Another "Best of" list I did for work

If you read romance, you might find a book on this list you will enjoy.... http://www.kclibrary.org/blog/kc-unbound/thirteen-best-romance-novels-2010

Foster Kitten News

It is entirely possible one of my current foster kittens might become a permanent member of my household. I am currently calling him SkippyJonJones after a children's book character. Tell me, could you resist this face?

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The Reading List Press Release

* My personal favorites

The Reading List

Established in 2007 by the CODES section of RUSA, The Reading List seeks to highlight outstanding genre fiction that merit special attention by general adult readers and the librarians who work with them.
The Council, which consists of twelve librarians who are experts in readers’ advisory and collection development, selects one book from each of eight different categories. The eight genres currently included in the council’s considerations are adrenaline titles (suspense, thrillers, and action adventure), fantasy, historical fiction, horror, mystery, romance, science fiction, and women’s fiction. However, the Council is constructed in such a way to be adaptable to new genres and changes in contemporary reading interest.
The Council announces the eight winning titles at the CODES Awards Reception. A short list of honor titles (up to four per genre) is also announced. All selected titles are published on the RUSA Web site following the event.
Members interested in serving on The Reading List Council should read about serving on the Council.
Authors or publishers interested in having their book considered for The Reading List should review the selection criteria and the submission guidelines.

The 2011 List

Adrenaline

*The Nearest Exit by Olen Steinhauer, Minotaur Books (9780312622879)
Burned-out spy Milo Weaver confronts layers of deceit as his career collides with his desire to reclaim his family and his humanity. The labyrinthine intrigues enhance a building atmosphere of paranoia in this dark and emotionally-charged classic espionage thriller.

Read-Alikes

The Quiet American by Graham Greene
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John Le Carré
Night Soldiers by Alan Furst

Short List

*Caught by Harlan Coben, E. P. Dutton (9780525951582)
*Crashers by Dana Haynes, Minotaur (9780312599881)
*Deep Shadow by Randy Wayne White, Putnam Pub. Group (9780399156267)
They’re Watching by Gregg Hurwitz, St. Martin’s (9780312534905)

Fantasy

*Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay, Roc (9780451463302)
Haunted by the ghosts of fallen warriors, Shen Tai is forced into the political machinations of the Emperor’s court when he receives a rare and valuable gift. Lyrical language and complex characterization draw readers into this elaborately unfolding epic set in a fantasy world that richly re-imagines 8th century Tang Dynasty China.

Read-Alikes

Black Ships by Jo Graham
Genghis: Birth of an Empire by Conn Iggulden
The Moon and the Sun by Vonda N. McIntyre

Short List

Finch by Jeff VanderMeer, Underland Press (9780980226010)
The Half-Made World by Felix Gilman, Tor Books (9780765325525)
*The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin, Orbit (9780316043915)
*Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton, Spectra (9780345520845)

Historical Fiction

*The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer, Alfred A. Knopf (9781400041169)
In this sweeping yet intimate portrait of a Hungarian Jewish family in Europe, two lovers become enmeshed in the turmoil of the Holocaust. With gorgeous prose and an exquisite evocation of Paris and Budapest, Orringer writes movingly of their strength and the bittersweet power of hope and love.

Read-Alikes

Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres
The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee
A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell

Short List

A Battle Won by S. Thomas Russell, Putnam (9780399156892)
*A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer, HarperCollins (9780061252518)
*The Golden Mean by Annabel Lyon, Alfred A. Knopf (9780307593993)
The Rebellion of Jane Clarke by Sally Gunning, Morrow (9780061782145)

Horror

*The Dead Path by Stephen M. Irwin, Doubleday (9780385533430)
Guilt ridden Nicholas Close retreats to his family home in Australia after the tragic death of his wife, only to encounter an ancient malevolence lurking in the nearby woods. Childhood nightmares and fairytale motifs combine in this emotionally powerful tale of implacable evil. Arachnophobes beware!

Read-Alikes

It by Stephen King
Faerie Tale: A Novel of Terror and Fantasy by Raymond Feist
Dark Hollow by Brian Keene

Short List

The Caretaker of Lorne Field by David Zeltserman, Overlook (9781590203033)
*The Frenzy Way by Gregory Lamberson, Medallion Press (9781605421070)
*Horns by Joe Hill, William Morrow (9780061147951)
So Cold the River by Michael Koryta, Little Brown (9780316053648)

Mystery

*Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny, Minotaur (9780312377045)
Troubled by past mistakes, Chief Inspector Gamache, in his sixth outing, retreats to snowy and insular Quebec City where he becomes embroiled in intertwining investigations both old and new. Penny expertly delivers a layered story that is haunting, moody, and exquisitely drawn.

Read-Alikes

A Test of Wills by Charles Todd
Haunted Ground by Erin Hart
In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Short List

Faithful Place by Tana French, Viking (9780670021871)
The Taken by Inger Ash Wolfe, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (9780151013531)
*Think of a Number by John Verdon, Crown (9780307588920)
*Vermilion Drift by William Kent Krueger, Simon & Schuster (9781439153840)

Romance

*A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh, Vanguard Press (9781593155544)
A lady is ruined. A merchant’s son is trapped. Class differences loom large in this charming and playful take on the arranged marriage. Balogh’s Regency gem, where nothing is quite as it seems, is filled with affection and wit.

Read-Alikes

Faro’s Daughter by Georgette Heyer
In for a Penny by Rose Lerner
The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn

Short List

Barely a Lady by Eileen Dreyer, Hachette (Forever) (9780446542081)
The Forbidden Rose by Joanna Bourne, Berkley (9780425235614)
*The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook, Berkley (9780425236673)
*Something About You by Julie James, Berkley Sensation (9780425233382)

Science Fiction

The Dervish House by Ian McDonald, Pyr (9781616142049)
A terrorist bomb sets off a chain of events that, over the next five days, entangles the lives of six characters. McDonald brilliantly imagines a world in which the ultramodern exists side-by-side with the ancient, and he blends science and mysticism to embody the contradiction that is Istanbul in 2027.

Read-Alikes

Pattern Recognition by William Gibson
When Gravity Fails by George Alec Effinger
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

Short List

Ark by Stephen Baxter, ROC (9780451463319)
*Blonde Bombshell by Tom Holt, Hachette (9780316086998)
*Darkship Thieves by Sarah Hoyt, Baen (9781439133170)
*The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang, Subterranean Press (9781596063174)

Women’s Fiction

*Solomon’s Oak by Jo-Ann Mapson, Bloomsbury (9781608193301)
Recently widowed Glory Solomon collects stray animals and damaged souls. Facing bankruptcy, she creates a new life catering themed weddings. This deeply felt yet unsentimental novel explores grief, healing, and second chances.

Read-Alikes

Shelter Me by Juliette Fay
The Second Coming of Lucy Hatch by Marsha Moyer
The Blessings of the Animals by Katrina Kittle

Short List

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen, Bantam (9780553807219)
The Language of Sand by Ellen Block, Bantam Books (9780440245759)
The Love Goddess’ Cooking School by Melissa Senate, Gallery (9781439107232)
*Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff, Bantam (9780553807837)

Historical Fiction

I am not hitting the crazy reading portion of my year so my posting schedule will continue to be erratic through the beginning of January.  To tide you over, here is a link to the work blog where I talk about some of my favorite Historical novels of the year. http://www.kclibrary.org/blog/kc-unbound/eight-best-historical-fiction-books-2010#comments

What I have been up to....

I am doing so genre round-ups for the library.  http://www.kclibrary.org/blog/kc-unbound/best-new-horror-fiction.

Next up, historical fiction!

Poison: A Novel of the Renaissance by Sara Poole

Poison: A Novel of the Renaissance  - When Francesca Giordano’s father, the Poisoner for the Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, is murdered, she applies for the position herself. Having studied under her father she is skilled with both detecting poisons and creating undetectable poison. Navigating the deadly world of 15th Century Rome, she and Borgia plot to kill Pope Innocent VIII before he can set the Inquisitor loose on the Jews of Europe.
 
This historical novel had a little bit of everything. A bit of a mystery, a bit of romance and a lots of historical detail that made this debut novel a fun engaging read. 

Another kitten post....

I was going to try not to blog about the kittens very often but what the heck, they are cute and they make me smile.

Anyway, one of my duties is to name my little foster kittens.  Since the calico is a Hemingway kitten I was thinking that she should have a Hemingway related name. She is a really feisty little thing and she plays so much I am having trouble getting her to put on weight. She is also super cuddly and bendy. When the kittens play, every so often she has to run over to me to get petted or cuddled before she goes back out to play some more. She also is the one who is constantly checking to see what I am doing and is into everything. Since the kittens first adoption event is Friday I can't do my usual and wait for the kittens to tell me what their name is. Below are some of the possible choices. Feedback or other alternatives are welcomed.

Hemingway’s Women:

Hadley Richardson – 1^st wife

Pauline Pfeiffer; - 2^nd wife

Martha Gellhorn – 3^rd wife

Mary Welsh Hemingway – 4^th wife

Grace Hall-Hemingway – his mother

Agnes von Kurowsky – first love who jilted him

Lady Brett Ashley – character in The Sun Also Rises

Margot Macomber – character in The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber

Catherine Barkley - character in A Farewell to Arms

Maria - character in For Whom the Bell Tolls

Pilar – his boat

Hemingway cats:

Emily Dickinson

Amadea

Simone De Beauvoir

Nikki Adams

Audrey Hepburn

Joan Crawford

Gertrude Stein

Sofia Loren

Since the rescue group is treating these two like siblings, they want me to name them either something related or something that starts with the same letter. I thought of naming the little male cat Ernest Hemingway but he is so laid back (well, laid back for a kitten) that I am not sure Hemingway fits him. He is also a bit more independent and willing to be on his own than the female is. He also is a purring machine.

Hemingway characters:

Jacob Barnes - character in The Sun Also Rises

Santiago - character in The Old Man and the Sea

Lieutenant Frederic Henry - character in A Farewell To Arms

Robert Jordan - character in For Whom the Bell Tolls

Hemingway cats:

Hairy Truman

Archibald MacLeish

Spencer Tracy

Pablo Picasso

Charley Chaplin

Kittehs!

Last week I started volunteering with a new organization that Average Jane introduced me to.  I volunteer or give money to other organizations that work with animals but I have not been able to work with the animals in a meaningful way. Most of them desperately need volunteers who are willing to do intake interviews or billing and because I work in public service I tend to get funneled into these jobs. This is fine and I am happy to do whatever is needed for a charity I support, however I really like to do something completely different during my volunteer experiences.  Yes, I would be great at literacy based projects, helping people learn computer skills and customer service but sometimes I want to do something a little different from what I do during a day job.

Therefore, I have just become a foster mom for T.A.R.A and taken charge of my first two fur babies. I will keep them until they are ready to join the rest of the animals at the adoption center. This will hopefully work to my advantage because a) I am a sucker for baby animals and b) I have already promised my older cat there will be no more kittens joining our family while she is alive (not even this one). She barely survived the arrival of Spike and I don't think she could handle another permanent cat in her world. Hopefully, the kittens will cycle through fast enough to keep me from becoming overly attached or her having too much interaction with them. 

 Notice that the calico kitten has six toes.  She is a little Hemingway kitten.

Butterfly Swords by Jeannie Lin

Princess Ai Li is on the way to her arranged marriage when she learns the truth about her powerful new husband-to-be. During her daring escape, foreigner Ryam, comes to her aide and helps her to flee. As they are pursued across Tang Dynasty China, Ai Li and Ryam find that some things are worth fighting for. 


This is a great example of a romance with star-crossed lovers who must battle family, tradition, honor and themselves before true love can prevail.  The unusual setting and the cast of strong women made this story memorable.

At the concert

A long-standing tradition is to go to see my friend Jackie's favorite band, Better Than Ezra every time they come to town. Last weekend was our fifth? or possibly sixth? time seeing them. (My friend on the end has not been elevated to crazed band groupie status, but we are working on him:-)

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Toys

For months I have said that I had absolutely no reason to get a Kindle.  But lately, I find that the Kindle apps for my computers and cell phone have made reading my award nominees really handy, especially when I am stuck at the auto repair or doctors office. I have tried the Nook apps but just don't find them as handy.  The text size is great but it takes up tons and tons of space on my phone and everything has seemed to run slower since I installed it.

I think this Kindle deserves to go on my "I don't need it as much as I need assorted house repair items but I really want it" Christmas/Birthday list.  Even more than that, I think I need a nicely loaded Amazon gift card so I can buy more e-books.

A Thousand Cuts

A Thousand Cuts by Detective Inspector Lucia May has been assigned to investigate what looks like an open and shut case of school violence. During the course of the investigation, she finds the reasons for a school teacher opening fire on a school assembly were not as clear and straightforward as everyone would like to believe.  Even as she continues to investigate in the face of extreme pressure from staff at the school, coworkers and even her supervisor she finds that discovering the reasons why the teacher did what he did will risk her the respect of her peers and even her career.

I could not stop thinking about this novel, which alternates first-hand witness police reports with third person narration of the investigation. This is an extremely effective portrayal of where mixing politics, money and a toxic school culture can lead.

This Week in Books and Media

This was supposed to go up last week but I somehow forgot to save it correctly....

No time to write lengthy reviews but here is a list of what I have been reading lately. I linked to Amazon so you can go read the product description for more information.  

Horns by Joe Hill - Very good. The physical and psychological horror are very nicely balanced in this novel by Stephen King's son.

Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt - Historical fiction. Not my favorite time period to read about but well done.

Caught by Harlan Coban - Excellent thriller by one of our premier writers. This is probably one of his best.

Angelology by Danielle Trusson - Beautiful alternative world building and fully fleshed out characters. Very detailed.

Darkship Thieves by Sarah Hoyt - Can't get enough of those space opera's especially one that has a female character who can kick some ass.

Crux by Moira Rogers - This was a fun paranormal romance.

The Passage by Justin Cronin - One that people are probably either going to love or hate. A new twist on zombies that I thought was a winner.

Wicked Becomes Her by Meredith Duran - Really great characters and a nice fast pace.  Very good.

Devils Star by Jo Nesbo - I heard someone say that this author does evil really well.  Great mystery, interesting characters and setting.

The Other Family by Joanna Trollope - Interesting premise but I never really could figure out why the second "wife" was so angry with the first wife.

The Winter Thief by Jenny White - I have a soft spot for books set in Turkey and had actually been to some of the towns mentioned in the book.  Very good historical fiction with a good blend of political intrigue and mystery.

A Vintage Affair by  Isabel Wolff - This was a charming read that was a little deeper than your usual Chick Lit type book. 

I am pretty sure there are more but that should do for now.

*Note: I am an Amazon Associate. Book links will generate a small referral fee for me if used for purchases.