Tag Archives: Feature Book

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Featured Book: May Day

May DayThis post is part of an original series created by librarians/media specialists across Central Minnesota featuring books.

Title: May Day by Jess Lourey
Review by: Angie Gentile-Jordan, Office Administrator at CMLE

Our event on May 5th featured a talk from author and professor Jess Lourey. Before the event, in an attempt to familiarize myself with her work, I began reading May Day, the first in her popular Murder-by-Month series.

The book is about assistant librarian Mira James, who moves to the small town of Battle Lake, MN from the big city of Minneapolis as a way to get a fresh start on her post-grad life. As she settles in, she encounters many characters that will be familiar to readers that have spent any amount of time in small-town Minnesota.

All seems to be going well for Mira. She even begins casually dating an archaeologist visiting the town on business. But when his lifeless body shows up (she stumbles across it in the library, no less!) Mira decides to find some answers.

I enjoyed reading this book for several reasons: the tone was light and clever, and I could picture many of the scenes playing out in northern Minnesota. I liked the way Mira bluffed her way through conversations about fishing to gain trust with the locals, throwing out words like “pan fish” not having any idea what it meant.

I’ve already purchased the next in the series, June Bug, and am looking forward to reading it from the boat while doing a little pan fishing of my own!

General, Public, School Media Specialist

Featured book: Dare to Disappoint

DareToDisappointThis post is part of an original series created by librarians/media specialists across Central Minnesota featuring books.

Title: Dare to Disappoint by Ozge Samanci
Review by: Maria Burnham, Media Specialist at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School

Graphic memoir has become such a wonderful genre, and Dare to Disappoint by Ozge Samanci is no exception. This book is the story of Ozge’s childhood in Turkey and touches on the restrictive government the people of Turkey lived under during her childhood. But the book is really a coming-of-age story where Ozge is forced to choose between what she loves (the theater and the arts) and what society thinks she should do (engineering, math or science).
This graphic memoir is a journey of typical growing pains for every child–sibling rivalry, fighting with parents, and social situations in school with friends–and yet the book is so much more. I learned about the Turkish government and their educational system. Ozge highlights how her liberal parents balanced their liberal views in a conservative society. There were some heavy topics in the book, yet I never felt weighed down in sorrow when reading the book. Perhaps it was because the illustrations are whimsical and easy to read and digest.

I love that this book is part of my print collection!

Would you like to review a book for CMLE readers? It is easy, we let you take the reins on the length and tone of your review. Send an email to admin@cmle.org if you are interested in adding your name to the book review corral!

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Featured Book: The Aviator's Wife

The Aviator's WifeThis post is part of an original series created by librarians/media specialists across Central Minnesota featuring books.

Title: The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin
Written by Maria Burnham, Media Specialist at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School

I’m going to start this review by admitting that I am from Little Falls, MN, the hometown of Charles Lindbergh, so reading this historical fiction about Charles’ personal life was particularly fascinating for me. I was raised a Little Falls “Flyer”, attended Charles Lindbergh Elementary School and have visited the boyhood home of the American hero.

Much like the novels The Paris Wife and Loving Frank, The Aviator’s Wife is the fictional account of a marriage between a woman and her famous partner, in this case, Charles Lindbergh. Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s voice in this novel is personal, compelling, and unforgettable. And I just love that the book is told from her perspective, mostly because Anne Morrow Lindbergh was a famous author and poet in real life. Swept up in the grandeur of this American hero, Anne falls in love with the pilot, but as with most marriages, over time learns that her husband isn’t always a hero. Gone for long periods of time leaving her to raise their children alone, cold and cruel with his children when he was at home, and expecting Anne to be a co-pilot over motherhood, Anne struggles to find herself and balance within the marriage. Eventually, she learns of Charles’ extra-marital affairs while he is on his death bed, and Anne works to make peace with her husband about it. Told from varying decades, this story is gripping and emotionally heart-wrenching.

I gave the book 4/5 stars because I wanted more from the part of the book dealing with Charles’ infidelity, but it’s certainly a book I would recommend to any history buff or someone who enjoys historical fiction!

Image credit: Random House LLC

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Featured Book: Far Far Away

Far Far AwayThis post is a part of an original series created by librarians/media specialists across Central Minnesota featuring books.

Title: Far Far Away by Tom McNeal

Written by Maria Burnham, Media Specialist at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School

This book is an interesting, genre-busting YA novel.  Set in the current day in the town of Never Better, Jeremy Johnson is a quiet boy who is doing all he can to keep his life afloat.  With a deceased mother and a recluse of a father unable to work or pay the bills, Jeremy is forced to do what he can to keep a roof over his head and food on the table.  But what makes Jeremy’s life interesting (and bearable, to him) is that he hears a voice that helps to guide him through the world.  And it’s not just any voice; it’s the voice of Jacob Grimm, one half of the famous writing duo of the Grimm brothers.  Part mystery, part fantasy, part realistic fiction, this novel is sure to keep you wondering.

The first half of the book was interesting, but a little slow. However, when I got to the last 100 pages, I could NOT put the book down. I literally bit my nails as I read. I love that the narrator of the book is the ghost of Jacob Grimm and that there are many connections to Grimm’s tales. This book is full of storyline layers that I love.

My only gripe is that I could see a logistical flaw toward the end of the book. I can’t mention what it is because it would spoil the book for some. Without that flaw, I would’ve given the book 5 stars! My favorite YA book of the summer to be sure!

 National Book Award Nominee for Young People’s Literature (2013), Michigan Library Association Thumbs Up! Award for Honor book (2014), Carnegie Medal in Literature Nominee (2014), YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults (Top Ten) (2014)

 

Image credit: Random House LLC
Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Featured Book: The Opposite of Loneliness

This post is a part of an original series created by librarians/media specialists across Central Minnesota featuring books.

OppositeofLonlinessTitle: The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories by Marina Keegan

Written by Maria Burnham, Media Specialist at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School

Well, I have to say that I am biased toward this book because the story of the author reminds me of my college days as an English major (okay, minus the graduation from Yale and the internship at The New Yorker). Marina Keegan was a talented Yale student of writing.  Shortly after graduation, she died in a tragic car accident.  This book, The Opposite of Loneliness, is a beautiful compilation of her work, both in fiction and non-fiction.  It was the perfect book to read this time of year because the first piece is an essay titled “The Opposite of Loneliness” which captures the essence of students nearing graduation.  Here’s the opening paragraph: “We don’t have a word for the opposite of loneliness, but if we did I could say that’s what I want in life.  What I’m grateful and thankful to have found at Yale, and what I’m scared of losing when we wake up tomorrow after Commencement and leave this place.”

The fiction stories in the book are human, grounding and enticing.  They didn’t feel too lofty or snooty like some short stories can be.  The essays are beautiful and insightful and just enough to make you think about life without getting depressed.

I am sad that I will not be able to read more of her work.  I’m sure it would’ve brought me back to a subscription to The New Yorker.