It is spring break and I am reading a self help book! Most people would find that action repulsive, but to me 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done is the best book I have read in months. Why? Because for me, Bregman "cuts it to the quick" so to speak. Rather than giving the reader a multitude of tasks, Bregman helps one discover what is important, and then suggests a way to keep a daily focus. For anyone feeling as though email rules the day, there are two many errands to run, too much paper to manage, or too many items on their "to do" list 18 Minutes is the solution. I would take this book over a beach read any day......
I just finished reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and this is truly one of the finest young adult novels I have read in several years. It is the story of Hazel and Augustus. They are very typical teens, but they are not really typical, as they meet at a cancer support group for teens. There is so much in this novel.
It is, of course, a love story. But it is also a story about how we connect to each other and to our world. It is a story about how important we all are in the scheme of things, and it is a story about books and authors and how they connect to us in many special ways. I cannot tell you too much of the plot, as it would be a "spoiler". Do take a break from your regular adult reading to let these two characters pull at your heartstrings for a few memorable hours.
John Green is a favorite with young adult readers. He has written Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, and Papertowns, as well as many short stories. He is known as one of the Nerdfighters!
Imagine having a gift that you cannot give? At this time of year giving is a priority on the minds of many people. This novella by Randall Wallace will bring you warm feelings as you read. Randall Wallace's book is spiritual, but not preachy. The book has an element of sadness, suspense, and surprise that is perfect for this time of year. I started reading this short book on a late Saturday afternoon and finished the book by evening with warm thoughts and a new perspective. Take a moment to watch Randall Wallace's video: Video Trailer
Emily and Chip Linton move with their twin girls to a Victorian house in a small town in New Hampshire after Chip's plane crashes, killing thirty-nine people. The family hopes that this move will help Chip recover from his dreams and nightmares, and they look forward to a fresh start for the family. After they move in, Chip discovers a strange door in the basement with thirty-nine carriage bolts, and they learn that many of their neighbors are herbalists with greenhouses. The women in the town pay special attention to Hallie and Garnet, the twin daughters.
This is a ghost story and will keep you turning the pages, but it is also about the demons that haunt us in our own lives. Chris Bohjalian has written many other excellent books such as Midwives and The Double Bind.
The story of The Lotus Eaters unfolds during the fall of Saigon as America is pulling out of the Vietnam War. The story centers around Helen Adams, a female freelance photographer, and the men in her life. The book begins near the end of the story as we see Helen and her Vietnamese husband attempt to escape from the chaos of a city in ruins. The story then goes back years to Helen's arrival in Vietnam as a novice photographer, and we meet Sam Darrow, another photographer addicted to the violence and war around him.
This is an unforgettable story, and Soli's beautiful prose will leave you thinking about the book long after you have closed the last page. This is an ideal choice for book clubs.
The subtitle explains it all - How to Blog, Vlog, Tweet, and Facebook Your Way to a Dream Career at Home.
If you are interested in social media and have a passion about which you want to write, this is the book for you. It starts with examples of Moms who have turned blogs into interesting and fulfilling careers just by sharing what they love, and it ends with a crash course in social media. In between it talks about how to "hang your shingle," how to find your audience, and how to make sure this new interest doesn't take over your life.
This book isn't as much about making money as it is about sharing ideas. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and want to know how to get started, this offers some good first steps.
It is available in the Harpeth Hall School Library for you to check out. Enjoy!
My fascination with Holocaust books drew me to read Erik Larson’s In the Garden of the Beasts:Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin. I begin by telling you the book is long – 464 pages.But the book of “novelistic history” as Amazon describes it, is eye opening.Larson’s novel focuses on two characters, William E. Dodd, who became the United States Ambassador to Germany in 1933, and his daughter Martha.The story begins with a detailed account of how Dodd came to being named the Ambassador.After Dodd and his family arrive in Germany the reader is then brought into Martha’s free and somewhat outrageous lifestyle of socializing and mingling with spies and members of Hitler’s elite.What I came to realize while reading this novel is that even though I knew the inevitable outcome, I certainly knew very little about how Hitler came to power and how he successfully manipulated the Germans. I also was perplexed and perhaps a bit angry at the way Dodd’s messages and concerns were generally ignored by the United States government.As I read the book I kept thinking, why didn’t the Americans take Hitler seriously?
I also pondered why Larson would tell the story of Dodd and include his daughter Martha’s escapades.I believe the answer is that Martha gave the book a diversion from Dodd, who in many ways was kind of mundane.As I read the book I wondered what will Martha do next. Which is probably exactly the reason Larson included Martha in the historical account of Hitler’s rise to power and Dodd’s difficult assignment as Ambassador. Larson’s work is based on true historical facts. At one point in the story I researched Dodd’s assignment as Ambassador because I couldn’t quite believe what I was reading. The information presented, though somewhat unbelievable was in fact correct! Larson’s work is well researched, factual and definitely attention grabbing.I would recommend this book to anyone interested in historical novels.Many of the reviews state this book is one of the best of 2011. I certainly learned a lot about the beginnings of Hitler’s reign of terror by reading this novel.
Dr. Marina Singh is a research scientist for a pharmaceutical company. When her mentor, Dr. Anders Eckman, dies while on assignment in Brazil, she heads to Brazil to confront Dr. Swenson who is working in Brazil to develop a valuable drug for the company. It has been discovered that women in the Lakashi tribe are able to bear children into their 70's, and Dr. Swenson is investigating this in the hopes that a fertility drug could be profitable for the drug company. Dr. Singh begins her exotic journey into the jungle of Brazil, and the moment she arrives discovers that all of her personal items have been stolen! This is an excellent novel, and quite an adventure. It would be a great choice for book clubs, as it also deals with philosophical and moral issues.
As I started reading Sarah's Key I was filled with a haunting feeling. Did I read this book before? I wondered if I had read the book earlier and simply forgot - but how could someone forget a book about the Holocaust. I suddenly realized the feeling came from a sense of foreboding and fear that I really did not want to face. Perhaps I have read too many books about the Holocaust. Sometimes I cannot manage the sadness in my mind and that is probably why I had a terrible feeling as I started yet another novel about the Holocaust. Why do I read books about a time that is so disturbing to me? Perhaps it is because I cannot forget an age old saying by George Santayana, who, in Reason in Common Sense, The Life of Reason, Vol.1, wrote "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
Whatever the reason I trudged onward and read Sarah's Key by Tatiana DeRosnay. I must tell you from the earliest pages I knew what was going to happen to Sarah's family. What I did not know was how the story of Sarah's family, set in 1942 in France would be intertwined with the story of the contemporary woman, Julia Jarmond. Julia is living in France in 2002. She is an American, married to a Frenchmen, living in Paris. Julia works for a magazine and is asked to investigate the story of families who were involved in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup in July 1942.
As Julia investigates the terrible time in Paris history she begins to unravel amazing connections to her own life. DeRosnay intertwines the characters of the story beautifully - and those words are an understatement. I loved the descriptive words, the emotion, and the view of the Holocaust through the eyes of a contemporary woman. I read in a review that Sarah's Key will haunt you. I do not necessarily find those words true, but Sarah's Key will certainly make you think of the connections to history and how we may use those connections to mold our lives. I believe Sarah's Key is a woman's book. I loved Julia in the story, despite her faults. Mostly, I loved her passion and persistence to unlock the truth. Read Sarah's Key for a look at a part of the Holocaust that most of us have never heard about. This is a beautiful story and worth taking the time to pursue.
Susan Timmons is reading Saving Sky by Diane Stanley
Susan serves on the committee that selects nominations for the Volunteer State Book Award, and is reading this book to evaluate it for inclusion on the list of VSBA nominees.
In an America that has suffered continual terrorist attacks since 9/11, seventh-grader Sky stands up for what is right and helps a classmate of Middle Eastern descent, although doing so places her and her family at great risk.
Donna Clark just finished reading Confessions of an Eco-Sinner by Fred Pearce and thought it was terrific.
Pearce tracked the sources of his "stuff" around the world--from the gold in his ring to the cotton in his blue jeans.It was an amazing book, and made me realize that I need to think more seriously about what I buy and the cost to the environment.
Karen Douse read Digging to America by Anne Tyler this summer.
A chance encounter between two families—the all-American Donaldsons and the Iranian-born Yasdans--at the Baltimore airport prompts an examination about what it means to be an American. This was a fun read – a somewhat atypical Anne Tyler character study about two families who have each adopted a Korean daughter.
Alice Bryant just finished Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley.
This is a book of eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce and her Holmes-like detective skills in England shortly after the end of World War II.Flavia is a spunky character and the tale is told from her perspective.The book is full of descriptive language that makes it a great whodunit for adults and teens.
This is a fascinating true story about an African-American woman named Henrietta Lacks and the contribution her cells have made to modern science. Henrietta was a poor southern tobacco farmer, and when she became ill with cervical cancer, she went to the black ward at Johns Hopkins for treatment. A biopsy was taken without her knowledge or permission, and it was discovered that these cells grew rapidly and would not die like normal cells. Scientists began to grow the cells and used them for many types of experiments.
The cervical cancer spread throughout Henrietta's body and she died leaving a husband and five young children. Her cells became known as HELA cells and they are called immortal because they continue to grow and reproduce, unlike typical cells from the body. HELA cells led to the discovery of the Polio vaccine, as well as major breakthroughs in the study of cancer, viruses, and gene mapping.
This is a remarkable book because it is a book about science--but it is also a book about Henrietta and the children she left behind. The cells from Henrietta have been bought and sold by the billions and companies have become wealthy marketing HELA cells, and yet Henrietta's family never received a penny of the profits. Journalist Rebecca Skloot spent ten years researching this compelling story.
I wanted to share my latest book discovery--Books on the Nightstand by Ann Kingman and Michael Kindness. Ann and Michael both work in the book industry and each week they do a wonderful podcast about books. You can listen from the website on your computer or you can go to I-Tunes and subscribe (free) to get the podcast delivered to I-Tunes each week. I download the podcasts to my I Pod and listen while I am walking or exercising.
The website has all of the books indexed by podcasts, and Ann and Michael also add news items of interest to book lovers. Recent podcasts include recommended gift books as well as the best books of 2009. When I am listening to the podcast, I feel as though I am sitting in my living room talking to friends about books! They also have many resources for book clubs on the website. Enjoy listening--but beware, it can be addicting!
In his previous book Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson relates how he stumbled down a mountain in Pakistan and discovered his life's work--building schools for girls in remote villages in Pakistan. This book begins with a promise. In the Autumn of 1999, Greg is approached by a squadron of horsemen from the Kirghiz area of Afghanistan. This is one of the most remote areas in the world, but these men have heard about Greg's schools and want a school for their area. Stones into Schools is the story of Greg's expansion into building schools in remote villages in Afghanistan. You will laugh and you will cry as Greg relates stories of this expansion and the lives that were changed as a result of these schools. The book is well-written with color photographs, helpful maps, and even a "Who's Who" of the many people in the book. Greg firmly believes that educating girls is the key to promoting peace and building positive relationships in the Middle East. We have so much to learn from him. This is an inspirational book, and you will remember it long after you read the last page.
Have you considered purchasing an Amazon Kindle or another electronic book reader?I purchased a first-generation Kindle soon after they became available.Since I am a librarian, I wasn’t sure I would enjoy the electronic reading experience, but now I do nearly all of my reading on the Kindle.Here are a few Kindle facts:
When you purchase a Kindle book, it is downloaded wirelessly to your Kindle.The wireless transmission is included in the price of the book and takes about a minute.
Most new books cost $9.99 as compared to purchasing a $24.95 hardback available in the bookstore.The Kindle book eventually drops in price as the book becomes available in paperback.Free samples are available for Kindle books, and many classic books are available free-of-charge.
The Kindle 2 will hold about 1500 books.After you read a book, you can delete it from your Kindle list but it is still available for you to download should you wish to read it again.You manage your list of books from the Amazon website. Newspaper and magazine subscriptions are available in Kindle format.I subscribed to the New York Times for a while and loved reading it while I sipped coffee in the morning.
Reading on the Kindle is not like reading on a computer screen.The screen is flat and looks much like the page of a book.I especially enjoy being able to adjust the font and I find that if I adjust the margins, I can read faster on my Kindle.The Kindle also has a text to speech feature, but the computerized voice is not the quality of most books on cd.
You cannot “loan” a Kindle book to a friend, but a family can have several Kindles tied to the same Amazon account and share the books.You can also read your Kindle books on your iPhone or your PC using free software from Amazon.
The library has two new Kindles.These are currently being tested by faculty, and 23 faculty members signed up to try the Kindle!The Teen Reads Winterim Class will be using the Kindles during Winterim.
The Kindle is wonderful for traveling, and it also eliminates the need to purchase additional bookshelves for your home.The one drawback to the Kindle is that it is so easy to purchase new books—just a click of a button—and you don’t think about it until your credit card bill arrives!!
One of my young Middle School girls was having some “issues” with her friends. Because she frequently visits the library in the after school hours and her mother stops in to pick her up, I was able to introduce the book Girls Against Girls to her mother and recommend that mother and daughter spend time reading the book together.Bonnie Burton’s approach to the “mean girl” syndrome is insightful, interesting, and quite practical.As I read the book I could identify many incidences from my young life that Burton plays out in her book.The good news is that Burton gives answers to those dilemmas that truly make sense.One cool thing in the book is that Burton also features women from pop culture that put a twist or spin on a certain situationSome of those contributing include Jane Weidlin, founding member of the Go-Go's; Jenny Conlee, band member of The Decemberists; and Tegan, band member of Tegan and Sara.
This book is attractive, pleasing to girls of today, and packs powerful information and ideas into easy to read text.Sometimes self-help books for teens are boring or “preachy.” Burton’s book is down-to-earth and real, which today’s girl will appreciate.This book would be great for mothers and daughters to read together.
Jeannette Walls' first book, The Glass Castle, was a remarkable true story about growing up in poverty with an alcoholic father and an eccentric mother. Half-Broke Horses is her newest book and tells the story of her maternal grandmother, Lily Casey Smith. When the story opens, the family lives in a sod house on the prairie, and Lily saves her brother and sister from a flash flood. Lily grows up to become a strong young woman, and at fifteen rides a horse for a month to reach a frontier town where she has been offered a job teaching in a one-room schoolhouse. Lily later marries and becomes a rancher's wife and eventually gives birth to Jeannette's mother Rosemary. Jeannette Walls truly has a gift for writing. When you read the book, you feel as though you are on the prairie during the flood or on the ranch breaking horses. We think of ourselves as independent women today, but this book will give you a renewed admiration for those pioneer women who raised their families as they settled this land. Don't miss this book!
Karen Douse, Director of Library and Information Services Donna Clark, Upper School Librarian Alice Bryant, Middle School Librarian Susan Timmons, Circulation Librarian
