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Iain Banks
Inversions
a favorite of Bryan's, Information Services
Inversions is a story set in a fantasy medieval world that pages between the events of two different characters' lives. Vossil is the personal physician to the king, while in a different land, De War is the bodyguard to the protector general. Their stories never truly cross, but connections are built up throughout the novel. This is one of those stories that was an easy read. Still, I feel like I could go back and read it several more times and still squeeze more details out. Banks combines the elements of murder-mystery, fantasy and fable into a story that is so much fun to read that when it ended I was wishing for a few more hundred pages. The novel is stylistically interesting, because it uses a different narrator to tell each story, and neither is the most dependable or trustworthy source. In the end, I was left with the desire to go back and read this book again (and soon). 8/25/00

Andrea Barrett
The Voyage of the Narwhal 1855-1856
a favorite of Irene's, Information Services
Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction, Andrea Barrett, has written another utterly captivating tale. Part history of Arctic explorations, part invention, part love story, this tale will grip you by the throat and never let go. Scholar-naturalist Erasmus Wells, sets off with megalomaniac Captain Zechariah Voorhees to search for Sir John Franklin and his crew, lost somewhere in the Arctic. Zechariah thought only of himself and his glory, thus dooming the entire expedition. The ship is trapped in the ice for a winter and tragedy for the crew ensues. It is a tale of one white man's inhumanity, especially towards the Eskimo and another man's glorious soul. 7/2/03
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Ann Barry
At Home in France, Tales of an American and Her House Abroad
a favorite of Kay's, Administration
Written by a single woman journalist, this story captivates the reader as her story unfolds. Ann Barry falls in love with a little stone house near the Dordogne Valley. In her twice yearly trips from New York to southwest France, we join her as she searches for the best bread, interacts with tradesmen, and buys a small car. The neighbors are colorful personalities; the regional food is simple; and the tales of her explorations outside the region, humorous and descriptive. For Francophiles and those looking to live their dreams, this book is a treasure. 7/6/06
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Dave Barry
Tricky Business
a favorite of Trish's, Information Services
Take a gambling boat out in a hurricane, some drug lords, and money laundering, some old men escaped from their nursing home, an undercover Coast Guard agent, and some seriously funny individuals and see how their lives change on this fateful night. Dave Barry's second fiction novel is humorous and disrespectful. The language is graphic. This definitely follows in the tradition of Carl Hiaasen. 1/2/03
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Alison Bechdel
Fun Home : A Family Tragicomic
a favorite of Mandy's, Fiction and Audiovisual Services
Let me begin by saying I love graphic memoirs. I love them because they often provide a visual bridge between my rather lightweight reading preferences and the darker sides of life that I tend to avoid reading about. Fun Home details the author's life growing up in a dysfunctional household with a closeted homosexual for a father, her own struggles with coming out, and dealing with her father's strange death. Bechdel conveys all of this through a graphic narrative that is darkly funny, yet incredibly deep and one that reflects a person who is both artistically skilled and deeply in tune with herself. 10/2/06
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Laurien Berenson
Once Bitten
a favorite of Trish's, Information Services
Surrounded by the world of dog shows and competition, Melanie Travis is helping plan her brother's wedding. Except an arson fire and a couple of deaths make the job more difficult. Plus throw in an ex-husband who is trying to get back into her life. Aunt Peg and Melanie together sniff out the murderer and make sure that the wedding goes off without a hitch. 1/11/02

Elizabeth Berg
Never Change
a favorite of Irene's, Information Services
Myra Lipinski has been an ugly duckling all her life. For 51 years, she has lived quietly in the same New England town and worked as a visiting registered nurse. Her emotionally sterile life changes radically when Chip Reardon comes back into her life. He was the most popular boy in her high school whom she worshiped from afar. Chip has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and is now placed under Myra’s care. Berg has written a fine study about building relationships in the face of misfortune. 9/3/02

Jose Raul Bernardo
The Wise Women of Havana
a favorite of Irene's, Information Services
When Lorenzo and luscious Marguita marry in 1938, the Great Depression has wreaked havoc on many residents of Havana. The young couple is forced to move in with his parents, but the shocking behavior of his "gypsy eyed" sister Lolo drives them out. Marguita wants revenge and rushes to her mother Dolores. She is a truly wise mother who will eventually heal the rift between the two women. This exotic novel filled with wonderful characters is full of life's joys and sorrows. The audio book is beautifully read by Maria Tucci. 1/4/05
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Carmen Bin Ladin
Inside the Kingdom: My Life in Saudi Arabia
a favorite of Irene's, Information Services
Carmen Bin Ladin relates her nine years of marriage to Yeslam, the brother of Osama Bin Ladin. In Saudi Arabia she felt that in this ruling class "women are no more than house pets." The oppression of women and the religious fanaticism finally destroyed her marriage to a man she had loved "madly," as she put it. Although she led a life of immense luxury, she finally concluded that "the Saudis are the Taliban, in luxury." She knew she wanted her three daughters to be able to attend the university, eat in restaurants, dance, go to the theater, and not wear the hated head to toe covering, the abaya. 3/1/06
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Claudia Bishop and Nick DiChario, editors
Death Dines at 8:30
a favorite of Trish's, Information Services
In Death Dines at 8:30, sixteen authors serve up stories of unlucky diners who receive the most unwelcome of guests - death. Each author then provides a recipe from the unlucky dinner party. Many of these authors are known for their food and mystery books, like Diane Mott Davidson and Tamar Myers, but others are not known for their recipes. You can find some of your favorite mystery sleuths included in this easy dinner reading. 7/2/01

H.G. Bissinger
Friday Night Lights
a favorite of Donna's, Maze Branch Library
This book is about high school football, but it's about so much more than football in a town that cares only about football. Set in west Texas (Odessa and Midland), I found this book to be about an America I didn't know. Politics, school redistricting, racial integration, academic policies -- everything revolves around football and winning the state title. I don't watch the television program, so I can't say how it compares, but the book is fascinating, as well as sobering. 4/21/08

Alice Blanchard
Darkness Peering
a favorite of Karen's, Technical Services
This murder mystery spans 18 years in a small Maine town. The story involves a family history, a school for the blind, and interesting characters. This clever suspense novel has a twisting plot spiked with forensic details. 3/1/04
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Jeremy Blachman
Anonymous Lawyer: a novel
a favorite of Nancy's, Information Services
An offhand recommendation from a friend brought this book to my attention . . . and once I started it, I couldn't put it down. This savagely funny, satirical debut novel addresses life in the fast legal lane from the perspective of a prestigious firm's hiring partner, one who's desperately looking up the ladder of his typically dysfunctional organization. Out of frustration, and at the suggestion of a favorite college niece, he takes to anonymous blogging to tell the world what he really thinks: he's imperious, judgmental, irreverent, and bitingly funny. For those who've populated such shadowy corporate realms, the characters are immediately (and painfully) recognizable, including The Jerk, She Who Missed Her Kid's Funeral, The Suck Up, The Bombshell, etc. The entire book is expressed through the form of emails and blogs, and the language and style are somewhat crude and blog-appropriate. Needless to say, his anonymity erodes, with interesting results. Although written by an attorney (and creator of the anonymous lawyer blog at www.anonymouslawyer.blogspot.com) about the legal world, it represents the rest of the corporate arena troublingly well. A LOL experience. 1/4/07
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Anthony Bourdain
Kitchen Confidential
a favorite of Susan's, Administration
Bourdain's ribald food memoir offers a cook's tour, if you will, of the inner workings of the restaurant business. "I want the readers to get a glimpse of the true joys of making really good food at a professional level." Joy, there may be, as well as spilled blood, sweat, tears, and recycled bread. Bourdain, a Vassar dropout and classically trained chef from the Culinary Institute of America learned as a child to appreciated good food and, as an adult, that it takes a man, a real man to prepare it. Deliberately eschewing the "polish" that Hollywood's Sabrina acquires when she perfects a soufflé, Bourdain's kitchen "is noisy, debauched and overloaded with faux testosterone." And the cooks handle sharply honed weapons that double as kitchen utensils. Read more...
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Joshua Braff
The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green
a favorite of Nancy's, Information Services
This painful, funny, exuberant coming of age story provides a fascinating and somewhat troubling view of a life in the making. The story takes place in 1970s New Jersey in a family dominated (truly dominated) by a very ambitious and unbalanced Orthodox Jewish father, one determined to raise his children with the strict orthodoxy he was "denied" as a child. Jacob, the second son and our hero, wants and tries hard to be perfect, but always comes up short, in great part due to an undiagnosed learning disability. His compensatory processes both warmed and broke my heart, while his father's anxieties and rage had me cringing. Jacob watches as his parents' marriage disintegrates, his brother's family life implodes, his heart falls for Megan, the family's babysitter, and more. As a narrator Jacob is engaging, empathic, articulate, and painfully honest. A sweet, beautiful, funny book. 9/1/06
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Taylor Branch
Parting the Waters: America in the King Years 1954-63
a favorite of Donna's, Maze Branch
There is much in the news about the Civil Rights struggle, both with Senator Obama being in the Presidential campaign and the 25th anniversary re-release of the PBS program "Eyes on the Prize." This book, the first of three and a Pulitzer Prize winner, is a well-written, narrative account of the early years of the Movement. Some of the events and people were familiar to me, but many more were new. Anyone who does not remember living through these days owes it to themselves as American citizens to learn about the events which made us all more free. 6/5/07
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Jim Brandenburg
White Wolf: Living with an Arctic Legend
a favorite of Irene's, Information Services
The beauty of this volume, about a pack of seven adult white wolves and five pups, got me so excited that I was ready to pack my bags and rush off to the pristine wilderness of Canada's Ellesmere Island. Photographer and wolf lover Brandenburg spent months living with this pack, following them on hunts, watching them at play, and howling with them when they howled. Totally unafraid of humans, the wolves even allowed Brandenburg to crawl into the den to photograph newly born pups. Each wolf is lovingly described. The Alpha female who had the pups is simply dubbed "Mom." "Mom's facial features seemed to mirror the serenity of her soul. They were fine and delicate, and the look on her face was lovely in its peacefulness. If Botticelli had wanted to cast the Madonna as a wolf, he could not have hoped for a more perfect model than Mom." Glorious! Every lover of living things should read this paean to the most misunderstood and greatly maligned predator. Then gaze in wonderment at the 160 photographs of life in this Arctic world. 2/2/01

Libba Bray
A Great and Terrible Beauty
a favorite of Mandy's, Fiction and Audiovisual Services
My rather impatient reading tastes require that a book must captivate me within the first five pages. Libba Bray's first book in this gothic trilogy of boarding school girls and the supernatural did just that. Although the story begins in India in 1895, the reader is quickly transported along with Gemma, our heroine, to a snobbish finishing school in London. Haunted by strange visions brought on after her mother's mysterious death, Gemma begins a journey of self-discovery that will eventually involve three classmates, an enigmatic young Indian man, romance, and tragedy. Definitely a book to curl up with under the covers. 5/1/06
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Joël Glenn Brenner
Emperor's of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars

Tom Brokaw
Boom! Voices of the Sixties: Personal Reflections on the '60s and Today
a favorite of Donna's, Maze Branch Library
This book is not just a look back on the 60's, but Brokaw interviews many of the more interesting "movers and shakers" of the period to reflect on how the issues of that time continue to play out today. The 2008 Presidential election has been seen as a potential point of resolving some of the 60's ideological splits: between Vietnam veterans and draft resisters, between drug users and nonusers, between rebellion and tradition. If you want to understand some of Obama's "let's get beyond all that" message, this book gives a context to the "beyond all that" to which he is referring. Highly recommended. 12/10/07
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Anita Brookner
Hotel Du Lac
a favorite of Irene's, Information Services
Edith Hope has arrived at the end of the season in a discreet Swiss hotel. She has been sent away in disgrace for a brief but sad exile. In spite of herself, she becomes involved with the other guests, especially a Mr. Neville. She ponders the question, "What behavior most becomes a woman?" This is Brookner's fourth novel, which won England's most prestigious literary award, the Booker Award. 1/11/02

Terry Brooks
The Elves of Cintra (The Genesis of Shannara, Book 2
a favorite of Ed's, Fiction and Audiovisual Services
Fans of Terry Brooks' Shannara and the Word and Voids series will finally see how it all ends or begins, depending on which series you follow. In what I presume will be the Genesis of Shannara trilogy, Elves seek the long lost elvestones with the aid of Knights of the Word who's mission also is to shepherd the remaining children and their prophet to a yet to be named location in the Pacific Northwest to wait out the coming Apocalypse. Fans of Brooks' work will instantly recognize themes and characters; readers not familiar with his work may want to start with one of his earlier novels, or at least read "Armageddon's Children" -- The First Book in this new trilogy. 10/1/07
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Dale Brown
Day of the Cheetah
a favorite of Irene's, Information Services
Brown has given us another rip-roaring, high-flying techno thriller. The new fighter XF-34, nicknamed, DreamStar, contains the secret weapon Antares, a piloting system that merges man and machine into a unique mind-melding, symbiotic relationship. Captain Ken James will fly it. He is also a KGB mole and has been ordered to steal XF-34. Lots of action ensues in the attempt to recover the plane and avoid a world war. 5/3/04
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Bill Bryson
In a Sunburned Country
a favorite of Irene's, Information Services
Irresistible! Funny, full of wit and humor but also insightful and informative. That is how I would describe a Bill Bryson book. As I am riding on the L and reading it, I have to stick my fist in my mouth to stop myself from bursting out into loud, raucous laughter. He makes me want to hop on a plane and go to Australia. Only the chapter about the Aborigines made me sad and ashamed that we as humans can treat each other so abysmally. Australia has things to see that do not exist anywhere else. There are 12-foot-long earthworms in southwest Gippsland. There are things to be avoided, as in the toxic caterpillars, the "small but fearsomely poisonous blue-ringed octopus, whose caress is instant death," and the absolutely deadly box jellyfish. A must see is the mystic beauty of the Aborigine holy place, Uluru, a.k.a. Ayers Rock. This is absolutely some of the most memorable travel literature written! 10/2/06
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Bill Bryson
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir
a favorite of Ed's, Fiction and Audiovisual Services
In his latest book, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, author Bill Bryson (A Walk in the Woods) explores the well-explored territory of the 1950's, but brings fresh enthusiasm with his droll, witty observational humor. Part memoir, part social history, Bryson tells the tales of the rise of the supermarket, the fear of atomic annihilation, Soviet space superiority, and the Polio epidemic among the many events of the 1950's. Equally interesting but more hilarious are his sketches of his family life and his coming of age stories; such as his father's penchant for partial nudity and Bryson's quest to view the naked female form. This is a time capsule look at a decade that is far removed from our own, yet echoes with familiarity. 7/2/07
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Bill Bryson
Notes from a Small Island
a favorite of Irene's, Information Services
There I am, jogging along and guffawing loudly while listening to Bryson's book. I don't even care if people look at me strangely. This is my joyful reaction to his wonderfully irreverent travelogue about his beloved United Kingdom. It is his seven-week farewell tour through the heartland of Britain before he and his family return to America after a 20-year absence. He knows his people, the Americans, need him after reading that 3.7 million believe that they had been abducted by aliens at one time or another. Bryson travels by foot, bus, train, and boat. With an eye for the zany, he takes us through little villages called Pinhead, Ham Hocks, Farleigh Wallop, and Titsey. Along with Prince Charles, he loudly protests against nasty modern architecture, especially shopping malls. Tasty tea and crumpets throughout. Delightfully narrated by Ron McLarty! 2/1/07
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Bill Bryson
A Walk in the Woods
a favorite of Irene's, Information Services
You will roar with laughter as Bill Bryson and his old college buddy, Stephen Katz, drag their gloriously out-of-shape, middle-aged bodies over hill and dale on the Appalachian Trail. Katz's way of dealing with a heavy back pack is to jettison everything and head to a cozy nearby town. Soon, however, they do settle into a daily routine of slogging mile after mile on the trail. Bryson gives a delightful chronicle of the trail, the people who created it, and the places that it passes through. The trail is 2,100 miles. Our intrepid hikers managed 800 miles which is a feat in itself. Bryson also points out how cruel and destructive man has been to wild animals and their habitat. Many plants and animals arousnd the trail are now extinct. With this beautiful book, Bryson makes an eloquent plea for conservation. 4/1/04
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Edna Buchanan
Margin of Error
a favorite of Irene's, Information Services
Beautiful but abrasive Miami crime reporter, Britt Montero, has been given the assignment to introduce Hollywood hunk, Lance Westfell, to newspaper journalism. Lance is filming a major motion picture in Miami. Tough career woman Britt does not want anything to do with him. She is a no-nonsense, hard working journalist who meets deadlines and truly cares for the victims and their stories. But, you guessed it. They fall in love. Britt watches in horror as a crazed female fan stalks Lance. It seems that the film is cursed. A stunt man is murdered. The Everglades film set is set on fire. Then there are wicked ex-wives, gangs, drive-by shootings, and murder for hire. A fun romp through the streets of Miami. 9/2/01

Caralyn Buehner, illustrated by Mark Buehner
Snowmen at Night
a favorite of Janet's, Dole Branch Library
This is one of the staff's favorite children's picture books for kids of all ages! Have you ever wondered about the nightlife of snowmen? Enjoy the whimsy in the pictures of these jolly creatures making the most of a moonlit winter's night. Be sure to look for hidden shapes in the pictures! 12/10/07
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Lois McMaster Bujold
Cetaganda
a favorite of Irene's, Information Services
Those readers who normally avoid science fiction will delight in the action-packed, character oriented Miles Vorkosigan saga. Miles was an in utero victim of a poisonous gas attack against his parents, the leaders of the planet Barrayar. He was born, stunted in growth and crippled by extremely brittle bones. Although most do not take him seriously because of his size (Barrayars are quite tall and broad), he is incredibly intelligent and witty. But this is background. In this tale, Miles and his strikingly handsome, but rather dense, cousin Ivan are sent to Eta Ceta as representatives of Barrayar to the state funeral for the Cetagandan Emperor's mother. During the funeral solemnities, a murder is committed. In essence, this is a marvelous story of murder and treason set in space. The cast of characters includes a stunningly beautiful geneticist, high-class ladies floating around in shield-protected bubbles, and a suspicious Cetagandan security officer. Miles and Ivan are played against each other in a most humorous way. Try this Hugo and Nebula award winning series! 7/3/00

Christopher Buckley
Boomsday
a favorite of Nancy's, Information Services
Wrinklie -- sadly, the term fits. As a baby boomer, I'm painfully aware of the whiny, demanding nature of my cohort group, and of the coming impact of our ilk on the medical and economic future of our country. It's not pretty; the protagonist of Buckley's book, Cassandra, labels us "wrinklies" and labels us "The Ungreatest Generation" - perhaps appropriately. This satiric book from the author of, among other novels, Thank You for Smoking, covers much fertile ground on the subject of baby boomers, their economic impact, the ways and necessary alliances of government, and the influences of public sentiment on policy. The stark realities of the coming domestic economic situation underpin this novel, and the solutions floated have some logical and attractive and some startling and difficult dimensions. An odd, thought-provoking, very humorous look at a possible future. 9/4/07
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James Lee Burke
Dixie City Jam
a favorite of Irene's, Information Services
Melancholy Cajun cop, Dave Robicheaux, a.k.a. Streak, needs money to get his falsely accused friend, Batiste, a good lawyer. Hippo Bimstine, New Orleans' mover and shaker, will give him a large sum of money if he finds the sunken German submarine from 1942 that he saw as a youth while scuba diving. Dave takes on the job but soon his lovely wife Bootsie is being stalked by a blonde neo-Nazi. She takes to drink. Dave's family life is in turmoil. The sadistic neo-Nazi, Will Buchalter, will stop at nothing. He also wants that sub that purportedly has gold on it. Meanwhile Dave's best friend on the force, manic Clete Purcel, has taken on a mob chief and proceeds to pulverize his mansion with an earth mover. Great fun! New Iberia Parish with its smells, food, and ambiance comes alive and sweeps the reader along. 10/2/06
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James Lee Burke
In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead
a favorite of Irene's, Information Services
You can't help but love Dave Robicheaux who has finally had the courage to dry out and start attending AA meetings. A movie crew has come to his town of New Iberia, Louisiana to film a Civil War epic. The likeable lead man, Elrod Sykes, has serious problems with drinking and drugs. Against his will, Dave is railroaded into getting Elrod into AA. He is also bothered by the lynching of a black man that he witnessed in 1957. A more pressing problem, though, is the serial rape and murder of young prostitutes. Then up pops Dave's childhood friend, thug Julie "Baby Feet" Balboni, who has invested in that Civil War film. "Baby Feet" is also involved in producing illegal pornographic films. This multilayered plot will keep the reader turning pages late into the night. 10/3/05
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Lewis Buzbee
The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop: A Memoir, a History
a favorite of Dawn's, Dole Branch Library
For those of us who are true "book junkies" this is just for us. Lewis Buzbee, a true bibliophile, takes us on a delightful journey through the art of bookmaking, starting with the first books known and continuing to the present. A lively, entertaining gem of a book. 10/22/07
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A. S. Byatt
Possession: A Romance
a favorite of Irene's, Information Services
Possession, a Booker prize winning novel, is a beautifully written, multi-faceted, multi-layered literary mystery. Clues are to be found in musty university libraries, faded letters, and dusty old journals. The main characters are two young, present day scholars: impecunious Roland Mitchell and sensuous Maud Bailey. He is researching the Victorian poet, Randolph Henry Ash, and she, the Melusine poetess, Christabel LaMotte. Drawn together by their individual research, Roland and Maud are able to uncover the here-to-fore unknown passionate love affair between Ash and LaMotte. As this passion is uncovered, a romance of its own blossoms between the two scholars. Byatt’s language is beautiful and the imagery lush. Poems and fairy tales of Ash and LaMotte are interspersed between the chapters. This is literary sensuality at its best. 11/5/01