http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/ A reading blog from Milwaukee Public Library. www.mpl.org en Copyright 2013 Sat, 25 May 2013 11:27:17 -0600 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss And the Mountains Echoed spans more than a half century, intertwining stories from character's in a Kabul mansion and an Afghan village. An Afghan villager gives his daughter to a wealthy couple for adoption without realizing how this will impact lives from the 1950s to the present day and from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco. The repercussions of Kabul being overtaken by the Taliban bears down on everyone even more. The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, Hosseini's previous novels, were told from a single point of view. This time he links the narratives of many by blood or circumstance, offering insight into the souls of those affected by events. Each section has a distinct worldview, ranging from a village boy who loses his sister to adoption to a shy stepmother with an awful secret to the adopted daughter/sister herself. As time goes on the story crosses the Atlantic and shares the experience of Afghans living as immigrants, building a new life while still missing home. Jacki @ Central ]]> http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/and_the_mountains_ech.html http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/and_the_mountains_ech.html Fiction Sat, 25 May 2013 11:27:17 -0600 The Memory of Love by Linda Olsson is set in New Zealand when Marion Flint, a woman in her early 50s, suddenly finds herself caring for a young boy trying to get away from a dangerous situation. As she sets about trying to meet his needs, she slowly opens her heart to the memories of her past. It's not only the locale that makes this book a breath of fresh air to read, but Olsson's writing is lyrical and easy as well. Mary S @ Zablocki (Center Street) ]]> http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/memory_of_love.html http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/memory_of_love.html Fiction Wed, 22 May 2013 08:48:13 -0600 Styled in the fashion of an actual eighteenth-century memoir, Pyg: The Memoir of Toby the Learned Pig is an amusing little book. Toby's life goes through all sorts of exciting little adventures, from barely avoiding the slaughterhouse after winning the grand prize at a fair, to becoming part of an all-animal circus and beyond. The tale is quite grounded for a concept that could have easily been taken away with whimsy or sentimentality, though sometimes this leads to the story feeling almost a little too dry and serious for the story of an intelligent pig. For those who love the stories of Babe and Wilbur or any of the other yarns about smart swine, Pyg is definitely worth a read. The pace is steady enough so that the concept never outstays its welcome, and there are a few nice moments where the author (Russell Potter disguises himself as the 'editor' to increase the illusion that the book is indeed the memoir of the porcine protagonist) manages to touch upon deeper themes without getting preachy. Check it out from your local library today! Tim @ Central]]> http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/pyg_the_memoirs_of_toby_the_le.html http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/pyg_the_memoirs_of_toby_the_le.html Fiction Tue, 21 May 2013 09:23:07 -0600 "First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you." - F. Scott Fitzgerald I'll tell you one thing; rock n rollers aren't the only ones who've dabbled into excess! Keith Richards has nothing over Edgar Allan Poe or Oscar Wilde. Lord Byron and Charles Baudelaire were indulging in shocking behavior long before Elvis ever shook his pelvis on television. Literary Rogues: A Scandalous History of Wayward Authors by Andrew Shaffer is a delightful literary romp through a rogue's gallery of Western Literature's most famous misbehavers. We learn how Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald fueled the Jazz Age on gin fumes. We get a nice summary of the Marquis de Sade's literary and literal debauchery. Hemingway had issues, Truman Capote partied more than he wrote, Dorothy Parker could make a longshoreman blush, and Hunter S. Thompson truly takes the excess cake. This fun book is like a compilation of gossip page headlines for the literary set. Fact filled, fun, and eye opening, this collection of short bio's will be a true hair of the dog for lovers of good literature and the people who wrote it. Submitted by Dan@Central ]]> http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/literary_rogues_a_scandalous_h.html http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/literary_rogues_a_scandalous_h.html Non-Fiction Mon, 20 May 2013 10:36:20 -0600 Voices of the Pacific: Untold Stories from Marine Heroes of World War II by Adam Makos and Marcus Brotherton should be taught in every high school across the country. It does not give battle reports and dates. It doesn't have a political agenda. It is simply a book of personal recollections of war in the Pacific from men who fought there. This is real. It's like sitting at your neighborhood tavern shooting the breeze with veterans of Guadalcanal and Okinawa and Peleliu. Each passage has a distinct voice and all of the voices, when strung together, tell the real story of warfare. It's not pretty. Friends being bayoneted, buddies blown to bits; slit trenches and wormy bread, bloated bodies bursting in the heat and staining your pants. These stories are real and within a few more years, there won't be any surviving veterans of WWII left to tell them. This book is important and vital and sad. No flag waving here, just stories of men and the horrors they faced while serving their country. Dan K @ Central]]> http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/voices_of_the_pacific_untold_s.html http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/voices_of_the_pacific_untold_s.html Non-Fiction Sat, 18 May 2013 09:51:21 -0600 NOS4A2 by Joe Hill is an epic novel spanning three decades that horror fans will enjoy because of its unsettling imagery and omnipresent dread. Ever since Victoria McQueen helped police apprehend serial child abductor Charles Talent Manx, she can't keep out of trouble's way. Manx is in a coma and Vic is receiving phone calls from his victims. His dead victims. The kids were never found; when they call, they tell Vic that they're not dead, they're thriving in a place called Christmasland. No matter how hard she tries, she can't forget the boy she found in the back seat of Manx's Rolls-Royce Wraith--a disturbing creature that looked like a vampire, with hooks for teeth. So, that might sound creepy to you, but what really got me was Bing, the Gasmask Man, Manx's assistant. He's charged with trapping the mother's of Manx's victims; reading about the House of Sleep and Bing gassing his victims into submission nearly put me over the edge. Jacki @ Central]]> http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/NOS4A2.html http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/NOS4A2.html Science Fiction / Fantasy Fri, 17 May 2013 10:12:46 -0600 As the summer settles in, no cookout or picnic is complete without snacks! But have you ever wondered why those potato chips, cookies, or soda taste so addictive? Michael Moss's recent book, Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us is an exploration of the places where biology, corporate profit, convenience, and food science overlap. Moss explores how the food industry has manipulated desirable ingredients (salt, sugar, fat) to enhance their food, creating a "bliss point" that our taste buds simply cannot resist. The book weaves together the rise of convenience food with information on our biological predispositions, nutritional needs, and susceptibility to food-related illness. The reader is introduced to the chemists that produce these convenience foods as well as the stealthy marketing devices corporations use to sell the products. This investigative work gives the modern reader a historical perspective on our current grocery store shelves. Journalistic in tone, this is a logical next read for anyone who has enjoyed books by authors like Michael Pollan or has an interest in the food industry. Shannon @ Center Street ]]> http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/salt_sugar_fat_by_mic.html http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/salt_sugar_fat_by_mic.html Non-Fiction Thu, 16 May 2013 10:52:31 -0600 The Mediterranean Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone is much more than just a collection of amazing recipes, this cookbook has a brilliant introduction to slow cooking, as well as a comprehensive section on the items found in the Mediterranean pantry. Busy cooks interested in easy-to-prepare, healthy, and intriguing meals such as Greek shrimp with tomatoes and feta to lesser-known dishes such as creamy polenta lasagna, port-braised chicken and Bandit's Lamb will appreciate the wide range of delicious choices, clear and simple instructions, and mouth-watering photographs. Bon appetite! Tricia @ Center Street]]> http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/med_cooking.html http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/med_cooking.html Non-Fiction Wed, 15 May 2013 11:19:50 -0600 In Real Wifeys Hustle Hard Sophie "Suga" Alvarez (childhood friend of Luscious from Real Wifeys Get Money and with a surprising connection to Goldie from Real Wifeys On the Grind) is a fierce female committed to her loved ones and making as much cash as possible. Suga and her fiance Dane live life via a delicate balance of legit and illegal operations in Newark, New Jersey. Dane is one of the best loan sharks in the area and pulls in a lot of paper, which Suga enjoys, but she won't marry him until he shows her that he's serious about leaving the hustle behind. Amid uninhibited sex, graphic violence and a lot of profanity, readers will cheer for Suga to rise above the fray as she encounters slippery associates and co-workers, barely escapes the law and realizes how much betrayal her life depends on. Jacki @ Central ]]> http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/hustle_hard.html http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/hustle_hard.html Urban Fiction Mon, 13 May 2013 11:52:59 -0600 Regular readers of Rod Dreher's blog at American Conservative magazine have followed the story of the illness and death of his beloved younger sister, Ruthie Leming. Leming, a schoolteacher who served in the rural Louisiana parish they both grew up in, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lung cancer at the age of 40. This is a remarkable book about the last months of Ruthie's life and the community that rallied around her in the darkest of times. But it's so much more than that. Ruthie's death inspires the author to move back to his hometown with his own family, the place he left two decades ago to seek his fortune in the world. Back home, he grapples with his complicated relationships with his parents, nieces and Ruthie herself, whose death still left much unresolved between them. Themes of family, community, obligation and trust abound in this warm and absorbing book. Brett @ Central]]> http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/the_little_way_of_ruthie_lemin.html http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/the_little_way_of_ruthie_lemin.html Non-Fiction Sat, 11 May 2013 09:02:23 -0600 The Rain Wilds Chronicles by Robin Hobb follows a group of dragons and the humans that keep them. The dragons are nearly extinct, but the humans work to defeat disease, adversity, mother nature, poachers and the government to keep the species going. The first three books, Dragon Keeper, Dragon Haven and City of Dragons cultivate the characters and build suspense. And although Blood of Dragons is the final book in the series, it reads quickly, with plenty of back-story details to bring readers up to speed, so it can even be read as a standalone. Fantasy fans will also find the story finishes well...loose ends are neatly tied up and closure for all major characters is included. Jacki @ Central ]]> http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/blood_of_dragons.html http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/blood_of_dragons.html Science Fiction / Fantasy Fri, 10 May 2013 11:09:44 -0600 Ever wonder what the library staff are reading? Here's a snapshot of what's currently being read by workers at Central: Laura P is reading The Summer Queen by Joan D. Vinge Hilary E is reading Swimming Studies by Leanne Shapton Christine O is reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle John S is reading Deity, Mantra, and Wisdom: Development Stage Meditation in Tibetan Buddhist Tantra by Jigme Lingpa, Patrul Rinpoche, and Getse Mahapandita Allie S is reading Visa for Avalon by Bryher Leslie F is reading An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon and listening to The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson Gail B is reading Disturbance by Jan Burke Tom O is reading Dear Life: Stories by Alice Munro Tom F is reading I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp: An Autobiography by Richard Hell Mary M is reading Amazing Things Will Happen: A Real-World Guide on Achieving Success and Happiness by C.C. Chapman Victoria S is reading The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price by Lynn O'Shaughnessy Kelly K is reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio Manuel C is reading Blue-Blooded Vamp by Jaye Wells Jim B is reading The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Joanne B is reading Gone to Soldiers by Marge Piercy Emily K is reading Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West by Stephen E. Ambrose Pam H is reading Dance of the Gods by Nora Roberts Roxanne S is reading The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa Chris M is reading Big Girl Panties by Stephanie Evanovich (a forthcoming title, July 2013) Kathy B is reading Anjum's Eat Right for Your Body Type: The Super-Healthy Detox Diet Inspired by Ayurveda by Anjum Anand Watch for future lists of what the staff at the branch locations are reading! ]]> http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/whatcha_readin_central_library.html http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/whatcha_readin_central_library.html Fiction Mystery Non-Fiction Romance Science Fiction / Fantasy Young Adult Thu, 09 May 2013 15:15:25 -0600 Sonali Deraniyagala thinks nothing of it at first. She and her family are almost ready to leave their hotel at Yala, a national park on the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka, when a friend says "Oh my God, the sea's coming in." Sonali turns and sees the white curl of a big wave that does not seem particularly alarming. But then the wave turns to froth, the froth to foam, and the foam to waves rushing closer and closer to their room. The family tries to flee, but when the tsunami has subsided, only Sonali has survived. Dead are her parents, her husband, and her two sons, seven-year-old Vikram and five-year-old Malli. From this stunning opening, the author takes us through her odyssey of grief, despair, and remembrance in the years to come. She plots her suicide, starts drinking too much, and stalks the Dutch family who moves into her parents' former home. Her sorrow is palpable as she describes herself, mutilated by loss. Yet this book is so much more than a wild shriek of pain. Memories of her childhood, the early days of courtship with her husband, and details of her boys' lives come to life in pristine prose. The imagery in this book is amazing, from the "gluey dark snot" coming out of Sonali's nose after she emerges from the filthy water of the wave to happier memories of eating mussels on the beach with her family, "the clatter of slurped-out shells on a tin plate, salt on the children's eyelashes, sunset." Six years after the wave forever changes her life, Sonali goes on a whale-watching excursion. As the boat chugs out of the harbor, she remembers Vikram's fascination with whales and feels the agony of having this experience when he cannot. But as she finds herself transfixed by the "unearthly dimensions" and "effortless grace" of possibly the largest creatures that have ever lived, she begins to "want to take in all this blue whale magic," maybe more so because her son cannot. What a beautiful, powerful book The Wave is. Anna W @ Central ]]> http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/the_wave_by_sonali_der.html http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/the_wave_by_sonali_der.html Non-Fiction Thu, 09 May 2013 09:36:32 -0600 The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell is a unique, heartbreaking story that takes the reader to a squalid neighborhood in Glascow where two teenage sisters have a couple of secrets buried in their backyard; their parents. The girls are taken in by their lonely, gay neighbor who tries to heal the damage done by their drug addled, neglectful parents. Told in alternating chapters by each sister and their neighbor, this dark tale explores the wide range of human brutality and kindness. Tricia @ Center Street]]> http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/death_of_bees.html http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/death_of_bees.html Fiction Wed, 08 May 2013 10:38:09 -0600 The Milwaukee Public Library is fortunate to own a complete set of the British art and literary journal The Yellow Book. It was published in London from 1894 to 1897. The first art director of this quarterly publication was Aubrey Beardsley, the British illustrator infamous for his dark, grotesque and often erotic drawings which were influenced by Japanese prints. Beardsley has been credited with the idea of the yellow cover, a reference to books sold in Paris wrapped in yellow paper which became a sign of their lascivious content. However, the journal was respectable and featured the writings of such luminaries as Henry James, H. G. Wells and William Butler Yeats as well as the artwork of others. It was a famous publication in its day and references to it are found in W. Somerset Maugham's Of Human Bondage and Evelyn Waugh's Put Out More Flags. If you are interested in viewing this set, call the Art, Music and Recreation Department at 414-286-3071 to arrange a visit. Pat DeFrain, Rare Books Librarian @ MPL Central ]]> http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/treasures_of_the_rare_b.html http://blog.mpl.org/mke_reads/2013/05/treasures_of_the_rare_b.html Rarities Mon, 06 May 2013 12:04:00 -0600