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Staff Reads — March 17, 2016

Book

Your “Staff Reads” for St. Patrick’s Day!

Jan: I watched A Walk in the Woods [videorecording] released last year. Starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte, it is a beautifully filmed story of a trek on the Appalachian Trail by a couple of old pals who discover more about themselves than the thrill of the hike. It is superficially similar to Wild by Carol Strayed, set on the west coast’s equivalent Pacific Coast Trail. But Walk gives some of the most beautiful views and iconic sights from the AT’s southern leg…a must see for anyone who loves the outdoors.

Pat A.: The Good Good-Bye by Carla Buckley and Come Away With Me by Karma Brown. Both were very good stories with a twist.
An older book that was very good was A Window Opens by Elisabeth Egan.

Todd:

  • A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night on DVD. It was a really good, but sad Iranian movie (filmed in the US) that had bits of humor, horror, drama, & romance. They way this movie was filmed reminded me a lot of Jim Jarmusch.
  • Dope on DVD. This was a really enjoyable coming of age comedy/drama that has it all… a good story, likable characters, and great music.
  • Streamed the new Face to Face album, Protection, off Freegal. Face to Face has been around since 1991 (with a short breakup last decade). This album reminds me a lot of their sound from the mid 90s (which is a great thing).
  • I just started reading Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco via OverDrive. I was in the mood for a fun horror book, and, so far, I am enjoying it.

Stephanie: Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin: Gossipy, intriguing, fictional glimpse of the lives of several New York socialites and their relationship with Truman Capote. Heartbreaking and catty, dazzling and fun. You will want to re-visit both “Answered Prayers” and Capote’s article “Cote Basque 1965” published in Esquire Magazine November of 1975. Whether you liked Truman Capote or not, you wont be able to put this book down.

Jeanette:

Maureen:

  • We Never Asked for Wings by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Another great story from the author of The Language of Flowers. It’s a story about a young single mother, Letty, who is trying to make a better life for her children. Letty has always relied on her parents to raise her children while she worked 3 jobs but now her parents have returned to Mexico.So she must make a life for her family as she deals with all of life’s trials and tribulations . It’s a story very relevant to today’s society as she weaves a tale of second-generation Americans and undocumented immigrants. A very engaging story with well developed characters.
  • The Red Coat : a Novel of Boston by Dolley Carlson. Set in Boston in the 1940s, an Irish domestic, Norah Kelly, asks her wealthy employer for an elegant red coat that has been earmarked for a charity donation. Norah brings the coat home to her daughter and so begins the story of two families that intertwine over the decades. It’s a fascinating story with great character development but also amazing historical insight. There are lots of Boston landmarks that are presented in old photos along the side of the pages. It really came alive for me as my mother was an Irish domestic who worked on Beacon Hill when she first came to the states. Truly a book difficult to put down and sad to see it end..
  • The Lake House [sound recording] : a Novel by Kate Morton. A mysterious tale of dark family secrets set in a lakeside estate in Cornwall, England. Once again this is a book that goes back and forth from a present day mystery to one that took place over 70 years ago.
    This is a gripping mystery that will keep you thinking about it long after you’ve finished the book.
  • Mirror Lake: [a novel] by Thomas Christopher Greene (audiobook download from Hoopla). Nathan Carter, a young man in his 30s moves from Boston to rural Vermont after the death of his father. He becomes a rural mail-person and one of the stops on his route is Wallace Fisk, a 79 year old curmudgeon, who takes down his mailbox so Nathan wouldn’t be able to deliver the mail.
    Nathan’s Jeep goes off the road in a blinding snowstorm and it is Wallace who comes to his rescue and nurses him back to health. And so begins an unlikely friendship. The novel unfolds between each man’s past and present and some dark secrets are revealed. A very enjoyable story with a good narrator.

Lisa: I’m currently reading a variety of romance novels for light reading. For more substantive reading I like to read self-improvement books. Right now I’m focusing on self-improvement for my librarian self. I just finished a book called Crash Course in Library Services to Preschool Children.

Laura:

  • The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. Monsieur Perdu owns a bookstore pharmacy on a houseboat in the Seine, where he prescribes the perfect book for each of his customers. Haunted by memories of his one true love, a woman who was involved with him while married, and entangled with a young, brash writer, Monsieur Perdu drops anchor on the Seine and encounters several quirky characters and learns something about life. The writing is so lyrical, and I love the idea of the floating bookstore. And, though, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, I have to admit I was drawn to reading this purely because of the cover.
  • Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale. Illustrated by Nathan Hale. This fun graphic novel, written for teens but to be enjoyed by everyone, re-imagines Rapunzel in the Wild West with special guest star, Jack (of Jack and the Beanstalk). Rapunzel is no damsel in distress as she manages to take care of herself and get out of her tower. The illustrations are just striking, and the prose is both compelling and humorous.
  • Laura (Movie). I recently re-visited this film noir, starring Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, and Judith Anderson. Detective Mark McPherson falls in love with the compelling, Laura Hunt, simply by looking at her portrait. Unfortunately, he happens to be trying to solve her murder. The melodramatic movie is a little dated and is unintentionally funny in parts, but it’s still a fun ride, and Clifton Webb is sufficiently creepy as one of Laura’s multiple unsuitable love interests.

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