Fiction - the long and short of it

I've been reading reviews of The Drowned Life by Jeffrey Ford, and I think I'll have to check it out. Short story collections, which this is, don't always fare so well in libraries. I think that's too bad because some of the best writing out there happens in shorter fiction, and unless an author has a name that people recognize, many titles go unnoticed. Now, Jeffrey Ford is not an unknown - he's written several novels including last year's The Shadow Year which received very positive reviews for its intriguing blend of genres. But I hope that readers will give The Drowned Life a try too - it's eclectic enough to entertain just about anyone. In a quick check of the library's catalog, I see that we have two copies, both on the shelf.

Every cat has his day

Remember all of the dog books that reached best seller lists in the past couple of years? Marley and Me, A Good Dog, The Dog Whisperer ... Well, the cats knew their time was coming, and sure enough, a cat named Dewey busted through the doggie door and captured the hearts of feline lovers everywhere. Now there's another one, and it looks to be a hit as well. Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper tells the amazing and touching story of a blind cat who learned to do everything that sighted cats do while teaching his owner about the resilient nature of animals.

Waiting for Julia

I just checked our delivery area to see what kinds of new books are soon heading to library shelves. If you've been to the movies to see "Julie and Julia" and are now waiting patiently to read the book, you'll be happy to know that we've ordered more copies - so hang in there! And I've been reading about the fantastic consequences of releasing the movie - Julia Child's cookbooks are in hot demand! I did a quick check in the library's catalog, and yep, anything by the grande dame of cooking is checked out. But try not to be too disappointed if you have to wait for one of her books - several new cookbooks will be cataloged soon. Here are three I recommend:

Fresh Mexico by Marcela Valladolid
1000 Gluten-Free Recipes by Carol Lee Fenster
Family Feasts for $75 a Week by Mary Ostyn

Bon appetit!

The Land of Umpires

There is a new book out that should be of interest to sports fans, As they see 'em: a fan's travels in the world of umpires by Bruce Weber. The author goes behind the scenes to see how umpires are trained, and how they are treated by players and fans. It looks like this should be a very entertaining read, just in time for playoff season in October.

Enticements

I find that I am fascinated with the growing phenomenon of book trailers. I've blogged about this before, and I just found another one that is simple yet compelling - Deanna Raybourn's Silent on the Moor. Some trailers are pretty elaborate and feel more like mini-movies than advertisements for a book. Perhaps trailers are the new way to entice readers of the tweeting/blogging/gaming generation. I'd love to hear what others think about this - would you be more likely to read a book based on a trailer than on a traditional print review?

Want to place a hold on Silent on the Moor? Click here.

SECRET SERVICE

FVRL has a new book on order about the Secret Service, and it looks really interesting. The author has been making the talk show rounds recently, playing up the "never before revealed" stories contained in the book. The title is: In the President's Secret Service: behind the scenes with agents in the line of fire and the Presidents they protect, by Ronald Kessler. And since this title is just "on order", why not try this one while you wait: Standing next to history: an agent's life in the Secret Service by Joseph Petro.

REDISCOVERING JOHN SANDFORD

I've been listening to John Sandford books lately as I commute to work. His latest, Wicked Prey, is set in Minneapolis as the city hosts the Republican National Convention. The "Prey" series began back in the late 80s with Rules of Prey, and features the main character detective Lucas Davenport. After reading the first few books long ago, I drifted away from the series, but now I am rediscovering the author's fantastic ability to create interesting characters and to move the story along in a fast-paced suspenseful manner.

FOOD PRESERVATION

Every spring the 635s clear out at the library. This is the general dewey number for Gardening books. This area of the shelves stays pretty bare until August or September, and then patrons begin asking for books on Food Preservation so that they can enjoy their garden harvest for months to come. We have several books on canning and preserving at the library. One example is Putting Up: a year-round guide to canning in the Southern tradition by Stephen Dowdney.

Here are some others on this subject:

Well-preserved: recipes and techniques for putting up small batches of seasonal foods by Eugenia Bone

Jam it, pickle it, cure it: and other cooking projects by Karen Solomon

Preserving in today's kitchen: new faster techniques for preserving foods at their peak of flavor by Jeanne Lesem

URBAN FARMING

I started a vegetable garden this year, and already I'm addicted to gardening books. I really like the new one by Novella Carpenter titled "Farm City: the education of an urban farmer". She lives in Oakland and takes over a nearby abandoned lot to create a garden. She even raises "meat birds", a goose, turkeys, and chickens, in her very small backyard. It's very well written and a fast, enjoyable read.