GOOD READS
Beyond Best-Sellers: What B&ECPL Staff Recommend
The following are recently published titles which have been read and recommended by members of our staff. The initials or pen name of the contributing staff member are noted after each review.
July 2005
The Gods of Aberdeen by Micah Nathan
Fiction
A sixteen-year old prodigy, Eric Dunne, gets away from his stifling home life by accepting a scholarship at prestigious Aberdeen College. When an eccentric scholarly faculty member makes him his research assistant, Eric learns first hand about alchemy, the deadly quest for the Philosopher's Stone. The author is a graduate of Hamburg High School, and this is "a book to watch!"
Reviewed by Jack Edson
The Dragon's Son by Margaret Weis
Fiction
The story of twin brothers separated at birth. Marcus is a prince with a secret, and Ven is a beast--human from the waist up, and dragon from the waist down. Each faces challenges while growing up until they finally meet as young men. Ven's character is especially well written. This sequel to Mistress of Dragons was not as exciting as Book 1, but surprising twists near the end left me eager for Book 3. It is helpful but not necessary to have read book 1 in order to enjoy this book.
Reviewed by She-Ra
The Devil's Teeth: A True Story of Survival and Obsession among America's Great White Sharks by Susan Casey
Non-Fiction
The Devil's Teeth tells the story of an adventurous study of great white sharks in the waters around the Farallon Islands. Casey's portrayal of the sharks enables us to see them as individuals, rather than the great monsters of Jaws fame. Casey's account of the sharks, as well as the scientists obsessed by them, makes a compelling read.
Reviewed by MMS
Borderlines: A Memoir by Caroline Kraus
Fiction
This is a memoir, written as fiction, about the author's experience in moving away from home after the death of her mother. In her vulnerable state she makes a new best friend who leads her into experiences she'd never imagined.
Reviewed by sjc
The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana by Umberto Eco
Fiction
Yambo, a sixty-year old rare book dealer, has lost his memory and his capacity for emotion. Smells, sounds, sights and tastes are all new to him. His memory is limited to what he has read in books. Yambo spends the summer in the home of his youth, trying to reconstruct who he is from the books he has read, the fascist propaganda he was fed as a student in Mussolini's Italy, and the clues left behind in his grandfather's records, newspapers and books. This book amuses and provokes serious thought.
Reviewed by sk-h
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