272 listings found.
Displaying 1 - 100
Astrid & Veronika
Olsson, Linda
This haunting and lyrical story reveals how the friendship between two women, one young and one old, helps each of them navigate from the depths of grief back into the joy of life.
[Adult Fiction Book OLSSON]
Kay D., Maple Grove Library
| | |
Matters of Honor
Begley, Louis
A very well-written and wonderful story by the author of "About Schmidt" (made into a movie with Jack Nicholson and Kathy Bates). The story takes us through the lives of 3 men who become friends in college; it carries us effortlessly through about 50 years during which we are kept up to date with the events that link the main characters. One of the best fiction books I have read in the last year.
[Adult Fiction Book BEGLEY]
Lorenzo T., System & Network Services
| | |
Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley & Livingstone
Dugard, Martin
An engrossing account of the journey that Henry Morgan Stanley undertakes to locate the missing British explorer, David Livingstone. The African landscape is vividly portrayed, along with fascinating but often gruesome details of the amazing hardships and violence encountered along the way, including tribal conflicts and the slave trade. While providing well-researched historical context, the book is essentially a suspense story and a great adventure.
[Adult Nonfiction Book ]
Sharon M., Web Services
| | |
That Mad Ache
Sagan, Francoise
Douglas Hofstadter has lovingly translated Sagan's bittersweet story of a doomed love affair. The bonus here is Hofstadter's essay on "the Pleasantly Pervasive Paradoxes of Translation", Translator, Trader, which is the flip side of the book.
[Adult Fiction Book SAGAN]
Kay D., Maple Grove Library
| | |
A Country Year: Living the Questions
Hubbell, Sue
When her thirty-year marriage broke up, Sue Hubbell found herself alone and broke on a small farm in the Ozarks. Keeping bees, she found solace in the natural world. She began to write, challenging herself to tell the absolute truth about her life and the things she cared for. An uplifting, marvelous book about a woman finding her way in middle age.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 508.7788 H]
Mary B., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Triangle: The Fire That Changed America
Von Drehle, Dave
Set against the background of the struggles of Italian and Jewish immigrants, corrupt city politics, and the rise of the fashion industry, "Triangle" is the story of the fire that broke out in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York's Greenwich Village on March 25, 1911. A gripping, page-turning tale relating the horror of the disaster with little graphic detail.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 974.71 V]
Jennifer L., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Eye of the Storm
Ringo, John
A fun addition to the Aldenata Universe series, this book certainly targets amateurs of military science fiction. A previously unknown group of extraterrestrial races are about to attack earth and its allies; Mike O'Neal must get the industrial and military infrastructures ready to fight the invaders. This book sets things up in a suspenseful way and the next book will get into the crux of the action.
[Adult Fiction Book RINGO]
Lorenzo T., System & Network Services
| | |
Run
Patchett, Ann
"Run" has the incantatory style of Ann Patchett's "Bel Canto." It is a novel about mothers, their children, and the fathers that love them set during a Boston blizzard. It begins with an accident and encompasses all that Boston is famous for -- Harvard, the Irish, racism, Roman Catholicism, politics, education in forty-eight hours in a family's life.
[Adult Fiction Book PATCHET PATCHETT]
Maureen M.S., Edina Library
| | |
Yogi Berra: Eternal Yankee
Barra, Allen
In this comprehensive and incredibly engaging biography, each of Berra's baseball highlights (10 American League Pennants, 8 World Series Championships and 3 Most Valuable Player awards) is meticulously described. From his childhood growing up in St Louis, Missouri's Italian neighborhood to his postplayer roles as a manager and coach Barra covers it all and what we embrace throughout is a great athlete and a good guy.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 921 B4493]
Jennifer L., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Sizwe's Test
Steinberg, Jonny
In this beautiful and extremely well-researched title, Steinberg tells the story of Sizwe Magadla, an educated and successful South African, who refuses to be tested for HIV despite knowing he is at risk for the disease. Through Magadla, you are really able to gain insight into the fear, stigma and confusion that exists around HIV/AIDS throughout South Africa and the World.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 362.19697 S]
Dillon Y., Brookdale Library
| | |
Once Upon a Town
Greene, Bob
From Christmas 1941 to the end of World War II, the town of North Platte, Nebraska, transformed its railroad depot into a canteen where soldiers could enjoy food, music and a friendly face on their way through town. The canteen was staffed and funded entirely by town volunteers 6 days a week, 24 hours a day. This wonderful book is based on the reminiscences of both soldiers' and townspeople's experiences and showed how one town honored its "brave and dedicated sons."
[Adult Nonfiction Book 978.2 G]
Lynn M., Osseo Library
| | |
So Brave, Young, and Handsome
Enger, Leif
A cracking good adventure tale, full of winking outlaws and relentless villains. In 1915, an aging bank robber is trying to right his past by making amends to the woman he left behind forty years earlier, and a struggling novelist joins him in this quest.
[Adult Fiction Book ENGER]
Mary B., Ridgedale Library
| | |
The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square
Lippi, Rosina
Rich descriptions of place, people, and textiles make this book a gratifying read. Julia and Jon are two opposites with mysterious pasts. Lippi takes us on a journey to a southern small town where these two strong characters discover each other's secrets. Will Jon and Julia be able to help each other with the assistance of the quirky folks of Lambert's Square? If you Liked Cupid and Diana by Christinia Bartolomeo, you will enjoy the Pajama Girls.
[Adult Fiction Book LIPPI]
Joyce L., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur
Hari, Daoud
Daoud Hari belongs to the Zaghawa tribe from Darfur (Sudan). After his village was distroyed by the Sudan military and rebels he escaped to a refuge camp in Chad. There he put his limited English and fluency in Arabic and Zaghawa to work risking his life to act as a translator for journalists from all over the world wanting to interview people still alive in villages in Darfur.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 962.4043 H]
Jennifer L., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Speedbumps: Flooring It Through Hollywood
Garr, Teri
Comic actress Teri Garr recounts her career highlights (and lows) with great humor. Filled with movie anecdotes, this is light reading, but then her story encounters a big "speedbump" when mysterious and annoying physical symptoms finally (after 20 years) lead to a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Garr's positive attitude on life with its inevitable speedbumps will both inspire and entertain you.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 921 G1847]
Kim B., Ridgedale Library
| | |
The Several Lives of Joseph Conrad
Stape, John
Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) considered himself a man of three lives: one as an ethnic Pole born in the Ukraine who lived the early part of his life in what is now Poland, one as a widely traveled seaman, and another as a writer in England. A master at reinventing himself, Conrad occasionally applied his fiction writing skills to autobiography. To further complicate matters, some of those close to him gave inaccurate accounts of his life. John Stape, editor of the Cambridge Companion to Joseph Conrad and co-editor of 2 volumes of the Collected Letters of Joseph Conrad, is the ideal biographer for such a complex subject. Stape debunks most of the Conradian myths in this great biography. This authoritative and insightful book should be appreciated by all who enjoy Conrad's work, as well as readers who like good biography.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 921 C761]
Eddie A., St. Anthony Library
| | |
The Coldest Mile
Piccirilli, Tom
Yes, American noir is back with a vengeance! In this book, the second of what I hope will be a series, Chase is tracking down his grifter/murderer grandfather Jonah in the hope of rescuing his grandfather's infant daughter from a life of crime. Chase was raised by his grandfather to be on the circuit (stealing, scamming, grifting, etc.) but tried to lead a straight life until his wife was killed and until his grandfather killed the mother of his infant child (see The Cold Spot). This story takes us from New Jersey to Florida but we don't get to see any cute touristy spots.
[Adult Fiction Book PICCIRILI]
Lorenzo T., System & Network Services
| | |
Jim the Boy
Earley, Tony
Living in 1934 Aliceville, North Carolina, 10-year-old Jim Glass lives on a farm with his widowed mother and three uncles. The pleasures in Jim's life are simple: getting a new baseball and playing baseball against the mountain boys; driving with one of his uncles to buy a horse and to see the Atlantic Ocean; making friends with a rival at school; climbing a greased pole at the fair; and being teased by his uncles. The central focus of the novel is the love that binds together members of this atypical family and the quietly affectionate way in which they interact. This is a deceptively gentle, nostalgic look at childhood during an era when life was by turns harsh and hopeful. Jim is a real boy who can be selfish and stubborn and then determined and giving.
[Adult Fiction Book EARLEY]
Jennifer L., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Summer Crossing
Capote, Truman
Set in New York during the summer of 1945, this is the story of a young carefree socialite, Grady, who must make serious decisions about a romance she is dangerously pursuing and the effect it will have on everyone involved. Capote's early work is an interesting story, but it is the nearly perfect prose and faultless narrative that make him stand out as a great writer. The novel was started in 1943 and retrieved along with other Capote papers in 2004.
[Adult Fiction Book CAPOTE]
Barb H., Outreach Services
| | |
Acts of Faith
Patel, Eboo
Patel discovers his identity in the middle of his life journey. This awakening brings wisdom and also poses fundamental questions about what matters most: Religion. He started to ask himself as to why men use the name of God to kill each other. He elegantly argues how mainstream faith failed to reach young people like Osama bin Laden and Yighal Amir, the assassin of Yitzhak Rabin. After touring the world and meeting with religious leaders like Dalai Lama, he believed that it is possible to turn anger into love. He believed that angry youth can be transformed by faith, by the community and, most of all, by himself. This firm belief and commitment helped him found an Interfaith Youth Core that could cross religious boundaries, ethnicity and race.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 305.697 P]
Guthema R., Golden Valley Library
| | |
Testimony
Shreve, Anita
Three star basketball players and a freshman girl create a student sex scandal at a private Vermont academy. Told from the perspective of the students, the parents, the school administrator and bystanders, lives unravel as the story unfolds. There are no "bad guys" but many victims as lives veer in directions they were never meant to go.
[Adult Fiction Book SHREVE]
Mary B., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Lost in the Wild: Danger and Survival in the North Woods
Griffith, Cary
Dan Stephens, a 22-year-old Eagle Scout, was spending the summer of 1998 as a guide in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA). While leading a group of 8 boy scouts and their 2 leaders, Dan stepped into the woods alone to look for the next canoe portage and didn't return. In October of 2001, Jason Rasmussen, a third year medical student, decided to go on a three day hike alone in the BWCA. On the first day he took a wrong turn on the unmarked 26 mile Pow Wow Trail and became hopelessly lost in an area of dense brush, bogs, and beaver ponds. Griffith skillfully interweaves the extraordinary stories of these two young men and those who searched for them.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 613.69 G]
Jennifer L., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Still Summer
Mitchard, Jacquelyn
It's summer and it's high school reunion time for four women. One woman is unable to make it and she proves to be the heroine of the vacation. Of the three women left, one brings her teenage daughter for an adventure on the high seas in a small sailboat. Personality quirks and conflicts arise as the four females get reacquainted and encounter tragedy that will change their lives. This is a great beach read in the sun - just close your eyes and pretend to be with the adventurers on the sailboat in the Caribbean - at least until disaster strikes.
[Adult Fiction Book MITCHARD]
Jane S., Excelsior Library
| | |
Later at the Bar
Barry, Rebecca
In Rebecca Barry's graceful, loose-limbed stories, characters congregate at Lucy's Tavern and talk and fight about love. "Later, At the Bar" a novel written in stories, is an intimate study of lonely people. Barry's people live in Upstate New York; they are farmers, truck drivers, cooks, small-time felons, and advice coumnists. They cheat, steal, and yearn. They make bad decisions, even ridiculous ones, but Barry's luminous generosity shines through all these stories. These stories also possess smart dialogue and a psychological insight that reminds one of Richard Russo's "Empire Falls".
[Adult Fiction Book BARRY]
Eddie A., St. Anthony Library
| | |
The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet
DeGrasse Tyson, Neil
Plutoed: to demote or devalue someone or something, as happened to the former planet Pluto (2006 Word of the year from the American Dialect Society.)
Read Pluto's full story from discovery in 1930 to reclassification to dwarf planet in 2006. Tyson's telling of the Pluto story connects the world of science with politics, social protest, education and our culture of celebrity worship. Committee resolutions, political cartoons, song lyrics and plenty of good humor included.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 523.4922 T]
Roberta R., Maple Plain Library
| | |
The Only True Genius in the Family
Nash, Jennie
Magazine photographer Claire has a loving husband and a temperamental, artistic daughter Bailey. Claire's father, a famous landscape photographer, recently died. Grief is especially difficult for Claire to process as she had a complex and mostly unsatisfying relationship with him; wildly talented Bailey and her grandfather were kindred spirits. Claire's confusion, jealousy and emotional journey are conveyed in clear and beautiful language. The book cover art is misleading; this is not chick lit. Multilayered and thought provoking, I didn't want to put this book down.
[Adult Fiction Book NASH]
Kim B., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Shopping for Porcupine: A Life in Arctic Alaska
Kantner, Seth
Born in 1965 in a sod igloo in Arctic Alaska and raised in the ways of the Inupiaq people, Kantner shares true stories of his tundra experiences from childhood through adulthood. Kantner testifies to the immense challanges of day-to-day survival in a homemade sod igloo, a structure that was regularly buried by sudden snow squalls, in a climate where "frostbite was a way of life." While the chapters, containing pictures taken by the author, read like individual stories it is the entire book's beauty I found outstanding. A wonderful story for those loving true-life tales and especially those with an interest in nature and Native American life.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 921 K1336]
Jennifer L., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Garden Spells
Allen, Sarah Addison
If you liked "Chocolat" by Joanne Harris, you're in for another tasty treat in this tale of two sisters. The Waverly women have always had strong, and sometimes strange, gifts, which tended to set them apart from the rest of their small North Carolina townsfolk. Younger sister Sydney left town and family entanglements after high school, but returns years later with her young daughter, fleeing from the girl's abusive father. Older sister Claire takes them in, and as the two work their way toward reconciliation, a magical tale of life and love unfolds.
[Adult Fiction Book ALLEN]
Claudia K., Rockford Road Library
| | |
Rollback
Sawyer, Robert J.
What if your body could be restored to the way it was when you were 25? In 2009, the earth has received its first contact from another civilization. Sarah Halifax was the astronomer who first figured out how to interpret the message from the Dracons. 38 years later, a new message has come back to Earth. In order for 87-year-old Sarah to work on decoding it and to be around for the next message from her Dracon penpals, Sarah and her husband, Don, submit to a "rollback", a treatment that will restore their bodies to the way they were at age 25. The treatment is given, but Sarah's fails. Now Don looks and feels 25, but has the life experiences of an 87-year-old. Sarah still needs to find the key to the message before her time runs out. The book raises many questions about science and ethics.
[Adult SciFi Fantasy Book SAWYER]
Laura K., Southdale Library
| | |
Helping Me Help Myself
Lisick, Beth
A semi-serious but mostly humorous account of Lisick's year-long project of self-improvement. Lisick has been described by various reviewers as witty, disarming, earnest, and "wildly funny." She is also very likable and open-minded about everyone and every experience. If you like your humor a little more R-rated, you may want to try her earlier book, "Everybody into the Pool," about life and the counter-culture in San Francisco. Recommended for those who enjoy David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell, or Susan Orlean.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 818.609 L687]
Julie B., Southdale Library
| | |
Wesley the Owl
O'Brien, Stacey
Calling all nature and animal lovers. In 1985 Caltech student researcher O'Brien adopted an injured four-day-old barn owl that she named Wesley. For 19 years she kept, cared for and studied him, forging a tremendous relationship with the still-wild animal, as well as a vast understanding of his abilities, instincts and habits. This heartwarming, captivating memoir contains many humorous moments.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 598.97 O]
Jennifer L., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Nose Down, Eyes Up
Markoe, Merrill
At 47, Gil is the world's oldest 22-year-old man. He lives rent-free as a handyman in the L.A. home of a couple of rich retirees who only come out for vacations. Gruff, shrewdly observant, but perplexed and beleaguered by women since his nasty divorce, Gil has been dating Sara, an animal communicator, long enough to converse freely with all 4 of his dogs (especially Jimmy, the alpha). When Jimmy learns Gil isn't his biological father, he demands to meet his birth mother, a dog owned by Gil's ex-wife, Eden, now remarried to a very wealthy man.
Filled with the sharp social and sexual insight...and an uncanny understanding of the thought processes of dogs. "Nose Down, Eyes Up" is a howlingly funny story of love, sex and the meaning of family.
[Adult Fiction Book MARKOE]
Eddie A., St. Anthony Library
| | |
Accidentally on Purpose
Pols, Mary
Writers Anne Lamott and Mary Pols have a lot in common. Both women write smart, are funny and have a talent to touch your heart. Moreover, they are both single mothers and had similar experiences with their newborns (see Lamott's Operating Instructions). The subtitle of Pols' book foretells the basic plot but after the baby is born, the book goes in directions I did not anticipate. Be prepared to laugh and cry.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 306.87432 P]
Kim B., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Dancing with Joy
Housden, Roger
99 Ancient as well as contemporary works of 69 timeless, ageless poets from across the planet flow through the pages of this book. As we start delving into the hearts of these great poets like Hafiz, Rainer Maria Rilke, Rumi, Pablo Neruda, Mary Oliver et al. we start dancing the dance of joy. We forgive the past and start living in the moment. We forget all our worries and become one with the moment. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to celebrate the beauty of life.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 808.81 D]
Guthema B., Golden Valley Library
| | |
The Hungry Ocean
Greenlaw, Linda
Climb aboard the "Hannah Boden" (the sister ship to the "Andrea Gail" from "The Perfect Storm") and delve into the exciting and dangerous world of Linda Greenlaw, the only female swordfish captain in the world. Echoing shades of the show "Deadliest Catch", Greenlaw tells of deadly weather, mechanical failure and brawling crewmen during a month-long, 1,000 mile swordfish journey.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 639.2758 H]
Lynn M., Osseo
| | |
The Worst Hard Time
Egan, Timothy
This astonishing book recounts the saga of the southern Great Plains during the Depression. The Plains ecosystem gradually had became irreparably damaged from commercial buffalo killing, large-scale cattle ranching and 'sod-busting' wheat farming practices, all of which caused erosion. When severe drought began in 1931, the result was a natural disaster; deep cracks formed in the earth's crust and huge storms darkened the skies as far as New York City; agriculture ceased. Egan focuses on several families and locales to illustrate the courage and luck that was required to survive the Dust Bowl.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 978.032 E]
Trudi C., Southdale Library
| | |
The Terror
Simmons, Dan
The real-life mystery of Sir John Franklin and his doomed 1845 expedition to find the end of the Northwest Passage provides the starting point for this very long (over 700 pages), but extremely readable novel. When the story begins, the English ships Erebus and Terror have been trapped in the ice of the Arctic for months; as their food supply dwindles, the crew slowly realizes that any hope of escaping by ship may be futile. As they struggle to survive the harsh winter, a creature, that may be a giant polar bear or may be something more sinister, begins preying on the men. This compelling mix of historical fiction, horror story, and Inuit lore kept me alternately fascinated and terrified to the very end.
[Adult Fiction Book SIMMONS]
Kathryn Z., Maple Grove Library
| | |
City of Thieves
Benioff, David
What's the most prized commodity in time of war? In this World War Two tale of the siege of Leningrad, it's not bullets or bombs, but a dozen eggs for the Russian colonel's daughter. Two misfits, Kolya, accused of deserting the Red Army, and 17-year-old narrator Lev Beniov, of looting a dead German, have just days to find the eggs, or face a firing squad. Many horrors of war are encountered, and coming-of-age themes explored, as the pair go behind enemy lines, join Nazi-hunting partisans, and struggle to keep their fragile mission on track.
[Adult Fiction Book BENIOFF]
Jim M., Central library
| | |
The World Without Us
Weisman, Alan
Weisman posits what would happen to the world if human beings suddenly disappeared on a planet that would otherwise be left intact. Animals would generally be much happier though, with the exception of housecats, most of our domesticated animals wouldn't make it. This very readable book investigates in vivid, research-backed detail how durable cockroaches, subways, architecture, plastic, our toxic wastes, and fine arts will be in a world without us. You will never look at plastic the same way again.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 304.2 W]
Kim P., Southdale Library
| | |
Last Night at the Lobster
O'Nan, Stewart
Manny DeLeon manages a Connecticut Red Lobster restaurant on its last night before closing. Although they don't know it, his quirky staff is family to Manny. Knowing he can take only 5 employees with him to a nearby Olive Garden, and faced with a blizzard on that last night, Manny's is an eloquent story of an ordinary man. This author has been called "the bard of the working class."
[Adult Fiction Book O'NAN]
Mary B., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Ballistics: Poems
Collins, Billy
Billy Collins is an American phenomenon. No poet since Robert Frost has managed to combine high critical acclaim with such broad popular appeal, and "Ballistics," his latest collection, is no exception. The poems themselves best explain this phenomenon. The typical Collins poem opens on a clear and hospitable note but soon takes an unexpected turn: poems that begin in irony may end in a moment of lyric surprise. Collins was appointed United States Poet Laureate in 2001. In 2004 he was named New York State Poet Laureate.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 811.54 C692]
Eddie A., St. Anthony Library
| | |
A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World
Horwitz, Tony
Between Columbus in 1492 and the Mayflower in 1620, Tony Horwitz discovered that he knew little about American history. He covers this period in an entertaining way. He draws on contemporary accounts, and describes his own travels to such places as Vinland, the Caribbean, the southwest and Jamestown.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 970.01 H]
Linda B., Southdale Library
| | |
The Violent Bear it Away
O'Connor, Flannery
How do we at once depend on each other so much and at the same time try to overcome one another? O'Connor poses this and many other questions in this dramatic powerhouse of a novel. A gifted writer who delves beautifully into afflicted souls.
[Adult Fiction Book O'CONNOR]
Ben B., System & Network Services
| | |
Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation
Carlin, John
A beautiful and heart warming story of how a great leader and sports can save a country. Only one year after South Africa's first democratic election, the nation played host to the Rugby World Cup. Knowing rugby was worshipped by Whites and despised by Blacks, Nelson Mandela worked tirelessly to bring both groups together behind the nation team, the Springboks. The story ends with a climactic championship game that rivals "The Miracle on Ice". This amazing story of forgiveness, reconciliation and triumph is a must read for anyone interested in politics, history or sports.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 968.065 C]
Dillon Y., Brookdale Library
| | |
Was It Beautiful
McGhee, Alison
A haunting, lyrical novel portraying the intense grief and guilt William T. Jones endures after losing his only son at the age of 27 in a train accident. Though William T. is fired from his job and tries to withdraw from friends and family, his community is unwilling to give up on him as they pull him back into their world. The novel is noteworthy for its wonderfully drawn characters and lack of melodrama.
[Adult Fiction Book MCGHEE]
Kim P., Southdale Library
| | |
The Long Emergency: Surviving the Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century
Kunstler, James Howard
The end of cheap oil forces a difficult choice between futile global struggles for a dwindling resource, and scaling back to the agri-centered lifestyles of our forebears. Certain regions of the U.S., including the Upper Midwest, are better suited to the transition, but the disruption of our push-button lives will severely test social cohesion.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 303.4973 K]
Jim M., Minneapolis Central Library
| | |
Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar
Thomas, Cathcart
When we think of philosophy, we think bearded Nietzsche or Socrates et al. and complex terms like Existentialism, Metaphysics, and Epistemology, etc. In this book, Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein make us understand philosophical discourses through jokes and humor. For those of us who think philosophy is a boring subject, this would be the right book to read.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 817.6 C284]
Guthema R., Golden Valley Library
| | |
Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations
Shirky, Clay
Take the obvious: the Internet is interactive, add a truism: people like to join groups, stir in the speed and ubiquity of communications technology, and you get the phenomena of YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, et al. Author Clay Shirky relates anecdotes of social networking that go far beyond the Web into consumer activism and mass political protest. The question is whether, as Shirky claims, such opportunities will only multiply in the future, further undermining traditional power structures, or are we deluding ourselves with notions of techno-participation, as critics like Nicholas Carr imply, that keep us glued to the screen and off the streets.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 303.4833 S]
Jim M., Minneapolis Central Library
| | |
Twin Cities Noir
Schaper, Julie
Authors such as David Housewright, K.J. Erickson, William Kent Krueger and Judith Guest have contributed to this great collection of short stories that is definitely worth reading. There is a fair amount of murder and mayhem (as one would expect) but there is also some clever manipulation (Mai-Nu's Window) and humor (Hi, I'm God).
[Adult Fiction Book TWIN]
Lorenzo T., System & Network Services
| | |
Remember Me
Kinsella, Sophie
Charming and full of ridiculous moments that make you laugh, Kinsella is just what you need when you are stressed out and need a light read. Lexi has a case of amnesia and can not remember anything from the past three years. She wakes up in the hospital to find out she is rich, ambitious and married to a successful controlling husband. How did she change from an average working girl to the new women she has become? This is a great book to listen to.
[Adult Fiction Book KINSELLA]
Joyce L., Ridgedale Library
| | |
The Unpossessed City
Fasman, Jon
30-year-old Jim Vilatzer owes his bookie $24,000 in gambling debts. He also works as a stocker in his Russian immigrant parents' restaurant, so he obviously can't pay up. Opportunity enters as a job interviewing Gulag survivors in Moscow, which is just a front for smuggling Soviet scientists out of the country. Jim quickly becomes an unwitting pawn and cryptic message deliveryman, which makes both the Russian and American government pursue him. Fasman paints the lawless, bleak Russian landscape like few before have or could. Fans of Donna Tartt's "Venice" novels or John Burdett's "Bangkok" novels will love "The Unpossessed City".
[Adult Fiction Book FASMAN]
Eddie A., St. Anthony Library
| | |
Boys Adrift
Sax, Leonard
I had always know that boys and girls learned at different rates in school but I never realized the importance of gender differences in what motivates them to learn. It was an "a-hah" experience for me in understanding the mind of my six-year-old son.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 371.823 S]
Stella R., Maple Grove Library
| | |
The Abstinence Teacher
Perrotta, Tom
The Abstinence Teacher is a timely novel with the country being divided between liberals and evangelical conservatives in the midst of the upcoming election. Perrotta gives us a satirical look at an all-American suburb where values clash. Ruth, a liberal sex education teacher and Tom, a former drug user now saved, introduce us to two different worlds and ideals. No matter which side you're on, you will find the characters likeable, feel the struggles they encounter and appreciate the subtle humor of the author.
[Adult Fiction Book PERROTTA]
Joyce L., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black Youth's Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa
Mathabane, Mark
An eye-opening account of the horrors faced by Mathabane and his family while he was growing up in the most desperate ghetto in South Africa during the 1960s and 1970s. Only through the encouragement and hard work of his mother and grandmother was he able to finish school and overcome the odds placed before him. Those needing graphic confirmation of the harrowing experience of growing up poor and black in apartheid South Africa will find it in Mathabane's autobiography.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 968.00496 M]
Jennifer L., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Gentlemen and Players
Harris, Joanne
A suspenseful novel of revenge that is set in an exclusive boy's school in Britain. Sounds like it has been written before, but this novel has a twist that will surprise. A scholarly psychological thriller that tells the story in flashbacks of a student who returns to the school for revenge from past wrongs.
[Adult Fiction Book HARRIS]
Joyce L., Ridgedale Library
| | |
A Remarkable Mother
Carter, Jimmy
Former president Jimmy Carter writes about his mother's life. The reader follows Lillian Carter from childhood to becoming a nurse, raising a family, and becoming a Peace Corps volunteer to India in her seventies. She does indeed sound like a remarkable woman, providing medical attention to anyone in need, while disregarding the taboos of the segregated South.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 921.C24315]
Linda B., Southdale Library
| | |
The Various Flavors of Coffee
Capella, Anthony
This wonderful story not only tells us about coffee trading at the end of the 19th century but also delves into themes of love, travel, slavery and women's suffrage. The characters are engaging and come alive throughout thanks to the descriptions of London, East Africa and Brazil. A great read!
[Adult Fiction Book CAPELLA]
Lorenzo T., System & Network Services
| | |
When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa
Godwin, Peter
Educational, emotional, exhausting. Peter Goodwin's memoir is a lesson in history, political science and familial love that reads like a novel. Goodwin, raised in Zimbabwe, often revisits the country due to his father's failing health. The deterioration of the country as well as his father's health is evident as his travels become more perilous. An incredible story of a family and a country.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 968.9105 G]
Joyce L., Ridgedale Library
| | |
The Cloudspotter's Guide: The Science, History and Culture of Clouds
Pretor-Pinney, Gavin
Abandon your "blue sky thinking" and get your head in the clouds! As the official publication of the Cloud Appreciation Society, how can one pass up a book which describes itself as a serious "celebration of the carefree, aimless and endlessly life-affirming pastime of cloudspotting"? The text includes plenty of hard science about cloud formation along with photographs, drawings, poems, and a harrowing story of a pilot who parachuted through a cumulonimbus cloud and lived to tell about it.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 551.576 P]
Roberta R., Maple Plain Library
| | |
Loving Frank
Horan, Nancy
When you read "Loving Frank" you will recognize that every layout of organic architecture has his own tongue. It speaks to you and you become a listener instead of a reader. This is a fictionalized true story of the American greatest architect Frank Lloyd Wright. What stands out most are, however, a true love and courage arising from human hearts that defies time and tradition and culture. Written with elegance and rich with ideas, "Loving Frank" is also a story of an independent, highly educated, rebellious woman at odds with restrictions of early 20th century. Good news for those of you who're planning to write your first book. If you like "Fountainhead" by Ayn Rand, you will like this book.
[Adult Fiction Book HORAN]
Guthema R., Golden Valley Library
| | |
Hold Tight
Coben, Harlan
Parents suspect their 17-year-old son is in trouble and install a software program to spy on his computer. They also use a GPS locator on his cell phone. The parents learn some mysterious information, and have to decide how to act. Being a thriller, the plot leads to action, drugs, and guns before several plots lines are resolved. This fast-paced novel asks the question: what do you do when you invade the privacy of an older teen through technology?
[Adult Fiction Book COBEN]
Ann M., Web Services
| | |
Small Miracles: Extraordinary Coincidences from Everyday Life
Halberstam, Yitta
Have you ever experienced something that seemed random but it was also very meaningful? If you're open to it, it happens frequently. Small Miracles describes 60 real-life coincidences; fun to read yet awe-inspiring. Were they strictly coincidences or did the universe intervene? You be the judge. I liked this little book so much I added it to my personal collection.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 133.8 M]
Kim B., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Chief Bender's Burden
Swift, Tom
Born in1884 near Brainerd, Minnesota, Charles (Chief) Albert Bender began learning the skills to play baseball while living at the Carlisle Indian School, which he started attending in 1896. He pitched for the Philadelphia Athletics, managed by Connie Mack, from 1903-1914, was one of the greatest clutch pitchers of his time, and amassed impressive numbers for a great team. In 1953 he became the first Native American ball player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 796.35709 S]
Jennifer L., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Heir to the Glimmering World
Ozick, Cynthia
Ozick takes us to the outskirts of the Bronx in the 1930s, as New York fills with Europe's ousted dreamers, turned overnight into refugees. Rose Meadows unknowingly enters this world when she answers an ambiguous want ad for an "assistant" to a Herr Mitwisser, the patriarch of a large, chaotic household. Rosie, orphaned at eighteen, has been living with her distant relative Bertram, who sparks her first erotic desires. But just as he begins to return her affection, his lover, a radical socialist named Ninel (Lenin spelled backward), turns her out. And so Rosie takes refuge from love among refugees of world upheaval.
[Adult Fiction Book OZICK]
Kim P., Southdale Library
| | |
Making Money: A Novel of Discworld
Pratchett, Terry
Having successfully revitalized the all-but-defunct Ankh-Morpork postal service, former conman Moist von Lipwig is bored, so bored he's climbing the Post Office walls (really!) and breaking into his own offices. So he's more than ready to accept Lord Vetinari's challenge to run the even more behind-the-times Ankh-Morpork Bank and Royal Mint. But the Assassin's Guild is soon after him, the new bank chairman is a dog, there's a mad scientist working on an economic engine in the cellars, and whole lot of gold missing from the vaults. If you haven't visited the biggest city in Terry Pratchett's Discworld before, now's the time, for some of smartest and funniest satire in this, or any universe.
[Adult SciFi Fantasy Book PRATCHET]
Claudia K., Rockford Road Library
| | |
Walk the Blue Fields
Keegan, Claire
Keegan's literary allegiance is signalled in the first story in this collection, when we find the main character reading Chekhov. Like Chekhov, Keegan has the ability to sum up a life, or a significant chunk of one, in apparently trivial, quotidian events. In the title story, a priest is tormented by having to officiate at a marriage. Later, he meets an unlikely counterpart in a Chinese healer, and experiences a kind of epiphany. It sounds simple to summarize, but it's the careful arrangement of events which gives the story its power. All the stories are set in rural Ireland. They tell of harsh, lonely lives, alleviated by drink or dreams, in a voice that is lyrical, thoughtful, but with a thick strain of melancholy running through it. Keegan has won many writing awards including the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature.
[Adult Fiction Book KEEGAN]
Eddie A., St. Anthony Library
| | |
The Downhill Lie: A Hacker's Return to a Ruinous Sport
Hiaasen, Carl
Nice work if you can get it. What a deal - Hiaasen is paid to play golf for over a year and write about it. He humorously breaks down his misadventures with the sport of golf. This is a great book for hackers who struggle with the game, or for anyone looking for a funny read about one man's struggles to improve at a merciless sport.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 796.352 H]
Ryan P., Web Services
| | |
Answering 911: Life in the Hot Seat
Burau, Caroline
Sit in the 911 operator hot seat alongside Burau as she experiences the emotional highs and lows of answering calls at the Ramsey County Sheriffs office. The author shares her doubts about her career choice, her parenting skills and work relationships with a refreshing honesty and sense of humor.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 384.64 B]
Roberta R., Maple Plain Library
| | |
Mistress of the Art of Death
Franklin, Ariana
CSI meets "Canterbury Tales" in this Medieval English mystery. Vesuvia Adelia Aguilar has been brought in to investigate a series of child murders that have been blamed on the Jews of Cambridge. She finds clues that suggest the culprit may be among the latest group of pilgrims to have returned from Canterbury, including some crusaders. There are fascinating descriptions of the time period and politics of church and state.
[Adult Fiction Book FRANKLIN]
Linda B., Southdale Library
| | |
For the Love of Animals: The Rise of the Animal Protection Movement
Shevelow, Kathryn
Explores the rise of animal advocacy and the unlikely characters involved in the struggle. Shevelow begins her story in 1667 London- the world's most populous city-and although indoor pets were not unusual at the time, animal neglect was far more common. With "sports" like bullbaiting, cockfighting and fox hunting still in full swing, animals tended to be viewed as mere beasts, being expendable, disposable and easily replaceable.
Although such names as Sir William Pulteney, "Humanity" Dick Martin and Thomas Erskine may sound unfamiliar, these men played a large role in revolutionizing the way people viewed animals. Shevelow's book demonstrates just how humanity has progressed in its treatment of animals and although we still have far to go, one can take hope from how far we have come.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 179.30941 S]
Eddie A., St. Anthony Library
| | |
Eat Cake
Ray, Jeanne
When the going gets tough, the tough -- bake cake? That's Ruth's response. When her mom moves in, her husband loses his job, and her estranged father shows up on the doorstep with two broken wrists, a lot of cakes are in the offing. You'll alternate between laughing till the tears come and paging to the 12 included recipes as your mouth waters for cake! The Minneapolis setting is fun for us locals, too.
[Adult Fiction Book RAY]
Kay D., Maple Grove Library
| | |
The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears
Mengestu, Dinaw
One of the best American immigration stories since Kite Runner! The story follows Sepha Stephanos, an Ethiopian who fled the red terror. Twenty years since his arrival, Sepha, a grocery store owner in a neighborhood in DC where prostitutes are often his best customers, is still trying to find the "American Dream". It is funny, often sad story about finding your place in a new world.
[Adult Fiction Book MENGESTU]
Dillon Y., Brookdale Library
| | |
The Eyre Affair
Fforde, Jasper
Jump into the zany world of SpecOps, the Chrono Guard, and the Goliath Corporation where our heroine, Thursday Next, will try to save the day. Fforde has created a world where people can time travel and enter books, and characters from novels, such as Great Expectations' Miss Haversham, can enter the real world. Look for characters from all those old favorites in one of the Thursday Next novels, but check your reality at the door. This is the first book in the series.
[Adult SciFi Fantasy Book FFORDE]
Jan G., Penn Lake Library
| | |
Looks to Die For
Kaplan, Janice
When Lacy Fields' husband is arrested for the murder of an aspiring starlet, the Beverly Hills decorator and mother of three is sure it's all a mistake. After all, isn't plastic surgeon Dan Fields known as the Saint of Hollywood? But the evidence is strong, Dan isn't telling her everything, and Lacy decides to investigate herself, waltzing her Manolo Blahniks and Prada bag into one dicey situation after another.
[Adult Mystery Book KAPLAN]
Kay D., Maple Grove Library
| | |
My Summer of Southern Discomfort
Gayle, Stephanie
Leaving big problems behind in New York, Natalie Goldberg moves to Macon, GA and takes a job in the district attorney's office. Being a Yankee, she's treated with distrust but things start to change when she becomes the co-counsel in a murder case. Contrary to her anti-death penalty feelings, she really wants to win the case.
[Adult Fiction Book GAYLE]
Judith B., Edina Library
| | |
Blood Harvest
Randall, Brant
A chilling tale of hatred, racism, and violence spread by the Ku Klux Klan, not in the South, but in New England in the early part of the last century. This moody and atmospheric tale revolves around the lynching of a man who was moonshining. A second body clouds the reasons for why he may have been killed. What makes this book a pleasure to read is Randall's unique voice. He relates the story of the lynching, the trial, and the bizarre revenge through the eyes of 9 colorful characters-including a dog and a crow-and it's perfectly believable. "Blood Harvest" is well-plotted and its writing fresh, but it's Randall's characters that really make this a perfect summer read.
[Adult Fiction Book RANDALL]
Eddie A., St. Anthony Library
| | |
The Historian
Kostova, Elizabeth
Did you think you weren't "into" vampire tales? This elegantly written first novel may change your mind. Did Bram Stoker base his Count Dracula on the historical figure Vlad the Impaler, the cruel 15th Century prince of Wallachia? A father and then his daughter search for clues across time and borders in dusty Ivy League libraries and ancient monasteries. What does that dark legend have to do with modern times, and does that evil still exist?
[Adult Fiction Book KOSTOVA]
Mary B., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Shout Down the Moon
Tucker, Lisa
Patty Taylor sings in a cover band to support herself and her young son, Willie. The band is resentful of her for various reasons, though she ignores them since she is determined to make a better life for herself and Willie. When her abusive ex-boyfriend, Rick, gets out of prison and tracks her down, the band sees a different side of Patty as she digs deep within herself to keep Willie safe. This quiet page turner with strong, believable characters will transport you to a place you'd rather not be. Patty's transformation will bring a sigh of relief.
[Adult Fiction Book TUCKER]
Jan G., Penn Lake Library
| | |
The Good Thief's Guide to Amsterdam
Ewan, Chris
Charlie Howard writes mysteries about a burglar. He also happens to be a burglar. While putting the finishing touches on his latest novel, Charlie finds himself embroiled in his own mystery - a diamond theft gone awry. The Amsterdam setting and clever ending maket this an enjoyable light read.
[Adult Fiction Book EWAN]
Sue H., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog
Kerasote, Ted
Attention all dog lovers: Here is yet another humorous, jubilant and touching story of the relationship between a man and his dog. Ted Kerasote was camping, kayaking and rafting down the San Juan River with friends when a big golden dog (he names Merle) came out of the night seemingly from nowhere into their campsite. Kerasote proceeds to relate the next 13 years of Merle's life with him while exploring the science behind canine behavior and evolution weaving in research on the human - canine bond and musing on the way dogs see the world. A must read if you enjoyed Marley and Me by John Grogan and books by James Herriot and Jon Katz.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 636.70929 K]
Jennifer L., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Timothy or Notes of an Abject Reptile
Klinkenborg, Verlyn
Timothy, a tortoise whose carapace is preserved at the British Museum of Natural History, narrates this historical novel with the delicate, yet ironic touch of one who is confined to Curate Gilbert White's garden in eighteenth century rural England. Klinkenborg takes the historical novel into realm of natural history in a language, but poetic and tortoise-like. A reading pleasure.
[Adult Fiction Book KLINKENBORG]
Maureen M.S., Edina Library
| | |
Innocent Traitor
Weir, Alison
Alison Weir examines the unexpected rise and tragic fall of Lady Jane Grey in this carefully crafted and touching historical novel. Although the ultimate fate of Lady Jane is well-known, the author creates real suspense for the reader by detailing the various plots leading to Jane's reluctant reign as Queen of England when she was just sixteen years old.
[Adult Fiction Book WEIR]
Kathryn Z., Brookdale Library
| | |
Ada Blackjack: A True Story of Survival in the Arctic
Niven, Jennifer
The odds were stacked against her as things went from bad to worse for 23-year-old Ada Blackjack, the sole woman and Eskimo to take part in a five-person expedition to Wrangel Island in the high Arctic in 1921. She faced the men's ridicule, bitter cold, hunger, and starvation. A tremendous book about a true little-known heroine.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 921 B5555]
Jennifer L., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Those Who Save Us
Blum, Jenna
Family secrets about her mother's survival in Nazi Germany are revealed when Trudy, a University of Minnesota professor, starts interviewing German immigrants.
[Adult Fiction Book BLUM]
Judith B., Edina Library
| | |
Left To Tell
Ilibagiza, Immaculee
Most of us are familiar with what had happened in Rwanda back in 1994. Some of us might have seen Hotel Rwanda and we might have watched the news. Immaculee Ilibagiza, a 22 year old Rwandan college student comes home to spend Easter with her beloved family in Mataba. Her dreams and her hopes shatter, however, when nearly one million ethnic Tutsis were brutally slaughtered by the Hutus Ethnic majority. Her family was among the victims of the genocide. For 91 days, she and seven other women huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor while hundreds of machete-wielding killers hunted for them. This is Immaculee's personal experience and true story. The story is very haunting and yet what inspires us most is the courage of this young woman to be one with the moment and to forgive the killers of her own family members.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 967.57104 I]
Guthema R., Golden Valley Library
| | |
28: Stories of AIDS in Africa
Nolen, Stephanie
One of the most important books ever written about HIV/AIDS in Africa. 28 Stories of AIDS in Africa literally tells the story of 28 different people (one for every million people infected with the virus) who have been affected in different ways, in 28 different places by HIV/AIDS. By juxtaposing stories of activists, health workers and clergymen who are infected with stories of overland-truck drivers, prostitutes and migrant workers, Nolan does a supurb job giving this disease a human face.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 362.19697 N]
Dillon Y., Brookdale Library
| | |
A Great and Godly Adventure
Hodgson, Godfrey
In just over 200 pages, Hodgson manages to pack in a wealth of information about the first Thanksgiving; from the years in Europe before the Mayflower even set sail to the politics in the creation of the official holiday. A well researched and a fascinating read, it will give you a new appreciation for the holiday and the great adventure of the Pilgrims.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 974.402 H]
Roberta R., Maple Plain Library
| | |
Happenstance
Shields, Carol
There is no one like Carol Shields. Her elegant and sometimes funny novel Happenstance is one of my favorites. Actually two novels in one, read Brenda's story of her rare long weekend alone at a crafts convention in Philadelphia, then flip the book over and read her husband Jack's take on the same period at home with their two children. Or, read Jack's story first; it doesn't matter. None of the same events take place but both Jack and Brenda deal with mid-life crises interlaced with the backdrop of their twenty year marriage.
[Adult Fiction Book SHIELDS]
Kim B., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Beaufort
Leshem, Ron
"Beaufort" is a beautifully crafted work of fiction that reads more like an autobiography than a novel. Leshem spent hundreds of hours interviewing Israeli solders stationed in Lebanon before Israel's withdrawal in 2000. The result is a tale that feels entirely authentic. It does exactly what good historic fiction should do - it educates the reader about a specific time and place, making them feel as if they're truly present at this desert outpost that is the last line of defense in the Israeli Lebanon conflict.
"Beaufort" won the Sapir Prize-Israel's top literary award-in 2006.The film version of "Beaufort" which Leshem coauthored with director Joseph Cedar, won the Berlin International Film Festival's Silver Bear for best director.
[Adult Fiction Book LESHEM]
Eddie A., St. Anthony Library
| | |
The Lay of the Land
Ford, Richard
Frank Bascombe is back with a new lease on life and real estate and warily anticipating a Thanksgiving reunion with his abrasive son, Paul, and his daughter and her obnoxious boyfriend, but not his wife, who has gone back to her first husband. It's also an election year and Frank has a medical issue. Wry, funny and touching.
[Adult Fiction Book FORD]
Mary B., Ridgedale Library
| | |
The Growing Seasons: An American Boyhood Before the War
Hynes, Samuel
A professor at Princeton University and native of Minneapolis, Hynes writes an engaging account of his boyhood during the Great Depression. Surrounded by poverty and bleakness, he sees his life as one full of opportunities, finding plenty to do to arouse his curiosity. With honesty and loving details, Hynes describes his father's strong work ethic moving from one small town to the next to find work. He is less devoted to his stepmother, but respects the stability and sense of fun she brings to their home. Anyone interested in Minneapolis history will enjoy Hynes' adventures as a young boy exploring the neighborhoods by streetcar or bicycle. For additional information about Hynes, see his interview in Ken Burns' highly-acclaimed DVD series "The War."
[Adult Nonfiction Book 921 H998]
Andrea S., Maple Grove Library
| | |
Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality
Chen, Pauline
A transplant surgeon writes about her personal experiences as a physician dealing with the issues of mortality. Like all doctors, she started medical school with her sights set on saving lives, but experience proves that death plays a major role in her work. Chen is a talented writer; her explicit and honest stories are well-balanced with thoughtfulness and empathy.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 617.0232 C]
Julie B., Southdale Library
| | |
Chicken with Plums
Satrapi, Marjane
Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis and Embroideries, reveals even more of her family's unique history in her most recent graphic novel, Chicken with Plums. Satrapi weaves folkloric impressions with true details about her uncle's death to tell a touching story about music, love and life in Iranian culture. Her intelligent prose and beautiful black and white drawings make any Satrapi book worth reading, but Chicken with Plums especially took me by surprise. It's a well-rendered book through and through and would make a good read for anyone curious but timid about reading their first comic book.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 741.5944 S]
Sarah M., Hopkins Library
| | |
England's Mistress
Williams, Kate
Lady Hamilton is perhaps best known today as the mistress of Lord Nelson, but Emma Hamilton was a celebrity in her own right before she ever met the famous admiral. A one-time artist's model, Emma rose from poverty and servitude to become one of the most-recognized women in England. This well-researched and sympathetic account of her incredible life story reads like fiction.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 921 H1823]
Kathryn Z., Maple Grove Library
| | |
The Thirteenth Tale
Setterfield, Diane
Book lovers will revel in the bookish early chapters of "The Thirteenth Tale," as readers get to know Margaret Lea, who loves books and works in her father's bookstore. She has even dabbled in biography writing, which brings her to the attention of Vida Winter, a famous fiction author, who asks Margaret to write her biography. Vida spins a tale of twin sisters, a governess, a doctor, a disastrous fire, and a ghostly presence. As she transcribes this biography, Margaret is coming to terms with the ghosts of her own past. This multi-layered novel is full of twists and revelations, but it all comes together in a satisfying conclusion.
[Adult Fiction Book SETTERFIELD]
Laura K., Southdale Library
| | |
Flim-Flam Man: a True Family History
Vogel, Jennifer
Minnesota journalist Jennifer Vogel tells a very powerful and personal story in her memoir about her father John Vogel. John was a counterfeiter (he printed almost $20 million in counterfeit bills before he was busted), armed robber, arsonist and con man. He also was an affectionate and devoted father to Jennifer. This outstanding memoir is difficult to put down. Jennifer tells her story of growing up in the 1970s with a complicated, difficult family. This memoir will appeal to readers who enjoyed the Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 921 V8615]
Kim B., Ridgedale Library
| | |
Bangkok Haunts
Burdett, John
Bangkok detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep is back for a third adventure after Bangkok 8 and Bangkok Tattoo. In this one Sonchai has to deal with a murder involving a former lover and an exclusive men's club in a city known for its sex trade. We travel both through high class and seedy Bangkok in this keen and clever novel. Not for the squeamish.
[Adult Fiction Book BURDETT]
Lorenzo T., System & Network Services
| | |
The Emotional Lives of Animals
Bekoff, Marc
Based on Marc Bekoff's years of experience studying communication patterns of a wide range of animals, this important book shows that animals have rich emotional lives. Not only can animal emotions teach us about love, empathy, and compassion, argues Bekoff-they require us to radically rethink our current relationship of domination and abuse of animals. Bekoff skillfully blends extraordinary stories and anecdotes of animal grief, joy, embarrassment, anger, and love with the latest scientific research confirming the existence of emotions that commonsense experience has long implied. Filled with Bekoff's light humor and touching stories, "The Emotional Lives of Animals" is a clarion call for reassessing both how we view animals and how we treat them
[Adult Nonfiction Book 591.5 B]
Eddie A., St. Anthony Library
| | |
Beware of Cat and Other Encounters of a Letter Carrier
Wyckoff, Vincent
Wyckoff has delivered mail to the same neighborhood in south Minneapolis for over 15 years. He has come to know the adults and children of the houses he delivers to, and has become a fixture in the neighborhood. Wyckoff describes the physical challenges of his job, being outside every day in all kinds of weather. And he describes the encounters he has with difficult dogs and a cat. It is obvious from his stories that the author has become personally involved with some of his people, and that they look forward to seeing him every day. His adventures are described in short, episodic chapters.
[Adult Nonfiction Book 383.492 W]
Linda B., Southdale Library
| | |
The Last Town on Earth
Mullen, Thomas
A "morality tale" set in Washington State during the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918. The small lumber milling town of Commonwealth has elected to quarantine its citizens, to avoid chances of their catching this dangerous influenza, and guards are set at its borders to prevent any outsiders from entering. When a cold and hungry soldier from a nearby base tries to get in, a guard is forced to shoot and kill him. The ramifications of this deed, coupled with peoples' general anxiety about the war (WWI), rumors of German spies in the area, outrage and suspicion from citizens of nearby towns over the quarantine and possible draft-dodgers, and the mindset of some Commonwealth citizens combine to make an ever-intensifying read.
[Adult Fiction Book MULLEN]
Carol W., Southdale Library
| | |
|