Booklover's Blog

White Cargo by Don Jordan and Michael Walsh

     For much of Britain's poor in the colonial era, getting passage to the American colonies often meant paying the cost of the voyage by selling themselves into bondage for a set amount of years.  This was the ideal situation.  According to the authors of White Cargo, the reality for indentured servitude was far worse.  The colonies became a dumping ground for England's unwanted.  Convicts from overcrowded jails, prisoners of war, prostitutes, and kidnapped children survived appalling conditions during the Atlantic crossing to essentially be sold and worked relentlessly, with any infraction an excuse to add extra time to their toil.  Life was truly "nasty, brutish, and short" for these people.

     I have only skimmed the surface of literature about indentured servitude in the colonial era and found much of the reading dry.  This book turned out to be a fairly decent page turner and was certainly an eye-opener about the horrors that happened during Great Britain's purging of their undesirables.  At first, I thought it was going to be a hackneyed revisionist tome, but apparently the authors did their homework, or at least had one heck of a good bibliography.  For colonial history buffs mainly - a grisly part of the past, engagingly told.

(William Hicks, Information Services)

The River of Doubt by Candice Millard

     After Theodore Roosevelt's presidency ended, he decided to take a river trip in the Amazon River area. Having experienced many adventures, including big-game hunting in Africa and leading the Rough Riders in the Spanish American War, he expected this to be an easy journey. However, he changed his original plans for a relatively safe trip and chose a river that was not on any map, with no idea what would be around the next curve or how far the expedition was from reaching civilization. The expedition included Roosevelt's son Kermit, a naturalist, a famous Brazilian explorer, and a number of Brazilian paddlers. Roosevelt and his men soon heard the sound of huge rapids, and from then on, they spent much of their time paddling their boats through whitewater or making difficult portages around the rapids. As they continued, some of their boats were destroyed by the raging whitewater. Left without enough boats to carry their supplies, they had to leave behind most of their gear, and they lost some of their food in the river. Failing in most of their efforts to hunt, fish, or forage for food, they were near starvation. They heard the voices of rain forest Indians, saw their tracks, and once endured an Indian attack. Almost all of the men became ill, one was murdered, and one drowned. Roosevelt was close to death during the last part of the journey. The trip was so dreadful that the survivors found it difficult to convince people that they were telling the truth.

     If you are interested in biographies of historical characters, in adventure stories, or in a description of the Amazon region during the early 1900s, you'll want to read this book, published in 2005 and named as the best book of that year by the New York Times Book Review.

(Helen Snow, Information Services)

How to Believe by Jon Spayde

     In these days of religious polemics, I find it really refreshing to read about spiritual seekers who forge their own beliefs, unswayed by the rigors of church strictures or dogma.  It's people such as these that Spayde interviews in How to Believe.

     Each short chapter highlights a specific individual or individuals in a likeably readable style.  These are people from everywhere USA and Canada, not the televangelists that make the media's average gossip page.  You will meet Kosuke Koyama, a Japanese theologian who regularly uses Buddhist teachings to emphasize his own Christian faith, Mary Forsythe, an evangelical self-professed "train wreck for Jesus", John Shelby Spong, an Episcopalian priest whose long career began pre-civil rights era and also played its part in that movement, and a host of other congenial souls who come across as far more down to earth and genuine than others that would rather shove their belief systems down people's throats.   

     I don't think you even have to be a Christian to feel the quiet fervor of most of these folks, and want to get to know them all a little better.  The writing style adds much to Spayde's credit; each chapter is almost a meditation in itself.

(William Hicks, Information Services)   

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

     In 1993, Greg Mortenson failed in an attempt to climb to the summit of K2. On the way down, lost and separated from his guide, he wandered into a tiny village. The hospitality of the villagers, who shared their meager meals with him, made him determined to come back and to find a way to return their kindness. When he visited them again, he asked them to show him the local school. Embarrassed, they had to admit that there was no school building. The village children had to sit on the ground to study. The government of Pakistan did not provide a school building, and, since they had to share a teacher with another village, they had a teacher only three days a week. Mortenson was touched to see the children studying their lessons, disciplining themselves without any adult assistance.  He became determined to provide a school building, supplies, and a teacher. Back in California, he worked as an emergency room nurse, saved every possible cent by living in his car, and laboriously wrote letters, using a rented typewriter, to ask everyone he could think of for financial assistance.

     This is the story of his eventual success in founding, not one school, but--at the time of writing--fifty-five schools near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Despite opposition from some conservative people in that area, these schools teach girls as well as boys. Now some of the graduates of those schools are attending college, assisted by scholarships from Mortenson's Central Asia Institute.

     One interesting section tells about the September 11 bombings. A Pakistani friend awoke Mortenson in the middle of the night to tell him that buildings in "a village called New York" had been bombed. Then this illiterate man, without a phone or the Internet, made his assessment of the situation: this was the work of Al Qaeda--then he added, "Osama."

     The inspiring story shows how one person can truly make a difference. Mortenson became so obsessed with the need for schools that he didn't think twice about giving up physical comforts in the effort to meet his goals. His schools present a balanced education, helping to counteract the warlike teachings of many schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. While Mortenson does not consider combating terrorism to be one of his highest priorities, he is doing much to bring about good will among people of different religions and cultural backgrounds and to show a way of bringing peace through education. He has become so beloved by those he helps that many would protect him with their lives.

(Helen Snow, Information Services)

Easy Green Living by Renee Loux

     Making environmentally friendly choices is becoming important to more people these days, and one way  it shows is through the publishing industry’s many books on the subject. Some I’ve found to be useful, while others I’ve felt just weren’t worth the time spent reading.

     Renee Loux’s Easy Green Living is the easiest and most comprehensive guide to eco-friendly life I’ve seen yet. She covers everything from what product labels like “cage free” really mean to the best options for home remodeling. This is not primarily just a product guide with company contact information as with some other “green” books. Loux discusses the numerous issues in detail and with references to the research. There are 30 pages of endnotes for readers wanting to know more.
Renee doesn’t preach, nor does her writing style or attitude get in the way as I found to be the case with Sophie Uliano’s Gorgeously Green.

I’m hoping to do some repainting this year and thanks to Loux’s book I know exactly what the issues are regarding regular paints. I’ve learned what my non-toxic paint options are, and have leads for paint brands to get color swatches from.

(Carol Sheffield, Technical Services)

Short and Sinister by Diane Lambright Berry, et al.

     If you enjoy the mystery genre, take a look at this anthology of short stories and poems. All five authors live in North Carolina, and DiMeo, Gates, and O’Neill are Greensboro residents.

     The collection gets off to a good start with “Last Words” by Helen Goodman, the story of a retirement center resident who has a successful business writing obituaries—before the subjects die.  Dorothy P. O’Neill’s “Apple Pie Order” is next, telling the story of Josephine, a senior citizen who expects her marriage to bring economic security. It does, but sometimes she thinks she’d prefer the local homeless shelter.  Diane Lambright Berry includes several stories whose main character, Sarah Short, has retired and opened a private investigating agency. Her husband, Sam, and some of their relatives assist Sarah on her adventures.  Nancy Gotter Gates’ story “Man with a Scam” is about Vince Applegate, who woos older women through an Internet chat room and then, posing as a financial adviser, invests their fortunes—in himself.  Elizabeth DiMeo’s contributions include “A Dog’s Life in Brooklyn Heights,” about Lorelei, who dotes on dogs, and her husband Homer, who despises them.  And that’s just a taste of the stories in the book, not to mention the poems!

     If you’d like to read entire mystery novels by some of these authors, take a look at those by Gates and O’Neill. O’Neill has also written novels in the light romance genre.

(Helen Snow, Information Services)

From Whalebone to Hot House by Jerry Bledsoe    

     Believe it or not, Jerry Bledsoe has written about subjects other than true crime.  Before Bitter Blood put him on the national radar, Bledsoe wrote this book about the characters he met while traveling east to west on Highway 64, "the longest highway in North Carolina", which stretches from the Outer Banks to the toe of the state.

     The book is an easy read, broken up into chapters that are quite short - perfect for those lacking time.  It somewhat reminds me of Blue Highways by William Least Heat Moon, which if I recall came out a few years before.  This one may be somewhat dated (1986) but the local lore that Bledsoe discovers during his journey is timeless.

(William Hicks, Information Services)

 

The Windows of Brimnes by Bill Holm

      Iceland might as well be on another planet, and descriptions of it that I have read make it seem so.  Bleak, cold, treeless - where is the appeal?  Is it the country's remoteness, or the quirky resoluteness of its inhabitants? 

     The author answers these questions wonderfully in this group of essays about coming to terms with his ancestry and the joys of near-solitude in the desolate but heart-rendingly beautiful setting of northwest Iceland.  This edge of nowhere is for Holm a bird watcher's paradise, a powerful setting for myth and legend, and a refuge of rootedness for him.  His discovery of sense of place is worth the read itself.

     In this environment that is largely defined by geothermal activity, Holm's town of Hofnos and it's surrounding areas are literally teeming with place names that make the scenery sing and fire the imagination.  The amazing thing is that this unforgiving region has been inhabited for over a thousand years, and the place names for farms, mountains, and other natural occurrences attest to this.

     This remote setting also offers room for the author, who is American, to reflect on the America he grew up in and the country that the U.S. has become.  He is very scathing in his essays of American society, and in these Holm tends to go to greater lengths than perhaps is necessary, but he writes beautifully; this keeps it chugging along.  As with essay collections in general, it's always possible to skip the ones you don't like, but I'd read them all.  The ones about Iceland itself are the best.

     I don't agree with Holm about everything he says, but he is an engaging writer - kind of like a Hal Crowther transplanted to Scandinavia, grumbly but endearing.

(William Hicks, Information Services)

The Beat Goes On by Jim Schlosser

     Jim Schlosser recently retired from the News & Record after forty-one years as a reporter for that newspaper and for the earlier Greensboro Record. He was best known to most readers for his columns about local history. The Greensboro Bicentennial Commission sponsored this collection of Jim's columns on local businesses, local people, and local events, and Gayle Fripp, author of books about Greensboro history and former assistant director of the Greensboro Historical Museum, edited the book. Having some of Schlosser's columns in book form will prove, I believe, one of the most lasting achievements to come from the bicentennial celebration.

     This collection is a readable, fascinating way to increase your knowledge of Greensboro history. Whether you must confess an almost complete ignorance on the topic or whether you consider yourself pretty well-read in this area, you won't want to miss this book.  If time doesn't permit you to read all of the columns , you can easily use the index to find topics that arouse your curiosity and read only the parts of special interest to you.

(Helen Snow, Information Services)

Eat This, Not That! by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding

      As Americans, we're among the most well-fed people on the planet.  Unfortunately, by well-fed, I mean that many of us eat a lot, not that we make the best nutritional choices.  In fact, two-thirds of US adults are now overweight and the obesity rate has increased 50% since 1960.  But who can blame us?  Our options are over-whelming!  Dozens of restaurants line every major thoroughfare and hundreds of selections can be found on each grocery store aisle.  What we really need is some guidance to help us make better choices. 

     Although not a traditional diet book, the principle behind Eat This, Not That! is to cut empty calories and add in nutrition. By swapping out high fat, high calorie choices for similar but healthier alternatives, you can lose weight and improve your overall well-being.  For example, by comparing two well-known pizza delivery restaurants, you can save 100 calories and 10 grams of fat.  (Hint, the place with the red roof is not your best choice!)  The book begins with lists of the 8 foods you should eat every day and the 20 worst foods in America.  It compares entrees at dozens of popular restaurants and numerous options at the grocery store.  You'll discover which fast food restaurants made the grade for low-cal fare and reasonable portion size.  Other chapters cover menu decoding, holidays and special occasions, beverages, what to eat for particular health or emotional issues, and nutritional guidelines for kids. 

     This is not the type of book you normally read cover to cover, but I've been so fascinated by the wealth of valuable information that I've studied it far more than any college text book I've ever had.  In fact, I began by trying to make a few notes for myself and finally realized I needed to just buy my own copy of this book!  So, whether you've struggled with food issues or not, give this book a try.  You'll be amazed at what you discover.

(Marya Ryals, Hemphill Library)

Monk habits for everyday people : Benedictine spirituality for Protestants by Dennis Okholm

    

     To your average person, monastic life is a curiosity, a manner of living that in its quietly deliberate approach seems strongly at odds with the rest of the world.  This was the first impression of Okholm, a Presbyterian theologian who first visited a monastery 20 years ago and became an avid admirer of monastic practices – specifically, the methods set down in Benedictine’s Rules some fifteen hundred years ago. 

    

     The question he had and one that you the reader might have is how a supposedly antiquated communal way of life can still make a favorable impression on a Presbyterian minister who was raised Baptist and Pentecostal.  Well, apparently it did, and Okholm details how so in this readable and occasionally funny explanation of the basic tenets of monastic life and the benefits of such to Protestants - both as individuals and in communities.

    

     Other related books of note in the library's collection include The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris and St. Benedict's Toolbox by Jane Tomaine.

(William Hicks, Information Services)

Have You Found Her by Janice Erlbaum

     Janice Erlbaum spent some time as a runaway during her teen years. She told that story in her earlier memoir, Girlbomb, which I haven't read. In this book, she tells about her life during her mid-thirties.

     Happily settled into a career and a stable romantic relationship, she decided to volunteer at the shelter which helped her when she was a teenager. She taught the young women at the shelter to work with beads, which proved a very successful way to get their attention, and they could relate to her because she was once a resident in the shelter. Breaking the rule for volunteers--that she must treat every girl the same--she continually chose favorites, only to have each of them leave the shelter. Then she met Samantha, a 19-year-old drug addict who told Janice that she had already spent years living on the streets, after coming from an unbelievably dreadful family background. Janice threw objectivity to the wind and became deeply involved with the girl, who, she soon discovered, was brilliant and talented. Janice stuck with Sam through illnesses, rehab, and troubled memories, assuring her that they'd have a trip to Disney World together if Sam could just stay sober. Then Janice discovered some shocking revelations about Sam.

     If you've ever loved someone who needs help or ever reached out to help someone, you'll relate to Janice's frank descriptions of the emotional roller coaster which her relationship with Sam caused. Her prose is compelling and her memories, based on the journal she kept throughout her months with Sam, are sharp. It's a book you won't soon forget!

(Helen Snow, Information Services)

Once Upon a City: Greensboro, North Carolina's Second Century by Howard E. Covington, Jr.

     This book has been selling very quickly at the Greensboro Historical Museum's gift shop. From the difficult Depression years through the opening of the ballpark in downtown Greensboro, it covers Greensboro history from the perspective of a number of city leaders. There is a special emphasis on Jim Melvin, who has been a major presence for almost fifty years, first in the Jaycees and then as a city councilman, as mayor, and now as head of the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation for Greater Greensboro. This is a very readable telling, with plenty of interesting anecdotes. Other histories of Greensboro, with different perspectives, include Greensboro, North Carolina: The County Seat of Guilford by Ethel Arnett (1955), Greensboro, a Chosen Center by Gayle Fripp (1982 and 2001 editions), Civilities and Civil Rights: Greensboro, North Carolina and the Black Struggle for Freedom by William Chafe (1980), and Drinking Gourds of Guilford by Hal Sieber (2005). We have North Carolina Collection copies, which are always in the library for reference use, and circulating copies of all of these. During this, Greensboro's bicentennial year, take a look at one of these titles!

(Helen Snow, Information Services)

Redneck Haiku/Double-wide Edition by Mary K. Witte

     For would-be versifiers, writing haiku can be a rewarding early attempt at poetry.  The challenge with writing haiku is keeping within the 5-7-5 syllable structure.  It's easier (supposedly) to write haiku in its original context of Japanese, which captures a more concise idea within the structure.  With the English language, the words are shorter and as such, when you try to conform to the 5-7-5 structure, sometimes the poem loses its conciseness.  Often, haiku in English is written in fewer syllables to convey the idea more concisely.  However, I am a stubborn cuss, and stick to the tried and true 5-7-5 when I write it.

    The author of this collection sticks to this form as well, with hilarious results.  I first "met" this book about three years ago, and never fail to (achingly) laugh at its tongue-in-cheek humor.  Not only that - reading the book sparked my interest for haiku and the great things one can do with this poetic form.  Haiku writers usually concern themselves with nature and such; in this collection, beer drinking, deer hunting, and trailers are the subjects of Witte's wit. 

   If you offend easily, this might not be the collection of verse you desire.  However, if you want to read something fresh and appreciate Foxworthy-esque laughs (although I think Witte does it better), read on - and be prepared for your sides to hurt.

(William Hicks, Information Services) 

Light on Snow by Anita Shreve

     Nicky Dillon and her father live in relative isolation off of a dirt road in rural New Hampshire.  The  solitude is easier for her dad, who left an architectural career after the death of his wife and baby daughter in a car crash.  It's a recovery of sorts for Nicky as well, albeit a lonely one.

     Their isolation ends abruptly when Nicky and her father find an abandoned newborn baby while on a walk through the woods behind their house.  Luckily, they get the child to the hospital and she's okay, but Nicky develops an attachment to the baby that doesn't go away when the child is taken away for adoption.  Her father is changed, too, and two years of suppressed grief come to the surface, not to mention the drama of the world beyond their home, and company they don't expect.

     Nicky is a likable character who comes across as being somewhat of a loner.  She is an independent soul who keeps herself busy, but she actually relishes interaction with other people.  She is twelve, an age in which too many things become inexplicable, and while she loves her dad, their isolated circumstances are increasingly stifling to her.  The appearance of a young lady at their door at once complicates things for the father and provides Nicky with much needed company, along with facing some harsh realities. 

     How the three of them manage to coexist while being snowed in and without power make for a page turner that's worthy for airplane reading material.  In other words, I liked Light on Snow well enough to finish most of it on plane flights to and from England, which says a lot for the book.  A good book will help you concentrate.

(William Hicks, Information Services)

The Pleasure Was Mine by Tommy Hays

     As this novel opens, Prate Marshbanks is struggling to care at home for his beloved wife, Irene, who has Alzheimer's. Even when it becomes absolutely necessary to put her in a nursing home,  he visits her for several hours a day. Then his son, Newell, whose wife was killed in an automobile accident several years ago, calls him with a request. Newell, a talented artist, has an exciting opportunity to spend the summer at Penland School of Crafts and needs Prate to care for Newell's son Jackson for a while. Prate feels overwhelmed by his family's needs.

     However, Prate perseveres. He finds his grandson to be not a burden, but a joy and a wonderful partner in caring for Irene. Newell and Jackson begin to deal with their grief over the death that traumatized them several years ago. Prate even finds that "happiness doesn't have an expiration date."

     Many have praised the book, including famous North Carolina author Reynolds Price and someone from the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Duke.

     If you have ever had a loved one with dementia--or one in a nursing home--you'll find here much that is familiar. The book speaks to all of us who are concerned with family issues, especially those of aging.

     Tommy Hays is director of the Great Smokies Writing Program at UNC-Asheville and winner of the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award in 2000.

(Helen Snow, Information Services)

Free for All:  Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library by Don Borchert

     According to the author, there's never a dull moment in a public library.  Life within its stately halls is,  well, lively, and in some cases amazingly funny.  And scary.  And...well, try out the book!  Borchert writes in a wonderfully readable style that is at times snarky yet easy going, and maybe just a bit world weary at the edges.  His library world resides in the confines of Lomita, California, but the situations he describes could be Anywhere, USA.

     The target audiences for this book are obviously librarians and their ilk, but anyone who has worked with the public could read a few chapters, nod with empathy, and shake with laughter.  And wonder what will happen next.

(William Hicks, Information Services)   

Blasphemy by Douglas Preston

     To say too much about this book is to give away the plot.  Suffice it to say that a bunch of scientists in a research facility in the Arizona desert make a very interesting discovery while working with a superconducting supercollider particle accelerator.  All the general public knows is that the scientists are trying to understand the Big Bang.  This is enough for a televangelist in need of more publicity (and money) to claim that the scientists are trying to disprove Genesis, causing so many emails to D.C. that government servers crash.  Add Navajos upset by the use of their land, a CIA agent sent in to discover why the machine hasn’t produced anything useful yet, some slimy lobbyists, and the possibility of Armageddon. 

     Preston doesn’t spend a whole lot of time on character development, but the plot moves right along.  There are also discussions about God and physics that give the reader some things to think about.  Lincoln Child, a frequent co-author with Preston, is quoted as saying “With Blasphemy, Douglas Preston has finally gone too far.  One way or another, I’m afraid he may burn for this book.”  Interesting.

(Sherrie Antonowicz, Administration)

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

     There’s been a good bit of publicity about Geraldine Brooks’ People of the Book, but I enjoyed it so much I feel compelled to add my comments.  It’s a wonderful book that reminds me somewhat of Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian, probably because some of the locations are the same, there’s a strong female character, a mysterious book, etc.

     Rare book expert Hannah Heath is hired to conserve (NOT repair!) a famous illuminated Jewish haggadah, or prayer book.  During her work, she discovers a few tiny things in the binding – an insect wing, a white hair – and notices some stains on the pages.  She also notes that the book probably had clasps at one time.

     Hannah has access through friends and work contacts to a lot of expertise and high-tech equipment that is used to determine what her findings can tell her about the book and where it has been.  She gets enough information to speculate; the reader actually meets the people who created, owned, or carried the book.  Chapters about Hannah and her quest are interspersed with chapters about a young Jewish girl in Sarajevo in 1940; a Catholic priest in Venice in 1609; a doctor in Vienna in 1894; Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Tarragona in 1492; a Moorish slave in Seville in 1480.  All these characters are fully developed and multi-dimensional, with good qualities and human failings.  Their stories are exciting.

     Hannah’s life is not without drama or mystery, either.  Her travels and experiences while researching the book and a shocking revelation from her mother, a famous surgeon, add even more pleasure to an already exceptional book reading experience.  Don’t miss this one.

(Sherrie Antonowicz, Administration)

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and Maus by Art Spiegelman

     I have just finished reading two books set during World War II.  The first is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.  Actually, I listened to the downloadable audio version of this book, narrated by Allan Corduner.  Told from the perspective of Death personified, this is the story of a young German girl, Liesel, growing up during WWII.  It is also the story of Liesel’s love for words and book stealing, which sustain her during a time of immense tragedy.   

     I really loved the characters in this book, not only Liesel, but also her foster parents, sharp-tongued Rosa and kind Hans Hubermann, Liesel’s thieving buddy, Rudy, and a young Jewish man, Max, who hides in the Hubermann’s basement.  Despite the book’s unusual narrator, the tone of the book is not dark.  There are somber moments, to be sure, but there is quite a bit of humor, triumph, and love as well. 

     I also recently read Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman.  In this graphic novel, Spiegelman recounts the true story of his father Vladek’s survival as a Jew living in Nazi-occupied Poland. In addition, Spiegelman, who was born after the war, writes himself into the story, drawing out his own process of coming to terms with his parent’s past. 

     Spiegelman’s visits with his father are used as a frame for his father’s story.  In the first chapter, Vladek meets and marries his first wife Anja, much like anyone else might fall in love and get married.  However, the increasing presence of the Germans in Poland quickly inflicts hardship on the young couple, and Vladek must use his courage and resourcefulness to protect his wife as they struggle to survive.  The depiction of Jews as mice being hunted and captured by Nazis, portrayed as cats, makes Spiegelman’s black and white illustrations especially poignant.

(Amber Campbell, Hemphill Branch Library)