Tonight my class will be discussing "Special Formats;" specifically, Graphic Novels, Audio Books and Bestsellers. I will be speaking to them about the appeal factors of these types of materials. It is one of the most interesting lectures for the students because many of them are fans on one of the three categories of books. Generally, the discussions are quite informative and interesting.
As you have seen in previous postings, I am a big proponent of audio books. Specifically, I am a huge fan of checking out books on CD from my local library, loading them onto my computer (each as one playlist), and then adding them to my i-Pod as I need them. This way I can load many books, but return the CDs to the library quickly (in a day or 2). I usually have about 8 books to choose from at any one time. I then delete them when I am through.
This solves the problem I have using my library's MP3 download service (which is still incompatible with i-Pods). Here you download the book and only have 3 weeks to listen to it before it disappears. With my preferred method, I still only listen to the audiobook once per checkout (therefore following copyright laws), but I can have the file for as long as I want. It is also a great way to keep a t0-read list. I can choose from pre-downloaded materials, books I was interested in reading at some point in the past. I can then pick the book I am in the mood for at that moment.
I have been doing this for about 18 months now and have never had a problem. Yesterday, however, I had my first (just in time to discuss it in class tonight). I was listening to Erik Larson's Thunderstruck and just as the murder part of the story was about to be revealed, I ran out of tracks. Of course I was at the gym, in the middle of a workout.
No big deal, I figured. I am sure I just didn't upload the entire book for some reason. But, nope, I only had up to Disc 6 on my computer. Last night I was at my local library for a meeting and luckily, the book was on the shelf. I have quite a bit left. So now I will read the last 100 pages.
This identified a large issue with my methodology. Since I loaded the CDs months ago, I no longer have the discs to rectify the problem. I would have to track down the audiobook again, or get the print (as I did).
Besides being very frustrated, there was no harm, but it will make for a good cautionary tale tonight.
Has anyone else had any Mp3 mishaps out there? Let me know.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Book Discussion: Digging to America
The third Monday of the month in February is President's Day, one of the few holidays the Berwyn Public Library closes for. So our group met yesterday, the second Monday, and had a very lively discussion of Anne Tyler's Digging to America. Our discussion was among the best we have ever had. I think I will add this novel to my collection of books I use in my "Book Disucssion Made Simple" classes.
Digging to America's plot is deceivingly simple. Two families are waiting at the Baltimore airport for the arrival of their adopted children from Korea (Jin-Ho and Sooki, renamed Susan). The families are very different, but forge a strong friendship from this shared experience.
I know I should not be surprised since this is Tyler's 17 novel, but the layers and nuances that accompany her set-up make the book remarkable. For example, the Yazduns (parents to Susan) are of Iranian descent, but they are not all immigrants. The father is American born, his mother came to America as a young bride, and his wife came over as a teenager. Even the 3 grandparents (all Iranian) have different customs and perspectives. These immigrant issues, especially as they pertain to Maryam are explored in detail througout the novel. Our discussion dealt with these issues a great deal. We talked about how families blend their ethnic traditions and create new ones and how immigrants in our own families chose to (or not to) "be American."
The Donaldsons (parents of Jin-Ho) appear to be your typical laid back, hippy, white suburban family, but they also are infused with contradictions and nuances. Bitsy's "binky party" late in the novel brought about much discussion in our group. Determined to rid her second daughter of her pacifier habit, Bitsy insisted on going through with a planned party to set each pacifier aloft on a balloon despite the arrival of a devastating hurricane and their lack of power. Needless to say, it is not a success, but this chapter (told from Jin-Ho's persepctive) led to much discussion.
There are also many good fits for those who enjoyed the themes of the immigrant's struggle to assimilate while holding onto his or her past. Two of the best explorations of this theme can be seen in Zadie Smith's White Teeth and Monica Ali's Brick Lane; both also perennial book discussion favorites.
In terms of nonfiction readalikes, those who were intrigued by the detailed descriptions of Iranian culture and the circumstances surrounding the Iranian Revolution should try the graphic novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Of course many may also be interested in International adoption. In fact, a regular member of our discussion group brought along a friend who had adopted 2 children from overseas. She shared her experiences and answered many of our questions. I found 10 Steps to Successful International Adoption: A Guided Workbook for Prospective Parents by Brenda Uekert for those who want to explore this topic further.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
BPL Display Lists: Women's Lives
Last March I did a display for Women's History month. As usual for the Berwyn Public Library, the display was accompanied by 2 annotated lists highlighting some of the offerings found on the approximately 75 book display. One is this one on books which highlight the lives of women today, and the other is this one which highlights the lives of female historical figures.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to pair your larger displays with ANNOTATED lists. The public library has even more books than the average book store because we also have many of the out of print books. Think of yourself as a reader. There are too many titles to choose from. Anything that breaks up the overwhelming offerings will be appealing to your patrons.
But go beyond just breaking things up for them. You are not simply at the desk to answer the questions that you are physically asked. You are there to help each and every reader who walks through the door whether or not they ever speak to you. Providing 2-3 sentences hinting at the plot and appeal of some of the books on the display will both help them know a bit more about a title in front of them, and, more importantly, illustrate that you care about finding them something to read. You have to be invested in their leisure reading. Annotated list are a way librarians can demonstrate this investment
There is another point I want to make about attaching annotated lists to your displays, which my experiences with creating these lists also proves. These lists can be used to highlight gems which have been lost in the stacks for years. As you can see on my Historical Lives of Women list above, I annotated the title Sally Hemmings. This novel came out many years before the sexual relationship between Hemmings and Thomas Jefferson was proven through DNA. When Barbara Chase-Ribould first published this novel, she was both highly praise and condemned. It has since gone out of print.
About 2 months after we had this display I asked my book club for their suggestions as to titles they would be interested in reading over the coming 6 months. 3 people mentioned "hearing about" Sally Hemmings and wanting to read it. There was proof that my lists piqued my patrons' interests. This past July (2007), we read and discussed the title with much success.
I know it is extra work to annotated your lists, but this little effort goes a long way toward patron satisfaction, and more importantly, toward matching readers with a great leisure read.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to pair your larger displays with ANNOTATED lists. The public library has even more books than the average book store because we also have many of the out of print books. Think of yourself as a reader. There are too many titles to choose from. Anything that breaks up the overwhelming offerings will be appealing to your patrons.
But go beyond just breaking things up for them. You are not simply at the desk to answer the questions that you are physically asked. You are there to help each and every reader who walks through the door whether or not they ever speak to you. Providing 2-3 sentences hinting at the plot and appeal of some of the books on the display will both help them know a bit more about a title in front of them, and, more importantly, illustrate that you care about finding them something to read. You have to be invested in their leisure reading. Annotated list are a way librarians can demonstrate this investment
There is another point I want to make about attaching annotated lists to your displays, which my experiences with creating these lists also proves. These lists can be used to highlight gems which have been lost in the stacks for years. As you can see on my Historical Lives of Women list above, I annotated the title Sally Hemmings. This novel came out many years before the sexual relationship between Hemmings and Thomas Jefferson was proven through DNA. When Barbara Chase-Ribould first published this novel, she was both highly praise and condemned. It has since gone out of print.
About 2 months after we had this display I asked my book club for their suggestions as to titles they would be interested in reading over the coming 6 months. 3 people mentioned "hearing about" Sally Hemmings and wanting to read it. There was proof that my lists piqued my patrons' interests. This past July (2007), we read and discussed the title with much success.
I know it is extra work to annotated your lists, but this little effort goes a long way toward patron satisfaction, and more importantly, toward matching readers with a great leisure read.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Me, Live in Wheeling, IL
A week from today, Tuesday, February 12 from 1-4 pm, I will be presenting my RA 201 lecture at the North Suburban Library System HQ in Wheeling, IL. They claim registration is full, but if you still want to come, click here and call to see if there are any cancellations.
Monday, February 4, 2008
No Country For Old Men
As advertised last week, I did go see the Coen Brothers' Oscar nominated film No Country for Old Men this weekend. I was blown away. It was amazing. But the difference here as opposed to seeing Atonement is that I did not read McCarthy's novel.
You can read reviews of the movie, but I want to give a Readers' Advisor tip here. We got home and I went right on the internet to pull up book discussion guides on the novel. I know this is not McCarthy's movie, but knowing his work, I could tell the movie stayed true to his vision. This really helped to answer a few questions my husband and I had about the overall themes of the movie and fueled an even longer discussion on the film.
No Country for Old Men has an apocalyptic theme which I think is nicely followed by McCarthy's latest novel The Road (which happens to be one of my recent favorites). I am excited to see the film version of The Road due this year.
So, I have seen 2 of the 5 Best Picture Nominees and it is hands down No Country for Old Men in the lead now. Oh, and Javier Bardem is that good. This week is Juno or There Will Be Blood.
You can read reviews of the movie, but I want to give a Readers' Advisor tip here. We got home and I went right on the internet to pull up book discussion guides on the novel. I know this is not McCarthy's movie, but knowing his work, I could tell the movie stayed true to his vision. This really helped to answer a few questions my husband and I had about the overall themes of the movie and fueled an even longer discussion on the film.
No Country for Old Men has an apocalyptic theme which I think is nicely followed by McCarthy's latest novel The Road (which happens to be one of my recent favorites). I am excited to see the film version of The Road due this year.
So, I have seen 2 of the 5 Best Picture Nominees and it is hands down No Country for Old Men in the lead now. Oh, and Javier Bardem is that good. This week is Juno or There Will Be Blood.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
What I'm Reading: January 2008
It has been cold and snowy here in Illinois this January. That and a vacation early in the month means I got through 6 books this month, cover to cover. I have decided to focus on the three shorter works I read. All are very different in scope, tone, and theme; however, due to their little number of pages, each could be easily consumed on one cold, winter night.
Michael Chabon has now completed his second cycle of following a large tome with a short novella. His latest novella, Gentlemen of the Road (or as he has been quoted as wanting to have titled it, Jews With Swords), is historical fiction set in 10th Century Khazaria, a mythical city of red headed Jews on the western shores of the Caspian Sea. The two main characters are both Jewish "gentlemen of the road," men who travel the Silk Road because they have nowhere else to go and no one waiting for them. One is a pale, German doctor and the other a "giant" black man. These two seemingly different men are inseparable. Their adventure involves bringing the heir to the murdered King of Khazaria back home and re-instating him onto the throne.
Although Gentlemen of the Road's plot is dependent upon the intricacies its 1oth Century setting, the novella is a true adventure novel in the style of mid-20th century pulp fiction. It was originally published in the NYT's Sunday magazine in 15 installments. Faithful to its genre, the story moves quickly and each chapter ends with a cliff hanger, and the main characters are almost too good and kind to be true. Therefore, those who enjoyed this novella tone and style may be happier trying a classic adventure tale such as those by Robert Louis Stevenson or Jules Verne rather than trying to find another historical novel set in the 10th Century. This novella has also been compare to Don Quixote, although, Cervantes is a bit harder to get through.
Award-winning British playwright Alan Bennett's new novella An Uncommon Reader is capturing American attention and is quickly becoming an underground hit (see this posting). The premise is simple enough. The Queen (post Diana's death) is chasing after her Corgis and discovers the library bookmobile part on her property. She investigates and slowly becomes obsessed with reading. We see her evolve as a reader and even move into writing. In between these plot details Bennett raises issues of class, the burden of being the Queen, and the British people's mixed feelings the Monarchy. The ending is also very satisfying.
Those who enjoyed last year's Oscar Nominated film The Queen will love this novella. For readalikes, I had trouble finding the right feel in any one book until I remembered P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves' novels . They are old but owned by just about every public library. These funny, British novels, filled with not too thinly veiled social commentary, still hold up over time.
Finally, I also read a short nonfiction work which I highly recommend to all librarians who work with leisure readers, How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read by French Professor, Pierre Bayard. Here, Bayard gets at the history of non-readers throughout examples in literature and film. It was an intriguing look at how people remember what they have read, and how they discuss what they have only skimmed or heard of. Bayard does seem to have his tongue planted at least a bit in his cheek here though. I mean advocating not reading books and writing a book about it. So to honor him...I listened to it.
Anyone who likes this book should look at Alberto Manguel's excellent A History of Reading.
Michael Chabon has now completed his second cycle of following a large tome with a short novella. His latest novella, Gentlemen of the Road (or as he has been quoted as wanting to have titled it, Jews With Swords), is historical fiction set in 10th Century Khazaria, a mythical city of red headed Jews on the western shores of the Caspian Sea. The two main characters are both Jewish "gentlemen of the road," men who travel the Silk Road because they have nowhere else to go and no one waiting for them. One is a pale, German doctor and the other a "giant" black man. These two seemingly different men are inseparable. Their adventure involves bringing the heir to the murdered King of Khazaria back home and re-instating him onto the throne.
Although Gentlemen of the Road's plot is dependent upon the intricacies its 1oth Century setting, the novella is a true adventure novel in the style of mid-20th century pulp fiction. It was originally published in the NYT's Sunday magazine in 15 installments. Faithful to its genre, the story moves quickly and each chapter ends with a cliff hanger, and the main characters are almost too good and kind to be true. Therefore, those who enjoyed this novella tone and style may be happier trying a classic adventure tale such as those by Robert Louis Stevenson or Jules Verne rather than trying to find another historical novel set in the 10th Century. This novella has also been compare to Don Quixote, although, Cervantes is a bit harder to get through.
Award-winning British playwright Alan Bennett's new novella An Uncommon Reader is capturing American attention and is quickly becoming an underground hit (see this posting). The premise is simple enough. The Queen (post Diana's death) is chasing after her Corgis and discovers the library bookmobile part on her property. She investigates and slowly becomes obsessed with reading. We see her evolve as a reader and even move into writing. In between these plot details Bennett raises issues of class, the burden of being the Queen, and the British people's mixed feelings the Monarchy. The ending is also very satisfying.
Those who enjoyed last year's Oscar Nominated film The Queen will love this novella. For readalikes, I had trouble finding the right feel in any one book until I remembered P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves' novels . They are old but owned by just about every public library. These funny, British novels, filled with not too thinly veiled social commentary, still hold up over time.
Finally, I also read a short nonfiction work which I highly recommend to all librarians who work with leisure readers, How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read by French Professor, Pierre Bayard. Here, Bayard gets at the history of non-readers throughout examples in literature and film. It was an intriguing look at how people remember what they have read, and how they discuss what they have only skimmed or heard of. Bayard does seem to have his tongue planted at least a bit in his cheek here though. I mean advocating not reading books and writing a book about it. So to honor him...I listened to it.
Anyone who likes this book should look at Alberto Manguel's excellent A History of Reading.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Reading...An Inexpensive Hobby
One thing I have learned working at a public library, I never need to buy another book again. That is not to say I will not buy a book ever again, but, I have learned that I don't need to. If you love to read, there is always a book available at the library. And, more importantly, there is someone there trained in how to help you sift through the thousands of titles to find the one you will most enjoy at that moment.
The biggest hurdle to more casual reading hobbyists is the time limit on books at the library. Many patrons find this stressful. What I always remind people of first is that the books are free. Don't sweat it. You have already paid for them with you taxes. You can always renew the book, or return it and get it again 24 hours later (if no one else is waiting). If you can't bare to part with it, the 10 cent per day fine is not steep. Also, you can always return it unfinished, grab another book (don't worry, we have plenty to go around) and come back to the unfinished one later. And here is a dirty little librarian secret, if you become a regular library user and we get to know you, we may just waive those day or two fines for you.
My point is that everyone needs something in their life that forces them to slow down and focus on themselves. I have about 4 part-time jobs, 2 small children, neither of whom are not in school full time yet, and a husband. Reading is my escape. It is a cheap hobby since I borrow books and audio books from the library. It is a fun hobby because I can read about any topic or subject in the world. And finally, it is an easy hobby to devote time to every day. I can read while I watch the kids build in the playroom. I can read in the school pick-up line. I can listen to an audio book while I do the laundry, vacuuming or dishes. And, I can read while I sit on the couch at night with my husband.
Reading works with my busy schedule because it can be snuck in throughout the day. I carry a book or my i-pod with me everywhere. If I have a free moment, I can read a page or two, but if I end up unexpectedly stuck in the car with a sleeping toddler, I can read many more.
I got the idea for this post from my husband. His favorite blog The Simple Dollar (which I highly recommend for its useful advise on many topics) had this entry on hobbies, specifically his reading hobby. Although the post does not put enough emphasis on the fact that reading can be a free hobby through exclusive use of your public library, he does mention it. Also, the article ends with some great tips on starting any hobby.
For those of you who want to get started on their reading and want a few leads, I will be posting about the books I read in January in the next few days.
The biggest hurdle to more casual reading hobbyists is the time limit on books at the library. Many patrons find this stressful. What I always remind people of first is that the books are free. Don't sweat it. You have already paid for them with you taxes. You can always renew the book, or return it and get it again 24 hours later (if no one else is waiting). If you can't bare to part with it, the 10 cent per day fine is not steep. Also, you can always return it unfinished, grab another book (don't worry, we have plenty to go around) and come back to the unfinished one later. And here is a dirty little librarian secret, if you become a regular library user and we get to know you, we may just waive those day or two fines for you.
My point is that everyone needs something in their life that forces them to slow down and focus on themselves. I have about 4 part-time jobs, 2 small children, neither of whom are not in school full time yet, and a husband. Reading is my escape. It is a cheap hobby since I borrow books and audio books from the library. It is a fun hobby because I can read about any topic or subject in the world. And finally, it is an easy hobby to devote time to every day. I can read while I watch the kids build in the playroom. I can read in the school pick-up line. I can listen to an audio book while I do the laundry, vacuuming or dishes. And, I can read while I sit on the couch at night with my husband.
Reading works with my busy schedule because it can be snuck in throughout the day. I carry a book or my i-pod with me everywhere. If I have a free moment, I can read a page or two, but if I end up unexpectedly stuck in the car with a sleeping toddler, I can read many more.
I got the idea for this post from my husband. His favorite blog The Simple Dollar (which I highly recommend for its useful advise on many topics) had this entry on hobbies, specifically his reading hobby. Although the post does not put enough emphasis on the fact that reading can be a free hobby through exclusive use of your public library, he does mention it. Also, the article ends with some great tips on starting any hobby.
For those of you who want to get started on their reading and want a few leads, I will be posting about the books I read in January in the next few days.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Atonement
So I went to see Atonement this weekend. I was skeptical since the novel by Ian McEwan is one of my all-time favorite books. I love the complexity of the story, the unreliable narrator, and the book-within a book-within a book structure. Not to mention the entire discussion it begins about the nature of fiction and the life of a writer.
Anyway, the point is, I saw it only because it was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. I normally avoid all movies about beloved books. The verdict, in my opinion, it was good. The movie obviously had to pare down on some of the background details, but it also used its visual capacities to its advantage. For example, McEwan must write many pages on Robbie's retreat to Dunkirk in order for us to understand the desperation, hopelessness, and brutality of this event, not just for him, but for the entire British Army and the occupied French people. In the film, a few scenes and an amazing 4 minute continuous shot of the soldiers waiting for evacuation on the beach does it all.
For those like me who enjoyed the novel and are afraid the movie would ruin it, rest assured the ending has not been changed.
My husband, who had not read this novel, but had read other by McEwan, also enjoyed the movie, but definitely liked having me there to answer a few questions and make comparisons with between text and screen.
I am going to try to see No Country for Old Men this week, but I have not read Cormac McCarthy's novel as of yet. I am going to try to get my hands on it first though.
Anyway, the point is, I saw it only because it was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. I normally avoid all movies about beloved books. The verdict, in my opinion, it was good. The movie obviously had to pare down on some of the background details, but it also used its visual capacities to its advantage. For example, McEwan must write many pages on Robbie's retreat to Dunkirk in order for us to understand the desperation, hopelessness, and brutality of this event, not just for him, but for the entire British Army and the occupied French people. In the film, a few scenes and an amazing 4 minute continuous shot of the soldiers waiting for evacuation on the beach does it all.
For those like me who enjoyed the novel and are afraid the movie would ruin it, rest assured the ending has not been changed.
My husband, who had not read this novel, but had read other by McEwan, also enjoyed the movie, but definitely liked having me there to answer a few questions and make comparisons with between text and screen.
I am going to try to see No Country for Old Men this week, but I have not read Cormac McCarthy's novel as of yet. I am going to try to get my hands on it first though.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Book Discussion Books 2001-2007
I mentioned, quite a while ago now, that my group wanted me to reconstruct a master list of every book we have discussed since January of 2001 when our group first met. Of course the group members have changed, and unfortunately so has our server, so some of the book titles are lost to history, but attached here is the list we came up with.
This is purely an author and title list. There is no information about genre or how the discussion went. But, if your group is looking for titles, especially for ones beyond the current "hot" list of book discussion books, this list might be of help to you.
This is purely an author and title list. There is no information about genre or how the discussion went. But, if your group is looking for titles, especially for ones beyond the current "hot" list of book discussion books, this list might be of help to you.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Book Discussion: The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Well, it is the third Monday of the Month again and my group at BPL met today to discuss The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. I realize we are a little behind the curve here, but I am sure there are still a few groups out there who have not discussed this book yet. Interestingly, this is the only novel by Edwards, a well received short story writer, and it only became a runaway best seller after it was put out in paperback.
The story begins during a blizzard in Kentucky in 1964. Dr. David Henry is forced to deliver his own twins, a boy and a girl, at his office. He immediately recognizes that the girl has Down Syndrome and gives her to his nurse, Caroline to take to an institution. After getting to the institution, Caroline, a self proclaimed "spinster," decides to take the child and raise her as her own. For his part, David tells his wife that their daughter died. What follows is a novel, told in third person omniscient from many of the parties' points of view, that traces the lives of these two families over 25 years.
Our discussion began with the group's thoughts on the birth and giving away of Phoebe. People were shocked; however, this mostly older group kept mentioning that they remembered those days, and David's thoughts and actions were somewhat understandable. They gave him some leeway on his initial response, but they all agreed that when he confronted Caroline just before she disappeared with Phoebe, he should have taken Phoebe back. In other words, they were more shocked that he didn't come to his senses a few days later.
The story begins during a blizzard in Kentucky in 1964. Dr. David Henry is forced to deliver his own twins, a boy and a girl, at his office. He immediately recognizes that the girl has Down Syndrome and gives her to his nurse, Caroline to take to an institution. After getting to the institution, Caroline, a self proclaimed "spinster," decides to take the child and raise her as her own. For his part, David tells his wife that their daughter died. What follows is a novel, told in third person omniscient from many of the parties' points of view, that traces the lives of these two families over 25 years.
Our discussion began with the group's thoughts on the birth and giving away of Phoebe. People were shocked; however, this mostly older group kept mentioning that they remembered those days, and David's thoughts and actions were somewhat understandable. They gave him some leeway on his initial response, but they all agreed that when he confronted Caroline just before she disappeared with Phoebe, he should have taken Phoebe back. In other words, they were more shocked that he didn't come to his senses a few days later.
Which leads me to the discussion of if David could have ever told his family the truth. Most agreed that he would have had to have done it within the first few years. Once we see the families again around Paul and Phoebe's 5th year, David is stuck with the secret.
Surprisingly to me, the group also did not seem to hold Caroline as responsible for any wrongdoing, even though she basically kidnapped a child and helped to fake its death. Caroline got much more sympathy than Daivd. One participant mentioned that since Caroline had a birth memory of Phoebe (i.e. was present at her birth) she was as much her mother and more her memory keeper than Norah. That led to a discussion of the title. Of course David is the memory keeper referred to because of his role in the secret and his work as a photographer. However, many people felt Caroline also served as the memory keeper, especially after David's death.
Caroline drew a lot more sympathy than Norah. Again I was surprised. Norah was a victim and didn't even know it. She was in an uphill battle against an emotionally detached husband, who behavior was incomprehensible to her until after his death when she had already been divorced from him for many years. One participant could not get past Norah's affairs.
Overall, one person summed it all up by mentioning the theme of emotional isolation throughout the novel and how the author reinforces it through imagery and situations. As she said, "the truth will set you free."
Last comments: They loved the multiple points of view, agreed the ending was a bit wishy-washy, but could have been much worse, and although we had a wonderful discussion, the average rating of the book overall was about 3 out of 5. This was definitely a case of the book being great for discussion, but not as well enjoyed in isolation. This probably explains why the novel was overlooked until its publication in paperback and use in discussion groups.
There are many ways to go in order to identify readalikes for this novel. For those who liked the serious family issues dealt with by exploring multiple points of view should try My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult, which has been explored on this blog previously at this link. For the readers who want another popular book discussion title about family secrets and the scars they leave, with a more satisfying ending try Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees. Here a young, white girl escapes her abusive father and the secrets surrounding her mother's death to find refuge with a group of strong black women in 1960s Georgia.
Finally, for something a bit different, yet very similar in major appeal factors, try to the Gothic novel The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. This book has an even wider epic scope than the 25 years in The Memory Keeper's Daughter. Vida Winter is England’s most popular and most mysterious author. As she faces her own mortality, Winter is finally willing to divulge her biggest secrets and chooses Margaret Lea, a rare bookseller, to be her biographer. As Winter’s life story is slowly unraveled, Lea gets caught up in the tale of ghosts, lies, and half-truths and is forced to come to terms with some of her own family secrets. All of the secrets her also involve twins and one deals with an abandoned child. Although this is a Gothic tale, with a more menacing atmosphere than The Memory Keeper's Daughter, I really feel the overall issues and feelings explored are very similar.
For nonfiction readalikes sticking to books on Downs Syndrome, Photography, Pittsburgh and Kentucky are all avenues readers may like to explore. There are many titles on these topics, but the one I found the most interesting is Gifts: Mothers Reflect on How Children With Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives edited by Kathryn Lynard. This book looks like it would parallel many of Caroline and her friends' experiences.
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