Readers' Advisory: Librarian's Choice 2012

Moyer and Stover's book covers the wide array of readers' advisory facets: reading materials, reviewing materials, marketing materials, programming, and expanding readers' advisory services. This title is truly a comprehensive guide to modern readers' advisory.

This is the comprehensive booklist guide to genre fiction. I love the lists, the icons, the brief annotations. It's super easy to flip through and use as a reference. Written from a gal who reads 400 books a year, I will trust her book lists. Whoa nelly!

Alan's War is the re-telling of G.I. Alan Cope's memories from his time in World War II and the aftermath of his life and those he knew personally. By happenstance the illustrationist Emmanuel Guibert and Alan Cope met, but it seems that Cope has an innate ability to befriend, invite, and love others well. His memories are not full of the killing and gore of wartime stories (although there are sprinklings), but of people, friendships, lovers, relationships, dreams, and life pursuits. To me, Cope's voice sounded like my grandfather's: pensive and calm, a voice that had lived through many things. Guibert's mix of illustrations, photographs, and mementos accent Cope's story beautifully.
Graphic memoirs are one of my favorite genres and this book is another outstanding graphic memoir. Highly recommended.

I really loved this book. It sat in my office most of the semester and I finally took it home last week and just plowed through it. I have lots of post-its stuck inside and lots of notes to take. I would definitely recommend it for those who want to live more fulfilling lives or feel like they never get much done because they are so busy. It really taught me a lot about prioritizing and time-management. There are lots of stories and diagrams throughout, which makes it a quick read.

I loved this book. John Green is one of my favorite authors and his young adult books feature dynamic characters and engrossing plots, with clever symbolism mixed along the way. This book was no different and is actually my favorite John Green book now. I cried twice, and struggled to not cry during the last 100 pages, but it was worth it. I hope my daughter reads this book one day is just as affected by this book as I am.

Just as he did with The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Selznick has blown me away. Ben and Rose grew up 50 years apart, but in Wonderstruck, they are both children with hearing loss searching for something. It's inevitable that their lives will intersect, and when they do, it's beautiful, life-affirming, and celebratory. Wonderstruck took me a weekend to devour, but I will savor it for a lifetime.

Zeke Pappas, 33, and widowed (so to speak), begins a project called "The Inventory of American Unhappiness" in which he interviews Americans to find out what makes them unhappy. Meanwhile, he begins a quest to find a wife so he can gain custody of his orphaned nieces.
I really enjoyed this book, mainly because of Zeke's narration. Zeke spends a majority of his time in despondent, but comical reverie. There are many lines that made me laugh out loud. He becomes increasingly filled with despair, which made me simultaneously want to cheer for him, and shake my hands in frustration, especially during the last 3rd of the book when he was making himself so darn unlikable. Zeke reminded me of Will from the film Good Will Hunting -so smart, clever, quick on his feet, but carries a lot of baggage from the sadness in his life.
I also loved the chapter headings, which reminded me of Wes Anderson films, and added to the witty charm.
I would recommend this book to fans of Jonathan Tropper, Kevin Wilson, James Collins, and other contemporary-realism humor authors.

Bee, the daughter of a workaholic Microsoft father and a loving, but anti-social retired-architect mother, insists that their family take a trip to Antarctica as a reward for her perfect middle school grades. Her mother, Bernadette, devises a plan to get out of the trip, while her husband begins to suspect a mental disorder. When Bernadette, disappears, Bee collects her mother's correspondence and other artifacts to find her.
I had a great time reading this book. It's so quirky and creatively written that I found myself laughing out loud and reading lines to my husband. I loved the slow unravel of personal mysteries. I loved the satire on the privileged class in Seattle, the enigmatic, and eccentric characters. I loved that the characters blurred the lines between good and evil. I found myself rooting for and against various characters throughout the book, which is true to life isn't it? I also loved the portrayal of a dysfunctional, but loving, hopeful family.
I recommend this one to anyone who enjoy fiction humor with a domestic setting and eccentric, quirky characters. I think those who enjoy The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson will enjoy this one too.

NPR's Literary Lookahead May 2012

On Nick and Amy's fifth wedding anniversary, Amy disappears from their small-town in Missouri, in an alleged kidnapping. All evidence points to Nick, but Nick and Amy's alternating narration reveals a dark, twisted marriage and this book packs more twists and turns that a tilt-a-whirl. I enjoyed this psychological thriller, but readers beware: it is a very dark book. It moves quickly and Flynn did a great job writing a usual crime story in a very unusual way. The narration of both Nick and Amy were fantastically written. I recommend this one to anyone looking for a page-turning psychological crime thriller.

NPR's Literary Lookahead May 2012

Told in a journalist's voice, Carole Radziwill reflects on her life story: growing up in a small town, working class family, moving to New York City at 19 to work for ABC News, marrying Prince Anthony Radziwill (John Kennedy Jr.'s cousin), caring for Anthony as he battles cancer for five years, and then losing their closest friends (John Kennedy Jr. and wife Carolyn Bessette) in a plan crash, 3 weeks before Anthony loses his battle with cancer. This book is a moving account of fate, marriage, friendship,strength when fighting a losing battle, and moving on when one loses loved-ones. Radziwill is brutally honest here, no pat sugar-coating, no hallmark ending and seems to conclude that memories and loving gifts are on the only things that live on. I really enjoyed her journalist style of writing and her compelling story. I would recommend it to anyone who like memoirs, especially memoirs centered around relationships: familial, friendships, or romances.

16-year-old orphan Hattie inherits her uncle's farm in Montana, where she has to be self-reliant and learns the harsh realities of prejudice during World War I. I am so glad I read. Hattie's narration is comical, yet sentimental. She is one caring and mature young gal. I loved the happy-mixed-with-sad ending, even though I was weeping as I closed in on the final chapters. The novel was loosely based on the author's great grandmother. It's crazy to think about a 16-year-old girl in present day attempting to take over a farm single-handedly and legally, she wouldn't be able to. As a society, are Americans currently "staying young" longer? The wheels are turning on that one.... I highly recommend this book to reluctant readers and those who enjoy cozy historical fiction. This is a young adult/children's book that adults may enjoy.

Sepha Stephanos, an Ethiopian refugee, owns a convenient store in urban Washington D.C., whose biggest event of his weeks is meeting with his friends, who are two fellow African immigrants. When a Caucasian woman and her young bi-racial daughter move in next door, everything changes. An equal parts characterization and plot-driven novel that penetrates and explores themes such as racial tensions, approval, segregation in neighborhoods and our perception of others---do we look to others to be our savior? I really enjoyed this thought-provoking book. I found the characters to be likable, despite their flaws, and I enjoyed the budding romance of Judith and Sephas.

Tris Prior's story continues in Insurgent. Surprisingly, I enjoyed this book as much as the first one, which is unusual for me. I love the fast-pace, the blend of good and evil in many of the characters, and of course, the swoony romance. I recommend this triology (third book forthcoming) to fans of the Hunger Games. I think this is a great read-a-like.

Edgar Sawtelle was born without vocal cords to parents who breed dogs. His life consists of taking care of the dogs and communicating with his parents when his father's brother is released from jail and comes to live with them for a short awhile. When the fights escalate and Edgar's father mysteriously dies, Edgar flees his home with three dogs and fights for justice and truth.
This book is a dark, slow burner of a fire. It is an emotionally riveting read with rich detail and deep characterization. I think dog-lovers would especially enjoy it, but I would recommend it to many.
A cool tidbit: the author, David Wroblewski, grew up near the Chequamegon National Forest in Wisconsin, which is where my husband's grandparents own a cabin. We visit every summer.

Jim Dixon is the newest professor of an esteemed college's history department. Dixon quickly realizes that he has no desire for the hoity toity of the academic world. He has no desire to compete with Professor Welch as the most-esteemed history professor on campus, but he does have a strong desire for Christine, the girlfriend of Welch's awful son Bertrand. Amis has penned a fun, vivacious, and hilarious read. I recommend Lucky Jim to those who enjoy British humor, humor fiction, and would enjoy the pokings at academia and professors' egos.

Top 5 Must-Know Humor Book According to David Wright, SPL

In 1956, cousins Alicia and Nora are enjoying their lives as teenagers growing up in an affluent family residing in Cuba. When Fidel Castro begins his rise to power, their lives dramatically change. Nora's family flees to the States, while Alicia stays in Cuba. Centered around the cousins' deep friendship,this heart-wrenching tale spans decades and is marked with times of panic, despair, and boundless love.
I recommend this book for readers who enjoy dramatic historical fiction sagas that center around family.

The Cloister Walk is Kathleen Norris's ruminations and reflections on the time she spent in a monastery. Her language is lyrical and rich and I was captivated by her beautiful writing. Unfortunately, I just don't have the patience for it right now, but I recommend it to others, as this book is considered a "guaranteed-read" in library circles.

I came across Annie Downs' blog via another blogger and I was immediately captivated by her honesty, her integrity, her sense of humor, and her heart for the Lord. I picked up this gem of a book, and although it's written for female young adults, its message transpires generations. Using personal stories and scripture, Downs' reminds her readers of a simple, but important truth: God created us uniquely and our individuality should be celebrated in gratitude of how He loves us. I highly recommend his book for all Christian females as we all have a tendency to compare ourselves and think we don't measure up. This book sets our sights on the truth about our bodies and our self-image. Let me forewarn you though just in case you want to read this book in a public place: you will laugh out loud.

I read The Hobbit because my book club was reading it in anticipation of the movie release next month. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I found it remarkably clever and funny and Bilbo Baggins is such a likable character and protagonist. I am in awe of Tolkien for essentially putting the fantasy genre on the map and creating such a strange, but intricate world in this series. If I continue to read The Lord of the Rings, it won't be for some time, but reading The Hobbit piqued my interest to revisit the Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

Min, arty film geek, and Ed, basketball jock, begin a tumultuous high school relationship. When it ends, Min writes Ed a letter detailing why they broke up and encloses a box that contains mementos of their doomed relationship. The book is beautifully written and evokes my own memories of teenage love: passionate, but generally short-lived. I am always impressed when authors are able to write from the opposite gender's point of view so well. Well done, Mr. Handler.

Vera and Charlie were lifelong bestfriends and neighbors until Charlie began to hang out with the "detentionheads". His death leaves Vera in a wake of numbness, confusion, and hurt as she also struggles with her relationships with her estranged mom and workaholic father . The mystery of Charlie's death and the mystery of Vera and Charlie's deteriorating relationship/friendship made the book a page-turner that I couldn't help but feel anxious about. I have a heart for emotionally-captivating, quirky books and the odd flowcharts and quips from inanimate objects offered a comic relief in between the weight of this emotional read. I highly recommend this novel for those who love emotionally-heavy, but quirky, and redeeming young adult novels.

Throughout the author Will Schwalbe's life, his mother, Mary Anne Schwalbe, and he had been in a habit of asking one another "What are you reading?" and discussing books. When Mary Anne is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and is scheduled for many treatment appointments, Will and Mary Anne "accidentally" begin a two-person book club that spans 2 years and dozens of books.
The book mostly centers on their discussion of books and how books change worldviews and lives with the stories they tell. The book also shines a light on Mary Anne, a remarkable and wise woman, who contributed greatly to education and humanitarian work while serving for the Women's Refugee Commission and working for several elite education institutions including Harvard.
While we were traveling for Christmas celebrations, I was grateful to have my nose in this book. It truly is a life-changing book for me. I don't believe that the author intended it to be, but Mary Anne inspires me to read differently: look up the author's life-story (for their written stories are stories within the bigger story of their lives) and think about what the author wants us to know/what are they trying to say in their story. She has also inspired me to seek more ways to contribute to the world and make it a more peaceful and humane place. She encourages us all to do something, no matter how small. I was pleased to find that Mary Anne shares my same feelings about books:
" She never wavered in her conviction that books are the most powerful tool in the human arsenal, that reading all kinds of books in the grandest entertainment, and also how you take part in the human conversation. Mom taught me that you can make a difference in the world and books do matter: they're how we know what we need to do in the life, and how we tell others."
I highly recommend this book as a "guaranteed read", one that could be enjoyed by many, but especially book-lovers and those who enjoy poignant memoirs.

Sometimes it's hard to write a review for a book that I loved so much because I don't want to say anything to ruin it. I whole-heartedly agree with Nancy Pearl when she says, "Trust me...just read it."