Summer Reading Picks

Of the three summer reading books that you were required to read, which one did you like the best? Why did you like it the best? Would you recommend it to others even if they didn't go to Burroughs and had to read books over the summer? If you could add a title or two to your grade's summer reading list, what would it/they be?

Blogging for a Good Book: a book-a-day blog!

This blog provides a book (and sometimes a movie) review every weekday from librarians at the Williamsburg Regional Library (Virginia). You can browse for past reviews by reviewer, by subject, and by genres such as literary fiction, nonfiction, science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, mysteries, young adult, and thrillers. Enjoy!

My new favorite topic....what's yrs?

Cooking, chefs, & professional kitchens

I have been reading books about chefs and cooks, and restaurant kitchen culture. I'm not sure why I started, but I'm hooked. I started with Kitchen Confidential; Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain and moved on to Heat by Bill Buford. Both are about the very strange and twisted world of the professional kitchen. Both books are fascinating, enlightening, and funny. For me, they didn't just offer a small view into a world I would otherwise never know, but they made me take a closer look at how I cooked! And it wasn't just cooking; it was watering the plants, cutting the herbs and flowers in my garden, and even folding laundry. Weird, I know. I'd recommend reading these if you have even the slightest interest in food, eating, travel, or going out. I do have a warning however....there is rather rough language in both books, particularly in Bourdain's book. Chefs don't mince words! (No pun intended.)

What have you read so far?

So, it's July 10th and we're well into summer. What good books have you read this summer? Please share the titles that you think have been wonderful.

Here's one from me: Falling through the Earth: a Memoir by Danielle Trussoni. This is a memoir from the daughter of a Vietnam War veteran. The story is split between 1970's Wisconsin, contemporary Vietnam, and wartime Vietnam. I thouight that this was a gripping and exciting tale. There is a tension in this memoir that makes the reader almost feel as if this is a novel. I highly recommend it.

Summer Reading!

What's on your summer reading list in addition to the required reading? I've got a few. I'm going to start with Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris. Here's a summary:

"For generations, privileged young men have attended St. Oswald's Grammar School for Boys, groomed for success by the likes of Roy Straitley, the eccentric Classics teacher who has been a fixture there for more than thirty years. But this year the wind of unwelcome change is blowing. Suits, paperwork, and information technology are beginning to overshadow St. Oswald's tradition, and Straitley is finally, and reluctantly, contemplating retirement. He is joined this term by five new faculty members, including one who - unbeknownst to Straitley and everyone else - holds intimate and dangerous knowledge of St. Oswald's ways and secrets. Harboring dark ties to the school's past, this young teacher has arrived with one terrible goal: to destroy St. Oswald's." "As the new term gets under way, a number of incidents befall students and faculty alike. Beginning as small annoyances - a lost pen, a misplaced coffee mug - they are initially overlooked. But as the incidents escalate in both number and consequence, it soon becomes apparent that a darker undercurrent is stirring within the school. With St. Oswald's unraveling, only Straitley stands in the way of its ruin. The veteran teacher faces a formidable opponent, however - a master player with a bitter grudge and a strategy that has been meticulously planned to the final move, a secret game with very real, very deadly consequences."--BOOK JACKET.

I think it sounds like a fun read....I'd love to hear what others are going to read this summer too! Post your lists here.

Potpourri!

We love Potpourri week!!! One reason: we get to pick out as many books as we want to add to the library's collection. How fantastic is that? I think we found some great ones this year thanks to the generosity of the Parents' Council and the book sale volunteers. We found mysteries, histories, memoirs, and lots of good old fashioned novels. Stop by and put in your requests for titles like:
Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins, Trying to Save Piggy Sneed by John Irving, Silent to the Bone by E. L. Konigsburg, Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia, The Blind Side by Michael Lewis, and Ambulance Girl by Jane Stern.

New Graphic Novels and Memoirs

The library has been adding many new graphic (comic) books to the library's collection. Just in: Missouri Boy by Leland Myrick 741.5973 MYRIC
The Lost Colony by Grady Klein 741.5973 KLEIN
Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi 955.05 SATRA
The 9/11 Report; a Graphic Adaptation 973.931 JACOB
We are on our Own; a memoir by Miriam Katin 940.5318 KATIN

Book Fair part IV

What sorts of books would you like us to stock for the book fair?

Chronicle #3: Harry Potter anyone?

Come to the book fair to reserve your copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Borders will have your copy waiting for you the minute the book goes on sale, you receive the discount, and the library gets some of the profit! Everybody's happy!

Book Fair Chronicle: installment #2

So, what will be at the book fair? Well, there will be lots of fiction and lots of comics. Why not think about getting a book to read while you're on Spring Break? Find something fun and take the opportunity to read something that you don't HAVE to read! If you have any requests for titles, please tell the librarians or post them here.

3rd Annual Library Book Fair

The Book Fair is just around the corner. Here is the first installment of the Book Fair Chronicles. Installment #1: You should buy books at the book fair because it supports the library. We will buy books written by local authors and support our community. Eventually, we will choose some to invite to school where they will offer workshops for students. So, it's a good thing.

Award Winners!

The American Library Association recently announced the winners of their various book awards. There were some really great books nominated and many of you might be interested in reading some of them. The links to the various nominees and winners are listed here.