Library Card Value
September 2012
It has been a long time since I was in school, but still September always brings with it the excitement of the beginning of school. I enjoyed school. And not just because it was an occasion to get new clothes. I can only shake my head when I think of how many times I walked to school on the first day in warm September temperatures wearing long sleeves and corduroy. Oh my, good times. Clothes aside, school was great because there was so much to learn and new books to read.
According to the latest projections from the International Council of Shopping Centers, Americans will spend more than $40 billion on back-to-school supplies. That’s a lot of corduroy! So what does that have to do with libraries, you might wonder. While libraries are not sources for back-to-school fashion, they do provide access to library programs and services that help families save hundreds of dollars and support academic achievement.
Information literacy---knowing how to find, evaluate and use information in all forms is becoming an important skill for students. For all of us, really. Getting information is easy, but getting the right information takes practice. And that’s where TDL comes in. We offer free access to important educational resources and access to online databases with content in virtually every subject including history, literature and science. We’re happy to help you navigate the sea of information. Just ask.
All it takes to access this wealth of resources is a library card. This one card can help you live better for less in our current economy. Unlike other cards in your wallet, a library card saves you money. Every year countless area families take advantage of the many free services we offer. At TDL, we believe the library and its resources can level the playing field for all. Regardless of income or class, when everyone has access to information, everyone has a chance to succeed. Each person empowers themselves with a ticket to lifelong learning when they get a library card.
Library cards are free to all who live within our service district, which is roughly the same as the Tecumseh school district. Folks who live outside those boundaries may purchase a card. Now there are some people who take offense at purchasing a library card, so I’m going to digress a moment and explain why that is necessary. People who do not pay taxes to support TDL are asked to purchase a card. Because no card is really free….you either pay taxes or purchase the card. For those library users outside of our district we offer two choices. A library card valid for one year can be acquired for $50. Or you can purchase a library card for six months for $25. The latter is a great option for school of choice students, snowbirds who only live in the area for part of the year or folks visiting for the summer. I have heard from some that $50 is a lot to pay for a library card. Truthfully, most taxpayers pay more than $50 per year to support the library. When I last checked on the amount people pay to sustain the library, the average amount was $75. So, when deciding what the cost should be, the Board of Trustees determined $50 to be reasonable. Looking at it from a value standpoint, you would only need to check out approximately 3 hardcover books to essentially get your money back. I hope that explanation of why we charge people outside of our district for a library car clears up some questions people might have about that subject.
Back to the savings aspect of having your own library card, or as we library workers like to call it ‘the smartest card’. There was an interesting article in AARP recently by Jeff Yeager. He was writing an article on saving money and he thought of libraries. A regular library patron, he mentions among other things that he saves on utilities by working and relaxing at his library during the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer. Apparently, he sets his thermostat at home high or low depending on the season and reaps the benefits. He reads newspapers and magazines at the library saving what he figures is more than $250 a year by not subscribing to them. Yeager has many more ways to use the library to save money. I’d share them with you, but this is my column not his. To learn more about his library experience go to www.aarp.org/money/budget-savingand read his article Libraries Offers Access to Free Internet, DVDs, CDs, Meeting Rooms and... - AARP.
Not coincidentally, September is Library Card Sign-up Month. If you don’t have a library card or have let yours expire, I hope this column has persuaded you to get a card or renew it. Consider taking advantage of all that the library can offer you, from downloadable e-Books, to online databases, to video games, magazines, newspapers and books. Whether you are a student in need of academic support or a lifelong learner with a lot of curiosity, if you haven’t been to TDL for a while, I bet you’d be surprised by our multimedia collections. Stop by and see what we can offer you!
If you do have a library card that is well worn from constant use---YIPEE!! We have a nifty Library Value Calculator at the bottom of the right side of our website (www.tecumsehlibrary.org). Click on the link and see exactly how much bang you get with your library card. I think you’ll be amazed.
Happy September everyone! I think I’m going to go home now and put on some long sleeves and corduroy.
July 2012
I love the smell and feel of sheets that have been hung to dry on the clothesline in the afternoon sun. Is that so wrong? Whenever I have the time and weather permits, I hang the sheets and sometimes the towels to dry naturally in the breeze. It saves a bit of money for certain; and it’s a family tradition. My mother taught me the joys of bedding fresh from the clothesline. I have fond memories of coming home from school on warm spring or autumn days and seeing our laundry on the line. There are people I care about who mock me for this habit. One goes so far as to call me ‘Amish Gayle’. Now I ask you, what is that about?! So, okay, the Amish don’t use dryers. Big deal. Their carbon footprint is probably smaller than just about anyone and isn’t that what we’re all striving for? (Plus, their food is really good. Especially their baked goods!)
Lots of people are looking for ways to live more simply. Lots of us have been studying and implementing organic gardening techniques for decades. (Which, I might mention to my detractors, the Amish have been doing for centuries.) This interest in environmentally friendly living has spread from gardening to housekeeping. I know this because the library has many items to lend on this topic.
Easy Green Living by Renee Loux claims to be the ultimate guide to simple, eco-friendly choices for you and your home. It probably is. This book is filled with suggestions, tips and tools to help anyone choose and use nontoxic, environmentally safe products to enhance personal and planetary health.
The Everything Green Living Book by Diane Gow McDilda promises to transform your lifestyle by giving you easy ways to conserve energy, protect your family’s health, and help save the environment. Ms. McDilda is an environmental journalist with more than twenty years of experience. I’m thinking she knows what she’s talking about.
Green This by Deirdre Imus. Dr. Oz endorses this book by saying that Ms. Imus has packed this tome with practical insights and solutions to protect our families by asking the question, "Is the way we clean really good for us?” We grew up thinking chemical smells like bleach and ammonia signaled ‘clean’. Ms. Imus reveals that some of these chemicals we use to maintain our homes are doing us and our families more harm than good.
Green living isn’t just about growing food and using nontoxic products to clean our homes. It is also about recycling and repurposing. The editors of Yankee magazine and author Earl Proulx have written Vinegar, Duct Tape, Milk Jugs & More. In this book, the authors give 1001 ingenious ways to use common household items to repair, revive or replace just about everything in your life. They offer hundreds of practical ways you can save money, time and natural resources by reusing common objects around your house. One of the suggestions is for leftover kitty litter. The authors can teach you how to make a soothing facial mask from kitty litter! Yikes! I respectfully decline to try this tip. And really, if you have a cat, when are you going to have left over kitty litter? Well, I guess if your pet dies you would, but I don’t want to contemplate that sort of sadness. Other tips offered include stopping foot blisters with duct tape, making an earring holder out of window screening and ant-proofing your home with lemon juice. I could probably try those ideas.
In another book by Diane Gow McDilda, 365 Ways to Live Green, she addresses choices we can make when recycling such as being the sort of consumer who only purchases what you need and what you can repurpose. She offers many suggestions as to how you can be part of the recycling loop.
So, you see, reducing your carbon footprint is on the minds of many. I’m still puzzled by how hanging your laundry out to dry is something worthy of mockery, but……why should I care. All I know is that when I crawl into bed between two sheets that smell of fresh air and sunshine, I’m content down to my toes; I sleep better and have sweeter dreams. And that is all that really matters to me.
Don’t hesitate to stop by TDL and check out any of the aforementioned titles to learn how you might live a little more simply.
February 2012
E-Reading
E-books, e-books, e-books! They are all anyone in my world wants to talk about anymore. Of course, I admit to encouraging everyone in the district to use the library to download them for free. Therefore, I’m not really helping the problem, I know. But this electronic format has turned the public library world upside down. The rise of the e-book has been exciting to watch, but they have changed the way we do business. Some people wonder if electronic books won’t take over and be the death of the traditional printed page. I don’t think so. (My personal opinion—but who wants to soak in a tub holding their Kindle?) But even if the e-books surpass the physical books in popularity, I’m not going to be too upset. The fact of the matter is that e-readers make reading a hot topic. Everyone wants one, everyone want to read with one. The e-readers are doing for libraries now, what Oprah did in the last decade---making people excited about reading!
The downside of this grand technology is that as more and more people want to borrow e-books, we realize that we don’t always have the e-books they want to borrow. Why is that? Well, because publishers are afraid. They are afraid that their profit margins will grow slimmer with this format. You see, purchasing a physical book is one thing. We may circulate it ten or twenty times and find we need to replace it from the wear and tear of multiple users. But with e-books, there is no wear and tear. So, no need to replace. Another worry is the ease with which e-books can be borrowed. You don’t need to step foot in the building! You can download a book from the library during the wee hours of the morning in your jammies. So this idea means to some publishers that e-book buyers may become e-book borrowers. Again, cutting the profit margin. This is what is making publishers nervous. So, nervous in fact that some will not sell e-books to libraries…….at all. HarperCollins Publishers, last year, began enforcing new restrictions on the e-books it sells to libraries, requiring that books be checked out only 26 times before they expire. Which if you figure the loan period is two weeks; it means the library could offer the book for about one year. After that we would be required to purchase another copy or no longer have it available to the public. The average cost of an e-book version of a best seller or by a hot author is pretty close to the cost of a physical book. I think it is a good guess that the publisher is making about the same profit regardless of the format. The difference, of course, is that the electronic version potentially lasts forever.
HarperCollins may limit how many times an e-book may circulate, but some publishers won’t sell to libraries at all! Simon & Schuster and Macmillan, two of the largest trade publishers in the United States, do not make their e-books available to libraries at all; which is a problem for our patrons. If your favorite author belongs to either of those publishers, we won’t be able to provide you with their latest in this format. Recently, the Penguin Group decided to suspend library lending of its new e-book titles and to suspend Kindle accessibility for all Penguin titles. What to do! What to do! This action by Penguin is another roadblock for libraries in our quest to meet the desires of our tax paying customers. My understanding is that Penguin has a beef with Amazon regarding a business practice. I hope they can work that out, but in the meantime, I wish they wouldn’t hold libraries and their patrons hostage.
If you are moved to action by what you’ve learned, consider writing a letter to these publishers. Often times, hearing the complaints from the consumer can cause a shift in thinking and policy. Trust me, they hear from librarians all the time!
Macmillan Publishing Harper Collins Penguin Group Simon&Schuster
Rajiv Seth, CEO Brian Murray,CEO David Shanks,CEO Carolyn Reidy, CEO
810 SE Sherman St.,Suite B 10 E. 53rd St. 375 Hudson St. 1230 Ave. of Americas, 11th Floor
Portland, OR 97214 NY, NY 10022 NY, NY 10014 NY, NY 10020
Having said all of that, please know that we continue to do our very best to satisfy your e-reading needs. The Friends of TDL generously donated $3,000 so that we might set up a downloadable library within OverDrive just for our cardholders. We are grateful to them for assisting us in this way. Just a reminder; you can access our downloadable library for e-books via our website. If you have any difficulties finding the site or downloading material, please let us know. We are happy to help—actually, it’s job security! Happy reading in whatever format you choose!
Happy New Year!
January 2012
Happy New Year! It’s time for the many lists that people compile of the ‘best’ books of the previous year. And everybody does create one! These lists are so subjective, don’t you agree? The fact is what I like you might not. Perhaps we didn’t read the same books, so how can you judge if what I say is one of the ‘best’ books really is? Some lists are published based on how many copies of a title were sold, but does that make them the ‘best’ or just popular? Critics publish ‘best’ lists, but what if you disagree with the critic; can you still agree that those books are the ‘best’? You see where I’m going with this, don’t you? The only lists that can be called ‘best’ lists in my mind are the ones we make ourselves. While I may not agree that the titles listed on these lists are the ‘best’, I do think these catalogs have their purpose. If you gather enough of these lists, it can be fun to see which books appear multiple times. Those could possibly be some of the ‘best’ books. Certainly, these lists provide lots of ideas when you are searching for the next great read. Have you created a file of the ‘best’ books you read in 2011 yet? I’ve made mine. It only has 4 titles on it, because, well, frankly, I can’t remember the whole year and every book I read. I only remember these novels because reading them was so enjoyable that I took the time to write them down.
Here’s my list:
1) Book of Spies by Gayle Lynds. I may have previously written about this one. It is similar to The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown but without the Catholic conspiracies and self-flagellating albino. The people searching for an ancient manuscript aren’t professors but spies. But it does have the same sort of intrigue, suspense and exotic locales. A real page turner.
2) Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. This story is told in a flashback. An older woman tells the story of a watershed year in her life when she was twenty-five and living in New York City. Armed only with a great deal of intelligence, wit and nerve, she embarks on a journey from Wall Street secretarial pool to the upper echelons of society in 1938 looking for a brighter future. This debut novel has the cool feel of a Fitzgerald story.
3) Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks. I’m a big fan of this erudite author. In all of her books she takes a kernel of history and fleshes it out into a compelling story. In this tome, she tells the story of the first Native American to graduate from Harvard in 1665. Told from the perspective of a young woman who grew up with Caleb, this novel, not only illuminates a little known historical fact, but gives us a window into the hearts and minds of the people who lived in that period. Fascinating.
4) State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. I spent some time dancing around this novel. I was drawn to it because I know Patchett to be a magical writer. But I was reluctant to read it because it would take me to the Amazon jungle and I don’t like hot sweltering weather, big spiders or snakes. However, after several months of watching other people take the book home and bring it back without complaint, I gave in. And I’m so glad I did. Yes, it was hotter than last July and filled with giant hard shelled bugs, but it didn’t matter. I was hooked! When the research scientist in Minnesota boarded the plane to search for the remains of her colleague who died under mysterious circumstances in the Amazon, I was right beside her. This wild, adventurous tale of friendship and responsibility was surprising and deeply satisfying.
If you haven’t yet thought about the best books you read in 2011, take time to do so. Compile them in a short little list and share them with your pals. Who knows, you may just discover a great book that somehow was overlooked. Happy reading in 2012!
October 2011
Trends in Christian Fiction
Christian fiction is a popular genre at TDL, as it is in libraries everywhere. It is evolving and changing all the time. I’ve asked Melanie Earley, our resident expert on this type of fiction, to share her insight into the recent influx of male writers into this female dominated field. Enjoy!
What types of books do you generally think of when someone says the words Christian Fiction? Do you think romance, Amish, or ‘oh that’s what women read’? Authors that usually pop into your head are Karen Kingsbury, Janette Oke, or Wanda Brunstetter. Well, the times they are a changing. More and more men are writing Christian Fiction these days and they cover a wide range of topics from prison, baseball, firefighters, murder, corporate greed, history and adventure. This genre even covers the topics of sci-fi and horror where a few short years ago this wouldn’t have been thought of. Have you ever heard of T. J. Forrester, James Rubart, Steven James or Rick Acker? These are a few of the male authors who are tackling this genre. Even though the topics are varied the one consistent theme is the faith factor. Sometimes it’s right on the surface staring you in the face, other times you may have to dig deeper into the story to find the persons faith or lack of it. I encourage you to read on a see what some of these authors have to offer from a male perspective.
Steven James writes a series of books which feature FBI Agent Patrick Bowers who tracks the country’s most grisly killers. In The Bishop a young woman is found brutally murdered in Washington, D.C. as her killers conduct a spree of perfect crimes in the Northeast. With nothing to link the crimes to each other, Agent Bowers faces his most difficult case yet, even as his personal life begins to crumble. This is the third book in the series and TDL is looking forward to getting the next installment entitled The Queen.
Corporate greed is the focus of Rick Acker’s book When the Devil Whistles. What happens when it is your job to be a whistle blower on corrupt companies? Allie Whitman and Connor Norman loved making the evils of the corporate world pay. Now, it's their turn. And the price could be their lives. "I didn't have a choice. I didn't." That's what Allie Whitman tells herself every night as she lies awake. Sometimes she even believes it. But mostly she knows deep down that her inability to make a hard choice has put millions of lives at risk, including her own. Now the only one who can help her is her lawyer, Connor Norman. Unfortunately, Allie's actions have destroyed Connor's trust in her and may destroy much, much more.
If you are interested in the American Civil War, pick up a copy of Karl Bacon’s An Eye for Glory. Michael is a good man, a family man. But honor and duty push him to leave his comfortable life and answer the call from Abraham Lincoln to fight for his country. This "citizen soldier" learns quickly that war is more than the battle on the field. Long marches under extreme conditions, illness, and disillusionment challenge him at every turn. Faith seems lost in a blur of smoke and blood...and death.
If sports is more to your liking, check out A Season of Miracles and be transported back to the summer of 1970. Looking back over the years, Zack Ross relives the summer that changed his life...Gunning for the championship is all that matters until twelve-year-old Zack meets Rafer, a boy whose differences make him an outcast but whose abilities on the baseball field make him the key to victory. Admired for his contribution to the team, Rafer turns everyone's expectations upside down, bestowing a gift on Zack and his teammates that forces them to think - is there more to life than winning or losing? And what is this thing called grace.
Would you like to read something more edgy and gritty? Try Miracles Inc. by T. J. Forrester. Vernon L. Oliver, still a young man, lives in a six-by-ten cell in a Florida prison. He has chosen the needle over the chair, having no desire to smell burned flesh on the day the state snuffs out his life. When his attorney suggests he write an autobiography to generate funds to cover the legal fees incurred during the appeals process, Vernon sits down with pencil and paper and begins his narrative.
And finally, if family relationships and the secrets that we keep from each other is more your style, you may want to try Book of Days by James Rubart. "You will lose your mind. When it starts happening...you must find the Book of Days." When Cameron's dying father delivers this message, he brushes it off. Lose his memory? He's only twenty-five. Find a book that doesn't even exist. Foolishness. Nothing more than the product of his father's dementia. But now, eight years after his father's death, it's happening. Chunks of Cameron's life are just – gone.
September 2011
Something for Everyone
While not meteorologically over yet, summer fun is over at Tecumseh District Library. We are now in the throes of fall activities. And do we have activities happening at the library!! Get out your calendar and make plans now to attend one of these great September programs. There is something for every member of the family.
For teens only, we will be hosting an afternoon of art on Monday, the 12th. This class will be taught by an instructor from Community Arts of Tecumseh. The fun begins at 3:15pm. Space is limited, so call and reserve your spot. This is part of the Teen Art Club. A great partnership with CAT allows us to offer creative fun to teens on the 2nd and 4th Monday of every month during the school year.
At 7pm on Tuesday, the 13th, join us for a program that will have you in stitches! Escape from the world of traditional quilt making with the help of Kathryn Schmidt, author of Rule-Breaking Quilts. Learn how to create quilts that are truly your own, relying on your love of color and fabric to guide you. Master quick and easy quilting techniques that all start with just six fat quarters. Discover how to get spectacular results with pattern-free, template-free, and pin-free sewing. Tap into your creativity and spontaneity.
Tweens (students in 5th through 7th grade) will be happy to learn that we’ve developed a creative program just for them. On September 15th at 3pm, Mosaic Maniacs makes it debut. Sponsored by the Friends of TDL, this group will meet the 3rd Thursday afternoon of each month during the school year. Registration is required, so sign up today!
Saving money is on everyone’s mind these days. Which is why we are delighted to offer "Coupons to the Max ". Sponsored by the Friends of TDL, this program is a must for our economy! Join us at 6:30, Tuesday, the 20th as Ashleigh Mayfield shares how she has saved her household thousands of dollars this year simply using the power of coupons. Her methods are practical approaches to what has become known as extreme couponing.
History lovers will be excited to learn that we will be exploring Adrian’s first 100 years on Tuesday, the 27th at 7pm. Join us as Julieanna Frost, an assistant professor of history at Siena Heights University, shares the story of Adrian’s beginnings.
Fun for the little ones begins this fall with ‘Snoozeville: A Pajama Story Time” at 6:45 on the 29th. This 45 minute program is designed for 3 year olds through 2nd graders. Children will enjoy wearing their pajamas, robe, and slippers to this evening of stories. Space is limited, so registration is necessary. Don’t delay, call today!
New for the fall season is the Gentlemen’s Book Club. Joining the two other monthly book discussion groups that we sponsor, this group is aimed at the men in our reading community. It will be facilitated by our own Josh Compau, a reading gentleman himself. The debut meeting will be held on the 28th at 6:30pm. Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis will be the first book up for discussion. A true story, Lewis tells the story ofBilly Beane, general manager of MLB's Oakland A's. He had a problem: how to win in the Major Leagues with a budget smaller than that of nearly every other team. Conventional wisdom long held that big name, highly athletic hitters and young pitchers with rocket arms were the ticket to success. But Beane and his staff, buoyed by massive amounts of carefully interpreted statistical data, believed that wins could be had by more affordable methods. This is exciting book has been made into a soon to be released movie starring Brad Pitt. Multiple copies will be available for pickup after the 14th for guys interested in discussing the book.
We’ve also started a collection of graphic novels for adults. But I’ll tell you more about that later in another column. Our 24-hour book locker is now available for you. With this added enhancement to our service, we are available to you 24/7! But, like the graphic novels, we can talk about that later. Honestly, there is so much going on around here that I could take up the website! If you have any questions on all the fun we’re having at TDL during the month of September, give us a call (423-2238), or pick up a newsletter at the front desk We’re also on Facebook, so check there for updates as well. See you at the library!
August 2011
The case for memoirs
Recently, I had a discussion with someone who was a bit confused, he said, as to why there seems to be a prevalence of memoirs in publishing these days. He wondered if ‘memoir’ was just a new term for ‘autobiography’. According to my dictionary, a memoir is a piece of autobiographical writing, usually shorter in nature than a comprehensive autobiography. Both of these types of books are written by the subject of the tome. They differ from a biography, in which an outsider writes a narrative of the person based on research.
While there is a preponderance of memoirs these days and it is true that I rarely see a book described as an autobiography. My theory is that our attention spans have grown shorter with our ‘hurry-up’ lifestyles. You know what I mean….the microwave, social media, and all that other stuff that is designed to help us hurry-up and move on to something else. A memoir kind of follows that fast road because it often tries to capture certain highlights or meaningful moments in one's past, often including a contemplation of the meaning of that event at the time of the writing of the memoir. The memoir may be more emotional and concerned with capturing particular scenes, or a series of events, rather than documenting every fact of a person's life. Perhaps that is why there are so many memoirs: the authors don’t want to take the time to include everything that ever happened to them. Not long ago, I read an interview with memoirist, Nick Flynn. When he was asked why he thought the reading public was fascinated with this form of writing, he gave a very thoughtful reply. He said "….the appeal of memoirs is that they connect readers with fully human, fully complex people.” He hit the nail on the head. If you only know one thing about the writer, i.e., that he is a great chef, Olympic athlete, award-winning actor, it is easy to forget that they harbor hopes and dreams. Or as my mother would say, that they put their pants on one leg at a time just like we do.
All this conversation regarding memoirs and their popularity resulted in the staff at the library putting together a display of this writing style. You’ll find it on the post right next to the circulation desk.
Some of the memoirs we are featuring this month are of well-known personalities.
Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher. She’s a writer and an actor. Well, I guess she had some issues with alcohol. You may remember her as Princess Leia from the Star Wars movies. She is also the daughter of Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds.
A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity by Bill O’Reilly. In this latest journal of Bill’s life, he details his early days as a student in Sister Mary Lurana’s third grade classroom. He discusses how these early days formed his persona and launched him on his journey to television personality.
But not all of the memoirs are from the rich and famous. Many are the journals of everyday folks, whose experiences have been such that we may all gain insight and enjoyment from reading the accounts of events.
Hot Lights, Cold Steel by Michael J. Collins, M.D. chronicles his four-year surgical residency at the famed Mayo Clinic. He goes from eager, but clueless first-year resident to accomplished chief resident in his final year.
Farewell, My Subaru by Doug Fine. This is the author’s account of trying to live green. This book chronicles Fine’s attempt to reduce his carbon footprint while keeping his Netflix and his Wi-Fi.
Personally, I’ve been drawn to the culinary memoirs. It’s been too hot to do much cooking and a girl can only eat so many salads. So, I’ve been reading my fill of cooking stories and watching the Food Network! Here are some fun stories of cooks, chefs and everybody in-between.
I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci. The author always feels compelled to cook for her new boyfriends, because "good food is the best complement I can think of to the many pleasures love offers.” When the relationship ends, she cooks for herself, to mend her broken heart! Either way, cuisine seems to be a staple in her life that helps her get through everything.
Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton. Reviewers have called this author ‘a writer in cook’s clothing’. Anthony Bourdain calls it "the best memoir by a chef, ever”. Hamilton can write that is for certain. Be warned, however, that while some of the descriptions of gutting animals and other disgusting work required of a professional chef are fascinating, they are not for the faint of heart.
Cooking with My Sisters by Adriana Trigiani is a sweet and funny look into the Trigiani clan. If you are a fan of her novels, you will enjoy not only the fab family recipes, but the stories behind them as well.
As the days of summer reading start to dwindle, think about adding a memoir to your list. Or even better, think about writing one yourself!
July 2011
Great Opening Lines
I finished a book last weekend that delighted me on many levels. I was initially drawn to it because of its cover. Yes, I hate to reveal an industry secret, but librarians judge books by their covers, although we tell you not to do it. Despite the attractive face of the book, when I picked it up, I realized this title wasn’t my usual reading fare, so I investigated further and read the first sentence. The first line of this book, ‘My life—my real life—started when a man walked into it, a handsome stranger in a perfectly cut suit, and yes, I know how that sounds.’, made me smile. A great first line is the hallmark of a good writer and a wonderful book. More than an appealing cover, a great opener promises hours of delight ahead in writing style and plot. To illustrate, consider these great opening sentences:
One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: "Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice."
The Debut by Anita Brookner: "Dr. Weiss, at forty, knew that her life had been ruined by literature."
The Last Good Kiss by James Crumley: "When I finally caught up with Abraham Trahearne, he was drinking beer with an alcoholic bulldog named Fireball Roberts in a ramshackle joint just outside of Sonoma, California, drinking the heart right out of a fine spring afternoon."
The Key to Rebecca by Ken Follett: "The last camel collapsed at noon."
Therefore, reading the first line of Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos, an award winning poet, combined with an attractive cover, led me to believe the world between the covers of this book would be delightful. And it was.
Cornelia Brown is managing a hip Philadelphia coffee shop, feeling that she isn’t reaching her potential, when Martin Grace walks through the door. He’s a dead ringer for Cary Grant. A fan of old movies, our heroine moved to the city of brotherly love because of the movie ‘The Philadelphia Story’, so seeing a modern day Cary causes her life to change, but not how she expects. Yes, a love story ensues, but it isn’t of the cookie cutter, formulaic ilk.
Clare, Martin’s 11-year-old daughter, is living with her mother Vivianna, and her world is falling apart. Her mother isn’t acting like herself, and Clare doesn’t know what to do about it. She must learn to fend for herself after her increasingly unstable mother has a breakdown and disappears. Taking inspiration from famous orphans (Anne Shirley, Sara Crewe, Mary Lennox, and even Harry Potter) Clare musters the courage to seek out her estranged father. Martin left his family when Clare was 2. Happy to leave his daughter to be raised by her mother, he doesn’t really know the child at all. When Cornelia and Claire meet, the stars align and they are instantly drawn to each other. Even though Cornelia knows that Martin is not the love of her life, she agrees to help with Clare until Vivianna is found, because though she hasn’t fallen in love with Martin, she has fallen in love with the brave, smart, and unique Clare.
Through it all, Cornelia finally comes to learn who she is and what matters to her. Love in all forms—romantic, friendship and familial is at the top of her list.
This engaging, stylishly written first novel is told from two perspectives – first person in Cornelia’s voice, and third person from Clare’s perspective. At first this threw me a bit, but then I grew to really like it. This writing style makes both of the characters become real so that by the story’s conclusion, they feel like people from the neighborhood. Another thing that I truly enjoyed about this novel is how skillfully the author weaves in a little about those wonderful old movies like the black and whites starring Katharine Hepburn. I watched lots of those when I was a kid and still get pleasure from them. Also, the author talks of Philadelphia in such detail you can practically smell those genuine Philly cheese steaks wafting up from the pages.
Since this novel was published in 2005, de los Santos has written a sequel, Belong to Me. I haven’t read it yet, but I know I will. I wonder what the first line is.