Staff Reviews & Reader’s Guides
Staff Reviews
Librarians are a wordy bunch; we like to read almost as much as we like to comment on books. For those of you who don’t trust the big reviewers, we offer you the Staff Blog: a completely–random–and–in–no–particular–order assortment of reviewed books from the staff of the Newburyport Public Library. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Y: The Last Man
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You know that old saying about “…not even if you were the last man on earth!” Brian K. Vaughn just finished up the last issue in his 60 issue series, Y: The Last Man, and it was just as superb as the other 59 issues. Y follows the story of Yorick Brown and his capuchin monkey, Ampersand, in the wake of the mysterious death of all mammals carrying a Y chromosome. For all that this series deals with the extinction of humanity, it’s a startlingly funny read. And the women! Vaughn writes tons of truly human, flawed, funny, beautiful women (remember there’s only 1 guy and his monkey). The entire series is collected into 10 trade paperbacks, and is located in the Adult Graphic Novel Section. Read it before it gets made into a movie starring Shia LeBeouf. (Graphic/Vaughn) Located on the second floor in the adult Graphic Novel collection.
Why Mars and Venus Collide
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Think all men and women are created equal when it comes to stress? The author of "Men Are from Mars and Women Are from Venus" describes the differences between the genders when it comes to everyday stress. Filled with interesting examples, this book is one to take a look at. (155.9042 Gra) Located on the third floor in the Non-Fiction collection.
The Risk Pool
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Not many authors can get his characters out of the books and sitting right next to you like Richard Russo. Told mostly from a teenager's perspective, this book has some vivid and hilarious scenes unfolding in typical Russo fashion. After putting down "The Risk Pool", as with Russo's other books, one always comes away with a deeper understading and appreciation for who really sits right next to you in your family, your neighborhood and your town. (Fic Russo, R) Located on the 2nd floor in our adult fiction section.
The Myth of You and Me
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Cameron and her former best friend Sonia had a falling out years ago that Cameron would just as soon forget. But Oliver, the 92-year-old historian that Cameron cares for and lives with, will not let her forget so easily. Join Cameron on a journey of love, loss and the memory of friendship. (Fic Stewart L) Located on the 2nd floor in our adult fiction section.
The Language of Letting Go
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This book is very helpful to those readers who need assistance in the process of self-care and recovery. The book is set up with daily meditations on different issues. It is based on simple principles and many ideas you can use to improve your life. You can learn to replace non serving beliefs such as attachments, guilt, blame, codependency, fear, control, family issues, perfection, martyrdom, denial, grief, anger with feelings of empowerment, self-approval and gratitude. The author does a great job with her inspirational meditations. It you want something uplifting, this is a good read and it can apply to everday life. (616.86 Bea) Located on the third floor in the non-fiction collection.
Skeletons at the Feast
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A gripping story of refugees during the last days of World War II. Artistocratic Prussian family members, a Scottish POW, and a Jewish escapee form a serendipitous group desperately trying to escape the Russian Army's advance towards Germany. Bohjalian creates a vivid sense of time and place, as well as memorable characters and events. A beautifully written book, this is one of my best reads of the year. This would make a great choice for a book club discussion. (FIC Bohjalian) Located on the second floor in our Fiction collection. Available in Large Print and in Audio format from the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium.
Paradise Travel
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Want to put a face to the immigration discussion? Meet Marlon Cruz. He’s willing to throw it all away (not that there’s much for someone without connections in Columbia), to follow his girlfriend, Reina, to New York City, where they don’t know anybody and they don’t speak the language. Really, what could go wrong? Jorge Franco’s language is spare and gritty, eschewing the magical realism favored by some other Latin American writers. (Fic Franco Ramos) Located on the second floor in the adult fiction collection.
Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping
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Tired of all your purchases accumulating? Why not try a year-long shopping hiatis? Follow the sometimes sad, sometimes hilarious story of Judith Levine and her year of "not buying it" and take a look at the American way of consumption. (640.73 Lev) Located on the 3rd floor in our non-fiction collection.
Mudbound
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It is 1946 on the Mississippi Delta, and Laura McAllan becomes the wife of a farmer. Life without electricity, indoor plumbing, or medical care is an adjustment for this college-educated former school teacher. When Laura's mother-in-law returns from the War, catastrophe strikes. (FIC Jordan) This book is located on the second floor in our Fiction collection. It is also available in Large Print through the Merrimack Library Consortium.
Martha Stewart's Cookies
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I don’t care what the federal government thinks of her, Martha Stewart’s new bake book, Cookies, is brilliant. Organized visually (on each page, 20 or so photos with page numbers underneath) into sections with titles like, “light and delicate,” rich and dense,” “cakey and tender,” Cookies makes it easy to figure out what you’re baking because you can see all of the possible cookies right there, in front of you. No flipping the pages and forgetting what you wanted to compare. The two recipes I used were outstanding (Double Chocolate Coconut Cookies and Pumpkin Cookies with Brown-Butter Icing). Plenty of pictures, clear, short directions and most importantly, pages that stayed open while I was running around my kitchen with dusty cups of flour. I should say, though, that I suffered a fit of pique when my stirring spoon snapped in half while I was mixing the final part of my Double Chocolate Coconut Cookies. But boy, the resulting cookie was so good that I forgot the broken spoon. (641.8654 Mar) Located on the third floor of the Library in our non-fiction collection.
Homestead
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This group of short stories connects the families of farmers and villagers in a remote area of the Austrian Alps. Over a span of eighty years, the characters experience the conflicts and changes of the twentieth century that impact even the most isolated areas of Europe. Intensely focused and told through individual viewpoints, these stories explore the inner lives of the characters. “Homestead” offers universal themes with a unique setting. Lippi has written a tender and compassionate account that makes the reader wish for more.
Hero
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In Perry Moore’s coming-of-age teen superhero story, Tom Creed, son of the now-disgraced Major Might (think of the superhero stories of the 50s where the superhero is super because he works hard, lives by an iron moral code, has a whopper of a karate chop), has more than a little on his plate. Aside from being a basketball star, civic volunteer of the year, and a young gay man, Tom is just figuring that he has superpowers. These last two he needs to hide from his father, a task made more difficult after he’s invited to join the League, an elite team of Superheroes that fly around saving mankind from B-list villains. But now someone’s murdering the superheroes, and it’s gone beyond the B-listers. Will Tom be able to control his powers in time to help mankind? Will he ever be able to have an honest conversation with his Dad? Perry Moore’s Hero is a solid read. Funny, truthful, and filled with enough quirk to satisfy pretty much anyone. (YA Moore) Located on the second floor in the Teen Loft.
Feng Shui and Health: The Anatomy of a Home
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This is feng shui advice to the next level, focusing specifically on health- and ways to avoid illness- with proper feng shui of the home. Chapters include topics such as health assessment, feng shui methods and design, the chakras, and transcendtal cures. An interesting, thorough, look at the health of our homes. (613 San) Located on the 3rd floor in our non-fiction collection.
Enlightenment for Idiots
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What do you get when you mix a yoga teacher, an on-again-off right now relationship and a trip to India in search of enlightenment? A hilarious look into the messy life of 29-year-old Amanda, trendy gurus and all. Available through the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium.
Customer Service In An Instant
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This slim guide, a title in the 'In An Instant' series, packs a punch discussing customer service issues from attitude to customer loyalty to dealing with difficult people. Includes 60 great tips in an easy-to-read, energizing format. (658.812 Bai) Located on the 3rd floor in our non-fiction collection.
Crooked Little Vein
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I would have read this even if Joss Whedon hadn’t recommended it. First things first. Warren Ellis is an incredibly successful and prolific graphic novelist. He’s used to writing punchy, to-the-point dialogue that conveys a whole lot of meaning in a little tiny bubble. His first novel is like one giant dialogue bubble. 275 pages dedicated to a story that centers around a down on his luck detective (that’s the hard boiled part), an unwilling magnet for all that is obscene, who’s given the impossible job by White House Chief of Staff (loves to shoot heroin while listening to Enya), to recover a “Secret Constitution” that was lost by Richard Nixon in a whorehouse. Enough said. (Fic Ellis W) Located on the second floor of the Library in our fiction collection.
Booked to Die
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Do you love books, collect books, maybe even hoard books, and also enjoy a good mystery? Then try this book, introducing Janeway, ex-police officer turned bookseller. A starred Kirkus review calls the book "a seductive primer on how to open a bookstore, spot a first edition, warehouse it, price it and enjoy it for its own sake." The interwoven mystery is just frosting on the cake! Available through the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium.
Ballistics
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Billy Collins has done it again. “Ballistics,” his newest collection of poetry, is charming, witty, and engaging. Collins, former US Poet Laureate, writes poetry that is accessible, yet subtle and meaningful. He has a knack for observation; for taking the ordinary and making it unexpected. This collection is similar in many ways to his previous volumes, but Collins has added reflections on divorce, aging, and the end of life. If poetry does not normally appeal to you, Billy Collins is the poet to try.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
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Barbara Kingsolver and her family commit to a year of eating only what they grow and what is local. Kingsolver chronicles their move from Tuscon to a family farm in Virginia, and the ins and outs of eating fresh, eating local, and creating lasting memories for herself and her family. (641.0973 Kin) Located on the third floor in our Non-Fiction collection. Available in audio format through the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium.
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian
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With a title like this, I just had to read the book. Lewycka's first novel is a fresh look at family relationships and social history. Two British sisters put aside their differences to rescue their aging father, an eccentric Ukrainian World War II refugee, from the clutches of a scheming woman. Valentina is a 30 year old blond Ukrainian mother whose demands on their father, including getting engaged, are her way to a permanent life in the West. I thoroughly enjoyed this unusual and affectionate look at family histories and growing old. (FIC Lewycka) Located on the second floor in our Fiction collection. Available in audio book format through the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium.
A Difficult Boy
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Nine-year-old Ethan is working hard as an indentured servant for Mr. Lyman in order to pay off his father's debt. He is determined to fulfill his obligation as his father's son but he isn't prepared for the horrors he experiences at Mr. Lyman's nor the conflict he feels over his friendship with Daniel, an Irish boy who is also an indentured servant. Ethan's been warned to avoid Daniel's bad influence but Ethan wonders: is Daniel truly a difficult boy or can a difficult situation make a person how they are? This is a riveting historical fiction novel, set in Massachusetts, which is a great read for older children and adults. (J Barker) Located in the Children's Room in the Children's Fiction collection.
