Jefferson County Public Library Logo

Books and Beyond Blog Archive
Home Books and Beyond Blog Archive

Books and beyond

MARCH 27, 2013
Books into Movies/Television: Nordic Crime Fiction

If you are a fan of Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, try some of these Nordic Crime novels that have been made into movies:

HeadhuntersJo Nesbo
Headhunters
- Book
Headhunters - Movie 

 
 

smilla's sense of snowPeter Hoeg
Smilla’s Sense of Snow
- Book
Smilla's Sense of Snow - Movie




WallanderHenning Mankell 
Kurt Wallander - Books
Wallandertelevision series
Henning Mankell’s fictional detective character Kurt Wallander is the main character in the BBC drama Wallander starring Kenneth Branagh. Plus, I just discovered Henning Mankell is Ingmar Bergman’s son-in-law, wow!

Add a comment
(0 comments)
posted by Jill, Arvada Library

------------------------------------------------------

MARCH 25, 2013
A Book We Love: Excellent Women by Barbara Pym

A Book We Love: Excellent Women by Barbara Pym

Barbara Pym, who wrote mostly in the 1950s, has been described as the most underrated author in the English language. Her books fell into obscurity before being resurrected in 1977. Today there is a Barbara Pym Society that holds international conferences about her works and her life; books and articles have been published as well—and yet she is still not well known.

Excellent Women is a good introduction to Barbara Pym’s works. Mildred Lansbury is in her 30s, unmarried (in 1950s London that makes her a veritable spinster), and has a tendency to get involved in other people’s affairs. Mildred is also an excellent observer, offering witty, perceptive comments about herself and about the people she meets. Like Jane Austen before her, Barbara Pym creates a character-driven world with Mildred as entertaining tour guide. There are deeper themes here too, as Mildred ponders gender roles, societal expectations, and her own place. Excellent Women

Add a comment
(0 comments)
posted by Ros, Evergreen Library

------------------------------------------------------

MARCH 22, 2013
Getting to know the author: An interview with Sean Eads

SurvivorsThe Survivors by Sean Eads has just been short-listed in the Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror category by Lambda Literary! Why are we so excited? Sean is also a librarian at Standley Lake Library. His novel, narrated by journalist Craig Mencken, tells the story of an invasion by rude aliens.

 

The Survivors is laugh-out-loud funny at the start but quickly becomes very dark. Did you always know that the story would go in that direction?
Yes, I knew the story would take a dark turn as it attempted to imagine how the peculiar alien invasion might go. I wanted the story throughout to constantly move between uneasy humor and violence as a way to keep readers interested and guessing.

How did you find Craig Mencken’s voice?
His voice is, in part, a parody of the voice David Sedaris uses when narrating many of his essays. I’d been re-reading Me Talk Pretty One Day at around the time I got the idea for The Survivors, and started thinking what a Sedaris-esque “character” might be like as a war correspondent in an alien invasion. While the story ended up being a bit different from that initial intention, I think some of that origin still comes through in how my narrator speaks.

This is your first novel to be published in print. What else have you had published?
My latest short story, “To Bie or Not to Bie,” came out in Shock Totem. It involves zombies and a young troupe of Shakespearian actors. I have two more stories coming out in separate anthologies this year. One is called “The Oven,” and examines how the Ginger Bread Man would react in a world overrun by the living dead. The other involves Oscar Wilde battling zombies during the 1900 Paris Olympics. I have a science fiction/mystery story called “The Seer” coming out soon. I’ve also tried my hand at a thriller novel called Trigger Point, which was released in 2012 in e-book format.

Describe your writing space.
My writing space is wherever I happen to be when I have a moment to write. At home, it’s pretty much in front of a computer with a lot of dirty dishes stacked up around my keyboard. But I can write anywhere—a park, a laundromat; it doesn’t matter. I have actually written in the bathtub before, but that was messy. I don’t need a room with a view, complete silence, or anything like that.

You work full time at JCPL. When do find time to write?
Having no social life helps. I’m usually up in the early morning staffing AskColorado, the state’s live virtual reference service, and I’ll be working on a story in-between helping patrons. I generally write a couple of hours after work as well. I used to be very disciplined about writing for three hours every day, but in the past couple of years I’ve found myself becoming more of a “burst” writer, pumping out large amounts of words in a short time, then going at a more relaxed pace for a week or two. I love writing and it really never comes down to finding time. I just do it.

Add a comment
(0 comments)
posted by Susannah, Standley Lake Library

------------------------------------------------------

MARCH 20, 2013
What We’re Reading this Month

The World to Come by Dara Horn

Attending a singles gathering at a New York art museum leads to trouble for television quiz-show writer Benjamin Ziskind. Not romantic trouble, at least not at first, but legal trouble:  when Benjamin sees a Marc Chagall painting he’s convinced once belonged to his family, he picks it off the wall and takes it home. In a deftly woven story, author Dara Horn delves into the painting’s history, starting with a Russian Orphanage in the 1920s to the Vietnam War to see how the painting changed hands over generations. If you enjoy charming literary fiction that explores questions of moral responsibility and love, then don’t miss this title.

world to come

Add a comment
(0 comments)
posted by Bonnie, Lakewood Library

------------------------------------------------------

MARCH 18, 2013
A Book We Love: Excellent Women by Barbara Pym

Barbara Pym, who wrote mostly in the 1950s, has been described as the most underrated author in the English language. Her books fell into obscurity before being resurrected in 1977. Today there is a Barbara Pym Society that holds international conferences about her works and her life; books and articles have been published as well—and yet she is still not well known.

Excellent Women is a good introduction to Barbara Pym’s works. Mildred Lansbury is in her 30s, unmarried (in 1950s London that makes her a veritable spinster), and has a tendency to get involved in other people’s affairs. Mildred is also an excellent observer, offering witty, perceptive comments about herself and about the people she meets. Like Jane Austen before her, Barbara Pym creates a character-driven world with Mildred as entertaining tour guide. There are deeper themes here too, as Mildred ponders gender roles, societal expectations, and her own place.

Excellent Women

Add a comment
(0 comments)
posted by Ros, Evergreen Library

------------------------------------------------------

MARCH 15, 2013
Read ‘em in order!

“What number is this in the series?”

That’s a question we get quite often at the information desks. Information about books in a series can be found in many places – our catalog is great – but I have my favorite place to look. Another library system, the Kent (Michigan) Library District, keeps a database of all things series. In the past, they published a book every year called “What’s Next” but now it is only online. You can search by author, series title, or book title, and there are lots of ways to limit. I love being able to type in “Patterson” and then pick James Patterson and then quickly see a list of every series he has written. So easy!

Add a comment
(0 comments)
posted by Joanna, Standley Lake Library

------------------------------------------------------

MARCH 13, 2013
Science Fiction for Thriller Readers

I almost always walk on by any science fiction, even if it’s a shiny new volume. But every once and a while I accidently find one that reads like a thriller, my favorite genre.

The very first book I read with a genuine science fiction label was recommended to me by a fellow thriller reader. It was Memoirs of an Invisible Man by H. F. Saint, 1987. The reviews were all really good, so I gave it a try. I absolutely loved it - the humor, the unusual viewpoint, the “science” of how invisibility might actually work (or not).

Next I came across one of Michael Crichton’s first books, The Andromeda Strain, 1969. This book develops at lightning speed, and continues the same pace as it hurtles to the conclusion, a precursor of the future sci-fi/thrillers from this author such as Jurassic Park, and Timeline.

Douglas Preston, who writes mysteries with Lincoln Child, has written several sci-fi/thrillers.  My favorite is Blasphemy. It is the story of scientists vs. a televangelist, and neither one is really innocent. Also check out Lincoln Child’s standalone titles in the same genre: Terminal Freeze, and Deep Storm.

My favorite title of all time though, is The Link by Walt Becker.  My teenage son and a few of his friends still talk about it as the best book they ever read, even now into their late 20s.  While I wouldn’t go that far, any title that is so fast-paced as to get teen boys to read and discuss a book that isn’t required, is a winner.  Paleontologist Samantha Colby finds bones that could be the "missing link." She also finds a map that leads her to an abandoned alien bunker in South America that is storing an advanced weapons system.  It has it all: aliens, the CIA, and a love triangle. So the next time you see a science fiction label on a book, pick it up and give it a try, even if you are a thriller reader, you just might like it.

Add a comment
(0 comments)
posted by Carol, Arvada Library

------------------------------------------------------

MARCH 11, 2013
A DVD We Love: The Way

The Way 

A father heads overseas to recover the body of his estranged son who died while traveling the "El Camino de Santiago" pilgrimage trail from France to Spain. Knowing there is no longer any chance at reconciliation due to his passing, as a tribute to his son, he decides to finish the journey for him. Along the way, he meets and travels with three other pilgrims whose stories and outlooks on life all have their effects on each other. A powerful, moving, and occasionally humorous film about family, friends, and life choices. Beautiful cinematography as well. Starts Martin Sheen (father) and Emilio Estevez (son), real-life father and son.

The Way DVD

Add a comment
(1 comment)
posted by Jayne, Golden Library

------------------------------------------------------

MARCH 8, 2013
Caring for our aging parents and ourselves

Many of us are facing the conundrum of caring for our aging parents. Some of us are in the sandwich generation – we still have children and teens at home and we are caring for aging parents as well. And some of our parents are far away in another state or city. There are new realities and limitations to navigate as we proceed on this path and we are proceeding as we ourselves are aging. It is a daunting task and fraught with twists and turns along the way. We want the best for our parents and want to continue being with them and taking them special places. And we wonder, are we doing this special trip or event for Mom & Dad or because we can’t bear knowing that they are no longer able to enjoy such an outing. Here are a few resources to help you.

Another country: the emotional terrain of our eldersAnother Country: Navigating the Emotional Terrain of our Elders by Mary Pipher  
This exploration into the period of transition which marks the beginnings of old age offers a compassionate view of ways to build communication between generations. Pipher examines the trials of aging in contemporary America--for all those involved. The miniature biographies, told with respect and empathy, reveal not only a complicated reality but diverse possibilities as we all age. We hope this “field guide” to a foreign landscape will be a help and a resource.


story of my father

Story of my Father by Sue Miller  
“This is the hardest lesson... for a caregiver: you can never do enough to make a difference in the course of the disease," Miller writes in this thoughtful remembrance of her relationship with her father as he succumbs to the ravages of Alzheimer's disease.




 
a bittersweet seasonA Bittersweet Season: Caring for our Aging Parents and Ourselves by Jane Gross 
In telling the story of her own struggle to learn how to care for her aging and ailing mother, this New York Times journalist offers helpful insights and advice to other caregivers who feel overwhelmed. She offers advice for those already caring for their aging and dying parents and issues a wake-up call to those who think they are prepared should the time come. Gross debunks misconceptions about assisted-living facilities and offers eye-opening anecdotes about Medicare and Medicaid, including how her own upper-middle-class mother ended up on Medicaid and virtually penniless due to health-care costs. This is a well-researched and thought provoking resource for end of life care.

caring for your aging parents

Caring for Your Aging Parents: An Emotional Guide to Nurturing Your Loved Ones While Taking Care of Yourself by Raeann Berman 
This book contains much needed direction to lots of resources for aging individuals that family members can use. The authors talk about specifics (finding living arrangements, dealing with memory loss, conversations to have with aging parents while it is still possible to have them) and then give suggestions as to how to proceed. And for us who are in the middle of this wild ride, they give ideas for the caregiver to stay healthy and well.

Add a comment
(0 comments)
posted by Christina, Lakewood Library

------------------------------------------------------

MARCH 6, 2013
A Book We Love: The Diviners

The Diviners by Libba Bray

DivinersSeventeen year old Evie O'Neill is sooo bored living in a small town in Ohio in the 1920’s. She is sure life is passing her by, so she spends her time defying her parents, drinking bathtub gin, and generally causing havoc. As punishment, her parents decide to send her to live with her Uncle Will, who is the curator of a folklore and occult museum known by all as The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies. Evie is thrilled with her “exile” to Uncle Will’s in New York City, and soon finds herself hanging out with a Ziegfeld girl, her piano player roommate, a pickpocket, and her best friend Mable. When Uncle Will is called upon to help with a series of occult related murders, Evie worms her way into the investigation. She soon finds that she knows more than she can say, without giving away her “special” supernatural talent. As she tries to help, she meets other 17-year-olds who all seem to have talents as well, and together they work to save the future from a great evil trying to come back from the past.

Add a comment
(0 comments)
posted by Carol, Arvada Library

------------------------------------------------------

MARCH 4, 2013
While you’re waiting for Downton Abbey

downton abbey coverWhere are you on the hold list for Downton Abbey, season 1, 2, or 3? Here are some suggestions for British drama to tide you over until it’s ready! Feel free to chime in with your own ideas, too.

 

 



The Cazalets

Coming Home 

The Forsyte Saga 

The Pallisers 

Upstairs Downstairs

Add a comment
(0 comments)
posted by Emily, Columbine Library

------------------------------------------------------

MARCH 1, 2013
A Book We Love: The Old Buzzard had it Coming

The Old Buzzard Had it Coming by Doris Casey

An ugly abusive drunk is murdered, and Alafair Tucker is an Oklahoma farm mother who discovers an ability to figure out "whodunit," just when her family needs her help the most.

This is the first book in a series of historical fiction novels by Casey set in Oklahoma in the years between 1912 and 1920. Her work paints a vivid picture of farm life in this era, while entertaining us with a mystery that needs untangling. The characters are homespun and hard-working, and some of Alafair’s favorite farm recipes are also included.

Jacket for The old buzzard had it coming

Add a comment
(0 comments)
posted by Joanna, Standley Lake Library

------------------------------------------------------

Subscribe via RSS
Search

Categories