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Wild:from lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

by Maeve on June 13th, 2012

I can’t stop recommending “Wild” by Cheryl Strayed. “It is truly one of those books you can’t put down, at least I couldn’t. It is the summer of 1995 and Strayed sets off at the age of 26 to hike the Pacific Coast Trail (PCT). She has little experience hiking and none on such an arduous trail. She reads books and buys gear. But she over-equips herself so much so that she names her giant overstuffed backpack “Monster”. And just like her pack her life is too full – full of pain and grief to point of it all crashing down. Her mother died when she was 22 and a senior in college. Her father left the family years before. She no longer has much contact with her brother and sister and her marriage is falling apart. She cheats on, then leaves, her beloved husband, shoots heroin, has an abortion and adopts a new last name. “I looked [strayed] up in the dictionary and knew it was mine: to wander from the proper path, to be lost . . . to move about aimlessly in search of something.”

During the harrowing three-month journey that ensues, she starts to make sense of what she has lost. She traverses over 1,100 miles starting in the Mojave Desert. She is almost always alone. Her shoes are too small and she loses six toenails before she finishes. The weight of the pack causes palm-sized calluses to develop on her hips. As she hikes she sheds items from her overstuffed backpack and the grief and pain she has carried for years. By the time she reaches the Bridge of Gods on the border of Oregon and Washington she is lighter and stronger. While “Wild” is the story of Strayed hiking the PCT it so much more. It is the journey of Strayed’s redemption.

Published in Biography & Memoir, Nonfiction, Outdoors & Nature
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This Wheel’s On Fire

by John on May 15th, 2012

Everyone knows what Levon Helm sounds like, and I’m happy to report that his authorial voice matches that exactly. Were it a wine, it would be a rich, downhome red, with a pronounced twang and hints of vulgarity. Barbecue wouldn’t overwhelm it, nor possom for that matter.

Helm had a lot of interesting friends, a lifetime of road stories, and plenty of practice telling them. He was, after all, mentored both by rockabilly wildman Ronnie Hawkins and The Bob Himself. He backed Dylan on his first electric tour, and describes the surreal experience of riding a private jet, staying in the best hotels and getting booed every night. It shook him so much, he quit music for a time, and worked on an oil rig in the gulf.

He also kept a molten anger against Robbie Robertson, The Band’s primary songwriter. Helm felt the songs were more collaborative than the songwriting credits reflected. Playing music was his whole life, so Robertson’s decision to break up the band didn’t sit well either.

How much of this to believe? Can’t say, tho parts of it seem pretty well embellished. I doubt they really blew up a nightclub after the owner declined to pay them. Or if they did, that the police let them go because the owner was a jerk. On the other hand, “Well, it ain’t easy to come out and say I shot myself in the ass” has the ring of truth to it.

Helm died last month. Nobody’s going to forget The Band anytime soon, but his late-life records (after surviving throat cancer) Dirt Farmer and (especially) Electric Dirt are well worth your attention as well.

Published in Biography & Memoir, Music, Popular
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Books I’d Like to Read Again

by Kara on April 22nd, 2012

Last week I had the honor of being the speaker at the lunch program of the Iowa Association of School Librarians 2012 Conference. Traditionally they invite librarians to do booktalks, and this year I had fun picking out my favorite books from the past couple of years to recommend. My topic was “Recent Favorites and Books I’d Like to Read Again.”

Not only did I get to speak to about 175 teacher-librarians, but two of my favorite librarians were in the audience. Mary Jo Langhorne was my teacher-librarian when I was in junior high (Northwest Junior High in Coralville) and Denise Rehmke was my teacher-librarian when I was a student at Iowa City’s West High School. They were role models for me and epitomized the difference caring adults can make in the lives of students. I never told them, but they were influential to me and, when I considered a career in librarianship, their positive influence helped me realize that being a librarian was a career I would enjoy.

Many thanks to Mary Jo and Denise and all the wonderful teacher-librarians who make a difference every day in the lives of our students in Iowa!!

I’ve had a couple people ask if I would share my list, so the books are below. Each book is highly recommended and, if I had time, I’d read them again. ~~Enjoy~~

Box, C.J. Force of Nature Pickett Series & Stand-alones 2012	Game Warden Joe Pickett’s friend, Nate Romanowski, knows a secret about a governmental official. That official plans to kill Nate to keep him quiet, and is targeting the entire Pickett family to get to Nate. Will Nate’s actions justify the outcome? Can Nate survive and save his friends? All C.J. Box books recommended including Pickett series and stand-alones. Mystery
Bradley, Alan I am Half-Sick of Shadows Flavia de Luce Series 2011	Step aside Nancy Drew and Harriet the Spy, eleven year old Flavia de Luce is on the case! It’s 1950 and Flavia is living in an old English estate with her family. Watch for more Flavia mysteries including The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and A Red Herring Without Mustard. Mystery
Clayton, Meg Waite Wednesday Sisters 2009	A group of women learn about life, love, friendship and loyalty in a “coming of age” novel set against a backdrop of the 1960s, Women’s Movement, and Vietnam War protests. Fiction
Dallas, Sandra The Bride’s House 2011	Sandra Dallas’ new book follows three generations of women who live in The Bride’s House in Georgetown Colorado. Dallas’ books are known for good character development and strong sense of place. Fiction
Dean, Debra Madonnas of Leningrad 2007	A story that develops on two levels: A family coming to terms with Alzheimer’s and the story of Marina who creates a “memory palace” to escape the terror of Leningrad in 1941. Historical Fiction
Diffenbaugh, Vanessa Language of Flowers 2011	A beautiful coming of age debut novel weaving the past and present life of Victoria Jones beginning when Victoria is emancipated from foster care. Alternating chapters reveal Victoria’s past and present life. Fiction
Evanovich, Janet Explosive Eighteen 2011	What happened in Hawaii? Stephanie Plum’s dream vacation didn’t turn out as planned. Trouble is waiting for her at home as well. Count on Evanovich for laughs, quirky characters, and exploding cars. Mystery
Fortier, Anne Juliet 2011	Julie is heartbroken when her Aunt dies and crushed when her estate goes to Julie’s twin sister, Janice … except for a key to a mysterious lock box in Sienna, Italy and a cryptic story about family treasures. Fiction
Glass, Julia The Widower’s Tale 2010	Enjoying an active but lonely rural life, seventy-year-old Percy allows a preschool to move into his barn and transform his quiet home into a lively, youthful community. All Julia Glass books are recommended. Fiction
Green, Jane Promises to Keep 2010	Green’s books focus on families, friendship, and discovering the life you want to live. Other recommended Jane Green books include Dune Road and The Beach House. Fiction
Hillenbrand, Laura Unbroken 2010	Olympic runner Louis Zamperini enlisted in the US Army Air Forces in 1941. When the plane he was assigned to crashes into the South Pacific. Louis survives the crash and 47 days at sea in a plastic life raft. Nonfiction
Mason, Bobbie Ann The Girl in the Blue Beret 2011	Told in the present and past. A WWII fighter pilot shot down over Belgium is saved by the French Resistance. Fifty years later, after his retirement, he returns to Paris to find the people who cared for him. Historical Fiction
McClain, Paula The Paris Wife 2011	The fictional story of Ernest Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley Richardson. After a whirlwind courtship the couple marries and moves to Paris so Ernest can pursue his writing career. Historical Fiction
Orringer, Julie Invisible Bridge 2010	Andras and Tibor Levy are Jewish brothers in Hungary in 1937. The reader knows history and horror of war, and yet Orringer weaves spirit, friendship, hope, family ties, and love into an unforgettable story. Historical Fiction
Russell, Mary Doria Dreamers of the Day 2008	Midwesterner, schoolteacher, influenza epidemic survivor, and world traveler, Agnes Shanklin, witnesses the 1921 Cairo Peace Conference where world leaders make a plan to divide the Middle East into the countries of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan. Historical Fiction
See, Lisa Shanghai Girls & Dreams of Joy 2009 & 2011	Wonderful characters and a strong sense of place. Stories are fast-paced and individual stories are woven together so the reader cares about the main characters, their feelings, and what happens. I listened to both books and the narration is excellent. Highly recommended! Historical Fiction
Taylor, Patrick Dublin Student DoctorIrish Country Series2011	The fictional Irish town of Ballybucklebo comes alive, starting with An Irish Country Doctor. The main character is a mix of James Herriot and Marcus Welby, MD. All books are recommended. If you are looking for a vicarious escape, I’d recommend picking up one of the books in the series. Fiction
Tyler, Anne Noah’s Compass 2010	61-year-old Liam Pennywell is forced to retire from his job teaching fifth graders. On the first day of retirement he wakes up in a hospital after an assault and sets out to rediscover his life. Fiction
Vreeland, Susan Clara and Mr. Tiffany 2011	Fictionalized story of Clara Driscoll who worked with Louis Comfort Tiffany at his New York studio and possibly the person who conceived the idea for the iconic Tiffany stained glass lamps. Historical Fiction.
Winerip, Michael Adam Canfield: The Last Reporte rAdam Canfield Series 2010	I love family road trips and finding a great book on disc the entire family will enjoy. Adam Canfield has traveled with us on three trips and everyone in the family enjoys these stories. Adam and friends write for the school newspaper, The Slash. In each book it’s good vs. evil, motivated students, and adults who care and want to help the students. jFiction
Winspear, Jacqueline Elegy for Eddie 2012	A solid mystery series that creates a strong sense of place and interesting characters. It’s April 1933 and Maisie’s past and present collide when friends from her past ask her to solve the murder of a friend. Mystery

Published in Audiobooks, Award Winners, Biography & Memoir, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Suspense
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Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

by Kara on March 21st, 2012

I love Historical Fiction novels but rarely read Nonfiction. Recently I read a review about Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand that made me decide to take a chance and put a hold on the eBook version. WOW! What a compelling story! I was immediately hooked on the story and rarely put my Kindle down until I had finished the book. Although it’s not a new book (published November 2010), I decided to blog about it because I really enjoyed it.

Louis Zamperini grew up in a large Italian family in Torrance, California. He was a defiant and incorrigible (but lovable) boy who enjoyed pushing limits. School didn’t interest him and he often channeled his energy into petty crime, fighting and riding the rails. Eventually he discovered running and focused his energy into becoming an Olympic runner with the goal of being the first runner to run a 4-minute mile. He competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, earning an 8th place finish in the Men’s 5,000 meter race.

Louis Zamperini enlisted in the US Army Air Forces in 1941 and trained as a bombardier on a fighter plane. He was stationed in the South Pacific and when his crew’s plane, Super Man, was damaged in a war battle, the crew was assigned to a new airplane, The Green Hornet. Mechanical issues caused The Green Hornet to crash into the South Pacific, killing 8 of the 11 crew members. Louis Zamperini and two others (Russel Phillips and Francis McNamara) survived the crash and ended up in two plastic life boats in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. With little to eat and no fresh water the men told stories to one-another to pass the time and keep their minds off thirst, starvation, and the odds of being rescued. Francis McNamara died after 33 days at sea. On the 47th day, Louis Zamperini and Russel Phillips reached the Marshall Islands but were soon captured by the Japanese soldiers stationed there. Both men were held in prisoner of war camps and were beaten and tortured. Louis Zamperini was never officially registered as a prisoner of war, and the knowledge that his family did not know he was alive weighed on him each day of captivity. Unfortunately Louis Zamperini was the target of extra torture in the POW camps because of his Olympic fame.

I am happy to report the book has a happy ending, although Louis Zamperini struggled with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after his return from the War. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it for readers who enjoy Historical Fiction. By chance, I just discovered Bobbie Ann Mason’s new book, The Girl in the Blue Beret, which is a fictional story about a WWII fighter pilot who is shot down over Occupied Europe. I love the “Advanced Search” option in OverDrive that helps me find Historical Fiction eBooks for my Kindle!!

Published in Audiobooks, Award Winners, Biography & Memoir, Nonfiction
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Juliette Gordon Low; The Remarkable Founder of the Girl Scouts

by Katherine on March 12th, 2012

I have been enjoying my annual supply of Girl Scout cookies while reading the brand new adult biography called, Juliette Gordon Low; The Remarkable Founder of the Girl Scouts, written by Stacy A. Cordery. Today, March 12, 2012, marks the centenary of the Girl Scouts in America. This is a scholarly work written by an Illinois history professor who has written a couple of other biographies on Teddy Roosevelt and one on Alice Roosevelt Longworth. Having been a Girl Scout myself, as well as a Girl Scout leader for my daughter’s troop for seven years, I was anxious to read more about the founder of Girl Scouting. My interest was piqued by a tour of the Juliette Gordon Low birthplace in Savannah a couple of years ago while vacationing. I found the adult biography detailing Daisy’s hearing loss, her childhood and family life, her marriage to an adulterous British fellow, her relationship to Sir Robert Baden-Powell (the founder of the Boy Scouts), and the establishment of the Girl Scout movement—the endeavor “Daisy” undertook to make a difference in the world—to be a fascinating read. The old black and white photographs included in the book were neat to see. History really came to life for me reading this book. I have so many fond memories of my Girl Scouting years, both as a girl and as a leader, plus the visit to Savannah, and my continued support of the Girl Scouts through their annual cookie sales, that I was the perfect reader for Cordery’s new book. The documentation and resources, notes, bibliography, and index included are impressive. All the primary sources the author examined make for a truly accurate biography of the woman who began the largest and most beloved girls and women’s organization in the world.

Published in Biography & Memoir
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All Iowa Reads 2012 Selects Kidder

by Susan on February 10th, 2012

The 2012 All Iowa Reads title is Tracy Kidder’s Strength in What Remains, only the second nonfiction book in the program’s nine year history. Strength in What Remains tells the story of Deogratis, or Deo, who as a 22 year old medical student barely escapes the Hutu slaughter of Tutsis in Burundi. He finds himself in New York City in 1994 with no English skills and $200. The story moves back and forth in time and place — from Africa to New York. And. although the horror of events in Africa is almost undescribable, living poor on the streets of New York as a young black man with no money is not an easy life either. Deo is helped by remarkable, generous people — but, the personal courage and fortitude needed to prevail is his. As a member of the All Iowa Reads Committee I recently did a program on this book with Kirkwood instructor, George Minot. He said the key to good nonfiction writing is to “make what is true believable.” Everyone should read this inspiring story from a great author who succeeds in that goal.

Published in Biography & Memoir, History, Politics and Current Events, Nonfiction, Uncategorized
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All My Patients Kick and Bite by Jeff Wells, D.V.M.

by Maeve on October 15th, 2011

Dr. Jeff Wells, a veterinarian in rural Colorado, has written a follow-up to his All My Patients Have Tales. What is it about stories about animals that make books on the topic so popular? Do they give us a way to increase our interactions with animals beyond the one or two pets we can have at home if we are lucky enough to share our lives with companion animals? I don’t know the answer, but I find myself borrowing many books from the 636 (animal husbandry) section of the library.

All My Patients Kick and Bite while not set in North Yorkshire has much in common with the stories recounted in the James Herriot books. Wells operates a small and large animal practice and makes visits to his patients at their ranches or farms and answers emergency calls at all hours at his clinic. He patients range form llamas to bulls to lambs many with unique personalities. The human companions to the animals Dr. Wells helps are sometime even more interesting and challenging than the ailing animals. If you enjoyed All Creatures Great and Small you might want to give All My Patients Kick and Bite.

Published in Biography & Memoir, Outdoors & Nature, Science, Nature & Technology
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72 Hours to Kickoff!

by Kara on August 31st, 2011

The Iowa Hawkeyes football season kicks off this Saturday September 3 at 11:00 AM at Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes face Tennessee Tech and the game is televised on the Big Ten Network.

There’s always a preseason buzz in the air. Personally I don’t go to the football games (you’ll find me at the Library on kickoff day!) but I do enjoy the anticipation leading up to the football games. I also have an appreciation of the Hawkeye legacy and enjoy the food at the tailgaters I attend.

The Library has many wonderful resources to help you prepare for the football season. If you are interested in exciting moments in Hawkeye sports, search the Library’s catalog (click on the Word/Phrase Tab) for “Iowa Sports History.” Or check out the “Go Hawkeyes” sound recording to listen to the Iowa Fightsong and other great moments in Hawkeye History.

If you want to watch an interview with the legendary Hayden Fry, navigate to the Library’s streaming video collection and select the entry for Hayden Fry. Or if you need some ideas to plan for an awesome tailgate food spread, search Catalog Pro for “Tailgate Parties.”

If your idea of a perfect Hawkeye Football Saturday is to escape from the chaos with a great book or a trip out of town, we can help you with that too

Count on the Iowa City Public Library to help you prepare for football season. Go Hawkeyes!

Published in Biography & Memoir, Health & Nutrition, History, Politics and Current Events, Movies & Documentaries, Nonfiction, Reference, Sports & Fitness, Travel
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Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff

by Maeve on August 15th, 2011

Lost in Shangri-la : a true story of survival, adventure, and the most incredible rescue mission of World War II by Mitchell Zuckoff is a fantastic story of survival in the jungles of Dutch New Guinea during World War II. This is the second work of nonfiction I read this summer that was so compelling the I didn’t want to put it down. (The first was In the Garden of Beasts by Eric Larson.) While the story takes in 1945 with the war still waging in the Pacific it isn’t about a battle. Instead it is the tale of a sight-seeing trip to an uncharted location gone wildly awry. The flight, carrying 24 passengers, hit a mountain, and only 3 survived. John McCollum, Kenneth Decker, and a beautiful blonde petite Woman’s Air Corps member named Margaret Hastings were injured – Decker and Hastings were severely burned and although McCollum had no great physical injuries, his twin brother was killed in the crash. Lost in Shangri-La is the griping story of three survivors, the native people and the rescue mission. And it is also recounts the first contact of Westerners with a previously untouched band of people.

Zuckoff uses declassified U.S. Army documents, personal photos and mementos, a survivor’s diary, a rescuer’s journal, and original film footage in telling the story of how the trio was rescued. He tracks down survivors and also visits the Baliem Valley to interview the as many of the original group as he could find. Lost in Shangri-La is well worth reading, not only as a story of survival in extremely harsh conditions but also what happens when two cultures collide.

Published in Biography & Memoir, History, Politics and Current Events, Nonfiction
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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

by Maeve on July 7th, 2011

Are you looking for a great book? A work of nonfiction that reads like a novel? Well, here it is. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, (TILOHL). I checked out TILOHL last year and returned it without ever opening it. Guess I must have been busy because had I started it I would not have been able to put it down. I devoured TILOHC in two days. Skloot, an award-winning science writer, has crafted the story of Henrietta Lacks, or more precisely, HeLa, the “immortal” cells taken from Mrs. Lacks without her knowledge, and the Lacks family.

Skloot spent ten years writing TILOHL and deftly weaves the tale – cell lines and their study, the discoveries made possible from HeLa and medical ethics into her story of the heirs of Henrietta Lacks. Lacks was a black woman, born in Clover, Virginia, in Lacks Town, land that was left to her ancestors by the former slave owners who had fathered them. She married her first cousin, moved to Baltimore and bore five children. She died from cervical cancer in 1951 at the age of 31. Skloot, a well-educated white woman has to build trust with the Lacks, a family suspicious of those who come asking questions of their mother.

TILOHL is intriguing on so many levels; as a race history, a balanced debate on medical ethics and a biographical study of poor black Southern family. It is a story that continues to reverberate today. Who owns an individuals cells and when does scientific discovery trump individual rights? I heartily recommend The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

Published in Award Winners, Biography & Memoir, Science, Nature & Technology
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