Room

Emma Donoghue's Room, a novel about a woman who becomes a mother while being held captive, has received a lot of recent press attention.  Donoghue takes a dark topic and tells the story from 5-year-old Jack's point of view.  Jack was born in the room and knows nothing outside of its soundproof walls.  Despite the lack of space, freedom, and social interaction, Jack's Ma has created a world that revolves around her son. 
While reading Room I felt anxious about what might happen to Ma & Jack next and exhausted even though all the activity was taking place in an 11 x 11 space.  At no time does Donoghue's writing seem repetitive despite Ma & Jack performing the same activities within the same confines daily.  The strongest impression this book left on me was one of cloying closeness, devoid of privacy or personal boundaries.  Since I don't want to reveal any more of the plot, I will leave readers to draw their own conclusions and impressions by reading Room.

NYT Book Review (September 19, 2010)
Room book webpage http://www.roomthebook.com/ with a schematic diagram to bring the room into context and scale
Author Jennifer Weiner interviews Emma Donoghue - read interview text here 

My favorite banned books...

September 25th - October 3rd, the American Library Association celebrates Banned Book Week.  Books throughout history have been banned for being:  too political, sexually explicit, sacrilegious, and socially offensive.  I personally think some of the challengers of these books were just plain sticks in the mud, to put it nicely.  That's why libraries are such a nice idea...if you don't like a book for any reason, just return it...someone else might like it.  Even non-fiction books have been contested...does this prove the truth is really stranger than fiction???

Some banned books that I think are awesome:
Tess of the d'Urbervilles - Hardy has always been a favorite of mine.  My father (the English teacher) can't understand why.  Tess is not exactly a lighthearted novel, but I feel I can relate to her troubles & blues and grey existence.  Can't say that I've ever had treacle running down my back, but it usually is raining on my parade.
In cold blood - Capote's true crime that shocked in the 60's.
Fahrenheit 451 - I remember reading this in high school and still remember the smoldering storyline - Paper burns at 451 degrees..
The Scarlet Letter - too bad I can't think about this one without seeing Demi Moore as Hester Prynne.
Animal Farm - who doesn't like talking pigs?  And only a pig would say All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.


For more commentary on banned books, see the PCL Adult Services Blog. 

The girl...

I know there is a long wait list for the posthumous works of Stieg Larsson - The girl with the dragon tattoo, The girl who played with fire, and The girl who kicked the hornet's nest.  I often don't like what everyone else is reading, so I didn't give these too much thought, although someone had told me they were graphic.  I don't remember reading any reviews, although I do remember reading the New York Times Magazine (May 23, 2010) article on the familial squabbles over Larsson's body of work titled The afterlife of Stieg Larsson (is there a fourth in the series?).  I got to view The girl with the dragon tattoo on DVD this weekend.  The movie was riveting and I thought it was a well-plotted, complex mystery.  This movie is subtitled, but I also found it enjoyable to listen to the crisp Swedish dialogue.  I can't wait to see the next movie in the trilogy (DVD being released Oct 26th), so I have one of the rental copies of The girl who played with fire.  I'm interested in how Larsson writes and if the movies are doing justice to his books.  I highly recommend The girl with the dragon tattoo DVD and I'll let you know my opinion on The girl who played with fire.  Please add your comments...I know many of you have read these already.
See reviews in the NYT:
The girl with the dragon tattoo (Sept. 14, 2008)
The girl who played with fire (July 17, 2009)
The girl who kicked the hornet's nest (May 30, 2010)

World Alzheimer's Day

September 21st is World Alzheimer's Day, a time to raise awareness for a condition which causes degeneration of brain functions affecting memory, thinking, behavior, and emotions.  It is estimated 30 million people worldwide have Alzheimer's and an even greater number of individuals who are nurturers and caregivers are impacted by this disease. 

• See this factsheet from Alzheimer's Disease International on the prevalence of this condition.
• The Alzheimer's Association offers these brain health tips
• For a comprehensive look at facts, current statistics, economic and social impacts of the disease and recommendations for further research and involvement see the World Alzheimer Report 2010 (56 page PDF document)

PCL resources on Alzheimer's Disease:
If you missed last evening's library program by author Fred Buse, check out his recent book, A Caregiver’s Tips: My Wife Had Alzheimer’s Disease
Speaking our minds:  What it's like to have Alzheimer's
The last of his mind:  A year in the shadow of Alzheimer's
The Alzheimer's project:  Momentum in science
The 36-hour day: A family guide to caring for people with Alzheimer disease, other dementias, and memory loss in later life
Passages in caregiving: Turning chaos into confidence

Consumer tips on credit cards

The skinny on credit cards: How to master the credit card game by Jim Randel goes a long way in making the path to getting out of credit card debt seem like a fun journey.  This skinny book packed with facts and stick figures is a combination of graphic novel and tip sheet on personal finances.  The recent credit card act effective in February 2010 is detailed on page 146, while page 148 advises which issues the law did not address.  Randel gives advice on lowering your interest rates by calling credit card service centers, how to improve your FICO score (that is, the Fair Isaac Corporation), and how to get out of debt.  Start learning what you can do now and start spending wisely this winter.

Helpful links referenced in this book:
http://www.annualcreditreport.com/ - Get your credit reports from the top three agencies once per year FREE. (Don't fall for online advertisements that offer a FREE credit score in exchange for purchasing a product.)
Sites to compare credit cards - http://www.creditcards.com/ http://www.cardratings.com/ http://www.bankrate.com/
Calculators for credit card pay off by interest rate and amount of debt - www.creditcardratings.com/creditcarddebtcalc www.bankrate.com/brm/calc/creditcardpay.asp

Hot X!

I really do like algebra, so I had to check out Danica McKellar's new book Hot X: Algebra Exposed!  In the introduction she writes about having the girl power to conquer x and not give up on life's  tough problems.  I think the style of this book is really appealing.  It has the feel of a teenage girl's notebook with flower doodles, handwriting and script mixed throughout the printed text.  Many algebraic concepts are covered in snips called reality math, by using examples that may be relevant to girls.  I found the examples of percentage markdowns on dresses to be relevant and useful. Blurbs headed what are they called? give definitions of terms while step-by-step breaks the problem down and watch out alerts problem solvers to common errors.  Hands-on readers might try using algebra while decorating for a party (the example shows how to to string lights diagonally across a pool in equal increments) or find the comparison between hair FOIL and multiplying polynomials using the FOIL method memorable.  Don't miss the last chapter titled What you can learn at the mall using the quadratic formula. There are great tips in this book which will foster retention of math rules and facts.  This book is fun, cool-intelligent, attention grabbing, and a great example of an innovative way of looking at math.  Also see: Danica's Hot X webpage

I love cake...

Chocolate is really my favorite, but anytime there is birthday cake, count me in for a piece.  With the kids back to school and providing snacks for their activities, and scouting, and holiday parties, I suggest the new book What's new cupcake?  or Tack & Richardson's first book Hello Cupcake!  Both books offer detailed instructions for decorating themed cupcakes (a great alternative to cake, but with the same great taste!).  The tempting color pictures look too perfect to actually be food.  Visit The Hello Cupcake Blog.

I am sure some of the recipes are more difficult than others, but the one I tried for my daughter's birthday last month (Shark Pool, below) was surprisingly simple, although time-consuming.  Be forewarned, it took me 6 hours to decorate these cupcakes.  My son's birthday is next month and he asked for cupcakes...I've chosen a design from What's new cupcake? and will post pics of the completed project.  Be on the lookout next month for a new baking book in PCL's collection Cake Pops (yes, they are lollipops made of cake).

Gina's shark cupcakes

Remembering 9/11

September 11, 2001 is a difficult day for many to forget.  Remembering the American tragedy which occured is an integral part of recent American history.  These sources provide relevant insight of the events of that day nine years ago.

102 Minutes:  The untold story of the fight to survive inside the Twin Towers - An account of the minutes between the first plane crash and the collapse of the north tower.

In the shadow of no towers - Art Spiegelman, who also created the Maus graphic novels, tells his personal story of September 11th in this graphic novel.  His text and drawings capture the nervous tension and fear of the time.

Watching the world change: The stories behind the images of 9/11 - A fascinating look at the coverage of 9/11 by both the media and the public.  The changing role of technology in media coverage is highlighted.

The 9/11 Commission report : Final report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States

9/11 [DVD] - Jules and Gedeon Naudet documentary about a rookie New York City firefighter who is one of the first respondents on scene.


American ground : Unbuilding the World Trade Center - A look at the structures, how the towers collapsed, and the ruins which remained.

Never forget : An oral history of September 11, 2001 - Eyewittness testimony which is an important primary source for researching this event.

Report from Ground Zero - First person testimonials of firefighters, Port Authority personnel, & NYPD officers and the three month period of Ground Zero sitework following the attacks.

WTC Dust

Dust:  The inside story of its role in the
September 11th aftermath by Paul J. Lioy

In the chaos immediately following the collapse of the towers, everyone was aware of the dust covering the area around Ground Zero.  But what was the dust?  Environmental scientist Paul J. Lioy samples and analyzes the composition of WTC dust in the days immediately following and in subsequent years.  In Dust he details particle size and organic and inorganic make-up of the dust.  EPA clean up of commercial and residential buildings is discussed as well as the health effects of ingestion of WTC dust.  Some of the chemical analyses was too detailed for me to casually understand, although the overall topic of the book was interesting for its unique look at a part of 9/11 history.

Star Island = Fantasy Island

Years back I read another Hiaasen book, Stormy weather, I believe.  I found the plot a far-flung, ridiculous storyline.  After reading a synopsis of Star Island, and seeing many patrons reserving his new novel, I decided to put my name on the hold list and give the work of this Miami Herald journalist another shot at capturing my interest.  Star Island is not a novel that has won me over to the camp of Hiaasen.  The novel did hold my attention in terms of entertainment value, however the plot was utter nonsense; a fantasy making me wonder just what type of hallucinogens inspired the myrid of characters and subplots.  For those who may enjoy this hair-brained fictional work, I  don't want to give away spoilers, but, come on, a weed-wacker as a prosthesis?  What is this, Edward Scissorhands?  Will I be caught again by a tempting plot summary of another Hiaasen book?  I think I've learned my lesson.

Read Hiaasen's column in the Miami Herald on America's Newspapers database
Carl Hiaasen entries in the PCL catalog.

Nina Garcia's latest fashion advice

Nina Garcia, Fashion Director at Marie Claire magazine and Project Runway judge, has a new book which dispenses as much good advice as her others.  Nina Garcia's Look Book:  What to wear for every occasion gives invaluable tips for the socially important moments in your life - job interviews, dates, dancing, wine tasting...the list goes on and on.  Accompanied by the vivid illustrations of Ruben Toldeo, this is a book to read and take notes.  Classic pieces in a woman's wardrobe are discussed, as well as the appropriate accessories and attitude to match the ensemble.   The celebrity quotes on fashion and femininity are my favorite part of this book - Drew Barrymore is quoted as saying "Sometimes I bust out and do things so permanent.  Like tattoos and marriage."  Another success for Nina Garcia - the Look Book is indispensable for the well-dressed woman.

Other fashion writing from Nina Garcia:
The little black book of style
The one hundred:  A guide to the pieces every stylish woman must own
The style strategy:  The less-is-more approach to staying chic and shopping smart

Blood & Soap

Odd short stories by Vietnamese-American Linh Dinh with titles such as Prisoner with a dictionary, A moving exhibition of reptiles, and Viet Cong University.  The stories are amusing and funny in a tongue-in-cheek manner.  This little volume can be tucked in your bag and are the perfect short stories when you have just a few minutes.  A little gem that will leave you smiling.
Blood and Soap was chosen by the Village Voice as one of the Best Books of 2004.

I am Hutterite

I admit I had never heard of the Hutterites (an Anabaptist religious order originating in Austria), their social communities, beliefs, or customs before reading I am Hutterite:  The fascinating true story of a young woman's journey to reclaim her heritage.  As they are detailed by the author, there is a resemblance to the Mennonite and Amish communities familiar nearby.  Author Mary-Ann Kirkby tells about her happy childhood in Fairholme colony in Manitoba, Canada where the religious, moral, and social values ingrained from birth greatly influenced her life within the colony and in the outside 'English world'.  Her parents decided to leave the colony when she was 10 and she was forced to reassess everything she had been taught.  Her formative teen years were a time of soul-searching and learning about the outside world.  The descriptive passages seem unreal as the author describes being 10 and amazed by her classmates' lunches.  She had never eaten a sandwich or seen Saran Wrap.  Dancing, radio, and meeting multicultural individuals are some of the activities she had never imagined being a part of her world.  Although she praises the colonies for their peaceful, orderly, and fair lifestyles, the author now lives in the 'English' world and has a career in storytelling and journalism.  This well written account takes a look at the rarely publicized Hutterite population, their old world ways, and their interactions with today's society.  I found it riveting and difficult to put down.
More info:
Website of the book I am Hutterite
HutteriteBlog.com Setting the record straight!