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Books We Love

Longer Staff Reviews of Books We Really, Really Love.

New Flame: "A Little Something Different"

“Gabe and Lea are perfect for each other. Everyone sees it. Except possibly Gabe and Lea.”

New / Old Flames are our favorite books  – the ones we really think you should read too.

 

A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall
Reviewed by Megan

Relationships don’t happen in a bubble. There’s the barista who watches as you and a certain someone sit across the coffee shop from each other, never quite locking eyes. Your best friend listens as you dissect what he possibly could have meant by “hey” and lends you her favorite sweater because you look great in green. And don’t forget the squirrel in the park where you take your first ambling walk together…

Gabe and Lea are perfect for each other. Everyone sees it. Except possibly Gabe and Lea. In “A Little Something Different,” Sandy Hall treats readers to a classic love story told with a decidedly non-classic twist. Told from the viewpoints of 14 different people around the lovers, the reader never actually hears from Gabe and Lea, and like the watchers never quite knows how they feel, except that there’s something there, if they could just get out of their own way.

Since one of my favorite romance novels tropes is when the characters don’t see they’re perfect for each other, I loved being able to share the fun of this frustration with the characters who watched Gabe and Lea’s story unfold far too slowly (and with pitfalls that really didn’t need to exist). This twist is what elevates the story from cute to charming, and gives the reader a different perspective on what otherwise could have been a fairly typical college romance.

And sometimes watching the people in your life fall in love can be as fun as falling in love yourself, since you get all the fun of anticipation and discovery, without the added angst of self-doubt and fear of rejection.

 

Megan is a Youth Services Librarian at Shirlington, and also run the “Books on Tap” Book Club.

May 30, 2015 by Web Editor

Filed Under: Books We Love, Collection Tagged With: Lit Up: Flames

Old Flame: "American Gods"

This Fairytale is Not for Kids

New / Old Flames are our favorite books  – the ones we really think you’ll love too.

 

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Reviewed by Karen

As a youth services librarian, I have long been a fan of Neil Gaiman’s children’s books, but never read his novels for adults.  As many of my friends have raved about “American Gods,” I decided to start there.

In “American Gods,” Gaiman takes the old world’s gods and deftly interweaves them with America’s new world gods: technology, television, etc. Lack of belief has eroded the old gods’ power, and lead to a war between the old and new. The book starts with a seemingly ordinary man, purposeless after his release from prison – until he meets the mysterious Mr. Wednesday who offers him a job and leads him deep into the heart of the gods’ hidden war.

I’ve always been fascinated with folklore and fairytales, and with every new chapter there was another character I recognized, but couldn’t quite pin down. Why did Czernobog and Bielobog sound so familiar? And what about Hinzelmann?  Trying to find the connections was a mystery in itself. When I had the “aha” moments that revealed Czernobog and Bielobog, it was like remembering a life I’d forgotten – my years in Ukraine. And Hinzelmann brought back the German stories my grandfather told me when I was a little girl.

But you don’t have to have lived abroad or be well-versed in folklore to enjoy “American Gods.” While few readers are likely to catch all of the references, trying to figure them out – and learning more about Indian, Chinese, Middle Easter, Norse or Native American lore – is half the fun! And Gaiman’s use of obscure Americana like The House on the Rock is compelling, as the author visited each location he uses in the story.

I should be clear that “American Gods” is no kid’s book. Despite the folklore story line, some scenes are shockingly graphic. So if this book isn’t for you, I can heartily endorse all of his work for children and teens – they’re great for adults, too.

 

Karen is currently the manager and children’s librarian at Cherrydale, as well as the leader of Lit Up’s awesome Commuter Book Club.

 

March 6, 2015 by Web Editor

Filed Under: Books We Love, Collection Tagged With: Lit Up: Flames

New Flame: "The Ocean at the End of the Lane"

“Every once in a while a book restores my belief that magic could be right around the corner.”

New / Old Flames are our favorite books – the ones we really think you should read too.

 

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Reviewed by Megan

There’s a lot that’s great about being an adult. I can stay up as late as I want, eat ice cream for dinner, and I don’t have to listen to my parents (although I constantly ask for their advice anyway).

Things that are not so great about being an adult are bills, the need to get up early for work, and the lack of magic in everyday life. Or rather, a belief in the possibility of magic – the hope that a Hogwarts letter will come on our 11th birthday, or the bone deep belief that one day your closet will open – not into a disorganized shamble – but instead into a world populated by talking animals and wicked witches. At some point in becoming adults we lose this connection to a fantastical fantasy life, and instead start dreaming of saving enough money for a down payment, or freedom from student loans.

Luckily, every once in a while a book comes along to restores my belief that magic could be right around the corner. Neil Gaiman’s “The Ocean at the End of the Lane” is one of these books, with beautiful prose that makes the reader falls into the language as well as the story.

A short novel written for adults (Gaiman also writes for kids and young adults), “The Ocean at the End of the Lane”  chronicles the memories that come back to a man upon visiting his childhood town. Many years before, the boy’s world was rocked by the suicide of a boarder staying with his family – a death which opened the boy’s world to an evil that turned his family against him as it used the boy to keep its foothold in the human world. The boy’s only aid against this terrifying presence is a not quite human girl from the farm down the road, who has been 11 years old for a very long time.

As a kid, one of the things I loved about fairytales was that even though the story would be completely impossible in my own life, there was always a bit of wisdom or familiarity that made the impossible feel not quite so out of reach. “The Ocean at the End of the Lane” gives me just this feeling with its strong message about human nature and the havoc desire can wreck.  It’s perfect for the adult reader who misses feeling the possibility of magic.

 

When not hiding out with a book (and waiting for her Hogwarts acceptance letter), Megan is a Youth Services librarian at Shirlington.

 

 

February 25, 2015 by Web Editor

Filed Under: Books We Love, Collection Tagged With: Lit Up: Flames

New Flame: "Landline"

“This couple knows each other through and through, which is an entirely different kind of  romantic.”

Library readers share their favorite books  – the ones they spend 10 minutes enthusing over, until you agree to read them too. This New Flame is especially exciting because its author will be at Central Library on Monday, Sept. 22.

 

landline

Landline by Rainbow Rowell
Reviewed by Nico

Georgie McCool is one television project away from everything she’s ever wanted her career to be. She may also be one missed holiday away from messing up everything with the family waiting at home…

Instead of canceling their holiday plans because of Georgie’s work, her husband Neal packs up their kids and heads to his parents’ house – without her. To keep from being completely alone over the holiday, Georgie heads to her mom’s house. While there she finds more than a warm meal and a friendly face – she finds a way to talk to the past. This is both comforting and a little unsettling, but everything’s a mess in her present so what’s the harm in changing a few things in her past? And would Neal be happier now if he hadn’t fallen in lover with her? Would she?

This doesn’t sound very uplifting, but truthfully “Landline” is one of the most romantic books I’ve read recently. And it’s unusual for a love story, because it doesn’t deal with the moment when two characters meet. Neal and Georgie have known each other since college; this couple knows each other through and through, which is an entirely different kind of  romantic.

Sometimes you read a book and you can almost hear the film-adaptation soundtrack as you read it. That was how I felt when I read “Landline:” I could picture myself snuggling up to watch this adaptation on a snowy day, with hot chocolate and popcorn. It’s got missed opportunities, second chances and there’s even a running-through-the-airport scene, all perfectly ready for the big screen.  But for now I’ll make do with re-reading this book on my couch the next time it starts to snow.

When Nico is not reading romance on her couch, she’s one of our YA librarians.

 

September 20, 2014 by Web Editor

Filed Under: Books We Love, Collection, News Tagged With: Lit Up: Flames

New Flame: "The Intern's Handbook"

“Raunchy, gory, irreverent and highly enjoyable…”

New / Old Flames are our favorite books  – the ones we really think you should read too.

 

The Intern’s Handbook by Shane Kuhn
Reviewed by Rachel

John Lago has been a hit man for 13 years, and at the ripe old age of 25 he’s getting ready for retirement. But he’s got one last job and it’s a bit of an irregular one – mostly because he’s not sure who his target is. All he does know is that some big shot partner at a law firm is selling names off the FBI’s witness protection list and John’s got to off him.

Bob, John’s mentor and boss, has complete faith that he will figure out the target and finish the job. But John’s trust in Bob is at an all-time low, especially since he’s somewhat paranoid that once this job is over, John himself will become Bob’s next target.

Posing as an intern (as all of Bob’s employees at HR, Inc. do; after all, interns are invisible and can slip into an organization, kill a person, and slip out without anyone even remembering their names), John infiltrates Bendini, Lambert, and Locke with the express purpose of killing the man behind one of those three names.

There he meets Alice – sexy, driven, highly connected, and also an FBI agent after the same target. As John delves deeper into the job, he finds out that this last hit is more complicated than he ever could have imagined, and though he sees Alice as an asset (he hacks her laptop to gain access to the FBI’s files), she turns out to be perhaps the most dangerous liaison he could have found.

The author cut his teeth in the movie business, and this book definitely reads like an action movie. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if it gets turned into one. And although like many movies the story is a bit predictable, it’s also so raunchy, gory, irreverent, and highly enjoyable that it’ll keep you hooked (even if you do guess the twist ending).

 

Rachel is one of our Youth Services librarians at Central Library.

 

July 21, 2014 by Web Editor

Filed Under: Books We Love, Collection, News Tagged With: Lit Up: Flames

New Flame: The Partner Track

“Modern and inspiring read that will leave you thinking about gender, race and class…”

New / Old Flames are our favorite books  – the ones we really think you should read too.

 

The Partner Track by Helen Wan
Reviewed by Alexandra

Northern Virginia native Helen Wan’s debut novel deserves all the acclaim it has received. This sharply written narrative tells the story of Ingrid Yung, a first-generation Asian-American and an eight-year associate, who is poised to make partner at a top-ranked law firm.

Ingrid is as an accomplished attorney with a blunt style. Aware of the uncommon position she is in, Ingrid calls herself a “twofer” – an Asian-American woman in a corporate law firm. In fact, she and another colleague, an African-American gay man, are featured in the firm’s recruiting brochures in an effort to convey diversity. But comments such as, “Believe me, I’d rather work with a pretty little Asian gal any day,” remind her that she does not fully belong. But she does fit in – Ingrid calls it her “passing” – with intellectual rigor and the ability to comport herself professionally.

Wan delicately explores the clash of workplace rules and values of belonging and success with those learned in Ingrid’s home: hard work and humility. Women’s achievement is also a theme. Notes written on the back of holiday cards such as, “Keep up the fight. Looking forward to toasting the firm’s first female corporate partner,” remind Ingrid that many female friends are counting on her to succeed.

As the partnership vote nears, Ingrid is selected to lead a major case, which she sees as her final test. While working long hours, she develops a relationship with Murph, a long-time love-interest and fellow associate. If that wasn’t enough, Ingrid is then tapped to promote the Diversity Inclusion Committee.

The Partner Track offers surprising twists and turns as Ingrid defines success and belonging for herself. It is a modern and inspiring read that will leave you thinking about gender, race and class long after you finish reading it.

 

When she’s not reviewing new fiction, Alexandra is the Library’s Business and Nonprofit librarian.

 

June 15, 2014 by Web Editor

Filed Under: Books We Love, Collection, News Tagged With: Lit Up: Flames

Old Flame: The Toaster Project

“Just as one does not simply walk into Mordor, one does not simply make their own plastic…”

New / Old Flames are our favorite books  – the ones we really think you should read too.

 

the toaster projectThe Toaster Project by Thomas Thwaites
Reviewed by Jennifer

Inspired in part by a Douglas Adam’s quotation, Thwaites decided he should build a toaster for his thesis project in design. From scratch.

Think about it—a toaster is a ubiquitous object that sits on most people’s countertops, and gets a fair bit of use, but could you build one? Now you can go down to the electronics store and buy all parts, assemble it, and voila, toaster, but that’s not what Thwaites wanted. He wanted to be from “as scratch” as possible. He would mine his own iron and smelt his own steel. He would make his own plastic. His toaster would plug into a standard outlet and it had to have the lever to press down and the bits that make your toast spring up automatically when done.

Of course, just as one does not simply walk into Mordor, one does not simply make their own plastic. (Although it turns out you can smelt steel in your microwave. There are pictures and instructions provided.) Thwaites makes a toaster (you can see his result on the cover)—it takes 9 months and over a thousand pounds (he is English) and a lot of travel.

Not only is it an interesting look at where are things really come from, Thwaites’s easy-breezy style and ingenious work-arounds make it a very fun read. Plus, he majored in design, so it’s a beautifully designed book with a lot of full-color photographs documenting the journey.

 

When Jennifer is not reading about toasters, she is the manager at Cherrydale Branch Library.

 

May 28, 2014 by Web Editor

Filed Under: Books We Love, Collection Tagged With: Lit Up: Flames

New Flame: "The Golem and the Jinni"

“Within the first few pages, I knew this would be a new favorite…”

New / Old Flames are our favorite books  – the ones we really think you should read too.

 

the golem and the jinniThe Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
Reviewed by Karen

I have always been fascinated by folk tales and fairytales; they are the heart of a culture.  They influence so much of a person’s character and give life to cultures.  For that reason, I was instantly drawn to “The Golem and the Jinni,” and within the first few pages, I knew this would be a new favorite – a new flame.

Wecker weaves a beautifully whimsical tale.  It intertwines the immigrant experience in 19th century New York with love and friendship.  Chava, the golem, is brought to life by a scandalously disgraced Rabbi.  Her life is meant to play out as one of subservience and submission.  But the death of her husband – the man who commissioned her, leaves her without a master.  Her voyage from Poland drops her alone and friendless in New York City.

Ahmad, the jinni, a creature of fire, is unwittingly released from a copper flask.  However, he is still chained to the flask by the curse that an ancient Bedouin wizard cast on him.  Fettered to the physical world and unable to gain the ethereal world he belongs to, Ahmad wanders the nights in search of freedom.

Chava and Ahmad are brought together by their loneliness. They instantly recognize each other as mystical creatures; finally, they have someone to share their true natures with. However, as a creature made of clay, Chava’s nature inherently clashes with Ahmad’s nature – fire.  Their friendship, at first tentative, grows stronger only to be shattered by a horrifying event. Can this unlikely friendship be repaired?  A fateful choice will have to be made.

 

Karen is our children’s librarian at Cherrydale Branch Library and when she’s not doing storytime, she also leads Lit Up’s awesome new Commuter Book Club.

 

May 3, 2014 by Web Editor

Filed Under: Books We Love, Collection Tagged With: Lit Up: Flames

New Flame: The End of Night

“For anyone who looks up at the night sky and aches for more.”

New / Old Flames are our favorite books  – the ones we really think you should read too.

 

The end of the night

The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light  by Paul Bogard
Reviewed by Katie

“The End of Night“ is a book for anyone who looks up at our city night sky and feels an ache inside, knowing it could be so much more – more stars, more light, more everything. Paul Bogard’s nonfiction exploration of night and darkness in our world today is a readable and entertaining look at what we have lost and what we can try to get back.

Part travelogue, part history, part status report, and part philosophical treatise, this book takes the reader from the beaming light of the Luxor in Las Vegas to Victorian England (and the lamplighters of today) to modern day Paris and to more remote areas of the world tucked away in dark corners of Quebec, the Canary Islands, and our National Parks. As I read, I found myself making a travel list based not on what I could see on earth, but rather what such places allow one to see in the sky. Bogard looks at how the night sky has influenced not just science and the environment but also art and our individual lives. He tackles the question of whether light truly makes society safer and if what we’re gaining is greater than what we are losing. Ultimately, The End of Night demonstrates the value of darkness, both in our skies and in our lives and reminds us of what once was and what still is in some corners of the world.

As winter comes to a close and the days grow longer, many of us may find ourselves embracing the increase in daylight. But this book dares to wonder at and explore the magnificence and value of the night. It also reminds us to look up every now and again. Check it out and soon the darkness may start feeling like an old friend.

Katie is a regular blogger for our teen blog and when she’s not reviewing for us she’s a librarian for the National Library of Medicine.

April 15, 2014 by Web Editor

Filed Under: Books We Love, Collection, News Tagged With: Lit Up: Flames

Old Flames: "The Sherbrooke Bride"

“A well written plot with a thread of amour.”

New / Old Flames are our favorite books  – the ones we really think you should read too.

 

Sherbrooke bride Sherbrooke Bride by Catherine Coulter
Reviewed by Vickie

I want to confess a secret that some might think is embarrassing.  I read romance novels.  I read all types of romance novels: contemporary, Regency, Medieval, heck even an occasional paranormal, I have read most types of romance novels.  I love nothing better than a well written plot with a story of amour that runs throughout.  There, I said it.  Whew, it feels great to get that off my chest.

And, since February is the month of St.Valentine’s holiday, that day when couples share tokens of their romance, it seems fitting that I share an old flame of mine: The Sherbrooke Bride by Catherine Coulter.  This was the first book I read by this author, and it cemented my love for Regency romance and historical novels.  This story follows the trials and tribulations of Douglas Sherbrooke, the Earl of Northcliff as he attempts to get himself a bride, and thus an heir, without muss or fuss.  This seems like a done deal when he decides to wed the daughter of an impoverished duke, Melissande, by basically buying himself a bride.

Unfortunately, the date of his marriage coincides with a mission for the government, and he is unable to attend the wedding.  However this does not stop him in his goal, and he arranges with his cousin Tony to marry Melissande by proxy, thus achieving his goal of getting a bride without even having to stand at the altar!  But Douglas’s plans go awry when Tony steals Melissande away and marries her himself, nixing Douglas’s proxy marriage.  However, Tony feels bad about this and comes up with a solution: he has married a different bride by proxy for Douglas, Melissande’s plainer sister Alexandra who has loved Douglas since she was 15.  When Douglas discovers the switch and realizes he is well and truly caught in marriage to the wrong sister, does the relationship between Alexandra and Douglas stand a chance?

This is a Marmite story that people either enjoy or find themselves really hating the characters.  For me, I enjoyed the humor and heart that was written into the story.  This tale also is the beginning of the Sherbrooke Brides series, and introduces the reader to a host of other characters that are explored in other novels in the series.  It remains one of my favorite stories, and I would love to hear if you loved it or if you hated it.

Vickie is the manager at Columbia Pike

 

If you love romance, check out our collection spotlight on eBook Romances.

 

February 26, 2014 by Web Editor

Filed Under: Books We Love, Collection, News Tagged With: Lit Up: Flames

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