Library Lines By DONNA HINE
How does one actually put down a book written by Bill Bryson? Honestly, it is addictive! “The Road to Little Dribbling” (914.104 BRY) is just as funny as his previous books – and it’s one in which he revisits his beloved Britain again just a few (20) years older, but really no wiser. You will learn more about Britain – and very painlessly – while enjoying a witty, observant and sometimes clumsy author as he writes about his meanderings through a much-loved land. Oh! And don’t forget puns – Bryson certainly remembers to sneak in a few.
If you have only an hour to read and want to read a charming, introspective and ultimately wistful book, try “Gratitude” (616.8009 SAC) written by Oliver Sacks near the end of his life. Gratitude is what he feels for a life well-lived, and his writing reflects that emotion. Without being maudlin, Sacks writes with a sense of wonder about the swift passage of time (and don’t we all feel that at times?) and reflects on his good fortune in living the life he was able to live. These four essays were written over a period of two years as his health declined, but his innate feel for living a good and giving life remained strong.
“Noah’s Wife” (STA) by Lindsay Starck is a quirky first novel. Obviously, with the reference to Noah, we know it will rain for a very long time, and yes, a famous zoo with escaped animals also is involved. But woven among these biblical references are a love story and a community story about resilience and our interdependence on one another. It’s about living every day and just pushing through the toughest of times to get to the other side. It’s about living – period.
If you read the reviews for “The Fugitives” (SOR) by Christopher Sorrentino, you may be as confused as I was. Is it a crime thriller? Comedy? Dark novel of death and betrayal? And do we really need to pigeon-hole every novel into a neat space with a perfect label? This is one of those novels that defies definition – and is much better for it. We read of three characters – Sandy Mulligan (a struggling novelist fleeing scandal), John Salteau (an Ojibway storyteller) and Kat Danhoff (a reporter), and only a really good storyteller can blend their lives into a cohesive and lyrical novel. Sorrentino is a good storyteller.
Historical fiction usually follows facts as closely as it can and embellishes them to create a readable novel. “Flight of Dreams” (LAW) by Ariel Lawhon follows this formula and sweeps the reader into the last flight of the Hindenburg in a masterful way. We get to know the passengers and the flight crew as if they are family. The reality is that the cause of the explosion is unknown, but the author’s theory does seem to fit the facts. Who will survive? Who won’t? Read on to find out!
Middlebury Public Library Adult Services Librarian Donna Hine writes Library Lines. If you have a topic you’d like her to cover, contact her at the library at 203-758-2634.
