Wednesday, September 21, 2016
[Book Review] Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler
Andrea reviews SWEETBITTER by Stephanie Danler (Alfred A. Knopf, 2016).
I have to admit I was thrilled when I got my hands on this bestseller. Pardon the pun but I devoured the tell-all memoir, Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain that was published a few years back. Now, Ms. Danler has spun her own story about the underbelly of New York’s finest restaurants.
Tess is a young 22-year-old who has come to New York City with no real sense of direction or guidance in her life. It seemed logical for her to work in a restaurant since she had been a coffee barista in her past. She lands a job as a backwaiter in one of the most elite restaurants. Although her job is not to wait on the customers (or “guests,” as the “Owner” corrects her) she is responsible for cleaning off the tables, filling water glasses, and taking the food to the tables. While Tess is at the restaurant, she becomes enamored with Jake and Simone, the bartender and head server respectively. The two are quite a bit older than Tess but they go between mentoring her, being down right mean to her, sleeping with her, and messing with her head. Tess cannot figure out Jake and Simone’s dynamic, but the more she tries the more of a downward spiral she takes.
I enjoyed this tale of restaurant workers because I waited tables for ten years before I worked at the library. Restaurants always have some kind of drama and energy. It’s a pulsating rhythm you only identify with if you have worked in the industry in any capacity. This was also a great story of infatuation, power, and desire and how quickly it can escalate in the wrong direction.
Andrea Bledsoe-King, Cordova Library
Labels: Coming of Age, Fiction, Mainstream Fiction, Reviews by Andrea King, Staff book reviews, Women's Fiction
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
[Book Review] Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Josh reviews WONDER by R.J. Palacio (Alfred A. Knof, 2012)
I just finished reading Wonder, and as anyone whom I've spoken with about it over the past week knows, I am truly in love with this book. Although the book is housed in the children's section of our library, it is a story that I would highly recommend ANYONE to read.
The story is told from the viewpoints of different characters who are revealed over time in the course of the book, starting and finishing with August "Auggie" Pullman, the 10-year-old boy who is the inspiration for the title of the book. Auggie is entering school for the first time as a fifth-grader, having been homeschooled up until that time by his mother. The story covers the 10 months from just before the school year begins until the graduation ceremony marking the end of the scholastic year, and describes the ups and downs that this unique middle-school student encounters over that time, as well as the journey that his family and classmates take along with him.
I've waited until now to mention that Auggie suffers from a confluence of genetic abnormalities that have deformed his facial features to a point that he is genuinely frightening to most people upon their first encounter with him. Palacio never really fully describes what Auggie looks like, but gradually reveals various aspects of his appearance, and you gain most of your understanding of the effect his face has upon others by the way Auggie himself and others describe their reactions when seeing him for the first time. It's extremely effective.
The book is comprised of short chapters that generally are two or three pages long, and none longer than five pages by my count, and each one is really a short scene that carries the story forward smartly. Hardly any of the chapters don't make you cry, smile, laugh, or move you in some way. Ultimately, the book has what we'll call a happy ending, but it really feels genuine in my opinion, not something contrived. The same is true of the dialogue in the book. Palacio does an amazing job of creating realistic and believable dialogue in both the children and adults in the story, and every scene comes across as very realistic and believable, which further adds to the emotional impact of the story.
This is the type of book that I could see myself reading again, just to relive the story a second or third time. A movie is in the works, which I could see being successfully done, but they will have to pick and choose which scenes to include because there are too many to put in a two-hour film!
Labels: Coming of Age, Fiction, Reviews by Josh Thomas, Staff book reviews
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
[Book Review] GEOGRAPHY CLUB by Brent Hartinger
Gay and Lesbian fiction was discussed during July's What's Your Flavor session at the Central Library.
Jason reviews GEOGRAPHY CLUB by Brent Hartinger (HarperTempest, 2003)
I’d like to start with this book with a confession: I would not have read this book if I had not been assigned to read a book on Gay and Lesbian Fiction. Gay rights are an important subject to me and although I have no problems with books or media on the subject, I also had no real desire to seek it out. This book, along with another gay superhero book I’ve read previously (Hero by Perry Moore) may change all of that.
I loved, loved, loved this book and it has become one my favorite books this year. It tells the story about a closeted young male teenager who believes he is the only gay person in his smallish high school until he meets an anonymous teen in a chat room. They decide to meet and end up discovering three more gay, lesbian and bisexual teenagers that go to their school and decide they would like to form their own support group.
The book has some excellent humor to it and I liked how realistic and interesting the characters were. This isn’t a fairy tale where everything will work out perfectly, the main characters don’t always make the right choices when faced with tough decisions, but one of the big themes is that we get second chances to do the right thing.
One of the other main things I appreciated about this book was how it combined a coming of age story about peer pressure and climbing the high school social ladder with a coming out story about trying to stay true to your sexuality and your morals. I also liked how it gave multiple perspectives even though the story is told through a single point of view. The characters are so well done and the main character is so insightful that you really come to understand the pressures the other characters are under.
One criticism I had with this book was that it feels a bit dated. The copyright date was in 2003, but from some of the technology mentioned, such as using IM’s, chat rooms and emails to communicate, it seems that the book is quite a bit older. The mindset of the characters seem older and less progressive as well, this could be attributed to the small-town status, but the reaction the school has when they think someone is gay seems a bit extreme in today’s world. Perhaps this is due to my own ignorance, but I feel like today a lot more adults and teens would be accepting.
In summary, I think this is an excellent book. It’s informative, engaging and humorous without being preachy or depressing. It’s a book that anyone in high school can relate to because it focuses so much on peer pressure and social statuses and it’s interesting enough to keep the reader’s attention. Please read this if you have any interest in high school dramas or gay fiction, you will not regret it.
Jason Sharp, Whitehaven Library
Labels: Coming of Age, Gay and Lesbian Fiction, Reviews by Jason Sharp, Young Adult
Monday, July 09, 2012
[Book Review] WONDER by R.J. Palacio
Andrea reviews WONDER by R.J. Palacio (Random House Books, 2012)
Ten year-old August “Auggie” Pullman has not had an easy life. Being born with extreme facial disorders, Auggie was not expected to live past infancy. In fact, his parents have homeschooled him until the current school year, because they realized how cruel the other kids could be toward their son.
This year is going to be different, because Auggie is starting middle school at Beecher Prep, a Manhattan private school. Auggie’s family tries to convince him the other students are going to recognize his sense of humor, intelligence, and other talents, when really everyone knows what is more obvious.
This is a heartbreaking, courageous story of August Pullman who just wants to be considered “normal," when in fact, his “abnormal” traits make him that much more “special.”
Wonder is actually classified as a juvenile fiction but I truly enjoyed it and will recommend it to both children and adults.
Andrea King, Poplar-White Station Library
Labels: Coming of Age, Fiction, Reviews by Andrea King
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
[Book Review] BAKER TOWERS by Jennifer Haigh
Fiction/HistoricalAndrea reviews BAKER TOWERS by Jennifer Haigh (William Morrow, 2005)
Author’s note: “The mines were not named for Bakerton; Bakerton was named for the mines. This is an important distinction. It explains the order of things."
Set in the 1940’s coal mining region of Pennsylvania, this story centers on the Novak family. Polish father and husband, Stanley, dies from black lung (a condition developed from working in the mines), leaving behind his Italian wife, Rose, with five children to raise single-handedly. As much as the children know they have obligations to take care of Rose as well as each other, all of them are desperate to escape the claustrophobic small town of Bakerton.
Oldest son George joins the war overseas and Dorothy, the next oldest daughter, moves to New York to work in a typing pool and live in an all-girls’ boarding house. Middle son, Sandy, and middle daughter Joyce, are able to get out of the small town by traveling across the country and joining the Air Force, respectively. Lucy, the baby, seems most likely to be the one who will escape the confines of Bakerton as she studies to be a nurse after college. Never mind the dreams the adult children have for themselves and their growing families, obligations to Rose and Bakerton’s townspeople keep luring them back.
Told equally from the points of view of the five children, readers will feel like they are in the story with each of them. Haigh’s writing style romanticizes the 1940’s but also gives readers realistic imagery of the era. Readers will also appreciate the expanding Novak family’s closeness with each other and their fellow townspeople.
This is a well-written novel with beautiful, nostalgic scenery and solid characters. I highly recommend it.
Andrea King, Poplar-White Station Library
Labels: Coming of Age, Historical Fiction, Reviews by Andrea King
Friday, November 30, 2007
[Book Review] WORLD OF PIES by Karen Stolz
Fiction/Coming of AgeAndrea Bledsoe reviews WORLD OF PIES by Karen Stolz (HyperionBooks, 2000)
In this first novel by Karen Stolz, we meet Roxanne. She is a 12 year-old tomboy growing up in the small town of Annette, Texas. The year is 1962, and Roxanne is about to experience a great many changes in her life--both historically and biologically.
Like in many other small towns across the country, people feel safe in keeping their doors unlocked and shopping at the local mom and pop storefronts. The families in Annette are close-knit, even though there seems to be a sense of restlessness among the older kids. They feel almost claustrophobic in their small town, and Roxanne is no exception.
Seeing world-changing events, such as JFK’s assassination and the Vietnam War, through a young woman’s eyes is very moving. Stolz also brings these tragedies closer to home with the family’s reactions. For instance, Roxanne’s mother, Christina, is having a wardrobe dilemma and states, “I bet Jackie Kennedy never had these problems...Her husband hasn’t even been dead a year and I am worried about that?” Another example of tragedy upsetting the family is when Roxanne’s cousin, Tommy, loses an arm while fighting in Vietnam.
I enjoyed this book because I had never read any of Karen Stolz’s books, and it is always fun to discover “new” authors. Also, as Roxanne states, “my family always took solace in eating,” so the author included all the recipes of the comfort food the family ate throughout the novel. The final reason I enjoyed this book was reading how a small town community comforts one another in the face of worldwide disaster as well as rejoices with one another in triumphs.
Andrea Bledsoe, Poplar-White Station Branch Library
Labels: Coming of Age, Reviews by Andrea King
Monday, June 25, 2007
[Book Review] THE SWEET POTATO QUEENS FIRST BIG-ASS NOVEL
Fiction/Coming of AgeBeth reviews THE SWEET POTATO QUEENS' FIRST BIG-ASS NOVEL: Stuff We Didn't Actually Do, But Could Have, and May Yet by Jill Conner Browne (Simon & Schuster, 2007).
Jill Conner Browne, Boss Sweet Potato Queen (SPQ), has written five non-fiction bestsellers. Now she has moved to fiction—and what great fiction it is! We all know that every little girl is a princess and wants to grow up to be a queen. In this coming-of-age novel we witness the main character, Jill Connor, join five high school misfits to create the core members of the "Tammy Club," after the town’s newcomer, Tammy, is humiliated by the "in crowd." Wearing wild dresses and red wigs, the Tammy Club enters the homecoming parade—and is a huge hit. Unfortunately on their homecoming sign "Tammy" is misspelled "Yammy" as in Sweet Potato. Thus the Sweet Potato Queens were born! As they age, we learn of weddings, funerals, and what can only be described as nightmare-like relationships. Amazingly, through it all, we see them remain true to themselves and each other.
Readers of the SPQ’s 1st Big-Ass Novel learn "The Promise" and the "motto" ("Never wear panties to a party") but also some new words and phrases (which I won’t go into here!). Jill Conner Browne doesn’t forget the ever-popular SPQ recipes, located after the final chapter of the novel, featuring recipes from Rest in Peace, a restaurant the Sweet Potato Queens would open serving only Southern funeral food! (Mmmm, I can just imagine the macaroni and cheese, fried chicken....)
Want to know more about the Sweet Potato Queens? Check out their website, go to the annual Mal’s St. Paddy’s Day Parade during the 3rd weekend in March in Jackson, MS (you’ll read all about it in the book) or check out Memphis’s own Memphis Blues Queens (a chapter of the SPQ)!
Want to read more about them? Check out these books:
God Save the Sweet Potato Queens
The Sweet Potato Queens’ Big-Ass Cookbook (and Financial Planner)
The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love
The Sweet Potato Queens' Field Guide To Men: Every Man I Love is Either Married, Gay, or Dead
The Sweet Potato Queens' Wedding Planner/Divorce Guide
PS-Hope you are continuing to read those Southern books for Maggie Reads' Southern Book Challenge. You’ll be amazed at how many great books are by Southern authors, set in Southern places or just-plain Southern! Enjoy!
Beth, Highland Branch Library
Labels: Coming of Age, Reviews by Beth
Friday, January 26, 2007
[Book Review] SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson
Fiction/Coming of AgeHeather Lawson reviews SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson (Farrar Straus Giroux, 1999)
This is one of the funniest books I have ever read about high school. It is also one of the saddest. For anyone who enjoys writers who can intertwine humor and heartbreak in an astonishing manner, this book is for you.
Ninth grader Melinda Sordino is ostracized by classmates after calling the police at a summer party. Faced with cruel classmates and parents who are too busy with their jobs and themselves to recognize their daughter's spiral into despair, Melinda finds sanctuary in an unused maintenance closet and in art class. Her art teacher, Mr. Freeman, who recognizes her intelligence and worsening pain, is the one person who reaches out to help her. Fearing her best friend may be placed in a similar situation, she finally speaks out. Of course, you will have to read the book to learn more.
The author views teachers, as well as school in general, in an intelligent and sensitive manner. There are hilarious descriptions of teachers, such as the Spanish teacher miming lessons because of her determination not to speak English in class. Also, History classes that never make it to the present are satirized. "We got to World War I in the seventh grade - who knew there had been a war with the whole world?" Not surprising, this book was a finalist for the National Book Award.
Heather Lawson, Public Services
Labels: Coming of Age, Reviews by Heather Lawson, Young Adult
Thursday, November 09, 2006
[Book Review] THE BODY OF CHRISTOPHER CREED by Carol Plum-Ucci
Fiction/Young Adult Coming of AgeJessie Marshall reviews THE BODY OF CHRISTOPHER CREED by Carol Plum-Ucci (Harcourt, 2000):
Written as a flashback from the point of view of sixteen-year-old Tory Adams, The Body of Christopher Creed tells the story of the unexplained disappearance of the class misfit, and the ways in which this mystery affects others in the small town of Steepleton, New Jersey. Initially, Tory and his friends see a clear, two-group division of the teens in their high school, the affluent cool kids and the "boons," or outcast rural students who live in the boondocks. Once Chris Creed vanishes, Tory begins to see everything differently. When his name and those of several friends appear in Chris’ suicide note, Tory regrets the way he and the others treated Chris and wonders whether or not their behavior was the reason behind the disappearance. As Tory’s awareness grows, the shallow, immature antics of the other cool kids start to annoy him. He begins to notice subtle changes in Ali, his childhood friend. She no longer fits the stereotypical image he has always had of her, and Tory is shocked to learn that Ali’s new boyfriend is Bo Richardson, a "boon" with a juvenile record. Soon Tory also sees beyond the view he has previously held of Bo, and begins to realize that Bo is a responsible, caring person upon whom Ali and the boy’s own family depend.
Tory, Ali, and Bo become unlikely allies in searching for answers in the disappearance. They are convinced that the missing boy’s hidden diary will reveal the truth, and they form a plan to break into the Creed’s house to steal the book. Their plan goes awry, Bo is caught, and Tory falls under suspicion. The continuing investigation acts as a catalyst bringing out accusations and speculation; secrets and scandals in the adult community of Steepleton begin to emerge also. Plum-Ucci provides an unexpected and satisfying resolution to the mystery.
This book should appeal to readers of all ages. The dialog and thought-provoking plot line are realistically written, but contain adult situations and a considerable amount of adult language. In this coming of age story, Tory learns that things are not always as simple as they first appear. He comes to realize that people are responsible for their words and actions, and also that everyone deserves to be treated with respect and compassion. Young adult readers will enjoy the familiar character types, realistic dialogue, believable teen interactions, and multiple plot lines. The early part of the story is moderately paced, but becomes fast paced as the plot nears conclusion.
You might also enjoy these similar titles:
S. E. Hinton, The Outsiders
Walter Dean Myers, Monster
Lois Duncan, Killing Mr. Griffin
Jessie Marshall, Business & Science Department
Labels: Coming of Age, Reviews by Jessie Marshall, Young Adult
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
[Book Review] THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES by Sue Monk Kidd
Fiction/Coming of Age HistoricalHeather Lawson reviews THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES by Sue Monk Kidd (Viking, 2002):
Ok, everyone and their dog has read The Secret Life of Bees, but for those rare few that haven’t, here is a little synopsis. For those that have read this extraordinary book, here are some questions to consider.
Sometimes running away is the best solution. In this engaging novel set in 1964 South Carolina, 14-year-old Lily shows courage and determination as she runs away from an abusive father and saves her beloved black caretaker, Rosaleen, from the violent, racist local police. After a long journey, Lily and Rosaleen find safety with three eccentric sisters who produce Black Madonna Honey. August, the serene, strong “queen bee” is able to help Lily and others understand profound truths about themselves and life. This is a wonderfully moving and inspiring story that focuses on the strength of women.
Heather Lawson, Adult ServicesFemale support and friendship is a continual theme throughout the book. Which character in The Secret Life of Bees would you like to have as a friend and why?
We can all relate to coming-of-age stories. Is there one you would
recommend to others, and why?
Labels: Coming of Age, Historical Fiction, Reviews by Heather Lawson
