Book Review: The Round House

Louise Erdrich


This book helped me understand some of the issues with VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) and its connection to Native Americans.

From Amazon.com:
"One of the most revered novelists of our time--a brilliant chronicler of Native American Life--Louise Erdrich returns to the territory of her bestselling, Pulitzer Prize finalist The Plague of Doves with The Round House, transporting readers to the Ojibwe resercation in North Dakota. It is an exquisitely told story of a boy in the cusp of manhood who seeks justice and understanding in the wake of a terrible crime that upends and forever transforms his family."

Riveting and Suspenseful, arguably the most accessible novel to date from the creator of Love Medicine, The Beet Queen, and The Bingo Palace, Endrich's The Round House is a page-turning masterpiece of literary fiction--at once a power coming-of-age story, a mystery, and a tender, moving, novel of family, history and culture.

(Reviewed by Ginger)

Book Review: Unbroken: A WWII Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

Laura Hillenbrand

Unbroken is a true story and is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body and spirit. Laura Hillenbrand is the author of Seabuscuit.
On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army bomber crashed into the ocean and disappeared. Then on the ocean's surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane's bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.
The lieutenant's name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he'd been an incorrigible delinquent. As a teenager, he channeled his defiace into running, a talent that carried him to the Olympics. But when war came, the athlete because an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.
Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor and brutality with rebellion.

(Reviewed by Ginger)

Book Review: Gone Girl

Gillian Flynn

Two twisted people married...what do they truly know about each other?
Had me hooked - wanted to read to find out the next "kicker."
The end was never expected.

(Reviewed by Susan)

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.

Book Review: America's Most Wanted Recipies

Ron Douglas

"What can I cook at home that will taste just as good and be just as much of a treat as eating out?" Ever ask this same question?...well this book provides your answer.

*Try the Cheesecake Factory While Chocolate-Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake

(Reviewed by Coral)

Book Review: Essential Car Care for Women

Jamie Little and Danielle McCormick

Growing up with two older brothers who seemed to live and breathe cars was great! Although I have never completely understood what they talked about or did, I do clearly understand the importance of maintaining your vehicle in good condition; not only for your own protection but for its durability. This book cleared up the whys and hows cars run; along with other essentials dealing with car related situations. Definitely a must checkout!

(Reviewed by Coral)

Book Review: Sweet Hell on Fire

Sara Lunsford

Creepy yet endearing, Lunsford shares her story of what it was like working in an all-male prison. Though some of her experiences seem to unbelievable to be real to those of us who have never worked in a prison, they also seem too bizarre and unheard of to be made up. Quick read!

(Reviewed by Emily)

Book Review: The Art of Fielding

Chad Harbach

I loved this book! 

You don't have to love baseball to love this book. You don't have to love great writing to love this book. You don't have to love a great story to love this book. But this book has all three.

"At Westish College, baseball star Henry Skrimshander seems destined for big league intil a routine throw goes disasterously off course. In the aftemath of his error, the fates of five poeple are upended."

"The Art of Fielding is a mere baseball fiction the way Moby Dick is just a fish story." - N. Dawidoff

(Reviewed by Ginger)

Book Review: World's Best Travel Experiences

National Geographic

If you are like me and would love to travel the world, this book is for you. Sometimes current circumstances do not allow such travels to be possible which makes books like this a must read. Allow this book to take you to breathtaking destinations, take the time and picture yourself there...Can you feel the breeze on the coast of Fiji? What color do you eyes focus on among the rainbow of colors found in the Coral Reef? Enjoy the information and beautiful pictures found in this book, I know I did.

(Reviewed by Coral)

Book Review: Ransom

Julie Garwood

A really great historical romance! Gillian's father was implicated in a murder that resulted in a stolen treasure. Years later, she must ask three Scottish Lairds for help to go up against three evil barons and the king of England.

(Reviewed by Ginny)

Book Review: Room

Emma Donoghue

Told by 5-year-old Jack. Room is his whole world. His mom is protecting him from Old Nick. Then, one day, she decides to escape... Great story of a mother/child bond! 4 of 5 stars from me!

(Reviewed by Susan)

Book Review: Some of My Best Friends are Black

Tanner Colby

A really great look at America after the civil rights movements in the 60s. With anecdotes and plenty of facts.

Tanner Colby looks at Busing in Birmingham, racially driven real estate in Kansas City and affirmative action in the New York advertising world. He ends with a look at the Catholic community in Louisiana and it really is an amazing story. Political, funny, honest, and sometimes incredibly sad, but never boring.

(Reviewed by Ginny)

Book Review: Oddly Normal

John Schwartz

When Jeanne Schwartz found her 13 year old son in the bathroom surrounded by pill bottles, her and her husbands' worlds were completely turned upside down. Oddly Normal is the heart-breaking, inspirational story of how Jon and Jeanne Schwartz helped their son come to terms with his sexuality. Filled with statistics that every person, gay or otherwise, should be familiar with. Very interesting!

(Reviewed by Emily)

Book Review: A Perfect Evil

Alex Kava

Was an innocent man executed for horrible crimes or is there a copy cat killer on the loose? A small town is paralyze with fear and FBI Special Agent Maggie O'Dell is called in to help solve the case.

First book in the Maggie O'Dell series. If you like this one, there are more to read!

(Reviewed by Vickie)

Book Review: Natural Remedies for Healthy Living

Reader's Digest

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! On occasion you may find yourself in a bind and not know how to proceed. Do you suffer from fatigue? Would you like to know how to make your own fragrances but are not sure how to go about it? Are you having trouble deciding what plants to put in your garden this year? In this book you will find home remedies, nutrition guides, helpful hints and more! In truth this book offers practical and simple solutions.

(Reviewed by Coralito)

Book Review: The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Neil Gaiman

When a man returns to his childhood home for a funeral, he begins to remember all the strange and scary things that happened to him as a child. A frightening nanny, monsters, and his changing parents cause the boy to look for help in a strange place: three women who live in a nearby old farmhouse.

(Reviewed by Ginny)