Category: Books

Online Reading Challenge – Wrap-Up

- Ann Leave a comment

Hello Challenge Readers!

So, it’s been another difficult month in the year 2020. I know many of us – myself included – are taking a hard look at long-held beliefs and starting the ongoing work of educating ourselves. It may seem overwhelming, but it’s minor compared what too many of our citizens have suffered. Reading and comprehension are more important than ever – reading can be a source of education, a way to get a glimpse of another person’s life and it can be a comfort. I hope that this month you were able to find exactly what you needed, including for our monthly Reading Challenge!

I read Lawyer for the Cat by Lee Robinson, a lighter than air mystery about a cat that has inherited a large plantation house and a fortune.  Attorney Sally Baynard is assigned to choose a caretaker for the cat (and therefore live in the house and earn a substantial salary) from the three candidates listed in the will of the cat’s former owner.

Beatrice the cat is quite self-contained and has strong opinions about who she likes and who she won’t tolerate. Sally has to juggle finding the right fit for Beatrice (and the estate) while juggling a Mother with advancing Alzheimer’s, her regular load of Family Law cases and a boyfriend that is pushing for more of her attention. Not all of the candidates in the will seem above-board either – there seems to ulterior motives as some people are more interested on getting their hands on the estate than taking care of Beatrice.

Overall, this was an interesting mystery. Sally is a woman who has found success in the old boys club of Southern politics and law. I did worry some about how casually she handled Beatrice – at one point losing her altogether! – but you can be assured that Beatrice comes out with the best possible results. Interesting and fun, but very light.

What did you read this month? Let us know in the comments!

Virtual Book Club – July 1st

- Stephanie Leave a comment

On Wednesday, July 1st at 2pm central time, the Virtual Book Club will be discussing Lock Every Door by Riley Sager. Information on how to join is available at the end of this blog post. We are using GoTo Meeting which will allow patrons to talk with the librarian about the book!

Want to know what the book is about? Check out the following blurb provided by the publisher:

No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents, all of whom are rich or famous or both. These are the only rules for Jules Larsen’s new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan’s most high-profile and mysterious buildings. Taken in by the splendor of her surroundings Jules accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind. She is drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who reminds her of the sister she lost eight years ago. Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems, that the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming facade is starting to frighten her– and the next day she disappears. Can Jules discover the truth– and escape before her temporary status becomes permanent?

This book is also available in the following formats:

Virtual Book Club
Wed, Jul 1, 2020 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (CDT)

Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/406198773

You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (669) 224-3412

Access Code: 406-198-773

New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:
https://global.gotomeeting.com/install/406198773

Jenna Bush Hager JUNE Celebrity Book Club Pick

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Have you joined our Best Sellers Club yet? We have started a new club for Davenport Public Library patrons that allow you to have automatic holds put on new releases from your favorite authors, stay current with three different celebrity book clubs, or receive nonfiction picks chosen by our librarians four times a year.

One of the celebrities on our Best Sellers Club is Jenna Bush Hager. The Read With Jenna book club picks a new book every month to read.

A Burning by Megha Majumdar is Jenna Bush Hager’s June 2020 pick. Curious what the book is about? Check out the following blurb provided by the publisher:

After a fiery attack on a train leaves 104 people dead, the fates of three people become inextricably entangled. Jivan, a bright, striving woman from the slums looking for a way out of poverty, is wrongly accused of planning the attack because of a careless comment on Facebook. PT Sir, a slippery gym teacher from Jivan’s former high school, has hitched his aspirations to a rising right wing party, and his own ascent becomes increasingly linked to Jivan’s fall. Lovely, a spirited, impoverished, relentlessly optimistic hjira, who harbors dreams of becoming a Bollywood star, can provide the alibi that would set Jivan free–but her appearance in court will have unexpected consequences that will change the course of all of their lives. A novel about fate, power, opportunity, and class; about innocence and guilt, betrayal and love, and the corrosive media cycle that manufactures falsehoods masquerading as truths–A Burning is a debut novel of exceptional power and urgency, haunting and beautiful, brutal, vibrant, impossible to forget.

This book is also available in the following format:

Reese Witherspoon JUNE Celebrity Book Club Picks

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Every month Reese Witherspoon releases a new pick for the Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine book club. June is an exception! She has announced TWO books for June and we are so excited to tell you about them.

If you want to make sure that you don’t miss any celebrity book club picks, join our Best Sellers Club and have those automatically put on hold for you.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley is her fiction pick for the month. This book is available in the following formats: OverDrive eAudiobook and OverDrive eBook.

Below is a description of this book provided by the publisher:

On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed. But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast. And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?

Reese Witherspoon’s second book club pick for June is I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown. This book is also available as an OverDrive eBook.

The following is a description provided by the publisher:

The author’s first encounter with a racialized America came at age seven, when her parents told her they named her Austin to deceive future employers into thinking she was a white man. She grew up in majority-white schools, organizations, and churches, and has spent her life navigating America’s racial divide as a writer, a speaker, and an expert helping organizations practice genuine inclusion. While so many institutions claim to value diversity in their mission statements, many fall short of matching actions to words. Brown highlights how white middle-class evangelicalism has participated in the rise of racial hostility, and encourages the reader to confront apathy and recognize God’s ongoing work in the world.

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver

- Ann Leave a comment

What do you do when your life collapses around you and the future you had planned on is gone? How do you move beyond the pain, who do you lean on for support and comfort? And what if there was an alternative – would you grab it, no matter the cost? These questions and more and explored in the compelling book The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver.

Lydia and Freddie have been a couple since they met when they were 14. Their lives, past and present, are intertwined and their future planned with bright promise. All of that comes to an abrupt  end when, on Lydia’s birthday, just a few months before they were to be married, Freddie dies in a car accident.

Torn apart by her grief and her pain and unable to sleep at night, Lydia starts taking sleeping pills prescribed by her doctor. Every time she uses one of the pills, she magically slips into an alternate universe where Freddie is still alive, their future is proceeding as planned and Lydia is blissfully happy again. Waking up returns her to the world where Freddie has died and her crippling grief so the pills quickly become a crutch, allowing her to visit a world that doesn’t exist.

Pretty soon it becomes evident that not everything is perfect in this alternate universe, and it becomes increasingly difficult for Lydia to sustain both narratives. But how can she choose between the love of her life and moving on without Freddie?

This is an intriguing look at the process of working through grief and how grieving doesn’t follow a straight path or can be predicted by a timeline. It’s also about learning to stand on your own, how to move on while still honoring what has been lost, about the love and support of family and friends and about how you are responsible for your own happiness.

This may sound like a real downer of a book, but it has lots of funny moments – it’s British so the humor is very dry and Lydia’s circle of friends aren’t afraid to both poke her and hold her up. While it’s about grief, it’s also about love and joy and living your best life on your own terms.

 

Virtual Book Club – June 17th

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Have you joined our Virtual Book Club yet? Every Wednesday at 2pm central time, we discuss a new book! Using GoTo Meeting, patrons are able to practice social distancing while still participating in a book club through the library. On Wednesday, June 17th, we will be discussing Conviction by Denise Mina.

Conviction by Denise Mina is a 2019 piece of murder mystery detective fiction that was the December 2019 pick for Reese Witherspoon’s book club. Curious what the book is about? Check out the following blurb from the publisher:

A true crime podcast sets a trophy wife’s present life on a collision course with her secret past in this “blazingly intense” Reese Witherspoon book club pick and New York Times Best Crime Novel of the Year (A. J. Finn).
The day Anna McDonald’s quiet, respectable life exploded started off like all the days before: Packing up the kids for school, making breakfast, listening to yet another true crime podcast. Then her husband comes downstairs with an announcement, and Anna is suddenly, shockingly alone.
Reeling, desperate for distraction, Anna returns to the podcast. Other people’s problems are much better than one’s own — a sunken yacht, a murdered family, a hint of international conspiracy. But this case actually is Anna’s problem. She knows one of the victims from an earlier life, a life she’s taken great pains to leave behind. And she is convinced that she knows what really happened.
Then an unexpected visitor arrives on her front stoop, a meddling neighbor intervenes, and life as Anna knows it is well and truly over. The devils of her past are awakened — and they’re in hot pursuit. Convinced she has no other options, Anna goes on the run, and in pursuit of the truth, with a washed-up musician at her side and the podcast as her guide.
Conviction is “daredevil storytelling at its finest” (NPR’s Fresh Air), a breathtaking thriller from one of the most “superbly talented” writers of our time (Hank Phillippi Ryan, bestselling author of Trust Me).

This book is also available in the following formats:

To join the book club, follow the link below! We will be using GoTo Meeting for this program.

Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.

https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/224067037

Access Code: 224-067-037

You can also dial in using your phone.

United States: +1 (646) 749-3112

New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:

https://global.gotomeeting.com/install/224067037

Never Stop Learning

- Ann Leave a comment

One of the ways we can cope with difficult times in a positive and constructive manner is to educate ourselves. Take the time and effort to seek out the facts. It’s not easy and it’s not comfortable and for most of us (myself included) it’s a continual learning experience. As citizens – of this city, this state, this country, this world – it’s our job to do this.

Here are some resources from the library and some links that can help.

Stamped: Racism, Anti-racism and You by Jason Reynolds (also available on Overdrive)

How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Brown

Just Mercy: a Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson (also available on Overdrive)

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo

Please note that there are waiting lists on most of these titles. The Library is working on adding more copies both in hard copy and e-book form. Please place a reserve on any you find interesting and we’ll get a copy to you asap!

Online Reading Challenge – June

- Ann Leave a comment

Hello Fellow Challenge Readers!

Welcome to our June Reading Challenge! This month our inspirational film is: 12 Angry Men

Although it has been remade several times, the most famous version of 12 Angry Men is probably the 1957 film starring Henry Fonda. A jury of 12 men are tasked with deciding the fate of a man accused of murder. Eleven of them are ready to convict, but one man has serious doubts and stands resolute that the defendant is innocent. It is a powerful exploration of values and morals, and the ability of one person to affect change.

This month, look for books that feature lawyers and/or courtroom dramas. That’s a pretty big field to choose from, as lawyers and the law have long been popular. The classic, and one of the best, is of course To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee which fits into our theme perfectly – the courage of one person standing against popular opinion in search of justice. A modern classic would be Scott Turow’s Presumed Innocent, a book that is not only excellent, but is in part what started the recent popularity of lawyer-based novels.

There are lots of authors who write largely about the law including the very popular John Grisham (The Firm), Michael Connelly (The Lincoln Lawyer), Lisa Scottoline (Mistaken Identity), Phillip Margolin, Steve Martini, Marcia Clark, Margaret Maron, Linda Fairstein, Paul Levine and many more.

Of course, you can go with non-fiction as well. Historic books such as an exploration of Abraham Lincoln as a lawyer (Lincoln’s Last Trial by Don Abrams), a closer look at the Supreme Court in The Nine by Jeffrey Toobin or examine the current state of the American legal system in books like Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson.

I am planning on reading A Lawyer for the Cat by Lee Robinson. According to the description and reviews, it’s supposed to be humorous without being cute-sy, realistic and suspenseful. I am looking forward to reading something on the lighter side!

Usually at this point I encourage you to stop by one of our Davenport Library locations and browse our displays, but because of the current need to maintain social distancing, I’m going to urge you to place books on hold and take advantage of our curbside pick up at Main and Eastern and our drive up window at Fairmount. To help you get some book ideas, simply go to the catalog and type in “lawyers fiction” in the keyword search. You can put a hold on the book you’re interested in right from your computer, or give us a call at the Library and one of our staff will be happy to assist you.

Online Reading Challenge – Wrap-Up

- Ann 2 Comments

Hello Fellow Readers!

How did your “spy reading” go this month? Did you read something that kept your interest during this difficult and confusing time?

I read Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon, a fictionalized account about a real person. Well, I meant to read this book this month, but, sadly, it didn’t happen. I blame the pandemic as I found myself constantly distracted. They claim that Shakespeare wrote King Lear while in isolation during the Black Plague, but he didn’t have 24/7 news or social media to block out! Here’s to hoping my reading mojo comes back soon!

I did get started on Code Name Helene and it certainly has potential. So here’s a quick overview of what it’s about and my initial impressions.

Nancy Wake left Australia in the 1930s as a young woman, seeking adventure. She traveled throughout Europe as a journalist and socialite, making contacts with the wealthy and the powerful. She was free-spirited, independent and stubborn, walking into danger without hesitation. As the Nazi’s gain power in Germany, she struggles to raise the alarm but finds that many people, such as her editor, don’t want to hear what she is telling them. Unable to stand aside and do nothing, Nancy becomes a spy for the Allies. Known for her signature red lipstick, ferocious wit and her fearlessness, Nancy eventually becomes one of the most powerful leaders of the French Resistance, frequently putting herself and her loved ones in danger.

The story jumps across timelines, from the late 1930s to the end of World War II and from the point-of-view of several characters. I often enjoy this style of storytelling, feeling that it gives a more complete view of what happened and the results and consequences. However, I was having more trouble keeping track of characters, locations and dates with this book – perhaps it was my pandemic-induced distraction, but I found it hard to really fall into the world of this novel.

Nevertheless, Code Name Helene has great potential as a superior spy novel with it’s brave heroine set during one of the pivotal periods of history.

Now it’s your turn. What did you read this month? Tell us in the comments!

Jenna Bush Hager Celebrity Book Club

- Stephanie Leave a comment

All Adults Here by Emma Straub is Jenna Bush Hager’s #ReadWithJenna book club pick for May. Jenna Bush Hager started her book club in March 2019 as a was to create a community around reading. Growing up surrounded by books, Hager wanted to spread her love of reading and share it with others.

Jenna Bush Hager has her own book club that you can watch on the TODAY show and follow online through the website. You can also search for any information about the book club by using the hashtag #ReadWithJenna

Let’s dive into her May book selection: All Adults Here by Emma Straub. Curious what the book is about? Check out this description from the publisher below:

When Astrid Strick witnesses a school bus accident in the center of town, it jostles loose a repressed memory from her young parenting days decades earlier. Suddenly, Astrid realizes she was not quite the parent she thought she’d been to her three, now-grown children. But to what consequence?

Astrid’s youngest son is drifting and unfocused, making parenting mistakes of his own. Her daughter is intentionally pregnant yet struggling to give up her own adolescence. And her eldest seems to measure his adult life according to standards no one else shares. But who gets to decide, so many years later, which long-ago lapses were the ones that mattered? Who decides which apologies really count? It might be that only Astrid’s thirteen-year-old granddaughter and her new friend really understand the courage it takes to tell the truth to the people you love the most.

In All Adults Here, Emma Straub’s unique alchemy of wisdom, humor, and insight come together in a deeply satisfying story about adult siblings, aging parents, high school boyfriends, middle school mean girls, the lifelong effects of birth order, and all the other things that follow us into adulthood, whether we like them to or not.

Want to make sure you don’t miss any of Jenna’s future book selections? Join our Best Sellers Club and automatically have those books put on hold for you as soon as they are announced.

This book is also available in the following formats: