Consider Books This Holiday Season
Gift giving season is here and your Christmas bonus has likely been downsized to a company hat or coupon to your local multiplex. When wondering how you are going to satisfy all of the friends and family on your list without applying for a government bailout consider this, there is no gift so versatile, in my opinion, as a book. Think of a gift giving occasion and I promise that there will be a suitable book to be gifted. Think I’m wrong? Here are some examples;
The Holidays are a great time of year to give books because you are not necessarily constrained by any particular theme; sure you could give a Hanukkah themed book to your kids but you shouldn’t feel that you need to stick to the holiday at hand. Give a collector’s edition of your recipient’s favorite book as a show stopping Christmas gift (try eBay for first editions), or stuff the stockings with low cost paperbacks to read throughout the year. Don’t get stuck in the fiction section, sure fiction is fun but think about giving your family and friends books that they can use like a travel book for your jet setting niece, a cookbook for your son the aspiring chef, or a home improvement book for a new homeowner.
Here are some book suggestions for other celebrations:
Birthdays – This one is easy as long as you don’t make the common mistake of giving someone a book you liked or that you wish someone had given you. Remember, books are personal and just because you like it doesn’t guarantee that your recipient will too. Take the time to choose a title that will appeal to the birthday boy/girl and if you’re not sure ask a librarian or bookstore employee for suggestions. For those stereotypically tough groups like preteen and teenage boys try graphic novels or old favorites like Orson Welles.
Wedding gift – Think of books that might help a young a couple get started together like cookbooks, home improvement books, financial planning guides, or inspirational books. Try cookbooks specifically designed for couples like Robin Miller’s The Newlywed Cookbook.
Baby shower – Skip the pricey gifts from the registry and give a gift of cherished children’s books like Margaret Wise Brown’s The Runaway Bunny or Goodnight Moon.
Anniversary - I love giving couples a book that might inspire a new hobby or adventure, there are lots of books like Patricia Schultz’s 1000 Places to See Before You Die Traveler’s Journal that are fitting for any couple’s particular interests.
Graduation – This is a good occasion to give a book that is just for fun, help the graduate celebrate being done with studies by giving a lighthearted fiction book or a funny memoir. Try David Sedaris’ When You Are Engulfed in Flames.
Happy Gift Giving!
Fact or Fiction: Movies that Defy Definitions
In a New York Times article entitled “Quasi-Reality Bites Back”(September 26, 2008), writer A.O. Scott discusses the growing phenomenon of “crypto-documentaries.” The majority of us who find entertainment in the consumption of the products of Hollywood are familiar with only two types of movies, fiction and documentary. Within the broad scope of fiction films we can identify a multitude of genres including horror, romance, comedy, and drama; further, within fictional genres many of us are quite familiar with several sub-genres like romantic comedy and crime drama. But, when it comes to nonfiction film we undoubtedly stop at documentary. Before exploring the world of A.O. Scott’s “crypto-documentaries” it seems pertinent to discuss, or at least introduce, the often overlooked genres of nonfiction film. Simply, a documentary is a film that presents facts about a person or event, one could call the documentary the “Mother Genre” to all nonfiction film genres. Other nonfiction film genres can be defined as documentaries with a twist, for example, nonfiction narratives are documentaries that pose a question in the beginning of the film that is unquestionably answered at the film’s close. A documentary may, for example, inform viewers of the details of a presidential election while a nonfiction narrative might pose a question like “who will win the 2008 presidential election?” and through the course of the film the question will inevitably be answered. Other nonfiction film genres include biographies, autobiographical films, and music videos all of which present facts about a person or subject/event, but do so in different ways.
So, what is a “crypto-documentary?” According to A.O. Scott they are films whose “engagement with reality is at once impossible to miss and difficult to define.” I like to think of these as films that tell the truth in an unreal or fictionalized fashion. A great example of this pseudo-documentary style comes to life in Ari Folman’s Waltz With Bashir (2008). Folman’s movie is unquestionably nonfiction, it follows him (Folman) on his quest to recapture his own memories of the 1982 Lebanon War through a series of interviews with old acquaintances, war buddies, and friends around the world. The reality of Waltz With Bashir is, as Mr. Scott would say, also “difficult to define,” the film is animated in a way that is reminiscent of graphic novels and Folman’s personal quest to recapture his own wartime memories is being driven by the aerie recurring dream of a close friend. This friend’s dream is real yet dreams themselves are not documentations of reality, so if a real dream is brought to life in a nonfiction film is the dream fiction or reality? Further, if nonfiction events are documented using animation are they less real? There we have it, the crypto-documentary, coming soon to a theater near you.
Oprah’s Pick
Oprah has announced the title of her next book club book and I, for one, was quite surprised. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is author David Wroblewski’s first novel and it is unique to say the least . The book has been a New York Times best-seller for several months and has been popular with book clubs even without Oprah’s shining endorsement. So why am I surprised? Mr. Wroblewski has written a novel that is a modern take on Hamlet with several seemingly odd twists. The novel’s main character, Edgar Sawtelle, was born mute and communicates through a combination of nontraditional signs and invented body gestures. The Sawtelle family is in the business of dog breeding, they breed a fictional type of dog, the Sawtelles, known for extreme levels of intelligence and fierce loyalty. As might be expected Edgar is able to communicate with these super dogs with surprising ease and has formed a very close bond with one in particular.
The plot and premise of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is, for lack of a better word, weird. Add to the mix the fact that this odd story is quite long, 576 pages, and you might understand my surprise. Don’t get me wrong, I am pleased that such a nontraditional book has found main-stream success, I myself am enjoying it greatly and I hope that those of you who haven’t already done so will give it a try. I must say that I think I smell a movie, whether that is good or bad I can’t say.
Enjoy!
Give Sci-Fi a Try!
The 2008 Hugo award winners were announced this month at Denvention 3, the 66th World Science Fiction Convention. While many science fiction devotees know that the genre has grown by leaps and bounds in the past decade, the perception that sci-fi is all aliens, vampires, and talking apes still abounds. The reality is that sci-fi contains a number of subgenres that may surprise readers that don’t think that they would enjoy science fiction books. For example alternate history is often included among science fiction; these books ask, “What if a known historic event had a different result?” Commonly authors change the outcome of a war and explore how our lives would be different if things had gone the other way.
Subgenres of Science Fiction
Ø Apocalyptic, holocaust, and post-apocalyptic stories – These books are based on end of the world scenarios.
Ø Time travel
Ø Dystopian and Utopian – Often (but not always) these novels focus on exploring gender roles and race relations and ask, “What if women were in charge?” Or, “What if a particular racial group took over the world?”
Ø Science fantasy – These books throw-out known scientific theories and explore life without them.
Ø Near-future – The themes in these novels focus on currently in-progress or near future developments so the settings and technological references should be familiar to the reader. Common themes may include genetic testing, gene selection, and cloning.
Ø Cyberpunk – This subgenre uses technology, computers, hacking, and robots as primary elements/themes.
These are only a few of the common science fiction subgenres many of which are often marketed as mainstream fiction, so you may be a sci-fi reader and not even know it!
Wanna give sci-fi a try? Here are some of this year’s Hugo award winners,
Best Novel
- The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon (HarperCollins, Fourth Estate)
- Brasyl by Ian McDonald (Gollancz; Pyr)
- Rollback by Robert J. Sawyer (Tor; Analog Oct. 2006-Jan/Feb. 2007)
- The Last Colony by John Scalzi (Tor)
- Halting State by Charles Stross (Ace)
The Dog Days of Summer
These long hot summer days can be a drag but your summer reading doesn’t need to be! Keep your reading light and breezy by sticking to short stories. Short story collections allow you to put the book down and come back to it later (even much later) without feeling like you’ve forgotten the plot, you can read a whole story in the time it takes to wait out a child’s swimming class or read a few while sitting by the pool. An additional benefit to picking up a short story collection is that if you don’t like one you can skip it (this is especially helpful when listening to the audio versions on road trips).
Lucky for all of us short story fans several great collections have been published and added to our collection recently among them are;
Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth - 8 stories written in Lahiri’s soothing and beautiful prose that detail and compare the struggles of everyday life for characters in remarkably different places.
Elizabeth Berg’s The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted - Stories that convey the trials of womanhood at all ages, from preteen years to the onset of old age. Some of these stories will draw a chuckle while others are truly touching.
Libby Fischer Hellmann’s (editor) Chicago Blues - A collection of 20 stories written by local authors in a noir crime/mystery fashion, this collection will appeal to mystery and crime readers especially.
While your here don’t forget about nonfiction essays and collections, short and sweet just like their fiction counterparts!
Try Something New This Summer!
With the kids away at camp or otherwise occupied outdoors have you found yourself with a little free time on your hands? Perhaps you have found that you are craving a little grown-up time in your life? Maybe the inevitable and much dreaded question, “what do you want to do tonight?” has been popping up at an alarming rate lately.
Let me make a suggestion….
It would seem that Oprah can be credited, yet again, for making something that was once passé popular anew. Although Oprah and I don’t always see eye-to-eye, I must admit that her book club has refreshed the activity and has really sparked a wide-spread interest in group book discussions among adults. For those of you that are not currently participating in a book group (not counting Oprah’s) I would strongly suggest checking one out. Not only do they provide an excuse to remove yourself from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and lose yourself in a book, they also require that you participate in discussions that don’t revolve around children, spouses, mortgages, or work (unless these topics happen to be relevant to the plot).
Should you happen to not know of any local book groups or if those that you are aware of don’t happen to suit your taste/needs… start one of your own! While the founding of a book group is not difficult there are a few things you should consider before you get started.
1. The general size of your group: I have known people who participated in groups with over twenty members, and while they claim that these large meetings were fun and full of energy I prefer a smaller more manageable group of between 5 and 10 members. Keeping the group size relatively small ensures that everyone will get a chance to speak. A great way to maintain a small group without having to feel exclusionary is by defining the group members, for example, you may start a book group among colleagues within only your department or among members of your block or apartment/condo association.
2. Where will the group meet: Make sure it’s a comfortable environment that everyone can get to easily. If you plan on meeting in a restaurant/coffee house clear it with the proprietors first to ensure that there is not a meeting fee or bill requirement.
3. Discussion rules: Will one person lead the discussion and be responsible for bringing questions, or will the discussion format be organic? If you choose to have a discussion leader will it be the same person every time or will it change?
4. The Books: How will books be chosen? Will there be a theme for the group, will it change? I have found that it is not useful to try to stick to rigid rules like “we only read fiction” or “we only read books with female characters,” this tends to get boring and you may find that you are selecting books because they follow the rules rather than because you want to read them.
A few other things to keep in mind;
1. Be open-minded: book groups are about trying new things and meeting new people, enjoy it!
2. Don’t forget that you can get help at HPL: We are happy to put together reading toolkits that include discussion questions, book descriptions/reviews, and author bios., HPL patrons simply pay the cost of printing!
3. If you don’t think that you have time to read it – listen to it: You can get many popular books, both fiction and nonfiction, on CD so you can listen as you run errands or clean the house!
4. Enjoy!
A Broader Definition of “Library”
In the April 15, 2008 issue of Library Journal Editor-at-Large John N. Berry made a statement that, for this librarian, has become the mantra I repeat over-and-over as I build the Hinsdale Public Library’s feature film and music collections. Berry stated in his blatantberry commentary entitled “More Than ‘Information’” that “While many people view and use the public library as an information agency, its original mandate, many more now come to it to learn, to interact, to explore, and, of course, to be entertained. Yes, they come to the library to have fun.”
As I select titles to add to the HPL collection of DVDs and Music I do consider the educational value the items possess, what they say about a time in our history, whether or not they have been positively reviewed by those professionals we trust to dictate quality, and I also consider whether or not it will make someone happy. Beyond whether or not a movie or CD will bring a an hour or two of joy into a person’s life I might also ask myself if the tears it produced were genuine, if it might make someone laugh spontaneously, if the scares were truly scary, or if it made me think about a time I never had the chance to experience.
The heart of the library will always be the pursuit and discovery of information and the role of the librarian will continue to be to aid in that pursuit and to be the steward of information for future generations. It is the hope of this new librarian that I can help to foster a library environment that also aids in the pursuit and discovery of entertainment and that I can be a steward of joy, thrills, tears (the kind that we welcome), scares (the kind we like), and even fun. So please come and take a look at the HPL DVD and Music Collections and please don’t be shy about making suggestions!
Pilar Garcia-Montero
Reference and Adult Services
The High and the Mighty: NBA Winners and Oprah’s New Book Pick
Most folks think of basketball when they hear NBA, but the acronym also stands for the National Book Award, arguably the most prestigious literary prize in the United States. This year’s NBA winners were announced last night in a gala New York ceremony. Denis Johnson’s trenchant Vietnam War novel Tree of Smoke took the fiction prize, Tim Weiner’s Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA won for nonfiction, Robert Hass’ Time and Materials won for poetry and Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian won for young people’s literature.
However, the literary champ of the week probably is veteran novelist Ken Follett. For her latest book club pick, Oprah Winfrey selected Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth, 973-page opus about the building of an English cathedral in the 12th century. The book’s sequel, World Without End, was released a few weeks ago and already is on bestsellers lists.
Surprise Booker Prize Winner Announced
Anne Enright’s The Gathering, a dark novel about three generations of an Irish family hiding a bitter secret, was the surprise winner of the prestigious Man Booker Prize for Fiction, announced today in London. Most literary observers considered Ian McEwan’s On Chesil Beach and Lloyd Jones’ Mister Pip to be the favorites to win the prize, which rewards the best novel of the year written by a citizen of the British Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland.
Doris Lessing Wins Nobel Prize in Literature
The British novelist, essayist and short story writer Doris Lessing won the Nobel Prize in Literature today, becoming the 11th woman to receive the award. The Nobel committee lauded the “skepticism, fire and visionary power,” of Lessing’s work, which is known for its humanism, experimentalism and concern for social inequity. Lessing is also known for her uncompromising, independent personality, which was very much in evidence when she told journalists she “couldn’t care less” about winning the award.