”

Kelly Currie, Delphi Public Library, Delphi, IN 

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Did You Ever Have A Family

by Bill Clegg

Published: 9/8/2015 by Gallery/Scout Press
ISBN: 9781476798172

“Clegg’s devastatingly beautiful fiction debut is the portrait of a community in the aftermath of a tragedy. June Reid, the broken woman at the epicenter of the novel, is struggling with a loss so profound that she is unable to see beyond her grief, unaware that it has touched many people. Clegg tells their stories with heartbreaking sensitivity and insight.”

Mary Coe, Fairfield Woods Branch Library, Fairfield, CT 

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The Gates of Evangeline

by Hester Young

Published: 9/1/2015 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons
ISBN: 9780399174001

“Journalist Charlie Cates goes to gloomy, swampy Louisiana to write a book about the disappearance of a young child. Her research uncovers family secrets, lies, and clandestine affairs. This first book in a new series is incredibly suspenseful, with a vivid setting, a supernatural tinge, and an intricate plot that keeps you guessing until the end.”

Anbolyn Potter, Chandler Public Library, Chandler, AZ 

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Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things

by Jenny Lawson

Published: 9/22/2015 by Flatiron Books
ISBN: 9781250077004

“Lawson’s hilarious memoir is a romp between absurdity and despondency. Passages alternate from ridiculously funny stories of her life to episodes of her sometimes debilitating depression. Lawson embraces living life, rather than merely surviving it. Why be just happy when you can be furiously so? Recommended to fans of David Sedaris and Sloane Crosley.”

                                                               PJ Gardiner, Wake County Public Libraries, Raleigh, NC 

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This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance!

by Jonathan Evison
Published: 9/8/2015 by Algonquin Books
ISBN: 9781616202613

“Harriet Chance receives word that her recently deceased husband, Bernard, has won an Alaskan cruise. Deciding to go on the trip, she is given a letter from her close friend Mildred, with instructions not to open it until she is on the cruise. The contents of this letter shatter Harriet and she begins to reevaluate her life and her relationships.”

Arleen Talley, Anne Arundel County Public Library Foundation, Annapolis, MD 

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Girl Waits With Gun

by Amy Stewart

Published: 9/1/2015 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 9780544409910

“When the Kopp sisters and their buggy are injured by Henry Kaufmann’s car, Constance Kopp at first just wants him to pay the damages. As she pursues justice, she meets another of Kaufmann’s victims, the young woman Lucy. Stewart creates fully developed characters, including the heroine, Constance, who is fiercely independent as she faces down her fears. The time period and setting are important parts of the story as well, providing a glimpse of 1914 New Jersey.”

                                                                  Maggie Holmes, Richards Memorial Library, North Attleboro, MA 

---

The Scribe: A Novel

by Matthew Guinn

Published: 9/14/2015 by W.W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 9780393239294

“A shunned detective is pulled back to Atlanta to solve some brutal murders that seem to be the work of a serial killer. Political intrigue, a fascinating time in this country’s history, and a good old-fashioned murder mystery make this one fascinating read. This book asks the question: when a man has had everything taken away, will he still fight for what is right?”

Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library, Austin, TX

Monday Discussion: National Library Week Edition

Happy National Library Week, or as we here in the near West Chicago suburbs are calling it...conversion week! Yes, our consortia of "of 77 public, special, and academic libraries with a combined collection of 1.4 million unique titles and 7.9 million volumes that grows larger every day." is being converted as we speak. Right. This. Minute.

We are all very anxious and excited to get going tomorrow, but today, for the start of National Library Week, we are in more of a holding pattern.

So I thought it was a good day to make the Monday Discussion about the back list!

Since I knew today would be a day I could not place holds, I mentally prepared a list of backlist titles that I was pretty sure were going to be on the shelf; titles I could give out today to people so that they could go home with a good read in their hands.

Even though this is a one day thing, I thought I would use the opportunity to pick the collective RA brain for some of your favorite backlist titles.  I have done this as a Monday Discussion in the past and have gotten great suggestions, so...let's do it again!

For today's purposes, I am defining backlist as having no earlier than a 2013 publication date.

I'll go first.

In the forthcoming April 15, 2015 issue of Library Journal, I am the guest writer for Neal Wyatt's The Reader's Shelf column in honor of "Halfway to Halloween."  In that column I focused on all backlist horror titles.  Here is the list of titles I included. You will have to wait for the magazine for the annotations:

• The Keep by Jennifer Egan
• Castaways by Brian Keene
• Mayhem by Sarah Pinborough
• Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
• Locke and Key: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill, illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez
• The Ruins by Scott Smith

Here are a few more backlist titles I have been hand selling to people recently. The links go to my initial reviews:

• Peony in Love by Lisa See
• Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
• Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
• The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall
• The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti
• City of Thieves by David Benioff
• The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell
• The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall

I could keep going, but that's not the point. It is not a lecture but a discussion. I want to add your voices to the list.

Please add your backlist favs in the comments.

For past Monday Discussions, click here.

TFiOS Movie Day-- Repost of My 2012 Review of the Book

Because everywhere else they are talking about it and I am feeling left out....

No seriously, I have stayed out of the TFiOS movie hype because I have already professed my love for John Green on this blog many times over a few years now.  I mean for goodness sake, we ate this cake with his picture on it back in 2012.

But, with the movie finally being released today, and considering the number of requests I am taking for the book, I thought it would be fitting to run my original 2012 review of TFiOs again. So enjoy. And DFTBA!

Oh, and if you want to play along at home, here is Book Riot’s TFiOS media BINGO card.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012

What I'm Reading: The Fault In Our Stars

Ahh, John Green.  I think if the BPL RA desk could choose a mascot, we would pick John Green.  He embodies everything about us.  We are all proud nerds (come on, we choose to work as librarians for adult leisure readers; we know we are nerds) and he is one of the founders of the nerdfighters.  He loves reading and writing, and, hey, have you read this blog before; I shouldn't need to elaborate that one.  And he is from the Midwest.  Indy to our Chicago, but he shares our Midwest sensibility (everyone in the Dream Team but me is native to the area).  Finally, he LOVES libraries, and me and my fellow Dream Teamers...well, we are not in it for the money.

Remember this post about John and his brother Hank Green's vlog?  I subscribe and watch every video (2 per week).

But with the big news last month that the BPL RA Dream Team is taking over the Teen collection this fall, reading and talking about John Green incessantly is now considered part of our job.  We are still a bit too stalkerish, but hey, its for the teens of Berwyn.  (Or so we tell ourselves).

Way back in April, I read The Fault in our Stars, which is already showing up on just about every Best of the Year... So Far list.  It deserves to be there.

The plot sounds sappy, but the book is anything but.  This is why critics and readers love it.

Our protagonist is Hazel, a girl who is only alive because the last chance. experimental drug for her aggressive thyroid cancer seems to be working.  She should be dead, but somehow she keeps living.  Hazel is a color between green and brown and she is a girl between life and death.

Hazel took the GED a few years ago, but she is only 16.  She takes community college courses, but her only social outings are to the cancer support group she attends weekly.  There she has one real friend Isaac, who is going blind (but will live) because of his cancer.  Isaac in turn introduces Hazel to Augustus another cancer kid.  The two share a love of books and become close quickly.

Together they go on a journey, both existential (will I be remembered when I die?) and physical (to Amsterdam, but I won't give away why and how).  They fall in love, but when you have cancer, life is short.

This is a poignant story that forces the reader to contemplate big questions about the meaning of life, why we are here on earth, and the power of love.  But again, Green's talent is that he does this with a believable voice.  It is not sappy or schmaltzy.  It is real and rings true.

Hazel is sarcastic, but lovable.  Her mom is her best friend because, as she explains, when you are sick, who else is around.  She is level headed and smart.  She understands that she could get sick and die at any moment, but does not attack life in a cliche way.  She simply lives like a regular teenager.

Hazel and Augustus have some hysterical conversation about his favorite SF adventure series of books, but they also have some serious and some tender conversations.  They talk about life, death, love, and books.  There is lots of talk about books.  And a memorable trip to the Anne Frank house by kids who know they days are numbered.  The parallels between the 2 stories are clear.

And, I have to say this serious, tragic book also contains one of the funniest scenes ever in any book-- a newly blind Isaac playing a video game with Augustus and complaining that Augustus is playing badly.  That also summarizes a lot of the humor in this book.  If you find the humor in a sick blind kid playing video games, as Green does, you will love this book, as I did too.

Three Words That Describe This Book: sarcastic, poignant, existential

Readalikes:  John Green is the best example out there of an author who is a sure bet cross over from YA to Adult.  So, I will break up my read alike options into YA and Adult.  But please note, all are good for both audiences.

Adult Suggestions:

• I just finished The Age of Miracles by Karen Thomason Walker. Even though the main character there, Julia, is not sick, the world she is living in is.  She narrates the book as a 23 year old looking back on when she was 12 and the earth's rotation started slowing, changing the world forever.  The ideas of living in the moment are very similar here.  Also the young love in a time of crisis is poignant and has a eerily similar ending.
• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer is also a great read alike here.  The narrator here is a young boy who has lost his father to the 9/11 attacks.  There is an existential journey in both books and the forging of a deep relationship that is destined to end badly, but be worth it all the same.
• I also think City of Thieves by David Bennioff will appeal here.  Bear with me.  Although it is set in Russia during WWI, the young protagonist, his friend, their journey, and the tragic ending resonate here.  On paper these books look very different, but I have read read both and I can tell you the feel, the writing, the protagonists, the sense of awe when you read them, are the same.  Click here for my full review of City of Thieves.

YA Suggestions: I am less well read in the YA field but I will do what I can here.

• First, run out and read more John Green.  He has won multiple awards for a reason.  Currently, Looking For Alaska is on the Sophomore Reading List for the Berwyn high school and An Abundance of Katherine is also great.
• Its Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini came out in 2007 with starred reviews.  The main character ends up in the psyche ward after trying to commit suicide.  The protagonist has a similar voice to Hazel.
• Sarah Dessen is an author I also like to suggest to Green fans.  Like Green she tackles serious subjects without talking down to teens.  Try The Truth About Forever.
• Finally, there are many YA novels about teens with terminal diseases.  With help from NoveList I found these suggestions:  Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews, Before I Dieby Jenny Downham, and A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner.

As Green always says: DFTBA (Don't forget to be awesome).

Get Ready for the Olympics With a Book

I will admit, I am a sucker for the Olympics.  I will watch the Olympics, no matter the season, no matter the event.  Bring it on biathlon!

Add to this my recent re-reading of Crime and Punishment for the ARRT Genre Study tomorrow, and my listening to the amazingly, awesome Absurdistan by Gary Shteyngart [review soon] and I have Russia and Russian literature on the brain.

I know I am not the only one too.  Here are some suggestions to pair with your hours of viewing of the Russian landscape.

• One of my all-time favorite books is The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. This magical realism tale, written during the terrible Stalinist years in which Bulgakov dared to satirize and criticize Soviet Communism is delivered in lyrical, moving, and compelling prose.  This book is not for everyone, but it is also one those who read it will never be able to forget.
• I happen to love Russian literature.  I don’t know if it is my Russia Jewish genes peeking through or if I just get the sense of humor in these tales. One of my favorite more modern Russian novels that perfectly captures why I enjoy these novels is Death and the Penguin by Andrew Kurkov.  From the publisher: "Viktor is an aspiring writer with only Misha, his pet penguin, for company. Although he would prefer to write short stories, he earns a living composing obituaries for a newspaper. He longs to see his work published, yet the subjects of his obituaries continue to cling to life. But when he opens the newspaper to see his work in print for the first time, his pride swiftly turns to terror. He and Misha have been drawn into a trap from which there appears to be no escape.” It may not sound like it from this summary, but I tell you, this novel is very funny (in a dark and twisted way).
• If you want to read a historically set tale set in Russia that is filled with cold and snow, I highly recommend another one of my all-time favorites, City of Thieves by David Benioff. 

Well there are some books I have enjoyed that fit the bill, but what about others?  Many lists of what to read while enjoying the Sochi Olympics are appearing everywhere.  I would like to focus on those that reinforce the sense of place.  Books about the Olympics are much easier to find on your own:

• NPR offered this Olympic Preview of novels about the caucuses.
• Here is a piece from the New Yorker’s Blog entitled “Blood and Tragedy: The Caucasus in the Literary Imagination.”
• My colleague Jason, owner of The Book Table has been raving about A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra for months. He is not alone.  It is still on my to-read list.  Maybe now is the best time to tackle this book set during the Chechen conflict of the 1990s.

I try to embrace the place where the Olympics is set as they come around every other year.  It is a great escape to learn about a new place while watching the world come together in peace. While this year’s setting is not without much controversy, I am not condoning the behavior of the hosts; in fact, quite the opposite, many of the books I have suggested are heart wrenching looks into the very serious problems that come with a Sochi setting.

While You Wait-- And The Mountains Echoed

The two big books of the month are now out and both have long holds queues.  Dan Brown's Inferno is a bit easier to find readalikes for as his brand of intellectual, historical, adventure thriller has been often duplicated.  Also, at the BPL we already have this list of Dan Brown readalikes posted online and available in print at the library.

Khaled Hosseini is a bit harder to match with suggestions while people wait for And The Mountains Echoed.  Hosseini crafts moving, character centered tales, with a strong emotional pull and a setting or frame in Afghanistan.  Some people read his books because of their Afghanistan frame, but many who were first drawn to him because of that current events frame have learned to love his storytelling style.

I have read both of Hosseini's previous titles, but only A Thousand Splendid Suns was read since the blog began.  Here is what I had to say about that title in March of 2008:

I also listened to the popular A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Hosseini's follow-up to The Kite Runner tells to stories of two women, Miriam and Laila, as they live through three decades of war in Afghanistan. With his second novel, Hosseini has shown that he is an excellent storyteller who is here to stay. I especially enjoyed the detailed history lesson which this book provided. Mostly, I was riveted by the two women, their voices, and their stories. 

Those who like Hosseini's setting of Afghanistan should also try the current nonfiction best seller Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson or the fiction title The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra. Those who enjoyed learning about the history of Afghanistan may also want to delve into the Iranian Revolution (a neighbor of Afghanistan). Here I suggest The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. In this accessible graphic novel, Satrapi tells her personal story of living through war and Islamic revolution in Iran. Much of her story resonates with that of Miriam and Laila's. Finally, those readers who found the women's friendship against all odds very appealing, I suggest Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. Although this novel takes place in China, the laotongrelationship between the two main characters has many similarities with Hosseini's novel.

Since Hosseini does not write quickly, people are literally clamoring for And the Mountains Echoed.  The reviews are also fabulous, pushing demand even higher. People want this book right now, and you are the one that has to tell them that they are not going to get it.

But look on the bright side.  Times like this are when you have a chance to shine.  Yes you will have to take the patron's hold for And the Mountains Echoed, but look at all of the other books that are sitting on your shelves just waiting to be read by someone at this very moment. You have the perfect opportunity to show these patrons another great title they can read while they wait. Do not let this captive audience leave without even offering to give them a title to read now.

That's where I come in.  Besides the titles I mentioned above and other books with a Afghanistan frame, here are some titles that are also intricately plotted stories, told with lyrical language, characters you care about, and a reflective tone.  Again, these are NOT your typical Middle East set suggestions.  Most importantly, these books will be on the shelf.  Links are to my reviews where possible:

• The Round House by Louise Erdrich [But that may be off the shelf, so try another book by her]
• The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
• The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama
• Rush Home Road by Lori Lansens
• The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
• Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
• City of Thieves by David Benioff
• The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall
• Peace Like A River by Leif Enger

There is no reason for your patrons to leave unsatisfied when they come in hoping to get a copy of And the Mountains Echoed because there is always another book they will like somewhere else in the stacks.

Feel free to add your own readalike suggestions in the comments.