Funny Books are Possible!

Do you ever feel like every 'good' book that you read is dark and depressing?

Sometime I feel like that. Book groups also tend to choose books that really explore the bleaker side of human nature.

Well, to combat that feeling, check out the Everyman Wodehouse Price for Comic Fiction.

I haven't read any of their most recent picks, but I plan to check them out. This year's winner was Gary Shtenyngart's Super Sad True Love Story.

Best Crime Novels

Who doesn't love a good mystery?

Booklist has published a best crime novels list for 2010 and the first part of 2011...and their lists can usually be relied upon for some good suggestions.

I haven't read a single one, but at least two of my favorites authors are included: Henning Mankell and Kate Atkinson.

Stieg Larsson to Henning Mankell

If you are a fan of Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy ("The Girl who..."), you might want to try Henning Mankell's Inspector Kurt Wallender mystery series.

While Mankell's books do not deal crusading journalists, computer hackers or corrupt national agencies and corporations, his books are based in contemporary Sweden, where Inspector Kurt Wallender tries to make sense out of the changes he sees in Swedish society over his long police career: What's happening in Sweden that causes senseless, violent crime to occur? How does this affect Wallender as his career advances?

To get a quick taste of whether or not you will enjoy Mankell's dark fictional world, check out the PBS Mystery series starting October 3.

Kenneth Branagh plays Kurt Wallender in the first Kurt Wallender mystery, Faceless Killers. This is followed by two more Wallender mysteries: The Man Who Smiled and The Fifth Woman.

They are dense, psychologically taut mysteries, but if you liked Larsson, you just may love Mankell too. I do!

Reading Tip: While you don't have to read the series in strict order, it does help if you start with the early books first. (Although I recommend saving the very first book, The Pyramid, a collection of short stories that Mankell published after he 'completed' the Wallender series, until much later. It's really for Wallender addicts. For more information, visit the great Inspector Wallender web site at http://www.inspector-wallander.org. There's a great timeline and series reading guide available.

Olive Kitteridge to HBO

I always get a little excited when I see that one of my favorite books is making the move to film. Of course, it's always excitement tinged with a dose of experience, because most good books don't turn into good films.

However, I am excited without any reservations that actress and producer Frances McDormand, is developing a series adaptation of Elizabeth Strout's 2009 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Olive Kitteridge at HBO.

You can read the exclusive article about this and her other projects (including film adaptations of mystery writer Laura Lippman's books) at Deadline New York.

McDormand will play the title character, and I can't imagine a better actress for this role.

Let's hope it actually makes it to the screen!

Stieg Larsson - About the Author

One of the hottest books this summer is The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. It's the third novel in the late Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy.

I've read the first two in the trilogy (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire) and am really looking forward to reading the final one. (Yes, even library directors have to wait on the request list!)

Larsson, whose books were published posthumously, is quite a man of mystery. Articles have been written widely, and even his death has been followed by controversy about his estate.

This past Monday, The Daily Mail, published an article about Stieg Larsson. It is written by Kurdo Baski, a friend of Larsson's and the author of a forthcoming biography of him. Baski provides some possible insight into the origins of his books.

You can find information can be found at http://www.stieglarsson.com/.

Have You Read a Banned Book Lately?

Celebrate Banned Books Week, September 26 - October 3 by reading a banned book.

It's amazing what has been banned over the years. Contemporary books and classics like the Harry Potter series, To Kill a Mockingbird, Gone with the Wind, The Great Gatsby, and The Call of the Wild.

To learn more, check out the American Library Association's list of banned and challenged classics.

What have you read that's on the list?

Books about Ted Kennedy

Whether you are a Republican, Democrat, Independent, etc., I don't think anyone can deny that Ted Kennedy was a fascinating individual.

I've asked around for some recommendations on biographies about Kennedy, and found this great discussion of some of them at Amazon.com's Omnivoracious blog.

According to Omnivoracious, Kennedy's autobiography 'True Compass' is due to be published this fall.

Summer Reading

Well it's June 5 and it's raining outside. I even am wearing a sweater (and shoes and socks!) However, after having read "A Book Lover's Summer" in the Wall Street Journal, my mind is on summer...summer reading, that is.

Here's what I'm thinking about reading this summer:

• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. (A Newbery Award winner I've been meaning to get to for about 9 months now.)
  
• Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson. (I really enjoyed his earlier novel Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and seem to have developed a real taste for dark Swedish/Scandinavian thrillers)
• The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman (I've always got to read her latest. Hoffman's blend of psychological fiction with magical elements can be hypnotic.)
• The Leisure Seekers by Michael Zahoorian (About an elderly married couple who venture off on one last road trip...the reviews made me think it might be funny and I need a laugh)
• A Devil to Play by Jason Rees (About one man's year long quest to perform a Mozart Horn Concerto - in public - after a 22-year lapse in ever having touched the instrument. As a former horn player, I think this'll also be funny.)
• In the Woods by Tana French (I've always heard it was good.)
• Something from Dean Koontz's Odd Thomas series. (I have to confess I've never read any of his books and he's from Mechanicsburg! Shame on me!)

What are you reading?

Good Storytelling: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Late last night, I finished reading Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale.

The book probably falls under the heading 'gothic mystery'. But don't be turned off by that.

I'm usually not a fan of this genre; but good writing is good writing whatever the category, and there is plenty to be found here.

As for a plot summary, it's hard to summarize in just a few sentences. The library system's online catalog says it is "a compelling emotional mystery about family secrets and the magic of books and storytelling. A dying writer bids a young bookshop assistant to write her biography."

That's a start, but it doesn't really indicate the book's rich narrative, its story-within-a-story qualities, and its careful plotting.

If you are a fan of classics like Jane Eyre, Rebecca and Wuthering Heights, you will really enjoy this book. It's full of secrets, family madness, ghosts, a number of surprising twists and just plain hard-to-put-down storytelling.

It's definitely a recommended read and very worthy of book club consideration.

Talk to Your Favorite Authors

Today I discovered an interesting new site that features authors and books called Authors on Air.

It features recorded interviews and live chats with authors. Right now, they are running an interview with Ken Davis, author of many of the Don’t Know Much About® series books.

Two of their upcoming authors include:

• Paulo Coelho discusses The Alchemist on September 17.
• Ann Patchett discusses Run on September 24.

If you can't participate in the live interview and chat sessions, you can listen to archived recordings of interviews from the site.

The site also features mystery, romance, science fiction and historical fiction authors. Plus, they have RSS feeds and email subscriptions for people who want to be alerted to upcoming interviews and live chats.

Online Fall Book Calendar

USA Today’s Fall Books Calendar has arrived. Listing about 150 titles to be released, it's a lot of fun to browse.

Of course, being a cat owner, I loved the opening book cover for Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World. (Request it from CCLS)

The calendar is interactive and includes excerpts, book jacket covers and summaries. You can develop your own personal 'watch' list and begin thinking about your fall and winter reading now.

How fun!

Water for Elephants -- Late in Finding a Gem!

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen has been on my bedside table for at least 2 years when I received a copy at Book Expo in New York City. A number of people highly recommended it to me, but I just never got to it.

This past week I did...and what an original story!

Ninety-two (or ninty-three) year-old Jacob Jankowski remembers his time as a young man in the circus during the Great Depression, and his friendship with Marlena, the equestrian star, Rosie, the elephant, and Walter, the dwarf.

While some of it was a little tough to read at times (some violent treatment of animals and people), I highly recommend it.

Harry Potter isn't # 1: What are Kids Reading?

According to a report released by Renaissance Learning, kids are reading a wide variety of books, and not just J.K. Rowling's popular Harry Potter series.

What are Kids Reading?, lists the top 20 books read in 2007 by more than 3 million students in grades 1 - 12 who logged on to the Renaissance Learning web site to take quizzes on books that they read during the year. The book lists are available by grade level, region of the country (South, Northeast, Midwest and West) and by gender.

It's fascinating to look at the lists and remember books that I enjoyed as a child. Classics like Green Eggs and Ham, Charlotte's Web and To Kill a Mockingbird are listed along with newer classics such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Bridge to Terabithia and The Giver. Judy Blume, J.K. Rowling, Gary Paulsen, Louis Sacher, Jerry Spinelli and Lemony Snicket are all well represented, along with Shakespeare, Bradbury and Steinbeck.

Interestingly, the top book for teens in grades 9-12 was A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer. Pelzer just appeared in Harrisburg on Monday, May 5 at a program sponsored by the Jewish Family Service of Greater Harrisburg. I wonder how many teens were there?

One of Life's Simple Pleasures: Mysteries

For me, mystery books have been a lifelong addiction. Beginning with the Hardy Boys and Encyclopedia Brown (with a few Nancy Drew's thrown in for good measure), I've long enjoyed them.

One of the ways that I find new authors is to keep watch who wins Edgar® Awards each year.

Tonight, the 62nd annual Edgar® Awards will be announced in New York City. Mystery writers from across America will be 'Dressed to Kill' as they they celebrate their work, announce Edgar® Award winners and name a new Grand Master.

The Grand Master award is the genere's highest honor. Past Grand Masters have included: Stephen King, Ira Levin, Mary Higgins Clark, Donald Westlake, Lawrence Block, P.D. James, Ellery Queen, Daphne du Maurier, Alfred Hitchcock, Graham Greene, and Agatha Christie.

This year, I was pleased to learn that one of my favorite mystery writers is being honored as a Grand Master — Bill Pronzini. Pronzini's works are reliably excellent, book after book. His Nameless Detective series is one of my favorites. If you haven't read it, give it a try. If only for the sheer fun of seeing how Pronzini succeeds in creating a detective whose name is never revealed.

Eat, Pray, Love - One Quirky, Fascinating Book

This past week, I read Elizabeth Gilbert's best-selling memoir, Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia.

It ranks as one of the most unusual, quirky books I have read in a long time. Our library catalog summarizes it this way:

Eat, Pray, Love traces the author's decision to quit her job and travel the world for a year after suffering a midlife crisis and divorce...a journey that took her to three places in her quest to explore her own nature and learn the art of spiritual balance.

It is a most surprising novel; one that swings from eating with joy and abandon in Italy to seeking communion with God in India and back again to loving life more fully in Bali.

If you have read it and are curious about where Elizabeth Gilbert is now, you may want to check out these websites:

• Elizabeth Gilbert's website
• Penguin Reader's Guide
• March 2006 Book Reporter interview
  

Also, Fredricksen Library will hold a book discussion about the book at its Literary Cafe on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at 7:00 PM. Unfortunately, I can't attend the program that night, but I'll be looking forward to hearing from those who do.

Great Academy Award Reads

I was really struck this year by how many of the movies that were nominated for Oscars were based on really good books.

Just check out this list:

• Atonement by Ian McEwan;
• No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy;
  
• Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini;
  
• Gone, Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane;
  
• The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman;
  
• 3:10 to Yuma a short story by Elmore Leonard;
  
• The Bourne Ultimatum by Robert Ludlum; and
  
• Oil by Upton Sinclair (There Will Be Blood)
  

So often the movie never matches the experience of reading the book, or vice versa. But just looking at this list makes me think that the movie makers did a wonderful job this past year. Nearly all the books on this list were great films, in most cases matching the book's power to captivate imaginations.

More on Ishmael Beah's A Long Way Gone

In January I wrote about what was being reported in the Australian news media about Ishmael Beah's A Long Way Gone. Apparently questions had arisen as to the accuracy of his memories of life as a teenage soldier in Sierra Leone.

You can read more about this at newsvine.com. I think this article by Hillel Italie says it best:

Memoirs, of course, are a famously imperfect art form. Inaccuracies and omissions appear in classics by Henry Adams and Benjamin Franklin and countless other works. While few are reduced to proven deceit, such as James Frey's "A Million Little Pieces," even the best books are only as reliable as memory itself.

Who among us can accurately remember events that occurred when we were children — much less in the environment of being trained to be a mercenary killer? I can't even imagine what that would be like.

Thus, this title remains one of my most memorable books from 2007.

Ishmael Beah's Memory of Events

There was notice in Publishers Weekly yesterday (January 21, 2008) that one of the books on my personal 'Best of 2007' list, Ishmael Beah's A Long Way Gone, may be inaccurate.

According to Publishers Weekly, Sydney's The Australian reports that Beah's chronology of events in war-torn Sierra Leone differs from actual dates in the conflict. (January 19, 2008 and January 21, 2008)

It appears that Beah's claim to have spent two years as a soldier may be inaccurate.

I heard Beah speak at the 2007 Pennsylvania Library Association conference in State College, PA. Regardless of whether his book is factually correct, his book and his speech were both moving accounts of how war affects communities and families.

Publishers' Weekly says that a statement is expected from Beah's publisher later today. I'm sure thar I won't be alone in watching how this story resolves itself.

More Harry Potter!?

One of my favorite books from this 2007 was the final installment of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as read by Jim Dale.

I thought that Rowling did a wonderful job of completing the series. It had a satisfying ending, including a glimpse into the future lives of Harry, Ron and Hermione; but, just like a good book should always do, it left me yearning for more.

Well, there is word today that Rowling occasionally experiences moments of weakness and thinks that she just might write another book in the series. (However, Harry wouldn't be the central character.)

Lest we get too excited about this, she also says that given the other projects that she is currently working on, she doesn't think she will get to it for at least 10 years...well, I can wait!