Every Man in this Village Is a Liar

Every Man in this Village Is a Liar
by
Megan Stack
adult nonfiction
This book was written by a L. A. Times Middle East Correspondent telling about her experiences interviewing people and living in the Middle East for the last 10 years. This book is very timely and informative about how screwed up Middle Eastern politics is. It is hard to know who to trust and who is telling the truth to a female foreign correspondent. If we choose this book, we may have some strong opinions being expressed by the patrons about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and a number of other places that are currently in the news: wars in Israel, Syria, Lebanon, the role of women in Saudia Arabia and other Muslim countries, etc. This acronym kept coming to mind: SNAFU.
Most of our readers will be familiar with some, but not all of the places she discusses. I didn't know all of the words she used. Sometimes she explained them (like "mujahideen") and sometimes she didn't. It really made me think about all the things that are going on over there and how our government and our troops are involved or not involved.
Very timely. Very relevant today. Should appeal to both men and women as it is a war book, but by a woman author.

Dry Grass of August

Dry Grass of August
by
Anna Jean Mayhew
Young Adult or Adult Historical Fiction

Jubie is a Southern 13 year old in 1954. Her family travels through the South on summer vacation with their "girl" the "mammy", Mary. All kinds of awkward situations arise with segregated hotels, beaches, restaurants, gas stations, etc.
I think the publisher probably saw the popularity of "The Help" and tried to find a book that would appeal to the same population.
I was reading this and a 7 year old girl became fascinated with the cover: It has butterflies coming out of a jar. The cover drew her in and made her ask about it.
Not as substantial as similar books, but the ending gets pretty serious.
Overall it was a pretty good read for teen and adult females.

New Art from Old Books

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7366166n

Atlanta artist Brian Dettmer creates memorable works of art by slicing, whittling and tearing into books. Mark Strassmann reports on Dettmer's vision for a vanishing form of art.

http://briandettmer.com/

Charles Dickens' Letter Opener

Creepy! A cat paw letter opener!
http://www.salon.com/books/libraries_and_librarians/?story=%2Fbooks%2Flaura_miller%2F2011%2F05%2F11%2Fnypl_centennial

100% Polyester - the Action Fabric!

100% Polyester - the Action Fabric! Out-o-sight!
Dayton Daily News 27 October 1972.

How to explain Internet-era reading to someone from the analog past? Put lots of little books in a much bigger book.
http://www.theatlantic.com/life/archive/2011/05/designing-a-19th-century-kindle-an-e-reader-for-dickens/238884/

Chicken Soup with Rice

Chicken Soup with Rice
by
Maurice Sendak
paperback plus book set to music by folk singer Carole King

I knew that Maurice Sendak wrote this book, but I had no idea that Carole King set the book to music! Apparently a kindergarten teacher I know already knew this because she has her students perform the song in class to learn the months of the year. She has a huge copy of this book - it is something like 2 foot tall by 18 inches wide. I used to have a tiny version of this book that was about 3 inches tall by 3 inches wide.
I don't think this is Sendak's greatest book, but I suppose it does work to teach the months. It is pretty much a poem about silly things that can happen during different months of the year.

Sports Research Center in Cleveland

http://cpl.org/TheLibrary/News/NewsArticle/tabid/109/ArticleId/223/Cleveland-Public-Library-Opens-Areas-First-Sports-Research-Center-Hosts-Special-Pride-Passion-Exhibi.aspx

I'll have to visit this next time I am in Cleveland. Congratulations, Cleveland Public Library on your new collection and display area.
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/04/cleveland_public_library_score.html

Masters of the Universe

http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/04/12/librarians.masters.of.universe/index.html

"Librarians are the secret masters of the universe. They control information. Never piss one off."

Shack

The Shack
by William P. Young
read by Roger Mueller
audiobook 7 cd set

This book has a place in every public library, college library, and seminary library as well as in many church libraries (depending on their specific beliefs). This book has been out for a few years now, and it is still in fairly high demand so libraries may consider purchasing it in multiple formats or multiple copies. It is also the kind of book that friends pass around. It has been translated into at least 30 languages and many churches, seminaries, and other groups are reading it for discussions. It is rare that a book of such power and impact as this one comes out. Many critics have compared it to Pilgrim's Progress and Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
I read the book a few years ago, but at the recommendation of a patron I listened to the audiobook and Roger Mueller did a great job! It had been some time since I had read the book and his take on it really brought it to life again. At the end of the CD is an author's note stating that he hopes that it will become a movie some day so more people can experience "The Shack". He even states that he wrote the book in mind of having it be a screenplay and that some screen writers helped him in the editing.
I see that Amazon.com has a number of companion books, some supporting this book and others in opposition to the Gospel it preaches. If a librarian is trying to build a balanced collection these books may also be worth purchasing.
Here is the basic plot: A minister and his family are devastated when 6 year old Melissa is kidnapped and probably murdered while she is camping with her family. The father tries to come to some kind of understanding of why God would let this happen. The author refers to the depression that the father feels as "The Great Sadness". Years pass and the sadness does not go away. Little does Mack know that he is about to have an intense encounter with God in all three of God's manifestations - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. His assumptions about God are blown away with surprising and shocking revelations about who God is and how little we perceive about His greatness.
This book is very modern and thought provoking. Beware! Some readers may object to the portrayal of God (which makes for an interesting book discussion). I have participated in public library book discussions for about 15 years. Last year, while discussing "The Shack" was the first time that I have had a patron state her objection to a book then walk out of the room.