Nonfiction

Submitted by thomas on March 10, 2010 - 2:18pm
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Pulled by the Heart : a woman’s real-life story of living and escaping the Middle East by Nancy T. Wall, 2009.

Nancy T. Wall grew up in Neenah so it’s natural that we would be especially curious about her story. She leaves Wisconsin for Beirut Lebanon to begin married life with Maher, a Syrian who attended the Milwaukee School of Engineering. Nancy has a lot to adjust to – a new lifestyle, new foods, cultural traditions, her husband’s family, the language and, oh yes, a Civil War in Lebanon. Nancy writes about her children and the various locations in the Middle East that she lives in or visits – it’s an insider’s account – more personal and descriptive of everyday life than a travelogue. It’s interesting to learn about the foods she eats, shopping, her homes, raising children and what it is really like to live with extreme heat, sandstorms and a monster rainstorm. As a member of a well-to-do family she also travels to Europe and visits her Wisconsin family. Suddenly, her story changes dramatically! She is in danger! At this point in the book, I began reading the pages as quickly as possible and stayed up late to finish the book!

When I met Nancy I asked her the question she said audience members at many of her author talks had also asked: “Have you been on Oprah?” And with the recent Academy Awards, I might ask Nancy when she comes to the Oshkosh Public Library on April 14 at 7:00 pm – do you think Sandra Bullock should play you in a movie version?--JD
 

Fiction

Submitted by thomas on March 30, 2010 - 11:03am
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The Year That Follows by Scott Lasser

I couldn't put this book down! A story about a single mother struggling to raise her son following the death of her brother on September 11th, her search for her brother's orphaned son & her relationship with her father in the year that follows.  Great story that alternates between her & her father's viewpoints as they try to reconcile old wounds.

--ST

 

Mysteries

Submitted by thomas on March 5, 2010 - 9:13am
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One Bad Apple by Shelia Connolly

West Central Massachusetts is great country for growing apples. But Meg Corey is only there to tidy up and sell the house her mother inherited from great aunts. Retail development which would wipe out the orchard on the property doesn’t matter to her—but a dead financier in her new septic tank leads to involvement in the community. The romantic interest is, for a change, not a police office but Meg’s neighbor, the local plumber and handyman. This is not a cooking mystery, but there are a few recipes at the back.--MM
 

Nonfiction

Submitted by thomas on March 5, 2010 - 9:07am
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Origins of the Specious: myths and misconceptions of the English language by Patricia O’Conner and Stewart Kellerman

For those who love wordplay and etymology, Pat O’Conner is always a treat. Here she tackles the history of the uses (and mis-understandings about the uses) of ain’t, hopefully and an assortment of phrase and Anglo-Saxon four-letter words not suitable for the library’s website.--MM
 

Mysteries

Submitted by thomas on March 5, 2010 - 8:59am
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Through a Glass, Deadly by Sarah Atwell

How refreshing to find a mystery with all the main characters over the age of 35, and set in Tucson instead of the heroine’s small hometown. Emmeline Dowell is a glass-blower with her own studio and shop, and far more sensible that most romantic mystery characters. Thanks to the recent glass-blowing demonstrations at the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum, I understood the glass processes described, which added to my enjoyment. I’m looking forward to more in this series. --MM
 

Nonfiction

Submitted by thomas on March 4, 2010 - 9:15am
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Blue Collar, Blue Scrubs : the making of a surgeon by Michael Collins

Michael Collins was working in concrete construction to pay off his college loans from Notre Dame. An older co-worker urges him to think about a long-term career, and although he was an English major, Michael decides to become a doctor. He will need to take undergraduate classes in chemistry and biology before he can even apply to medical school. The descriptions of his large Chicago Irish family, his co-workers and his fellow students have you cheering for Michael the whole way to his graduation. --MM
 

Nonfiction

Submitted by belsky on October 12, 2009 - 3:25pm
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That’s So Annoying: An Etiquette Expert on the World’s Most Irritating Habits and What You Can Do About Them by
Cynthia W. Lett

We all have our own pet peeves and irritations and this book offers solutions to handling these situations. It is a fun book but I was a little disappointed in the lack of creativity. For several issues the author simply says we have to live with it, including screaming children in public places and people who use express checkout lanes with too many items. I expected this book to have more unique ways to handle difficult issues. It is a fun to look through but not all that insightful. --KH
October 12, 2009

 

Fiction

Submitted by belsky on October 12, 2009 - 3:22pm
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Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Locke Lamora is an orphan, thief, con man, and leader of the Gentleman Bastards. He inhabits a world that is like a futuristic version of Venice. It’s hard to put this story in a category—certainly it’s fantasy, but it’s also a caper novel, and you may also find echoes of “Oliver Twist” in there. I was surprised that I liked this book as much as I did. There’s another book in the series out, and the third volume is slated for 2010. --SB
October 12, 2009

 

Fiction

Submitted by belsky on October 12, 2009 - 3:17pm
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When Madeline was young: a novel by Jane by Hamilton
Aaron and Julia Maciver inhabit 1950s suburban Chicago with Aaron’s first wife, Madeline, who suffered a brain injury shortly after the wedding and now functions on the level of a seven-year-old. The book is narrated by the couple’s son, Mac, now an adult, who looks back upon the unusual family arrangement. --SB
October 12, 2009

 

Nonfiction

Submitted by belsky on October 12, 2009 - 3:13pm
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Making of the fittest: DNA and the ultimate forensic record of evolution by Sean Carroll
Carroll, a University of Wisconsin professor, looks at how DNA demonstrates the evolutionary process. In a readable manner, he uses monkeys, dolphins, and microbes to demonstrate evolution and DNA. Picks up where scientist Richard Dawkins has left off. A complex subject explained for the non-scientist. --SB
October 12, 2009