Strange and Ghostly: The Drowning House: A Novel and Her Fearful Symmetry: A Novel

Strange and Ghostly...                                      

     The Drowning House: A Novel by Elizabeth Black.
                           Nan Talese, Doubleday, Random House, 2013. 

Elizabeth Black, a Houston resident, has penned her first novel, The Drowning House: A Novel. With her child dead and her marriage coming apart, photographer Clare Porterfield returns,after a ten year absence, to the home of her childhood in Galveston, Texas. Clare's family history is closely tied to that of the wealthy Carradys. Local legends say that Stella Carraday died in the 1900 flood by getting her hair caught up in the chandelier. (Hence the book's cover photo of a gray ceiling and an elaborate light fixture.) When Clare studies a local photo archive in preparation for a project, she learns more about Galveston, her family, and her neighbors. Black well evokes the weather and setting's lure of the past happenings affecting the future. Suspenseful and begging to be taken for a little reading in a beach house this summer, this one is a fast read. Follow the clues carefully and you may not be surprised what happens though.

 Her Fearful Symmetry: A Novel by Audrey Niffenegger.
                         Scribner, 2009.

With her second novel, Audrey Niffenegger opens a Pandora's Box of mystery and ghosts. Twin sisters, Valentina and Julia, inherit a flat next to Highgate Cemetery in London. The terms of the inheritance from their aunt (and their mother's twin) require that they live there a year and that their parents do not enter the apartment. With their aunt's lover as a neighbor, and another neighbor suffering from OCD, the scene is ripe for strange doings. Add a ghostly spirit who may have ulterior motives, girls who are more than a little different to start with, and an old city to  explore, and readers may be a little spooked by the possibilities described!

Graduations and More                                          


 The Red Book by Deborah Copaken Kogan.
                                Voice (Hyperion), 2012

Billed as Mary McCarthy's The Group meets The Big Chill, this novel about Harvard's class of 1989 is full of both humor and drama. Every five years after graduation, the students are asked to submit an essay about themselves and their current lives. This "Red Book" is then sent to everyone. As the 20th reunion approaches, a small group of women prepare to meet those friends that they think they know...and find a tremendous amount they do not know! 

Debt Novels: Cascade, The Last Telegram

Debut Novels                                     


 Cascade by Maryanne O'Hara. Viking, 2012. (Adult fiction)

In this debut novel, O'Hara tells of a young woman, Dez, who searches for love and a fulfilled life in the 1930's. Vital to the story is the little town of Cascade, Massachusetts which may soon be flooded in the interest of "progress". Shakespeare, a theater, death and betrayal all play into the happenings. As Dez examines prejudice, feelings, and love, what will her future hold? Will she choose the wrong man, but for all the right reasons?  O'Hara creates compelling characters that readers will want to know about, but few will predict the plot twists or the final events. Watch for more from this talented new novelist!


The Last Telegram by Liz Trenow. Sourcebooks, 2013. (Adult fiction)

Lily Verner's family has run a silk mill in England for generations. WWII brings new opportunities and challenges when they begin to make silk parachutes. The war changes the lives of all the characters. As an older woman, Lily looks back on past mistakes and she believes no one gets second chances. A striking debut, the novel is multilayered and rich with details as well as strong women who take on new responsibilities during wartime.

Visions of Sugarplums...

  The Homemade Pantry by Alana Chernila.
                                                            Clarkson Potter, 2012. (Adult nonfiction)

I'm not sure if holiday baking got me started on this book or not, but you'll be inspired, too, in just looking at the photographs! The author is a young mother who wants to make healthier foods for her family. The real beauty is that she makes readers care about wholesome food without spending a lot of time in the kitchen or grocery store. The pages describing the processes, inspiration, and family moments are just plain delightful and fun to read. She tells about how works and what didn't work. Flip the page and you often find a gorgeous photo and recipe. Chernila includes "tense moments" to guide the novice cook through the steps of preparation. She defines terms, includes an index, gives descriptions of useful tools, and really just covers the bases well. Essays on canning, for example, give extra information. I can't decide if I love the essays more or the photographs or the practical information and recipes. Let's just say it all combines into one of my favorite cookbooks ever!

Fall is here!

  Children's Book-A-Day Almanac by Anita Silvey

                                      Roaring Brook Press, 2012.

Great for ANY day of the year is Anita Silvey's Children's Book-A-Day Almanac. Silvey's online presence has been great fun for the book world as well as students and libarians for several years. Having the print version in my hands is like greeting an old friend. A side bar lists several people each day who share that particular birthdate. The real beauty of the book is a clever tie-in to a particular book. For example, December 8th is the birthday of French film maker Georges Melies so Silvey looks closely at The Invention of Hugo Cabret by the ever talented Brian Selznick. Silvey's "columns" are upbeat, honest, and will point readers, both old and young, to old favorites and new treasures to read.

 

 

Where'd You Go, Bernadette: A Novel by Maria Semple. Little, Brown (Hachette), 2012. (Adult and YA fiction).

A quirky family saga with computer genius Elgin Branch, his wife Bernadette, and their daughter Bee who live in Seattle will give readers pause. Part humor, part mystery, all social commentary, the novel is an interesting take on contemporary life.

Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn. HarperCollins, 2012. (Adult fiction).

What do you do when you are the Queen of England and you get a little depressed? In this delightful novel, she takes a little trip to visit her old favorite royal yacht. The only problem is that she doesn't tell anyone. When her lady-in-waiting, horsemaster, cheese seller, and equerry collaborate to find her and bring her back before the press learns she is missing, the fun begins. Followers of the Royal Family will appreciate the little details that make the story ring true and will enjoy the fanciful aspects, too.

Summer 2012 Reads: The Art Forger, Beautiful Ruins, The Meryl Streep Movie Club, Liar and Spy, Because Amelia Smiled, The Age of Miracles

Summer 2012 Reads                                                  

Lots of great book buzz at the Annual Conference of the American Library Association in June! I'll post as I finish reading, but will put books into existing categories, if possible. Like under Art Theft is a new book, The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro, which was not out until October, 2012, but that posting is dated March, 2012. It was my very favorite book of Summer 2012! Just search around and have fun finding ideas for books to read.

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter. HarperCollins, 2012.
                            (Adult Fiction)

Alternating between modern film personnel and 1962 Italy, the story of lost love, beautiful seaside settings, and a fictional Richard Burton. Definitely summer reading!


The Meryl Streep Movie Club by Mia March. Gallery Books
                            (a division of Simon & Schuster, 2012. (Adult fiction)

Debut novel about three women relatives who come together after many years apart. Home is an inn on the coast of Maine. Can their diverse lives and talents mesh at last? The discussions of Meryl Streep movies after their usual Friday night movie fests are enlightening. Pop some popcorn and enjoy!

 Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead. Random House.
                             August, 2012. (Children's fiction)

Got a galley of this children's novel by the Newbery Award winning author and couldn't wait to read it! It did not disappoint! Georges' family moves into an apartment building where Safer lives with his family. The two boys form an unlikely friendship and go through the typical childhood angsts amidst secrets on both sides. Stead writes smoothly and provides some surprises for readers. Part mystery, all realistic fiction for 5th-7th graders.

  Because Amelia Smiled by David Ezra Stein.
                              Candlewick, 2012. (Children's picture book)

Sweet story of a little girl whose smile starts a chain reaction of goodwill aroung the whole world. Mentions of Mexico, Israel, Paris, and Positano will send young readers seaching for a world map! Bright, colorful pencil, crayon and watercolor illustrations enhance the simple text. Try this one on the dreariest day and turn gloomies into smiles!

  The Age of Miracles by Karen T. Walker.
                            Random House, June, 2012.(Adult fiction, but ok for YA, too.)
 

The slowing of the earth by a few minutes seems minor, but the phenomenon continues and the results are dramatic. At the beginning, 12 year old Julia is undergoing her own typical coming-of-age angsts, too, and narrates this smooth story until she is 23. Her perspective is honest, believable, and poignant, too. Don't wait for the gold nugget to become kryptonite or for SuperMan to fly in and save the world though...that would be too easy a fix!

Chicago Dreaming

Some of the best American Library Association meetings have been in the Windy City. The place is full of such history that few authors can resist documenting or imagining more in Chicago. Check your library for these!






City of Scoundrels:  The Twelve Days of Disaster That Gave Birth to Modern Chicago  by Gary Krist. Crown (Random House), 2012.
                             
This book begins July 21,1919 with a blimp exploded over the city and crashed into a bank downtown. It ends with an epilogue in May, 1920. Before 1919, the city was expanding and full of optimism and ambitions. The disaster really made government officials and everyday residents think about their own futures. The case of a missing young girl followed, and then race unrest caused old prejudices to flare into new confrontations. Historical people like Ida Barnett-Wells and Jane Addams make appearances. The baseball scandal and other negative things that happen later are linked to this time period. Much of the book follows the politics swirling around the mayor and the governor, but the parts that focus on the human element captivate.

 The Devil in the White City:  Murder, Magic, and Madness 
                        at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson.
                        Random House, 2003. (Adult Nonfiction).

Much more gripping is this tale of Chicago in the times surrounding the 1893 World's Fair. Alternating with the story of the planning, construction, and hosting of the great exposition, is the story of a murderous doctor who has his own plans for some of the unsuspecting visitors to the city. This book won several awards for its accurate and riveting writing.


Fair Weather by Richard Peck. Penguin, 2003.
                        (Children's Fiction),

And, no mention of the Chicago World's Fair is complete without this treasure about a thirteen-year-old girl and her siblings who get to visit their aunt and go see the sights. While their "country" mother and their "city" aunt are not close, the children learn about their family and appreciate both. Grandpa almost steals the show though! Richard Peck uses historical details about life at the turn of this century and introduces some of the key figures of the time.