| The August 2012 Staff Picks can also be viewed or printed as a PDF Staff Picks August 2012 (530KB) |
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| NONFICTION | ||
 The Violinist's
Thumb by Sam
Kean.
Brought to you by
the man who gave
us The Disappearing
Spoon, this history/
explanation of
DNA and the science of genetics
is meant to whet the curiosity of
the non-scientist with a clear and
amusing style. Educational and a bit
unnerving, the path of our past and
future is unrolled for us to marvel
at! ~ Karen Frank |
 Snow-Storm in
August:Washington
City, Francis
Scott Key, and the
Forgotten Race
Riot of 1835 by
Jefferson Morley. Beautifully
crafted example of "small" history at
its best. Irresistibly and effortlessly
sweeps the reader into a time and
place seething with racist tension,
then tells a forgotten story featuring
virtually unknown actors caught in
a life-or-death drama. A book you
won't forget. ~ Bill Lewis |
 Garbology: Our
Dirty Love Affair
with Trash by Edward
Humes.
The remarkable story
we never hear about
our trash: what happens
long after we've
forgotten about it. We know that
garbage doesn't just disappear when
we throw it away, but where does it
go? The truth is more complicated
and interesting than you might
think! ~ Krysta Piccoli |
 Stand Up That
Mountain: The
Battle to Save
One Small
Community in the
Wilderness Along
the Appalachian
Trail by Jay Leutze. A passionate, humorous,
marvelously written account of the
author's long struggle to preserve a
piece of our most spectacular natural
places. It is a story of people with
authority doing the wrong thing and
of people of diverse backgrounds
coming together to fight for justice
and beauty. ~ Stan Hynds |
 A Labyrinth of
Kingdoms: 10,000
Miles through
Islamic Africa
by Steve Kemper. Think
of 19th century
Europeans exploring
interior Africa; Livingstone, Stanley,
Burton, Speke come to mind. Why
not Heinrich Barth? His six-year
journey involved every danger and
hardship associated with the time
and place. And he was probably
the smartest and least prejudiced of
them. Superb writing, fascinating
story. ~ Bill Lewis |
 First, Learn to
Practice by Tom
Heany. An
invaluable book for
all musical skill levels
and any instrument.
Written simply
and with humor, it
will turn your head around about
practicing as it did mine, making
routines fun and effective. Apply
the lessons served up here and you
will become a better musician,
guaranteed. ~ Erik Barnum |
 A Man and His Ship by Steven Ujifusa. The life
of William Francis
Gibbs, a visionary
nautical architect
who dreamed of
creating the perfect
ocean liner using his own concepts.
He ultimately designed the S. S.
United States, a majestic liner that
still holds the prestigious Blue
Riband for crossing the Atlantic in
record time. ~ Alden Graves |
 Back In The Day
Bakery Cookbook by Cheryl Day. Delectable
concoctions,
scrumptious morsels,
mouthwatering recipes.
Day brings baking
to a level of delirious bliss. Some
favorites are: Lemon Pie Bars, Pumpkin
Crunch Bars and Lovely Lemon
Loaf. ~ Sarah Teunissen |
 It Happened on the
Way to War by Rye
Barcott. Barcott
created an incredible
organization of strong
youth leaders and
improved basic health
services in a vast
Nairobi slum while in college and
later while fulfilling his obligations
as an officer in the Marine Corps.
This inspiring story strongly
reminded me of Tracy Kidder's
Mountains Beyond Mountains.
~ Stan Hynds |
OLD FAVORITE
 Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754-1766 by Fred Anderson.
A superb examination of the events leading to
the American Revolution. Don't be put off by the
length of the book - Anderson's fine writing and
exhaustive research will keep you glued to the page,
with notes that are equally as engrossing. Highest
recommendation! ~ Louise Jones |
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 The Terrible
Privacy of Maxwell
Sim, by Jonathan
Coe.
Maxwell Sim
is out of work,
newly divorced
and clinically
depressed. How
then can this book be so funny? Of
course, it's a dark sort of humor, but
Coe has crafted a brilliant tragiccomic
tale with a hero who can't
help but make a mess of his life. An
absolutely fantastic novel.
~ Stan Hynds |
 The Return of
Captain John
Emmett by
Elizabeth Speller. In 1921
England an exsoldier
is asked
to investigate
the suicide of
a boyhood friend. More than a
mystery, this engrossing book
examines the effects of war on those
who fought and those who stayed
behind. First in a new series.
~ Louise Jones |
 Broken Harbor by
Tana French.
Dublin cop Mick
"Scrocher" Kennedy
gets an important
case, which quickly
becomes very
complicated. As
with other of
French's characters, Kennedy
must come to terms with events
in his past that tangentially relate
to the current case. A successful
combination of psychological
thriller and "who done it."
~ Sarah Knight |
 There But for
The by Ali Smith. A dinner
guest locks himself
in his hosts'
bedroom and
won't leave. A
brainteaser filled
with mischievous
play and keen insight.
~ Charles Bottomley |
 Pure by Andrew
Miller. An
ambitious young
engineer is hired to
demolish a Parisian
cemetery. As the
graves are dug up,
revolution bubbles
to the surface. A
voyage into the land of the dead,
beautifully told. ~ Charles Bottomley |
 The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay. This fine
novel unfolds in
the dreadful stew of
late 19th century
Lower Manhattan
through the eyes
of one of its most
vulnerable inhabitants – a young girl
thrust into a world where innocence
is prized and exploited. An uplifting
story of women striving to survive
and flourish in a toxic human
wasteland, surrounded by wealth
and power. ~ Karen Frank |
 Leaving the Atocha
Station by Ben
Lerner. A
late discovery for
me, so don't make
the same mistake!
Lerner's hilarious,
haunting novel
about a layabout
poet wasting time in Madrid is one
of the most spectacular debuts in
years. Miss it and miss out.
~ Charles Bottomley |
GRAPHIC NOVEL
 King City by
Brandon Graham.
Accompanied
by an ingenious
feline, a young
Cat Master
navigates the
dangers of the
urban apocalypse.
Graham's sly art is equally informed
by graffiti and manga. Comics do
not get any better than this!
~ Charles Bottomley |
 October 28 - Alexander McCall Smith, author of No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency about his newest book, The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds November 17 - Jeffrey Toobin on his book,The Oath: The Obama White House & the Supreme Court |
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 The Winter Vault by Anne Michaels. The author lays
bare souls in this cinematic novel of loss, love and memory.
The characters draw close to each other by telling stories of
their past and time flows constantly like the rivers that are at the heart of the
story. The reader is swept along on a journey of introspection. ~ Karen Frank |
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