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.