World Book Night Titles Announced!

I have only mentioned it briefly before this, but April 23, 2012 is World Book Night.  From their official website:

World Book Night is an annual celebration designed to spread a love of reading and books. To be held in the U.S. as well as the U.K. and Ireland on April 23, 2012. It will see tens of thousands of people go out into their communities to spread the joy and love of reading by giving out free World Book Night paperbacks.

Yesterday, the organizers released the 30 books that will be offered for giveaway in the United States.  They are (in alphabetical by author):

• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
• Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak)
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (Ballantine)
• Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger (Da Capo)
• Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (Beacon Press)
• Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (Tor)
• Little Bee by Chris Cleave (Simon & Schuster)
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
• Blood Work by Michael Connelly (Grand Central)
• The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz (Riverhead); a Spanish-language edition, La breve y maravillosa vida de Óscar Wao (Vintage Espanol), will also be made available.
• Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick)
• Zeitoun by Dave Eggers (Vintage)
• Peace Like a River by Leif Enger (Grove Atlantic)
• A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick (Algonquin)
• Q Is for Quarry by Sue Grafton (Berkley)
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead)
• A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (Ballantine)
• The Stand by Stephen King (Anchor)
• The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (Perennial)
• The History of Love by Nicole Krauss (W.W. Norton)
• The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (Mariner)
• The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien (Mariner)
• Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (Perennial)
• My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (Atria)
• Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson (Picador)
• The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (Back Bay)
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (Broadway)
• Just Kids by Patti Smith (Ecco)
• The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (Scribner)
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Knopf Books for Young Readers)

Click here to read more about how the books were chosen.

Readers of RA for All, it is time for us to unite! I would love for you all to participate in some way.   Anyone can sign up to be a book giver.  If you work at a library or school, the organizers ask that you simply note that in your comments field.  Click here to start the process.  You will be allowed to choose your top three titles and will have to explain why you want to be a part of the this wonderful event.  But honestly, if you chose to read RA for All, that explanation should be easy for you.

I just signed the BPL up to be a giver.  Please join us in this wonderful global event to celebrate the power of reading.  They are trying to get 500,000 people signed up to give away a million free books by February 1, and all you have to do it click here to be a part of it all.

I have started a new tag, "world book night" under which I will be compiling any news about this event in the coming months. 

What I'm Reading: The Night Circus

It is always refreshing to read a book with heavy hype and find it simply charming.  The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern fit this bill for me when I read it this fall.  Before I get into the details, I want to say that while I was reading this book I was utterly captivated.  This was by no means the best written book I read this year (it has some first novel issues and could have used cutting in some places and beefing up in others); however, I cannot remember the last time I read a book which sucked me into its world and refused to let me go.  Maybe it was when I read Harry Potter for the first time.

The set up here is simple.  2 aging magicians meet to have another competition; one in a long line of competitions they have engaged in over the years.  They each find a young child to become their protege.  As the two children grow up, they are pitted against one and other in a test of their skills and imagination.  The venue of this battle is an amazing circus, but the two young people (a boy and a girl) do not know each other; they just know they must continue to act upon the circus to keep the battle going.  What the terms of engagement are, and the consequences of losing are not known, but it is clear that they are severe.

That is the plot, but it is not even close to the reason you would read this book.  This is a novel that needs to be discovered.

The Night Circus is all about the details and the characters.  The story bounces around between different character's points of view and even to different years (but the date is clearly marked at the start of each chapter).  We see how the competition affects dozens of people, changing the course of their lives.  These characters drive the narrative.  Their relationship to each other, but more importantly to the circus itself, is a joy to watch unfold.  Some grow and some crumble, but all are both interesting and thought provoking.

So, you need to be okay with a book that jumps between characters and subplots quickly.  All points of view and subplots add depth to the story.  It worked for me because it enhanced the power of the circus. I suggest you simply let Morgenstern take you along on her ride.  For some it may be too confusing, but for me, it was a joy to be so entertained in such an original and intricately built story.

I actually found the relationship that develops between the 2 magicians themselves the least satisfying part of the book, but it didn't really matter to me.  My enjoyment went back to the circus itself and the characters' places within it.

I loved the details of the circus itself.  The two magicians build new attractions and tents trying to up stage each other.  New sections begin with descriptions of these wondrous inventions.  These sections were the best part of the novel.  I read them over and over.  The language was lyrical, the descriptions captivating and enchanting.  I was left begging to go to the actual circus.

There is also a clock, the clock-maker himself,  and those who become groupies of the circus which I also enjoyed following.

Again, I am trying to be vague but still articulate the book's appeal.  I want readers to discover this book on their own.  Giving any of the wonder away would be unfair.  The wonder is why a reader will fall in love with this book.

I do have to say that while this novel is filled with beauty, there is also an underlying darkness that permeates the story from the first page on.  This intense magic has serious consequence for all involved.  Watching the characters come to terms with the price they have paid by being a part of this enchanting world is also a reason I  liked this book.  I did find the ultimate conclusion of the novel only partially satisfying, but to be fair, the book was so captivating that I think no ending would be perfect.  Readers will not want to leave the world Morgenstern created, so as a result, would not be happy with any ending.

If you want a book which will take you away to a magical world that will take a hold of you and threaten to never let you go, read The Night Circus.  It is a great option for a plane ride or vacation. It is not perfect, but it is mesmerizing.  I will put it on my sure bet list for years to come.


Three Words That Describe This Book:  captivating, magical, lyrical.


Readalikes: Neal Wyatt had this great list of Readalikes, Read Arounds, and Watchalikes.  Please use the link to see her suggestions.  I will not repeat any of them here.

If you like The Night Circus, run, do not walk, to the library and check out Steven Millhauser's Martin Dressler: The Tale of an American Dreamer.  This novel won the Pulitzer in 1997, but has become largely forgotten.  I am telling you now though, fans of the descriptions of the circus itself and those who were caught up in the awe of its beauty need to read Martin Dressler too.

Two other lyrical, magical, and captivating books with interesting characters about whom you come to care deeply are The Illumination by Kevin Brockmeier and Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen.

Although I do not personally like Lev Grossman's The Magicians series it should be a solid suggestion for most fans of The Night Circus.

For those who liked the more macabre aspects of The Night Circus, a better choice would be Mrs. Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

For people looking for more books about or set in a circus, click here for some suggestions I have made in the past. ("the circus" is one of my personal favorite frames).

Monday Discussion: Best Book of 2011 (1,000th Post!)

It's the second Monday in December, so we are on to Part 2 of the Best Books of 2011 discussion.  This also happens to be my 1,000th post!

But before we begin talking about your favorite 2011 release, I wanted to recap the numerous responses I got to last week's post on the best books you read in 2011 that do NOT have a 2011 copyright.

Here they are in no particular order.  You can also use this link to read the contributors' comments on why they chose that title:

• The Known World by Edward P. Jones
• Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
• Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
• The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
• The Life of Pi by Yann Martel
• The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett
• A Woman's Crusade: Alice Paul and the Battle for the Ballot by Mary Walton
• Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
• The Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman
• The Jason Bourne Series by Robert Ludlum (the original series)
• Sea-Born Women by B.J. Mountford
• The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
• American Gods by Neil Gaiman
• Homer and Langley by E.L. Doctorow
• Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
• Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal
• Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

 This is a great list.  Thanks to everyone who contributed.  And thanks for helping me to remind everyone that an older book can still be a great read!

Now on to the best book you read with a 2011 copyright.

I just went through my Shelfari to look at my highest rated books, and two books clearly stood out, one I will save for another person who I know is posting it today.  The other is Swamplandia! by Karen Russell.  My full review is here, but I have also included an excerpt below:

This novel's sense of place is the next big appeal.  Russell nails the descriptions here.  I could feel, see, smell and hear the Everglades.  She meticulously describes the islands, the waterways, the vegetation, the animals, the humidity....everything.  I felt like I was there.  It is beautiful and secluded, but also sinister and creepy. She relayed that dichotomy perfectly.  It almost made me want to visit.

Okay, now it is your turn.  What is the best 2011 released title you read this year?  I will recap next week when I will be asking what books you are most looking forward to in 2012.

You can follow past Monday Discussions here.

The Blogs I Follow via RSS Feed

Yesterday when I was giving my talk to RASSL and I hit Rule 6: Read about books (RSS feeds), I do as I always do and mention the key blogs I think anyone who is helping leisure readers should be getting an RSS feed on:

• Early Word
• NPR Books
• RA Online (for the RA Rundown posed each Monday)
• and of course RA for All

They also wanted to know about a few more.  In fact, this is a question I get often, "What RSS feeds do you subscribe to?" I normally do not like forcing my personal preferences on others, but I have received this question often enough that I feel I should share it.

So here is a list of many (not all) of the other blogs and web pages for which I get the RSS feed.

• Audiobooker (audio books)
• Blogging for a Good Book (Williamsburg (VA) Public Library)
• The Book Case (blog of Book Page Magazine)
• Book Group Buzz (book discussion blog from BookList)
• Book Riot (book blogger network)
• Book Feed from the Guardian UK
• Books on the Nightstand (a book lovers podcast; rss feed reminds me to listen)
• The Browsers Corner (Berwyn Library staff recommendations)
• Criminal Element (crime fiction)
• Graphic Novel Reporter
• io9 (sf, fantasy, horror in all media)
• January Magazine (Canadian literary magazine)
• Media Bistro's Galley Cat (from the publishers to writers and book buyers)
• The Millions (general interest for readers)
• No Shelf Required (library focused info on eBooks)
• RA 763's Blog (my students' annotations)
• Reading the Past (historical fiction)
• Shelfari (which is actually a re-posting of the Amazon Omnivoracious blog)
• Smart Bitches, Trashy Books (romance)

I check these feeds, among a bunch of others, daily.  Some days I only read the headlines and "mark all as read," while other days, I read much of the content in detail.  The point is, I log into one place (my Google Reader), and the information comes to me.  I don't have to hunt and peck for anything.  I have no excuse NOT to be informed.

Why not make it your New Year's Resolution to do a better job on staying up on the latest news in the book world?  Subscribing to the feeds for these resources is the easiest way to do that.

What I'm Reading: The Sisters Brothers

In October I read the Booker Prize Finalist, The Sisters Brothers by Canadian author, Patrick deWitt.

Here is how I have been describing it: It is a cross between the Cohen Brothers movies O Brother, Where Art Thou and  No Country for Old Men. That's exactly what it is.  If this sounds intriguing to you, stop reading the review and go read this great book.  On the other hand if you are not a fan of the Cohen Brothers' sense of humor, this is not the book for you.

Also, this novel has a great cover that portrays the appeal very well. It is ominous, but humorous, deadly, but playful.

Our narrator is Eli Sisters.  He is a contract killer in the Gold Rush era Pacific Northwest, along with his brother, Charlie.  Get it. They are brothers with the last name Sisters (the Sisters Brothers).

The brothers work for a rich man named the Commodore, who remains unseen until the closing pages of the novel, but directs their movements. Charlie is the "brains" of the operation (quotes intentional) and Eli the heart.  The entire novel is about their journey to find the man they are supposed to kill.  It is about who they meet and how they act along the way.

Once the find their man, the story loses much of its steam, very similarly to O Brother, Where Art Thou.  If you read for a plot with a clear end in sight, this may not be the book for you.

Throughout the course of the story, Eli is contemplating "getting out of the game."  He is a killer, but one with a heart.  He is trying to convince his brother that it is time for them to live a legitimate life. But is that even possible when just the mention of your name makes people tremble?  Once you are a killer, do you always remain one?  I am not sure if the book answers these question, but the end does see the brothers achieving a twisted kind of redemption.  And, the novel will leaving you thinking about these questions long after you return the book.

This is a dark and quirky book.  What happens on their journey to fulfill their commitment to the Commodore is more important than the job they were hired to do.  It is the journey and the eccentric characters, towns, and situations the Sisters Brothers encounter along the way that is the reason why you would read this book.

Readers also need to be willing to identify with a killer, a nice killer, but still a killer, and follow him along for the ride.  It might sound weird to say, but Eli is charming.  I wanted to follow him and his twisted logic anywhere he was going to take me.  In fact, I was sad to see the book come to and end because it meant I had to say goodbye to Eli.

The Sisters Brothers has a great Western setting and feel.  But it is not in the style of a traditional western because of the sympathetic murdering heroes.  I loved the descriptions of the landscape, the horses, the grizzled men panning for gold.  There are entire chunks of the novel during which Eli contemplates his conflicted relationship with his horse.

This novel is also extremely fast paced, especially considering it is literary fiction.  The chapter are short and most end with cliff hangers.  While it cannot be described as "non-stop" action, the flow of the story is constantly leading you up to the next action sequence.

Overall, this is an original, character-centered, dark and quirky read.  I personally adored it.

Three Words That Describe This Book: quirky, character driven, strong sense of place

Readalikes: As I mentioned above, if you like the Cohen Brothers sense of humor, you will love The Sisters Brothers.

For another historical novel in which the journey is more important that the finish line, try Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier.

For another charming killer who talks directly to you, the reader, try any of Jeff Lindsay's Dexter books.  In the case of Dexter, however, you have a modern setting.

Elmore Leonard is also a good readalike author option here.  Leonard has some western settings, but even in his modern, urban set crime novels, he always has sleazy but lovable characters, a wry sense of humor, and quirky people and situations.

In terms of novels with a Western setting, but a more twisted (ie, not traditional Western) point of view I would also suggest True Grit by Charles Portis and Larry McMurtry's Berrybender Novels.

Look for more reviews in the coming days as I try to clear out the backlog and get ready for my personal "best" list for 2011.

Updated 10 Rules of Basic RA Service

I have updated the page which lists "Becky's Ten Rules of Basic RA Service" in preparation of the wrap-up class tonight and my appearance at South Holland (IL) Public Library where I am doing a training for RASSL.

RASSL is a group of south suburban Chicago reference librarians who work to encourage the sharing of resources and information among member libraries.

I am happy to help them in this endeavor.  I also love these shorter more hands on presentations.  It really becomes a collaborative experience.  I know I leave recharged to help patrons, and I have heard from other libraries that I have left their staff invigorated too.

I do provide this 90 minute program (75 of presentation plus 15 for Q and A) frequently at library in-service days.  Since it is a shorter program, I tend to only do it locally, but it is a great learning opportunity for all library staff.  It is geared to any library staff member who has ever helped a patron to find a leisure reading title.  So, if you work in a library, I would say you qualify.

From page to director, this program is a combination of hands on activities, tips, tricks, and resources which I have used to great success.  I do update it every single time I give the lecture too.  For example, the 10 Rules now have a brand new Rule 10-- Bridging the Physical-Virtual Divide.

I am currently booking into the second quarter of 2012.  I am booked through April, but if you have an in-service to plan from May-December of 2012 contact me for dates and rates.

A Year in Reading

One of my favorite year end reviews is The Millions A Year in Reading.  What they do is get popular authors to write an essay about what they read over the last year.  It is great to see a writer whose book you spent time reading writing about what he or she read too.

Here is the link to A Year in Reading 2011.

They have also included links to past year's series.  Here is Chad Harbach's entry for this year, and at the end you can find those links.

I should be back later today with a new review, but right now the BPL is closing for 2 hours for us to have a Holiday party.

Monday Discussion: Best Book You Read This Year Not Published in 2011

Just like last year, I am going to milk this best book thing on the Monday Discussion.  This week we will begin with the best book you read in 2011 that did NOT have a 2011 copyright.  Next week, I will compile the list for those of you who do not go back and follow the comments or read the archive.

Click here to see the recap of how people answered this question last year.

As usual, I will go first.  The best book I read in 2011 was from 2003, The Known World by Edward P. Jones.  I only finished it last month and have yet to get my review posted.  But I will before my final Top 10 books I read this year is published at the end of the month.

This just goes to show you that you can miss a book that appeared on every best list in the past (in this case 8 years ago), but then turn to it years later and absolutely love it.  I know I have been hammering this point home lately, but it is a key point.  With all of the frenzy for the current crop of "best" books, there will be a waiting list and people will need something to read while they wait.  previous years' "bests" are a great readalike option here.

Enough of me.  Bring on your favorite books read this year with a copyright date of 2010 or sooner. Nothing is off limits people.

I will compile the list next week but you can always access the Monday Discussion Archives here.

Flashback Friday: Attack of the Best Lists from Years Gone By

As I prepare to gather up my personal list of the best books I read this year, I thought it would be fun to go back and look at the previous 4 years of best lists I have compiled for this blog.

It is hard to believe I have been at this for that long, but I do indeed have lists beginning in 2007.

So for today's Flashback Friday let's look back at the 40 best books I have read in the last 4 years. [Remember, these books could have come out in any year, my criteria is simply that I read it in the year it made my "best" list.]

• 2007
• 2008
• 2009
• 2010

From the RA standpoint, I want to remind you that any older "best" lists (mine included) are a great resource for helping your patrons to find their next good read.  These are books that were considered great only a few years ago.  So while your patrons are waiting for their turn to read The Art of Fielding or State of Wonder, which are both topping most of this year's best lists, why not have them try the best books they missed 1, 2, or even 3 years ago.  They are still just as good.

An Interesting Take on "Best" Lists

Readers of this blog know I am a big supporter of NPR, but no matter how you feel about public radio, it is hard to deny that they have some of the best book coverage of any major media outlet.

This year they took the idea of picking the best books of the year and turned it on its head.  Over the next few weeks their critics are picking the "best" book around a certain topic.  So far they have done:

• Sherlockian Mysteries That Will Keep You Tied Up
• Top 5 Plot Driven Books
• Top 5 Books That Stay With You

What I love about these best lists is that they give a chance for some different books to shine.  Yes, The Art of Fielding and The Tiger's Wife show up here, but so too does the final installment of Guillermo del Toro's The Strain Trilogy and the latest novel by the great Lawrence Block.

If you click on any of the above lists, there will be links to the other lists  (and any new ones that go up in the meantime).  I can't wait to see what new ideas the editors at NPR Books come up with next.