STAFF PICKS . NOVEMBER 2009 . ISSUE 7
Stay Home and Read!
Here’s a solution for today’s tougher economic times: stay home and read
(a book borrowed from the library)! Forget the winter vacation in drier
climates; come over to the library to select a book from one of the many
new titles to be released this fall. This season’s offerings are a virtual
“who’s who” of American and Canadian fiction publishing with new titles
available by both popular and acclaimed authors.
for children
The exceptional creativity of children's
literature has inspired many movies over
the past few months: Where the wild
things are by Maurice Sendak, Percy
Jackson and the Olympians by Rick
Riordan, and Coraline by Neil Gaiman to
name just three.
For the younger set, Where the wild
The biggest blockbuster of the season by American authors is The lost
symbol, Dan Brown’s sequel to The Da Vinci code. Other well-known
authors releasing novels pre-Christmas are John Irving (Last night in
twisted river), Philip Roth (The humbling), Dave Eggers (The wild things),
Richard Russo (That old Cape magic), Thomas Pynchon (Inherent vice),
and Jonathan Lethem (Chronic city). Also coming out this fall are books
by two of my favourite American authors: Her fearful symmetry by Audrey
Niffenegger (best known for The time traveler’s wife), and A
gate at the stairs by Lorrie Moore. Though Moore’s acclaim
comes primarily from her short stories, her new novel is
getting rave reviews.
things are features a wild rumpus with
monsters that manages to be funny and
just a little bit scary at the same time.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a
perfect read for the Grade 5 to 9 set.
Perseus Jackson discovers that he is related to the god Poseidon and the gods,
still active in the 21st century, are about
to go to war.
Coraline is recommended for ages 11 and
up. Funny, haunting and scary, it is an
excellent fairy tale novel for the older
reader able to cope with the creepiness.
You've seen the movies, now read the
books!
Sandy
North of the border, Too much happiness, Alice Munro’s latest
story collection is now on the shelves. Also available this fall is a novel — The year of the flood —
by another Canadian luminary, Margaret Atwood.
(Fans of Oryx and Crake take note!) North Shore
author Douglas Coupland popularized
the term “Generation X” in his 1991
novel by that title. Will this season’s
Generation A by Coupland have a
similar impact? Other Canadian titles
to look for are Suddenly by
Bonnie Burnard, and The
golden mean by BC’s
Annabel Lyon.
Lorraine
Fiction
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
by Alan Bradley
The precocious heroine, Flavia de Luce, will enchant readers with her
adventures in post-war Britain. Passionate about chemistry and with a
fierce sense of justice, “almost 11”-year-old Flavia races against the police
to solve a crime to save her father. This fresh and lively first book in the
Buckshaw Chronicles will entertain mystery lovers everywhere.
Anne
People of the Book
by Geraldine Brooks
A fascinating novel that traces the journey of a rare illuminated Hebrew
manuscript from its creation to its restoration. Alternating between the
voice of Hanna Heath, the Australian rare-book expert and conservationist,
and the unforgettable voices from the past, the book’s mysteries are
unlocked. A real page-turner!
Jane
world mysteries
What could be better than solving mysteries and travelling around the world while
doing so? Take a mystery tour with these
authors!
River of the Dead
by Barbara Nadel
Inspector Cetin Ikmen is at your service
in this series set in Turkey.
The Merry Misogynist
by Colin Cotterill
Follow 70-something coroner Dr. Siri
around Laos in the latest mystery by
British ex-pat Cotterill.
Wife of the Gods
by Kwei Quartey
A new series set in Ghana and featuring
Detective Darko Dawson.
The Gift from Berlin
by Lucette ter Borg
A gentle, but fascinating, story of a retired German who moved to the
remote interior of British Columbia at the age of 76 to operate a tree farm
with his son. The focus is on his loving but complex relationship with his
children.
Nicet
The Disappeared
by Kim Echlin
It’s 1979, Montreal, and a young woman begins a passionate affair with a
Cambodian exile. He leaves her to return to Cambodia after the fall of Pol
Pot and the narrative picks up a decade later when she follows him to that
tragic and still-damaged country. A poetic and masterful novel of meetings, partings, and cross-cultural love.
Phyllis
August Heat
by Andrea Camilleri
Readers of this series will fall in love with
both Sicily and the endearing Inspector
Salvo Montalbano.
The Samaritan’s Secret
by Matt Rees
Lovers of mysteries penned by the late
Batya Gur and set in Israel won’t be disappointed by Rees’ Omar Yussef series.
The Lord of Death
by Eliot Pattison
Despite being a political prisoner in Tibet,
Shan Tao still manages to solve mysteries
and keep readers entertained.
The Case of the Missing Servant
by Tarquin Hall
A new and promising series, set in New
Delhi, featuring portly Punjabi P.I., Vish
Puri.
Lorraine
Fiction
magazines
Archaeology
Articles cover current excavations, recent
discoveries, and special studies of ancient
cultures.
¡Hola!
A popular magazine for Spanish-speakers
with news on entertainment, fashion,
beauty, and celebrity gossip.
Fashion Magazine
Brings the world of international fashion
home with trends in beauty, shopping,
health, travel, and culture.
Dance Current
Takes the reader inside the art and culture
of Canadian dance with artist profiles and
interviews.
Rahavard
A highly informative literary quarterly,
published for the purpose of preserving
Persian language and literature.
Waveland
by Frederick Barthelme
Taking place in the small town of Waveland, postHurricane Katrina, middle-aged, retired architect
Vaughn Williams is trying to eke out a meaningful
existence. With a cast of restless characters and a
dead-on accuracy of modern suburban imagery,
Barthelme successfully explores the inevitability of
death, love, guilt, regret, and restitution.
Elaine
Burnt Shadows
by Kamila Shamsie
A multi-generational tale following two families
from the 1930s to partition in India and finally to
9/11 and the war in Afghanistan. Cross-cultural
conflicts, the love of language, and major world
crises make this book a good choice for those who
enjoy historical fiction
Laura N.
Canadian Home Workshop
Look for free woodworking projects, plans,
expert tool reviews, and DIY advice .
Outside Magazine
For the active reader interested in travel,
fitness, equipment, and sports.
Goldie
¡
!
Darker Domain
by Val McDermid
A mystery with not one, but two complicated plot
lines. The first mystery centres around a man who
went missing during the 1984 coal miners' strike in
Scotland; the other, involves the abduction of a
wealthy man's grandson at around the same time.
Only Val McDermid could find a way to link these
two plots and create a believable but troubling
ending.
Dee
Stiffs and Swine
by J.B. Stanley
Although a light-hearted mystery, Stanley still incorporates the requisite murder and mayhem with
his tale of James, a small-town librarian, and his
four supper club friends who go from judging the
hog contest to being accused of murder. Add in a
smattering of romantic involvement, and a few
choice recipes, and you have a fun read!
Glennys
Non-Fiction
Lost Boy
by Brent Jeffs and Maia Szalavitz
This harrowing memoir recounts the life of a boy born into a fundamentalist
Mormon sect. His candid observations provide a window into a strange
world of polygamy, unquestioned obedience, and corruption. Jeffs’ journey
out of this restrictive world is a memorable page-turner.
Michael K.
The Breaks of the Game
by David Halberstam
This fascinating account of the 1979 Portland Trail Blazers is one of the
most highly regarded books about basketball, ever. Halberstam’s compelling insights into the NBA are surprisingly contemporary. Reprinted after
28 years, it is definitely a must-read for fans of the game.
James
documentary DVDs
Carts of Darkness
The story of North Vancouverites who
have turned bottle collecting into the
extreme sport of shopping cart racing.
Autism: the Musical
A teacher and her autistic students prepare to put on a musical. An uplifting
story.
Blue Gold: World Water Wars
This award winning film examines the
problems brought on by the privatization
and commoditization of water.
Without the King
Swaziland is Africa’s last absolute monarchy; the king lives a life of luxury with his
many wives while the people suffer from
malnutrition and crushing poverty.
The Devil in the Kitchen: Sex, Pain, Madness
and the Making of a Great Chef
by Marco Pierre White
A fascinating and tumultuous autobiography of the first celebrity chef and
bad boy of the food world, Marco Pierre White; the youngest chef in history
to win three Michelin stars while bringing British cuisine to its pinnacle.
Filled with emotional accounts of a difficult youth and a flamboyant and
passionate chef with a notorious temper, this book will appeal to more than
those who love food!
The Singing Revolution
A remarkable film about Estonia’s struggle
for independence from the Soviet Union; a
struggle that came to a head in the late
1980s when forbidden songs became the
platform for free speech.
Crossing the Line
The story of a US army private who
stunned the world when he defected to
North Korea in 1962.
Phyllis
Goldie
Rimbaud: the Double Life of a Rebel
by Edmund White
White explores the complex nature of Rimbaud’s character and work,
against the backdrop of his tortuous and exotic relationships, particularly
with fellow poet Paul Verlaine. He cleverly avoids the trap of penning yet
another salacious biography.
Chris
A Publication of
North Vancouver City Library©
November 2009
120 West 14th Street
North Vancouver, BC V7M 1N9
604.998.3450
www.nvcl.ca