2009 Staff Picks

• Staff Picks by Genre in alphabetical order by author's last name.

March 2009

	Butler, Octavia Parable of the Sower Science Fiction
Parable of the Sower, published in 1993, is the first in a two-part series of sci-fi novels by Octavia Butler. The story focuses on teenager Lauren Olamina who lives in dystopian California in the 2020s. Society has broken down so severely – economically, socially, environmentally – that people either live in walled-in communities trying to defend themselves, or live on the outside in extremely desperate conditions including drugs, crime, prostitution, new forms of slavery and more. The walls come tumbling down and Lauren, at 18, ends up on the perilous road trying to survive. Lauren is a sort of spiritual prophet. For years she has secretly transcribed verses of a religion she calls Earthseed. On the road she recruits devotees to fulfill Earthseed’s destiny of life on another planet. What makes this book worth reading is a captivating story that’s also a powerful commentary on very important issues of our time including race, gender, the environment, religion, community. It reminds me of the way Star Trek episodes could be such good commentary. Recommended by Jude, March 2009
	French, Tana In The Woods Fiction
In a grim suburb near Dublin, Ireland, three 12-year-old children playing in a local woods do not return for supper. A frantic search locates one of the three cowering beside a tree in a near catatonic state with no memory of what happened. The other two children are never found. Flash twenty years into the future and the lone survivor, now a police detective, and his female partner are assigned to investigate the murder of a young girl in the same wooded area. The story, told through the survivor-detective’s eyes, recounts an intense murder investigation against the background of a complicated relationship with his partner, and his attempts to resolve the fate of his childhood friends and to recover his memory. As the book progresses it becomes clear how much his childhood trauma has damaged him. This is a beautifully written book with interesting, well-drawn characters and a sophisticated, multi-layered plot. Rather like a Dennis Lehane novel, this story will not completely satisfy readers who require happy endings and all questions resolved. Recommended by Noufissa, March 2009
	Light, Alison Mrs. Woolf and the Servants: An Intimate History of Domestic Life in Bloomsbury Nonfiction
The title of one review, “A room of one's own -- and someone to clean it,” aptly describes the era in which Virginia Woolf lived, (1882-1941). In England during the post-Victorian era, upper-class household life changed as former live-in servants took jobs in shops, where shorter work hours and independent living meant autonomy and freedom. Woolf grew up with full-time servants, and employed a live-in cook until she was 53. For Woolf, being home alone meant alone with the servants, and Virginia and her husband Leonard were not actually home alone until their seventeenth year of marriage, when they traded live-in help for a daily housekeeper. This thoroughly researched and insightful book divides its time equally between the lives of Woolf and her domestics, while exploring issues of dependence/independence, and the nature of human intimacy. Recommended by Julie, March 2009
	Martel, Yann Life of Pi Fiction
Life of Pi is my default book recommendation for someone looking for “something good to read.” It’s the story of an Indian boy named Piscine, or Pi for short, who’s moving from India to Canada with his parents and the family zoo. That’s right, zoo – Pi’s family owns a large zoo in India, but for political reasons decide to move themselves and the zoo to Canada. To do so they must pack the zoo onto a huge ocean liner, which sinks. Pi survives but is stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on a lifeboat. And he’s not alone: some zoo animals survive the shipwreck and hop aboard Pi’s lifeboat, including a fearsome Bengal tiger. Most of the story centers around Pi’s adventure on the open sea with his unwanted companion, and it’s a truly page-turning ordeal. But there are other interesting elements in the story too, such as its underlying religious theme. The novel’s prologue presents Pi’s adventure as true, and claims it as a “story that will make you believe in God.” This little detail is easily forgotten until the conclusion, when an incredible twist brings it back to the fore in a “whoa” kind of moment. Life of Pi is crosslisted under adult and young adult fiction, and it’s a survival adventure classic with a philosophical edge that I will recommend to people of all ages for many years to come. Recommended by Wes, March 2009
	Martinez, Guillermo The Book of Murder Fiction
A woman approaches a man she worked for briefly ten years before with a fantastic story. She believes that another of her previous employers is murdering everyone close to her. The alleged murderer is now a profoundly successful and famous author who is apparently murdering her loved ones in ingeniously contrived “accidents.” Not just a murder mystery, Martinez attempts to analyze life itself. Is life just a series of random events or coincidences that the human mind needs to organize in an attempt to make meaningful? Or is all this philosophizing just a smoke screen to discredit the victim and hide the truth? Guillermo Martinez also wrote The Oxford Murders, another psychological and philosophical mystery. Recommended by Geo, March 2009
	Nilsen, Anders. Monologues for the Coming Plague Graphic Novel
The simple manner in which Anders Nilsen presents his comics, using panel-less, scribbled line drawings free of background detail, and freehand, sometimes scratched-out text, belies the subtle humor, complex philosophies and pure wickedness behind them. Some of the most hilarious moments occur in the sardonic exchanges between a pigeon and a woman feeding it, during one of which the pigeon quips, “None for me, thanks. I’m on a hunger strike.” In another motif, two people having a surreal discussion about semiotics and career selection travel to Pittsburgh. Also, there’s a dinosaur. Recommended by Renée, March 2009
	Powers, Richard The Time of Our Singing Fiction
This hefty book is not for the casual reader. The story follows the Strom family -- mother Delia, an African American singer, and father David, a German Jewish physics professor, and their three children -- as they face issues of race, identity, and family dynamics from the late 1930s through the Civil Rights movement. The oldest brother Jonah is a gifted singer who transcends racial boundaries through his music. Joseph, also a musician, struggles with his own identity beyond serving as his brother’s accompanist and keeper, while their sister Ruth embraces her African American heritage in a fight for equality. Filled with detailed descriptions of both music and physics, the novel contains as much history as fiction. The New York Times reviewer Judith Shulevitz said of Powers’ work “ . . . if Powers’ novels are sometimes unfun to read, they are never uninteresting to think about.” Recommended by Joanne, March 2009

February 2009

	Doctorow, E. L. The March Fiction
E.L. Doctorow is an accomplished master story teller and he does it again with The March. It is 1863, and General Sherman is marching through the Southern Confederate states. Doctorow weaves together an epic story line that includes Sherman, several other generals from both the North and South, and the ongoing travels of the newly emancipated slaves who follow the troops. We also meet a German surgeon who operates on wounded Union soldiers, a Southern woman who becomes his aide, and two AWOL confederate soldiers. The writing is spellbinding. The way Doctorow meshes all of these stories together is masterful. Building to the climax, we even get to meet Lincoln. There is an assassination attempt, though it’s not the one you might suppose. Recommended by Noufissa, February 2009
	Krauss, Nicole The History of Love Fiction
The History of Love is divided into four tales told by four narrators whose stories gradually merge. The History of Love is also the title of a book one of the characters has written. These facts alone spell “postmodern novel.” But don’t dismiss this gem because of the labyrinthine narrative. The History of Love’s poetic prose offers the reader startling rewards. Krauss draws fully formed characters who live lives of undying faith and love, and who embody the power of creativity, especially the written word. Life and literature intertwine in a beautiful story of patient faith in love. Recommended by Julie, February 2009
	London, Jack Martin Eden Fiction
Jack London, known predominantly as the author of The Call of the Wild and the short story "To Build a Fire," is often pigeonholed for his “dog” and “man-against-nature” books. But he actually wrote on other subjects, including a memoir of his struggles with alcoholism, John Barleycorn. Considered too shocking to be published in his day, today it would rest on a crowded shelf. Martin Eden is not about dogs or nature but is an adventure story of another kind. Imbued with philosophy and the difficulties faced by anyone who tries to circumvent society’s predilection for squelching individualism and nurturance of mediocrity, the peril of our hero, while not physical, is real. Attempting to become worthy of a woman far above his class, autodidact extraordinaire Martin Eden manages to outstrip all his contemporaries only to find that it is, indeed, lonely at the top. Throughout Martin’s quest, London gives glowing examples of public libraries and librarians and the self-empowerment they facilitate. I felt as if I’d been thanked. Thank you, Jack. Recommended by Geo, February 2009
	McCaig, Donald Rhett Butler’s People Fiction
As many times as I’ve watched Gone with the Wind, there’s a part of me that always hopes Rhett Butler will change his mind, put down his bag, and sweep Scarlett O’Hara back up that staircase. McCaig’s story doesn’t change the outcome of Margaret Mitchell’s book, but it does fill in the back-story of Butler’s misspent youth in Charleston, highlights his troubled relationship with his father, and follows the circuitous path that leads him back to Tara. While GWTW purists may balk at the irreverent suggestion of a happy ending for these two characters, McCaig makes a convincing argument that they do, indeed, deserve each other. Filled with rich historical details, the question is, frankly, will you give a damn? I think so. Recommended by Jane, February 2009
	Simmons, Josh Jessica Farm Graphic Novel
Both Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud acknowledged the symbolism of houses in dreams and ascribed rooms and floors different aspects of the psyche. Both psychologists would have a field day with Josh Simmons’ graphic novel Jessica Farm, which navigates a plot filled with dream logic that darts between dread and joy. Jessica wanders from room to room, meeting different “house friends” at every turn. Some are happy, welcoming creatures, while others are nightmarish, but all fit in perfectly with the strange geography of the whimsically shifting house. Much has been said about Simmons’ unique writing process. Beginning in January 2000, he drew a page a month until he had created 96 pages. He plans to continue until 2050, releasing a volume every eight years. The art and story line stand up to the curiosity of Simmons’ unique method. Simmons combines lines and cross hatching to convey a wealth of information in each deceptively simple drawing. Panels range from nearly solid black squares, as when Jessica passes through a dark hallway, to intricate scenes that reveal new details with every look, as when she awakens to a phenomenal sunrise and utters “Zowie.” The images are carefully arranged to fluidly glide between tension, suspense, humor and relief as Jessica moves through various situations. By the end of the book, I was shaken, amused and enchanted, and counting down the days until the next volume comes out in 2016. Recommended by Renée, February 2009
	Vinge, Vernor A Fire Upon the Deep Science Fiction
There’s science fiction, and then there’s SCIENCE FICTION. Vernor Vinge’s Hugo Award winning A Fire Upon the Deep is definitely the latter. A Fire Upon the Deep takes the reader thousands of years into the future to a point in time when Earth, or “Old Earth” as it is referred to, is just a legend. This distant vision of the future imagines a Milky Way Galaxy populated with thousands of alien species living in various “zones of thought.” These zones of thought influence the developmental capacity of civilizations and technologies. At the very bottom of the zones is the Slowness, where most civilizations have barely surpassed the stage of feudalism. Old Earth, for instance, resides somewhere in the Slowness. Many species, including humans, have escaped the Slowness and have founded civilizations in the Low, Middle, and High Beyond, where powerful technology allows for complex trade networking. (Vinge’s description of the networking is clearly strongly inspired by computer networking, which makes sense because Vinge is a former computer scientist.) Above the Slowness and the Beyond is the Transcend, where some individuals, called Powers, have achieved godlike technological abilities that have a significant impact on those in the lower levels. With all of that now explained, A Fire Upon the Deep is about a malevolent Power that is accidentally created and begins wreaking havoc on the civilizations within the Beyond. A human spaceship carrying the secret to destroying the Power escapes the devastation and becomes stranded on a planet in the Low Beyond populated by a wolf-like species that communicates with a group mind. Two child survivors from the ship, a brother and sister, become separated and enmeshed in a bloody war between rival factions of the wolf-like creatures. In the High Beyond, a rescue group of four individuals, two human and two tree-like aliens that ride in automated carts, set off for the Low Beyond to save the children and retrieve the secret of the ship, but face their own challenges as they attempt to traverse thousands of light years of space while being stalked by the malevolent Power. And this summary just scratches the surface. A Fire Upon the Deep is truly SCIENCE FICTION. Recommended by Wes, February 2009

January 2009

	Allende, Isabel Daughter of Fortune Fiction
I’ve loved Isabel Allende's writing since The House of the Spirits, and her mixture of South American history, romance, adventure, and fantasy continues here. Set in Chile and San Francisco, the daughter of the title is Eliza Sommers, abandoned on a doorstep and then adopted by a brother and sister in nineteenth century Valparaiso. Eliza travels from Chile to America as a stowaway to find her lover who has abandoned her and her unborn child. Along the way, she rekindles a friendship with Tao Chi’en, a Chinese doctor whose devotion and love take her on another sort of unexpected journey. Allende mixes the temporal and the sensual with the fantastic and we often wonder where the narrative ends and the fantasy begins. No matter, really – what‘s important here is the tale and it’s a lovely one. Recommended by Jane, January 2009
	edited by Jones, Daniel Modern Love: 50 True and Extraordinary Tales of Desire, Deceit and Devotion Nonfiction
The more things change the more they stay the same – a phrase that couldn’t be more perfect when considering the intricacies and challenges of modern love. The language of love got a lot more difficult when text messaging and the internet were added to the mix of an already mystifying and complicated subject. Taken straight from the New York Times weekly “Modern Love” column, 50 intrepid authors bare their souls in illuminating essays about love in the twenty-first century. A voyeuristic approach to love and a superb collection for anyone who has loved, lost, or googled her date’s name. Recommended by Lisa, January 2009
	Keyes, Ralph The Courage to Write Nonfiction
Keyes separates this highly approachable and entertaining book into two sections. The first, "The Elements of Courage," examines the many sources of fear for writers and ways fear can manifest itself in the writing process. Causes range from the well-known fears of revealing family secrets, receiving terrible reviews or accidentally publishing mistakes. Some of these fears and their expressions are more surprising, though. For instance, the constant procrastination so many writers experience might not result from a lack of discipline, but a hesitance to confront the raw emotions and self-examination that writing demands. Even that dreaded beast, writer’s block, has some of its roots in fear. These examinations are infinitely helpful in identifying the ways fear causes a writer to avoid writing or writing honestly, so she can recognize the cause of her counterproductive patterns and change them. In the second section, "Coming to Terms with Fear," Keyes details methods for writing that go beyond the common (and useless) assurances like “Just start writing and you’ll feel better” or “There’s nothing to be afraid of.” Instead, Keyes acknowledges the actual importance of fear to the writing process, stating that fear and courage travel in tandem. He offers helpful suggestions, such as designing a writing schedule around your most productive, least defensive time of day, or sharing work at variously public levels. Most encouraging, Keyes includes myriad anecdotes and quotes from well-known writers regarding their own negotiations with the fear to write. Without pep talks or gimmicks, Keyes acknowledges the many ways fear presents itself in different stages of writing, and ultimately recognizes it as a tool and an essential element of writing. Recommended by Renée, January 2009
	McEwan, Ian On Chesil Beach Fiction
It is July 1962 in England. Florence is a talented musician who dreams of a career on the concert stage and of the perfect life she will create with Edward, an earnest young history student. Their courtship has been both cerebral and platonic. Newly married, Edward and Florence honeymoon at a Dorset hotel on the English coast, on Chesil Beach. At dinner in their room, they are anxious about the wedding night. Edward harbors a private fear of failure, while Florence's anxieties are overcome by sheer disgust at the idea of physical contact. All goes badly. In spite of their deep love and affection for each other, what might have been a marriage of great compatibility comes to a halt. Their lives go forward in different directions. You feel compassion for both Edward and Florence as they struggle with their lack of ability to communicate with each other. On Chesil Beach is another solid novel from British writer Ian McEwan. This is a story of lives changed forever by the gesture that wasn’t made and the words that weren’t said. Recommended by Noufissa, January 2009
	Ridley, Matt The Origins of Virtue: Human Instincts and the Evolution of Cooperation Nonfiction
What are the origins of human morality? If your first answer is religion, think again. While it cannot be denied that the moral systems of the world’s great monotheistic religions have a strong influence on us today, these moral systems have only existed for several thousand years. For millions of years prior, humans and our hominid ancestors lived in social groups that required moral behavior without the mediation of powerful religious institutions. Hence, contemporary research in human evolutionary studies is asking what evolutionary pressures led humans to behave morally. Matt Ridley’s The Origins of Virtue is a brilliant delineation of the developments in this field of research. Limited space prevents me from discussing every excellent detail of the book, but its basic conclusion is this: human morality is the result of the evolutionary pressures of group living. In other words, the features of morality that we take for granted, such as empathy for others, cooperation, sharing, and a sense of justice, are the hardwired products of millions of years of biological evolution that emerged as our hominid ancestors turned to sociality for survival purposes. The fascinating implication of this is that mandated morality by governments or religious institutions is unnecessary, and usually does more harm than good. With that said, besides being a tour de force of contemporary science writing, The Origins of Virtue is also a compelling argument for the libertarian political tradition. Recommended by Wes, January 2009
	Scottoline, Lisa Lady Killer Mystery
A co-worker suggested that I try a Lisa Scottoline book, and I’m sure glad I did! Scottoline writes stand alone novels as well as a series about a group of female lawyers in Philadelphia. I have read four of the latter, of which my favorite is Lady Killer. This story focuses on Mary DiNunzio, one of the associates in the law firm. She gets an urgent visit from her high school nemesis, Trish, who pleads for protection from an abusive boyfriend. When the boyfriend is murdered, Mary’s investigations lead her back to her past, and the memories and people who remain there. Mary’s traditional Italian Catholic family lends some lighter moments to this legal mystery that will keep the reader guessing until the end. Recommended by Karen G., January 2009