50 Blushes

You can't even describe 50 Shades of Grey in terms of flying off the shelves.  Its popularity rivals that of Suzanne Collin's Hunger Games trilogy.  I think we add a new person to the waiting list every day.  The excitement over these books has been generated by media attention, controversial or critical reviews, and recommendations from friends.  The bad news is that there are so many holds on this trilogy people are going to be waiting quite a while before they get their books.  The GOOD news is  there are a multitude of other books about romance and relationships to tide you over.

Laurell K. Hamilton writes two series that are somewhat similar in nature.  The main character in both series is a woman who is surrounded by strong, alpha males (as romance authors would describe them) who are used to being in charge.  In the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series, Anita is a necromancer who lives in an alternative reality St. Louis, MO.  She has a complicated personal life which involves romantic entanglements with vampires, werewolves, and others.  Through the course of these activities, she gradually acquires various supernatural powers as she become more deeply involved in the underworld.  Hamilton's second series focuses on Merry Gentry, a faerie princess turned private investigator who is attempting to live a human life.  Her attempts are short-lived when it is revealed that she could be the heir to the throne of her aunt (who is a queen in the realm of faeries) if she can conceive a child before her cousin.  The series follows the many assassination attempts on Merry's life while she negotiates intricate alliances with faeries (and other creatures) while attempting to conceive a child.  Be forewarned, these books are not for the faint of heart.  The romantic encounters are graphic and involve characters who are supernatural creatures with more than human appetites. 

For an engaging romantic read that has more to offer than the traditional "bodice-ripper", there are several outstanding authors to choose from.  Lisa Kleypas, Jude Deveraux, Stephanie Bond, and Rachel Gibson write contemporary romances that feature unique characters, entertaining situations, and snappy dialogue.  Linda Howard, Karen Robards, Jayne Ann Krentz, Elizabeth Lowell, Sandra Brown, Beverly Barton, Catherine Coulter, Jennifer Crusie, Julie Garwood and Suzanne Brockmann are some of the premier authors of romantic suspense.  Their stories often feature a hapless couple that is pulled into an life-threatening situation and the male character usually (but not always) saves the day. 

And what is so wrong or embarrassing about reading a historical romance (bodice-ripper)?  There are many authors who offer a creative storyline or a twist to the standard romantic formula.  Mary Balogh has created several series using an extended family and a recurring group of friends.  Lynsay Sands writes excellent historical romances featuring unique leading characters and hilarious dialogue.  Other notable historical romance authors include Claudia Dain, Julia London, Suzanne Enoch, Julia Quinn, Johanna Lindsey, Mary Jo Putney, and Eloisa James.
Finally, for the mature Twilight fan, Deborah Harkness has developed an outstanding fantasy world in her Book of Souls trilogy.  In Discovery of Witches, the modern world contains witches, vampires, and daemons who must work together for their own safety but are not permitted to have romantic ties with one another.  This precarious balance is upset by a witch named Diana (who has vast untapped powers) and a vampire named Matthew (whose bloodlust for Diana is exceeded only by his carnal desire for her).  This first book focuses on the courtship of the two main characters as fate leads them to defy the rules.  In the second book, Shadow of Night, the two use Diana's new found powers to travel in time back to Elizabethan England.  There they interact with many of the leading literary and historical figures of the day.  The author creates an authentic historical world which leaves the reader wishing that the characters did not have to journey back to modern times.  It is in the second book that Matthew and Diana's relationship advances to the next level. 
Are all of these titles going to be exactly like 50 Shades of Grey?  For the reader's sake, let's hope not.  People may express the opinion that if you've read one romance, you've read them all but that would imply that every romantic relationship in the world is the same.  Those readers who enjoy escaping into a good romance will tell you that each relationship is vastly different and the enjoyment comes from the author's ability to create something new from what some would describe as recycled material.

 

Degrees of Separation

Featuring retired homicide detective Baruch "Buck" Schatz

Sometimes you can read a book and it will lead you to another book (or movie) that may make sense to no one but you.  For example, I recently finished a book called Don't Ever Get Old by Daniel Friedman.  The title alone sounds like a self-help book aimed at helping you turn back the hands of time with diet and exercise.  Don't be fooled by the title.  It's a convoluted, comedic mystery set in the south whose protagonist is a cross between "Pop" from Grumpy Old Men and Clint Eastwood's character Walt Kowalski from Gran Torino.  The mystery is layered with stolen Nazi gold, interspersed with flashbacks of a German POW camp, and topped off with a present-day serial killer.  Throughout the book, there is a sense of profound personal loss intertwined with laugh-out-loud moments as Buck interacts in his unique way with the other characters, particularly his grandson "Tequila".

From here we segue into the next book recommendation.  In the course of expounding the many virtues of the above book to one of my coworkers, we started discussing WWII memoirs and how memories blur after a number of years.  The book Treblinka had been recommended to me years ago by a friend.  It has since become a book that I go back to every few years in between my other reading pursuits.  This is the kind of book that will stay with you after you turn off your light at night.  Ever since our library held a book discussion on The Seamstress by Sara Tuvel Bernstein, the two of us have had an ongoing conversation regarding accuracy in memoirs and general historical writings.  (The core of the discussion being, if someone makes themselves or their life events sound too good to be true, then it may not be completely accurate.)  Memoirs can be tricky that way.

This leads me to the next volume, Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard.  The writing is so overly dramatic (at one point they describe Abraham Lincoln as "traipsing" down a hallway) as to be ridiculous.  They attempt to assign various feelings and motivations to different characters with little actual proof to back up their assumptions.  As a reader of non-fiction, I prefer that an author let the facts speak for themselves.  Comments, quotations, and writings by contemporaries of the time period are always helpful but the discerning reader of history must remember that there will be an element of human fallibility in those writings as well.  When the author interjects too much emotion into the historical event, I become a very skeptical reader.Finally, this leads to one of the best Abraham Lincoln books that I have read recently.  Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith is packed with action and adventure as it follows the life of Abraham Lincoln.  The author does an excellent job of using historical detail to lend his vampire tale authenticity.  Abraham Lincoln is a noble, larger-than-life hero who sets out to avenge the death of his mother at the hands of a nefarious vampire.  The vampires will continue to be the bane of Abraham's existence throughout his life since they are also the cause of the American Civil War.  Thank heavens Old Abe was so handy with an axe!

Also by this author-Pride and Prejudice and Zombies



That is how you get from a mystery featuring a grumpy old man to a fictional vampire hunter in just a few books.  Have a book conversation with another reader.  You'll go from dystopias to politics to adventure to romance in the blink of an eye. 

"Are we there yet?....Are we there yet?"

It's official.  It is now the time of year we all look forward to; particularly those of us that live in northern climes.  Time to make some summertime family plans.  The summer family vacation may involve hours and hours of driving across country or it could mean undergoing an invasive inspection while trying to board a plane.  These are precious moments (whether it be laughing or crying) that you get to spend together.  Believe it or not, there will come a time in your life when you will think back with nostalgia to the cross country trip(s) that included all the delights of bored children fighting, carsickness due to winding mountain roads, and contant demands (whining) to stop for food or bathroom breaks.

Perhaps your favorite times are those evenings in the backyard spent with a campfire, marshmallows and funny or creepy stories.  There are those people who are fortunate enough to have a permanent vacation spot...the family cabin "up north".  Others may enjoy the summer family camping trip.  Here in Wisconsin, there are several distinct breeds of people who go camping regularly.  The RV people (who often have a permanent spot for the camper) and the "real" campers who use tents (called "roughing it").  Then there are those hardy souls who take an extended family vacation across the country visiting the sights and spending their nights camping.  No matter how you do it, these are the moments that create the stories we share around our winter fires.

 

Some of us have a list of places we would like to visit at a future time in our lives.  One might call it the travel "bucket list".  There are a multitude of outdoor wonders and historical sites in the United States just waiting to be discovered by you.  They may lie across the country or a few miles down the road.  Maybe you want to share your favorite childhood campground or relive a family road trip with the next generation.  Whatever it may be, now is the time to share some lasting moments with the people you care about most.  It's time to hit the road.  (A road trip tip:  if you don't want to listen to the whining and fighting, try bringing along a book on CD for the kids.  It can make the miles fly by.)

Librarian, contrarian, how does your garden grow?



Books can be so versatile

"The only things that grow in my garden are weeds."  In my experience, this is the type of statement made by compliment-seeking, green-thumbed people who have fabulous, thriving gardens.  Now I on the other hand can truly say that weeds seem to prosper at my home.  In fact, the only desirable plants that grow at my house are wild, untended plants.  Wild asparagus and rhubarb (courtesy of the previous owners) are abundant in the otherwise barren wasteland of dried grass that surrounds our home.  Don't get me wrong, we like the idea of having a garden.  However, we lack the skill, knowledge, willing workers and TIME needed to put together a prosperous plot. 

I've always been attracted to the idea of container gardening.  Even though we live outside of town on a space larger than an acre, I haven't been able to muster any desire to do more than invest in a "Topsy-Turvy" tomato planter.  By that I mean, I've thought about getting one and trying it.  (I am a little shy of the "As Seen On TV" products.)  Every summer we have encouraged our daughter (who has actually shown some interest and talent in this area) to plant various vegetable seeds with the understanding that anything she plants is solely under her care.  Her success has been sporadic as it often depends on us reminding her to water and weed her small plot.  Now that she's older, she has started to abscond with all the produce since she's doing all the work. 

I blame my anti-gardening feelings on my mother.  She grew up on a farm in South Dakota.  For many years she attempted to grow a gigantic South Dakota style garden in the back yard of our Washington State home. This would have worked out fine if the plot hadn't been surrounded by enormous pine trees which took up all the nutrients from the soil and blocked the majority of the sporadic sunlight.  (There is also the endless rain factor, even in summer.)  Pulling the weeds from this futile dream of abundance was one of my childhood chores.  One learns to actively resent pulling weeds from a garden that doesn't produce anything in noticeable quantities. 

Some day in the not-too-distant future, I plan to check out some  of the gardening books from our library and follow through on the project.  Until that day, I hope that my wonderful, generous gardening neighbors will continue to share their extra zucchini, tomatoes, melons, and green beans with my family.  People tell me that gardening is rewarding and relaxing.  I guess I'd rather relax with a good book than a big plot of weeds. 



The perfect book for the gardening newbie.

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives

The month of May offers many landmark days of remembrance for our country.  May 1st is "Loyalty Day", a day in which we declare our loyalty to our country.  It was first officially observed in 1959 and was a reaction to workers' celebrations being held in communist countries on that day.  May 8th is "V-E Day" (Victory in Europe Day) the offical date of Germany's surrender signaling the beginning of the end of World War II.  The third Saturday in May is known as "Armed Forces Day" (from 1950) when we recognize all the branches of the military.  The day of remembrance that people are most familiar with is Memorial Day (Decoration Day) which honors the fallen and dates back to the end of the Civil War. 

It has been over 65 years since the end of World War II which means that those who have first hand knowledge of that era have dwindled significantly.  Thankfully, many of them wrote down their experiences to share with us.  This was a time like no other in our country and should not be forgotten.  One of the most memorable life stories from that time is that of Louis Zamperini.  He was an Italian boy from the wrong side of the tracks whose older brother helped him to channel his excess energy (street fighting and wild behavior) into long distance running.  He became world famous when he went to the Olympics in Berlin in 1936 and although he did not win a metal, people were amazed by his performance at such a young age.

Louis went on to collegiate track glory until 1941 when he signed up with the United States Air Force.  He was sent to Hawaii as a bombardier on a B-24.  On a search for a lost plane, Zamperini's B-24 went down.  He survived with another crew member only to be captured and tortured by the Japanese.  Unfortunately for Louis, his name was still known throughout the world.  His Japanese captors were thrilled to have a celebrity that they hoped to use to help demoralize American troops.  The Japanese were soon to learn that this would be no easy task.  Laura Hillenbrand has turned Louis Zamperini's life into an exciting armchair adventure for the reader.  This Memorial Day, take a veteran's memoir off the shelf.  Find out what ordinary people will do under extraordinary circumstances.  (You might even call them....heroes.) 
Thank you to all veterans and service members who are courageously serving our country.  We honor you.

Mom's Gift



"So sad"

When I was a little girl, she took care of me.  She fed me.  She washed my clothes.  She made me take baths.  She took time off of work and stayed home with me when I was sick.  She even cleaned my room. 
I'll never forget the time that Mom was spring cleaning behind the beds and found an old apple core.  The sound of my name being shouted echoed through the house and outside to our cul-de-sac.  I came running.  It's foolishness to try to escape THAT tone of voice.  I was told to hold out my hand.  Not knowing what treasure might be awaiting me, I did.  YUCK.  Never has one apple core done so much to change someone's bad habits.  I learned that if I wanted to have a snack in bed on those occasions when I stayed up all night reading, apple cores and other leftovers should be stored under my pillow where I would retreive them in the morning and dispose of them properly.  I dare not attempt this at night because my mother ALWAYS woke up when there was noise at night and I didn't want her to take my book away.

"Oh, is that fiction?"

Mom is a reader.  An avid reader who loses track of time and becomes deaf and blind when she has a book in her hand.  It doesn't even matter WHAT she's reading.  She goes into her "mom is reading now" zone and doesn't resurface for anything except "Dancing With the Stars".  Whenever she plans a visit, I stock up on titles that I think might keep her occupied while the rest of us are frantically running our ordinary lives.  Recently, she gave The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin by Gordon S. Wood an "it was interesting" which is probably a three and a half star rating for her.  Michael Oher's I Beat the Odds was given a "his early life is so sad" which is mom-speak for she couldn't put it down.  I am trying to decide whether or not to hand over Two Rings: a story of love and war by Millie Werber to her.  (It's currently at the top of MY reading pile and I won't get it back until she finishes it.)  I would like her to preview Margot Livesey's The Flight of Gemma Hardy for me.  I am a big believer of encouraging others to break out of one's reading comfort zone and she needs to shake that non-fiction addiction.

Mom, thank you for sharing your love of reading with me.  I know that at times you've called it a curse.  It is a treasure that I can share without fear of it ever running out.  This is a gift that grows and expands and is life-long.  It is common gound that we can share even when you are thousands of miles away.  Every time I have a book sharing moment, I think of you.  I am so glad I will always have this part of you to share with others.  Happy Mother's Day, Mom. 

"Interesting"

The Zen of Snoopy

The sun finally made a brief appearance in Manitowoc yesterday and I found myself thinking of one of my favorite childhood characters, Snoopy.  Remember the Snoopy dance?  The dance that all the Peanuts' characters did when things (finally) went their way?  They would throw back their heads, stick their noses in the air, and dance on their toes until the credits stopped rolling.  No character conveyed joy more completely than Snoopy.  If a day could feel like a Snoopy dance, yesterday was that day.

The best Peanuts' adventures (in my humble opinion) featured Snoopy and Woodstock with an occasional cameo by Snoopy's brother Spike.  Despite their inability to talk, or maybe because of it, these characters with their rich fantasy lives epitomized the reality of childhood.  Woodstock and Snoopy's friendship rang true.  They would argue and Woodstock would fly off in his haphazard fashion while Snoopy gave him an unintelligible tongue-lashing while shaking his fist.  Or Woodstock would end up in a scrape, often because of his size, and Snoopy would run to the rescue (after laughing that dirty Snoopy laugh at his predicament).  One always believed that some day Snoopy would get the Red Baron because Snoopy would never give up.  Who of us a child didn't wish that we would go for a walk and find a pet just like Snoopy?  We reveled in the joy of Snoopy and his adventures.

 

I suppose a character like Charlie Brown had to have a dog like Snoopy.  Even as a child, we recognized him as the biggest loser we had never met.  We would not have been able to bear reading his adventures if he hadn't had a dog like Snoopy or a philosophical friend like Linus.  (Kind of like when the Brady Bunch formed a singing group, went on the road, and became THE most embarrassing show to watch.)  Snoopy, Charlie and the gang have managed to stay relevant and relatable despite having lost their creator over twelve years ago.  Spring is the time to stop and smell the flowers, and do the Snoopy dance.  Snoopy would want you to.  Stop by the library and check out The Complete Peanuts (1950-1985).  We might even let you practice the dance.