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Staff
Picks
As part of our reader advisory services, SRLS staff members read
and review a variety of fiction and non-fiction books each month.
August 1, 2008 - October 31, 2008 
ADULT NONFICTION
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Stephen Zibrat , Moore County Director of Libraries
When You are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
How can one not appreciate the image of a skeleton in one’s bedroom whispering about the inevitability of death?
October 2008 |
David Sedaris is, above all, a storyteller. The factual accuracy of some of the events he portrays has been questioned, yet verifiable truth seems almost irrelevant in the face of the author’s ability to weave a story that sometimes shocks, usually delights and often prompts a moment or two of reflection. Though some of the essays in this volume probably do not represent the author at his best, the book as a whole remains a satisfying read and provides an interesting perspective on growing older.
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Jesse Gibson, Director of Richmond County Libraries
A Book of Ages: An Eccentric Miscellany of Great and Offbeat Moments in the Lives of the Famous and Infamous, Ages 1 to 100 by Eric Hanson
"This is a great book for the living room table, or your bedtime nightstand."
October 2008
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Here is an excellent book to read when you don’t know “what it is you’d like to read.” It covers a lifetime of successes and failures from infancy to age 100. Ernest Hemingway is mentioned 16 times, while the Great Charlemagne is mentioned only once. It is filled with a quantity of very famous people, and others that you have never heard of. The most interesting aspects of the book is its’ ironies. For example, “In 1949 Stephen King’s father, a merchant seaman, abandons his family, leaving behind a box of science fiction paperbacks.” He was two years old. The book is packed full of these kinds of tidbits.
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Stephen Zibrat , Moore County Director of Libraries
Furious Improvisation: How the WPA and a Cast of Thousands Made High Art Out of Desperate Times by Susan Quinn
“Quinn illuminates both sides of the coin in this energetic and adeptly detailed account of the remarkable achievements of the Federal Theatre Project…. Much more than the sum of its fascinating parts, Quinn’s history couldn’t be timelier as we face yet another time of economic hardship.”—Booklist
September 2008
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Ms. Quinn has written an account of the Federal Theater Project, a short-lived yet nonetheless important program started under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration in an effort to provide meaningful work to actors and stagehands who found themselves out of a job as a result of the Great Depression. The author skillfully interweaves the story of the project itself with the broader history of the time, thereby providing the reader a greater appreciation for the work of and the reactions to the Federal Theater Project. Race plays a surprisingly large role in this drama, with the Federal Theater Project attempting to break down social barriers while politicians attempted to maintain the status quo; indeed the now infamous House Committee on Un-American Activities began during this period and helped to finally end the Federal Theater Project. The author’s engaging style only adds to the pleasure of discovery.
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Linda Lamp, Supervisor & Children's Coordinator
Titanic's Last Secrets by Brad Matsen
"Brad Matsen's riveting book weaves new evidence from the depths with historical accounts to reveal the dark, hidden truths about the deadly voyage."~Susan Casey, bestsellilng author of The Devil's Teeth
Montgomery County Public Libraries
September 2008 |
In 2005, divers Chatterton and Kohler decide to put together a team of experts to explore the wreckage of Titanic based on fleeting observations by a friend during a previous MIR submersible dive. They hoped to discover new evidence and solve the mystery of how and why Titanic sank so quickly. Matsen’s narrative weaves events of the Titanic expedition and a dive by the team to the Titanic’s sister ship Britannic to check structural design changes with historical sketches and biographical profiles of magnates of the ship building and shipping industry. Through shipwreck forensics and research into the archives of Titanic’s builder Harland and Wolff , it was apparent that design flaws were discovered. That evidence was suppressed by the builder to divert responsibility for the disaster. Weakness in the hull caused an almost horizontal breakup of the ship and prevented the rescue of 1,504 people.
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David R. Atkins, Director of Montgomery County Public Libraries
Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart
"Do you remember the best summer of your life?"
September 2008 |
Summer 1945, Marjorie Jacobson and Marty Garrett, best friends and sorority sisters at the University of Iowa, pack their bags and head to the Big Apple to find summer positions as shopgirls in the upscale department stores. After many rejections, they find themselves on the doorstep of Tiffany & Co. Here, their adventure truly begins and history is made. Marjorie and Marty become pages and the first women to ever work on the sales floor. From gangsters to celebrities, from VJ Day and Café Society Marjorie and Marty pinch their pennies and dance their weekends away with midshipmen while working in the glamour of one of the most prestigious jewelers in the world for what was to become the best summer of their lives. Not sensationalistic like many of today's memoirs, but charming and delightful narrative that deserves more attention that what it will get.
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Sheila B. Evans , Director, Hoke County Library
Traffic: why we drive the way we do (and what it says about us)
by Tom Vanderbilt
A fascinating look at what goes on in our heads when we’re behind the wheel, Traffic teaches us as much about human nature as it does about driving.
September 2008 |
We’ve had traffic problems since people first abandoned walking for other modes of transportation, but what we haven’t often considered is that there are both technical and social aspects of “traffic control” – it’s not just a question of how a traffic problem can be solved; there’s also the question of how drivers will respond to that solution, and how that will affect the outcome.
Using extensive research and interviews from experts around the world, Vanderbilt tells us why other drivers are so terrible…and why we’re not nearly as great as we think we are ; one big reason is that that humans really can’t really time-share, or multi-task, at all. A common example; the “news crawls” on the screen when we watch CNN, ESPN, etc.,, that make it appear we’re getting more information at one time. In reality, studies have shown that the more information shown on the screen, the less we can remember.
JUVENILE BIOGRAPHY
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Jesse Gibson, Director of Richmond County Libraries
Blackbeard the Pirate King by J. Patrick Lewis
"The book is a great mixture of literature, biography, folklore, history, and “picture” book nuance. Recommended for children of all ages who love Blackbeard the Pirate! "
September 2008
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A new manner of learning the old tale’s of Blackbeard the pirate, through the eyes of poetry. Youngsters will thrill themselves in the midst of a poem, while learning the “fire and brimstone” antics of Blackbeard the Pirate. The illustrations are spectacular and seem to bring Edward Teach to life. After each poem, the author inserts some biographical information about “what is taking place?” The end of the book features a short biographical essay, and a historical timeline.
PICTURE BOOKS
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Kit Brewer, Supervisor, Hampton B. Allen Library, Anson County
Butterflies in my Stomach by Serge Bloch
This is a cute book with great pictures. Think
about what you say in front of children.
October 2008 |
This book shows how kids may interpret things we say. As well as the
title there are things such as being “in a pickle”,” under the
weather”, & the principal being “the big cheese”. The pictures show how
the boy is “seeing” what is being said as he gets ready for school.
Younger kids do not understand the humor, but adults as well as older
kids really get it.
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Michelle Morgan, Supervisor Moore County Public Libraries
Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton
This is a very cute story and the pictures in the book are great. It also teaches the lesson that you need to be nice to everyone because you don’t know when you will need their help.
September 2008
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This story is about Splat the Cat and his adventures at his first day of class at Cat School. He decides that he needs a friend to go to school with him, and so he packs his pet mouse Seymour.
All the other cats welcome him to class and the teacher starts teaching the class all about cats: what they do, how they play and what they eat, and that they chase mice. When lunchtime comes, his pet mouse gets out and all the other cats start chasing him Splat tries to stop them but they won’t. When it is time for milk time they discover that the door won’t open. Splat whispers to Seymour and then the door opens. Seymour the mouse saved the day for the cats and they were all happy and said that they no longer chase mice. Splat loved school now and had lots for friends. He couldn’t wait for the next day of school.
NORTH CAROLINA AUTHORS
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Phoebe Medlin , Director, Hampton B. Allen Library, Anson County
Timeless Recipes & Remedies (Country Cooking, Customs, and Cures) by AlexSandra Lett
"Timeless Recipes and Remedies captures the essence of country cooking and celebrates the simplicity of old-timey foods and folk medicine. " --Description from website http://www.atimelessplace.com/
October 2008 |
This book captures the enticing aromas and delicious flavors of favorites ranging from old-fashioned recipes from a rural kitchen in the 1920’s to modern culinary creations. The book explores common sense cures from Grandma’s cupboard, healing aids from Grandpa’s country store and other folklore favorites
ADULT FICTION
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Carol G. Walters, SRLS Director of Libraries
Fade Away by Harlan Coben
Series that works! Suspense, wit, and dazzle you have it all with every Coben!
October 2008 |
Myron & Winn were roommates at Duke. 10 years out still friends business associates and main characters in a series that will knock your socks off with every new edition. In this outing, Myron, a sports agent gets a chance for PRO play he cannot turn down even with his bad knee & 10 years added to the calendar. Greg Downing & Myron both played top of the field college ball & Greg's missing. Now Myron is asked to join the pro team to get on the inside & find Greg.. Thank goodness, goodlooking rich, head of Lock-Horne Securities is the ever back up for Myron. Winn is devastating fighter with human and monetary resources to make a criminal's life miserable. Myron, former basketball star is 6'4" & no wimp....The path to Greg is filled with old love, criminals, and a past unclear.
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David R. Atkins, Director of Montgomery County Public Libraries
Vanish by Tom Pawlik
Atmospheric and creepy. Has the feel of an episode from the original Twilight Zone series.
October 2008 |
A strange and frightening storm sweeps across the city and for connor, helen and mitch the nightmare begins. They wake to a world where everyone seems to have vanished. As they begin to search for answers and other people in this nightmare world, They find themselves being pursued by faceless grey specters from which they cannot escape. Connor, Helen and mitch are also forced to confront the life altering decisions that have made them into the people they were at the time of the storm. Recommended for those who want to ready a scary story, but don't want to read Stephen King or John Saul.
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Bonita Collins, SRLS Director of Technical Services
The Million Dollar Deception by R.M. Johnson
The Million Dollar Deception left more unanswered questions and there surely will be third book coming out to bring everything together. Overall, the book was excellent and I read it in three days.
Septmeber 2008 |
This novel is the sequel to The Million Dollar Divorce. The Million Dollar Deception contains a few new characters to add to the story. Lewis, Monica and Nate are still the main characters in both novels. In the first chapter, Nate shows he hasn’t learned his lesson from the first novel. He is still a liar, control freak and a manipulator. Monica has divorced Nate and plans to marry Lewis, however, Nate wants revenge against Monica, Lewis and anyone else he feels has betrayed him. The sequel is much better than the first novel. It does bring closure and answers questions about certain characters.
ALSO RECOMMENDED
| The Sweet Potato Queens’ Guide to Raising Children for Fun & Profit |
Jill Connor Browne |
Adult Non Fiction |
Me of Little Faith |
Lewis Black |
Adult Non Fiction |
The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom |
Margarita Engle |
Juvenile Non Fiction |
Talented Horsewoman |
L.C. Evans |
(NC) Adult Fiction |
A Tale Out of Luck |
Willie Nelson with Mike Blakely
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Adult Fiction |
Testimony |
Anita Shreve |
Adult Fiction |
Saint |
Ted Dekker |
Adult Fiction |
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society |
Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows |
Adult Fiction |
A Matter of Wife & Death |
Ginger Kolbaba |
Adult Fiction |
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