What I'm Reading: The Bad Book Affair and Dog On It

 

Recently I finished two good examples of the cozy mystery. The Bad Book Affair by Ian Sansom is the 4th book in his bookmobile mystery series which I have read and discussed previously here.  In this installment our outcast protagonist (a Jewish, Londoner, librarian, running a Northern Ireland bookmobile) is approaching his 30th birthday, getting over being dumped by his long-time girlfriend, and embroiled in the mystery surrounding a missing teenager to whom he recently check-out a banned book. If you like this series, you will enjoy Israel's growth in this installment. Again, click here for more details about the series and for tons of readalikes.

In Dog On It by Spencer Quinn, we are introduced to a new voice in the cozy PI world, Chet, a former police dog and partner to Bernie, a Southern CA, PI. You heard me right, this book is narrated by the dog. Before you start drawing conclusions about this book, I want to point out that it received starred reviews everywhere.  Take this one from Booklist for example:

An exciting new mystery series debuts with this first Chet and Bernie novel. Chet the Jet is a dog who failed K-9 school (cats in the open country played a role in his demise), but now he is a dedicated PI and works with Bernie, owner of the Little Detective Agency. The story is told entirely from Chet’s point of view, which will delight dog-loving mystery readers, but the book is also an excellent PI tale, dogs aside, as Chet and Bernie investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl whose developer dad may be up to no good. Chet may not understand things like maps (he doesn’t need them, as he can sniff his way home), but he is a great sleuth who finds the girl and solves the case. The always upbeat Chet may well be one of the most appealing new detectives on the block, but conscientious, kind, and environmentally aware Bernie is a close runner-up. Excellent and fully fleshed primary and secondary characters, a consistently doggy view of the world, and a sprightly pace  make this a not-to-be-missed debut. Essential for all mystery collections and for dog lovers everywhere.

Dog On It was also a finalist in the mystery category of the RUSSA Reading List Awards. FYI, Spencer Quinn is the pseudonym the accomplished psychological suspense author Peter Abrahams uses to write these mysteries.

As you can probably tell, these novels are much more about the characters and the background details than about the mysteries. Their appeal lies in the reader's interests. For example, I am Jewish, living in a place with very few Jews and am a librarian, all like Israel. I also love to read books about Ireland and books about books, so the Bookmobile Mysteries are a perfect fit for me when I am craving a fast read. The mystery plays no part in my decision to read these books, as it shouldn't. The actual mystery is not very difficult to figure out, but rather, it is simply the reason I get to spend a few hours with these characters I love. After four books, I look forward to each new book, and love that I can read them quickly.

I enjoyed Dog On It because I loved reading a fairly conventional PI mystery from a dog's point of view. I found it compelling and unique, but not being much of a dog person, I don't see myself reading another. It is important to point out that Quinn's book is much more centered on the mystery than Sansom's. Chet and Bernie have returned in a sequel too.

Another interesting side note, although these novels have very different narrators and setting, both mysteries involved a teenage girl being kidnapped, and the kidnapping was directly related to each girl's father. Hmmmm....

Three Words That Describe The Bad Book Affair: fish-out-of-water, humorous, Ireland
Three Words That Describe Dog On It: original, PI, dog narrator

Readalikes: In terms of readalikes for Sansom, I want to remind you to click here and see the other suggestions I have already made for fans of this series. There are a lot to choose from.

Another good cozy but intelligent mystery series is Richard Yancey's Highly Effective Detective series.

For specific fans of dog sleuths with a similar feel to Dog On It, I would suggest The Unscratchables by Cornelius Kane.

Readers who want a mystery with dogs, but narrated by a human should try the very well reviewed Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt beginning with Open and Shut.

And for another uniquely narrated mystery try Amberville by Tim Davys. Here our sleuth is a stuffed animal. Click here to go to the Browsers' Corner and see why Kathy at the BPL enjoyed it.

Finally, for more cozy mysteries click here. Or to find a specific type of sleuth, use the job index on the Stop, You're Killing Me site. (By the way, "pets" is a job.)

What I'm Reading: June 2008

As a Readers' Advisor I try to read at least one book from each major genre each year. To aid me in my quest for well-roundedness, we have a reading standards form for our department at the BPL which gives me handy spaces into which I can type the titles and mark my progress. Why tell you all of this? Because this month I read my Western as well as a cozy Mystery, and a Literary Fiction.

I found Ryder of the Hills by Robert J. Horton while reading reviews in Booklist. Turns out that Horton was quite prolific back in the early years of the twentieth century, earning 5 cents a word for his works (just like Max Brand). This specific story was originally serialized in a western magazine back in 1927, and was just re-released by Five Star this year. This novel begins as the story of Jess Sneed, a rancher, gunslinger, and just generally feared, but principled outlaw. While visiting town, Sneed is present when a miner dies in an accidental fall. Sneed takes the rancher's teenage son, Ted Ryder, into his home. Sneed and his ranch partner, Lucy Ware, raise Ryder as a rancher, not letting him know of Sneed's bad side. The plot ultimately shifts to become Ryder's story. It is a story about Ted's coming-of-age, as well as a story of the taming of the West. It is a Western in the mode of the popular HBO series, Deadwood.

Readers who like traditional westerns should definitely give Horton a try. Five Star will be re-issuing a few more of his books in the coming months. Those new to Westerns should also try Max Brand, Zane Grey and especially the all time best Western (IMO) Louis L'Amour's Hondo. Elmer Kelton is also another good bet for those who are looking for an author who is still writing.

After many years of having Pete Hamil on my to-read list, I finally listened to North River. Hamil tends to write literary fiction, with a historical nod, that capture the people and character of New York City. North River follows Dr. Delaney, the local doctor in Greenwhich Village during the Depression. He is an injured WWII vet, serving the poor and dealing with the disappearance of his wife. Delaney has been limping through life, not fully living, until his only child, Grace, abandons her almost 3 year old son Carlito on his doorstep. Delaney also saves the life of his WWII buddy, turned Italian mobster friend and gets himself mixed up in a mob war. Into this chaos enters Rose, an illegal, Sicilian immigrant, who is hired to care for Carlito and keep house. Her solidity and love of life, help to change the Delaney home forever.

This is a slice of life story about the growth of Delaney. As a Jersey girl myself, I loved the 1930s, NYC setting, and found the happy (but let me say, very open) ending refreshing in a work of literary fiction. Don't get me wrong, there are some dark issues like mafia, suicide, prostitution, poverty, and domestic abuse, which are all explored in this novel. However, overall, Delaney's story is positive and refreshing.

Those who liked North River and its local politics may want to try William Kennedy's novels of Albany politics. Ironweed is the best of the lot and takes place in a similar time frame. Richard Russo also writes about the evolution of mature men very well. Try Straight Man which follows a middle aged college professor who is humorously stumbling through absurd situations. Although is has more blatant humor than North River, at its heart, Straight Man is about its main character's growth. Finally, the "Five Points" history of NYC plays a big role in creating the mood and setting for this novel. Those who want to know more about the history of that era should either check out the book The Gangs of New York : an Informal History of the Underworld by Herbert Ashbury or view the Martin Scorsese film The Gangs of New York (2002).

I also read the funny and cozy British mystery, The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom. This is the first in Sansom's Mobile Library Mysteries. The reader is introduced to British Librarian, Israel Armstrong who is chubby, clumsy, Jewish (remember we are in Ireland) and a vegetarian. Israel accepts a job in Tumdrum, Northern Ireland to be the head Librarian. When he arrives, the library building is closed and he has been reassigned to drive a bookmobile. Next problem...there are no books. They are all missing and no one seems to want to help him locate them.

The Case of the Missing Books is more a novel in the Garrison Keillor style of Lake Wobegon Days than a mystery. Israel is a lovable character and a champion of the public library system. He is an outsider in a tight knit community, who by the novel's conclusion finds the books and, more importantly, earns the locals' respect.

Besides Keillor, Sansom's novel reminded me of some of Roddy Doyle's less serious works, such as The Commitments, The Snapper, and The Van. Alan Bennett's The Uncommon Reader (discussed on this blog) and The Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamilton are also good bets for fans of Israel.

Monday Discussion: Homesick Reading

I just returned from 10 wonderful days of vacation touring Boston, Maine, and Nova Scotia, Canada (more on that later this week).  While on vacation I was reading Ahab's Wife: Or, The Star-gazer by Sena Jester Naslund which is very ocean and New England centric.  I am still reading it, as this was an active vacation ( less time to just sit and read), but it fit the bill for the trip.  My husband read books by two Nova Scotia authors What Is Left the Daughter by Howard Norman and Island : Collected Short Stories Alistair MacLeod, both of which we own in the BPL collection.

As the vacation moved toward its conclusion, I was not really homesick, but I was beginning to miss the things I love about where I live.  This got me thinking, we spend all of this time helping our patrons (and ourselves) pick out books for vacations or special times in our lives, but what do we read when we are missing something?

I know for me, as a native of New Jersey, although I love living in Chicagoland and couldn't imagine living anywhere else right now, I do miss Jersey now and then.  For that reason, I do actively seek out books which are set there when I am feeling a bit homesick.  Some favorites are Richard Ford's Bascombe trilogy or Tom Perrotta's Election or Joe College.

But even people who have always lived in the same place miss something now and then.  When I am feeling a bit out of sorts, I tend to read a book by an author I know and trust.  This puts me in a comfortable zone where I can reminisce happily.  For me that means, light series or even an old classic which brought me joy years before.  I would suggest Ian Sansom's Mobile Library Mysteries or Little Women here.

But what about you.  For today's Monday discussion, when you are "homesick" for something familiar, what books do you turn to?

Click here for the Monday Discussion archive which includes everyone's comments.  Feel free to add your own to an older discussion.  People are accessing the page all of the time.

Monday Discussion: Series...Fan or Foe?

Many readers love series.  They like that the story continues over many books. They enjoy reading a book with characters they have grown to love.  And finally, I have found many people like series because they know what they are going to get ahead of time.  Trying a new author can mean that you will be disappointed; many readers like the guarentee that a series brings.  It may not be the best book they ever read, but they know what to expect.

On the other hand, there are also readers who do NOT want series.  Why? For these readers there are also many reasons.  Some don't want to get addicted to one series with so much out there to read.  Others simply do no enjoy revisiting the same characters over and over.  Still others are overwhelmed by how many books are in a given series and are afraid if they start, they will never finish, so they just don't start.

As for me, I read a lot of first books in an series. This is so I get a sense of what readers can expect from the author and the series. Think about it from my perspective.  I have to know about as many books as possible.  If I read one Janet Evanovich out of the 16+ in the series, I can understand the basic appeals of the series and be able to suggest it to the appropriate reader, and still red 15 other books by 15 different authors.  I look to reviews to see if a series changes in style and tone over time.  If it does, I may need to read a later book in the series.

I also read only one book in a series quite often because I simply do not have time to read only series.  Again, I need to read a range of books, so I do not have the luxury of reading the same series.

When I do read a series, it is usually for fun and escape.  They make great vacation reads.  Some of the series I try to keep up with are the Spellman Mysteries by Lisa Lutz, The Bookmobile Mysteries by Ian Sansom,  the Vish Puri Mysteries by Tarquin Hall, and any series by Jasper Fforde. (All links are to times I have mentioned these books)

But what about you? For today's Monday discussion, how do you feel about series? What patron behavior in regards to series have you noticed? Do you read series or do you avoid them? Are there some series you are a junkie for? Or, are you baffled by those who live and die by their series reads?

Click here to follow past Monday Discussions.

What I'm Reading: August 2008

This month I will write about a mystery, literary fiction, and 2 nonfiction books I read.

First, I read the second book in Ian Sansom's Bookmobile Mystery series, Mr. Dixon Disappears. As with the first book in this series, which I wrote about here, the hapless Israel Armstrong is trying to muddle through as the mobile librarian for a Northern Irish community. However, unlike the first book, as Mr. Dixon Disappears opens, Israel is finally doing well. He is installing a display of the complete history of the community's best known department store and the family that has always owned it. But, this happiness only lasts minutes, as Israel is quickly caught up in a robbery and kidnapping involving those he researched. Israel becomes a suspect, is suspended from his job, and has a mountain of woman troubles, but as usual, his new found friends come through to help him in the end.

This series is an example of the cozy at its best with snappy dialog, eccentric characters, and no violence. The addition of the librarian/book factor adds interest for many library users also. Click here for other readalikes to this series. To my past list I would also add the Jasper Fforde Nursery Rhyme Mystery series which begins with The Big Over Easy.

Now onto another international setting, this time, India in Manil Suri's The Death of Vishnu. This international best-seller was Suri's first novel and the first in a projected trilogy. This novel deals with the experiences of modern day Indians in the middle and lower classes. However, Suri also adds a contemplation on Hinduism and Islam in India. The story revolves around, literally, the death of Vishnu, a servant in an apartment building. The reader sees into Vishnu's thoughts as he looks back on his life, while following the goings on of the apartment dwellers.

I know this sounds pretty serious, and it is at times, but there is also a great deal of humor and comical situations built into this narrative. It reminded me very much of The Inhertiance of Loss by Kiran Desai. To the readalikes listed in my books discussion report for Desai's work, I would also add anything by Jhumpa Lahiri and for a similar tone but a different country try The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao which I wrote about here.

I also read two interesting nonfiction works this month. First, I listened to Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America's Soul by Karen Abbott. Mentioned as a readalike to Erik Larson's Devil in the White City on many lists, I pulled this title off of my "to-read" back list. This is the story of the most famous brothel in America (circa the turn of the 20th century), the Everleigh Club in Chicago's red light Levee district. However, amidst the sensationalism of a story about an upscale brothel and its two business savvy sister owners is another story about the evolution of Chicago as a major American city. It is the story of the sin and vice and those who made its their life's work to put an end to legal prostitution. Abbott does a great job of making all of her historical characters come alive a century later.

This novel will appeal to anyone who liked Devil in the White City, books about the underworld, and of course, Chicago history fans. There is also Murder City: The Bloody History of Chicago in the Twenties by Michael Lesy. A similar, nonfiction read with a different setting would be Satan's Circus: Murder, Vice, Police Corruption, and New York's Trial of the Century by Mike Dash. Finally, two fiction suggestions for readers who enjoyed this book would be Dreiser's Sister Carrie for a look at the time period and place and Memoirs of a Geisha for different look at upscale prostitution.

Finally, as a huge football fan (Go Giants!!), I was eagerly anticipating Stefan Fatsis' new book, A Few Second of Panic: A 5-Foot-8, 170 Pound, 43-Year-Old Sportswriter Plays in the NFL. I loved Fatsis' book about the professional Scrabble world and listen to him every week on All Things Considered; now you add football to the mix, and I am sold before opening the cover. Fatsis is a nontraditional sportswriter, which helped ease him into the Denver Broncos training camp in the summer of 2006. As a fairly serious and competitive amateur soccer player, Fatsis is athletic enough to hold his own as a kicker, but not even close to battling Jason Elam for his job. Fatsis uses his insider status to talk to players and explain what it is really like to be an NFL player. He brought his notebook and recorder everywhere and even includes the notes players took for him, while he was kicking in front of the entire team. This is a great book for anyone who likes the read the stories behind the people we see on the field.

For those interested in how the modern NFL came to be they way Fatsis describes it, check out another talented nonfiction writer, Mark Bowden's (Black Hawk Down) book, The Best Game Ever: Giants Vs. Colts, 1958, and the Birth of the Modern NFL. Of course, many will want to also read Paper Lion: Confessions of a Last-String Quarterback by George Plimpton. As Fatsis points out, Plimpton was the first sportswriter to join an NFL team for training camp, but, as Fatsis also explains, it was a completely different league then. Fatsis also includes a decent bibliography at the end of the book. For those interested in other sports books, you can see this post that I put up during the Olympics or checkout this Booklist Online spotlight on new sports books for 2008.

10 Essential Books for Book Nerds

Look you are reading this blog, so you fit the bill.  Sorry to break to you.

So now that the denial part is over, why not embrace your book nerdom and take a look at this list from Flavorwire of their 10 Essential Books for Book Nerds.

Since we did not have a Monday Discussion this week due to the Columbus Day holiday, I thought this could be the unofficial Monday Discussion.

Check out the list and leave me a comment adding to it.

I will start.  All proper book nerds need to read Jasper Fforder's Thrusday Next series beginning with The Eyre Affair. I also love Ian Sansom's Bookmobile Mysteries, but those are a double dose nerdom of book nerd and library nerd.

What about you?

Monday Discussion: Mothers in Fiction

I know I am a day late here, but after spending yesterday celebrating Mother's Day with my kids and mother-in-law, it got me to thinking about making list of our favorite fictional mothers.

Now, you can share the mother's you have admired or despised.  Over on her blog, At the Ref Desk, Verna in our Reference Department made this fun list of the Worst Mothers in Literature.  I guess I am just looking for you to give me the mothers from literature who pop into your head right away.

I'll go first.  I will offer a mother good and a mother bad.

For a bad mother try Chicago author Gillian Flynn's debut novel Sharp Objects.  I bring this us because there is a truly terrible mother in this novel, but also, Flynn will be visiting the BPL this summer.  I will have details very soon.

For a good example of a mother I like, try the Bookmobile Mysteries by Ian Sansom.  You can click here for my reviews.  The main character's mother is both funny and truly loving.

I hope you Moms out there enjoyed your day yesterday.  I know I had a wonderful day.

Now let me know some memorable moms you have read about.

Click here for past Monday Discussions

RA Links Round Up--The Back From Vacation Edition

Thanks for hanging in there last week.  I was in Southern California on Spring Break.  A big thanks to my students for guest hosting the blog last week.

But I am back and although I did no work while on vacation, I still did a quick scan of my RSS feeds via my iPhone each day (mostly to clear out the backlog) and starred the things I wanted to pass on.

Also, check out RA for All: Horror later this week. I am working on a report on why people love the Haunted Mansion and Tower of Terror (yes we went to Disney) even though they are fairly scary.

So here are a few tidbits I wanted to pass on:

• The Bram Stoker Awards and the Vampire Novel of the Century were announced on March 31st.  Click here for the official results.  I was very happy to see Joe McKinney's Flesh Eaters win best novel.  His Dead City series is fabulous, and I highlighted it in my PLA presentation.
• I love Bookmobiles.  My dream has always been to run one, but I know it probably will never happen.  Last week, NPR ran this great report on the end of bookmobiles.  If you share my love of bookmobiles, don't forget about Ian Sansom's Bookmobile Mystery series.
• Anne Tyler gave a lengthy interview to NPR.  She has a new book and rarely gives interviews.  I have had great luck using Digging to America as a book discussion book.
• The Sisters Brothers won the Morning News Tournament of Books! I was so happy.  It was one of my personal favs in 2011 too.
• We also hit the Madame Tussaud wax museum in Hollywood.  And in a freaky coincidence, Reading the Past ran this review of Michelle Moran's fiction biography of this fascinating woman.  I was happy to see that we do own the book here at Berwyn.
• One of the most original authors out there today is China Mieville.  The problem is his books are very hard to classify by genre.  They are all genres and no genre at one time.  This is great for readers, but very hard when librarians try to make lists of core authors.  I am embroiled in it right now as I am part of building the new ARRT Popular Authors list.  We have to have Mieville on the list, but cannot figure out where to put him.  The best description I have seen is that he writes "Weird Fiction."  Last week Mieville talked about his writing with Jeff VanderMeer for the Weird Fiction Review.
• While I was gone, Joyce Saricks tackled nonfiction the GSLIS 763 students.  Click here to see what they read last week.

That's what I was thinking about while I was gone.  Look for the Monday Discussion in a few minutes.  And a back to normal week.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

 

I am not Irish, but I do like Irish themed literature, specifically Roddy Doyle, Pete Hamill, and Ian Sansom's Bookmobile Mysteries, so I didn't want to let the day pass without acknowledging it at all (that is besides dressing the kids in green).

Here is a link from Lit Lists to get you started: "Five Best Books on Ireland."

What I'm Reading: The Case of the Missing Servant

I received a pleasant surprise when I picked up The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall and was introduced to Vish Puri, a 51 year old accomplished private detective and owner of Delhi's Most Private Investigators Ltd.

I was alerted to this title by the publisher's heavy advertising blitz in a few of the book buyer electronic lists I subscribe to. And, am I glad I picked it up. Puri, is a detective in the classic sense of Sherlock Holmes, but he uses very modern technology to solve this complicated case. I loved how the book was modern and old fashioned, all at the same time, much like the city of Delhi and the country of India itself is portrayed.

Here is the background and plot. Puri, known as Chubby by his family (he is a bit overweight) and Boss by his staff, has a loving wife, a few grown kids, and a very successful detective agency (he has even won an international award for his skills). Mostly, Puri and his staff work for the father's of engaged women to surreptitiously check into the background of the potential husbands. However, when a prosecutor in a different city who is known for going after corrupt political officials is accused of killing his missing servant, Puri and his crew try to clear the good man's name and find the missing servant. Oh, and someone is trying to kill Puri too, but his mom is on that case; Puri is too busy to worry about it.

This is a fast paced mystery with interesting characters that will appeal to fans of old fashioned, Agatha Christie type mysteries; Puri even has a monologue which wraps everything up, explaining the entire case and all of the various motives. But it will also appeal to fans of more modern mysteries. Puri and his crew use a lot of technology in their investigations, and an employee even makes fun of his boss's long wrap up monologue.

Which leads me to another appeal. Although most of the book is from Puri's point of view, his mom (Mummy) who is doing her own investigating throughout the book and a few of Puri's employees have their turn to drive the story through their point of view. This stylistic choice helped to keep the pacing up. By the way, Mummy is a great character. I can't wait to read more with her. VIsh Puri will be back, and I will be waiting to read the next one.

Readalikes: As I mentioned, this novel reminded me of Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie mysteries.

Also, check what I had to say about The White Tiger when I read it. Although The Case of the Missing Servant is not as "literary" as The White Tiger, I was surprised by how similar the two books were in terms of theme and overall message about modern India's contradictions. So check this other post for more readalikes about India.

A few other mysteries I would suggest that like The Case of the Missing Servant have a strong sense of place, a modern, old fashionedness, and compelling investigators are:

• The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom (my review)
• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (my review)
• A Carrion Death by Michael Stanley

What I'm Reading: A Red Herring Without Mustard

I am a huge fan of the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley, so it is no surprise that I read the third, and brand new installment, A Red Herring Without Mustard right after it came out.

Briefly here are some excerpts about Flavia and her family from the first time I read a Flavia book here:

If you are looking for a unique and original cozy mystery, I have a suggestion for you. It is 1950 in rural England and Flavia de Luce is an 11 year-old aspiring chemist with an interest in poisons. She lives in a crumbling, country mansion, with her father and two older sisters.

What is most endearing and entertaining about this novel is Flavia's voice. Bradley, was 11 himself in 1950 (so yes, he is a first time novelist in his 70s), and he understands the time period. For example, Flavia cannot just hop on the Internet to look things up; instead, she spends a lot of time in the musty stacks at her local public library. The book obviously won my heart right there.

Flavia is just old enough to look out for herself but her adventurous spirit has not yet been squashed by adulthood. She is still naive enough and her 1950s rural England world is still safe and small enough, that she takes the risks that keep the plot interesting. It would be hard to believe that an 11 year-old today could just slip away for the entire day, ride her bike all around the county, and have no one asking after her. But in the setting Bradley chose, it all seems fine.

This time, Flavia is the veteran of 2 murder mysteries and the police are less willing to indulge her. The story begins with someone who is out to kill a visiting gypsy and moves into an actual murder that is indirectly tied to the gypsy.  Flavia discovers the two victims, one still alive and one very dead.  As a result, the police have their eye on her and explicitly tell her father to keep her at home.  Flavia of course can sneak out no problem.  In fact, her various manners of sneaking out are a huge foreshadowing of things to come.

But the murder investigation is not the chief appeal here.  Like the other two novels in the series, the sense of place is huge. This is small town, rural England, where everyone knows everything about everyone else's business. Flavia is able to move in and out slightly unnoticed because of her age.  People are willing to open up to her, and her excellent hearing and chemical knowledge serve her well.

The characters are also the key to the appeal.  Meeting all of these quirky people and seeing how they are interconnected keeps you reading.  I especially like the family's cook and Dodger, the family's jack-of-all trades, who may be suffering from PTSD from the war, but is the wisest member of the household.

What I most enjoyed about this installment is that we are getting more details about the family's situation.  Flavia's mom died in an accident when Flavia was a baby and all of the family's money was hers.  Due to England's probate laws, since Harriet (the mom) died without a will, the family is now without funds, yet they still live in the large, literally falling apart manor home.  This book gives more details about Harriet and the family situation:  Dodger is packing the family silver to be sold at auction, Flavia's room leaks when it rains, there is an entire underground irrigation system that no one knows about.  You can feel this plot line building toward a more prominent role in future installments.  Much of that is because Flavia is growing up enough to care about what is going on outside her day-to-day existence.  This book introduces a Flavia who is leaving childhood and entering adolescence; a Flavia who wants to understand her family and their problems.

There are too many crazy and quirky characters to recount here.  Bishop's Lacey is one weird town.  But if you are okay with a convoluted mystery and love interesting characters, this is the book for you.  If you are a hard core mystery fan, I would try something more along the lines of P.D. James.

Three Words That Describe This Book:  captivating, quirky, original

Readalikes:  When I reviewed the first 2 books in this series here and here, I suggested the following books:

• Tarquin Hall's Vish Puri series
• Louise Penny's Armand Garmache series
• Lisa Lutz's Spellmans series
• Ian Sansom's Bookmobile Mysteries
• Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series
• Alexander McCall Smith's Precious Ramotswe series

These series are set all over the map in terms of time and place, but they all share a few key elements with Bradley's series, they are fairly cozy, with serious undertones, they feature extremely quirky and interesting investigators, and they are all very original.

A few new suggestion that I want to offer which also fit this same mold are as follows:

• The Chief Inspector Barnaby series by Caroline Graham
• The Gervase Fen series by Edmund Crispin
• And although it is not a mystery per se, The Pig Trilogy by Joseph Caldwell is also a great option

In the past I have also suggested how Flavia is reminiscent of Harriet the Spy. And for those who liked this book but want a little more sarcasm (this book has none), I would suggest Confessions of a Teen Sleuth by Chelsea Cain, which is the fictional biography of Nancy Drew.


Another standalone title that would work for those who enjoyed the precocious narrator is The Selected Works of T. S. Spivet by Reif Larsen.

What I’m Reading: World of Trouble

There are very few times in life when you complete a series and it is just perfect.  As I mentioned in a previous Monday Discussion on this blog, this is how I felt about completing Ben H. Winters The Last Policeman Trilogy with the last installment, World of Trouble.

This review of World of Trouble as a novel will be short because to say too much would give away the joy of reading the series.

First, you need to see my reviews of The Last Policeman (book 1) and Countdown City (book 2) for more details.  Click through. I can wait.

Okay, you are back.  All I am going to say about World of Trouble as a book is that the story picks up where Hank left off, leaving his girlfriend at a safe house and headed back out into a world only weeks away from impact with the asteroid that will destroy most, if not all life on Earth.

Hank follows some leads to Ohio where most of the action in this book takes place.  I can tell you that before the asteroid hit the earth, Hank has put all the pieces into place from the last 2 books.  He knows what was going on with his sister, he solves a few other mysteries along the way, and still leaves time to end the novel in a beautiful, heart warming scene as the asteroid streaks across the sky.  It’s just perfect.

For Readers Advisory purposes what you really need to know is how to suggest this now completed trilogy to patrons. Here are a few tips and points on that front.

First, it stays completely true to the tone and focus of the first installment.  This means, Hank gets a bit more seasoned as he is investigating the mystery surrounding his sister, but he is still a bit naive and bubbling until the end.  He also remains endearingly good hearted and good natured despite the fact that the world may be ending any day. You can be sure Hank stays Hank no matter what.

Second, this series although set in a pre-apocalyptic time NEVER moves to post apocalypse.  Do not give this series to people who want to know what happens because of the asteroid!  This is a hard-boiled detective novel, albeit featuring an unexperienced detective, who refuses to accept defeat even as he faces down the end of the world.  He will fight to figure out what happened to his sister and why until the end. He will leave no stone unturned.  He will complete his mission before the deadline. Hank is nothing if not earnest, but Winters will not break our trust.  This is a pre-apocalyptic novel and it stays that way until the end.

But it is also a novel about what choices people make when they know the end of the world is coming.  There is no blue print for how you are supposed to act here.  We meet many, many people who all make different choices.  We see what happens to the country’s infrastructure, institutions, and community as the day of impact comes closer.  This is a lot to take in and makes the trilogy very thought provoking, but not as dark as you would imagine because of Hank’s positive personality.  Seeing these background details evolve over the course of the series is not only very interesting, but it is also a huge factor in why someone would read and enjoy these books. So my RA point here...take the term pre-apocalyptic literally.

Third, this is a great option for mystery fans with an off kilter sense of humor, who enjoy quirky characters, and a first person narration.

Fourth, if you commit to reading the entire trilogy, rest assured, it is extremely well paced.  You can read each book in a few sittings.  It would not be a huge investment in time.  They are also paperback originals, so I will be sending quite a few patrons with all three on vacation in the years to come.

Taking the entire series into consideration, I have been suggesting it to many more readers than before the publication of World of Trouble.  Until I finished the trilogy, I couldn’t be sure that it would  stay true to the mystery part.  I was worried that the gimmick of the asteroid would overtake the true story here.  So now, you can be sure the reader does not need to like apocalyptic fiction in order to enjoy these books; they just need to be okay with the pre-apocalyptic setting and the shadow it casts over the tone.

Three Words That Describe This Book: endearing narrator, pre-apocalypse, thought provoking [same three words I used at the start and they still are the key appeal of this series]

Readalikes:  I have plenty of readalikes listed from when I wrote about the first 2 books here and here.

I think your best readalike options have NOTHING to do with the science fiction aspects or apocalyptic stuff though. I do have those other options listed in the links from previous reviews.   Rather, your focus on readalikes should be for other mystery series with an endearing detective, an off beat sense of humor, and some level of thought provoking issues [in other words, it needs to be a bit more than fluff because there are some serious issues at the foundation of  the story...the end of the world is coming for goodness sake].  Thankfully, this is one of my favorite areas of mysteries.  So here are a few options with links to my reviews:

• Lisa Lutz’s Spellman Files books
• Tarquin Hall’s Vish Puri mysteries [The best overall match over the bunch]
• Ian Sansom’s Bookmobile mysteries
• Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce books [which have just taken a more serious and darker turn]

What I'm Reading: November 2008

This month I will write about four of the book I read, a dystopian science fiction, historical fiction, women's lives, and another book in one of my favorite cozy mystery series.

I finally read Australian Max Barry's 2003 classic satire on consumerism and the Americanization of the world, Jennifer Government. This is a classic dystopian imagining of the future where the world is split up into the "American" countries and all others. The government is very weak; companies are in charge of everything. The lead character works for the government, hence her name. Her daughter goes to a Mattel run public school. The plot hinges around a marketing plan by John Nike (he works for Nike), which involves killing customers to create more buzz about a popular shoe. Things spiral and John hatches a plan to literally take over the world, and only Jennifer can stop him.

There is much humor, satire and pure entertainment in this novel. It is not a readalike for works like Orwell's 1984 which is much denser and more preachy than Barry's novel. That is not to disparage what Barry does in his novels or on his very popular website. His works are entertaining and thought-provoking with a young sensibility that appeals to generations X, Y, and Z. While overall, I enjoyed this novel and would continue to suggest it to others, I do agree with the customer reviews that felt the ending was a bit lackluster, but the middle makes up for it.

There are many authors who share Barry's humor, eye for satire, and youthful sensibility. Most notably, I would like to point out Max Brooks' political satire/zombie novel World War Z. Also anything by Cory Doctorow would appeal to fans of Jennifer Government; try the YA novel Little Brother or his adult story collection, Overclocked: Stories of the Future Present. Another author whose work would appeal to Barry fans is Chuck Palahniuk. He is most famous for Fight Club, but really any of his novels would work as a readalike here. Finally, Alan Moore's graphic novels V for Vendetta or The Watchmen are also good bets.

In terms of Nonfiction readalikes, there are many books about global capitalism and American corporations. Three of the most popular to get you started are, The Silent Takeover: Global Capitalism and the Death of Democracy by Noreena Hertz, Colossus: How the Corporation Changed America by Jack Beatty and the best seller by Naomi Klein, The Shock Doctrine: the Rise of Disaster Capitalism.

I also read another historical fiction by Peter Hamil this month, Forever. This is another book which came off of the bottom of my to-read list (2003), and like Jennifer Government above, I am quite happy that I finally got to it. Forever begins in Ireland in 1741 with the story of the Celtic O'Connor family and moves to New York City as Cormac, the now orphaned son of the family, has followed his father's murderer to seek revenge. On the way, Cormac befriends Kongo, an African slave. Once he is established in NYC, Cormac becomes involved in the African and Irish fight for equality over taking the city, culminating in a huge rebellion. It turns out Kongo is a shaman and he grants Cormac immortality in payment for his true friendship. This immortality has caveats (he can never leave the island of Manhattan) and Cormac is told how to complete his journey and pass into the spirit world in the future. The story then follows Cormac through key points in NYC history up until the days immediately after 9/11. This is a sweeping epic history of NYC, a lyrical story with a large magical realism component, and a love story all rolled into one novel. Please note, however, this novel has a completely open ending, which may or may not matter to you as a reader.

Like most Hamill books, Forever is as much about New York City as it is about the characters he creates. In fact, click here to read my post about North River. Besides the readalikes listed there, I would add Raymond Feist's Faerie Tale, another popular Celtic Fantasy novel with a New York setting written by a proven storyteller. Michael Cunningham's Specimen Days would also be a good readalike, both for setting and the fantasy elements. If you want a book about the NYC area in the revolutionary period, you could also try Brookland by Emily Barton.

In terms of Nonfiction, click here to run a search of books about the history of New York City, there are many ranging from coffee table books, to narrative histories. Ditto for Irish history. Click here to run a search for those titles.

The Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch is also a work of magical realism, but without the historical setting of Hamill's work. Scotch's book caught my eye while I reading reviews; I had not read a chick-lit in a while and the plot summary intrigued me. Here are the details: Jillian is a stay-at-home-mom in Westchester, NY and a former advertising executive. She is experiencing dissatisfaction with her life, her marriage, and her "job." Upon hearing that the boyfriend she left to marry her husband was finally getting married himself, Jillian starts to think of what her life would have been if she had taken a different path. And then, while receiving a massage, Jillian is transported back 7 years, to have a second chance at her life. What follows is a heart-warming, bittersweet, and ultimately redemptive story about the choices modern women have, the sacrifices that come with loving someone, and a look at what is truly important in life.

Although, The Time of My Life tackles some serious issues, it is firmly grounded in the chick-lit subgenre of women's lives and relationships stories. For a similar work, but with a bit more sophistication and depth, try The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. If you liked Scotch's mommy issue take on chick-lit, you would probably enjoy the works of Jennifer Weiner (try Goodnight Nobody for similar themes). There is also Ayelet Waldman's Mommy Track Mysteries series.

Nonfiction titles that might be of interest would include Time Travel in Einstein's Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time by J. Richard Gott, This Is How We Do It: The Working Mothers' Manifesto by Carol Evans, and Where Did I Go?: The Personal Chronicle of a Sahm (Stay at Home Mom), as she shares her fulfilling, frustrating and often comical journey from Womanhood to Motherhood by B. Wylde.

Finally, I read the latest installment in Ian Sansom's bookmobile mysteries this month, The Book Stops Here. Click here to read my other postings about this series and to see readalikes. I think I liked this title the best in the series so far because we finally get to see Israel back in London and interacting with his mother, who it appears will be coming back to Ireland with him and joining the series. Anyway, it was a great, light, escapist read, and I will continue to suggest this cozy mystery series to all fans of public libraries everywhere.

Library Reads: January 2019

Today is Library Reads day and that means three things here on RA for All:

1. I post the list and tag it “Library Reads” so that you can easily pull up every single list with one click.
2. I can remind you that even though the newest list is always fun to see, it is the older lists where you can find AWESOME, sure bet suggestions for patrons that will be on your shelf to actually hand to them right now. The best thing about Library Reads is the compound interest it is earning. We now have hundreds and hundreds of titles worth suggesting right at our fingertips.
3. You have no excuse not to hand sell any Library Reads titles because there is a book talk right there in the list in the form of the annotation one of your colleagues wrote for you. All you have to say to your patron is, “such and such library worker in blank state thought this was a great read,” and then you read what he or she said.

So get out there and suggest a good read to someone today. I don’t care what list or resource you use to find the suggestion, just start suggesting books.

Also, please remember to click here for my Library Reads 101 recap for everything you need to know about how to participate. And click here to see a database of eligible diverse titles sorted by month.

********************************************

January 2019 LibraryReads

Don’t miss the January 2019 Hall of Fame Winners! Scroll down or visit the Hall of Fame page.

Once Upon a River:

A Novel

by Diane Setterfield

Published: 12/4/2018 by Atria/Emily Bestler Books
ISBN: 9780743298070

“A wonderfully dark and mysterious read. Something happens one stormy winter solstice evening that triggers a chain of events that changes the lives of all the main characters. Moody and mystical. For readers who love gothic fiction like The Death of Mrs. Westaway and The Clockmaker’s Daughter. ”

Melanie Liechty, Logan Library, Logan, UT 

An Anonymous Girl

by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Published: 1/8/2019 by St. Martin’s Press
ISBN: 9781250133731

“Struggling to stay afloat with a job as a makeup artist, Jessica signs up for a study, thinking she will earn some easy money. After the first two parts of the study, she gets invited to the professor’s house for more questions and more compensation. Fans of psychological thrillers won’t want to miss this one as Jessica is a compelling character and the novel will keep you reading long into the night.”

Annice Sevett, Albert Lea Public Library, Albert Lea, MN 

---

The Au Pair

by Emma Rous

Published: 1/8/2019 by Berkley
ISBN: 9780440000457

“After giving birth to Seraphine and her twin brother Danny, their mother throws herself from a cliff. 25 years later, Seraphine finds a picture that makes her question everything she thought she knew about her childhood. For fans of compelling suspense novels and family secrets.”

Selena Swink, Lake Public Library, Lake, MS

---

The Current: A Novel

by Tim Johnston

Published: 1/22/2019 by Algonquin Books
ISBN: 9781616206772

“When two girls, trapped in a RAV4, fall into an icy river one dies and the other barely survives. Unanswered questions and old accusations resurface as the small Minnesota town recalls another incident ten years earlier where a girl died in the same river. For readers who love small town suspense.”

Shellie Taylor, Iredell County Public Library, Statesville, NC

---

The Dreamers: A Novel

by Karen Thompson Walker

Published: 1/15/2019 by Random House
ISBN: 9780812994162

“A virus appears in the small town of Santa Lora that causes its victims to fall into a deep sleep from which they cannot wake up. While this story is about a pandemic apocalypse, it also reminds us of our humanity and how we are all connected. For fans of The Country of Ice Cream Star and The Water Knife.”

Cari Dubiel, Twinsburg Public Library, Twinsburg, OH 

---

My Favorite Half-Night Stand

by Christina Lauren

Published: 12/4/2018 by Gallery Books
ISBN: 9781501197406

“Another delightful contemporary rom-com from the author of Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating. Millie and her four male friends decide to jump into the pool of online dating together. When Millie matches with one of the friends, chaos ensues. For fans of The Kiss Quotient and The Wedding Date.”

Kelsey Hudson, Middleton Public Library, Middleton, WI

---

The Red Address Book

by Sofia Lundberg

Published: 1/8/2019 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 9781328473011

“A ninety-six-year-old Swedish woman reflects on her life, paging through a long-kept address book. A compelling, charming, and ultimately heartwarming read. For fans of Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk and The Japanese Lover.”

Brenda O’Brien, Woodridge Public Library, Woodridge, IL 

---

The Suspect

by Fiona Barton

Published: 1/22/2019 by Berkley
ISBN: 9781101990513

“Reporter Kate Waters pursues the story of two 18-year-olds who have gone missing in Thailand. The case takes a turn when the main suspect is Kate’s estranged son. For fans of twisty psychological suspense.”

Jennifer Winberry, Hunterdon County Library, Flemington, NJ 

---

Unmarriageable: A Novel

by Soniah Kamal

Published: 1/15/2019 by Ballantine Books
ISBN: 9781524799717

“A thoroughly enjoyable retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in modern-day Pakistan. The characters, storyline, and dialogue are true to the original while being completely fresh. For readers who enjoy a comedy of manners.”

Kristen Gramer, Lewes Public Library, Lewes, DE 

---

Watching You: A Novel

by Lisa Jewell

Published: 12/26/2018 by Atria Books
ISBN: 9781501190070

“Set in an upscale English neighborhood where everyone knows everyone and someone is always watching. When one of the residents is found murdered, the police investigation turns up long buried secrets. Told from multiple viewpoints and alternating between past and present.”

Cyndi Larsen, Avon Free Public Library, Avon, CT

---

The Golden Tresses of the Dead: A Flavia de Luce Novel

by Alan Bradley

Published: 1/22/2019 by Delacorte Press
ISBN: 9780345540027

“Follow the delightful hijinks of the precocious Flavia and her faithful Dogger as they take on their first case as private investigators. Although this is the 10th Flavia de Luce adventure, it is one of those rare mysteries you don’t have to read in series order.”

Abby Hardison, Rowan Public Library, Salisbury, NC 

Readalikes:
Home Sweet Homicide by Craig Rice
Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett
The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall
The Case of the Missing Bookmobile by Ian Sansom

---

In An Absent Dream

by Seanan McGuire

Published: 1/8/2019 by Tor.com
ISBN: 9780765399298

“Young Katherine stumbles into the Goblin Market, where order, friendship, and belonging carry a high price. The latest novella in the Wayward Children series shines just as bright as its kin, as McGuire spins a tale infused with mist-covered magic and sharp and creative storytelling.”

Sharon Layburn, South Huntington Public Library,Huntington Station, NY

Readalikes:
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
The Icarus Girl by Helen Oyeyemi
Among Others by Jo Walton
The Book of Lost Things by John Connelly

---

The Only Woman in the Room: A Novel

by Marie Benedict

Published: 1/8/2018 by Sourcebooks Landmark
ISBN: 9781492666868

“A fascinating look at a famous movie star with an unexpected past: Hedy Lamarr, the Austria-born screen siren who was also a brilliant inventor. Brisk pacing and atmospheric scenes of pre-World War II Europe round out this intriguing work of historical fiction.”

Alissa Williams, Morton Public Library, Morton, IL

Readalikes:
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
The Secret Life of Violet Grant by Beatriz Williams
Marlene by C.W. Gortner
The Race for Paris by Meg Waite Clayton

---

The Winter of the Witch: A Novel

by Katherine Arden

Published: 1/8/2018 by Del Rey
ISBN: 9781101885994

“In this magnificent conclusion to the Winternight historical fantasy trilogy, Vasya risks everything to ensure that both medieval Russias–human and fey–can continue to live together. Exciting, moving, and beautifully written, this is a story readers will savor.”

Beth Mills, New Rochelle Public Library, New Rochelle, NY

Readalikes:
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
The Winged Histories by Sofia Samatar
Deathlesss by Catherynne M. Valente
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty