Year's Top Library Stories

Still not officially back to work yet, but I wanted to pass on this article from PW.  It lists the top ten library related stories from 2013.

As we begin a new year, it is important not only to abstractly reflect upon the year we just completed, but it is also important to to take hard look at what literally happened and how it did and will continue to effect our careers in the library world.

This article lists the top stories and then has a nice description of each with analysis as to what happened and how it could play out in the coming year(s).  If nothing else, before you get too entrenched in 2014, take a moment to look through this useful year in review.

Happy New Year!

This was in today’s Shelf Awareness daily email.  It sums up our work with readers.  I thought it was a fun way to start up the New Year.  [Although, it is a slow start here in the Chicagoland area as a snow storm has closed many of the libraries.]

Enjoy.

Customer in a Bookstore: 'I'm Looking for a Book'

"How can I help you?"
"I'm looking for a book."
"Would you happen to have the title?"
"It's a long shot, but I was in my car about a month ago and heard an author on the radio. Sounded really interesting."
"Fiction? Nonfiction?"
"I don't remember."
"Anything about it you can remember?"
"It was raining."

Susan Coll, who works at Politics & Prose Bookstore, Washington, D.C., shared a few all-too-familiar bookseller-customer conversations in a Washington Post op-ed column.

What I'm Reading: The Best Books I Have Read This Year

It is the final day of 2013, that means it is finally time for Becky’s list of the best books I read this year.  Remember, this is not the best books written in 2013, rather the only thing that puts them all in 2013 is that 2013 is the year in which I read them.

Let’s start with the four I have already mentioned in some of my Monday Discussions. Click on the titles for my full review.

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson











NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea

The Round House by Louise Erdrich









Now the final 6, but please note all but the last 2 got 5 stars from me. It was in those final 2 that I had to make some tough choices.

Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang

Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carole Rifka Brunt

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell

The Darkling by R. B. Chesterton

Night Film by Marisha Pessl

What I’m Reading: Series Round-Up-- The Case of the Love Commandos

Today, I have a very quick review of a quick read.  It is the 4th book in the very fun and informative Vish Puri, India’s Most Private Detective series by Tarquin Hall entitled, The Case of the Love Commandos.

The series is among my favorites for a few reasons.  First, the mysteries have an old fashioned sensibility (think Agatha Christie), but Puri and his crew use all of the modern technologies available to them.  It’s the best of both worlds.

Second, I love the frame, the details of life in modern India. Hall gives a fair assessment of all the triumphs and problems, taking a hard look at Indian society.  The stories are up to date with all of the current issues too.  For example, in this installment, we have a plot involving young people in love who want to marry for love [not through arrangement] AND outside of their caste.  Two big no-nos.  There is a lengthy discussion of the caste system, specifically the Dalit class [the lowest one also known as Untouchables], and trying to discover if the caste system can be supported by DNA evidence.  These are complicated issues.

Third, the characters are great.  Puri is a great literary PI, not just in his skills, but in his quirks and habits too.  I like his crew and his family too, specifically his Mummy who is becoming quite a famous senior citizen PI herself.  Even the bad guys are eccentric here; in fact, the resolution of one of the mysteries is hysterical because of the villain’s disguise.

Finally, these novels are fun.  Because of the first three reasons, I love returning to Puri, his crew and his family. The books have lots of detail, frame, and great characters yet they are still quick reads.  All are about the same length (300 pages) with plenty of white space and dialog.  You can read one in  a few sittings. You laugh, you learn something about modern India, you visit with old friends, a mystery is solved, and justice is served.

There is one specific change in this installment that I would like to note.  Over the first 3 books, Mummy has become more bold in trying to solve Puri’s mysteries and Puri has become more upset about her helping.  Fresh off the success and national press on her help with the last novel, Mummy is bolder and Hall notes this by giving Mummy her own mystery within Puri’s novel.  So for the first time in the series, we actually have 2 full mysteries being investigated and solved in separate cities by Puri and Mummy in one book. They are not related to each other at all.  This sets up more of a conflict between Puri and Mummy.  I can see the conflict brewing.  The next mystery should bring mother and son back together and I can’t wait to see what happens.

Three Words That Describe This Book:  eccentric characters, clever cozy, modern India

Readalikes: I have reviewed every book in this series and offered MANY readalikes over the years.  Please click here to pull them all up.

For this installment in particular, readers may be interested in learning more about the modern Indian caste system and marriage issues. I have some suggestions to get you started.  The first is nonfiction all about the Dalit class and the way they are treated, Untouchables: My Family’s Triumphant Journey out of the Caste System in Modern India by Narendra Jadhav.  If you are interested in the whole world of Indian arranged marriages, click here for fiction and nonfiction options.  Finally, either link in this paragraph will lead you to even more links of books about modern India. Poke around and look for one that piques your specific interest.

What I'm Reading: Boxers and Saints

Today’s review is really for two books, the graphic novel box set by Gene Luen Yang which contains the books Boxers & Saints.

Boxers & Saints tells parallel stories set in 1898 during the height of the Boxer Rebellion. What, you don’t know all about the Boxer Rebellion? Well don’t worry, neither did I, nor did Yang know a lot before he began. But after reading both sides of the story as Yang presents them, not only are you treated to a good story, but you learn something too.

The set up of this box set is deceptively simple.  Boxers is the story of Little Bao, a Chinese peasant whose life is turned upside down by the intrusion and pillaging of Westerners, specifically Christians.  This fatter volume follows Bao as he trains an army that harnesses the power of the Chinese opera and traditional gods to challenge the Westerners who are trying to take over his country. Together they march to the city and try to fight for their traditional ways.

The slimmer volume, Saints follows the life of a young girl, who Little Bao meets at one point in his volume.  She is an unwanted fourth child and a girl to boot.  She is abused by her family but finds acceptance, care, food, and love in the Christian church. In fact, until she converts and leaves home to join the Westerns, she has no name.  After, she is Vibiana.

So the story of a complicated war and era are clearly told in moving images and a humanized, character focused story.  It is the same story told from opposites sides of a violent conflict.  Nothing explains how complicated war is better than seeing it through the eyes of richly drawn characters from both sides of the lines.  These character centered volumes first draw the reader into Bao’s world.  We feel his pain, and cheer with him as he defeats [read: kills] the enemy.  We believe in him and his cause.  He can do no wrong, that is until we open the second volume and follow Vibiana’s story.  From reading Boxers we know what will become of Vibiana, but like with Bao’s story, we get caught up in Vibiana’s tale.  We root for her, agree with her choices, and hope for the best for her.

You know Yang has done a good job here if you can see a reason to root for both sides.  We all know war is difficult in theory, but when you see it unfolding from an intensely personal view on both sides of the battle lines, that difficulty is better appreciated. How can I agree with both, yet they are waging a violent and prolonged battle? Hmmm, just asking this question is the entire point of Yang’s work.

Yang’s pictures are perfect.  They fit the part of the story we are in.  They are drab and simple when the story calls for it and colorful, beautiful, and intricate when they need to be.  Like the plot, the pictures too are deceptively simple. You can race through the story with cursory glances and the pictures will guide you through the tale, but spend a little more time looking a bit more closely, and you will be rewarded with a deeper and more emotional story.

The senselessness of the violence, from both sides is also magnified by the images.  One of my favorite examples of how the pictures flesh the story out comes early in Boxers (the first volume) as Bao watches the Christians destroy the town’s god statue.  My heart broke for him as the god shattered in front of both of us.  And then, a mended version is put out. When Bao tells us it is not the same, we can see it for ourselves.

Boxers & Saints is an amazing reading experience. It is a rich, moving, character centered story, that is thought provoking, educational, and beautifully rendered.

Three Words That Describe This Book: character centered, moving, both sides of the story

Readalikes: If you are looking for more serious graphic novels that both entertain and teach you something about a place and time Jason Lutes’ Berlin Trilogy or the war graphic journalism of Joe Sacco are excellent choices.

Lisa See’s historical fiction novels about China have the same character centered focus and are moving and serious while also teaching the reader something about life in China. Specifically Peony in Love uses Chinese Opera as an inspiration as in Boxers.

Finally, Yang has an extensive list of further reading included at the end of each volume.  You can seen the list for yourself by going to Amazon and searching inside the book for “Further Reading.” It pops right up. I would highly suggest looking here for further nonfiction readalikes as Yang turned to these resources himself when writing the books.

Monday Discussion: How'd You Do on Your Reading Resolutions for 2013

Today, is the day of reckoning. I am going to face my reading resolutions as stated back in January and see how I did.  I figured I would make it the Monday Discussion so you could chime in if you wanted to.

Below is from my original post from January 2013 with my Reading Resolutions for the year:

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So here are my 2013 reading resolutions.  And like last year, I am putting them here in print so that I hold myself accountable to them.

• Genre Resolution:  Last year I resolved to read 2 "new to me" contemporary romance authors. Not only did I accomplish this small goal, but by making the resolution, I also did a lot to educate myself on the newest trends in romance throughout the year. This year I am picking a new area to focus on-- Epic Fantasy.  I am a big watcher of epic fantasy in TV and movies, but not a big reader.  I love lighter, shorter single titles or series in my books. The big epic series are very popular though and I am not as well versed in them beyond George R R Martin. I am also currently working on a Game of Thrones readalikes list for the library, so a little more research will be helpful. Thus, I resolve in 2013 to read 2 first books in epic fantasy series that are new to me.
• Reviews Resolution: I am going to resolve again to get my reviews posted in a more timely fashion.  I have already finished one book in 2013 (with 2 more about to be done), and I will try to get that review up this week. I read and reviewed 58 books in 2012, so it is important not to get too far behind or I feel like the queue of unreviewed books is going to smother me.  So while last year I only resolved to do better, I am setting a more specific goal this year: In 2013 I resolve to do my best to never have more than 3 books waiting to be reviewed.
• Consulting Resolution: I traveled a lot in 2012.  I did have a book come out, so it was important to get out and spread the word, but it was more than I like to travel for work.  However, I do love spreading the RA gospel to those who want to improve their service.  Thankfully, I am exploring new opportunities to tape webinars for library systems to use. I am doing my first two in March.  I am excited about the chance to make it easier both for me to provide continuing education and for busy library workers to take part in it. I think this is a nice compromise. So, if you are interested in having me come to your library, near or far,contact me and we can talk about how I can film a webinar for you and your staff.  I will even be using this technique to film an interview with a best selling author later this year.

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So how did I do? Well, I would say it was a decent effort. Overall I averaged out to a grade of a high B. Here are the details on how I graded myself.

For my genre resolution, I did read the first book in Naomi Novik's Temeraire Series. But I never got to another first book in a big epic fantasy series.  I did, however, spend a lot of time researching the topic and educating myself. Grade: C for average.

We can forget about the reviews resolution.  I did great until the summer when I work less and the kids are around. I have time to read but not as much time to write.  We are too busy having fun.  The problem is, once I got behind, it was impossible to dig out.  Add to the fact that I will have written at least 60 reviews this year which is more than last year. Grade: D+

In  terms of my consulting resolutions, I did great.  I have been doing a lot more consulting from home by utilizing technology and the trips I did take, were tacked on with visiting family and friends.  In fact, I already have 1 international gig lined up for March of 2014 [via Skype] and a few more in the works. Grade: A

So what about you?  For Today's Monday Discussion...what reading resolutions did you make for 2013 and how did you do?

This will be the final Monday Discussion of 2013.  But, save those 2014 resolutions for January 6th when the Monday Discussion will return.  I'm already working on those myself.

For past Monday Discussions, click here.

RA for All Holiday Schedule

A scheduling note for the rest of 2013 from RA for All HQ. Here is what you can expect between now and January 6th:

• I will have one final Monday Discussion for 2013 tomorrow. 
• I have at least 2 but probably 4 more reviews to post before 12/31.
• I have already picked my top ten reads of the year and that will post sometime before 12/31. [I still have 1 of those books to review.

So, there will not be daily posts again until 1/6/14, but I will be popping in and out up until 12/31.  However, for the first week of the year, I expect there will be little to nothing happening here as I will be spending time with the kids enjoying our time off from work and school.

What I'm Reading: The Darkling

I was first altered to The Darkling by R.B. Chesterton by my friend and colleague Joyce Saricks who had read it and loved it, but wanted my opinion on whether or not it was “horror.”

I was intrigued because I had never heard of the author.  Turns out that there was a reason I was unfamiliar with her.  Chesterton is the pen name of the award winning mystery writer Carolyn Haines.

The Darkling is told in a flashback by Mimi, who is now a senior citizen but is telling us of the time just after college when she lived with a wealthy family, The Hendersons, and served as a governess/teacher to their three children.  The setting is 1974, deep in the Alabama swamps of an old vacation town called Coden.  Coden has fallen on hard times, but the Hendersons have moved to Coden from California, bought some of the formerly glamorous vacation properties, and are rehabbing them, investing in a bright future for Coden to reemerge as a vacation destination.

Mimi's tale of her life with the Hendersons begins when they take in a troubled  teenager with no recollection of her past named Annie. Once Annie joins the household, things start going badly for the Hendersons and their lives take a tragic turn.

The entire isolated, run down town setting, the outsiders moving in, the troubled girl with no past....this set up makes for great tension and unease. This is the biggest appeal factor of the novel, the anxiety, tension, and dread which it stirs up in the reader.  Chesterton is masterful here as she quickly and convincingly sets this stage. The atmosphere begins as oppressive and then it only gets worse from there. For readers who like tension and suspense this novel is pretty close to perfect.

The entire story is told only from Mimi's point of view.  As things start to spiral out of control we only have Mimi's side of the story, which leads us to ask, "Is Mimi reliable." Well, while you are reading, Mimi's voice is strong and convincing so I totally and utterly believed her while I was reading, but the second I stopped reading, I came back to my senses and was thinking," I think I have an unreliable narrator here."  But then when I dove back into the book again, I was captivated by Mimi and was immediately back to believing her again.

Back to Joyce's initial question now:  Is this a horror book?  I would say technically it straddles the fence. If forced to classify this book I would call it Southern Gothic meets psychological suspense with a generous helping of horror on the side.  There may or may not be a supernatural evil in the bayou and woods stalking the children of the family, but then again the killer may be human.  Mimi [and therefore the reader] definitely sees a horrific creature and it mocks her, but is it all in her head? Also, the atmosphere is oppressive and it builds to a frenetic conclusion, just like a horror novel. That's why I am calling it "Horror for the Squeamish" because it has all the traits of horror without obvious gore.  And it's not inducing terror as much as dread and unease.

The Darkling  is a short, fast read.  Things go from uneasy, to troubling, to problematic, to terrifying rather quickly.  And the ending is fabulous!  Mimi's narrative voice is perfect throughout this book. She holds the reader entranced and we blindly follow her lead through the story, even though we are always wondering if we should trust her or not.  In the end, although we never know for sure exactly what happened, Mimi sticks a final twisting knife into us that makes us think we need to question everything we just thought we read. I closed the book and literally said aloud, "Wow."  In fact, I almost started the book over again immediately.

The Darkling is going to become my new go-to Horror for the Squeamish pick.  It is also a great YA cross-over title, especially for those teens who want a sophisticated "scary" book without the blood, gore and graphic sex you find in most horror today. And now I can’t wait for The Seeker [set in Walden Woods] to come out in March.

Common Limiter Alert: There is intense stalking of and violence against children in this book.

Three Words That Describe This Book: horror for the squeamish, Southern Gothic, unreliable narrator

Readalikes: I will start with the most obvious.  As I was reading The Darkling, I kept thinking that it seemed very similar to The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters which was one of my favorite reads of 2010. And it wasn't just my imagination as to how similar the two books were because about halfway through the book Chesterton gives what amounts to a "shout out" to The Little Stranger by naming a very minor character (so minor she doesn't even need a name) Sarah Waters.  I chuckled.  What's even better, Mimi mentions that this woman does not like her multiple times.  Is that an apology from Chesterton to Waters for writing such a similar book?  It was a fun homage for those who got it.

Two other classic books which The Darkling seems to be mining for inspirations are Henry James' The Turn of the Screw [isolated house, governess who is an unreliable narrator, things falling apart rather quickly under her care] and And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie [creepy poem about people being pick off one by one, isolated house, locked room style murders]. Like The Darkling both of these novels are very scary and creepy without resorting to gore.

If you like the Southern Gothic setting and tone with an intense psychological suspense angle and don't mind some zombies thrown in for good measure, I think Alden Bell's wonderful The Reapers are the Angels would be a perfect suggestion.

Two authors who write atmospheric horror, focusing on female protagonists are Alexandra Sokoloff and Sarah Langan.  If you liked The Darkling try The Unseen or Audrey's Door, both deal with haunted houses and have young adult characters.

Two other creepy, psychological suspense books with unreliable narrators that I enjoyed greatly are Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King and The Keep by Jennifer Egan.

What I'm Reading: Night Film

Back in the early days of the blog, I read the debut novel Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl and enjoyed it.  That was October of 2007.  This summer, Pessl finally released her follow up novel,  The Night Film. I actually read the advanced reader copy on the beach, back in August, just as the book came out to great fan fare and a cover review in The New York Times Book Review by none other than Joe Hill [a Becky fav].

What is so great about Night Film is that it is an unclassifiable book. That might drive others crazy, but I loved that about it.  It is part mystery, part psychological suspense, and part horror movie. Yes I said movie, not book, I will explain below. And, if you are looking for a closed ending, stop reading this review right now because you aren't getting one here. I loved how the entire book was written in an uneasy and unsteady tone which never let up.  And, kudos to Pessl.  This is a very different book than her debut Special Topics in Calamity Physics (which I also loved).  We had to wait 7 years for her next book. But instead of playing it safe, Pessl delivered Night Film which is 600 pages of crazy (in a good way).

That was the general overview, now for some specifics.  Night Film is the story of Scott McGrath, a journalist whose entire career was trashed when he falsely accused the [fictional] cult horror film maker, Cordova of evil things.  The book opens as Cordova's college age daughter Ashley is found dead at the bottom of an elevator shaft in an abandoned building in NYC and McGrath feels his obsession, his years of research on Cordova, pulling at him to get involved and figure out who killed Ashley. So, McGrath and 2 questionably helpful assistants play detective. But when you are trying to solve the murder of the daughter of a highly secretive man, whose entire life has been spent creating dark, disturbing, movie masterpieces, things do not follow the straight line of a basic mystery novel.

This is all I will tell you about the "plot" but knowing there is a mystery at the center of this twisted, dark, original, and intriguing story tells you nothing about whether or not you would like reading this book.

The appeal of this book is in its construction.  This is really a story about McGrath and Cordova, both as separate people and about their relationship with each other.  The entire story is told only from McGrath's pov which reinforces the fact that while there are other characters here (including a dead body whose murder needs to be solved) they are not the focus-- McGrath is.  McGrath and his long standing issues with Cordova are the crux of the story.  This makes the book take on an intense psychological suspense angle which is unnerving and unsteading.

The other fun part about this novel's construction is that Pessl goes all out in creating the Cordova back story. We learn about all of his movies, his fans, his family.  Much of her time is spent describing this world, and it is so convincing and detailed that as a reader you start to believe that Cordova actually won an Oscar and has this real oeuvre of movies that are considered sick and twisted, but also genius.

This intricately constructed world also makes McGrath's quest feel as if he is stuck in one of Cordova's movies rather than living his own free will life.  This fact is more than hinted at in the novel and makes the reader question everything they are reading.  Again, adding a level of unease which was AWESOME.

There are also photos and screen shots of webpages spread throughout this book that add to the creepy, uneasy feeling.  It makes the nightmare that McGrath is living throughout the book even more real.

A note on the pacing.  At over 600 pages, this is not a fast read, but neither is it methodically paced.  I would say it has a slow build that  speeds up throughout the book, ending with a whirlwind final 100 pages.

One of the central questions of this novel is whether all the crazy things McGrath is experiencing as he delves deeper and deeper into Cordova's world are supernatural or just the work of a genius filmmaker. As I mentioned above, a definitive answer never comes, but I didn't care as the twists and turns, the ride itself, was so cool.  And I should clarify that while the ending is open and left up to your interpretation, there is a big event at the very end that made for a satisfying conclusion. Answers will come, but just not in time for the reader to be privy to them.  But again, this is not a book about answers. If you want answers, don't read this book.  Reading Night Film is an all consuming experience.

Overall, this is an emotional thrill ride of a book, perfect for people who love to read in an anxious state. The unease is chilling but not gory at all.  It is more Hitchcockian.  Night Film could have ended up a jumbled mess, but not in Pessl's hands.  Rather it is intricately constructed and entirely satisfying.

Three Words That Describe This Book:  nightmarish atmosphere, intense, intricately constructed.

Readalikes: In the publisher’s marketing materials Night Film is called: "a page-turning thriller for readers of Stephen King, Gillian Flynn, and Stieg Larsson.”

I agree that Pessl’s novel is a nice mix of all three of these authors, but it is not necessarily a slam dunk suggestion unless a reader likes all three authors listed (like me).  If I had to choose one of the three, King would be the closest.

But really, Night Film is closest to the work of Joe Hill.  It is creepy and intricately plotted, with horror and literary fiction elements blended together. Fans of Night Film should try NOS4A2 or Horns.

Help for the Haunted by John Searles is a creepy book with the protagonist on a quest that may or not be complicated by the supernatural, however, Night Film is definitely more complex in style while Help for the Haunted is more traditional in its story telling.

The psychological suspense focus, and haunting tone of The Night Film  also reminded me of The Room by Emma Donoghue.

And finally the book that I think is the best match overall is Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon.  Both books are hard to classify but they share the psychological suspense, with a complexly layered plot, a chilling and haunting tone.  Both novels also take the reader on a journey into confusion, but it is an enjoyable ride and the ride back out again is worth it.

BPL Book Discussion: The Time of Our Lives with Bonus Coverage of Our End of the Year Meeting

Monday was our year end book discussion/state of the group meeting/holiday pot luck party. A good time was had by all and we even had the fire alarm go off (due to construction in another part of the building) and had to evacuate.  We will have a good story from it.

Before I get into the book itself, after enjoying lunch, we had a short discussion about the group itself.  I wanted to give everyone the chance to talk about what they like and, more importantly, what they don't like about our group.

I started the conversation by talking about the Group Norms and Leadership Norms which I have created for my Re-Charge Your Book Club program that I give at libraries and for area book clubs. These are things I have created for my consulting. Since people pay for either the full program or some one-on-one coaching, I cannot link to them here, but if you contact me off the blog we can talk about it. I can even guest lead your book club in person or via Skype, and we can talk about the book and your group dynamic.

After we talked about these norms and how we do following them, I asked for comments specific to us.  I failed in getting the criticism I was looking for, but here are some of their comments:

• I like it that you let people know when their turn is coming.  [What I do is acknowledge people who want to speak and let the group know who the next 3 people will be.]
• I love that you take control when things start to get off track and you bring us back.
• My friends in other groups are upset that their meetings only spend 10 minutes talking about the book and are shocked to hear we spend 60-90 mins on the book only.
• I love that a sense of trust and comfort has developed among us.
• If I don't like the book I know that if I come to the discussion I will learn to appreciate why others may have liked it.
• I appreciate that the people in group are willing to be open and have an open mind.
• We all respect each other, even when we disagree.
• I love that this group "stretches my mind."

Now on to the book.  We discussed The Time of Our Lives: A Conversations About America by Tom Brokaw, but let me warn you, our December meeting is much lighter on the discussion than most months.  We have all agreed to this arrangement ahead of time though. The book description from the publisher:

Tom Brokaw, known and beloved for his landmark work in American journalism and for the New York Times bestsellers The Greatest Generation and Boom!, now turns his attention to the challenges that face America in the new millennium, to offer reflections on how we can restore America’s greatness. 

“What happened to the America I thought I knew?” Brokaw writes. “Have we simply wandered off course, but only temporarily? Or have we allowed ourselves to be so divided that we’re easy prey for hijackers who could steer us onto a path to a crash landing? . . . I do have some thoughts, original and inspired by others, for our journey into the heart of a new century.”

Rooted in the values, lessons, and verities of generations past and of his South Dakota upbringing, Brokaw weaves together inspiring stories of Americans who are making a difference and personal stories from his own family history, to engage us in a conversation about our country and to offer ideas for how we can revitalize the promise of the American Dream.

Inviting us to foster a rebirth of family, community, and civic engagement as profound as the one that won World War II, built our postwar prosperity, and ushered in the Civil Rights era, Brokaw traces the exciting, unnerving changes in modern life—in values, education, public service, housing, the Internet, and more—that have transformed our society in the decades since the age of thrift in which he was raised. Offering ideas from Americans who are change agents in their communities, in The Time of Our Lives, Brokaw gives us, a wise, honest, and wide-ranging book, a nourishing vision of hopefulness in an age of diminished expectations.

• We had a smaller turnout due to the holidays.  I had 3 liked, 4 disliked, and 2 so-sos.
• I took advantage of the smaller group and went around to ask each person to share one statement about the book to get us going.  I wish I could always do this, but it is unrealistic when we usually have 15+. So here are the comments in no order other than how we sat around the table:
• I was familiar with Brokaw and loved his story. I liked finding out he is just an ordinary guy.
• I thought the book had too much ego and platitudes
• I found the quick assessment of where we have been and where we are headed interesting and it gave me some new insight to the larger picture.
• I found it bland and uninteresting.
• Too much I, I, I. Brokaw spent a lot of time talking about how great he and his family are.
• I found it though provoking
• bland
• I liked the reflection aspects.
• I enjoyed the style, how he started each chapter with some facts and then posed a few questions before the text started.
• It felt unoriginal and way too much on the surface.  He never delved into any one topic deeply.
• I think this would be a good book for middle school students to read and discuss to give them a snapshot of where our country has been and beginning to talk about where it might be going.
• Question: What do you think of when you hear the phrase "American Values."
• work ethic
• freedom to achieve
• helping one and other
• Brokaw wrote this book because he is concerned about our American values being lost.
• Our conversation veered toward talking about rising Asia
• In China and Korea, education is a top priority. It is not here for our school are mediocre.
• The Chinese have more of a community ethic.  In America it is sometimes seen as a weakness to ask for help.
• Question: Does Brokaw think we have had a golden age and that we cannot get it back?
• I think he has some optimism that things have been going badly for awhile but that they are picking back up now.
• The 1950s were seen as golden but there was an ignored underbelly then too.
• No one is taking responsibility anymore.
• We talked about the problem in our schools today, but then one participant shared her experience working in an inner city Chicago school in 1969.  It was bad.
• Question: The subtitle of the book  is "A Conversation About America." Did you feel like the book was a conversation?
• It was more reminiscing than conversation.
• I thought it was more like her was trying to share the conversations he heard while traveling across America.  It is clear he is a good listener.
• I thought there was too much of his interjecting of his personal story, all those "I's" got in the way of allowing the book to truly be a conversation.
• It was an easy read.
• Too much reminiscing.
• I liked that it was all about big issues; that made it an easy read, but then I would be upset that it was just scratching the surface.
• But, if he went too deeply into any one issue, no one would read it. It is a problem with America that no one wants to spend the time to delve deeply into anything.  He knows that and used it to his advantage by getting as many big issues in this book that he could.
• Question: What does the "American Dream" mean to you.
• Opportunity! But you have to pursue it and work at it.  America rewards hard work.
• Now I feel like the American Dream is simply to hold on to what you have and keep it.  It is no longer about doing better than your parents.  It is about not sliding back.
• We can't grow forever.
• Education is key to the American Dream.
• You need to prepare yourself to grab at opportunity. Education prepares you.
• American Dream also means to take responsibility for paying it forward to others when you succeed. Like Warren Buffet trying to persuade other billionaires to donate half of their income to charity.
• Some people haven't bought into the American Dream yet; they won't put in the work.
• If you get knocked down you need to get back up.

Readalikes: When the Wednesday evening group discussed The Time of Our Lives Kathy prepared this list of readalikes:

• The Year We Left Home by Jean Thompson (fiction) follows the travails of an Iowa family and includes war veterans
• Notes on the Kitchen Table by Bob Green (nonfiction) is written in the same folksy style. It asks the question, if you had to write one note to future generations, what would you say?
• The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America by George Packer (nonfiction) looks at the last 30 years in America by following specific individuals and charts the erosion of the social compact that kept the country and middle class stable.
• Understanding America by Peter Schuck (nonfiction). Here leading scholars and professors and examine America's values institutions, political system, and the future.

Kathy did a great job with that list, so I am not going to add much more, but if you are looking for more fiction suggestions, I think the folksy and inspirational tone and Brokaw's appreciation for life in small town America is reminiscent of Fannie Flagg, Philip Gulley, or Adriana Trigiani's Big Stone Gap series.