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Good Reads
January 2009
Adult Fiction
 The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory, 2008. Gregory presents the story of
Mary Queen of Scots during her exile in England. The banished queen fights
to regain her Scottish kingdom with the promise of sanctuary from her cousin
Queen Elizabeth I. Instead she finds herself under virtual house arrest on
the estates of Elizabeth loyalists, George Talbot, the Earl of Shrewsbury
and his wife, Bess of Hardwick. The three share their first person
narratives: Mary trying to plot her way out of exile, George loyal to a
fault, and Bess spy and estate manager trying not to lose everything. A
dramatic novel of passion, politics and betrayal in the Elizabethan world.
(Historical Fiction). FIC Gregory (CH) |
 Darkness & Light by John Harvey (2006). This is the third in Harvey’s
mystery series featuring retired British Detective Inspector Frank Elder,
who leaves his retirement home in Cornwall to return to Nottingham in
response to his ex-wife’s plea to help find a missing friend. Elder
subsequently finds the woman mysteriously laid out back on her own bed
strangled but meticulously arranged in her clothes; and he has to follow
clues from decades-old adolescent sexual deviance and another suspect who is
retarded before he finally locates her killer. Winner of the British Crime
Writers’ Silver Dagger Award, Harvey is the author of over fifteen other
mysteries, including ten in his Charlie Resnick series. (Mystery) FIC
Harvey [BB] |
 The Jewel of Medina: a Novel by Sherry Jones, 2008. At the age of nine, A’isha bint Abi Bakr is married to the Prophet Muhammad. Through her
determination, she overcomes political struggles and the jealousy of her
sister-wives to become one of Muhammad’s closest and most trusted advisors.
The author’s first novel could benefit from re-writes of some sections,
particularly the romance scenes, but it is still an engaging story full of
captivating characters and vivid descriptions of medieval Arabian life. Like
its predecessor, The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie, The Jewel of Medina
is not the first instance in which a work with Islamic themes has generated
controversy, threats of violence, and calls for censorship - the original
publisher cancelled its publication. (International, Religious fiction,
Romance) FIC Jones [DM] |
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 The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, 2003.
Henry is a chrono-displaced person. He suddenly finds himself in a past or
future time in his life, and he has no idea how he got there or how he can
get back to the present. He appears and reappears to his future wife when
she is just a young girl. He even has the ability to meet himself at a
different time in his life. His condition lends him certain privileges in
seeing the future, but has its drawbacks as well. Henry’s wife, Clare, is
constantly left behind to worry as Henry travels throughout time. A
fascinating time-travel love story.(Fantasy) FIC Niffenegger [JO] |
 19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult, 2007. Set in Sterling, New Hampshire, a quiet
town where everyone knows everyone, a teenager, Peter Houghton, commits an
act of violence at the high school which lasts nineteen minutes. Students
are left dead and injured. The book deals with bullying and the struggle
that teens face trying to fit in. Josie Cormier, a childhood friend of
Peters, is not only a witness to the tragedy but is also called as a witness
for the defense. Nineteen Minutes grabs you from the first page and keeps
you interested. A must read for everyone, especially teens. (General
Fiction) FIC Picoult [RB] |
 Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs, 2007. Narrated by Linda Emond.
A Temperance Brennan series title. In this 10th book, forensic
anthropologist Temperance Brennan is called on to solve another tough case.
For Tempe, the discovery of a young girl's skeleton in Acadia, Canada, is
more than just another assignment. Evangeline, Tempe's childhood best
friend, was also from Acadia. After the girl mysteriously disappears and
thirty years have passed Tempe wonders if the skeleton is that of her
friend. The finding of the skeleton coincides with Tempe’s love interest,
Ryan, and his investigation of three dead girls. (Audiobook, Mystery) CD AUDIOBOOK
Reichs [RB] |
 The Case of the Missing Books: A Mobile Library Mystery by Ian Sansom, 2006.
The first book in Sansom’s Mobile Library Mystery series, The Case of the
Missing Books details the trials and tribulations of bumbling librarian
Israel Armstrong, who arrives to work in Ireland completely unaware of the
situation he is getting into. Because the library building was forced to
shut down, Israel instead becomes the town’s mobile librarian and is faced
with the task of finding all of the library’s 15,000 books, which have
mysteriously disappeared. (Humorous Fiction, Mystery) FIC Sansom [LR] |
 The
Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, 2006. Reclusive writer Miss
Vida Winter is coming to the end of a long and eventful life. Deciding not
to take her secrets to her grave, she chooses Margaret Lea, who has secrets
of her own, to write her biography. As the story unfolds, it shifts and
changes with each new disclosure. In searching for the truth behind the
stories, Margaret discovers that past sins have shadows which stretch out to
affect the present. A novel about the power of stories to shape our lives.
(Fiction) FIC Setterfield [LB] |
 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, 2008.
This lovely book takes place in London and the Guernsey Islands after World
War II. Writer Juliet Ashton begins an epistolary relationship with members
of the aforementioned society of the book title. The letters written back
and forth intrigue her, and she decides to pay the Guernsey inhabitants a
visit. A charming and delightful little novel. (Fiction) FIC Shaffer [AB] |
 Larry’s Party by Carol Shields, 1997. Larry Weller is an ordinary guy whose
life, to his surprise, twists and turns like the garden mazes he designs. In
this quietly triumphant novel, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Carol Shields
gives us a sympathetic portrait of a baby boomer adjusting to society’s
changing expectations of men. (Fiction) FIC Shields [SC] |
 For more reading
suggestions, check out
NoveList,
What Do I Read Next and previous months of
Good Reads
Adult Nonfiction
 The Firstborn Advantage: Making Your Birth Order Work for You by Kevin Leman,
2008. If you’re a firstborn, you’re likely to be drawn to this type of “build
on your strengths” book simply by your nature. If you’re an “undercover”
firstborn (such as the first daughter in a family of sons), or if you know and
love a firstborn, you can benefit from this book, too. In addition to
highlighting the strengths most firstborns possess, the book also describes the
disadvantages of their perfectionist ways—and outlines how firstborns can
overcome that trap. (Self-Help, Family & Relationships, Psychology) 155.924 LEM
[SC] |
 Multiple Bles8ings: Surviving to Thriving with Twins and Sextuplets by Jon and
Kate Gosselin, 2008. In this book, Jon and Kate Gosselin, of the TLC television
show “Jon and Kate Plus Eight,” give an account of the experience of raising
their eight children, who are twins and sextuplets. The reader gets candid
insight into Kate’s pregnancy with the sextuplets and their first two years. In
the first year of their sextuplets’ lives, the couple relied heavily on
friends, volunteer caregivers, and their faith in God just to get through each
day. (Biography & Autobiography, Family & Relationships) 306.874 GOS [LR] |
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 The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity,
and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester, 2005. A
compelling true story about the making of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED)
and the lexicographers who wrote it. One of the dictionary’s main contributors,
William Chester Minor, was an inmate at a criminal lunatic asylum who mailed
off thousands of entries to the editors of the OED from his prison cell. The
imprisoned madman shot an innocent man in the streets of London in the
culmination of his slow descent into insanity after serving in the Union Army
as a military surgeon during the Civil War. The author provides a
well-researched history of the prestigious dictionary that is the cornerstone
of the English language. It’s also a fascinating novel-style tale of the
gentlemen contributors whose very dissimilar lives meet in these peculiar
circumstances. For word lovers and history buffs. (Language) 423 WIN [JO] |
 Dewey:
the Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron, 2008.
How is it possible for an abandoned kitten to transform a small library and
eventually become famous around the world? Dewey’s story starts in the worst
possible way. On the coldest night of the year he was stuffed into the return
book slot at the Spencer, Iowa Public Library where he was found the next
morning by the library director. Dewey won hers and everyone’s heart and for
nineteen years he charmed the townspeople and visitors and became a source of
pride for this small farming town. (Pets) 636.8 MYR (CH) |
 Flower by Christopher Beane (2008). This is an unusual collection of superb but
startling and unusual flower photographs taken by Beane, a graduate of the
Rhode Island School of Design, over a twelve year period that began when he
started working in New York City’s extensive flower market. Exotic and
expensive flowers arrived from all over the world, and he was able to take
examples home for his photo projects. Influenced by the deconstructivist
movement in art, Beane photographed cut flowers against a black background; or
tore petals from different flowers for an assemblage; or floated flowers in
water over colorful marbleized paper; or placed blossoms over Murano glass; or
photographed them in stages of decay. Anthony Janson, coauthor of H. W.
Janson’s well-known History of Art, provides essays for each section, and he
considers Beane one of the most important art photographers. This copy is a
memorial book, donated by the Batavia Woman’s Club in memory of Charlotte
McCabe. (Photography, Botany) 779.34 BEA [BB] |
 Books:
A Memoir by Larry McMurtry, 2008. Larry McMurtry was born into a home
without books. After being given a box of books as a gift, he went as quickly
as he could to the opposite extreme. Simultaneously a novelist and book dealer,
he has written best-sellers and sold books to fellow book lovers all over the
country. This book conveys his love of books and reading, and the life he has
spent immersed in them. (Literature) 813.54 MCM [LB] |
|
 1434: The Year a Magnificent Chinese Fleet Sailed
to Italy and Ignited the Renaissance by Gavin Menzies, 2008. In this
follow-up to his both controversial and successful 1421: the Year China
Discovered America, Menzies provides evidence of an additional voyage of
Admiral Zheng He and his fleet to the Mediterranean, providing many key
elements that hastened the end of Europe’s Middle Ages. Leonardo da Vinci’s
mechanical inventions may have originated in Imperial China, as well as the
maps and navigational techniques that led Columbus and others to “discover” the
New World. Although the scholarship is considered imprecise by many traditional
historians, this book is a riveting glimpse of the Old World in the 15th
century (History) 945.05 MEN [DM] |
 It takes a village idiot by Jim Mullen, 2001. Mullen, a columnist for
Entertainment Weekly, can’t understand why anyone would want to live anywhere
but New York City; after all, it has everything a normal person could possibly
want or need. Then his wife decides she would like to have her own vegetable
garden and buys a “farmhouse” in the Catskills with plans to spend weekends
there. Before long, after surviving major culture shock and having to deal with
challenges like overflowing septic tanks and blackflies, Mullen and the wife
find themselves spending more and more time amongst the “natives” and away from
the other “flatlanders.” Amusing, witty, and at times laugh-out-loud funny.
(Humor) 974.738 MUL [AB] |
Movies and
Royalty
|
The Duchess. (2008) Starring Keira Knightley. Chronicles the life of
18th century aristocrat Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. She was reviled
for her extravagant political and personal life. Georgiana is trapped in an
unhappy marital triangle with her husband and his live-in mistress. She
falls passionately in love with Earl Grey, an ambitious young politician,
and the affair causes a bitter conflict with her husband and threatens to
erupt into a scandal. Now she must face an agonizing choice between her
hopeless but passionate love affair or her responsibilities as a duchess.
(Rated PG-13) DVD DUC |
|
Elizabeth I. (2005) HBO Starring Helen Mirren. Explores the
intersection of the private and public life of Elizabeth I in the latter
half of her reign, offering a personal look at her allies, her enemies, and
her suitors as she struggles to survive in a male-dominated world. (Rated
TV-MA) DVD ELI |
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The Other Boleyn Girl. (2008) Starring Eric Bana. Anne Boleyn is a
doe-eyed vixen who is ordered by her power-hungry uncle to bewitch King
Henry VIII. Her shy sister Mary has always been in Anne's shadow. Anne is
prettier, more accomplished, and desired by many men. So when the King picks
Mary as his mistress, Anne turns on her sister and schemes to become not
only the King's consort, but his new queen. Though the Boleyn girls' mother
points out that her 'daughters are being traded like cattle for the
advancement of men,' it is Anne who ultimately throws her slight weight
around to bully Henry into doing her bidding. (Rated PG-13) DVD OTH |
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The Queen. (2007) Starring Helen
Mirren. An
intimate, moving portrait of Queen Elizabeth and Tony Blair following the
untimely death of Princess Diana. The Queen's restrained reaction causes a
public relations debacle that Prime Minister Blair must defuse. The two
struggle to reach a compromise between what was a private tragedy for the
Royal family and the public's demand for an open display of mourning.
(Rated PG-13) DVD QUE |
New Books in
Youth Services
PICTURE BOOKS
|
 Gus
is a Fish by Claire Babin, 2008. While in the bathtub, Gus pretends to
be a fish exploring a pond for the first time. Includes glossary of terms
related to pond animals and plants. JP Babin. |
 Sally and
the Purple Socks by Lisze Bechtold, 2008. When her tiny purple socks
start to expand, Sally turns them into a scarf and then curtains, but things
soon get out of hand. JP Bechtold. |
 Elephant’s
Story by Harriet Blackford, Manja Stojic, 2008. An introduction to the
life and beauty of a small elephant with its mother and the herd. JP
Blackford. |
 The
Lost-and-Found Tooth by Louise Borden, 2008. A special calendar hangs in
Mr. Reilly’s second-grade classroom, and Lucy Webb impatiently awaits the day
when she can add her name for losing a tooth, but when her time arrives,
something unexpected happens. JP Borden. |
 Old MacDonald
Had a Farm by Jane Cabrera, 2007. Based on the popular folksong, the
farm is described with a surprise for the farmer. JP Cabrera. |
 President
Pennybaker by Kate Feiffer, 2008. Tired of the unfairness of life,
young Luke Pennybaker decides to run for president with his dog Lily as his
running mate. JP Feiffer. |
 Snow
Bear by Piers Harper, 2002. After a long freezing winter, Little
Snow Bear is finally able to leave his den and explore the snowy world
outside for the very first time. JP Harper. |
 The
Scrambled States of America Talent Show by Laurie Keller, 2008. The
states decide to get together and put on a show featuring their particular
talents, includes facts about the history and geography of the states. JP
Keller. |
 Inside
All by Margaret Mason, 2008. Takes the reader on a nesting doll-like
journey, from the edges of the universe into the heart of a child at
bedtime, showing how we each have our place inside the universe and the
universe has a place inside each of us. JP Mason. |
 Zip,
Zip…Homework by Nancy Poydar, 2008. Violet has a great new backpack
with wheels and zippers, but when she forgets to take home her homework and
tells a lie to cover it up, the teacher gives her an even harder assignment.
JP Poydar. |
 Melvin
Might? by Jon Scieszka, 2008. Melvin, a cautious cement mixer,
worries that he cannot keep up with the other trucks, but when Rita needs
help, he overcomes his fear in order to help her. JP Scieszka. |
JE READERS
|
 Dogerella
by Maribeth Boelts, 2008. With the help of her fairy dogmother, Dogerella
gets the chance to attend Princess Bea’s ball where the princess will select the
best dog to be her royal pet. JE PBk Boelts. |
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The Wind in the Willows. Home Sweet Home by Kenneth Grahame, adapted by
Laura Driscoll,2004. Mole has not been home in a long time, but Rat knows just
what to do to prepare his dusty, dark cold house. JE PBK Grahame. |
 Annie
and Snowball and the Prettiest House by Cynthia Rylant, 2007. In the
not-so-pretty house where she lives with her dad and her bunny,Snowball, Annie
plans to make some changes in the décor with the help of her next-door-neighbor
and cousin Henry and his big dog Mudge. JE Rylant. |
 Amanda
Pig, First Grader by Jean Van Leeuwen, 2007. Amanda is very excited
about starting first grade, and although everything is not exactly as she
expected, she soon begins learning to read and finding her way. JE Van Leeuwen. |
 Are
You Ready to Play Outside? by Mo Willems, 2008. Piggie can’t wait to go
play in the sunshine. But will a rainy day ruin all the fun? JE Willems. |
JUNIOR AND MIDDLE SCHOOL
FICTION
|
 The
Postcard by Tony Abbott, 2008. While in St. Petersburg, Florida, to help
clean out his recently-deceased grandmother’s house, thirteen-year-old Jason
finds an old postcard which leads him on an adventure that blends figures from
an old, unfinished detective story with his family’s past. J Abbott. |
 The
Golden Path. Volume 2, Burned by the Inner Sun by Anson Montgomery,
2008. A month ago, you lived a normal life on the surface of Earth. After you
and your two best friends get expelled from boarding school, you begin an epic
quest to find your parents and clear your name. J Choose. |
 Summer
Ball by Mike Lupica, 2007. In this sequel to “Travel Team,”
thirteen-year-old Danny must prove himself all over again for a disapproving
coach and against new rivals at a summer basketball camp. J Lupica. |
 Raymond
and Graham Rule the School by Mike Knudson, 2008. Best friends Raymond
and Graham have looked forward to being the “oldest, coolest, toughest” boys at
East Millcreek Elementary School, but from the start of fourth grade everything
goes wrong, from getting the scary teacher to not getting the lead in the school
play. J Knudson. |
 The
Totally Made-Up Civil War Diary of Amanda MacLeish by Claudia Mills,
2008. While dealing with her parents’ separation and her best friend’s distance,
Amanda is able to work out some of her anxiety through her fifth-grade project
-- writing a diary from the point of view of a ten-year-old girl whose brothers
fight on opposite sides in the Civil War. J Mills. |
 Judy
Moody Goes to College by Megan McDonald, 2008. When her substitute
teacher realizes she is struggling in math, Judy is sent to a math tutor at the
local college and soon is completely into the spirit of college life. J
McDonald. |
 The
Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas, 20080. A young thief is drawn into a life
of magic and adventure after picking the pocket of the powerful wizard Nevery
Flinglas, who has returned from exile to attempt to reverse the troubling
decline of magic in Wellmet City. J Prineas. |
 Kate
Larkin, the Bone Expert by Lindsey Tate, 2008. When Kate breaks her
arm, she learns all about bones, from how X-rays work to how bones heal, and by
the time she gets her cast removed at the end of the summer, she is an expert.
Includes related activities and glossary. J Tate. |
 Dodger
& Me by Jordan Sonnenblick, 2008. Miserable because his only friend
moved away and he has once again lost a baseball game for his team, fifth-grader
Willie Ryan’s life suddenly becomes a lot more interesting when he finds Dodger,
a furry blue chimpanzee that only he can see, and he has to decide what he
really wishes for in life. J Sonnenblick. |
 Fearless
by Elvira Woodruff, 2007. In late seventeenth-century England, motherless
eleven-year-old Digory Beale is forced to leave his hometown when his father is
lost at sea. Digory becomes an apprentice to the architect Henry Winstanley, who
has built a lighthouse on the treacherous Eddystone Reef—the very rocks that
sank Digory’s grandfather’s ship years before. J Middle School Woodruff.
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JUNIOR NON-FICTION
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 Making
Cents by Elizabeth Keeler Robinson, 2008. A picturebook about
American money and its value and uses. J 332.4 ROB. |
 A
Kids’ Guide to America’s Bill of Rights: Curfews, Censorship, and the
100-Pound Giant by Kathleen Krull, 1999. Examines the ten amendments
to the United States Constitution that make up the Bill of Rights,
explaining what the amendments mean, how they have been applied, and the
rights they guarantee. J 342.085 KRU. |
 The
Bearskinner: A Tale of the Brothers Grimm by Laura Amy Schlitz,
2007. A retelling of the Grimm fairy tale in which a despondent soldier
makes a pact to do the devil’s bidding for seven years in return for as much
money and property as he could ever want. J 398.20943 SCH. |
 Butterflies
and Caterpillars by Melvin and Gilda Berger, 2008. Asks readers a
true-or-false question about the physical characteristics, diet, or behavior
of butterflies or caterpillars that the reader can find the answer to by
turning the page. J 595.789 BER. |
 Penguins
and Antarctica: A Nonfiction Companion to Eve of the Emperor Penguin
by Mary Pope Osborne, 2008. Facts about penguins and the research conducted
in the Antarctica region as a companion source for the Magic Tree House
book, Eve of the Emperor Penguin. J 598.47 OSB. |
 The
2nd International Cookbook for Kids by Matthew Locricchio, 2008.
Chef Matthew Locricchio brings us mouthwatering recipes from India, Greece,
Thailand, and Brazil specially designed for kids and their families.
(provided by publisher) J 641.59 LOC. |
 On
Top of the Potty and Other Get-Up-and-Go Songs by Alan Katz, 2008.
Well-known songs with new lyrics encourage toddlers to trade in their
diapers for the potty-chair, including “If You Gotta Go Do Poopy,” sung to
the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” J 782.42 KAT. |
 William
Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale by Bruce Coville, 2007. This
engaging retelling of one of Shakespeare’s last plays uses a fascinating and
unique combination of intensity and whimsy. A story of redemption and the
strength of friendship and true love. J 822.33 COV. |
 Blackbeard
and the Pirates of the Caribbean by John Malam, 2008. True stories
of the golden age of piracy in the Caribbean Sea, from 1690 to 1730,
including Blackbeard (Edward Teach) and others. J 910.45 MAL. |
 Great
World War II Projects: You Can Build Yourself by Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt,
2006. Build planes, signal lights, victory gardens, and more. J 940.5302 BEL |
 Great
Colonial American Projects: You Can Build Yourself!, 2006. From
colonial fashions and trades to biographies on key historical figures such
as Captain John Smith and Thomas Jefferson, this interactive guide blends
engaging activities with facts and trivia about early America. encouraging
readers to explore the daily lives of early colonists, common household
items are used for such activities as rug braiding, candle making , weather
forecasting, and various Native American games. A colonial time line, common
terms used in early American life, and a directory of famous historic sites
is also included. J 973.2 BOR. |
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