While I was at home sick a few weeks ago, I read Mister Pip, a novel by Lloyd Jones. It tells the story of Matilda, a 14 year-old girl growing up on Papua New Guinea in the midst of political unrest. Lacking any other curriculum, Mr. Watts, the only remaining educated, white man on the island- and thus the default teacher- reads Great Expectations aloud to his class.
New York Times book reviewer, Janet Maslin, only reluctantly embraced this charming novel. I was entranced. I admit Jones is somewhat heavy handed, but Matilda’s voice feels authentic. Her love of Pip and adoration of the man who transforms her life by sharing Pip’s story is so touching, that this story, like Pip’s, had the power of transporting me off my chilly Maine couch and into the warm Pacific where frost could only be conjured by the imagination.
Reading about a book’s power to transform lives and transport minds got me in the mood for a book list… With April break nearing, and Spring only just arriving in our northern home, I thought you, too, might enjoy a get away with a good book. Here’s a list of some of the library’s newest. I’ve thrown in a few older favorites too…
Swimming to Antarctica by Lynne Cox “At age sixteen, legendary swimmer Lynne Cox reached her lifetime goal of setting a new world record for an English Channel swim. So she set her goals even higher: She became the first to swim the Strait of Magellan, narrowly escaped a shark attack off the Cape of Good Hope, and was cheered across the twenty-mile Cook Strait of New Zealand by dolphins. Her daring eventually led her to the thirty-eight-degree waters of the Bering Strait, which she crossed in her usual out-fit-just a swimsuit, cap, and goggles. She even swam a mile in the iceberg-choked seas of the Antarctic. With a poet’s eye for detail, Cox shares the beauty of her time in the water in this new classic of sports memoir, now illustrated with photos and maps throughout.” (Book Jacket)
Unbowed by Wangari Maathai “Maathai, the winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize and a single mother of three, recounts her life as a political activist, feminist, and environmentalist in Kenya. Born in a rural village in 1940, she was already an iconoclast as a child, determined to get an education even though most girls were uneducated. We see her become the first woman both in East and Central Africa to earn a PhD and to head a university department in Kenya. We witness her numerous run-ins with the brutal Moi government; the establishment, in 1977, of the Green Belt Movement, which spread from Kenya across Africa and which helps restore indigenous forests while assisting rural women by paying them to plant trees in their villages; and how her courage and determination helped transform Kenya’s government into the democracy in which she now serves.”–From publisher description.
Slam by Nick Hornby “At the age of fifteen, Sam Jones’s girlfriend gets pregnant and Sam’s life of skateboarding and daydreaming about Tony Hawk changes drastically.”
Off the Map by Mark Jenkins One of my favorite travel narratives – the story of a bicycle trip across Siberia by a small group of Americans, Russians, and “Soviets.” In addition to the excitement and suspense of traveling through unchartered, roadless country where the children have never before seen bicycles, Jenkins conveys a knowledge of the culture one can only gain traveling through it on two wheels.
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami A special recommendation from Seth Rigoletti: “Anyone who is interested in writing that can sweep you away and make you think would love this book. Murakami is a dangerous writer in that he forces the reader to experience the unknown and to love it. A wonderful story and thought-provoking journey.”
Oscar Wilde and a Game Called Murder by Gyles Daubeney Brandreth “It’s 1892 and Oscar Wilde is the toast of London, riding high on the success of his play Lady Windemere’s Fan. While celebrating with friends at a dinner he conjures up a game called “murder” that poses the question: Who would you most like to kill? Wilde and friends – including Arthur Conan Doyle and Bram Stoker – write the names of their “victims” on pieces of paper and choose them one by one. After leaving the party, Wilde scoffs at the suggestion that he may have instigated a very dangerous game indeed… The very next day, the game takes an all-too-sinister turn when the first “victim” turns up dead. Soon Wilde and his band of amateur detectives must travel through the realms of politics, theatre, and even boxing to unearth whose misguided passions have the potential to become deadly poisons…not only for the perpetrator of the seemingly perfect crimes but also for the trio of detectives investigating them.”-BOOK JACKET.
Darkmans by Nicola Barker “Is it John Scogin, Edward IV’s infamous court jester, who enjoyed burning people alive for a laugh? Or a salad-fearing tiny Kurd called Gaffar? Or a man who guards Beckley Woods with a Samurai sword and a pregnant terrier?” “A very modern book set in a ridiculously modern town, Nicola Barker’s Darkmans is an epic novel of startling originality – a story of obsession, art, prescription drugs, and chiropody. And the main character is the past, creeping up on the present to whisper something quite dark – quite unspeakable – into its ear.”–BOOK JACKET.
So Brave, Young and Handsome by Leif Enger The story of an aging train robber on a quest to reconcile the claims of love and judgment on his life, and the failed writer who goes with him.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid “At a cafe table in Lahore, a bearded Pakistani man converses with an uneasy American stranger. As dusk deepens to night, he begins the tale that has brought them to this fateful meeting. Changez is living an immigrant’s dream of America. At the top of his class at Princeton, he is snapped up by the elite “valuation” firm of Underwood Samson. He thrives on the energy of New York, and his infatuation with elegant, beautiful Erica promises entry into Manhattan society at the same exalted level once occupied by his own family back in Lahore. But in the wake of September 11, Changez finds his position in his adopted city suddenly overturned, and his relationship with Erica eclipsed by the reawakened ghosts of her past. And Changez’s own identity is in seismic shift as well, unearthing allegiances more fundamental than money, power, and maybe even love.”–BOOK JACKET.
Flickipedia : Perfect Films for Every Occasion, Holiday, Mood, Ordeal, and Whim by Michael Atkinson “From the jolting summer electricity of “Jaws” to mending a broken heart with “When Harry Met Sally,” this entertaining and unique guide takes movies off the silver screen, offering viewing recommendations tailored to everyday situations. Equipped with more than 1,300 movie suggestions, this informative resource covers every landmark event, social situation, and annual occurrence from having a baby to watching the Super Bowl. Organized by categories such as holidays, seasonal passages, life phases, and emotional trials and eruptions, this guide recommends movies that readers may not be familiar with, while also featuring the popular classic movie pairings, such as “It’s a Wonderful Life “at Christmas and “The Ten Commandments “at Passover. Whether readers are looking for a scare on Halloween, packing for a road trip, or yearning for a bygone era, this innovative movie guide has the perfect recommendation.” From Sneak Peak.
Invisible nation : how the Kurds’ quest for statehood is shaping Iraq and the Middle East by Quil Lawrence Lawrence is Middle East correspondent for the British Broadcasting Corporation/Public Broadcasting International’s The World. He describes the recent political history of the Iraqi Kurds, offering some introductory material and then the main narrative, which picks up in the 1970s, the era during which the Kurds came to be significantly impacted by US policy in the Middle East. Almost half of the volume is dedicated to discussing the development of a tenuous Kurdish autonomy in the wake of the first Gulf War and even greater detail is provided for the period following the 2003 US invasion and occupation of Iraq, which has allowed the Kurds to set up a de facto state of their own in northern Iraq, thus achieving part of a long-frustrated ambition (much to the chagrin of the Turks and a significant portion of Iraqi Arabs). His narrative also contains some of the most detailed portraits of significant Kurdish political figures to be found in books about current Iraqi politics.” Annotation #169;2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
I’m Looking through You : Growing up Haunted by Jennifer Boylan “For Jennifer Boylan, creaking stairs, fleeting images in the mirror, and remote whispers were everyday events in the Pennsylvania house she grew up in. But those spirits weren’t the only ghosts: Jenny herself–James then–lived in a haunted body, and both her reticent father and her impulsive sister would soon become ghosts to her as well. This book is a candid investigation of what it means to be “haunted.” Looking back on the spirits who invaded her family home, Boylan launches a full investigation with the help of an earnest but questionable group of local ghostbusters. Boylan also examines the ways we find connections between the people we once were and the people we become, showing us how love, forgiveness, and humor help us find peace–with our ghosts, with our loved ones, and with the uncanny boundaries, real and imagined, between men and women in our society.”–From publisher description.
A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants by Jaed Coffin “Six years ago at the age of twenty-one, Jaed Muncharoen Coffin, a half-Thai American man, left New England’s privileged Middlebury College to be ordained as a Buddhist monk in his mother’s native village of Panomsarakram – thus fulfilling a familial obligation. While addressing the notions of displacement, ethnic identity, and cultural belonging, A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants chronicles his time at the temple that rain season – receiving alms in the streets in saffron robes; bathing in the canals; learning to meditate in a mountaintop hut; and falling in love with Lek, a beautiful Thai woman who comes to represent the life he can have if he stays. Part armchair travel, part coming-of-age story, this debut work transcends the memoir genre and ushers in a brave new voice in American nonfiction.”–BOOK JACKET.
The Girl with No Shadow by Joanne Harris “Since she was a little girl, the wind has dictated every move Vianne Rocher has made, buffeting her from place to place, from the small French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes to the crowded streets of Paris. Cloaked in a new identity, that of widow Yanne Charbonneau, she opens a chocolaterie on a small Montmartre street, determined to still the wind at last and keep her daughters, Anouk and the baby, Rosette, safe.” “Her new home above the chocolate shop offers calm and quiet: no red sachets hang by the door; no sparks of magic fill the air; no Indian skirts with bells hang in her closet. Conformity brings with it anonymity – and peace. There is even Thierry, the stolid businessman who wants to take care of Yanne and the children. On the cusp of adolescence, an increasingly rebellious and restless Anouk does not understand. But soon the weathervane turns … and into their lives blows the charming and enigmatic Zozie de l’Alba. And everything begins to change.” “Zozie offers the brightness Yanne’s life needs. Anouk, too, is dazzled by this vivacious woman with the lollipop-red shoes who seems to understand her better than anyone – especially her mother. Yet this friendship is not what it seems. Ruthless, devious, and seductive, Zozie has plans that will shake their world to pieces. And with everything she loves at stake, Yanne must face a difficult choice: Run, as she has done so many times before, or stand and confront this most dangerous enemy.”–BOOK JACKET.
A people’s history of American empire: a graphic adaptation of the book by Howard Zinn, “Since its publication in 1980, A People’s History of the United States has had six new editions, become classroom reading throughout the country, and been turned into a play. A People’s History displaces the official versions with their emphasis on great men in high places to chronicle events as they were lived, from the bottom up. Now, Howard Zinn, cartoonist Mike Konopacki, and historian Paul Buhle have collaborated to retell, in graphic detail, an immediate and relevant chapter of A People’s History: the centuries long story of America’s actions in the world. Narrated by Zinn himself, this version opens with the events of 9/11 and then jumps back to explore the cycles of U.S. expansionism from Wounded Knee to Iraq, stopping along the way at World War I, Vietnam, Central America, the invasion of Cuba, and the Iranian revolution. The book also follows Zinn’s own story, as the son of poor Jewish immigrants growing up in the Brooklyn tenements becomes one of America’s leading historians.” “Shifting from world-shattering events to one family’s small revolutions. A People’s History of American Empire presents the ground-level history of America in a new medium.”–BOOK JACKET.
The 2009 Maine Student Book Award winner is Diary of a Wimpy Kid!
