GOOD READS
Beyond Best-Sellers: What B&ECPL Staff Recommend
The following were recently published titles which were read and recommended by members of our staff in the month indicated. The initials or pen name of the contributing staff member are noted after each review. Click here for more current recommendations.
February/March 2004
Zingerman's
Guide to Good Eating Ari Weinzweig
Non-Fiction
This is a fun book loaded with information on choosing the finest in all the
favorite things we love to eat – chocolate, olive oil, pasta, cheeses,
bread and more. It is the type of book you can pick up and read if you’ve
got an extra 10 minutes, then put down for another time. As a bonus the author
includes recipes to “put to work” the knowledge gained from reading
the various chapters.
Reviewed by BBP
The
Dewey Decimal System of Love Josephine Carr
Fiction
Alison Sheffield is about to turn 40 and hasn’t had a date in 15 years.
Oh, and she’s a librarian. We won’t tell you if boy meets girl,
but we will say that this book made us laugh out loud and annoy everyone within
earshot.
Reviewed by Betty Barcode
Dear
Mrs. Lindbergh Kathleen Hughes
Fiction
A first time novelist brings us a dual love story – a traditional love
story and a love affair with airplanes and flying. Mostly it’s the story
of Ruth and her life from girlhood through her senior years, including her
dreams and her reality.
Reviewed by MJ
You
Shall Know Our Velocity Dave Eggers
Fiction
The second book by Dave Eggers, You Shall Know Our Velocity, is a tender story
of two friends, who struggle to deal with the loss of a friend as well as try
to find their place in the world. It follows them, literally, from each end
of the earth as they try to unload as much money as humanly possible in seven
days. What ensues are moments of great hilarity as well as poignant discourse
on what it means to exist in this world while trying to maintain one’s
humanity.
Reviewed by swg
A
Short History of Nearly Everything Bill Bryson
Non-Fiction
Interested in: Views of formation of the universe or the earth; the effect
of glaciers, volcanoes, earthquakes, etc. on earth’s history; the historical
figures in scientific discovery and history; a scientific view of life as we
know it? Then this is the place to go! Informative and a great read. During
the read I could not help from sharing things I learned.
Reviewed by infoallie
Candy
and Me: A Love Story Hilary Liftin
Non-Fiction
Sweet but not overly saccharine memoir of a woman, who relates her life story
as well as her candy addiction. Readers will relate to the coming-of-age emotions
and experiences in these individual vignettes as well as grow nostalgic for
the specific confections that often play supporting characters themselves.
Reviewed by MK
The
Fiend in Human John Gray
Fiction
Readers who enjoyed the novels of Caleb Carr, especially The Alienist, will
find this work familiar in the sense that it approaches the hunt for the villain
with a mood that is part gloom and doom and part humor. Good historical fiction
with fascinating descriptions of the seamier sides of 1850s London.
Reviewed by KW
American
Wives Beth Helms
Fiction
A collection of short stories, which won the 2003 Iowa Short Fiction Award.
Helms writes about women dealing with a variety of issues – aging, aging
parents, infidelity, marriage, divorce – in a reflective and fluid style.
Helms does a good job of expressing the subtleties of her characters’ emotions
while staying well away from the territory of a tearjerker.
Reviewed by JEM
The
Healthy PC: Preventive Care and Home Remedies for Your Computer Carey
Holzman
Non-Fiction
Plagued by computer performance problems? The Healthy PC guides you, step-by-step,
through essential and practical methods of tuning up your Windows 98/ME/XP
computer. It clearly explains how to manage temporary Internet files, spyware,
viruses, and Internet pop-up ads. Also learn simple and inexpensive ways to
optimize your dial-up or broadband connection, increase overall start-up speed,
and utilize firewalls for Internet security. Great for new and experienced
PC owners!
Reviewed by Research-n-Destroy
True
Notebooks Mark Salzman
Non-Fiction
While trying to do research for his latest novel, author Mark Salzman gets
an education about California’s juvenile justice system and the talents
hidden within its walls.
Reviewed by MEA
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