LIBRARY NOTES

May 1, 2008

After a beautiful week of warmth and sun, it looks like we are in for some spring rains. If you are stuck inside, consider the following good reads that the library has recently purchased.

Certain Girls is the follow up to Jennifer Weiner’s very amusing novel Good in Bed (although you don’t need to read the first book in order to enjoy the second). Cannie is now a bit older and her pre-teen daughter, Joy, is preparing for her bat mitzvah. Joy is struggling with hormones and identity issues, in particular trying to get closer to her biological dad and her estranged grandfather. Add to that embarrassment about the hearing aids she must wear and her mom’s over protectiveness. Meanwhile, Cannie is frustrated and flummoxed by her daughter’s sudden rejections. Many misunderstandings between mother and daughter stem from a bestselling (somewhat autobiographical) novel Cannie wrote just before Joy’s birth, a book she was hoping her daughter would never read. Still working as an author, Cannie now writes popular sci-fi/fantasy books under a false name, until events conspire in such a way that she is forced to reexamine herself as a writer, wife, and mom. As truths unfold, both mom and daughter face unresolved issues from the past and forge new ways of relating to one another. There’s a rather unexpected, abrupt ending that threw me for a loop, but ultimately this is a great sequel to Good in Bed.

Followers of mystery writer Harlan Coben won’t be disappointed with his latest page-turner, Hold Tight. Adam Baye’s parents, Tia and Mike, are deeply concerned – their son used to be a straight-A student who loved hockey and was a trustworthy, easy going kid. All that changed dramatically after a close friend of Adam’s committed suicide. In desperation, Tia and Mike decide to track his online habits – emails sent and received, websites visited, etc. This is all done without their son’s knowledge, in the hope that they will be able to get back the child they once knew. Privacy, family, and technology are just a few of the themes that are interwoven with gripping plot twists and turns.

Three Girls and Their Brother is playwright Teresa Rebeck’s first novel. The gorgeous, red-headed Heller sisters and their brother are picked for a profile in the New Yorker, supposedly in honor of their grandfather who was a well-known book critic. The teenaged sisters, to varying degrees, are excited about this opportunity for fame, but their brother Philip is extremely skeptical and feels they’re being used. A beauty queen in her own day, the children’s mother is overjoyed at the prospect of attention for her offspring. As the Hellers are catapulted into the world of high fashion and drama, Three Girls is at some points beyond ridiculous, but is nevertheless a fun and diverting read.

LIBRARY NOTES

April 24, 2008

Planting season is getting closer, and I bet you are starting to look forward to fresh, local fruits and vegetables (not the grocery store strawberries that taste faintly like plastic). We have some new gardening and outdoor books at the library, including a revised and expanded edition of Sharing the Harvest: a Citizen’s Guide to Community Supported Agriculture by Elizabeth Henderson. To many, community supported agriculture (CSAs) are the answer to knowing where your food comes from and to best supporting the farmers who grow it. Whether you’re interested in learning about CSAs or in changing some eating and spending habits, this book is a classic resource.

Completely changing the topic, there is a new book out by Mary Roach called Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex. Author of other quirky, science-related titles such as Stiff: The Curious Life of Human Cadavers, Roach is this time examining current and historical studies of sex. Roach is a great storyteller, so risk potential blushing and give this one a try.

The Girl With No Shadow is a charming follow-up to Joanne Harris’s Chocolat, written in 1999. Vianne Rocher and her daughters have left their small French village and have relocated to Paris. No longer making magical chocolates, Vianne has sworn off the supernatural entirely and opens a new shop. As her oldest daughter becomes increasingly involved with a rather evil character, Vianne is forced to return to her old ways of solving problems, which of course include cooking. This is a delectable fairy tale that adults can enjoy.

The Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award is given in recognition of excellent literature written for children. Kids read at least of 5 out of 30 books chosen by the DCF committee and then vote on their favorite one. Each year, Vermont children from schools and libraries all over the state are encouraged to read through this program. The 2008 winner, chosen out of 30 books on the master list, is Cynthia Ward, author of Rules. Now we're already moving on to next year’s DCF nominees; keep in mind that we have the newest set of books trickling in for your anxious young readers. We will also be borrowing copies of the DCF books from the Waitsfield Elementary School over the summer.