You're my new "Book Bestie" 8-)

One of the wonderful things about working in a library is that the majority of people who work there are avid readers.  This means that at any time you may find yourself animatedly discussing books with a coworker.  Library workers are encouraged to try books from different genres and sample non-fiction from a variety of topics.  That means that when you have a new favorite author or book to share, they tend to be good listeners.
One of the regular duties librarians have is picking out the book of their choice to for the library's book discussion group.  Sadly, we don't have time to read every single book that our co-workers pick out, but we try to be familiar with them because they will eventually be made into book discussion kits that are loaned out to the public.  Picking out a book for your book discussion group can be intimidating.  As with all questions about readers' advisory, the people at the desk are eager to help with this decision.

In April, our local library group discussed Wingshooters by Nina Revoyr. This is a riveting read set in northern Wisconsin during the 1970's.  Parts of this story are loving and poignant.  They make the reader recall fond childhood memories of visits with their favorite grandparent.  The author details the difficulties that the main character faces as a child of an American man and Japanese woman who has been left in a small town to live with her grandparents.  The loving relationship with her grandparents is sharply contrasted by the racism and prejudice that the young girl is dealt every day by the children and adults in Deerhorn, WI.  Racial tensions increase when a young black couple move to into town.    What follows changes the town and the loving relationship between grandparent and grandchild.

The great thing about having a variety of people pick out discussion books is that the library now owns a very diverse selection of book discussion kits.  There are kits with books on history like Founding Brothers or Assassination Vacation.  Memoirs range from A Girl Named Zippy:  growing up small in Mooreland, Indiana to Dewey:  the small-town library cat who touched the world and all manner of joyful and sad stories in between.  Fiction selections run the gamut from classics like Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice to A Thread of Grace and lighter fare like The Hindi-Bindi Club.  We've discussed our Fast Food Nation,  The Greatest Generation, and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
Why join a book discussion group?  Books can connect us with complete strangers as we're waiting for the elevator or sitting in the doctor's office.  An inviting book cover can lead to the discovery of a new "book friend" with whom you can share your guilty pleasure-books.

BWAHAHA!

There comes a point during every spring in Wisconsin when the phrase, "Well, at least it's not snowing" ceases to raise our spirits.  Admittedly, most eastern Wisconsinites probably snickered behind their hands when the giant May snowstorm of 2013 hit Minnesota and western Wisconsin.  There are times when living by a huge lake has its advantages.  However, our momentary glee over our neighbor's May snowstorm has now run its course and we are more than ready for better weather.

We need to focus our thoughts on something else.  Perhaps you have been attempting to read Victor Hugo's Les Miserables because the movie was just so wonderful only to discover that you do not have the mental fortitude to tackle over one thousand pages at this time.  Put it away and turn to something that requires less brain power, the comics.

This is reading that requires nothing from the reader.  Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.  Look carefully at these pictures and find the humor.  Occasionally you may have the privilege of finding yourself on the same mental wavelength as the author and actually laugh out loud at their quirky sense of humor.  I found that book today.  It's called T-Rex Trying... by Hugh Murphy.

Poor T-Rex, I do feel a little sorry for him.  After all, he has an enormous head and body but tiny little arms and hands.  How is he  supposed to take care of his personal needs or get anything done around the house?  The entire book is pictures of T-Rex trying to cope with life's mundane chores.  Think about it.  How would T-Rex paint his house?  How would he brush his teeth?  How can he even pick anything up off of the ground with those tiny arms?  You know that big head is going to get in the way.  This book gifted me with several smiles, a chuckle or two, and a couple of belly laughs.  I suppose one has to have a certain type of humor in order to enjoy the struggles of T-Rex.  Just remember, that you're not laughing at something that is still stomping through meadows devouring gazelles.  It's OK to laugh.  It's good to laugh.

Clearly the Bunny Suicides books cater to a darker sense of humor. While one may not approve of the implications of cute, cuddly, precious bunnies committing hara-kiri, the concept is unique. These are not smart bunnies either.  Some of their methods are downright gruesome and look very painful.  It's amusing because in real life, all bunnies really care about is getting into and out of Mr. McGregor's garden with a belly full of vegetables.

 

While reading comic books will not make the sun shine any brighter or stop the rain, it will make you stop thinking about the fact that you haven't seen the sun in several days.  Put your feet up (next to the fire), grab a hot drink, and open up a book of the funny and improbable.  Take a break from the things you have to do, the places you have the go, the spring cleaning you don't feel like doing and just have yourself a giggle.  Trust me,  Snoopy would approve.

Like, don't like, won't try.....why not?

Nancy Pearl librarian action figure-
no batteries required.

Contrary to popular belief, librarians do not sit behind a desk stamping due dates into books and waiting to pounce on patrons who speak too loudly.  (We will pounce, but the offense must be more egregious than talking too loudly.)  When we are not helping you find the perfect book for your book club, attempting to download an ebook onto a myriad of patron owned devices, or helping patrons with our public computers we are not sitting in a comfy chair with a cup of tea and the latest John Grisham novel either.  We are hard at work educating ourselves.
After all, how can we recommend a mystery to a patron if we rarely read one?  The avid mystery reader has most likely already seen everything written by the big names in mystery.  Sending a patron over the the new book section or into our fiction collection with advice like, "Just look for the books with the mystery label on the spine", would be doing a disservice to the patron.  The axiom may be not to judge a book by its cover but readers still do. Publishers spend large amounts of cash on cover art so that their books will attract more readers.  Just because something has an attractive picture on the cover doesn't mean the story inside will appeal to you.  It's our job to help you with that.
Mysteries, like many other genres, can be divided into a variety of sub-genres.  Recently my assigned reading was Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal.  Out of an extensive list, why did I choose this one?  This is a historical mystery set in London during World War II.  The setting, the time period, and the strong female lead character appealed to me.  Since it was required reading, I made a conscious effort to find a book on the list that met several of my reading preferences.  This allowed me to find something in the genre that I instinctively knew I would enjoy.  The end result is that the next time someone asks me for a historical mystery, I can speak knowledgeably and enthusiastically about this author and series.  Since I enjoyed the experience, there is the possibility that this will be the mystery author I go to the next time I am in the mood for that type of book.
The best part about reading different books from a genre and then sharing them with your coworkers is that you get a sampling of several different books.  If you take notes or have a great memory, you can store this information away for later use.  The Boy in the Suitcase was given rave reviews at one of our meetings and has now seen increased circulation due to the positive feedback.  (It's not as gruesome as the title sounds.  The suspense will keep you reading long after you should have turned out the light.)
Currently we are endeavoring to read literary fiction.  This is not a study of "the classics" such as you might experience during your school years.  These are character studies and the plot does not always move swiftly.  (The person who chose Indignation by Philip Roth will attest to that.)  The title Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris was the one that appealed to me.  Anyone who has attended private school or taught boys will be able to make a connection with the characters in this book.  Although it has been categorized as a mystery, its main focus is a duel of wits between two characters.  A real life chess match.  One character is depicted as a pawn, the other the king.  The reader is allowed inside the mind of each character as the "match" progresses.  The first person narration allows the author to withhold pertinent information from the reader because it would already be a known fact to the narrator.  This forces the reader to focus in on the clues that each narrator slowly reveals.  It is fascinating following the different perspectives of the two characters, one of whom is not aware of the "game" until about half way through the book.

The experience of having to choose a book from a specific genre can be daunting.  However, this exercise will open up new doors for you as you challenge yourself to go outside your comfort zone.  Avid readers sometimes believe they will never run out of things to read and that their favorite authors will continue to write forever.  This simply is not true (ask the fans of LaVyrle Spencer).  Do yourself a favor.  Walk into the library and tell the librarians you are looking for something new to read.  Be patient while they ask you questions about your reading tastes.  Be open-minded when they hand you a list of books or authors you might like.  They're just suggestions and some may not be to your liking.  If at first you don't like your read, try, try again.  That's why the library staff are there and they can't wait to share their love of books and reading with you.