A Reading Wish List July 31, 2008
Posted by stacey in Fiction, Non-Fiction.Tags: Summer Reading List
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If I had all the time in the world -and eyes strong enough to take the strain- I would wish to read these books, plus many more- in what remains of the Summer of ’08:
1. The Host by Stephenie Meyer … her first book aimed at adults and it seems creepily good.
2. Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer … which would be the whole darn Twilight series.
3. The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #4) by Rick Riordan … these books are fab-u-lous, smart, and funny.
4. The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall … I loved the first book (The Penderwicks: a summer tale of four sisters, two rabbits, and a very interesting boy), I’m sure I’ll love this one too.
5. Letterati: An unauthorized look at Scrabble by Paul McCarthy … a book about words, specifically Scrabble, what’s not to love?
6. Cockatiels at Seven by Donna Andrews … number nine in the Meg Langslow series, need I say more?
7. The Matters at Mansfield: Or, the Crawford Affair by Carrie Bebris … a good mystery starring Mr. and Mrs. Darcy is always exciting.
8. Audition: a memoir by Barbara Walters … she’s an amazing person, I’m sure this will be an amazing book.
And the books that will move to the top of the pile as soon as I can get my hands on a copy are:
1. American Wife by Chris Sittenfeld … a sortof fictionalized sortof biography about Laura Bush-type First Lady, maybe, sortof?
2. The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell … she’s so witty, she can make you laugh out loud.
3. Devil’s Brood by Sharon Kay Penman … finally the last book in Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine’s story. The author has been ill on and off for years, so I’ve waited almost six years for this book. Oh, please let it be good!
4. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry … set in Salem with a family of women who can see the future by reading lace. I love Salem, I love handicrafts, and I love that this book has the promise of greatness.
5. Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris by R.L. LaFevers … are you a fan of Egyptology? Then I know you’ll like Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos (the first in this series) and I’m hoping we’ll both like the new book.
So, what’s on your list?
Stacey
Anne of Green Gables celebrates 100 years! July 29, 2008
Posted by Donna in Fiction.add a comment
2008 marks the 100th anniversary of the first publication of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic novel Anne of Green Gables about a mischievous but lovable, red-haired orphan growing up on Canada’s Prince Edward Island. Since 1908, more than 50 million copies of the story have been sold and it has been translated into 20 languages. Because of the success of the first Anne of Green Gables, Montgomery wrote seven sequels and two related books before her death in 1942. Anne’s story has also been made into movies, musicals, and miniseries. Anne has definitely left her mark on the world! To help celebrate Anne’s centennial, a prequel was authorized by the Montgomery’s family to be written. Before Green Gables by Canadian author Budge Wilson is about Anne’s earlier years before she went to live with the Cuthberts at Green Gables and is based on the information about Anne from the first novel.
Before Green Gables has been reviewed by Chris and you can find her review in our Reading Room. http://readingroom.rrpl.org/itemdtl.asp?bid=6950
Take a look at http://www.anne2008.com/ and/or http://www.lmmontgomery.ca/node/127 for more information on the Anne of Green Gables centennial.
“Isn’t it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive–it’s such an interesting world. It wouldn’t be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? There’d be no scope for imagination then, would there?”
- Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
I loved Anne of Green Gables and so I’m adding Before Green Gables to my list of books to read! I hope you do too! Happy Reading!
~Donna
To Read or Not to Read… July 25, 2008
Posted by Donna in Book Awards, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Uncategorized.add a comment
Thank you to my colleagues who have shared their book titles they are reading. We all have different preferences when it comes to books. I tend to read books with “happy endings,” but I also like to be introduced to other types of books. Although I do read all genres of books from science fiction to fantasy to thrillers to romance to historical fiction as long as they have a “happy” ending or at least a “satisfying” ending, I’m ecstatic and content. I don’t want everyone killed. I want GOOD to triumph over evil and I want people to live happily ever after. I will confess that I even read the ending first before I start a book. I would have never read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows if Harry Potter had died at the end. I was very interested in Ann’s review of Dewey: A Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World. It sounds like a wonderful book and one that I can recommend to others but it is one that I will never read because I never, never, ever, read ANIMAL books. I cry. Ever since I sobbed my way through Charlotte’s Web, I haven’t touched another book with an animal on a cover. There are too many other books out in the wonderful world of Bookland to read, so I will let others read those ANIMAL books and I will stick to my “happy” endings. Hey, it doesn’t matter what you read but that you READ so Happy Reading! ~Donna
“If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.”
Orson Welles
Poet Kay Ryan July 22, 2008
Posted by Donna in Book Awards, Non-Fiction.add a comment
I not only love to read books but I also love to read poetry so I wanted to share this news with all of you that Kay Ryan was appointed the 16th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry by the Librarian of Congress, Dr. James Billington. She joins the impressive list of the other Poet Laureates that include Robert Frost, William Carlos Williams, Rita Dove and Gwendolyn Brooks. On her appointment, Dr. Billington said “Kay Ryan is a distinctive and original voice within the rich variety of contemporary American poetry. She writes easily understandable short poems on improbable subjects. Within her compact compositions there are many surprises in rhyme and rhythm and in sly wit pointing to subtle wisdom.”
You can watch a video or listen to her read several of her own poems at Poets.org (from the Academy of American Poets): http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/352?gclid=CKTq76ie1JQCFRLhxgodLTF94Q
She really does write short poems! Here is one that I found to be thought-provoking:
Hope
by Kay Ryan
What’s the use
of something
as unstable
and diffuse as hope-
the almost-twin
of making-do,
the isotope
of going on:
what isn’t in
the envelope
just before
it isn’t:
the always tabled
righting of the present.
(from her poetry collection, Elephant Rocks)
Wow! July is such a wonderful month for reading…books, poems, newspapers, magazines…ANYTHING!
(I also think January, February, March, April, May, June, August, September, October, November and December are great months for reading too!) Happy Reading!
~Donna
Christmas in July July 17, 2008
Posted by Donna in Fiction.add a comment
“When I discovered libraries, it was like having Christmas every day.” 
~Jean Fritz, children’s author~
Ahhhhh…..the joys of summertime reading!
July is a great month for readers like me because of all the big name authors who come out with new books. Wow! My list keeps growing longer and longer of books that I want to read. Here’s just a few that have been published already or will be published by the end of July:
Rules of Deception by Christopher Reich
The Last Patriot: A Thriller by Brad Thor
Tribute by Nora Roberts
Say Goodbye by Lisa Gardner
Death Angel by Linda Howard
Killer View by Ridley Pearson
Last Kiss by Luanne Rice
With all of these new books to read, it is truly like Christmas in July! 
Happy Reading!
~Donna~
Carol’s Summer Reads July 17, 2008
Posted by stacey in Fiction, Non-Fiction.Tags: Guest Contributor, Summer Reading List
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My list of books I have been meaning to read/dying to read is so long it’s pitiful. I’ll just offer a few samples:
1.) Unraveling, by Michelle Baldini & Lynn Biederman.
I don’t normally read Teen books, but this one is special– it was given to me by one of the author who was one an organizer of a conference I recently attended at Kent State. Also, the subject matter (a teenage girl’s relationship to her mother) is near and dear to me since I have three daughters.
2.) Franklin and Lucy, by Joseph E. Persico.
Yes, I know the reviews say, “do we really need to know all this??” Nevertheless I am still pruriently fascinated by the story of Franklin Roosevelt and Lucy Rutherford (also Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings). Even our great leaders have their weaknesses. Sounds like a good summer read.
I have more, but have to check my stash at home.
— Carol (Cowan Pottery Curator)
Krista’s RIOW List July 17, 2008
Posted by stacey in Fiction, Non-Fiction.Tags: Guest Contributor, Summer Reading List
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*Can’t wait to read:
Running to the Mountain by John Katz. (His blog and web-site about his life on a crazy farm in upstate New York, his dogs, his work with hospice and a very cool outlook on life, is a MOST CHARMING place to visit: www.bedlamfarm.com > farm journal)
Summer Blowout by Claire Cook
What Now? by Ann Patchett (FYI – Ann Patchett’s mother is Jeanne Ray, author of Julie and Romeo, Eat Cake and Step-Ball-Change and Julie and Romeo Get Lucky -more excellent summer reads)
Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson’s First Season by Jonathon Eig
*Just read:
Here If You Need Me by Kate Braestrup (LOVED IT. LOVED IT. LOVED IT. LOVED IT.)
*Can’t wait to Re-read:
Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk
*Can’t Wait to Listen To: (LOW)
When You Are Engulfed In Flames by David Sedaris (I have already read it, and loved it, but you must listen to the authors deadpan delivery to truly experience the genius that is David Sedaris.)
On the Occasion of My Last Afternoon or anything written AND read by Kaye Gibbons. Her voice is magical.
—Krista (from the Administrative Services)
What a Cat! July 17, 2008
Posted by Ann in Non-Fiction.1 comment so far
I’m agreeing with others who have read advanced reading copies- the book, Dewey : the Small-Town Library Cat who Touched the World is going to be a huge hit of the fall 2008 publishing season. Vicki Myron, who was the director at Spencer Public Library in Iowa, is the author, along with contributor Bret Witter. Ms. Myron received a $1.25 million contract in 2007 to write the book.
Dewey’s story is a wonderful tale. The little kitten was found on a cold winter’s morning stuffed into the book drop at the library. The pads on his paws were frostbitten and he was hungry. The staff warmed him up with a bath and nursed him into health. The library decided to adopt him, and Dewey became friends with all who entered that library but became the special companion to Vicki Myron, the library director.
Maybe some Rocky River Public Library patrons remember our own resident cat who lived at the library during the early 1980′s. Catalog was his name, and he provided enjoyment to the staff and patrons alike during the few years he lived here.
Catalog
Dewey’s story is special though. From the flyleaf of the book- “How much of an impact can an animal have? How many lives can one cat touch? How is it possible for an abandoned kitten to transform a small library, save a classic American town, and eventually become famous around the world? You can’t even begin to answer those questions until you hear the charming story of Dewey ReadmoreBooks, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa.”
The book doesn’t come out until September 24; I was lucky enough to read an advance reading copy. Place your reserves at the library now! ~Ann
Anticipation… July 16, 2008
Posted by Victoria in Fiction.Tags: Teen Fiction
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I can’t wait to read Paper Towns by John Green. It comes out in October, but I have the ARC (librarian code word for advanced readers copy) now thanks to a couple of coworkers who snagged it at a conference. I haven’t cracked it yet, but I am looking forward to a nice long weekend sitting in our hammock in the sun and reading it. I guess I am looking forward to it so much because John Green is so adept at creating teen characters who jump into your soul. His stories always have a philosophical bent to them that I really really enjoy.
~Victoria
Summer Reading Ideas? July 15, 2008
Posted by stacey in Uncategorized.Tags: Summer Reading List
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I have always loved those little snippets placed between the programs on BookTV. They were little interviews of regular people and you would just hear a voice ask, “What are you reading?” Then these folk would try to give a title, author, and a brief description of what they were reading… sometimes with a little bit of why they chose it or why they were enjoying the book. It was great! I appreciated the answers that seemed most genuine, not just trying to name the smartest book they could think of, but it was also the enthusiasm that made those odd interviews fun to watch.
Then they stopped. I thought at first that I was just always missing the “What Are You Reading” segments. Nope. They stopped putting them on television, but they were available on YouTube -BookTV. I like that. I like it even better that they’re going to put it back on regular ol’BookTv. Hurrah!
In honor of this wise move -and just because this kind of thing makes me happy- we decided that we’re going to try our own version of this fine idea on our very own R.I.O.W. blog! So, email us at: readersadvisors@yahoo.com and let us know, “What’s On My Summer Reading List!” Maybe you’ll see yourself in the next posting!
—Stacey
