- Check out Mary Alice Monroe’s new book, Time is a River.
- Take one recent breast cancer survivor (Mia Landan)
- Add one cheating husband who files for divorce
- Locate in a remote, dilapidated fishing cabin in the mountains of North Carolina
- Sift in mysterious, scandalous details about the former owner (legendary fly-fisher Kate Watkins)
- Temper Mia’s quest for the truth about Kate with her friend’s command to not dig up the ruinous past
- Add prescribed tall and handsome love interest
- Simmer for 369 pages
- Top with predictable (convenient but still ultimately satisfying) plot line
- Note: This is a quick and easy recipe. Not for the gourmand, but perfect for reading at the beach (or in a little fishing cabin in the woods!) End result: another popular novel by a New York Time’s bestselling author. Serves multitudes. Bon appétit!
Author: Ann
Say You’re One of Them by Uwem Akpan
You know what it’s like when you just can’t put a book down? Well, this widely acclaimed book was one I actually had to put down. I just needed to take a break from all the suffering and violence. Still, it’s a book I’m recommending. In fact, I really think that it should be required reading for most adult Americans. Why? Because how many of us are acutely aware of what is really happening in Africa? Sure, you may have heard it on the news, but this book will affect how you feel about those happenings.
The author, Uwem Akpan, is a Jesuit priest who was born in Nigeria and later educated in Michigan. He chooses to tell most of these short stories (a few quite long) through the eyes of children. This, in my view, makes them all the more tragic. For example, in the last story, “In my Parents’ Bedroom,” the young narrator, Monique, can’t understand why the ceiling is bleeding. For me, this was the most powerful story, reminding me of the movie Hotel Rwanda. Monique is the daughter of a Tutsi mother and a Hutu father and the title, Say You’re One of Them, is based upon the advice her mother gives her shortly before the machete-wielding mob arrives.
In the story, “An Ex-Mas Feast,” a 12- year old girl works as a prostitute in order to feed her starving family. And, in “Fattening for Gabon,” two children are sent to live with their slave-trading uncle as their parents die of AIDS. So, no, this is not a pleasant book, but it is an important one. For all those literally starving children in Africa, please at least give it a try.
Eagle Watching
One of the (many) great things about living in the Quad Cities is the Mississippi River – its beauty, its recreational opportunities and its wildlife. January and February are prime time for eagle watching. A lot of Americans have never or only rarely seen a bald eagle in it’s natural habitat, yet for Quad Citians they’re a common sight in the winter. Attracted to the open water of the river near the dams, hundreds of these magnificent birds congregate along the river during the coldest months.
Fight off cabin fever and take advantage of some of the great programs and viewing opportunities including Bald Eagle Days (today through Sunday) at the QC Expo Center, eagle watches at the Mississippi River Visitors Center on Arsenal Island (reservations required) through February, and the LeClaire Eagle Watch, January 24-25.
For more information about bald eagle events and watching, including a list of the best viewing areas in the Quad Cities, be sure to visit the Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau website.
Want more? Check out these books from the library:
The Bald Eagle: Haunts and Habitats of a Wilderness Monarch by Jonathan Gerrard
Raptors of North American: Natural History and Conservation by Noel Snyder
The American Eagle: a Photographic Portrait by John Pezzenti
Return of the Eagle: how America Saved its National Symbol by Greg Breining
House of Daughters by Sarah-Kate Lynch
Ready for an escape this winter? How about a little literary trip to a champagne vineyard in France? Sounds idyllic, doesn’t it? And yes, I realize it still gets cold there, but you have to admit, the idea of it is pretty romantic.
In House of Daughters by Sarah-Kate Lynch, the story revolves around Clementine, the daughter and rightful heir to the House of Peine, a vineyard that has been in the family for generations. However, after her father dies, Clementine soon discovers that she must share her inheritance with a half-sister she’s only met once and with another she didn’t even know existed! Needless to say, all is not happy in the Peine household. The sisters struggle not only with each other but with trying to keep the vineyard afloat financially. Secrets, scandals and long lost loves all keep this story bubbly and upbeat, but robust enough to savor long into the night. Share a toast to sisterhood and celebrate this read with your own bottle of champagne. C’est la vie!
NewYear’s Resolutions
It’s that time of year again! The end of the old — the start of a new one — with all of the guilt and good intentions that go into making us think about New Year’s resolutions. Notice I said “think about,” which is not necessarily the same thing as “make.” For those of us of a certain vintage — say past puberty — we may have long ago given up on New Year’s resolutions. We know, empirically at least, that we can make dramatic changes in our lives at any time of year — it doesn’t have to be the first of the year or the first of a week. We just have to decide and then DO! Still, I’m a sucker for any kind of “should” so I usually end up vowing to magically “be better” in the upcoming year. And typically, I always have the same three resolutions: Lose weight, get organized and save money. Hmmph, I don’t really like what that says about me, but when you think about it, those are probably the top three resolutions world-wide. So, assuming I’m not alone, here’s a few titles that can help out quite a few of us:
Resolution #1: Lose Weight!
Never Say Diet: Make Five Decisions and Break the Fat Habit for Good by Chantel Hobbs. This one sounds perfect for me. Somehow, it seems that whenever I say “I’m on a diet,” I automatically get hungry. And if this book isn’t up your alley, there’s a plethora of specific diet books on our shelves, including Bob Greene’s The Best Life Diet and WeightWatcher’s Start Living, Start Losing: Inspirational Stories That Will Motivate You Now.
Resolution #2: Get Organized!
With all the Christmas packaging to dispose of and all the decorations to put away, this is a great time to really get your whole house in order. A saver by nature, sometimes it’s hard for me to let go of things. One great book I found is The Clutter Cure: Three Steps to Letting Go of Stuff, Organizing Your Space & Creating the Home of Your Dreams by Judi Culbertson. Her three easy steps (identify, assess and take action) are realistic and easy enough for most anyone to follow. Another title, Real Simple: the Organized Home by Ken Cronstrom, is just very refreshing. It’s filled with lots of colored photographs that make me wish my house looked that way!
Resolution # 3: Save Money!
With the economy pretty shaky these days, saving money just makes sense. For a colorful take on a ticklish subject, try How Come That Idiot’s Rich and I’m Not? by Robert Sherman. This book is organized by 8 simple secrets — sounds easy enough to actually try! Another approach, depending where you are on your financial path, there’s Seven Years to Seven Figures by Michael Masterson. It’s subtitle is The Fast-Track Plan to Becoming a Millionaire, which is appealing to just about everybody.
Well, good luck to those of you who are actually making New Year’s Resolutions. Check out our displays on all three of these resolutions for other reading suggestions. As for me, next year at this time, I’m going to be thin, organized and rich — just like I was going to be this year!
Holiday Closings
The Davenport Library will be closed Wednesday and Thursday, December 31 and January 1 in observance of the New Year holidays. Both buildings will open again on Friday January 2 at 9:30am
Have a safe and happy New Year!
Favorite Books from our Blogging Librarians, 2008
The end of the year always brings an avalanche lists and awards – winners for being the “best” in various fields and lists of the “Top 10” of just about everything. In that spirit, the Davenport Library is joining in with our own end-of-year list. Here are the favorite books that our Blogging Librarians read in 2008.
Lynn’s favorite was The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett about the Queen of England taking up reading. It had great insight into the life of the Queen and the (sometime subversive) value of reading. Read her description of it here.
Bill liked Red White and Brew : an American Brew Odyssey by Brian Yaegaer. Follow Yaeger cross-country as he explores the brew pubs and small breweries of America.
Rita recommends following the Harlan Coben mystery series on CD. With great characters and interesting puzzles to solve, you’ll want to read/listen to them all.
Rebecca loved Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, about a boy who runs away with the circus. Rebecca says this was one of those rare books that is life-changing, making you stop and see the world from an entirely new perspective. She blogged about it here.
Tana’s favorite was The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. Tana wrote about it before Oprah picked it for her bookclub, predicting that this was a book that would take the country by storm. Read her blog post here.
My choice is So Young Brave and Handsome by Leif Enger, a poignant coming-of-age story set at the end of the Wild West era. Full of adventure and emotion, I wrote more about it here.
Those are our picks – what about you? What was your favorite book that you read in 2008?
DVDS for January
January 6
Pineapple Express – Ed Begley Jr, Nora Dunn, Seth Rogan
Dale (Seth Rogan) is a constantly stoned court clerk that finds himself on the run with his dealer, after Dale witnesses the murder of a drug lord and leaves a rare form of marijuana at the scene that can be traced back to him and his dealer.
January 13 
Appaloosa – Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen
Based on the 2005 Western novel by Robert B. Parker, ” Appaloosa” is centered around lawman Virgil Cole (Ed Harris) and his deputy Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen), two friends who are hired to defend a lawless 1880s town from a murderous rancher (Jeremy Irons). Their efforts are disrupted and their friendship tested by the arrival of a woman (Renée Zellweger).
Swing Vote – Kevin Costner, Dennis Hopper
Bud, an apathetic, beer-slinging, lovable loser, is coasting through a life that has passed him by when his 12-year-old daughter accidentally sets off a chain of events which culminates in the presidential election coming down to one vote…her dad’s.
January 27
Vicky Christina Barcelona – Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johannson
Two American women, one engaged to be married and the other sexually flirtatious, both become romantically involved with a painter while on vacation in Barcelona, only to find they have competition in the form of the painter’s ex-wife.
A Platter of Figs by David Tanis
Celebrating the simple beauty of food, A Platter of Figs by David Tanis will tempt you with beautiful, unpretentious recipes, gorgeous photos and a simple philosophy – cooking should be a joy, eating should be a pleasurable experience and both should preferably be shared with friends.
The recipes are arranged seasonally, spring through winter, rather than by course, the idea being you should celebrate what each season offers. This fits in nicely with the current trend toward eating locally and sustainably, but it also has everything to do with flavor – fresh picked, in-season food is undeniably the best tasting.
Recipes range from the simple – Warm Asparagus Vinaigrette – to the more complex – Chicken Tagine with Pumpkin and Chickpeas – but all are clearly explained. Stories of Tanis’s life and travels (which are reflected in his recipes) are scattered throughout the book, adding a warm and friendly atmosphere to the cookbook. A beautiful book about beautiful food.
Holiday Closings
The Davenport Library will be closed Wednesday and Thursday, December 24 and 25, in observance of the Christmas holiday. Both buildings will open again on Friday, December 26 at 9:30am.
Have a wonderful holiday!