Before embarking on task #5, I immediately thought of a few options waiting in my ever-expanding to-read shelf, and quickly I realized there’s no shortage of books to choose from. Given that those in journalism profession are storytellers and many write in some format, it is no surprise that journalist-authored books are everywhere, and are especially prevalent in the nonfiction genres. Thus, many books that fit this task focus on current events, engaging social issues and scandals. Alas, I can only highlight a few! Continue reading “Books by a Journalist or About Journalism: Read Harder 2019”
Years ago, before I’d donned the monocle and cane, my first post to this web-log was an endorsement of Karen Russell’s novel “Swamplandia!” Months later, officially in my capacity as a recommending gentleman, the monocle and cane still decorative rather than functional, I recommended her short story collections, “Vampires in the Lemon Grove” and “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves.” Years later, now in dire need of all manner of apparatuses to shore up my vision and ambulation, I again recommend Karen Russell’s work. I expect to be recommending her writing long after my mind is uploaded into the “Cloud” and my body is used to nourish whatever fauna survives the fires. But for now I’m still inarguably human, and so rather than cast ineffectual digital whispers into an electronic void, I’ll share my recommendation that you read “Orange World and Other Stories” on DBRL’s blog. Continue reading “The Gentleman Recommends: Karen Russell (Again)”
Here are a few of the most exciting books being published by first-time authors this September. For a longer list, please visit our catalog.
“Cold Storage” by David Koepp
When Pentagon bioterror operative Roberto Diaz was sent to investigate a suspected biochemical attack, he found something far worse: a highly mutative organism capable of extinction-level destruction. He contained it and buried it in cold storage deep beneath a little-used military repository.
Now, after decades of festering in a forgotten sub-basement, the specimen has found its way out and is on a lethal feeding frenzy. Only Diaz knows how to stop it.
He races across the country to help two unwitting security guards — one an ex-con, the other a single mother. Over one harrowing night, the unlikely trio must figure out how to quarantine this horror again. All they have is luck, fearlessness and a mordant sense of humor. Will that be enough to save all of humanity? Continue reading “Debut Author Spotlight: September 2019”
If you haven’t finished all of your 2019 Read Harder challenges, relax. There’s still a lot of year left. Task 24, a book of poetry published since 2014, is a quick and easy one to knock off the list. I read a lot of poetry, so I can recommend a few books I’ve enjoyed.
“Rangoli” by Pavana Reddy can be a double dipper for the challenge. It also counts as an #ownvoices book set in Oceania. Reddy makes compact use of language in this collection of interconnected poems. Some are micro-poems, only three or four lines. But each has its place in the whole. She reflects on immigration, race, and the struggle women face in being heard. Continue reading “Read Harder 2019: A Collection of Poetry Published Since 2014”
“Of emotions, of love, of breakup, of love and hate and death and dying, mama, apple pie, and the whole thing. It covers a lot of territory, country music does.” -Johnny Cash
Ken Burns new series “Country Music” premiers this Sunday, September 15 on PBS. It is being promoted as “A sweeping series on the history and impact of country music.” This subject is ripe for the Ken Burns treatment. The genre is an integral part of America, in both obvious and subtle ways, but it is often narrowly defined and confined to a corner of our culture. Here’s a sampling of books that represent the variety and history encompassed by this true American art form. Continue reading “Country Music”
C.S. Lewis once said, “Eating and reading are two pleasures that combine admirably.” My book club takes this concept very seriously. We call it a book club, but really it is a food and book discussion extravaganza. With a cast of bakers extraordinaire, queens of paleo and global food warriors, we celebrate food, reading and companionship every month. Many of our chosen books have been the foundation for the dishes we bring. “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman inspired dishes common to the Nordic region, including pickled eggs, a smoked salmon appetizer and lingonberries. People often visit the library in search of suggestions for their next book club read. Why not try a book and food pairing theme? Continue reading “Literary Links: Upping Your Book Club Game”
Behind every thriving library is a hearty group of volunteers aptly named the Friends. Here at DBRL, the Friends of the Library collect and resell books and media, donating over $85,000 annually for library materials and programs like One Read. Some donations even make their way to our shelves, including “Becoming,” “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” and DVDs in high demand like “Avengers” and “Outlander.” Continue reading “We Love Our Friends of the Library!”
Publishing is picking up for the fall season so here are several exciting new nonfiction releases coming out in September 2019! Visit our catalog for a more extensive list.
“How To: Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems” by Randal Munroe
“How To” is an instruction manual for taking everyday problems and using science and creative thinking to turn them into much bigger and more exciting problems. It teaches you how to cross a river by boiling it, outlines some of the many uses for lava around the home, and walks you through how to use experimental military research to ensure that your friends will never again ask you to help them move. From changing a lightbulb to throwing a pool party, it describes unusual ways to accomplish common tasks, and analyzes what would happen to you if you tried them. In addition to being a profoundly unhelpful self-help book, it’s an exercise in applying math, science, and research to ordinary problems, and a tour through some of the strange and fun science underlying the world around us. Continue reading “Nonfiction Roundup: September 2019”
The narrator of “Splinterlands,” by John Feffer, is Julian West, an academic whose best selling book titled, “Splinterlands” predicted many crises and collapses that have come to fruition in 2050. The world has been ravaged by climate change and various geopolitical collapses. Now, very ill and facing his final days, Julian uses an offer to write about the current state of global affairs as a way to reach out to his estranged children and ex-wife, who are scattered across the globe. With each visit we get a clearer picture of Julian’s past, what led to the dissolution of his family and the state of the world. Continue reading “Know Your Dystopias: Splinterlands”
I struggled to pick a book for this prompt because there are just so many options. There are mythologies and folklore from every part of the world, and there are fun contemporary twists on familiar works.
Continue reading “Read Harder 2019: A Book of Mythology or Folklore”
