Welcome to Topsham Tales, the official blog of Topsham Public Library. Join the staff of Topsham for news, reviews and discussion.
Showing posts with label reads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reads. Show all posts

Thursday, June 13, 2013

What are you reading? What should I read next?

Not sure what to read next? Here's what the TPL staff have been reading recently!

http://syndetics.com/index.aspx?isbn=9781620875261/LC.JPG&client=mainep&type=rw12 In Don't Lick the Minivan, Shirtliffe captures the bizarre aspects of parenting in her edgy, honest voice. She explores the hazards of everyday life with children such as: The birthday party where neighborhood kids took home skin rashes from the second-hand face paint she applied, the time she discovered her twins carving their names into her minivan's paint with rocks, the funeral she officiated for "Stripper Barbie," the horror of glitter, and much more!
 
http://syndetics.com/index.aspx?isbn=9780316126113/LC.JPG&client=mainep&type=rw12
Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.


http://syndetics.com/index.aspx?isbn=9780446505291/LC.JPG&client=mainep&type=rw12 After his December 2003 arrest, registered nurse Charlie Cullen was quickly dubbed "The Angel of Death" by the media. But Cullen was no mercy killer, nor was he a simple monster. He was a favorite son, husband, beloved father, best friend, and celebrated caregiver. Implicated in the deaths of as many as 300 patients, he was also perhaps the most prolific serial killer in American history. In the tradition of In Cold Blood, THE GOOD NURSE does more than chronicle Cullen's deadly career and the breathless efforts to stop him; it paints an incredibly vivid portrait of madness and offers a penetrating look inside America's medical system. Harrowing and irresistibly paced, this book will make you look at medicine, hospitals, and the people who work in them, in an entirely different way.


http://syndetics.com/index.aspx?isbn=9781781162644/LC.JPG&client=mainep&type=rw12
 Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever.





http://syndetics.com/index.aspx?isbn=9781937007447/LC.JPG&client=mainep&type=rw12
 Sookie has a murder investigation on her hands.

A young girl has died at a vampire party - and it looks as though her lover, Eric, might be responsible. Eric swears he didn't do it, the police don't believe him, and even Sookie isn't so sure. Nor is she inclined to take his word for it, not having caught him enjoying the victim's blood minutes before she was killed.



http://syndetics.com/index.aspx?isbn=0679447393/LC.JPG&client=mainep&type=rw12
 A modern classic of personal journalism, The Orchid Thief is Susan Orlean’s wickedly funny, elegant, and captivating tale of an amazing obsession.

From Florida’s swamps to its courtrooms, the New Yorker writer follows one deeply eccentric and oddly attractive man’s possibly criminal pursuit of an endangered flower. Determined to clone the rare ghost orchid, Polyrrhiza lindenii, John Laroche leads Orlean on an unforgettable tour of America’s strange flower-selling subculture, along with the Seminole Indians who help him and the forces of justice who fight him. In the end, Orlean–and the reader–will have more respect for underdog determination and a powerful new definition of passion.



Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Top 5 of 2012!

All this month the staff of TPL will be posting their top 5 picks of 2012. These will be books and movies that they read/watched in 2012. Keep checking on the blog for more top picks and check out the display in the library.


Emma’s Top 5 Picks of 2012
 
1.      Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson – Darkly hysterical, this memoir will provide plenty of belly-laughs, if your stomach is strong enough. 


2.    The Fifty Year Sword by Mark Z.  Danielewski – This novella started life as a live shadow play for Halloween. At the heart of this experimental text is a good old-fashioned ghost story.


3.      The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides – Another strong novel from Pulitzer-winner, Eugenides, about life after college for three students.


4.      Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake – The sequel to one of last year’s favorites, Anna Dressed in Blood. Cas decides that he wants to get his ghost of a girlfriend, Anna, back…from hell.


5.      Somewhere Beneath Those Waves by Sarah Monette – An unusual and haunting collection of short stories from fantasy writer, Monette.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

The Great Books Discussion Group


Last Saturday I had the pleasure of sitting in on a discussion with the Great Books group here at the Library. The Great Books Discussion Group has been meeting monthly for more than three years in the library's Conference Room, usually on the fourth Saturday of the month. Last Saturday we discussed “A Rose for Emily” by Faulkner as featured in “The Seven Deadly Sins Sampler” a collection of transgressive tales that ‘are guaranteed to arouse your moral imagination.’ The next discussion will center on “Good Country People” by Flannery O’Connor.

Faulkner is a great author to get your teeth into! The more we discussed “A Rose for Emily,” the more we came to appreciate Faulkner’s mastery. Using the text as our base we discussed definitions of pride, the old South, Faulkner’s imagery and themes and how the story structure mimicked small town gossip and legend. The discussion was rich, meaty and deep with many laughs and ‘lightbulb moments’. I will certainly be stopping by for future discussions.

The Great Books Group always welcomes new members. More information on this great group can be found here or email me at emma@topshamlibrary.org.

The New York Times Bestseller List April, 1 2012

This week's best sellers: fiction and nonfiction.

The New York Times Bestseller List March 18 and 25, 2012

March 18: fiction and nonfiction.

March 25: fiction and nonfiction.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Even More Patron Picks!

Lonely Vigil: Coastwatchers of the Solomons by Walter Lord

WWII - reference to Kennedy's rescue. Father Lobel from Brunswick helped rescue soldiers.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Written in 1937. She was way ahead of her time. Fascinating novel about the African American experience.

Sailing alone around the room by Billy Collins

Billy Collins is one of the most important living poets. He was Poet Laureate about 10 years ago. Refreshing, surprising.

The Apple Grower by Michael Phillips

Michael Phillips opens up a whole new world of possibility.

The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean

Beautifully written story of another time and place.


The Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

Intriguing story that makes you feel like you were there.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

More Patron Picks!

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier

Beautiful Civil War love story. Enthralling, haunting.

Light on Snow by Anita Shreve

Beautifully written mystery.

The Little Russian by Susan Sherman

If the worst was the Holocaust, this tells the story of a close second. Very engaging.

Death comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book. This P.D. James' book is a fine addition to Jane's book and I hope P.D. James will carry on with the Darcy family!

The Lovely Bones by Alice Seybold

If you liked the movie, you'll like the book probably more! It goes into such depth, exploring hearts and minds. A love story, suspenseful, imaginative, deep.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Patron Picks is still happening!

Have a book that you love and would like to recommend to us? Now is your chance with Patron Picks for the month of March! Just find the book on our shelves, grab a Patron Picks bookmark, give it to one of our staff and we will put it on display. You can tell us about it on the bookmark if you wish, but it's not obligatory.

Here  are what some of our patrons had to say about their picks:

Stork by Wendy Delsol

Sixteen-year-old Katla discovers she has some mystical power! She's enlisted into a secret society of 'Storks'.

A Good Man by Guy Vanderhaeghe

A tale of two countries in 1870. Written with respect for readers and subject. A master of the metaphor.

Masterpieces of Murder by Agatha Christie

'And then there were none' is my all-time favorite story, and the movie has a different ending.

Big Stone Gap by Andriana Trigiani

First of a series about a woman growing up in Appalachia who uncovers the mystery of her Italian family.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

About being a black maid in a white world. Great character development and perspective.

Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer

Interesting characters. Good story. Looking forward to the next book.

We're looking forward to more of your picks!

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Happy Leap Year! Patron Picks!

Legend states that on Leap Day women have the ‘privilege’ of proposing to men. In this spirit of role-reversal, for one month, we would like you, the patrons, to recommend books to us!

All you have to do is pick up a Patron Picks bookmark from the display and the book of your choice on our shelves. Bring them up to the front desk and we’ll  put them on display for you!

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Staff Picks!

Need a book recommendation? Check out our staff picks here at the library.  There's a display of them behind the new book display!

Friday, February 10, 2012

The New York Times Bestseller List February 5 and 12, 2012

February 5: fiction and nonfiction.

 February 12: fiction and nonfiction.

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides

Pulitzer Prize winner Eugenides once again delivers a novel that is rich, engrossing and filled with enough literary references to please even the most dedicated book-lover. The novel follows Madeline Hanna, Leonard Bankhead and Mitchell Grammaticus as they navigate through their final year of Brown and the year following their graduation. Madeline, an English-major whose thesis gives us the title of the novel, meets Leonard, a brilliant and enigmatic student,  in a Semiotics class and the two begin a relationship, one that is marred by Leonard’s diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Mitchell, a theology major, holds on to the hope that he is the one destined for Madeline. 
Eugenides has denied reports that the novel is based on real life events, but it’s hard not to see Eugenides in Grammaticus, while much has been said of Bankhead’s similarity to David Wallace Foster, who was in a relationship with Mary Karr, the memoirist, in the early nineties.  That said, I found these links enhanced my enjoyment of the novel.

The Marriage Plot has already garnered praise from many places including the New York Times, Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus Review and Library Journal. Eugenides’ exploration of love and well-drawn characters make it the kind of book you find yourself thinking about long after you have read it. 

Emma

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Top 5 of 2011!

What were your top reads of 2011? We asked our staff the same question and they narrowed down all the books they had read to five favorite ones. Read what the TPL staff thought then please tell us your top 5 using the comments feature (please note that you can choose from the books you read this year no matter what the publication date).

Julie:
  1. Laina Taylor  DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE
  2. Patrick Ness A MONSTER CALLS
  3. Kim Harrison PALE DEMON
  4. Beth Revis  ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
  5. Karen Marie Moning  DARK FEVER

Mariah:
  1. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins – Exciting!! I literally could not read fast enough  
  2. Freedom by Jonathan Franzen – long, sometimes torturous, but ultimately redemptive
  3. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness – Get your tissues out
  4. Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches From the Front Lines of the New Girlie-girl Culture by Peggy Orenstein – enlightening and infuriating
  5. The Flavia de Luce novels by Alan Bradley – fun!

Linda:
  1. Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn – first book in a series which could be all five of my favorites!
  2. The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill
  3. A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny  - If you haven’t read any of her books, start with her first book – Still Life
  4. A Small Death in the Great Glen by A.D. Scott
  5. The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

Emma:
  1. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - A truly heartwrenching but masterful allegory of grief and human resilience.
  2. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - This story of two lovestruck magicians is unlike any you will read this year.
  3. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell - Gladwell examines the secrets behind success and upturns conventional wisdom. This was a fascinating read.
  4. Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma - Haunting and eerie, this is an intense story of two sisters that goes beyond the parameters of realism.
  5. The Doll: The Lost Short Stories by Daphne du Maurier - I am a big fan of du Maurier so this newly published collection was a real treat.
Susan:

  1. House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz—first time in its one-hundred-and-twenty-five-year history, the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate has authorized a new Sherlock Holmes novel
  2. Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson—satisfying novel of life and love in all its’ forms set in the English countryside.
  3. The Elegance of a Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery—surprising episodic novel about the lives of those who live and work in a Paris apartment building.
  4. The Shanghai Moon: A Bill Smith/Lydia Chin Novel by S.J. Rozan—a wonderful mystery for people who don’t like mysteries.
  5. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness—a superb example of the power of storytelling. A story of one young man's attempt to deal with tragedy in his life and also an allegory about how the human spirit can overcome great pain and despair.
Mary Ann:

  1. See, Lisa –Snowflower and the secret fan
  2. Senate, Mellissa – The love goddess’ cooking school
  3. Doiron, Paul (editor of Down East)--  Trespasser  (2nd novel)
  4. Hamlin, Ardeana –Pink chimneys (#1)
  5. Hamlin, Ardeana – Abbot’s reach
Helen:
  1. The Ridge by Michael Koryta
  2. The Restorer by Amanda Steves
  3. Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
  4. One was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming
  5. A Double Death on the Black Isle by A.D. Scott
Lynne:
  1. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
  2. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
  3. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
  4. Before I go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
  5. The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield
Cyndi:
  1. Murder of the Century by Paul Collins
  2. Warped by Maurissa Guibord
  3. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
  4. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
  5. Faerie Winter by Janni Lee Simner

    Wednesday, November 30, 2011

    What are you reading?

    What have you been reading recently? Let the TPL staff know using the comments feature below!

    Thursday, November 10, 2011

    Emma's Reads


    Last Read:

    In When She Woke, Hillary Jordan reimagines Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter in a book that is reminiscent of dystopian novels such as A Handmaid’s Tale and 1984.  Hannah Payne (a near-future Hester Prynne) awakes a victim of melachroming, a technique in which lawbreakers’ skin is literally color-coded to their crime. Hannah’s is (of course) red and her crime is the illegal termination of her pregnancy and her refusal to name the father. As we follow the repercussions of Hannah’s choices and others’ reactions to her, we get a glimpse of a world that ours could become.  While not as strong as the novels which it clearly takes inspiration from, When She Woke is an interesting read and would appeal to readers of the dystopian genre. 

    Currently Reading:

    The Sibling Effect: What the Bonds among Brother and Sisters Reveal about Us by Jeffrey Kluger—Part reflection, part scientific research, The Sibling Effect explores the psychological effects our siblings have on us and how our families shape us.

    Thursday, October 13, 2011

    More Staff Reads!

    Emma:
    I’m currently reading The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. It is an unusual story about the Circus of Dreams, a mysterious nocturnal spectacle that appears as if by magic. Behind the scenes, two young illusionists, Celia and Marco, are trained by their masters to compete against each other in a ‘game’ that only their masters know the repercussions of. Morgenstern is a Boston author and this is her debut novel. The whole book is very unique with a dream-like quality. I’m enjoying it very much so far.
    Mariah:
    Wildwood by Colin Meloy
    The frontman of The Decemberists wrote a kids book! When Prue’s baby brother is kidnapped by a murder of crows, Prue must journey into the Impassable Wilderness on a rescue mission.
    Linda:
    Here's a review of one of my favorite reads this year:
    Meet Chief Inspector Simon Serrailler and his whole family in a character driven mystery series written by British author Susan Hill. The first book is called The Various Haunts of Men. Ms. Hill is a writer in the same league with P.D. James or Elizabeth George and her exploration of human nature and complex issues is superb. This book is more than just a mystery, though the mystery itself is compelling. A middle age woman is missing but the police do not seem overly concerned. After all she has no ties that bind and could be off on a jaunt. Only Freya Graffam, the new transfer in from London, seems to be convinced there is a crime to pursue; until someone else turns up missing. Then the game is on. The suspense will keep you reading into the night and the ending will keep you up even later. I highly recommend this book, but it comes with a warning. It’s definitely not a cozy.
    Cyndi:
    Here is my list of recent, current and future books:
    I recently read Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake. An interesting Young Adult ghost story with a twist. This book bounced from funny to sad to horrifyingly gruesome!
    I am currently reading Nightspell by Leah Cypess. I have just start but loved her previous book Mistwood. Both are fantasies with female lead characters that develop into their true selves as the story progresses.
    On my bedside table I have:
    Deanna Raybourn latest The Dark Enquiry. This is the fifth book in the Lady Julia Grey series.
    The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore. This book is a continuation from I am Number Four which has recently been made into a movie. The book is better!
    Also on deck: Vanish: a firelight novel by Sophie Jordan.
    Stay with me by Paul Griffin.
    Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson.
    Tuck by Stephen R. Lawhead.
    So many books...so little time