Click to join the fun!
Stacking The Shelves is hosted at Tynga’s Reviews and is all about sharing the books we’re adding our shelves–books we’ve bought in physical stores or online, books we’ve borrowed from friends or the library, review books, gifts and ebooks!
This week I have five new books to share–two are used book purchases and three are from the library. Ready? Here we go!
Never Can Say Goodbye: Writers On Their Unshakable Love For New York edited by Shari Botton I’m an easy mark for a book of pieces by different writers on a common topic, so when I found a “like-new” used copy of this book I snapped it right up. I’ve only visited NY once and while I enjoyed it and would love to go back someday, I can’t ever picture myself living there–so I’m interested to find out why the 27 authors featured in this book can’t picture themselves ever leaving.
Our School: The Inspiring Story of Two Teachers, One Big Idea, and the Charter School That Beat the Odds by Joanne Jacobs I may not be a teacher anymore, but I still love reading narrative nonfiction about schools, teachers, and students. This book tells the story of how a particular charter high school was formed in San Jose. The reviews I’ve read say that this is NOT an idealistic, fairy tale account of the process, but rather a realistic view of the successes and challenges that occurred–and that’s a plus for me!
Golden State by Stephanie Kegan I’m always intrigued by stories that tackle the theme of how far we’d go to protect the ones we love–and this novel is about a woman who suspects that her brother is involved in a “Unabomber”-type crime at a college campus.
The Half Brother By Holly LeCraw This novel takes place over the course of a year at a New England boarding school and involves a love triangle and a long-buried mystery. That’s enough to get me to give it a try!
State By State: A Panoramic Portrait of America edited by Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey Fifty authors were each asked to write a piece about one of the fifty states–this book is the result of that project. I don’t think this is a book that I’ll read straight through in one sitting, but I think it’ll be great for browsing. Plus–there are lots of cool charts! (Who knew that Minnesota has the highest voter participation rate???)
How about you? Have you read any of these? Which books found their way into your home this week? Please share!
I love to read, but I’m not independently wealthy—so I depend on borrowing library books pretty regularly to keep up with everything I want to read. Don’t get me wrong—I buy A LOT of books—but there’s just no way that I’d be able to get my hands on all the new releases out there without the help of my local library. I check out eBooks and audiobooks fairly regularly and once in awhile I’ll borrow a DVD—but the main draw for me is the books!
(So far I’ve finished Small Mercies, which was a good family saga taking place on Staten Island, and I just started Early Warning, which is the second book in what will be a trilogy.Have you read any of these?)
Something I love about my library is their willingness to order just about any book that they don’t currently carry—not just get it through interlibrary loan, but actually order it and add it to their collection. The requestor is then automatically added as #1 on the hold list for the title when it comes in. Plus, if you’re a total book geek like me, you get the thrill of knowing that other people will now have the chance to borrow a book that you recommended! Last week I made these two purchase requests and both were approved, so I’m anxiously waiting for the emails that will let me know that they’ve arrived!
Early Warning by Jane Smiley This is the second book in a trilogy covering the lives of multiple generations of an Iowa farm family in the 20th century. I absolutely LOVED Some Luck, the first book in this series—it was one of the best books I read last year. Smiley uses an innovative technique of telling the story by using each chapter to cover one year in the life of one particular member of the family. As we read, we uncover events that have already happened, but that haven’t been explained . . . we’re left to put together clues based on what other characters say and feel about these events.
I don’t re-read books nearly as much as I used to, but I decided to revisit Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird in preparation for the release of Go Set A Watchman this summer. I remember reading (and enjoying) Mockingbird in my 9th grade English class but didn’t recall much about it except for the broad plot points. I actually remember more about the movie that all of the freshman English classes saw once we finished the book. This was in the pre-DVD and even the pre-VCR days. We watched the movie on an actual reel-to-reel projector and the film broke right before we were FINALLY going to see Boo Radley. I can still remember my teacher racing up the aisle of the auditorium to fix it as about 100 9th graders groaned in frustration!
I started Tell The Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt at least twice during 2013, but I never got beyond the first couple of chapters. For some reason I just couldn’t get into the story. But this novel continued to show up on “Best Of . . .” lists, so I decided to give it another try. I have no idea what made the difference, but this time I couldn’t put it down.
I liked Sisterland a lot more than I thought I would. I’d put off reading it because, although I’ve enjoyed other books by author Curtis Sittenfeld in the past, the subject matter of this book initially didn’t appeal to me. It’s billed as the story of two twin sisters who share a psychic ability–the ability to predict the future by listening to their special “senses”. I’m usually not into books dealing with any sort of paranormal activity (I guess I’m too much of a natural skeptic!) so I wasn’t in any rush to read this book. But once I decided to give it a try I found that this book is about so much more than psychic ability–it’s about family, loyalty, marriage, parenthood, betrayal, forgiving–and although the “senses” of the twin sisters do play a big role in the story, it wasn’t an overbearing plot point for me. (Finished February 11, 2014)
I absolutely LOVED The Book Of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez. It’s a novel about immigration, assimilation, staying true to your roots, family, unconditional love, friendship, and what we will endure to benefit those we care for. The story is told through multiple viewpoints, which is always a selling point for me, and I thought Henriquez did a great job of capturing the different voices of the characters throughout the book. I don’t understand why this book didn’t get more press—but this is one of those novels that I wanted to hand out to total strangers on street corners. (Finished June 12, 2014)
The Vacationers by Emma Straub was definitely one of this summer’s hot beach reads. Taking place over a two week period, this novel tells the story of an American family’s vacation to the island of Mallorca. The trip should be an escape from the tensions that are brewing at home in NYC, but the family finds that they can’t escape secrets, rivalries, and conflicts. The novel is made up of fourteen chapters—one for each day of the vacation—and the author does a great job of portraying the ebb and flow of the emotions of a close-knit group of people who are forced to spend most of each day together, and who find that they may not know each other as well as they assumed. I found this novel to be a relatively quick read, but also completely absorbing—and I just love the cover! (Finished July 18, 2014)
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng takes place in Ohio in the 1970s and tells the story of a middle-class Chinese-American family, their relationships with each other, and how they cope with the sudden death of the middle daughter and the uncertainty regarding the cause of this death. This novel really recreates the time period well—a time when mixed marriages were an oddity and when racism was much more blatant in mid-America than it is today. Moving back and forth between the present and the past, and back and forth between the point of view of the five family members, this is a very moving story that makes the reader wonder how well we really know the ones we love. I was still thinking about the characters long after I finished the book– a sign of powerful writing. (Finished August 3, 2014)
Anna Quindlen is one of my “automatic authors”—I’ll read anything she writes. I adore her collections of essays—I often feel that she’s speaking directly to me–and her last novel, Every Last One, is one of the best books I’ve read in the past several years.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty The setting of this novel is an elementary school, and I usually enjoy reading novels taking place in any kind of academic setting—fortunately this book was no exception! At the beginning of the book we learn that a death has occurred during a school-sponsored event, but we don’t know who has died or what the circumstances were. As the book progresses we learn more and more about the parents involved, their children, and the secrets that are being kept from various family members and friends. Another great book covering the theme of how well we really know our friends and family. (Finished September 7, 2014)
The Paying Guests
The premise of Some Luck by Jane Smiley was really intriguing to me—it’s the first book in what will be a trilogy spanning 100 years in the life of an Iowa farm family. This first book takes place from 1920-1953, and each chapter covers one year. Every chapter also contains the points of view from several members of the family–the husband and wife, their children (from birth into adulthood), and a few members of their extended family. As the chapters—and the years—progress, we experience the ebb and flow of their everyday lives, including births, deaths, marriages, the Depression, WWII, and many other events. I loved this book and thought it was a wonderful “slice of life” novel. I also really enjoyed the “one chapter for every year” technique because not everything that was happening to the characters was fully revealed–sometimes I had to “connect the dots” between chapters to figure out what had happened since a particular character was featured.
Florence Gordon by Brian Morton is a novel that seems to have slipped under the radar. It’s about 75-year-old Florence Gordon who lives in present-day NYC. She’s an author and a feminist icon, she’s brutally blunt with family, friends, and strangers alike, and she’s contemplating writing her memoirs. The book begins when her adult son, his wife, and his college-age daughter return to New York after several years away—and Florence finds that as much as she wants to remain in solitude with her work, she becomes involved in the activities and issues that are surrounding her son and his family.
Working by Studs Terkel
Gig: Americans Talk About Their Jobs by John Bowe, Marisa Bowe, and Sabin Streeter
“The Good War:” An Oral History Of World War II by Studs Terkel
Live From New York: An Uncensored History Of Saturday Night Live by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller
I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution by Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum
Patriarch: The Remarkable Life And Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy by David Nasaw No matter what your opinion is about Joseph P Kennedy, you have to admit that the man lived an incredibly fascinating (and ultimately tragic) life. This is a wonderfully thorough biography of the man who created the foundation–and the finances!– for the Kennedy dynasty.
The Day Kennedy Was Shot by Jim Bishop This was the first Kennedy book that I ever read, and it’s an almost minute-by-minute account of the events of November 22, 1963. I read this book for the first time when I was in high school, and I’ve re-read it many times since then. There was quite a bit of controversy when this book was originally published—it was definitely NOT endorsed by the Kennedy family—but I think it’s a must-read for anyone who wants an intimate accounting of the Kennedy assassination. Everyone knows how this story ends, but the book reads like a novel of the very best kind.
The Death Of A President by William Manchester This is a true classic in the Kennedy genre. Published in 1967 and written at the request of the Kennedy family, the author was personally selected to write the definitive account of the assassination. Of course, hundreds of books have been written about the topic since then—and Manchester was obviously working under the Kennedy family’s agenda—but this is still a must-read for anyone interested in the life and death of JFK.
America’s Queen: The Life Of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis by Sarah Bradford This is the most informative, non-tabloid-ish biography of Jacqueline Kennedy that I’ve read. And the title is inspired!
Kennedy Weddings: A Family Album by Jay Mulvaney This is a great coffee-table-style book filled with wonderful photos and details about nearly every Kennedy wedding—and with such a large family, there have been dozens! Beginning with the wedding of Rose and Joe Kennedy and moving along through the weddings of their children and grandchildren, this book is a great treat for readers (like me!) who just can’t get enough of this famous family.
The Kennedy Women: The Sage Of An American Family by Lawrence Leamer This book provides intimate details about the lives of the daughters and daughters-in-law of Joseph and Rose Kennedy. I was especially interested in the details about Patricia and Jean, the lesser-known sisters.
The Last Lion: The Fall And Rise Of Ted Kennedy by Peter Canellos Published shortly after Ted Kennedy’s death in 2009, this biography provides a well-balanced portrait of the successes and failings of the youngest Kennedy brother.
Sons Of Camelot: The Fate Of An American Dynasty by Lawrence Leamer Another meticulously researched book, this book focuses on the third generation of Kennedys and how they’ve chosen to carry on the family name and mission.
Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell Jr.
The Boys In The Boat by Daniel James Brown
Maeve’s Times: In Her Own Words by Maeve Binchy
Us by David Nicholls is the new novel by the author of One Day. It’s the story of Douglas Petersen, a fifty-something husband and father who reminded me of a milder, less intense version of Don from The Rosie Project. Shortly before Douglas and his family are set to leave London for a month-long summer vacation through Europe, his wife tells him she no longer loves him. They decide to take the trip anyway, as this will most likely be the last summer that the three of them will spend together. Douglas, however, has an extra agenda—he views the trip as his last chance to mend his relationship with his wife and his son.
I’m pretty sure I’m going to start the new YA novel Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley in the next day or so. I’ve been hearing a lot about this book—it’s being billed as one of the most important YA books of the year–and one of my reading goals this year was to read more YA novels.
This is my TBR bookcase. I bought it about a month ago when my piles of unread, purchased books became hazardous stacks in a corner of my bedroom. There are 61 books here—6 of them were bought new, and 55 of them were bought used.
I saw this bingo card on 
Book with a non-human character: I don’t usually read books that have inanimate objects as main characters—but the graphic memoir Relish by Lucy Knisley had a lot of food and recipes in it, so I’m going to count it for this category!
Set on a different continent: The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters was set just outside of London. I adored this book!
Based on a true story: The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout is based on a hate crime.
Blue cover: The Vacationers by Emma Straub. I love this cover, and I loved the book!
We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas has been described as a family saga, and when I hear that term I usually think of plots spanning multiple generations and packed with lots of family members. That’s not the case with this novel—it mainly focuses on one woman, her husband, their son, and the changes each goes through over the course of a lifetime. That’s not to say it’s not a good book—it just wasn’t what I was expecting. This novel is getting a lot of buzz this fall and I can see why. The writing is masterful and although the characters are not necessarily likeable all the time, their actions and feelings rang true to me. Parts of this book were almost unbearably sad and I cried more than once while reading it. It’s hard for me to say that I enjoyed this book—in fact, I felt rather depressed when I finished it—but it takes a powerful, talented writer to bring out those feelings. If you’re looking for a light, breezy novel—this isn’t it! But if you’re looking for a good character study with lots to think about—this would be a great book club selection—consider giving this title a try.
I’ve always been interested in behind-the-scenes books and I’m also interested in journalism, so when I was offered an ARC of The News Sorority (published on 9/30/14) by Sheila Weller I jumped at the chance. It’s a nonfiction account of the careers of three female television journalists—Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, and Christine Amanpour—and it was a fascinating story of how the roles of females in hard television news have changed over the years. Although the author didn’t interview any of her three subjects for this book, she did talk with dozens of others and the result seems to be a pretty well-rounded view of their careers. Yes, there’s some gossip, but not so much that it felt tabloid-ish. I particularly thought that the accounts of how each woman dealt with reporting the events of 9/11 was interesting. If you’re a news junkie (like I am!) and/or enjoy reading about how news is reported, I’d recommend this book.
Banned Books Week is Sept. 21-27 this year, and banning/challenging books is a hot-button issue for many people. Here’s a brief description of the purpose of Banned Books Week from the ALA website:
Some parents raise their kids to be “free range readers”—kids who are encouraged to read anything and everything they can get their hands on. Other parents set limits on the materials and subject matter that their kids are allowed to read—because of their child’s age/maturity, for philosophical, educational, religious, or moral reasons, or other factors. And lots and lots of parents fall somewhere in between.
When parents try to control the books that can–and can’t–be found in public community libraries, public school libraries, and in public book stores, they’re trying to control the reading behaviors of ALL CHILDREN. By removing a book from public bookshelves, they’re taking away choices for all. They are essentially trying to parent other parents’ children. And that, to me, is not OK.
I spent the past week out of town on a trip for work—it involved a fair amount of time in airports and on planes, plus a week’s stay at a very nice hotel. My days were filled with meetings and other obligations, and when I got back to my room each night my brain felt stuffed–all I wanted to do was veg out in front of the TV until I fell asleep.
I’m always ready for another book about US Presidents and their families, so I was glad to finally get my hands on The First Family Detail by Ronald Kessler. It’s about the Secret Service—mainly during the last fifty years or so—and how they go about protecting the Presidents, First Ladies, and their children. I’ve read some previous books by Kessler and they tend to be a bit “gossipy”—and this book was no exception. However, I will say that the author is an equal-opportunity teller of tales—he had as many stories to tell about Republican Presidents as he did about the Democrats! And I did learn some things about the training that Secret Service agents go through and how the personalities and preferences of the various presidents affect their protection. All in all, this was a pretty quick, entertaining, and informative read.
I was initially interested in the novel What We’ve Lost Is Nothing by Rachel Louise Snyder because the setting is local to me—it takes place in the very real Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois. The entire plot unfolds over just 48 hours on a single street where a series of burglaries takes place. As the people affected by these crimes try to come to grips with what has happened to them, they also must confront their own hidden prejudices and assumptions about their neighbors. Although I thought that the author got borderline “preachy” at times in trying to make her points about diversity and race relations, on the whole I thought this was a very good novel—and I think it would make an excellent book club selection.
Musings From A Bookmammal 