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From the author of the massive fantasy trilogy: Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn and equally massive sci-fi series: Otherland, comes Shadowmarch, the first volume of Tad William’s new trilogy.

Williams has returned to a fantasy setting since Otherland with his recent standalone contemporary fantasy novel, The War of the Flowers and now Shadowmarch.

I consider Tad Williams to be required reading for anyone who considers themselves a fan of fantasy and/or sci-fi. Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn and Otherland are excellent series. His recent stuff is not quite as riveting, but it is entertaining.

Williams’ more recent worlds have seemed darker and humorless compared to the first two series. My advice: if you haven’t read Memory, Sorrow and Thorn or Otherland yet, read those first; and if you still have an hunger for more Tad, then move on to Shadowmarch. I wouldn’t recommend this as an introduction to the author, but it whets the appetite.

- Recommended by Ben, Central Circulation

I must start out by confessing that this is one of my all-time favorite books. Yes, A Girl Named Zippy is yet another memoir of a poor family in the hinterlands of Indiana, but this one is set apart by the author’s skill. You know how most books about childhood are told from the safety of adulthood? The stories can be funny, sure, but there is a definite distance between where the storyteller is and where the storyteller was. Haven Kimmel transcends this gap by making you look at things through her eyes as they were at the time. The story landed me solidly back in a giggly 9-year-old mentality, whether I wanted to be there or not. Example: “Everyone around me was flat-out in love with [Jesus], and who wouldn’t be? He was good with animals, he loved his mother, and he wasn’t afraid of blind people.”

My favorite story is the one where she starts out by eating a whole bunch of carrots (that’s all I’ll say about that). I also enjoyed the follow-up book She Got Up Off the Couch: And Other Heroic Acts from Mooreland, Indiana and I’m looking forward to The Used World, which comes out this month.

-Recommended by Sara, Reference Librarian

The Namesake was written by Pulitzer Prize winning Jhumpa Lahiri, an American of Indian origin who writes on themes of cross-cultural conflict and integration. The hero of the novel, Gogol Ganguli, grows up with an oddly Russian forename in an Indian family that has migrated to the States but returns to Calcutta for vacations. Gogol struggles to find his identity, initially rejecting his family and changing his name but ultimately coming to a greater appreciation of his complex heritage and the significance of his name.
The Namesake has recently been made into a movie directed by Mira Nair.
–Recommended by Ann Ercelawn, catalog librarian

This is a book of short stories ranging from the historic (like the title story which is about the Hindenburg), to the contemporary (the story “Reach For The Sky” takes place entirely in an animal shelter), to the completely fantastic (the story “The Creature From The Black Lagoon” is based on the 1954 film, but told from the creature’s perspective). The stories are funny, sad, and strange.

Recommended by Chris Waldrop, Technical Services

This book, written by the author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, describes the effects of the civil war in the Sudan seen through the eyes of one of the Lost Boys, Valentino Achak Deng. The horror stories Achak tells describe his flight from his home in the Sudan to a refugee camp in Kenya and subsequently to the United States. The reader comes away with an idea of what it was like for these children, who left their homes on foot, lost track of their parents and family, watched friends die along the way, and narrowly escaped from many dangers, including soldiers, rebels, lions, hyenas, disease, and starvation, only to face a whole new set of challenges trying to survive in the United States. Achak is a remarkable man, and his story is a remarkable tale. Is it truly an autobiography? No, but as Achak himself says, some of the things did happen to him, and all of them could have.

Call number: Central Library PS3605 .G48 W43 2006

This action-packed mystery, set at Princeton, is a fun read. It’s The Da Vinci Code meets academia. It’s “country mouse goes to the city.” It’s got secrets, decoding, and boys being boys.

I enjoyed the audio book, which is read by Jeff Woodman. Even though the four main characters are all college guys, the narrator does an excellent job of distinguishing between the different voices. Also, if you listen to this book, you’ll never again wonder how to pronounce “Hypnerotomachia Poliphili.”

-Recommended by Sara, Reference Librarian

Doubt that the actions of one person can make a difference? Want to learn more about the root causes of terrorism in a little understood part of the world? Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen chronicles the story of one man’s attempt to climb one of the most treacherous mountains in the world, K2 in Pakistan. Mortensen was injured and failed to complete the climb, but was cared for by mountain-dwelling villagers cut off from modern amenities and without a school for their children. He returned to the U.S. and single handedly raised money to build a school, combatting corruption and Islamic fundamentalism to realize his vision. Al Neuharth, founder of USA Today, says “Mortenson doesn’t just climb mountains. He moves them, and through his dedication and determination, he’s given hope and changed the lives of thousands of children in a region of turmoil”.

–recommended by Ann, catalog librarian

Three women in different times, different places, and different points of view are all connected by the book Mrs. Dalloway. Virginia Woolf writes the book, a veteran’s housewife reads it in 1949, and a modern day New Yorker is nicknamed “Mrs. Dalloway” by a former lover. But these women share deep connections: uncertainty, mental illness, and suicide are unavoidable forces that push their lives out of control.

Did you enjoy the movie? The book is even better!

“You don’t have to go to the party. You don’t have to go to the ceremony. You don’t have to do anything at all.”
“But there are still the hours, aren’t there? One and then another, and you get through that one and then, my god, there’s another.”

Depressing? Oh, god yes. But the book won the Pulitzer Prize (1999) and the movie won an Oscar (Best Actress, 2003). It’s a good book!

Recommended by Sara, Reference Librarian

A Song of Ice and Fire is the ultimate in Epic Fantasy. Martin’s characters come alive with depth and personality that is often lacking in Fantasy fiction. Rather than wielding the power of fireballs and lightning bolts, many of the characters in this series wield political clout and Kingdom-spanning ambitions.
A Feast for Crows is the fourth and supposedly penultimate volume in the series (but it was supposed to be the last). This reviewer hopes that is the case and Martin doesn’t force the series to continue beyond its natural conclusion.

Recommended by Ben, Central Staff