Book Review: The Red Tent

Anita Diamont

This is one of my all-time favorite books! It is historical fiction set in Biblical times. It was written in 1998, so it has been on my favorite list a long time! Enjoy!

From Amazon.com:
"Little is known of the life of Dinah, daughter of Jacob and Leah, sister of many brothers, leaving plenty of scope for fictionalizing her life story. Those who know the Biblical stories of Jacob and his sons, Dinah's brothers, will recognize the framework that gives to the story of The Red Tent. Beyond that, Dinah's story, as told here, is fascinating fictional insight into the lives of the women of that place and time, their hopes, fears, practices and beliefs. The handling of female rites of passage, adolescent awareness of sexuality and motherhood, death and the clashes resulting from the attempt to marry differing belief systems, are just some of the life challenges this book deals with from the perspective of women living their lives in a patriarchal society."

(Reviewed by Ginger)

MPL Book Sale!

Marshall Public Library's Book Sale will be held next week on November 8, 9, and 10! It will be open at the following times:

11/8 9:00-11:00 a.m. ($10 early entry fee)
11/8 11:00-5:00
11/9 10:00-5:00
11/10 1:00-5:00

This year, it will be held across the street from MPL at the Marshall Municipal Court Building. We will have 1000s of books and other materials available for purchase!

Book Review: The Twenty-Year Death

Ariel S. Winter

A breathtaking first novel written in the form of three separate crime novels, each set in a different decade and penned in the style of a different giant of the mystery genre.
 
1931, Malniveau Prison, channels Georges Simenon as Chief Inspector Pelleter tries to deduce how a murdered prisoner escaped the prison walls.

1941, The Falling Star, is the Chandleresque story of a private eye, Dennis Foster, who’s hired to reassure a paranoid movie star and maybe take the rap for a murder. A recurring character in both books is Shem Rosenkrantz, an American writer who first seeks seclusion in France and then squanders his talents in Hollywood.

1951, Police at the Funeral, Rosenkrantz takes over the narration with the voice of a washed-up Jim Thompson protagonist, and, as he unravels, we see how the stories are stitched together. 

I found this book to be a neat surprise and thoroughly enjoyed the technique used by the author in capturing and paying homage to the distinct writing styles of Simenon, Chandler and Thompson.

Book Review: Amazing Bird Facts and Trivia - A Treasury of Facts and Trivia about the Avian World

Roger Lederer

A very interesting and informative book about birds. I really enjoyed reading and learning all kinds of new facts about birds. It's so amazing to read about all the varieties of birds around the world, Jehovah's creation sure is astounding!

Did you know?:

• 60 ostrich eggs equal the weight of one adult ostrich, but it takes only 9 hummingbird eggs to weigh as much as a hummingbird.

(Reviewed by Coral)

Book Review: The Day My Mother Left

James Prosek

Jeremy, a young man of deep thought, endures an upheaval in his life by taking comfort in his drawing and in nature.

Family, art, and being outdoors are the main themes in this book, along with a major emphasis on finding that relationships change and often go backward before they can move forward.

(Reviewed by Vickie)

Book Review: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

Alexander McCall-Smith
 
The first in a series of fun, easy to read mysteries set in Botswana. There is a missing husband, a kidnapped child, a con man, and a dad who has his daughter followed. A great start!

(Reviewed by Ginny)

What's New at the Marshall Public Library?

All of the books listed feature the great state of Missouri!

•         "From Missouri: An American Farmer Looks Back" by Thad Snow.  This series of personal essays expresses the thoughts of a farmer, a hunter, a husband, and a man with a soft spot for mules and dogs.
•        "Tried and True Missouri: Native Plants for Your Yard" published by the Missouri Dept of Conservation is chock full of ideas, photographs, charts listing such things as light preference, and wildlife, for each plant, and a list of problematic non-natives.
•         Howard Wight Marshall’s “Play Me Something Quick and Devilish” explores the heritage of traditional fiddle music in Missouri.  The book comes with a CD.
•          “Mark Twain’s Homes and Literary Tourism," by Hilary Iris Lowe, explores four Twain homes, beginning at the beginning—Florida, Missouri, where Clemens was born.  Hannibal was his childhood home and he lived to see it become a tourist destination.
•          Maddie Earnest and Liz Fathman, in “Missouri Harvest: A Guide to Growers and Producers in the Show-Me State” introduce us to the farmers who raise the food, those who deliver it, the chefs who prepare it, and some of the people who are active in making it all happen through the support of local businesses.
  
•         “The Missouri State Penitentiary: 170 Years Inside the Walls,” by Jamie Pamela Rasmussen, is a fascinating look at the history of the prison and its most famous inmates.  The founding of the penitentiary helped solidify Jefferson City’s position as the state capital.  This book is the latest in a series called Missouri Heritage Readers, each of which explores particular aspects of Missouri’s rich cultural heritage.  Among the 30 books in the series are familiar ones such as “Arrow Rock: The story of a Missouri Village," by Authorene Wilson Phillips and “The Santa Fe Trail in Missouri,” by Mary Collins Barile.
•        “Savor Missouri: River Hill Country Food and Wine,” by Nina Furstenau, is packed with over fifty recipes from Missouri cheese makers, breweries, wineries, and down-home eateries.
•          Finally, Daniel Woodrell...we just received this week his highly acclaimed new novel “The Maid’s Version”.  If you haven’t read “Winter’s Bone,”  put that on your list and then read “The Maid’s Version.”  You won’t be disappointed in either.