The Mother Garden by Robin Romm
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this short story collection. Romm presents a series of stories that all deal with the sobering topics of loss and death, but are written in a very down-to-earth style that is often both touching and humorous. Unlike most short story compilations that I've read, I actually read every story and liked almost all of them. 4/21/08

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium directed by Zach Helm
Year of release 2007, Running time 94 minutes, Rated G
I had high hopes for Zach Helm's directorial debut after falling in love with the first film that he scripted, Stranger than Fiction. And since I'm really just a grown-up kid I became even more excited once I found out that the story revolved around a magical toy store. Fortunately the final product didn't let me down. Helm conjures up a truly wonderful land of imagination saturated with vibrant colors and run by an endearingly quirky Dustin Hoffman. The story itself is simple and sweet, and perhaps a little predictable. If you're a child at heart, though, then you definitely need to experience the Wonder Emporium. 3/31/08

Carnet de Voyage by Craig Thompson
This graphic travel journal records two month's of Thompson's life as he traveled through parts of Europe and Morocco. His ability to capture scenes, people, and monuments so beautifully, such as the Gaudi cathedral in Barcelona, is heartwarming and impressive. And his honest self-reflection can be both humorous and touching. 3/17/08

Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
Un Lun Dun has a little bit of everything - quirky, endearing characters; mystery; adventure; fantastical lands and creatures plus wonderfully entertaining illustrations to accompany you throughout your read. It's the kind of book that makes you sad when you're finished because whatever you read after it will not even remotely compare. 2/12/08

What's the Time, Mr. Wolf? by Noisettes
Noisettes are a trio out of the UK that offer up some refreshingly solid rock. Shingai Shoniwa's voice is like an amazing Karen O, Chrissie Hynde, Grace Slick hybrid and their songs are a bluesy punk rock bag of goodness. 1/28/08
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The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas
Amazing. I cannot believe it took me this long to find Miss Scarlett Thomas, but I am hereby a devout follower. The quote from author Jonathan Coe on the cover precisely sums it up: "Not only will you have a great time reading this book, but you will finish it a cleverer person than when you started." I am in complete awe of any novelist who can converse about physics, religion and philosophy in such an incredibly compelling yet oddly understandable fashion. This book begs to be discussed at length over many cups of coffee. 9/24/07
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A Year in Japan by Kate T. Williamson
Although I love to travel and read about traveling, Japan has never been at the top of my list of "destinations to visit." This book has changed that. The author spent a year in Kyoto, Japan on a postgraduate fellowship and she collected her observations in this beautiful artist's journal. Through a combination of simple, yet elegant watercolor illustrations and brief passages or sentences Williamson exposes readers to many different and interesting tastes, practices, and beliefs that are very unique to Japan. It is all of these very endearing and appealing aspects of their culture and the sparse beauty which she uses to detail them that make this a travel memoir you'll want to peruse again and again. 8/27/07
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The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
Just because I work in a library doesn't mean I'm above judging a book by its cover. If anything, it's exactly the opposite. And perhaps because I'm such a bibliophile I'm also immediately drawn to any novels with the word "book" in the title. So Connolly's book doubly captivated me, even before I read the intriguing premise which involves a 12-year old boy named David whose books begin speaking to him and lure him into another land filled with twisted versions of familiar fairy tale characters and a creepy villain called the Crooked Man. Young David ventures through your standard hero cycle, meeting friends and foes who often tell tales in a very Chaucerian manner. Well-developed characters and an engaging plotline make this well-known mystery author's first attempt at fantasy a definite success. 6/5/07
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Spartan directed by David Mamet
As with most things in life, sometimes its good to expand outside your typical comfort zone of interests and try something new. Spartan is not the type of movie I would typically choose on my own, but I was coerced by a friend and more than pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. Val Kilmer plays a mysterious über secret agent hired to find the president's missing teenage daughter. Immediately he begins assuming disguises and bringing in hand picked assistants to help him recover her as quickly as possible. Mamet spares no time captivating his audience through a power driven screenplay and uniquely crafted film noir dialogue. And Kilmer's instantly likeable character is counterbalanced by William H. Macy and Ed O'Neill's seedier roles. 4/2/07
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As Simple As Snow by Gregory Galloway
I can't seem to stop thinking and talking about this book. Perhaps if the author had chosen to neatly wrap up this mysterious tale at the end, I would be able to move on. Unfortunately for me, and many others who have read it, he does not and now we are forced to sift through the myriad of clues he provides both within the novel itself and on the book's website (www.assimpleassnow.com) to solve the mystery ourselves. As Simple As Snow details the events before and after the disappearance of young Anastasia Cayne. Before she disappears Anna is quirky, enigmatic, and overwhelmingly intellectual for her age. She loves to send cryptic letters and packages to her boyfriend and is obsessed with writing obituaries for everyone in their town. Our unnamed narrator is her boyfriend and he pleads with the readers to help him figure out what actually happened to Anna, since everyone else seems to have lost interest in her case. Its hard not take him up on his offer. 2/1/07
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The Boy Detective Fails by Joe Meno
Every so often a book will come along that grabs me so tightly with the first sentence that I don't want to put it down until I'm finished. The Boy Detective Fails is just that kind of book. Billy Argo, our boy detective, has just been released from a mental hospital after a ten year stay prompted by his younger sister's suicide. Unwillingly thrust into the real world, Billy is forced to face the fact that perhaps there are mysteries in life that he simply cannot solve. The prose is stylized, yet simplistic and Billy is probably one of the most loveable characters I have ever read about. Meno also throws in some priceless homages to other childhood detectives and puzzles for readers to solve, which just makes for an even more entertaining read. 11/1/06
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Fun Home : A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
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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13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
The premise of this book enticed me immediately. Seventeen year-old Ginny is left 13 blue envelopes by her mysterious aunt who has just recently passed away. The first envelope contains $1000 for a plane ticket to London and basic instructions for what will end up becoming Ginny's European journey of self-discovery. The remaining envelopes can only be opened once the previous envelope's task has been finished. Johnson does a great job at putting the reader in Ginny's shoes, anxious to see where each envelope will lead her. My own personal wanderlust forced me to stop questioning the plausibility of some of the events in the book and quickly plow through it. Excellent for a lazy weekend afternoon read. 7/6/06
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A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
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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Winds Take No Shape by Call and Response, CD
Call and Response takes the typically breezy and whimsical Californian band sound and turns it on its side with Winds Take No Shape. Instead of inspiring carefree walks along the beach, listening to this album evokes the changing of seasons and some true introspection. These melancholy melodies are carried through beautifully by the two female vocalists and a perfect blend of strings and subtle synth. It is an album that lingers with you afterwards and aptly calls you back again. 3/1/06
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You Can Do It! The Merit Badge Handbook for Grown-up Girls
by Lauren Catuzzi Grandcolas
Do you have a laundry list of things you want to do, but haven't tried yet? Then this is the book for you. You Can Do It! provides step-by-step instructions for how to tackle 60 different activities, as well as testimonials from women who've accomplished the task at hand and lists of organizations, books, and websites to help you out along the way. Start your own business, learn a new language, fix the car, paint a portrait, join a band - whatever your dream is, this book will provide all the necessary tools and motivation to accomplish it. So grab a friend and start earning some badges! 2/1/06
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