Me Before You

I decided to read this book because I've seen the author's name a lot (Jojo Moyes) and readers like her stories.  I was not disappointed!  This book is the first in a series about a young woman, so if you like her after this first book you can continue to follow her adventures.  I haven't done that, but only because I have so many other books to read by authors who are new-to-me. 

For example, Elizabeth George.  We just got a big fat book written by her and I said to Mel, have you ever read anything by this author?  And she said nope.  Turns out EG's characters are Inspector Lynley and Barbara Havers!  Who knew?  I watched the Inspector Lynley series of murder mysteries (we have the whole collection of DVDs here at the BoB) from Masterpiece Theatre, AGES ago.

And speaking of movies, a movie was made from this book Me Before You. 

Anyway, the story is about a young woman who has good people skills and is happy with her waitressing job, but she loses the job when the restaurant closes.  Her family is poor so she really needs to get another job, any job!  She ends up caring for a quadriplegic.  She knows nothing about this type of work but the "quad's" mother hires Lu because of her happy upbeat nature.

I enjoyed the book in part because Lu often said or did things I would not have said or done in her place.  Also there was a little bit of a mystery about her past to keep you guessing, which affects her behavior and choices in her current situation (happens to all of us right?).  It also increases one's awareness (as my sister might say) of what people in wheelchairs have to confront when in public.

So.  Lively characters, good story, sequels!

The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah

Kristin Hannah has a new book out, The Great Alone.  After we received it from the publishers I realized I hadn't read any of her books, so I checked out The Nightingale.  What a great story!  If you read and liked All the Light We Cannot See you'll like this book too.  It takes place in occupied France during World War II, and follows a family whose members are, each in his or her own way, members of the French Resistance.  As with so much historical fiction, this book brings the reader into a world that is unlike anything she or he has ever encountered (hopefully!).  We all know the basics about WW2, but I at least knew very little about all the things the Resistance did, especially the women.

Actually, I'd be interested in reading a novel about the French collaborators, but it's harder to see them in any sort of heroic light so I'll probably be waiting for a while before I encounter such a story.  Have you ever noticed that you can rarely find stories about the "bad" people of the world (unless it's a thriller)?  For example, we have quite a few children's books about kids who are bullied, and how they cope, but it's hard to find anything written from the bully's point of view.  Particularly an unrepentant bully. 

One of the images I especially liked in The Nightingale was that of an apple tree in the farm yard.  In the beginning of the story it is healthy and bears sweet red apples, but as the story (the war) progresses the tree dies.  One of the heroines uses its branches to hang pieces of fabric in remembrance of her loved ones and, as time goes by, the tree carries more and more of this new and sorrowful kind of fruit.  Cool idea.

Beau Death, by Peter Lovesey

Rima:
This is a detective story that caught my eye because 1) it takes place in Bath, England, which I have visited; and 2) one of the "characters" (the possible murderee) is Beau Nash , whose name I recognized.  A Beau, my dear, is the term given to a handsome fashionable young man in late 17th century England. Ever heard of Beau Brummel?  Since you are currently online you can look him up! 

This is a good mystery so I can recommend it for that reason alone, but if you are an Anglophile, or a Bathphile, or a Beauphile, or even a Peter Diamondphile, you'll enjoy it even more!

Radium Girls

Rima:
Written by Kate Moore, this fascinating work of nonfiction tells the story of the girls and young women who worked as watch dial painters in the early part of the 20th century.  The paint they used was luminous, and what made it glow in the dark was... radium. 

The work was considered skilled labor and paid top dollar.  Painters felt they were lucky to have the jobs, especially after the stock market crash.  They went out dancing together after work, bought stylish clothing, tried to get jobs at their factories for family members and friends, and were generally admired and envied. 

The girls were taught to stick the paint brushes in their mouths to make a fine "point" for number painting.  They were told that the radium was "good" for them, a common misconception of the element in those days. The fine powder hanging in the air and the paint splashed on their clothes got all over their bodies, making them look especially alluring in the dark clubs.

But then of course, as the years went by, the women began to get dreadfully ill.  Radium poisoning was unknown until more and more dial painters visited the same doctors and dentists, and a few clever medical people began to see the pattern.  The company managers, of course, denied that any illnesses were related to dial painting.

Eventually those companies were sued by some of the women, and there was a huge battle for workers' rights and compensation for industrial poisoning.  Over the years, radium girls even helped researchers learn more about radium and its long-term effects on the human body.

This is a fascinating story with elements that are still relevant to today's world.  You'd be amazed and maybe a bit horrified by how much.

From Trinity to Trinity

I was approached by a library patron about the possibility of hosting a book discussion on a work that was translated by Eiko Otake and I was immediately intrigued.  Eiko will be visiting Alfred University and holding dance performances next month.  From Trinity to Trinity is by Kyoko Hayashi.  Hayashi is a survivor of the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki.  This piece, translated by Eiko, is Hayashi's journey to the Trinity Site in New Mexico.  Trinity Site is where the atomic bomb was tested in July of 1945.

Hayashi's story is only about 50 pages, with an introduction of nearly equal length by Eiko.  This tiny book is powerful. While I was reading this book with the intention of being able to ask discussion questions (and have my own ideas to contribute), this book raised many questions and gives me plenty to think about.  It promises to encourage a great book discussion.

"I was deeply moved to see how after six decades, the horrible human experiences of the atomic bombing have brought about such beautiful and artful objects." Eiko Otake

We will be meeting Friday March 2, March 16 and March 23 at 12:00pm at the library.  We will discuss the book, learn about Eiko and dance from Chase Angier and on March 23, Eiko will meet with the group.

If you want more information on these discussion groups, please check our website at www.alfredboxofbookslibrary.org.

Irish Girls About Town

Rima:
This older book (2002) caught my eye as it came across the circulation desk as a return.  It's a series of short stories by Irish authors, including one of my favorites, Maeve Binchy, whose name is prominently displayed on the front cover.  OK, I know MB's stories can flirt with fluffiness, but I love her!!  She is a great story teller, really makes you care about her characters, plus you get to learn what it was like to live in Ireland (as a woman, mostly) in the 50s and also more recently.  Some of these short stories were pretty fine, a few not so memorable.  The editor should not have put two of them with similar plots right next to each other, but other than that I found I could not stop reading them.  What more can the devoted reader ask for?

Only Child

Some people have said that reading is an escape from reality.  And to some degree, I think that's true.  For a while you can immerse yourself in a different world, with different characters and a new setting.  Often, reading can be a comfort in hard times.

But sometimes our reading intersects with reality in profound ways.  I picked up Only Child by Rhiannon Navin just hours after the Parkland school shooting this past week. 

This book is told by Zach, a first grade student who survived a school shooting.  His brother, Andy did not.  Young Zach must confront huge emotions, and navigate a new way of life.  His parents handle the tragedy very differently, often leaving Zach to work through his own feelings alone. 

This book reminded me that after these tragedies that seem to happen all too often, there are real people left behind. There are communities and families that are broken, long after the media coverage ends. 

It is not an easy book to read, especially when the trying to "escape" the endless news coverage or our social media feeds filled with debates.  But it is relevant.  And I think it gives a voice to those families who are broken by these senseless shootings.  Regardless of politics, this book reminded me that we're all human.  And despite what politicians, lobbyists, or our conspiracy-believing friends on Facebook have to say, at the end of the day we all feel, and hurt, and grieve. 

Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders

Rima:
There has been a lot of hype about this book.  Everyone seems to love it... including me!  I listened to it on audiobook, a format to which the book is especially suited.  There are many different voices, so once I got used to who was whom it was just like following a conversation in a very weird place with references that I didn't understand at first.  For example, when I heard "I was in my sick box..." I thought, "what's a sick box?" 

Saunders has created a whole different sort of world for us, one that is similar to our own but different enough to make it a puzzle for the reader/listener.  Once you figure out what's going on it all makes sense.  He includes a lot of historical fact also, so if you are interested in the American Civil War you would get a kick out of this book just for that aspect of it.  The book is unusual in that it IS loaded with factual content while also being incredibly creative.  I've never read anything like it.

As for the title... once you read or listen to this book, do you think "Lincoln" refers to the President, or his son, or both?

The Care and Management of Lies, by Jacqueline Winspear

Rima:
Jacqueline Winspear's stories take place largely in Great Britain around the time of World War I.  Although her Maisie Dobbs series are murder mysteries, Care and Management gives the reader an idea of what it was like to be a young woman living in England right before and during that war.  At the heart of the story are newlyweds Tom and Kezia Brissenden.  Tom volunteers to fight in France while Kezia runs Tom's family farm in Kent.  The two exchange letters frequently and, trying not to worry each other, both leave out the bad parts of their lives while focusing on fun memories, stories, and food (through Kezia's increasingly exotic cooking).  I loved this book partly because it gave me a very strong sense of how hard it must have been for everyone during that war, both men and women and both sides of the trenches.  For example, I never thought of how thoroughly terrifying it must have been for the English living near the coast, expecting to be overrun by the German army any day.  And all the women from both sides who would never marry and have families because so many young men were killed...

The name Kezia, by the way, is from the Hebrew for cassia. 

Audiobooks: Reading or Not?

Some people might claim that listening to an audiobook is not really reading a book.  I've listened to many audiobooks, and like their printed counterparts, there are some I love and some I don't.  And some I don't even finish.

Audiobooks are a great way to maximize commute times.  I drive about 20 minutes to work and audiobooks make those miles interesting.  They also give me a chance to listen to books I've been meaning to read, but haven't quite gotten around to.  (ie. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt).

But here are a few audiobooks that I've really enjoyed:

The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin.  A fictionalized account from Charles Lindbergh's wife, Anne Morrow.

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Girls by Kate Moore.  This is a heartbreaking look back at the uses of radium and their effects on the women employed in factories to use it.

The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian.  This is a book of suspense and mystery.  It will keep you driving (around the block just so you can finish the next chapter)!

Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal.  I didn't expect much when I started listening to this book, but it is a wonderful story.  (And full of recipes too!)

If you want to give audiobooks a try, or if you're looking for your next book, try one of these! 

Young Adult Books for Any Adult

According to The Atlantic, 55% of YA readers are adults.   In the past year I read several that I recommend.

• Turtles All the Way Down by John Green.
• Far From the Tree by Robin Benway
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
• Who Killed Christopher Goodman by Allan Wolf
• One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

And some of my very favorite books are YA, such as Bridge to Terabithia, The Book Thief and Johnny Tremain. 

While I don't know why other adults like YA fiction, I enjoy it for a few reasons.

• Coming of age stories are relatable.  We all have our own experiences "coming of age" and we remember those same feelings, awkwardness and fear.
• The characters.  The characters! Because their experiences are relatable, so are they.  
• Sometimes I need to take a break from heavier things.  I call this "cleansing the palate."  Sometimes I don't want a complicated plot with complicated characters.  Sometimes I just want a shorter, faster read.
• They are so good! So many of them are made into movies because of this.  
• So many of them focus on relevant social issues- mental health, racism, bullying.  

Have you tried YA yet?  

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/12/why-so-many-adults-are-love-young-adult-literature/547334/

 

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, by Gabrielle Zevin

January 22
A quote from A. J. Fikry:  "You know everything you need to know about a person from the answer to the question, What is your favorite book?"

Possibly, but can one have a single favorite book?  I could not answer the question because I have several favorite books, ones I re-read once in a while and amongst whom I could never choose a Number One.  Better question, What is a favorite books of yours?

Quote for those who might question all the time we readers spend on books

January 19

"... reading teaches us to take a more exalted view of the value of life, a value at the time we did not know how to appreciate and of whose magnitude we have only become aware through the book."
--Marcel Proust, Time Regained