Grab your popcorn and enjoy the ride

Once again it's time to break out the holiday movie favorites.  You cannot watch The Nightmare Before Christmas in the middle of May, it just doesn't work. But now it's November and Irving Berlin's White Christmas has suddenly transformed into the most popular movie and soundtrack of the season.  Some people can't wait for the endless reel of It's a Wonderful Life to be shown on TV and must take it home and watch it now to get into the spirit of things.  Another perennial TV favorite, A Christmas Story is one of those movies that gradually grows on the viewer.  (It's a matter of learning to appreciate the many humorous nuances in the movie.)  Who can forget the line, "you'll shoot yer eye out kid"?
Anyone can use the Internet and access a search engine to find "expert" opinions on the top Christmas movies of all time.  However, as with all lists that claim to catalog the "best of" anything, they are subject to differences of opinion and personal taste.  Die Hard, Home Alone, While You Were Sleeping, Bridget Jones's Diary, and When Harry Met Sally are examples of movies that claim to be quality holiday viewing choices. Movies like these can be enjoyed at any time during the year. Real holiday movies are applicable to the time of year.  People actively search the shelves for them in order to catch the holiday spirit.  Miracle on 34th Street, Elf, Muppet Christmas Carol, The Polar Express, Santa Clause (all 3), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Boris Karloff version), A Charlie Brown Christmas, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer are just a few examples of those holiday titles that you can live without for most of the year but are "must-haves" come November.
It's perfectly acceptable to be a fan of the old school titles like The Bishop's Wife, Christmas in Connecticut, Holiday Inn, or Meet Me in St. Louis; they warm the heart and fill the viewer with nostalgia.  It's not a crime to prefer to get your holiday adrenaline pumping with movies such as Gremlins, Rocky IV, The Long Kiss Goodnight, The Last Boy Scout, Enemy of the State, and Lethal Weapon.  Many people need a lift during this time of year and gravitate towards lighter fare like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Scrooged, Fred Claus, Deck the Halls, Bad Santa, and Jingle all the Way.  The debate over which of these movies is the best can be an activity to enjoy with your family as you decide which ones you want to watch.  Whether you want to laugh, cry, or remember days gone by, these movies are available for you at your holiday headquarters-the library.

Remember the Spartans! (the way of life, not the football team)

It's here.  The time of year when credit cards and bank accounts start screaming for mercy.  We tell ourselves that this year we will be prudent and thoughtful in our spending.  Guilt will not influence holiday purchases.  Indecisiveness will not cause us to spend unwisely.  BOGO offers, cash back incentives, and ad campaigns that proclaim lowest prices or egg us on to buy quickly due to extremely limited quantities will not sway us.  We will shy away from signs proclaiming "Doorbusters". However, since society and the world around us won't let us skip the holiday season, it's time to strategize.
Some people throw themselves into the world of couponing with abandon year round.  It has become a family activity. Family members spend hours clipping coupons while others are frantically downloading coupon deals from the Internet.  A third person (the "Couponing General") peruses the local ads and calculates where to use the coupons to the best advantage while combining them with store card discounts and double coupon days to achieve the maximum discount nirvana.  The popularity of this activity has spawned popular shows like "Extreme Couponing" on TLC.  (A thoughtful person might say it has likewise contributed to the advent of shows such as "Hoarding: Buried Alive".)  Sometimes it feels like the couponers are involved in  a competition revolving around quantity not quality (or usefulness) of items.  Before you dive into couponing ask yourself; are you looking to save money on groceries or do you want to be the only person on your block with over 50 bottles of ketchup at your disposal?  (But they were only .50 a bottle!!!)  Your answer will determine whether you are "extreme" or merely a bargain hunter.
The clothing stores are already in full holiday discount swing.  Everything is on sale, everything.  Is it a bargain if you have to buy two items that are exactly the same thing in order to get a third free?  Are those name brand jeans from the outlet mall really worth the "discounted" price?  Shouldn't you buy things because you actually need them, not because they were an incredible bargain?  Are we really saving money if the store repeatedly rewards our purchases by giving us another incentive to come in and shop again, and again, and again?  Of course many those deals and incentives are tied to the store credit card, another avenue of revenue for the store. Gone are the days of our grandparents who used to get "two useful things" (most likely socks and underwear) "and one fun thing" for Christmas.  (There was a time not so long ago when three children were thrilled to SHARE the Atari game system they got for Christmas.  No child expected or received their own individual game.  Bonus if you got candy in the stocking that morning too.)
Once we are able to discipline the shopaholic that resides inside, we can approach the holiday shopping season with less trepidation and more determination.  After all, if we look at the bigger picture, there is life after the holidays.  (Remember the millennial scare in the year 2000?  Didn't the Mayan calendar have the end scheduled for 2012?  We're still here and so are the bills.)  Whether we're battle-hardened Black Friday goers or online shopping aficionados, there really is only so much stuff that we need or want.  So before you make your list and check it twice, remember to use the resources at hand to guide you through your shopping expeditions.  You may find that you'll enjoy your excursions more if you approach them thoughtfully, with a goal.  Realize that it would be nice to relax in January instead of trying to return unwanted, unnecessary gifts that you may have been "bargain-tricked" into purchasing.  Don't let the holidays get the best of you, become a holiday "prepper".

Semi-true Stories or "Hey, it could happen!"

Steampunk

To the person who loves history, some of the worst offenses authors of historical fiction make are an overload of period detail, characters using modern dialogue or behaving in a manner that is inconsistent with the time period, and re-writing history. We don't want well-known historical figures performing acts that are out of character, like pardoning their enemy instead of beheading them and marrying their widow for the estate or the inheritance. We can't stand it when people who we know are doomed (like Mary Queen of Scots) receive a surprise happy ending.  If someone is implausibly saved, (such as the fair maiden's rescuer appearing at the scaffold with a machine gun thanks to their handy time machine), the reader had better realize that this author is writing fantasy, science fiction, romance, or maybe a blend of all three.  It is not historical fiction.

One of the keys to an engaging story is a main character that invokes sympathy on the part of the reader.  In The Constant Princess, Philippa Gregory does an excellent job developing the character of Katherine of Aragon. Katherine begins the story as a young, headstrong princess of Spain who becomes the Princess of Wales and (eventually) the beloved wife of Arthur, the Prince of Wales.  Their romance is passionate but short lived.  On his death bed, Arthur extracts a difficult promise from his wife.  She is to deny the consummation of their marriage and set her sights on marrying his younger brother, Henry.
Although she should be headed back to Spain as a widow, her promise to Arthur and the political maneuverings of various European monarchs (including her former father-in-law) prevent her departure.  She allows Henry VII to believe that she might consent to his advances while remaining true to her promise to Arthur.  She becomes the "constant princess", bound by a promise and her own ambition.  What the author has done with this character is highlighted her triumphs and not her disappointments, which can be difficult when using historical figures.  Gregory takes the somewhat tragic life of Katherine of Aragon and turns it into an intriguing story about her personal life and loves and avoids creating an atmosphere of impending doom.

Historical fiction that centers on events, allows the author to create their own characters.  They can use these ordinary people to help lead the reader to a deeper understanding of historical events and their impact on lives. In Skeletons at the Feast, Chris Bohjalian used several real life resources mingled with historical facts to help him create both a realistic setting and characters.
The events in this book take place during the final months of World War II. A Prussian (German) family is fleeing their estate in the face of the Russian advance.  Along with their wagon and supplies, they are bringing their farm helper, a Scottish POW who also happens to be their daughter's lover.  Their goal is to head west through Poland and Germany until they reach the safety of the British and American lines.  Along the way they meet resistance fighters, concentration camp survivors, and German fanatics who refuse to see the reality of their country crumbling around them.  They also must face their journey without their father and older brother who feel honor-bound to rejoin the German forces despite the fact that they know they are most likely going to die.  The variety of characters in this book and the intense setting allows the author to show human nature at its best and worst.
No matter what type of historical fiction you prefer, if it's done properly it can take you back in time or lead you to a new understanding.  Maybe it will spark your interest in a person, time period, or event and lead to become an "expert" in that field.  Don't dismiss historical fiction or you may be doomed to read the same type of fiction over and over and over again.
Also recommended by the Manitowoc Public Library Staff:


Biographical Historical Fiction

Hemingway and Hadley

He's just into you for your money;
 but you've got the title to keep you warm.

Bedtime Stories for the Deranged

One, two, Freddy's coming for you....

The October frights fests are in full swing.  Blood is spraying the walls and bodies are being dismembered  for enjoyment on your television.  For whatever reason, people love to be scared.  From AMC's The Walking Dead to Night of the Living Dead to World War Z, zombies are receiving top billing these days.  But aside from a fear of infection or aversion to being eaten alive, are they really that frightening? How many children lay awake at night fearful that the zombie apocalypse is nigh?  On the other hand, how many children are terrified of the monsters inhabiting their dreams, unexplained things, dogs, being lost or forgotten, vanishing without a trace, strangers, clowns?  The list of childhood fears is endless. A good author will use these fears to prey upon their readers.

In Cujo, Stephen King takes a St. Bernard and transforms him into a delirious killing machine.  The fact that there is a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why the dog has gone mad contributes to the story's fear factor.  For The Shining, the author depicts a man who is struggling to overcome his personal demons and attempting to rebuild his life with his family.  (This is a character that initially invokes empathy on the part of the reader.)  The story then follows what should be the perfect situation to achieve that goal and turns it into a murderous, haunting nightmare.  The book Psycho, uses madness as the device that leads to murder, mayhem, and terror. Viewing an ordinary videotape leads to imminent death in the chilling tale of The Ring.  It is the normal transforming into the abnormal that sends chills down your spine when reading these novels.
This is not to dismiss tales such as The Amityville Horror which terrify because they claim to be based on actual experiences with supernatural forces. Sometimes a title like The

Uninvited:  the true story of the Union screaming house is all it takes to get a reader hooked on a book. Stories about haunted houses with malevolent ghosts or demons continue to hold appeal for believers of the supernatural and thrill seekers. Haunted Heartland is a favorite in the Midwest since readers may have the opportunity to visit the locales mentioned and possibly witness the phenomena mentioned in the book.  Many readers who savor the thrill of haunted house stories find books about possessed people equally intriguing.  Titles such as The Rite take readers through the training and experiences of a priest training to be a modern day exorcist.  The classic novel of demon possession, The Exorcist is over forty years old yet it continues to terrify.
From Frankenstein to Dracula to Interview with a Vampire, readers love the fear and suspense that is horror.  Next time you are looking for a scare, remember that there is a plethora of books both old and new waiting to keep you up all night.  (Remember, when vampires wanted to drain your lifeblood instead of bonding with you for life?)  As can be found in the suspenseful writing of Edgar Allen Poe or in the pages of Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, the loss of body parts and massive blood spray are not the only ways to achieve maximum scare. However, the readers of Chuck Palahniuk's Haunted might argue that "maximum scare achievement" is a matter of reader preference.

Love is Strange

Sometimes I will pick up a book because the reviews convince me that this fantastically entertaining story is perfect for me.  This can lead to deep disappointment when I dive into the book and realize that the reviewers taste is not mine.  The problem is that my expectations have been cruelly raised and then dashed when they were not met.
The Rosie Project is a book that should not appeal to my reading tastes in any way.  It contains several elements that I tend to dislike as a reader.  It is a romance written in the first person by the main character who is male.  This character seems to be detached from reality and extremely socially awkward. Within the first few pages, though, the author manages to create empathy for this odd character along with a large dose of humor.  (He's not "Rain Man" but at times he comes close.)

This character, Don, approaches life scientifically.  (He is a geneticist at a university.)  He has his calorie and alcohol intake calculated to correspond with his exercise regimen.  He eats specific meals on scheduled days to ensure freshness, ease of shopping, and is limited to the recipes he already knows.  Don walks into a bar full of men and doesn't understand why they would offer to buy him a drink.  When he needs to go somewhere, he travels by bicycle, jogs, or asks others to drive him.  (Big Bang Theory fans, Don is the literary shadow of Sheldon Cooper.) He is the kind of character who develops a lengthy questionnaire to help him on his search for lifelong companionship, or The Wife Project as Don thinks of it.
Paired up (unscientifically) with Don is Rosie.  Rosie fits many of the criteria that Don is attempting to avoid as he sets out on his quest for love.  Rosie is a smoker.  Rosie does not plan her day much less her life. Rosie can be emotional.  Rosie throws Don's routine into chaos.  (Rosie is definitely not Amy Farrah Fowler.) Despite all these drawbacks, Don likes Rosie and Rosie learns to like Don as he helps her with her mission to find her biological father (also known to Don as The Father Project).

It's interesting how different book covers can be used to convey the contents of a story.  Looking at the various covers for The Rosie Project, the images reflect the unique character of Don pursuing his quest for love.  Whatever the cover of the copy that you pick up, you will laugh out loud as Don unwittingly discovers lasting love.  This book is bizarre romantic comedy at its best.

Books Are Like Brussel Sprouts

The other day, while working at the Service Desk, a patron started describing Flashback to me.  Naturally, I assumed that this person was looking for more books by that author or better yet, books that were similar to the one he was describing.  Making book recommendations can be a challenging but rewarding task. Some people dread it, but I enjoy sharing new authors and genres with open-minded book lovers. However, this patron was not asking for advice, he was giving it.  Sometimes when you are in the business of dispensing information to people you forget how to receive information from others. 

I finally realized that this person making a reading recommendation so I thanked him and promptly put the book on hold for myself.  Sadly, although I do enjoy the occasional mystery wrapped up in a dystopian world, I did not enjoy this one.  The main character is sort of a good guy gone bad and the language is "earthy" to say the least.  (I haven't been a follower of the AMC show Breaking Bad for similar reasons.)  I would rather have the heroes be heroic and the villains be villainous.  That doesn't make this a bad book, it just wasn't a book for me.

Last year I finally tried Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series at the insistence of another staff member. I dutifully sat down with the first book in the series and read it.  It was OK.  That was all I could say about it.  I gave it two and a half, maybe three stars out of five when asked for my opinion.  This response was unacceptable to my coworker.  How could I say such lackluster things about one of his favorite authors?  Didn't I read Deborah Harkness?  Didn't I like the Twilight series and Harry Potter?  He really couldn't understand what was wrong with me.  How could I not like that book?  I made it worse when I told him I thought the Sookie Stackhouse series was a little better.  He then pointed out that Storm Front is the first in the series and the books get better and better throughout it.   The problem was that he took my response to his reading recommendation personally.  Trying to convince someone to like a book is like trying to force a hated vegetable into a child's mouth at dinner time. They're going to fight you tooth and nail and it will be a long time before they are willing to try it again.

Although you may not understand why someone doesn't like a certain author or genre, if you are in the business of telling people what to read, you can't take it personally.  I wish that more patrons would feel comfortable sharing their latest and greatest reads with us.  We can't read every book in the library but if we get a good review from a reputable source, we feel confident recommending that book to others.  Stop by your library and tell us what you've been reading lately.  After all, we are all about sharing books and information.

Right now I'm reading Me Before You, The Black Count, and Beautiful Creatures.  The best part about them is that they're all so different from one another.  (That just happens to be my "personal reading methodology".)  I recommend all three, but maybe not all at once.

BANNED, CHALLENGED, not easily forgotten

What would we have read in school if all the banned and challenged books had been permanently withdrawn from our schools and libraries?  The American Library Association website has several lists of frequently banned and challenged titles. Students might browse this list and express disappointment that so many of these books continue to survive.  Others may recall that they were assigned to read several books from the list which made a permanent impression on them (or possibly scarred them for life).
Anyone who  has read The Lord of the Flies will never forget characters like Ralph, Simon, Jack and Piggy.  Some might say that this book is a tale of adventure about the survival of the fittest. Others may believe that this book is a study of human nature.  Many have felt that the age of the characters and the violence in the story make this an inappropriate title, especially for students. However, in many ways this book could be thought of as simply a precursor to The Hunger Games.

The Catcher in the Rye is objectionable because it contains obscene language, sexual situations, and delinquent behavior.  (Instead of reading the book, one could watch "The Breakfast Club" or "Dead Poet's Society" to understand that this is teen angst at its finest.)  One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has been described as containing obscene language and glorifying criminal activities.  It also contains torture and violent behavior.  (One thing that anyone who reads this book will learn is that being committed to an asylum is not for the weak or faint of heart.)  The Lord of the Rings has hobbits, wizards and dwarfs that smoke.  It has magical creatures like elves, orcs, ents and dragons.  Due to the strong elements of magic, it is often objected to on the basis of its perceived Satanic themes.  (Because if kids read about Frodo smoking a pipe, they will definitely take that up when they embark on their next quest.)

Fahrenheit 451 has never been banned but it has been censored.  (Who would want to look so foolish as to ban a book about banning books?)  Many objections have been raised to this book due to offensive language.  Others have been upset by the political themes which are similar to another banned favorite, 1984. Anyone who has actually read these books should be able to discern that they are against totalitarianism and oppressive regimes (anti-communism, anti-fascism).  Perhaps the objectors were so caught up in the language they didn't understand the actual content.
The Color Purple and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings are two titles with similar themes that are often challenged.  They are often challenged over explicit sexual content, language, and inappropriate content for children.  Some have complained that the books are "anti-white".  They are both stories about young girls who endure brutal treatment throughout their early lives but manage to persevere and eventually thrive.
The people who want to ban books often focus on one thing; should a book exist in a curriculum or be available on a library shelf.  Shouldn't the question focus on why the reader has chosen the material?  Aren't these missed opportunities to talk about books?  Isn't this your chance to share your favorite banned or challenged book that Mr. ____________ assigned to you so long ago?